The Dragon Queen's voice, a steady, unwavering force, cut through the tension. She placed a hand on Evangeline's shoulder, a gesture not of pity but of acceptance. Her eyes, filled with a cold, protective fire, were fixed on Evangeline's parents, the King and Queen of the human realm.
"The princess is a guest in my kingdom," she repeated, her voice a low rumble. "And here, she will be treated with the respect she deserves. She is not a monster. She is a queen."
Her words were a direct challenge, a royal decree that put Evangeline under her protection. The human King, a man used to getting his way, was momentarily stunned. He looked at the Dragon Queen, a ruler whose power was not just in her crown but in her very being.
"You have no right!" the human queen shrieked, her face a mask of fury. "She is a disgrace to our name, a witch who communes with beasts!"
The Dragon Queen's lips thinned into a fine, hard line. "The beasts of this land are a part of us. We are their protectors, as they are ours. Her gift is not a curse, but a sacred blessing." She turned her gaze to her son, Arion, who was watching the scene with a mix of shock and dawning realization. "My son has chosen her as his fated mate. And I will not stand by while you dishonor her."
Ezra, the Shadow Prince, watched the exchange with a silent, watchful grace. He saw the Dragon Queen's courage, the way she was willing to risk a war to protect a woman she barely knew. He knew that this was not just about a fated mate; it was about honor. He had chosen to stand with Evangeline, but the Dragon Queen had chosen to fight for her.
He knew what he had to do. He stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the Shadow King, his father. "Father," he said, his voice a low, commanding tone. "The Princess Evangeline has chosen me. But her honor has been questioned, and her past has been used as a weapon against her. I ask you, as a king of honor, to help me defend her."
The Shadow King, a ruler of a thousand years, looked at his son, then at Evangeline. He saw the strength in her eyes, the resilience in her spirit. He saw a woman who would not be broken. He nodded, a silent sign of his approval. He then turned to the Dragon King, his rival, and held out a hand in an act of peace. "Let us put our past aside, old friend. Let us stand together and defend the honor of the woman who will one day unite our kingdoms."
The two kings, rivals for generations, now stood side-by-side, united by a common cause: the protection of a woman who had shown them that true power was not in strength, but in integrity.