CHAPTER 33: THE PRICE OF VICTORY

It was a beautiful afternoon in Ivarion. King Tharyn rode at the front of the victorious procession with the royal banner above his head. Beside him were the royal princess, the Royal guards, and the Phoenix guards. The war was over and they had won.

"Hooray!" The people of Ivarion screamed, praising the Royal procession. "Long live the King! Long live Ivarion!"

They threw Flowers at them, waved ribbons and scarves. Children ran beside the horses, laughing and calling out names of soldiers they admired. The whole kingdom was alive with joy. They were free and safe again.

Princess Nyella rode just behind the king. She had never seen the city so alive. Her face glowed as she took in the cheers, the happy tears of her people, and the praises they gave. It was overwhelming and beautiful. But then her eyes caught something that made her smile even brighter.

Just ahead, Sira was riding with her usual quiet poise. But this time, something was different. Sira looked unusually radiant. She gave a big smile, which was out of the ordinary. Nyella knew there was more to those sparkling eyes.

Nyella nudged her horse forward and caught up with her. She teased Sira gently, "You seem more excited than I am, Sira. What’s going on? You’re practically glowing."

Sira chuckled, trying to tone down her smile. "Who wouldn’t be happy? The war is over. We’re home and alive."

Nyella raised a brow and leaned in closer. "Mmm. That’s not all, is it? Come on. I’ve known you for too long. That kind of joy doesn’t come from victory alone."

Sira blushed faintly and looked ahead, trying to avoid her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Nyella grinned. "You’re excited to see her, aren’t you? Irha."

Sira’s mouth parted in surprise. "You... you know?"

"Oh, Sira." Nyella laughed softly. "Of course I do. I’ve always known. You thought you were hiding it so well?"

Sira’s face turned a deeper shade of red. "I just didn’t think you’d... be okay with it."

Nyella slowed her horse a little and looked at her friend with soft eyes. "Why wouldn’t I be? Irha seems kind and nice. Not like her brother, Vaelen."

That made Sira laugh, finally loosening up. "That one’s impossible."

They both laughed as the sound of drums and cheers grew louder. The palace gates were now in view, as banners were raised.

And standing right there at the entrance, waiting with teary eyes, was Queen Serenya.

She looked every inch the proud mother and wife with the beautiful royal blue robes that she wore. The moment Nyella and the king dismounted their horses, she hurried forward. But instead of heading to her husband first, she rushed straight into Nyella’s arms.

"My child," the queen whispered as she held her tightly. "My beautiful girl. Thank the heavens, you’re safe."

Nyella didn’t reply. She just held on, breathing in her mother’s scent.

But after a while, a light cough came from behind. "Ahem," the king said playfully, "someone else might need that hug more."

The queen gasped and laughed through her tears, "Oh! I’m sorry, my love." She turned and embraced the king with all her strength. "My dear husband. I feared for you every day."

"I’m here," Tharyn said with a small smile. "Still standing. Still strong."

She touched his arm gently. "How’s your health?"

"Just a scratch," he replied. "It’ll take more than a stab to the shoulder to bring me down."

"Of course," the queen whispered. "Of course, it would."

Then the queen pulled back slightly. "Congratulations. You’ve won the war. You brought our people back in one piece."

The king nodded. "Of course, it is my kingdom after all. But tell that to the people who praise the dragon."

Queen Serenya blinked. "So... it’s true? Did the dragon really appear? It fought alongside you?"

The king exhaled slowly, as if the memory itself weighed heavily on him. "Yes. As strange as it sounds... It’s true."

Serenya’s voice was full of awe. "How? What does it look like? How large is it?"

But the king held up a hand. "Later. Not now. I need rest. My bones are tired, and my head is full. There will be time for tales."

She nodded gently. "Of course. You need your strength."

And with that, the royal family retired to their chambers.

"..."

It was late at night and Nyella just lay on her bed and kept staring at the ceiling. Her eyes were wide open. She just couldn’t sleep. After a while, she sighed, got up from the bed, wrapped a robe around her, and stepped outside.

The palace was very quiet and as Nyella was out, she heard a sound down the hall.

It was faint at first, but became clearer as she kept going down. It was moans and it came from Sira’s room. It wasn’t just one voice, there were two, both women.

Nyella smiled a bit. "Lovebirds," she muttered under her breath, "You couldn’t even wait till dawn?"

She shook her head and continued walking, and allowed them to have their fun.

She climbed the stairs slowly, heading for the topmost floor. It was her favorite place in the whole palace. From there, she could see the entire capital and how big it was.

The wind brushed her face as she stepped out into the open. The cool air there felt so good. She stood at the edge and rested her hands on the cold stone railing, just... watching and thinking about everything that had happened so far.

Moments later, she heard soft footsteps behind her.

Someone was coming.

Without turning, she said, "Couldn’t sleep either?"

A familiar voice replied, "Not really."

It was Ser Devic.

He walked up beside her and took a seat on the edge of the stone bench. For a while, neither of them said a word. They just sat there and listened to the night.

Then, after a long silence, he spoke.

"Was that why you denied your encounter with the dragon before? The real reason?"

Nyella didn’t respond immediately. She took a breath and said softly, "I’m sorry if I made you look foolish. That wasn’t my intention."

Ser Devic looked at her, raised his brows slightly, and said. "Then what was?"

Nyella turned to him now. "If I had told the council I saw the dragon, if I confirmed it, it would’ve changed everything. We would’ve lost focus. Instead of preparing for war, we’d be sending scouts to chase dragons too. Doing both would’ve ruined us. But staying quiet? That gave us a chance."

Devic let out a quiet scoff. "And luckily, it worked. This time."

Nyella narrowed her eyes. "You don’t agree?"

"I’m just saying," he replied, "what if the dragon had turned on us? What if it decided to fight our army instead of the enemy? What if it even fought us both"

She folded her arms, her tone turning slightly defensive. "I studied the odds. The dragon wasn’t going to attack us."

"Just like that?" he said, skeptical. "You were sure?"

"Yes."

He looked at her for a moment, then leaned back against the stone. "You sound so sure... too sure. As if you know the boy who was riding that dragon."

Nyella didn’t answer. But the corner of her lips curled just slightly. That was all he needed.

Ser Devic sat up. "You do know him. Don’t you?"

She hesitated... then said quietly, "He’s just a friend."

"Just a friend," Devic repeated as he shook his head. "Right. And this friend just happens to show up in the middle of a battlefield, flying a dragon like some ancient god of war."

She gave him a look but said nothing.

Devic chuckled. "Don’t lie to me, Nyella. You convinced him, didn’t you? You put this whole thing in motion."

"I didn’t convince him," she said firmly. "I only hoped. I hoped he’d be brave enough to show up. And he did. And we’ve won."

Devic stared at her, studying her face. "And now?"

Nyella looked away, and her voice was now becoming quieter. "Now I’m afraid of what comes next."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah... Because this isn’t over."

They both sat in silence again. The Devic finally said, "That boy... whoever he is... he’s not ready for what’s coming. They’ll tear him apart before he even understands what’s going on."

Nyella didn’t respond, but her fingers tightened around the railing.

He continued, "The nobles, the Lords, the spies... everyone’s watching. The dragon made him a target."

She turned to him and said in a low voice. "I had predicted this would happen... But I allowed him to make the decision. Whatever happens, we’d protect him."

Devic gave her a side glance. "We?"

"Yes," she said. "I do strongly believe you’re on my side on this, even though I hadn’t told you about it earlier, you knew it was for the greater good."

He sighed, rubbing his hands together. "Let’s just hope the worst doesn’t happen. Because as it stands right now, a bigger mess is coming."