Frostbite (The Dragonian, #3) - Adrienne Woods Page 0,125

mouth.

If you made this to prove I’m who you say I am, then let it be.

The prick came faster than I thought and I pulled my hand out. A drop of blood ran down my finger.

Isabel’s soothing touch healed my bloody finger and I wished that I could fly away and not be here to witness what would happen next.

We waited for what felt like an eternity. My eyes found King Caleb. Arianna and he had a smirk on their faces.

“I don’t understand?” I looked at Isabel.

“It doesn’t matter, Elena.”

“No, I know what I saw. He was there. This should open.”

“It’s alright, Elena. You don’t have to be here.”

“See, what did I tell you. The girl is a fraud.” King Caleb addressed the entire crowd and the cameras where all on him. Some even took pictures of me.

“Let’s go,” Lucille grabbed my hand softly and she started to lead me away.

“Her father isn’t…”

A huge clicking sound made all of us stop. Even my heart stopped. Everyone sucked in a breath and I turned around. Sir Robert started to chuckle.

The earth started to shake softly as a biggest split I’d ever seen appeared in the middle of the clearing. It started to move apart and the opening grew bigger slowly. Becky and Sammy just stared as cameras flashed.

My heart finally started to beat again, faster and faster and then it felt as if I could breathe again.

“It’s opening, Elena,” Isabel finally said with tears in her eyes. I started to laugh as I looked at it myself and finally believed it with all my heart. I was their child. I was the princess of Paegeia. The bloodline of the Malone’s, not the last though.

The opening finally stopped and it wasn’t as big as Borgen thought it would be, but it didn’t matter. I’d gotten what I needed. To prove I was theirs and that was all that mattered. Another clicking sound echoed and steps started to appear inside the hole in the ground.

Tears filled my eyes and I wiped them away. I’d never felt so overwhelmed and happy in my entire life. I never had to prove myself to anyone ever again.

“Guess it was just a bit old?” Borgen said and went down on one knee. He was followed by the rest of the onlookers all bowing down. Sir Robert went on his knee too and so did Isabel, Lucille and my best friends.

What are they doing? My voice was gone as a million goose bumps crawled over my skin.

King Caleb went down, Queen Gizelle and Arianna gaping as he pulled them both down too.

It was a surreal moment. “Please, stand up.” I finally found my voice and lifted Lucille and Isabel who were closest to me up. “Please, rise,” I begged and all of them did.

Constance and every woman who had been a mother to me had tears in their eyes.

Queen Margerite found me and she hugged me tight. “Your mother was my best friend, Elena. I knew the minute I saw you that you belonged to her.” I looked at her with huge eyes.

“Why—”

“Princess,” Borgen interrupted, “The key is yours.” He handed me a huge copper key and my hands trembled as I took it from him. He kept his hand over mine. “A princess doesn’t show fear,” Queen Margerite whispered inside my ear. It was the first royal lesson I learned.

I took a deep breath and gained control over my shaking hand. “Thank you,” I smiled.

“So, you guys want to see what my parents put down there?” I looked at Becky and Sammy.

“You’re damn right, I want to know,” Becky said and everyone laughed again.

I nodded at Sir Robert and he took the lead down the stairs. I followed with my two best friends and Lucille with Isabel and Queen Margerite with King Helmut behind them.

It was dark but Sammy lit up one of the handmade torches and the entire passage glowed. I found a huge door and Sir Robert and Borgen wiped the webs away that covered it.

“Please, whatever is inside there, can we move it to a not so creepy place?” I begged.

“I’m sure that won’t be a problem, princess.” Borgen laughed. It was followed by a couple of other laughs and I pushed the key inside.

It would be just my luck if the thing didn’t want to turn.

But it turned easily and clicked open. More locks opened and shifted out of place. My heart was beating like crazy and I blew out a deep gush