Treasure Of Dragons, Royal Dragons Book 1 Chapter 79

Drago

I am standing with my brothers in the hallway of our medical office. Dr. Pollock is here waiting for them to bring Desiree's body to us from the airport. 

Ria is here, but she's sitting apart from us, not really speaking or doing anything other than staring at the wall, barely holding herself together. She hasn't really been doing much else over the last several days. 

The kids have needed her, and honestly, so have we. She hasn't pushed us away, she lets us hold her, but she's having a hard time not lashing out at us, I know. She's always been of the mindset that it won't do any good if I lose my shit right now.

We hear the doors open, and we see the Escarras escorting a black body bag on a wheeled medical bed. They had told us that she'd been somewhat prepared for burial, but the final details would be completed here.

Ria had made a request when they said they were bringing her. They are taking her into the room, then Dr. Pollock will set her up on the medical table with a sheet. Then Ria will get to spend time with her. After that, Dr. Pollock will take care of anything medical, then Ria will get her dressed. 

We are supposed to go to the funeral home after this to make all of the arrangements. The Escarras are supposed to come with us for that.

The Dr's assistant tells us that she's ready. Ria stands up and wobbles just a bit and I go towards her, but she holds up her hand indicating she's okay. She straightened up and walked to the room with us behind. 

I never want to experience something like that again. To watch Ria hold her daughter's cold body, rock her, and cry out a mother's agony over her child, was horrifying. I knew I couldn't do anything to take her pain away.

We helped her to the car when her body finally collapsed. We had cried with her over our daughter's death, seeing her made it far too real. I had noticed the long cuts down her arms and was surprised. She hadn’t healed like normal, and I wondered why. I would be asking Anthony to tell me what he could about what occurred. 

I know he thinks we are going to condemn him for whatever happened between them. However, when I look at my own mate and know our history I really can’t do that. I have seen and felt their own grief, and so, I can’t believe that whatever happened was brought about by evil intent. So, I will talk to him and see what he can tell me. 

Ria

I had seen the body of my child, and thought my soul would shatter into a million pieces. I could see just from looking at her, though they had already embalmed her, that she had lost a lot of weight, and I saw the long deep cuts that had been stitched up her entire forearms. I am just not sure why her dragon didn’t heal her before she could bleed out, that is a curiosity. I’m sure something about it will come to light within the next few days. 

We are sitting in the family room at the funeral home. We are about to make the arrangements for me to plan to bury my daughter. I wonder if I will have to do this 2 more times before it is all said and done. I have to hold my breath to keep control for a moment. No one is really talking, but the air is extremely heavy. I am sure the Escarras are afraid of what I will say, and there may be something I say, but right now, I just need to get through this. 

Suddenly a throat clears and I know before I look up it’s Anthony, “Ria, and the rest of you, I need you to know that we are more sorry than we can express. This was never our intention. This was never how any of this was supposed to go. We truly thought we could make her happy and make this work between us.” he paused, not sure what else to say.

I’m sure right now he’s looking for more absolution from me that I can possibly give him, “Anthony have you ever been made fully aware of the situation that brought about my mating with my 4 mates?”

He shook his head, “I had been granted what I thought at the time, was a dream come true. I was handed a full-ride scholarship to Cornell University. One of the biggest dreams in my entire life had been to go to college, and have that whole experience. When I got there my roommate, Natalia Balure, befriended me. I took a bit longer to begin to warm up to her. I did actually call her a friend eventually. She had 4 brothers, whom she introduced me to, and we had done things as a group several times. I had noticed that they were beginning to pull me away for more speaking one-on-one, but I didn’t understand what they were doing.”

I breathed in and let it out, “One night the girl who I thought of as a friend drugged me. I only have hazy memories of what they did to me on a plane going from New York USA to Romania. When I awoke it was to find I had been raped and mated against my will. It broke me in ways I can not express. My mates attempted to explain their behavior by saying they were avoiding a war.”

The second I said avoiding a war Anthony and his brothers closed their eyes, and hung their heads, “You see, they had received a phone call from their head of security Dragori, and their house manager Victor about the absolute emergency situation they were now a part of. They had received a letter from you, stating you knew about my existence, and if they did not immediately present me to all of the Royal Dragon families so they could fight over me like I was a blue ribbon cow, you would declare war. So, from the second they received that phone call, my life was destroyed, very thoroughly, and they excused the whole thing as we were protecting our people. I am sure you thought you were protecting your people as well Anthony. However, none of you ever asked yourself why I was so adamant about the danger, about why for over 18 years I screamed at the top of my lungs for you to listen to me. I knew what I was talking about. Right now, I have to concentrate on burying my daughter. After that, we will all sit down and speak, but until then, I need to not go there with any of you.”

Everyone in the room nodded. Now I just had to survive this ordeal.