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When Princess Orca, eldest daughter of Queen Coral of the SeaWings and potential future ruler of their tribe had woken up that morning, she was internally ecstatic. Only a few days ago she had received wonderful news that was sworn to secrecy, and today she had found the perfect moment to reveal it publicly. The council dinner, with all of the highest ranking SeaWings in attendance.
Orca looked at herself carefully in the mirror in her room, quietly whispering a spell to ensure her scales had just a little more shine to them for the rest of the day. Ignoring the shiver that swept through her she finally felt satisfied with her reflection. She went to her desk and opened a small compartment, delicately choosing what to wear for the special dinner. After finding what she wanted she started to carefully place the most precious of her jewelry around her body. The princess crown gifted by her mother, the strong silver metal bracelet from Uncle Shark, the coral necklace with a deep blue gem in the center crafted by one of her brothers, and a small ring secretly gifted to her days ago that she finally decided to wear.
Soon, we won’t need to hide the truth from everyone anymore my love, she thought to herself in growing joy. Only a few minutes left until everyone arrived, and she was trying her best to stop the anticipation from getting to her.
After one last glance in the mirror Orca grabbed a scroll from the desk and left her room. She moved through the corridors with confidence she didn’t feel, a familiar anxiousness beginning to curl in her chest. Dragons bowed to her whenever they crossed paths, and guards tilted their heads in her direction as acknowledgement. She smiled at everyone she passed by, quite pleased at the respect given to her. One day it will be more. Before long she came to an open area. Flapping her wings together she launched herself up to the level that held the usual council meetings.
Orca landed on the level, and looked at the table that now had a long cover over its length, with servants placing plates, cups, and other dining ware all over the place. In fact, a few portable table were even brought up and connected to the original, creating more space for guests to be able to dine with them. More servants were tidying them up to be presentable and clean, with a few even giving some of the cups last-minute polishing! Those who were not directly at the table were placing long candlesticks around the room or swiping and cleaning the floor, walls, and chandelier held above the table. She knew the kitchens were probably just as chaotic if not even more so if the faint shouting and clattering of sounds heard from the distance showed.
Uncle Shark, Moray, Pearl, and Piranha were all already present, with Moray frantically attempting to lead the servants to follow the instructions she was shouting off the scroll held in her talons. Orca let a smirk show on her face as she watched two servants collide with on another and fall onto the floor, dropping and shattering the bowls they were carrying. Moray snapped to them like a shark (hah) smelling blood, hounding onto the two as the rest if the servants breathed sighs of relief as they slowed for a moment. A low growl from Piranha quickly got them to hurriedly continue their tasks as Moray shifted her attention back to the group. Orca hummed at the entertainment that was the attempted setup for the coming feast. A flash of yellow had her turning her gaze to a certain SandWing, bringing a frown to her face.
It wasn’t long since Blister had convinced her mother to ally their tribe with her, despite her father’s objections. Unfortunately Uncle Shark was quite adamant about supporting the conniving princess, which was just enough to have mother agree to being her ally in the new war. This would be Orca’s first time officially meeting the other princess, but Gill had complained enough behind closed doors about the dangerously manipulative nature of their new ‘ally.’
She watched as Blister eyed everyone with a critical gaze, plans hidden behind soulless black eyes that soon locked with hers in a moment between the chaos. The only jewelry she wore was the small golden tiara placed between her horns, the metal shining just a bit too brightly for her eyes to handle. Orca suppressed a shiver at the dark glee in those eyes, yet she firmly kept contact with them until Blister’s attention was changed to the arrival of Queen Coral and King Kill landing together on the floor. For a moment every server stopped to bow as the council members that were there gave small bows of their own. Soon everyone returned to their tasks as the other members began to appear along with guests from SeaWings, SandWings, and even MudWings all starting to gather in the area. Soon the tables were set, the furniture was placed and cleaned, and Moray gestured to the empty seats waiting to be filled.
