Return Of The Royal Sun CH 2
Imported from SF2 with no description.
“Mom! I’m home!” Jack called. “And I brought a guest.”
“Oh?” A voice called back. “Who is it?”
“Somebody I ran into on the way home. She got fired from the palace and needs a place to stay.”
There was a pause, before the voice called back. “Okay, foods on the table.”
Jack motioned for Aurora to follow, and they made their way into the dining room. Aurora looked at the three dragons that were already sitting at the table, and blushed when they all turned to her.
“Everybody, this is Aurora, she’s going to stay in our spare room for a few days until she can support herself.”
“Hi Aurora, your pretty.” One of the younger dragonesses spoke.
“Thanks… uhm.” Aurora replied.
“May.” She replied.
“Jennifer.” The other sister waved.
“Then you must be Amy.” Aurora turned to the dragoness the same age as Jack.
Amy glanced to Jack, then nodded. “Hi, nice to meet you.”
Aurora sat down, and looked over at the steaks that were piled on the plate. An older yellow dragoness walked into the room and smiled at Aurora.
“By all means, dig in.” The dragoness told her. “I’m Samantha, but you can call me Sam.”
“Thanks for letting me stay.” Aurora replied. “I’ll try to help wherever I can.”
Sam smiled. “It’s okay, we try to help people when we can.”
After she finished eating, Jack led her to the spare room, and bid her goodnight. She settled into a bed, it wasn’t the same bed as the one in her room, but it was still nice. She fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, and didn’t wake up until it was nearly noon. She walked out of the spare room, and greeted Sam.
“Where is everybody?” She asked.
“Jack’s still asleep, but May and Jennifer are at school. Amy is… Around somewhere, I never know where she goes.”
Aurora nodded. “I wanted to ask you; what job would you recommend.”
Sam looked her over. “You were a maid?”
“No, one of the princess’ servants.”
“Then I would try to work at one of the spas, or a tailor.”
Aurora nodded.
“Rest for today.” Sam told her. “I bet you had a long and exciting night.”
“I’ve never been outside the palace before, this is all so new to me.”
“Jack works tomorrow, but maybe when he gets off, he can show you around. He knows this city like the back of his hand.”
“He’s a guard?”
“Technically in reserve, but he’s training to be a captain, just like his father.”
“I noticed he isn’t here, did he pass?”
Sam sighed, and nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be, he passed during a raider attack on a village not far from here.”
“Can you tell me more about your family?”
Sam smiled and motioned for Aurora to sit on the couch, she sat down and Sam sat across from her.
“I was born and raised in a large village pretty far north of here, but when I was fifteen, my family moved here. I met their father at school, and we hung out a lot. His grandmother always told us the best stories about how their family was descended from royals. The rulers of the sun and the moon, dragons with the power to control the day and the night.”
“But that’s a myth.” Aurora replied.
“Is it? We would have no way of knowing. But after a while, I fell in love with James, and we mated and moved here. My family comes from far north, it’s where Jack gets his eyes.”
Aurora looked at her deep green eyes, and realized that they were the same as Jack’s.
“They come from the northern dragons, our eyes were said to come from the trees themselves, which were the same color. But our family was forced south during the great wars, and now were here. I have a sister somewhere in the city, but she refuses to speak to me.”
Aurora nodded. “I don’t have any siblings.”
“No family?”
Aurora shook her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m told I might have relatives in another kingdom, but I doubt they want anything to do with me.”
Jack walked into the room and sat next to his mother, he smiled over at Aurora and yawned.
“I never got to ask you; how was the ball?”
“It was fine, I met a new friend.”
“You did?”
“He’s a night guard, and the son of a general. But he’s pretty nice.”
Sam nodded. “It’s good to have friends in the night guard.”
Aurora felt a pang, wondering what had happened to the guard at the end of the hall in the palace.
“Aurora, do you want me to show you around the city? I can find some nice job opportunities for you.”
“That’s nice of you, but we can do that the day after tomorrow, I don’t want you to wear yourself out for your job.” Aurora replied.
Sam nodded. “I agree with her, you should relax today.”
