In most fictions during epic struggles between good and evil blue light (usually emanating from a weapon such as magical sword or staff) stands for goodness and purity, whereas red light symbolizes evil and all that is bad. In the series Game of Thrones however, the reverse is employed. Blue light (which is the breath of transformed Viserion) stands for death and destruction whereas red stands for blood and life.
Viserion in the service of Night King
Young Drogo Dragon
In the final two episodes of GOT’s seventh season, we saw the demise of one of the dragons, Viserion, his carcass plunging into the icy depths.
Later still, in the lookout post on the wall we saw Beric and Tormund peer into the distance.
Then came the highly anticipated and dreaded scene of the dead soldiers marching out of the woods, led by White Walkers on creepy horses.
“Run!” Tormund cries out and we hold our breath.
Suddenly we are startled by the appearance of the dragon, the newly blue-eyed Viserion, flapping badly battered wings. The Night King is riding Viserion, which feels like an affront; so does the uncomfortable sensation of watching the beloved dragon breathing devastating blue flame on the Wall.
The solid wall of ice begins to crumble with great clouds of smoke.
Truly, the anticipated dread was manifest, when Viserion now in the service of the Night King, decimated the defensive wall that stood as the key stumbling block between the lands of the living and the undead army.
Then came the invading Army of the Dead marching unimpeded south; how many will be turned into white walkers?
How many of the beloved characters will fall? Ugg. The Long Night will be upon them and us also as we wait with dread and anticipation for the outcome.
Though there’s been no official word just yet, Game of Thrones Season 8 is currently slated to return in late 2018 or early 2019. Outside of the intriguing internal politics, the romance and the epic wars between the living armies, we also expect to see the dragons pitted against each other and the tragic scenarios’ brother against a brother. Add the elements of surprise to this; it should be an interesting season.
In any given war the opposing armies use every means within their power to gain the advantage. It so happens that in GOT, Daenerys Targaryen has three Dragons. We watched them hatching from stone eggs then growing to adulthood, so in the interim we grew rather fond of these magnificent, mystical creatures: the Dragons.
The Dragon was used in the surprise offensive on the Lannister army in Season 7, Episode 4 “The Spoils of War”. The show's largest battle sequence even surpassed in might last year's Battle of the Bastards.
No one blames Daenerys for losing her patience and for her retaliation. Infuriated, she set on to rectify the Tyrion’s ill-advised strategies that cost her land, crucial allies and manpower.
No longer the nice girl, she shall punish the enemy.
“To pursue an advantage and take an opportunity does not allow the error of a moment of breath. It is too early to act and instant earlier and too late to act and instant later.” Sun Tzu
Meanwhile, for a time our senses were lulled by the Lannister Army’s march, flush from its Highgarden victory, wagons laden with the golden spoils of war and much needed provisions. We listened to the quips between Jaime and Bronn with the striking red landscape as the backdrop, foreshadowing the terrible devastation to come.
Then our ears picked up thundering horses’ hoofs hammering the ground. Next, our eyes caught the sight of a huge Drogon slicing through the air. Daenerys riding Drogon flew off the screen as hoards of charging Dothraki waving their weaponry and doing acrobatics on horseback as they swept across the land in a deadly wave.
Pardon me for stating the obvious but the scene was very much reminiscent of past movies of cowboys and Indians, only in this instance the Indians aka Dothraki were to be the victors.
Yes indeed, Daenerys Targaryen unleashed the wrath of the Dragon on them... It was a truly a powerful thing to see. Did you expect otherwise?
The might of Drogon lending assistance to the cavalry, succeeded within minutes in the total rout of the entire Lannister army. Countless men and beasts were slaughtered by the hoards of Dothraki or burned to a crisp by the fiery breath of Drogon.
Strangely enough this proved to be a better strategy on the part of Daenerys Targaryen since it resulted in greater gain against the Lannister force, certainly far more so than it would have been had she opted to assail the walled capital King’s landing instead.
This brings to mind the saying: “Do not attack the enemy on contestable ground.”
