The first thing Jesika did when she woke up, was get dressed and head to Audric’s house. On her way out the castle though, Darryn quickly caught up to her, grabbing her wrist and stopping her.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” he asked as she turned to him.

She glared at him, arching one brow. “Who do you think you’re talking to that way?” she asked back, mocking his tone.

He paled a little, stepping back but holding onto her wrist. “I apologize, Your Majesty. But my duty as a soldier is to guard you. This job was given to me by your own parents.”

At the mention of her parents, Jesika’s eyes dimmed. She grit her teeth, wrenching her arm free. “Well, as QUEEN, I’m hereby releasing you from that duty.”

His eyes widened, paling even more. “Jes--”

Jesika didn’t stick around long enough to hear what else he had to say. She briskly left him where he was.

She saddled her horse and rode to Audric’s manor in record time. She knocked loudly when she reached his door. The door was soon opened by Audric himself. At the sight of her, he quickly bowed.

“My queen. To what do I owe this honor?”

“I am here to demand you tell me what happened to my parents. In full detail.”

Audric swallowed as he stood upright. He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck. “Jesika, I can’t--”

Her eyes steeled. "You will.”

Audric considered asking her what she would do if he refused, but decided she probably had an answer, and he probably didn’t want to know what it was. Left with no choice, he sighed, nodding. He stepped back and gestured for her to come in, at which she promptly did. She went to his living room and sat down on the sofa. He was close behind her, sitting across the room. When one of his servants came in, asking if they wanted refreshments, Audric shook his head.

“And make sure you and all other servants keep from this room for the next hour. You are to stay near your quarters. This isn’t for your ears to hear. Am I understood?” Audric ordered. The servant nodded and left.

Audric turned his attention back to her.

“Tell me, Audric. What happened?”

He groaned. “Where do I even start? Well, let’s see. It was one of our most prosperous years as a kingdom. We were expanding, which meant we also were expanding towards the mountains, with new housing and business. There was a large sense of optimism in the kingdom. Until in the middle of the night one night, the roar of a dragon filled the kingdom as it set fire to the castle.”

Jesika’s eyes widened and she paled. “A dragon!!! But what dragon?!”

Audric looked away, looking around at his living room. “Have you...ever heard of Aethelinda? The dragon of the mountains?”

Jesika slowly frowned. “Of course. Everyone has. But Aethelinda has always been peaceful. No one has ever even seen her.”

Audric shook his head, still not looking at her. “That’s not true. People have. They just never live to tell... Because Aethelinda kills them. While she is mostly a peaceful beast, she doesn’t appreciate it when civilians encroach on her territory. Which led to the rumors that Aethelinda was the one who caused the fire.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Rumors?”

He looked at her finally. “Well, yes. Unfortunately, the dragon flew off before anyone could get a good look at what it was. All we know was it was a dragon.”

Jesika bit her lip, thinking about this new information. “And none of our enemies have ownership of a dragon...”

Audric only nodded in reply. “Can I ask you a question?” he said.

Jesika looked up, surprised. “I suppose.”

“What made you decide to come and ask again about what happened to your parents?”

She stiffened. “You know I have nightmares...”

“Yes?”

She told him about the dream she had, and about her dad telling her to avenge them and to find the truth. Audric seemed to ponder what she told him for a long moment. Finally, he spoke:

“So... Now that you know... What are you going to do next?”

Jesika’s eyes steeled, her heart aching, fueling her next words:

“I’m following my father’s orders. I’m going to get revenge for the attack on my kingdom, and more importantly, my family. That dragon will wish it never messed with me,” she bit out.

***

A Year Later

Jesika had been training to fight since she was a young child. She always adored it. The control it made her feel, the knowledge that she didn’t have to let someone else dictate what happened to her, as long as she had the skills to fight back. When she sparred or trained, it felt like a rush, like an out of body experience. After years of training, it became so natural to her that it wasn’t even like she had to think about it. It was almost as if she was watching someone else do it for her. She became a different person when she fought.

This was the reason she quickly became the strongest female soldier in the whole kingdom. Some would even argue, the strongest female soldier ever.

Another thing that had always interested her was the acquiring of beasts. For years when she was a kid, she would wander around looking for any wild beasts, hoping that one would just magically tell her it was hers. This persisted until finally her parents explained to her how the acquiring of beasts worked.

Now though, at the age of nineteen, she still did not have a beast. This frustrated her to no end. And this frustration was only heightened by the fact that she couldn’t begin her mission to get revenge until she had her beast.

One morning though, when she was walking through the nearby village, watching the civilians, she noticed something odd.

A little, fluffy, white cat had been following her around. She stopped when she realized this, turning to the cat and crouching down to look at it. She assumed it was probably a stray cat that wandered the village streets hoping for sympathetic civilians to give her food. Jesika smiled and pet the cat’s head, before standing. She ventured to the nearest food vendor, buying a piece of pork.

She then gave it to the cat. The cat quickly devoured it, before looking up at her as if to say thank you.

She smiled and made her way back to the castle. Only to find, to her dismay, that the cat still followed. Jesika groaned loudly when she realized.

“Why are you still following me!? I already fed you!” She yelled down at the cat as it peered up at her at the castle doors.

When it didn’t reply, she huffed, going inside and throwing the door closed on the cat’s face.

The next morning, when she went outside, the first thing she saw was the cat shivering in the snow.

“What in the world is going on?!” she yelled.

Darryn had just been coming back from the village when he walked upon her situation. He laughed as he watched them.

“So, uh, you want to tell me about your new friend?” he asked once she stopped yelling at the cat.

Jesika looked at him and rolled her eyes. “This cat followed me around yesterday in the village, then proceeded to follow me home EVEN AFTER I FED IT. I closed the door on it, hoping it would have the sense to leave,” she paused, gesturing at the cat, “but here it is!!”

Darryn was now doubled over, laughing.

“It’s not funny, Darryn,” she whined. “What does it want from me?”

He shrugged, once he regained his composure. He gave her a boyish, innocent grin. “Maybe it just likes you.”

She huffed. “Wonderful.” She reached down and picked up the cat, looking at its rear end. “What gender are you anyways?”

“Jesika!” Darryn gasped, taking the cat from her. “Don’t be so violating!”

She rolled her eyes yet again. “It’s a girl,” she said.

He smiled, holding the cat closer to his chest, cradling it like he would a baby. “Awwwwhhh, it’s a little princess!” he gushed.

Jesika couldn’t help the smile creeping onto her face as she watched him cuddle the cat. A strong soldier in full armor, with a sword on his back, snuggling with a cat, sure was a sight to see.

Darryn looked up, catching her staring. He tilted his head, still grinning. “You think we make a cute pair?” he asked.

Jesika laughed. “Maybe you should keep him.”

Darryn laughed also. “Heck, what if this is your beast, Jes?”

Jesika felt her heart drop at the thought.