Amora's Arc

Chapter 2 of 6

By morning the guards had come. They locked Amora in the highest tower of the dark red castle. Rose vines climbed the stone below her window, but the door behind her held a bolt she could not reach. The dragon hatchling had slipped in before they sealed it. It sat on the windowsill now, brown scales catching the gray light, watching her pace. Amora had one week and no plan. Her mother ruled by fear, and no one at this court would stand against the Queen of Hearts. But she had one person left who might. Her aunt. Mirana the White Queen ruled her own castle far from here. She had platinum hair, almost white, and a crown of silver crystal. Years before Amora was born, the two sisters had hated each other. Then, somehow, they had made peace. They had loved each other again. Amora did not know what broke that love the second time. She only knew her aunt had once been kind, and kindness was rare in this kingdom. Amora sat at the small table and found paper and ink. Her hand shook as she wrote. "Dear Aunt Mirana," she began. She told her everything. She told her about the dragon that loved her instead of fearing her. She told her about the prince, the treaty, the tower. She wrote that she wanted allies who valued gentleness over cruelty. She wrote that her mother meant to cage the hatchling and force the marriage. "You made peace with her once," Amora finished. "If anyone can reach her, it is you. Please help me." She folded the letter. Then she looked at the hatchling. "I need you to carry this," she said. "To Chessflower Castle. To my aunt." The hatchling tilted its head. It made the low sound it made only for her. Amora tied the letter to its leg with a strip of red silk torn from her gown. She stroked its jaw one last time. "Fly fast," she whispered. "And come back." The hatchling spread its wings. It climbed onto the sill, looked back at her once, then dropped into the open air. Amora rushed to the window. She watched the small brown shape rise over the rose vines and beat toward the pale horizon until it vanished. The letter was gone. She had done the one thing she could do. But when she turned from the window, her stomach dropped. The dragon was her only guard. Now it was miles away. Her mother had promised to cage it by morning. The Queen would send men to the tower and find the creature missing. She would know Amora had sent it somewhere. And a dragon flying free toward the White Queen's castle would tell her mother exactly who Amora had asked for help. Amora pressed her hand to the cold stone. Her plea was flying to safety. So was the only proof of her defiance.