Meanwhile there is a sure foreshadowing of future problems to come: In King’s Landing, in the North, and with the Unsullied trapped in Casterly Rock. All of these face a shortage of supplies while awaiting the sure onset of the long winter and the impending attack of the Whitewalkers.
But I digress...coming back to the use of Dragons as serious weaponry. War necessitates the use of all formidable weapons to secure victory and all wars are a terrible bane for all humanity and civilization. Unfortunately throughout history mankind, always the aggressor, has resorted to war instead of diplomatic channels to resolve conflicts. Men are guilty of this terrible scourge. However, when it comes to living creatures like the Dragons and horses used in war, we are left in a quandary.
When Jamie bid Bronn to fetch Qyburns’ Scorpion, and later still Bronn took aim, undoubtedly many hearts quivered, fearing the worse for Drogon. For expectedly with Daenerys, being one of the major stars riding him, she would not perish. But would Drogon?
Relief set in to see, even though we’re not sure how badly Drogon was wounded, that the noble creature still had enough strength left in him to breath fire at that crucial moment and save Daenerys from Jaime’s attack. Jaime was, in turn, saved by Bronn, in case you are wondering.
There is hint in the air however, predicting a far worse outcome for the Dragons.
Though there's no proven and concrete way to kill a dragon, there are a few ways that Dragons may possibly be killed. This based on knowledge from the books and the show.
In the story of Urrax and Serwyn of the Mirror Shield, Serwyn kills the dragon Urrax with a spear through the eye. The spear Cersei shot at Balerion's skull was through the eye. Meraxes, one of the great dragons used by Aegon the Conqueror to conquer Westeros, was killed by an iron bolt to the eye from a scorpion, a weapon similar to that Qyburn made.
Qyburn's device could therefore work on Daenerys‘dragons, but they need to be better marksmen as a live dragon’s flight is swift. They can manoeuvre through the air while simultaneously unleashing the deadly breath of fire on the target with devastating results.
The Dance of the Dragons was a civil war between two Targaryens fighting for the Iron Throne, about 170 years before the events of "Game of Thrones." During this major war Dragons fought each other on opposing sides. Subsequently, there were many casualties of Dragons.
After Aegon III (who had deep seated hatred for the dragons) defeated his half-sister, Rhaenyra, he put the remaining dragons in chains and locked them up. These captive dragons grew weak and within a span of few years all perished. It is important to note however that Daenerys had locked up Rhaegal and Viserion in Meereen. But they survived their ordeal. So captivity was not the culprit, but, as rumoured, Aegon III or the maesters may have poisoned the captive dragons.
Then again, it’s important to note that the maesters at the Citadel in Oldtown (where Samwell Tarly is training) were totally adverse to magic, it can even be claimed that they despised it.
Also, in the books, Euron Greyjoy has Dragonbinder. Valyrian glyphs on the horn read, "I am Dragonbinder ... No mortal man should sound me and live ... Blood for fire, fire for blood." Now this Dragonbinder (also known as the Hellhorn because it is a large dragon horn) is supposed to enable one to control dragons. It is said that anyone who blows the horn will die but any dragons that hear it will be compelled to obey the horn's master. We’ll have to see if this will be introduced into the HBO series.
The already despised influential character and an ally to Cersei Euron Greyjoy, could use this Dragonbinder, while escaping that certain death, to turn Daenerys ‘s dragons on each other. Indeed, it will be a feat that will put him in the limelight.
Rest easy however; I think some if not all will survive to fight against the Whitewalkers. Fire and Ice... Isn’t that what was promised all along?
If, perchance, the Dragons do not survive or are altered, here are some possible dreaded futures:
Once upon a time at a countryside village, there were two best friends called Nero and Simon, who lived in two ramshackle houses in close proximity to each other. They were also the youngest of their many siblings and so they often were ignored. Being of similar temperament and preferring idleness to mundane daily chores, the co-conspirators Nero and Simon never failed to sneak off each and every day to some prearranged point to partake in some wildly imaginative adventures.
One such place was the nearby lake, a sizeable watercourse, with snaking shorelines, sometimes hidden with tall bulrushes, which extended for miles and miles. As the two friends both loved fibbing and being quite adept at swimming, they often chose to frolic at the unfrequented segment of this large lake.
