Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1517 - 116 : A Sacrifice for Safety

*Keelana*

I paced back and forth in the heart of the dragon sanctuary. An invisible clamp of fear tightened around my throat. Just when I thought I had secured a wonderful future for my children, the ground fell from beneath my feet. I felt like I was running all over again.

A headache formed at my temples as my pulse began to race over the conversation I was going to have to have soon with Axureon.

He wouldn’t like it, but neither would I.

I had to keep my children safe. No matter how much King Rhys and Queen Saoirse vowed to protect me, this was not their burden to bear.

From the shadows near the entry, my confidante stepped through. His facial features were drawn in concern. He looked even more grave in the shaded light.

"Axureon," I began, my voice steady despite the weight of my decision.

“Keelana, my friend, how are you in this troubling time?” Axureon approached me, his eyes soft with concern.

I knew he wanted to help, but I doubted he wanted to provide the sort of assistance I was about to ask him for.

“I wanted to tell you that I’m taking my children’s future into my own hands and not leaving it up to the fate of this war,” I informed him as rationally as I could, doing my best to temper the snarl of emotions raging in my gut.

If I had eaten anything that morning, I would’ve surely wretched it up by now out of anxiety.

"I have thought long and hard about how to keep my children safe from Pyroth’s grasp. I know what I must do, though it breaks my heart to even consider it." I couldn’t meet his eyes and instead stared at my hands near my belly.

The ancient dragon regarded me with a mix of curiosity and concern, his eyes searching my face for the truth behind my words. "What is it, Keelana? What have you decided?"

I took another shaky breath, my resolve hardening with each passing moment. "I must take my children and go into hiding," I revealed, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Hiding? Hide where? Pyroth will stop at nothing to find them. It would be much smarter to remain here where the defenses are high,” my old friend advised, and I understood his point.

When I prepared to lay my eggs, I tried to hide and was found out much faster than I ever anticipated.

"There is an ancient and reclusive dragon clan deep in the mountains, far from the reach of Pyroth and his armies. They are known for their wisdom and discretion. I believe they will grant us sanctuary," I informed him.

Before Rhys had helped me, my first intention was to go there, but I simply didn’t have the strength, and the necessity wasn’t as serious since Pyroth wasn’t in this realm.

But now he was, and I had to return to my original plan.

Axureon’s eyes widened with understanding, a flicker of sadness passing over his features as he realized the implications of my plan. "You would leave the sanctuary, your home, and all those who care for you," he said softly, his tone filled with a gentle sorrow.

I sighed.

Axureon always knew how to unintentionally guilt trip someone. He meant well, but it wasn’t helping me by reminding me of that.

“Egoren is beautiful, and King Rhys and Queen Saoirse are kind, wise, and generous. No matter how much I treasure them as friends, my children are no longer safe here.” My throat swelled with the truth and regret of voicing my opinion aloud. “And I can’t trust them completely to help me keep them safe."

“King Rhys and Queen Saoirse vowed to go to war with Pyroth to keep you safe. What have they said for you to think they’d betray you or be untrustworthy?” Axureon balked. His eyes hardened, but I knew he’d react like that.

“Axureon, you misunderstand. It’s not like that.” I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “They are absolutely wonderful people, and they have saved our lives. I will always be thankful for them, but this situation is different.”

“How is it different? Just because they’re your children?” Axureon pressed and blinked back the tears.

“Not exactly. We both know their first responsibility is to their kingdom. If Pyroth tears Egoren apart looking for my children, and if Egoren’s children die as collateral damage of defending mine, what do you think the public opinion would be then?” I stood by my assessment. Axureon’s eyes widened in understanding.

“Maybe Rhys and Saoirse don’t see us as outsiders, but do you really think that everyone in their kingdom will fully accept us when their towns are burning and parents are burying their children all to keep mine safe?” I replied, my voice thick with emotion.

Axureon opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

“I want to believe that this war won’t get ugly and that King Rhys and Queen Saoirse can rebuff Pyroth without suffering losses, but that isn’t the reality of war. I don’t want to put them in the position of sacrificing innocents for the sake of my children. I can’t.” I found my courage and continued my thoughts.

I knew my thoughts sounded almost blasphemous, but I was and had always been a realist. More importantly, I knew how vicious and relentless Pyroth could be when he had a conquest in mind.