Orca looked around for a moment, trying to find a certain editor before she felt a tail suddenly twine with her own. She snapped her head around to see Whirlpool’s calm expression greeting her. A tension she wasn’t away of bled away at his presence by her side, “You’re here,” she whispered even as conversation and exclamations of awe echoed around them.
“Of course I am,” he smiled, “Haven’t I said I would be here forever?”
She snorted at his words, “Try not to ruin my surprise before we can even sit at the table, okay?”
“Of course, your majesty,” he let go of her tail before heading to his seat near her mother’s side, the title of PUBLISHER etched into the stone of his job. She watched his tail swaying idly for a moment before shaking her head and heading to her own seat beside her parents as the guests all began filling in their seats. She idly noticed the last of the council members arriving just in time before the deadline.
A shame, being late for such an event would have required a few executions. They would have brought entertainment if nothing else.
Orca royally strolled to her assigned seat near her parents, planting herself comfortable in the water-filled seat next to Whirlpool on her right. To her dismay Blister had come to sit on her right between herself and her mother. A spike of annoyance swept through at her mother’s choice of seating arrangements, especially considering the news she was prepared to reveal, but as this was a formal event to celebrate their alliance with Blister it was the best she could hope for at the moment.
She ignored the warmth radiating from the scales on her left as the SandWing looked around the room with a calculating eye that set her on edge. Still, she chose to act as if the reality of sitting next to another princess was of no convenience to her as she sent a small smile to Whirlpool who was holding a scroll of his own and peering at it with his own calculating pupils.
Her mother may be (a little) gullible to Blister’s words, but with support from dragons such as her father and Whirlpool, she was confident that they could deal with whatever plans the other princess attempted to try.
She inwardly giggled at the not so hidden look of disapproval Gill sent at their new ‘ally.’
Once everyone had settled into their seats conversations died as Coral stood up, her massive frame sending a shadow over those closest her eye as she clapped her talons to gain their attention, “Hello to all my subjects and fellow guests! It is a delightful pleasure to have you all here on such a wonderful occasion. As we have now finalized our allegiance during these dreadful times, I am pleased to welcome you all for our celebratory feast!” cheers echoed from the three gathered tribes, although Orca knew the MudWings were looking to the feast more than anything else, “Let us waste no more time. CHEFS!” she bellowed, sending more than a few dragons leaping out of their seats in surprise and even Pearl to splash water out of her pond in shock, “BRING THE FOOD!”
Immediately SeaWings with practiced smiles strode into the room, each carrying bowls and cups filled with a wide array of appetizing foods. Many raw fishes were placed around, yet Orca was satisfied that her mother had made sure to include cooked meats and fruits more familiar for the other tribes to choose if they so wished. She herself snatched a large steaming lamb leg from one of the passing waiters, who faltered for a moment at the sudden loss of weight but professionally continued on undisturbed after noticing it was her grabbing the food.
Blister waved down for a plate of grilled fish and kelp, seeming pleased with the choices offered. Coral seemed to notice, as she went a very obvious wink at the princess who responded back with a casual easiness that felt to perfect to Orca’s eyes. She turned to Whirlpool, who had placed his scroll on the floor in order to reach out for one of the pots of raw fish placed on the table, a giggle escaping her throat at the almost childish expression of hungering awe on his face.
Just one of the many reasons, she thought warmly to herself.
They all patiently waited for a moment as Coral grabbed an eel from the cauldron next to her before chomping it down in one bite, prompting the rest to begin. Before long the sounds of chewing, chomping, and slurps filled the area as everyone dug right into the feast. Orca delicately ripped into her steamy leg with princess-like etiquette, ignoring the snort from Whirlpool and the small look of disapproval from her mother. Her father seemed amused more than anything, so she pretended not to notice the expression Coral was giving her.
When the queen turned to focus on her own food Whirlpool exaggeratedly mimed her mother acting out a speech about ‘proper princesses,’ nearly causing Orca to choke as she struggled to hide her laughter at his antics. She quickly turned around to see if her mother had noticed, only to find Blister’s amused dark eyes watching her instead. Her smile slipped slightly before turning back to her own food and biting into the juicy meat, partly imagining it to be the SandWing’s smug expression being ripped apart.