This part once had plenty of fish but presently, if there were any fish there at all, they swam undisturbed and secure amidst the miasma of tall underwater weeds. Sometime prior some fishermen had been ensnared by this thick underwater vegetation and consequently drowned at this very spot. As others followed suit and corpses piled up the legend quickly spread about a vengeful Dragon King. This deterred many trespassers. This Dragon King was furious, as he had been cast down from the Heavens for some infractions and forced to take up residence in this insignificant lake
Having wild and lively imaginations Nero and Simon were frequently drawn to this place and often made it their fun pastime to go on a quest to vanquish colossal monsters lurking in some shadows and deep recesses of the water.
As an added amusement each also fashioned wild claims just to see if they could hoodwink the other.
On this particular day, having snuck off again to seek another adventure, Nero and Simon eventually took refuge from the burning rays of the midday sun in the shade of a huge tree. Nero was drawing some imaginary lines in the ground when, finding the piece of meat he’d put in his pocket earlier on that morning, suddenly looked up and said:
“You know what, Simon? I was just thinking. This shade is well and good here but, hmm, thus far everything you and I had said, and you know it too, is all malarkey. Why don’t we cool off and wash out all this nonsense stuffing up our mind? But the lake waters are not so good here; do you dare go to that forbidden spot?”
“I’m no coward, lead on!” Simon jumped to his feet.
Nero reached the spot first and, without hesitation, dove in. When he finally emerged from the water he sported a big wide grin on his face and, producing the meat, settled down in a shady spot and began to chew on it.
Simon quickly picked himself up from where he’d collapsed panting from the exertion. Reminded of his growling stomach, he wanted the same. Looking wistful at the yummy morsel, he licked his chops and asked: “Where did you get that meat?”
“Oh, this?” Nero smiled. “ The Dragon King was holding a feast and when he learned that I was going to wash away my nonsense, highly pleased, he ordered his servant to present me with this delectable peace. Oh, my word!” He licked his lips. “Wow, this meat is truly heavenly; wow, its soo delicious it must be slice of dragon’s liver. You know, from the ones that displease His Highness."
“I want some too! I too am deserving of such a reward.” Simon immediately removed his sweat soaked clothes and dove into the water. But he dived in so fast that he smashed his head against a deep rock. He emerged with a trail of blood streaming down his forehead.
“What happened?” Nero asked with concern. “How on earth did you hurt your head?”
Not wanting to admit defeat, Simon shook his head and grumbled: “The Dragon King was angry because I was tardy and beat me over the head with a drumstick. The pain is unbearable."
It was a dreary afternoon with gray earth and gray vegetation matching the gray sky. He was so used to staying indoors after the long cold winter. But yesterday was the Spring Equinox and ideally, this would be the time the buds would wake up.
“I need some fresh air,” He admonished himself for his laziness. He slammed the lid down on the notebook, fetched a toque and parka and headed outdoors. The cold air instantly filled his lungs but it still was refreshing. He strolled aimlessly about following the snaking somewhat muddy paths. He stopped once or twice, under bare trees and looked up to study the naked gray branches and the shy buds that remained hesitant to emerge.
“Don’t blame you.” He mumbled under his breath. But just a little while longer and all will be warm, sunny and bright. “Patience,” he whispered into the air watching the pattern his cold breath took. He then abruptly turned and walked away with his long strides now leading him towards his favorite spot, the pond nearby. Further along as the seasons rolled by with spring emerging into summer, this place would be bustling with life. The bulrushes would compete with lush grasses, wildflowers and some planted flowers. Then the bare branches of the trees would be covered in blooms. Those blooms would turn into luscious crimson red berries, poisonous to man but a treat to the visiting birds. Then the air will be filled with the contented happy songs of chirping. Meanwhile the frogs would contribute their baritone croaking to the high chirp of the crickets in nature’s delightful cacophony.
He mustn’t forget the odd turtle or two and, of course.... “Ducks!!!!” There was one particular pair that without fail always returned to this pond. Sociable, they did not mind sharing space with the other newcomers.
He climbed the few shallow steps and soon he was standing in the centre spot of the wooden bridge trying desperately to see anything remotely resembling spring.