“Even I cannot guarantee that innocents would go unharmed if Pyroth had his way. He may even make a point of targeting civilian villages just to lower the kingdom’s morale, and then...” Axureon pursed his thin lips.

I knew he arrived at the same conclusion I had, despite us both being reluctant to do so.

“He’d stop at nothing to get to my children if we remained here in Egoren, absolutely nothing. The rivers would run red, and the fields would all burn just to satisfy his bloodlust.” A flame of anger ignited in me.

I hated Pyroth so much for starting a war like this. I would never allow my children to grow up like him.

“We won’t allow it to get that bad. Trust in your allies,” Axureon stated, even though he didn’t sound certain. There was no way anyone could guarantee something like that.

I set my jaw. "I would do anything to protect my children," I said fiercely, my voice cracking with emotion, "even if it means leaving behind everything I have ever known and loved."

Axureon was silent for a long moment, his gaze distant as he weighed the gravity of my decision. At last, he sighed, his shoulders slumping with the weight of inevitability.

"I understand," he said quietly, his voice filled with a resigned acceptance. "And though it pains me to see you go, I know you are doing what you must to keep your children safe."

I reached out, clasping Axureon’s hand in my own, my grip firm and unyielding. "I will not let Pyroth twist my children into instruments of his malice," I promised, my eyes blazing with fierce protectiveness.

"I will do whatever it takes to give them a chance at a life free from his influence, even if it means sacrificing my happiness and abandoning my friends."

Axureon nodded. His eyes glimmered with a profound respect for my courage and devotion. "Then let us begin the preparations," he said softly, his voice filled with a quiet determination.

"We must act quickly and discreetly, lest Pyroth catch wind of your plan and seek to thwart it."

“King Rhys and Queen Saoirse can’t know about it either. This needs to remain strictly between you and me for this to work,” I said solemnly as Axureon turned to a large cabinet to retrieve an oversized map.

Axureon paused in grabbing the map as if to argue but continued to carry it to a large mahogany table and unroll it.

“Now where is the exact location in the mountains of this sanctuary you seek? Even I am not sure of its exact location.” Axureon sighed deeply.

I couldn’t tell if he was telling the truth or allowing me to take charge of the planning for my own sake.

I ran my palm over the worn muslin map and pointed to a tall peak on the other side of a narrow pass.

“Here. This is where we need to go. The path is treacherous, even for dragons. Strong crosswinds and unpredictable terrain like rockslides and avalanches in the winter make this crossing impassable except for the elite or desperate,” I said bitterly, not looking forward to ensuring my children’s safety across this rugged terrain.

“This is quite far. It will take a full day of flying to reach the mouth of the pass,” Axureon noted, grabbing a pen and paper.

“Yes, from this castle, I also estimated about that, but I’ve always been revered for my speed and endurance in flight. I hope to shave some time off that estimate,” I said with a small smile.

“At this altitude, air will be thin there too. It won’t make it easy for flying, and fire breath would be even harder to ignite if we had to defend ourselves.” Axureon noted. I nodded.

“Yes. We most likely wouldn’t have the lung capacity for even a roar, but that would go doubly for Pyroth. He’s never been particularly adept at saving his energy for endurance flies, so this will be in our favor. His fire breath is also more potent than I could ever try.” I wasn’t thinking offensively. I was thinking defensively.

“Armor would weigh us down, but maybe we could try some camouflage or other tactics like hiding our scents. When did you want to go?” Axureon asked me the most important question.

I crossed my arms.

“As much as I would like to say now, it would not be the opportune time. Both forces are on high alert for any unusual activity, and Pyroth is monitoring this location to see if they try to hide me anywhere else in Egoren. We must depart during the first battle,” I said resolutely.

“The first battle... Just saying that makes this war seem more real and not like some nightmare.” Axureon sighed, sounding centuries older than he was. “I understand why you want to leave during the first battle as a distraction. Most likely, I will not be enlisted to fight at first, so I will be able to assist you on your journey.”

I smiled softly. “Thank you for your help and discretion. It will be nice having an old friend send me off.”

“Hey, I’m not that old,” he protested in good humor.

But soon, we returned to our plan. A sense of urgency and purpose ignited the stagnant air around us. The weight of this plan weighed heavily on my shoulders, but I had to do whatever it took to protect my innocent children and ensure their peaceful future.

With a final, solemn nod, we set to work, my heart filled with hope, and my mind steeled with resolve, ready to face whatever challenges may come.