Oh Moons, she thought as blood trickled down her throat, Whirlpool is right, I can be vindictive sometimes.
Orca looked around her. Uncle Shark was doing a surprisingly cannibal act of eating...a shark. Moray was sleeping up eels like she was on a time limit while Piranha glared at anyone who wasn’t gouging themselves of the generous food provided for them. Lagoon seemed to be preening at the enthusiasm and positive reactions to the feast. Pearl was conversing with one of Blister’s generals about sharing resources as far as she could tell. The only one not eating was Tortoise, who was proudly regaling to Coral about the care of the queen’s latest clutch of eggs. Well, not just her for long, she though as a smirk wormed its way onto her face. She glanced with a fond expression at Whirlpool, who seemed to be reading her mother’s latest work while thoughtfully chomping on a fish, his face holding a familiar adorable expression of concentration she found herself struggling to look away from.
Unfortunately, Blister felt the need to ruin the mood.
“Your mother has told me quite a lot about her eldest daughter,” the silky voice felt like quicksand, “I look forward to working with such a dedicated heir. Especially as you remind me of myself,” she spoke with honeyed words filled with poison.
Orca lowered her piece of lamb onto her plate, a large smile forming on her face. She ignored Whirlpool’s look of alarm at the familiar sight as she turned around to give Blister a respectable nod, “And I look forward to working with an intelligent ally who knows what she wants,” she responded calmly. Blister smirked at her, appearing to easily see past her words as she gave a small nod in acknowledgement before turning to grab a bite of fish.
Orca’s eye twitched but thankfully the action was missed. She silently whispered to herself as Blister bit down, “I enchant a single scale to turn as hard as rock.”
CRUN-CRACK
Blister flinched back at lightning speed, dropping her fish as she turned her expression away from Coral and Gill who here close enough to here the cracking sound and turned to her with confused expressions. Orca however, had the perfect view from her peripheral vision to see Blister spit out a bloody tooth into her talon. She casually offered her lamb to Whirlpool, who stared at her with an exasperated expression as he reached forward with both talons to grab the large piece of meat, using the movement to lean close and whisper, “Was that necessary.”
He tried to sound frustrated but she could hear the amusement in his voice. She gave him a happy wink as she reached out to grab some of his raw fishes, sitting back into place before looking at Blister who was assuring Coral that yes, everything was okay, yes the food is delicious, no nothing was wrong. She loudly crunched into her fish, showcasing a look of bliss on her face and pretending to ignore the look Blister sent her at the act.
She silently beamed at the way Blister was licking the inside of her jaw, trying to hide the blood from her lost tooth.
As the feast continued on her mother and Blister struck a conversation with one another. Coral was delighted to share information about her newest story (currently being proofread by Whirlpool), her dedication to start working with Blister (Orca looked away to gag Whirlpool who snorted his drink out from his nostrils), and her compliments of Blister’s wonderful intelligence to help the SeaWing in the coming war.
Blister nodded, saying the most influential words at perfect reaction times with just the right amount of movement on her face and body to showcase her support and interest in Coral’s words. Gill was unamused, and Orca found herself feeling similar.
...In fact, Orca found herself quickly becoming annoyed at the way Blister seemed to be reacting to her mother’s words. It felt like watching some of the high-end SeaWings who postered themselves as Coral’s biggest supporters, only Blister seemed to be hitting all the right points perfectly. She hated it.
“I must say,” Blister interrupted her mother, “I am looking forward to working with your eldest daughter,” she nodded at her. Orca hid her bristle, “Such an intelligent mind similar to my own, and a strong loyalty to her kingdom. Why, if she were a little thinner you could even call us sisters!”
Orca’s eye twitched again, Did she just call me fat?!
“In any case, I would be delighted to work with such a powerful ally, even if the...company,” Blister’s eyes darted to Whirlpool, who froze as he held up an eel to his open maw, “Could be better.”