“There!” His interest was drawn to the melting of the ice at the edge cluttered with gray debris and the rocks decked with moldy decorations, remnants of the long oppressive winter months. Those odd shapes on the gray rocks long at last peeked out from the oppressive ice.
The cool gusts suddenly rose up and thrashed his face. He buttoned his jacket up higher and pulled down his toque, and then smiled looking at the wonderful ripples on the pond. He was reminded of the Zen sand sculptures, so perfect and rhythmic were the ripples. Though the air was crisp, he was oblivious to the cold now observing this harmonious, endless flow of wavelets. The “Water level was lower than usual” he pondered as he studied the chunks of ice desperately clinging to the shore.
Suddenly his attention was drawn to the unusual rock, resembling the head of a Dragon, poking out in the centre of the pond. Yes, he reflected. It’s true, not all Dragons are fire breeders. Weren’t there Dragons residing in clouds and water, responsible for storms, rain and wind?
“Who’s to say? “ He shrugged and continued to watch the poking rock resembling a baby dragon’s head, laying low, quietly observing him while its shallow breaths created the steady ripples on the water.
Once upon a time on an enchanted island far, far away there was a mighty Blue Dragon, the last of his kind, who inhabited a majestic mountain cave.
Long before he was born a meteorite crashed into this Planet and devastated the entire island, causing a massive extinction of many species including the antediluvian Dragon Kingdom. The Dragon Queen, with her gift of premonition, foresaw this cataclysm. When her warning fell on deaf ears, she arranged to have both of her precious blue and green eggs stored with the necessary provisions deep in the caverns of a mighty mountain. No one could have imagined that the scale of devastation and upheaval would be so catastrophic and far-reaching; hence they all perished leaving the land barren for many centuries to come. Meanwhile of the two eggs carefully stored in the depths of the mighty cave only one had survived to hatch. The blue dragon therefore was born into a lonely existence and grew up fending for himself. Eventually the land recovered and other life-forms began to thrive in this rich, pristine environment.
The blue dragon, now grown larger still, with his giant wings often soared through the skies in search of food, longing to find evidence of other dragons.
During his searches when earthquakes, landslides or other such catastrophes unearthed the remnants of the ancient Dragon civilization he discovered vast stores of knowledge that revealed the cosmic secrets of the universe and the gateway to the many other worlds that lay beyond the mystical sea surrounding his world. Unfortunately he also came to realize that he was alone, and would be alone forever, as the Age of Dragons had come to an end. Rage and sorrow took hold of him and the explosive energy he unleashed very nearly destroyed the island once again.
He regained his senses just in time. Coming to grips with reality, he settled down and searched the surviving stores of knowledge, assimilating this vast information in gradual segments. Meanwhile he’d already learned purely by accident that close proximity to the sun always helped to regenerate him. Proximity to the moon pacified his senses and, by the same token, he discovered the joys of meditative serenity.
As he grew in maturity, possessing more knowledge now, he ventured through the doorways to other existing worlds. On these many excursions, he discovered other lands over the mystic seas, realms that were populated by strange flora and creatures. Further and further he went searching for adventure or, perhaps, a likely companion. He was innately precautious and concealed his presence well. By this time he’d acquired many mystical powers. Beside that of concealment, he was now able to shape-shift into other living forms, however large or small. This made him bolder as he integrated into still stranger circumstances, such as those of the two-legged human creatures.
He mingled among them learning their complex structures of dialogue, barter, social etiquettes and their varied rules of governance. He found that, with practice, he could maintain his disguise for longer and longer periods, but never longer than a span of one night. His concealment was also more effective at night, for sunshine was too invigorating for him to constrain his powers.
End of Part 1
PART 2
Once at dusk while flying over a well fortified powerful kingdom a strange sound wafted to his ears and, looking down, he spotted well manicured lawns and gardens with carefully structured pools and bridges. He’d never seen so fine a garden and so he swooped silently down and, as soon as his feet touched a branch, he transformed himself into a songbird.
It was a fine summer’s twilight with a light breeze that invited all beings into the outdoors. A group of people were laughing and chattering, advancing towards the tree he was perched on. He withdrew to the cover of thicker foliage to observe unheeded the small entourage now setting up a picnic down below.