“That reminds me.” Aurora pulled out her coin bag. “How much for the food?”
Sam looked shocked, and turned to Jack. “You’re making her pay?”
“She insisted she pay for her food, I figured that’s your department.” Jack shrugged.
“It’s true, I insisted.” Aurora told her.
Sam shook her head. “You are a guest here; you don’t need to pay for anything.”
“But….”
“And that’s final.” Sam cut her off.
Aurora put the bag away, and sighed. “I’ll try not to stay too long then.”
“There is no hurry.” Sam replied.
Aurora settled back into the couch. “I would like to ask if you could teach me how to cook, if it isn’t too much trouble.”
“Not at all.” Sam smiled. “I could use another apprentice when it comes to that kind of job.”
Aurora looked confused.
“Oh, inside joke, Jack here is a cooking genius, and can make a rat taste good, while Amy is hopeless and usually burns her food. May and Jennifer are still learning, but are more focused on their studies. You two must be hungry then, maybe you can help me with lunch?”
“Sure.”
Aurora got up and followed Sam into the kitchen.
(Six Months Later.)
Aurora walked behind May and Jennifer, watching them rush back and forth at different stalls, buying different items from a list their mother had given them. Jack, who had been promoted to captain, was out at work, likely patrolling with his team. She smiled as the smaller dragons pointed excitedly at a bag of fruit, and stamped their address on the form. She looked over and noticed a small jeweler’s stand. Jack’s hatchday was in a few weeks, and she had no idea what to get him, or Amy. She looked at many of the bracelets, before one caught her eye.
“You like it?” The jeweler asked. “That’s a male’s bracelet, so, for a special friend?”
Aurora blushed and nodded. She had felt a cascade of new emotions since she left the palace, but her feelings for Jack were among the ones she didn’t yet understand.
“These emeralds, are so dark.”
The jeweler nodded. “Generally, people want them to be a more vibrant green, so these ones remain unsold. I’ll give you a deal, one hundred gold coins and I’ll throw in a necklace from that rack over there.”
“Deal.”
The jeweler smiled. “Now, you don’t have to pay right…”
Aurora interrupted him by pulling out a bag of coins and handing it to him.
“One hundred.”
The jeweler looked stunned for a moment, before handing her the bracelet and walking into the back of the stall to count the coins. Aurora selected a sunstone pendant from the rack before running to catch up with May and Jennifer. After they finished restocking, they made their way home, and relaxed for a while. Aurora had made an agreement to stay at the house while she worked at a nearby spa. She was to pay some of her wages towards their food, and also help when needed. Aurora was glad that she was able to stay around people she trusted, instead of by herself in a city she barely knows. Jack had shown her around, and they went out many times together. Aurora liked to think of them as dates, and she suspected Jack did too, but neither said anything. Aurora was interrupted form her train of thought when Samantha rushed into the house. She was still wearing her armor, which was unusual, and she looked around.
“Aurora, can you come with me.”
“Sure.”
They walked outside and Sam turned to Aurora. “There was a raider attack on the caravan Jack was guarding, he was wounded and is in the hospital. My commander needs me to secure the trade line, and I want to make sure somebody’s there with them.”
Aurora gasped. “I’ll get Jessica and May.”
“No, I don’t want to worry them, I left a message for Amy, but she said she won’t be back until later tomorrow. I want it to be you.”
Aurora blushed. “I… Okay.”
Sam nodded. “Thank you, just… Be there when he wakes up, make sure he doesn’t freak out.”
“Why would he…”
“The last time he saw his dad was in a hospital, he’s hated them ever since.”
Aurora nodded, and took flight. She rushed across the city and landed in front of the hospital. She was lucky to have found it, and nearly forgot where Amy once told her it was. She walked up to the front desk and the clerk looked up from what he was doing.
“May I help you?”
“Jack Thorn, he’s a captain.”
“Oh, hold on.” He looked through a book. “Third floor, room 3f.”
Aurora nodded, and made her way up to the room. When she entered, she noticed that Jack was lying on his back, he was set on a soft bed, and he was covered in bandages.
“What happened?” She asked the nurse.