Anger spread through her body like lightning, and the only thing stopping her from leaping at the SandWing was the fact that it would prevent her from making her announcement. Instead she smiled and laughed at her words, bringing her arm behind her to hide the fish she was gripping so hard that it exploded, Nobody talks about my darling like that.
She watched as the other princess turned to Coral once again, claws reaching out for her cup of wine to drink, never taking her eyes off of Coral as she brought it up to drink. Orca felt a dangerous glee in her chest at the opportunity presented to her. She discreetly pointed at the cup in Blister’s talon and the one near the food as she whispered, “I enchant the wine cup and salt cup to switch the contents with each other,” she then sat leaned back to watched the show, ignoring the small whack on her shoulder from Whirlpool’s wing.
Blister raised the cup to her lips and took a large gulp from it, only to realize too late that a full cup of salt was dumped into her mouth and not the cool liquid she was expecting it to be. The effect was immediate. Blister immediately spat out a cloud of salt onto Coral’s chest as she gagged and hacked at the salt that had collected at the back of her throat, retching against the table and attempting to expel the contents. The entire place had gone dead silent as Queen Coral stared wide eyed at the mess before her.
For a moment no one moved, the only sound being Blister’s coughing, before Gill broke the silence, “It seems my lovely mate can distract even the brightest of minds,” he guffawed loudly, “Do not worry Blister, I have had my share of doing something by accident when Coral has my full attention. Just last week I almost broke a tooth from grabbing bone I thought was a fish while listening to her to newest story!” her father laughed at the memory, and soon chuckles and giggles echoed across the room as dragons calmed down from the sudden surprise. A few even tried to eat raw salt themselves before similarly gagging at the taste, and laughs began echoing all across the room.
Soon the feast began to draw to a close, and Orca felt her heart begin to beat faster as the time for her to act was quickly approaching. Her breaths turned into small gasps she hid behind her last fish, beginning to get cold claws as the end was soon approaching. Maybe it’s too early. Maybe it isn’t the right time yet. Maybe I’ll embarrass mother and lose her support. Maybe Blister will downplay my reveal. Maybe, maybe, maybe-she jolted up in her seat, feeling a tail twine with hers. She turned to Whirlpool. He was giving her a soft smile, a confident look of trust and warmth on his face as he gestured with his head to her parents, “I believe in you,” he whispered so certainly her heart melted.
Orca took a deep breath, before breathing out in a slow sigh. It was time.
Standing up from her seat, she raised a claw to gain everyone’s attention. Dragons began to notice her action and quickly whispers for quiet began to bring the chatter down as attention all began to turn to her. She ignored the confusing look of Coral and raised eyebrows of Blister and Gill.
She took one last gulp of air before she began, “Citizens of the Sea Kingdom, and to our respected and wonderful guests today,” she nodded at the MudWings and SandWings in respect, “It brings me great pleasure to announce that I have amazing news to share with you all,” she then held out her claw, the ring glinting brightly against the lights, “I am here to announce that, with the love and support from my mate, Whirlpool, I am with eggs.”
Complete silence settled over the tables, before a roar a cheers and exclamation from the surrounding dragons shouted in joy at her reveal. It only lasted for a moment before Coral shot straight out of her seat and lunged for Orca, accidentally knocking Blister off her own seat to crash onto the floor as she placed her claws on her daughter’s shoulders, ‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR WITH EGGS?!” her eyes turned to Whirlpool as he was putting on a brave face. It faltered slightly at the queen’s expression, “And with Whirlpool?!” she shouted again. Silence reigned once more as the dragons all watched the drama unfold.
Orca stood proudly against her mother as she began to speak with as much confidence as she could muster, “Mother, I had wished to tell you sooner, but with the beginning of the war and the dangerous times that have settled over us I could not find the right time to reveal this to you,” she stepped out of her mother’s grasp and stepped to her mate’s side, wrapping a large wing around the smaller dragon in a possessive embrace, “For years Whirlpool has been someone who I could rely on, and lately that trust and belief in him has grown from small respect to genuine infatuation as I have learned and worked with him over the years since he became your publisher and editor,” she leaned over to nuzzle against Whirlpool, boldly in front of her mother.