The one among them standing to the side was particularly appealing. For one thing she had flawless white porcelain skin and was finely dressed. Her cascading golden hair was carefully managed with brilliant gems that gleamed like many stars in the full moonlight. She held a bouquet of flowers to her bosom so fragrant that it wooed his senses. The others, like flittering butterflies, rallied around her attempting to make her jovial and content. This somewhat amused the Dragon and he watched their behaviour and hers without tiring of it for the entire length of their gathering. When they prepared to leave he at once made himself invisible and followed after. His curiosity led him all the way back to her quarters but, seeing that they all went to bed, he reluctantly took his leave, flying out the open window. But at least he knew where this interesting creature dwelled, and he promised himself to return the next nightfall.
At first he was content watching her from afar in disguise but, bit by bit, he became smitten with her strange but sweet ways. By then he understood more of the ways of humans and how he might win her affections. Fortunately, she valued her time alone and often would send her attendants away on some fool’s errand just to gain some solitary, quiet moments by herself. Often she managed to sneak away at the conclusion of dinner to spend a tranquil period in the library. At other times she contrived to spend a few moments outside among the beds of flowers, leaning her back to a tree in contemplative repose. It was on one such occasion when the Blue Dragon decided at long last to approach her.
Desiring not to frighten her and wishing for a favorable response, he first transformed himself into a human male. He’d seen certain illustrations in poetry books, specific figures that she expressed some interest in, therefore he fashioned himself into a mixture of those features she liked best: a youth of similar age, rather handsome and dressed in fineries. He even picked a name for himself: Maviaku Brug, which translates as, ‘Blue Moon Dragon’.
He knew enough of the rules of propriety not to manifest and accost her in her private quarters, so he waited for an opportunity when she retreated into the garden seeking some solitude. Their first meeting was somewhat awkward and, regrettably still caused her a fright. But he soon talked his way out of it and won her confidence with his charm and wit.
In time, during many more clandestine encounters, as they discovered they had the same zest for life and innocent fondness for adventure, they grew much more attached to each other. Of course all during the exchange they’d maintained the strictest propriety and observed proper decorum, thus nothing untoward or improper transpired between the two. This platonic love however had grown from bud to blossom soon possessing both their heart and soul. Eventually when Maviaku Brug revealed his true form to her, he was delighted to find it made no difference at all. Meanwhile he was now free to not only share his innermost qualms but also, on the plus side, the multitude of advantages and joys that come with being a dragon.
Often, on her insistence, she was whisked away into the clouds riding on his back to view the world in a new thrilling way, an elation she could never have experienced without him. She was so happy then, that all else, all mundane earthly matters simply vanished in a puff. Hours spent with him simply melted away but when he was absent her heart pained with that unbearable longing for his company.
One fine evening, while resting on a strange high meadow by a spring, he reached forward and gently clasped her hand and looked questioningly deep into her eyes. No words were necessary, she simply nodded her assent and from that moment on they were bonded forever.
With a shy smile he drew a small packet from his robe, wrapped in a blue cloth that shimmered as if with the light of many stars. When she opened it she saw it was a figurine of a songbird.
Looking lovingly into her eyes Maviaku explained its meaning, “It is made from the stones of the Moon, where I stay when I want to be close to you, and it is shaped like the songbird I became when I observed you and your attendants in the courtyard that first evening. Keep it to remind yourself of me, and my eternal love for you.”
“I shall cherish it forever. “ She kissed the bird’s beak then reached forward to lovingly hold his hand.
End of Part 2
PART 3
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. One stormy night their closely guarded secret was discovered by a jealous attendant and, when promptly brought to the attention of His Majesty, his fury knew no bounds. He had three sons but only one daughter and now his darling daughter had being sullied by this, this dastardly intruder.
Immediately, a trap was devised to capture this brazen interloper. When the opportunity struck armed guards descended on him. Maviaku Brug could have transformed himself into his true form and incinerated them all, but he was far too concerned for the Princess’ well being, so he allowed himself be captured and brought in chains before his Majesty.
