Fan fiction by TreeDragon.
- I was at my study, scribbling down the business that was the Mud Kingdom's tax system. The air was awfully still and heavy with unease, the torch light flickered slightly in the dark, blazing through the cold winter evening. The swamp oddly silent, the only sound I could hear was the sound of my own quill against the parchment, and with the inkwell almost dry and the torch barely lit, it had been a long night. I may had been the only one of my troop still up, though I had never been a one for easy sleeping. The night called to me, the moons' light illuminated the hut's rounded window, all three almost full, though we all knew that day will be many years away from us.
- The work I chose to do was not an easy one, filing and writing had to come with it, but I had always loved money, it was a fine choice for me. My siblings opted against it, though they could not stop me. And as my vision of lines of scribbles began to blur together from my lack of sleep and intense focus, my weary ears picked up the sound of hurried wing beats fluttering closer and closer to my room. Soon after hearing this, I almost fell out of my chair with a yelp as a frantic MudWing guard barrel through my doorway, giving me a start. He skidded to a halt, fumbling to salute me with one wing, his armored chest heaving with exhaustion as he puffed for air.
- "Dasher!? What brings you here?" I wondered as worry stirred in my chest, the air that was as loud and energetic as a half buried log must have infected me with its unease at this point. The guard took a moment to collect himself, looking around the room with shifty, sickened eyes, gulping down panic as he braved himself to speak onwards.
"Q-Queen Milkweed, she...sh-she's dead!"
- I gaped at him like he turned into another tribe all of a sudden, the queen was dead? My sister was dead? I've heard of my other sisters dying in challenge for the throne, overcoming their dear sibling care that all MudWings find within themselves at birth for the selfish longing of the crown, but I had never heard of my sister dying out of the blue! She was a strong, healthy, reasonable queen who I had never seen ill or dark-hearted enough for anyone to help her.
- After a few moments of me looking around and gasping for a starting word I finally blurted out,"H-how did she die?" I stuttered,"She was a fine ruler! Healthy! Lovable! Not to mention no heirs to endanger her!" I may as well just shake everyone awake at this point, tell them all of the awful news, tell my brothers of another sibling's death. I looked for what was going on behind the mind of the guard, confusion, panic, fear, the face of a dragon who had just seen the body of their beloved queen still as the air tonight.
- "Sh-she was found dead in her sleep. I-I don't know how sh-she died...." he stumbled out the words in such a rush, no wonder his name was Dasher,"But... Vesper found some blood on her mouth... we're thinking she was....." he trailed off, my mind buzzing with questions and panic.
- "You think she was.... she was p-poisoned?" fear clawed at my stomach, knotting itself up to keep it contained, my voice croaked it out in a small sob like a single bullfrog in the distance.
- "Y-yes, sir." Dasher replied,"But I think something else may have happened." His eyes glanced to the side quickly, eyeing the room as he took in another breath, leaning closer to me,"I think someone attacked her..." he whispered.
- "Attack her!?" I squeaked out in surprise, quickly covering my mouth so no one would catch on. If someone had heard me right then they could've accused me of murder, and that would not be a good image.
- The guard nodded,"Though I don't know for sure yet. I haven't told anyone else, but I have suspicions on Vesper..." He kneaded his claws in the mud floor
- "Why do you think it was Vesper?" I asked, pondering why the guard could've done it, Vesper had never been the best guard, though she was loyal... so why?
- "She was the first one to find the queen dead... and no one knows why she was in the queens room to begin with," Dasher fiddled with his claws, digging them deeper into the comforting floor. Those facts did seem suspicious, but maybe they had a reason, maybe she heard noises... or caused the noises...
- "We'll need to deal with this in the morning," I said in a royal tone, standing straighter than I had before, my posture had taken a toll from all the astonishment. "Thank you for alerting me." I nodded my head in respect, shuffling my marsh brown wings into a more comfortable position.
- "You're welcome sir," the guard bowed, splaying his wings to the ground before taking off.
- I sat down back at my study, holding my head with one talon as if it would fall off. Putting away my things, I got ready for a dreamless slumber, shivering as a cold wind funneled through the window and put out the remainder of the torch's embers.
Queen Milkweed was dead, and no one was left to take her place.