Coral seemed at a loss for words while Gill watched with intense interest. Blister had picked herself off the floor and was watching the reveal with a mix of interest, annoyance, amusement, and disappointment. Finally her opened and closed her jaw, struggling to find her words before eventually forming her response, “But...it’s Whirlpool!” she gestured confusingly, “You could have chosen a better mate!”
Anger clawed its way out of Orca’s heart as she let go of her mate and stepped towards her mother, “How can you say that!” she demanded, causing Coral to step back in surprise, incidentally stepping right onto the non-poisonous part of Blister’s tail, who somehow stopped a cry of pain from escaping her maw, “For years Whirlpool has been by your side, helping you to perfect your writing, making sure every word, every sentence, every plotline would capture the heart and joy from readers all across of Pyrrhia! He is more intelligent than any dragon I have other met, his way with words rivals even your skills, and from the moment I have known him he has ALWAYS had my best interests at heart, even when I didn’t deserve them,” Orca gestured to her father, “Maybe he isn’t a strong warrior, or a tactical general, but Whirlpool is the kindest SeaWing who has proven his loyalty and devotion to you and the Sea Kingdom time and time again, and I will not stand aside and let you slander my mate and the father of our eggs!” she bellowed strongly, voice full of determination and strength against the queen.
For a moment dragons looked at one another in silent conversation, anticipation building as they all wondered and waited for a response. Blister had hidden herself behind Coral’s large frame, but Orca could the tears building in her eyes as her tail stayed smashed against the floor. Finally, Gill stood up from his seat as all eyes turned to him. He looked between his mate, his daughter, and his now revealed son-in-law, before walking over to them. He ‘accidentally’ knocked Blister onto the floor as she walked past Coral and stood before Orca. They started into each other’s eyes, and Orca did her best show the love and unwillingness to back down, even against her own parents.
Finally, Gill smiled, “When you put it in that way, how can I not be happy for you,” he glanced between her and Whirlpool, “I would have preferred to have been told sooner, but for now, I will say you have my full support and blessing.”
“Wh-Gill...”
“Oh come now my love,” Gill turned to her with a wide smile, “Try and tell me you weren’t just trying to plan to find suitors for our daughter the other day.”
Coral flushed slightly at all the attention turning to her once again. She hesitated, a conflicted frown crossing her face as her thoughts visibly whirled before her wings drooped with a sigh. She turned to her eldest daughter, “You love him?” she asked in a surprisingly vulnerable and small voice.
Orca looked into her eyes, “With my heart and soul.”
Coral nodded slowly, a resigned acceptance coming to her face as she looked across the room, “Well...I suppose I it would be terrible of me to try and break you apart,” she sniffed, “It’s almost as if I’m witnessing one of my stories coming to life.”
Orca rolled her eyes, but her heart was too busy soaring through the sea and sky to bring her mood down at all.
Coral stood back up as she raised her voice, “We started this feast in celebration of our new alliance, now let us end it with the wonderful news revealed by my daughter! CHEFS!” dragons once again jumped at her booming voice, “BRING US THE DESSERTS!”
Cheers and congratulations echoed from the entire crowd and cakes, desserts, and extra cups of wine were brought out. Orca breathed in relief before laughing as Whirlpool wrapped his wings and arms from behind her, “I told you that you had it in you,” he murmured with love.
Orca relished the warmth that invaded her entire being, before watching as Blister had finally returned to her seat while holding her tail close to her chest. She looked at her mate, Whirlpool catching the expression as he rolled his eyes before murmuring, “Go ahead,” he encouraged.
Orca closed her eyes as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck, whispering, “I enchant Blister’s seat to be filled with salt and break under her weight once she sits in it.”
The sound of a SandWing smashing through her seat with a cry of rage and an explosion of salt would be told to her dragonets for years to come.