The King was in a murderous mood, and could not be reasoned with. Despite severe beating and torture the truth could not be attained, yet a most heinous, ruthless punishment was pronounced upon the presumed culprit. Badly bruised, bleeding profusely with many ribs and bones broken (for in this form he was as vulnerable as any human was) Maviaku was dragged outside by his chains for the administration of his harsh punishment. As soon as he was outside of the audience hall he was able to use his skills and simply vanished into thin air.
The poor guards unfortunately were made to suffer for their failure. Meanwhile the Princess was confined to new quarters high up in a tower and this time, placed under close scrutiny. She was watched day and night as the general consensus was that she was under the spell of a malevolent sorcerer.
For the good part of the year she was a virtual prisoner, never allowed a moment’s peace in all that time, nor was she left alone for a single moment. Day after day, month after month, the attending Priests and palace doctors had came to and fro, at first keeping her heavily sedated then gradually endowing her with small portions of added liberties.
She was eventually allowed to return to her more luxurious former quarters after she pretended she had been cured from the paranormal malady. Despite all their persuasive methods and medicinal concoctions they forced to ingest, however, deep within her soul and heart she’d maintained the seeds of affection for her beloved Maviaku. When things grew unbearable she drew strength from her memories of times shared with him. This source of happiness, the like of which she’d never known, was, after all, inexhaustible. So long as she drew breath she knew she could never forsake him for he, her first true love, was already an inseparable part of her being.
~
Three nights hence would be the second full moon of the last month of the year, also known as a Blue Moon. Theirs was a superstitious nation, so many candles were lit and the residual smoke from the burning of incense imbued with scent crafted to scare away evil, permeated the air till dawn. Meanwhile, the Priests beat drums and held prayer sessions and sacrifices to appease the wandering evil spirits of the Blue Moon.
As soon as dusk fell, confident in their measures to rid the Palace of the least evil, exhausted from vigorous day’s activities, all denizens of the Palace and city had fallen into deep slumber peacefully tucked under warm quilts in their beds. Complete silence prevailed throughout the Palace and the land.
At stroke of midnight the Princess suddenly awoke with a start. She had sensed movement in the room. True enough there he was, the handsome young man was now turning away from the window to smile at her. How fortunate that she had left the window ajar.
“Please do not be frightened?” He approached her hesitantly. “I’m sorry I’ve disturbed you. “ He bit the corner of his lip to constrain the bursting emotions of rage and sorrow. “You’ve endured such hardship on my account…I meant to come earlier, but…”
“It is I who should beg your forgiveness.” She interjected and, eyes brimming with tears, she shook her head in dismay. “They’ve treated you so abominably. And I, oh I felt so helpless to do anything about it!”
In truth, she’d done her best to sway them. In the beginning she’d even secured her mother’s help by appealing to her compassion and when that yielded no result, enlisted her brothers’ help to reason with a father hell bent on revenge. But it was all to no avail. Instead, all her efforts had further convinced His Majesty of her possession by the evil sorcerer (otherwise known as the Blue Moon entity), as well as necessitating harsher measures and her prolonged incarceration.
“It grieves me to say this, but I’ve come to bid you farewell. I will not forget you, ever.” Maviaku turned to hide the emerging tears.
Rushing over she grabbed his arm and in a sobbing voice pleaded, “Please don’t go. But, if you must, I want to go with you, wherever that may be!”
He smiled and, cupping her face, looked deep into her eyes. “I’ve come to love you so very much. “ He leaned over and gently planted a kiss on her forehead. “Know this, regardless of any future outcome; you are now and forever will be my one and only mate.”
His face grew grim and he nodded. “However, I should have known there was so little, perhaps no chance at all, for us. I’m sorry; this is the way it must be for now. “He turned to go, then stopped, and after a thoughtful pause, drew from his finger a ring. He then took off his shiny blue cloak and presented both of them to her.
“One thing I have learned is that there are infinite possibilities to this universe and that nothing in it can be deemed impossible. Out of my deep regard and affection for you, I offer you the freedom to choose. Conceal this ring well and guard our shared secret. Wear this garment when the Blue Moon manifests and remember that I love you from afar. If, at the conclusion of your life span, you still have same affections for me, put on this ring on your forefinger and don the blue cloak. On that night I give you my solemn pledge that I will return and from that day hence, we shall be eternally together.”
