Chapter 2
Castle Zocorin
Blaze had imagined all kinds of responses he might receive when he presented himself to the king, but none of them quiteprepared him for meeting the male responsible for his existence.
“Come this way.” A male guard motioned toward a hallway leading to a receiving room.
He felt nervous but kept his shoulders pulled back and his head held up. The ring bearing the Zocorin crest felt tight on his finger. He caught a few of the warriors glancing at the ring but none of them said anything.
Someone opened two large double wooden doors into a large room. There was seating along the walls for people waiting for an audience withthe king and his queen. Blazewalkedstraight down the center to the end, where two thrones sat upon a raised platform. The thrones were empty ? but not for long.
Doors to the right opened and guards came out, followed by an elderly man with greying hair and one of the most beautiful females Blaze had ever seen. She had long straight black hair that hung past her waist, dark brown eyes that appeared bothwarm and welcoming, and pale flawless skin. The king took her hand and helped her up the steps of the platform and waited for her to sit. She gave Blaze a beaming smile, and he felt like he had been punched in the stomach.
The king took his place and Blaze finally took his eyes off of the female. “Is this the boy?” the king asked his second in command.
The commander had been standing next to Blaze and poked him in the back, urging him to move forward. “Yes, my king. He bears a ring with the crescent.”
“Let me see that ring,” King Zocor demanded.
Blaze tried to remove the ring, but it was firmly on his finger. “Sorry, it won’t come off.”
The king waved him up to the platform. Blaze moved up the steps. The closer he got to the king, the more familiar his features became. His eyes were the same emerald green. The king stood up and, though he was shorter than Blaze, he had similarly broad shoulders. There was no denying they were related, but would the king acknowledge him?
He held out his hand with the ring and allowed the king to examine it. The king then turned his gaze onto Blaze. “You have your mother’s hair, dark and wavy. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Blaze gulped. He was not prepared for sympathy or kindness. “She wanted me to tell you she was sorry for not telling you about me.”
The king turned to his second in command. “Clear the room.”
In a matter of seconds, they had cleared the entire room except for Zocor, his queen Arena, and Blaze. The king placed a hand on his shoulder. “I can’t claim you officially. I have my queen and we are expecting a dragonlet in six months.”
Why had Blaze ever thought the king would accept him?
Arena came forward with a hand gently cuppingher stomach. “That doesn’t mean you won’t be welcomed into the family. You should take your rightful place as the next in line.”
“Darling, we argued this point last night,” the king interrupted.
“I still think it’s wrong. It shouldn’t matter if your children come from a mated union. Your child is your child andshould be treated the same, regardless.”
“Our people are old fashioned and hang on to tradition.”
Blaze was ready to leave. “I understand. I’ll go…”
“You will go nowhere!” Arena said, moving to stand before him.
He tried not to look at her, but she placed her hand on his cheek. He could feel the heat rise to his cheeks. This was the first time a female other than his mother had touched him. He shifted his feet.
Arena looked at him and whirled her hand from him. “Wewill welcome you publiclyas a distant cousin. No one can deny your relationship because of your looks. Our child will have you in his or her life and Zocor will have all his children under his roof.”
“My queen, you have such a loving heart,” the king said, taking her into his arms with a kiss.
Blaze turned away, uncomfortable at their display of affection. He cleared his throat. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
The king pulled away and smiled at him. “Nonsense. You will train with the best warriors, learn everything you can and chose whether you would like to serve in the guard or if you would rather own a parcel of land to make of it what you will. It will be up to you, but I hope you will choose to serve your brother.”
It was all too strange. In a short time, he had gone from being a fatherless only child to having a father, a stepmother and a sibling. Blaze didn’t know what to do or say.
Arena took pity on him. “Come Zocor, let him get settled with the warriors. There’s plenty of time to figure out the future.”