“He’s been cut up, and hit his head pretty hard, but he’ll be fine when he wakes up.” The nurse replied.
An armored dragon walked into the room and regarded Aurora.
“I wasn’t aware that he had company, good, that makes my job easier.”
“Who are you?” Aurora asked.
“General Asmos, I’m his boss.”
Aurora nodded.
“I was going to wait for him to wake up but no need since you’re here. When he wakes up, I want you to tell him he has been ordered to take a two-week break. Also, give him this.”
The general handed Aurora a piece of metal.
“It’s a medal.” He explained. “Bravery in the face of danger, and saving the life of a fellow soldier.”
Aurora nodded.
“Your boyfriend here has the prospects to be a general, and soon.”
“Oh… he’s not my.” Aurora shook his head. “At least, not…”
“Are you Amy? I thought he said you were yellow.”
“She is, I’m just a friend.”
“Oh, alright then, I’ll go now.” The general nodded, and walked out of the room.
Aurora turned and set the medal on the table next to Jack.
“Look at you, future general.”
She leaned back and waited, a few hours later a handful of dragons walked into the room, making it very crowded.
“How is he?” One of them asked her.
“He’ll be fine, he just needs rest.”
They all nodded, and one of them turned to her.
“Who are you?”
“Aurora, a friend, who are all you?”
“Were his team, he saved all of our buts out there today.” A pale-red dragon answered.
“He got a gold star?” Another spoke. “Good for him.”
One of the silent dragons slowly stepped forward, set a small wrapped box near the bed, then wordlessly walked out of the room.
“Jack saved his life, but this was his first battle.” The pale-red drake explained.
“Oh.”
“Hey! You all forgetting the tradition?” A dragoness carrying a helmet shouted.
Everybody laughed, and the dragon held out the helmet while everybody tossed a few coins inside. The dragoness then took a few moments to toss a few in herself, before setting it next to Jack.
“Alright troop, let’s go.”
“What’s that for?” Aurora asked the dragoness.
“It’s a tradition for out battalion, when a soldier risks his life to prevent harm in others, the whole team throws a few coins in his helmet for him.”
Aurora looked at the beat-up helmet, it had several dent marks, and was cracked on one side.
“That’s his helmet?”
“For now, they’ll make a new one in a little bit. He needs a whole new set of armor but they generally let them keep the helmet as a souvenir.”
Aurora nodded, and everybody left, she was left again in the silence, the only noise being Jack’s breathing and some light noise outside the room. Jack eventually woke up just as the sun was touching the horizon. He looked over at Aurora, then looked around in confusion.
“Aurora? Where am I?”
“It’s okay, you’re at the hospital.”
Jack looked around some more, then settled back with a sigh.
“What happened?”
“You got hit pretty hard.”
“Is everybody okay?”
“Nobody else got hurt because of you, your boss, Asmid or something, gave you a medal and ordered you to take a two-week break.”
“Asmos? Really?”
Aurora handed him the medal, and he looked at it.
“I’m guessing the others were here?” He motioned to his helmet.
“Yeah, and one of them left something else.”
Jack picked up the wrapped box, and pulled on the string, he pulled away the cloth and opened the top to reveal a curved blade. Aurora noticed it was similar to the one she had from her mother, but this knife had a rose carved into the sheath, and the rose had many thorns.
“This is…” Jack started, but paused.
“How are you feeling?”
“It hurts a little bit, but I feel fine enough to leave.”
Aurora squinted at him. “I know how you feel about hospitals, but you aren’t leaving until a healer says you can go.”
Jack sighed again. “While were waiting, there was something I wanted to ask you.”
“Yes?”
“Uhm… Right… The last few months, you know, what we’ve been doing. I’ve had a lot of fun… and I… I was wondering if… Maybe… you and I… could… maybe be girlfriend and boyfriend?”
Aurora watched as he waited for her reaction, she was stunned, and had no idea what to say. He took her speechlessness as a rejection, and started to backpedal.
“I.. ah.. never mind, forget what I said. I’m sorry, and would still like to be….”
“Yes.”
Jack froze. “What?”
“Yes.”