Call Of The Conch

== Chapter One: Conch ==
Laughter echoed down the hall. The white quartz underneath Conch’s talons was smooth. She could tell that Queen Sierra of the MudWings had made her servants perfect every aspect of her palace, making it look perfect for the royal SeaWing envoy. 
Princess Conch, the eldest SeaWing heir, was sent with Lords Vapor and Monsoon, Ladies Splash and Dolphin, along with one guard assigned to each dragon. That made the Seawing envoy ten dragons large. Conch couldn’t imagine being a queen and harboring ten foreign dragons in their own palace. 
Conch’s mother had sent her to the MudWing tribe to try and arrange an alliance. Tensions were high, and Conch’s mother could tell war was on the horizon. Queen Koralle had a sense for chaos. That’s how she timed her challenge for the throne perfectly. 
When Koralle’s mother was in the middle tending to her sick brother and trying to pick an alliance, that’s when Koralle issued her challenge. The old queen was exhausted, mentally, and physically, and in no state to fight her oldest daughter. Koralle won easily and quickly disposed of or occupied her sisters who might pose a threat to her reign. 
Conch sighed, listening to the ongoing party that Queen Sierra was hosting. Conch had slipped away, the atmosphere being too stuffy for her. Parties weren’t fun without her brother, Krait, and her best friends, Siren, and Pandora. And parties especially weren’t fun since she was in an official meeting. 
Koralle had spoken to Conch privately before the envoy had taken flight. Conch recalled the memory vividly.
Her mother had pulled her away from Siren and Pandora, saying she needed to speak to her. They had gone into one of the conference rooms, a white room with curved ceilings, to magnify sound. Small blue and green minerals had been embedded into the walls, creating beautiful curving waves splashing across the walls. 
“Conch,” Queen Koralle began. “As you know, war is coming. I must ally myself with the MudWings and the RainWings before any other tribes do. Queen Sierra has agreed to discuss allying and trading and such in the week that the envoy will be there.” 
Conch nodded. She had already been briefed about the purpose of this envoy by Lord Vapor and Lady Dolphin. 
“Yes mother, I know all of this.” Conch said dismissively, turning to leave. 
Koralle grabbed Conch’s forearm, tightly. Her pearl rings scraping against Conch’s scales. Conch stopped, turning to look at her mother. What was this about?
 “Conch. I’ve heard rumors that the only way to make an alliance with Queen Sierra is a marriage alliance.” 
Conch’s heart felt as if it stopped beating. She couldn’t marry a MudWing prince. She was a SeaWing and wanted to have purebred SeaWing dragonets. And if she married a MudWing, her dragonets would never be heirs to the SeaWing throne or the MudWing throne. They’d be practically pheasants, their mixed royal blood meaning nothing. 
“Mother, no,” Conch whispered, trying to tug her arm away from her mother’s grasp but Koralle tightened her grip. 
“Conch.” The Queen said firmly. “The MudWings and the SeaWings must be united. Your duty as a princess, as my daughter, is to do what is required.”
“And this is required?!” Conch yelped, finally ripping her arm out of the queen’s grasp. “I have twelve other sisters, can’t one of them do it? I know that Pallifina would happily marry a MudWing. She’s fascinated by them. I’m not!” 
Pallifina was Conch’s sister from the same clutch. Conch was only older than her by a few minutes. 
Koralle sighed, looking sadly at Conch.  
“My daughter, you are the eldest SeaWing princess. Therefore you are the only one eligible for a marriage alliance. If you had already chosen a mate and married, you wouldn’t be eligible.” 
Conch shook her head wildly, quickly trying to think of anyone she would consider marrying. 
“My plan is to marry Pallifina off to a RainWing prince so that our ties to them will be longer-lasting.” Queen Koralle said thoughtfully. 
“Please mother. Please.” Conch begged. “Don’t make me marry a MudWing. I want to choose my own life, my own husband.” 
For the first time in her life, Conch saw sympathy in her mother Koralle’s eyes. Maybe this will work, thought Conch. Maybe she’ll give in and send Pallifina instead.Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Genre (Tragedy)
Category:Genre (Short Story)
Category:Genre (Adventure)
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)