Dragon Princess - Forest Ostrander (books to read to improve english TXT) 📗

A white dragon stood on a high cliff overlooking her kingdom. Behind her loomed a huge castle built from the scales of her ancestors, thus making the walls of the castle impenetrable.

"My princess," a voice sounded behind her. Turning her head she looked at the golden dragon. Her blue eyes matching his green.

"Yes Draco? What is it?" Her voice was light and calm.

"The young are excelling in their lessons. They have grown restless." Draco was one of the princess's trusted advisors and her closest friend. Looking back out to the valley below, she watched the boysterouse youngsters battle each other with a purple dragon named Adelinda. With a smile forming on her lips she nodded.

"It does seem they are getting too much energy now. I believe it’s time for them to put their energy to use. Tell them they are to work as a team at hunting and should not return empty handed. That at least should get some of their energy settled down until I can place them in a proper setting." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Draco nod his head in understanding before spreading his foot long wings. The sun glinting off of his golden scales sparkled and made him shine like the sun itself. Taking off with one mighty jump in the air, Draco glided down to Adelinda to report her command. Turning away she headed into the castle, her prism, 5 inch long claws tapped against the marble floor as she walked. Her feathered wings were folded tight against her sides, and her tail was held a good few inches off the floor. Other dragons that lined the inner castle walls bowed to her as she walked by and in return she acknowledged them with a slight nod of her head. Stopping outside of a pearl door, she placed one huge claw on the wall and the door opened to reveal a cave going deep down under the ground. Letting out a quick puff of fire, she lit the torches that lined the wall and proceeded down the stairs, the door closing behind her. Reaching the bottom step, she looked in to the huge chamber where she had laid her eggs. Over the years the numbers have sky rocketed up to 20,000 and each egg sat in its own straw and feather lined nests. Nuzzling her eggs, she let a content rumble emanate from deep in her chest. Soon these eggs will hatch and the kingdom will be with heirs to the throne.  Once more she took a deep breath and let out a stream of fire, only this fire was cooler than her last and was used only to warm the eggs and keep them a good temperature. Soon, her years of guarding her eggs will be over and she can get down to raising her own hatchlings. It usually does not take eggs long to hatch for females, but the royal blood line took longer to mature than the others so this gave her a long egg warming time while the other females have already grown up hatchlings and working on yet more eggs. When she was satisfied with the temperature of the area she counted her eggs once more before heading back up. Making sure the door was locked behind her she headed to the banquet hall for dinner. It would soon be time to welcome the arriving royals from the Kingdome to the North and she wanted to make sure that their agreement would be kept. She wanted to check out the King and Queen's son to see if he was worthy to be the next hair to the throne that would breed with one of her daughters or if he was another nibbling hatchling who is unworthy of the throne. She had already gone through a thousand male candidates and each one had failed horribly. She wanted the best for her daughter who would take over her spot as Princess of the Southern Clan.

Checking in on the kitchen servants she made sure the food was satisfactory. After all, royals prefer the best dinning in the world and would not even touch anything less. When she was satisfied with everything that was going on, she sat down on her plush cushion. Her tail wrapped gently around her body as she waited for her guest to arrive. Minutes ticked by when finally an emerald green dragon came in to the dining hall.

"Is there news of our guests?" She asked the young female. The emerald dragon nodded her head.

"They have just arrived my Princess. Shall I seem them in for you?"

"Yes. Please do Emerald." The young female bowed and left the room again only to return with three dragons behind her.

"My Princess. I present you King Vasuki and Queen Chusi and Prince Derek." The young female addressed the royal family before bowing away and closing the doors behind her.

"Welcome my friends. Please have a seat. Dinner will be out shortly." The Princess watched the three dragons take a seat on their own plush cushions. As they settled in she took the opportunity to study them. King Vasuki looked strong and well built. His blue scales shone like diamonds and his horns were sharp and polished. His claws looked to have been recently sharpened and polished as well. Queen Chusi seemed elegant as many female dragons should look. Her cobalt blue scales glistened in the light of the room casting rainbows on the floor. Her horns and claws matched that of her mate. Prince Derek however caught her attention the most. His red scales shone like fire during a sunset. His deep blue eyes looked around the room. He was well built like his father but also had that elegant look from his mother. He was indeed a fine young male.

"My King and Queen. Might I ask of your fortunes in your Kingdome?" The Princess asked, trying to make light talk.

