• Chapter One:: Daughter of Dragons


    Zareth Dragonbourne sat on the bed next to his dieing wife. She had just given birth to his ninth child, but his first and only daughter. All Dragon Emperors had had one daughter only. But something had made his special. The Dragon Prophets, when he had taken the throne from his father, had found prophecies connecting his seed, to the destruction of this mighty empire.

    He looked down at the babe laying, snuggled against his wife's breast. The babe was beautiful. Dark blond hair, perfectly white skin, long fingers. And the most striking feature, was her red eyes. No Dragonbourne had had red eyes since his great granfather, who had found this empire.

    He could do nothing but shake his head. The Prophets had to be wrong. They weren't always right, were they? How could his daughter be the betrayer of his precious empire. He would absolutely deny that his daughter was danger. She would be protected, with his life, and the life of his sons.

    He blinked tears away. Why was he the one crying and feeling misery? His wife layed there, babe newly born, and she had very little time left in this world. Yet she looked at him with strength. With not a hint of weakness in them. She was so strong willed. He hoped his daughter had that trait too. She would be without mother. The only child to not remember her mother. Her strong and beautiful mother.

    He turned away, staring at the wall. He heard his dearest wife begin to cough. She was undoubtedly using her kerchief to hide the blood she coughed up. She had been trying to hide it from Zareth, but he had seen her coughing up blood for the last week. He knew then, that she would not make it after the birth. Yet no matter how much he had willed himself in preparation, her death was killing him, emotionally.

    With sudden fury, his hand smashed down on his nightstand, splintering the oak, and bending the iron supports. He was furious with himself. He was Zareth Dragonbourne, conqueror of most the civilized world, leader of countless millions of souls, king of the mightiest army, cruelest man alive. And yet, these two females were able to bring his emotions to strange places.

    His gaze turned backwards to his wife, as he heard his babe cry out. And the fury left Zareth's eyes. His wife stared at him, babe clutched to chest, with nothing but sympathy in her eyes. Zareth couldn't help but smile at her courage, and support. She was dieing, but acted as though it wasn't happening.

    Her lips parted "My Emperor. What name shall bless the soul of your daughter?"

    Zareth's hadn went out to stoke the babies hand. "I have thought long my dear Kathrine. And I think Belane would be a fitting name for a daughter of mine..."

    She bowed her head, smiling. "What a wonderful name...Belane, Belane Dragonboure, the Daughter of Dragons" She kissed the babes forehead, then lay her head back on the pillow.

    Zareth looked at the ceiling "May Fieryn bless this woman and guide her in her path to your mighty Hall of Dragons. Take my dear Kathrine, as a simple mortal, and make her a star"

    "May Fieryn bless Belane, and her father, Emperor of this mortal world" Came a quiet whisper from Kathrine.

    A tear rolled down Zareth's cheek, and fell upon his wife's arm, next to the babe. As Kathrine chest stopped heaving, and breathing in the blessed breath of life, Belane let out a small ,oan. Zareth reached over, and grabbed the small child from his wife's arms. He walked over and set the whimpering girl in her new crib. He walked back to his wife, kissing her forehead, before falling to his knees, weeping over his losses and his gains.

    Belane sat in her crib, red eyes staring at the ceiling. Images of a young man, floated in front of her. He brown eyes staring deep into hers. Her mind was too small to understand what she saw. But the Dragon Prophets had had the same image.

    ....'Beware, The Daughters Love will be the death of the Dragon Emperor'....
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    End