Frostbite (The Dragonian, #3) - Adrienne Woods Page 0,111
all his face muscles downward. “He asked me to tell you that he never doubted your loyalty. He knew that you weren’t the one, but that Tanya got to my mom and she forced my father not to tell you.”
Sir Robert looked up and stared at me.
“He also regretted that he never told you. I saw it in his eyes. He told me that you would’ve stayed.”
Tears welled up in Sir Robert’s hazelnut eyes.
“I told him that Blake needed you more.”
He closed his eyes and started to shake with tears and silent sobs.
Sammy hugged her father.
“It’s okay, my father loved you.” And he still does, but I’d promised not to tell him that.
“That’s why he sent me away that night? The night of the Creepers.” Sir Robert asked.
“He never doubted you.”
“Thank you, Elena. Now I know what he was thinking.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Whatever you need, I’ll be there.” He put his fist on his chest and bowed his head.
“Oh shit,” Becky said. “You want to tell me you’re a princess?”
We all started to laugh as she just stared at me with huge shocked and surprised eyes.
“I guess I am, but I’m not your typical princess. I have no fortune.” All of them laughed again, Queen Margerite the loudest.
“You are like Katie in so many ways, Elena. She used to make jokes like you, no matter how difficult the situation was. She used to say that every cloud has a silver lining, and always saw the good when no one else could.”
“Yip, that’s Elena all right,” Sammy chirped and we laughed again.
“So where is that dragon of mine?”
Everyone fell silent.
Oh shit, what did he do now?
“He got up two hours after the incident and he left. We haven’t heard or seen him since.”
“Wait, how long was I out?”
“Two weeks.”
My eyes rose. “Two weeks!”
“Calm down, Elena.” Constance rested her hand on my shoulder as I tried to get up. “You need your rest.”
“May I speak with the princess before she sleeps?” King Helmut walked into the infirmary. Everyone nodded but he waited for Constance’s approval. She finally nodded and I had to say goodbye to everyone, including Sir Robert.
King Helmut took Sir Robert’s spot.
“How are you doing? I didn’t see you much during Christmas,” I asked.
“I miss him, Elena.”
“I know the feeling.” I wished that I could tell him about our time spent together, but I would sound like a nutty person.
His hand disappeared inside his jacket. “Your father…” he took his hand out and it was closed in a fist. “There wasn’t enough space for everyone inside the elevator. The door didn’t want to close and I wanted to get out, but your father pushed me back and shoved this inside my hand.” He opened up his fist and two beautiful matching rings lay inside his palm. “He hugged me once and said, “Keep these, until the right time comes. You’ll know what to do with them.” The door had almost closed when the entire floor exploded. We all crashed to the ground and I made a run for it. I thought my dragon was dead and I had just lost your father. He was one of my best friends, Elena. He saved my life. I think he wanted you to have these.”
He took my hand softly and dropped the two rings inside my palm. They sparkled and looked brand new. “Caleb believes you’re still a dragon. He’ll try to cloud everyone’s mind, even the Ancients. There will be an investigation, and I’m not going to lie to you, Elena, it’s going to be hard. No human has ever gotten past the Wall without the Wall incinerating them, but if you left inside of a dragon, it might have worked.”
“You heard all of that?”
“Enhanced hearing. If you think you’ve got it bad now, wait until you get part of his essence. It’s ten times worse.”
I smiled, but inside I was dreading the outcome of all of this. Typical, this was just my luck. Couldn’t my father have left a note with someone else besides Tanya? I gasped. “They can ask Tanya, she will tell them everything.”
“I’m already on it, Elena. They should be able to strike up a deal with the Khumutsi?” he asked the name and I nodded.
“Cheng told you about him?”
He nodded. “He also told me that he wanted Cheng badly.”
“What about Cheng, he can also verify this? He spoke to Tanya.”
“He will be questioned, but Caleb will say that the two of you are in on it together.”