"Oh, everything seems to be going smoothly," King Vasuki said. His yellow eyes glinting with amusement.

"Yes indeed. Our females have nearly doubled their batches of eggs tenfold. We find ourselves swamped with new recruits," Queen Chusi said. The Princess nodded.

"Yes. I know how it is. We too have had a boom of hatchlings and they only seem to be growing more in numbers. I fear if this keeps up, there will be no food to supply all of us." The Princess lowers her head slightly.

"Indeed," Queen Chusi said. "I propose we make a new law in our lands." The Princess looked up at the Queen and said.

"Oh? And what kind of law might I ask?" She was curious as to what the Queen would propose.

"A law stating that females should only have one batch of eggs every three years. This way, we will reduce the hatchling count and hopefully give us a chance to reduce our numbers enough that over population and lack of food will be no problem."

"And what of the royals? Surely you do not expect us to survive by just producing one batch of eggs every three years. The odds of even one of the eggs hatching and properly growing up will be very slim," the Princess said.

"Oh, the royals will be un-touched of course. After all, this land does need a royal to lead their dragons. Take you for example. You lead your Kingdome with wisdom and kindness that I have not seen in the Eastern or Western kingdoms. Their dragons are treated un-fairly and many are starving," King Vasuki added in. The Princess nodded.

"I have heard word from the other kingdoms dragons. Some have even moved here to my Kingdome in hopes of a better life but many I had to turn away do to over population issues. I felt so bad for them."

"Yes. We have had to do the same with our Kingdome as well," Queen Chusi said. The three of them fell silent.

"Mother, when is dinner going to be here?" All three dragons looked at Prince Derek.

"Soon, they should be finishing up the roast any second," the Princess said and just as the words came out of her mouth, the doors opened as dragons came in carrying all sorts of platters and dishes covered in food and deserts. When the dishes were set down and the dragons disappeared, the royal family dug into their meal.

After supper and some very delicious deserts. The King and Queen turned to the Princess and asked.

"And what of your daughter? Has any female egg of yours hatched yet?" The Princess shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. It seems they are taking their time and I know not why. It's very strange indeed. It’s as if they sense something coming that is not safe for them to come out yet. I tend to them every day and they should have been close now if not yet already hatching." The looks from the King and Queen did nothing to make the Princess feel any better.

"If one of your female eggs does not hatch soon, I'm afraid we will have to call of the arrangement," Queen Chusi said in a lower tone. The Princess knew what could happen but she had not yet lost faith in her eggs. One of them is bound to hatch sooner or later and she hoped it was sooner. Her Kingdome needs to be joined with the Northern Kingdome or they risk being lost to time it. Inbreeding is a very close threat in her Kingdome and she needs new blood.

"I know. And I assure you I am doing all that I can. Please give me a couple more months. If one of my eggs has not hatched by then, then we can call the arrangement off." The Princess looked at the King and Queen, she hated to sound like she was begging but she really needs this arrangement to happen. The King soon nodded his head.

"You have until the next gathering. If one of your eggs has not hatched by then, then we will be forced to find Prince Derek another Queen." The Princess nodded and bowed her head.

"Thank you my King." When all four of them stood up, they gently touched noses to each other in farewell before the royal family headed off to their Kingdome leaving the Princess dreading on what will happen. The next gathering was in three months and she did not know what was causing her eggs to not hatch. They were not dead she knew that for she could hear their heart beats inside the shells and they were fully developed as well. Sighing she headed back down to her nesting chamber. Once more looking over her eggs, she whispers to them.

"Come on my darlings. Come out, everything is ok. There is nothing here to harm you," but the Princess didn't so much as get a single peep until out from the crowed she heard the faintest peep. Looking over her eggs she followed the light peeping until she came to her only white egg of the clutch. The egg wasn't very big but the white shell shone the brightest, as if there was a light inside. Lowering her head to the egg she heard another small peep emanate from deep inside, smiling she said.

"Come on little one. Come out and meet the world," but the egg did not start to crack, the only thing that came out of the egg was the peeping noises from the hatchling within. Frowning slightly the Princess gently picked up the egg in her jaws, careful to not jostle it around or flip it upside down as she placed the egg in a hidden chamber. This chamber was warmer than the first and was only to be used when at least one of her eggs showed life. When the egg was settled in its new