The Dragon's keepsake

Sometimes, God has chosen the right path for you, but you go against it... ~~ Isabel was a commoner living in the village of the kingdom of Valaraeth, a place where dragons roamed the skies, high and mighty. These untouchable heavenly beings could only be ridden by the royal family and nobles. "Is it not unfair?" she would muse, her pretty eyes shining with awe and enthusiasm whenever she saw a dragon flying over her village. She yearned to be with them, to touch them, and to ride across the beautiful world on their backs. Her dream came true when she discovered she was a royal—the youngest daughter of the King of Valaraeth. But every pretty dream came with a price, one she neglected to consider in her hopeful reverie. Taken to the palace, Isabel's life seemed perfect: beautiful dresses, elder royal siblings, and a loving queen mother. But the facade shattered when she learned the truth—their cruel and twisted personalities lay hidden beneath their beautiful masks. Every member of the royal family had a dragon bonded to them by blood in childhood. Her dragon was the youngest of the Emberstorm clan, an ancient lineage of fire dragons. Isabel was the first in a hundred centuries to be chosen by a fire dragon, sparking jealousy and hatred from everyone. ~~~ Excerpt: "I, Scorvius Drá Ashéncrest XII, Sovereign of Valaraeth, hereby sever all ties between the 6th Princess Isabel Drá Ashéncrest of Valaraeth and the esteemed lineage of Ashéncrest. Let it be known across our realm that she stands alone, stripped of her birthright, for she has committed an unforgivable sin—the slaying of her own dragon, the last dragon of the proud Emberstorm lineage." With solemn resolve, the king decreed her fate, yet Isabel remained unmoved. Her thoughts were consumed by the haunting memory of her dragon's final breath. She found herself thrust upon the platform of condemnation, judged in the unforgiving gaze of the assembled court, denied the chance to plead her case or offer explanation.