He then transformed into a song-bird and flew out the window.
Wiping her tears, she folded the garment carefully and placed it in the drawer of her night table but she sought a more secure location to hide the ring. As it so happened there was a stone encased in loose mortar in a dark corner of the room behind some furniture. She’d discovered it when she was a child and concealed her most prized possessions there. It also contained the moon rock he had sculpted to resemble a bird. Opening this niche she placed the ring alongside her other prized possessions. Then, though overcome with fatigue, when she went back to her bed and lay down, she was too emotionally overwrought to sleep.
End of Part 3
PART 4 (The Conclusion)
She woke up feeling listless and somewhat disoriented when the sun’s brilliant rays streamed into the room. She lay still with her eyes closed and lent half an ear to the bustling feet and muted but excited conversations of the attendants’ eager anticipation of the day’s events. They were bustling about, carefully selecting and rearranging the formal garments she would wear that day. After the family breakfast in the main hall, there was to be a prayer session that would be presided over by His Eminence, that old coot, in the Grand Chapel. In truth, hoping but doubting the validity of last night’s series of events and her brief encounter with her beloved Maviaku, she maintained the farce of sleep as long as possible so as to carefully mull over the facts.
The day‘s tedious ceremonies and events seemed to last forever, but as soon as she could, she seized the first available opportunity and snuck into her room, locked the door then proceeded to check the drawer. True enough, in there a strange blue garment was folded, but it was not gleaming or as extraordinary as she recalled. A moment later she fetched the ring from its hiding place and carefully examined it; running her fingers absently over the strange inscription underneath. She next brought out the moonstone bird and, caressing it, kissed its beak before placing it back.
The garment, despite its apparent simplicity, was secretly treasured by her. Thereon, after each Blue moon when everyone retired for the night she would, without fail, quietly don the blue garment and sit by the window waiting for her beloved to return. But he never did. As a small consolation she would feel his presence and warm embrace however, as she sat while the garment, basking under the moon’s rays, brilliantly glistened and came to life with countless dancing stars.
She was eventually forced to marry a Prince whose kingdom’s alliance was a political necessity. In time she bore three children to him. Her life in that other kingdom seemed surreal as she functioned within the parameters of acceptable behavior for the wife of a Crown Prince who then became a King.
During these years, she never wavered once from her initial promise to her true beloved and wore the blue cloak every Blue Moon. She kept this secret well hidden from all, even her children.
Her warmongering husband the King eventually met his demise during one of his campaigns.
After the elaborate funeral, the widowed Queen was allowed to return to the Palace in her homeland after her son, the Crown Prince, took the reins of power.
Eventually old age claimed the dowager Queen but by then her two other children had been married off to suitable diplomatic advantage and were living elsewhere. On this night of her final Blue Moon she asked her close confidant to fetch the plain blue cloak for her and help her don it. In tears the other did as she was bid and, complying with her wishes, left her Majesty alone.
With some difficulty she retrieved the ring from its old hiding place where it had lain for the many years since she had married. Finally the former Princess, now a dowager Queen, placed it on her fore-finger. Going over she sat by the window to await her beloved’s return.
This time he did come. He looked the same as before, not a day older. Her inhibition soon melted away when he reached forward and kissed her on the mouth, gently breathing his magical dragon’s breath into her parted lips. Instantly she was transformed into her young, vigorous, beautiful self. Better than her young self though, for she was now an immortal.
“Are you ready?” He asked lovingly.
“I’ve been ready all my life.” She smiled back at him.
He reached his hand to hold hers and muttered a spell.
Instantly she was transformed into a colorful songbird.
“I have so much to share, so much to teach you!” He elatedly laughed.
And then, with Maviaku leading the way, they flew together through the open window. As they ascended into the higher atmosphere they were both transformed into two blue dragons.
The following morning, when the chief attendant entered the Dowager Queen’s quarters to awaken Her Grace, there was no trace of either Her Majesty or the blue garment.
