A Dramatic Change (Anastasia the Nonbinary Dragon)
He eyed Lance’s hand as it caressed his wife’s body, even though she was in her cow form.
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Revi rejoiced when he, Ana, and Leyla finally arrived in a meadow.
Even from the sky, he could smell prey wandering through the tall grass. He flapped gold wings and cast his shadow over the field.
Anastasia was much subtler. Without a word, ze zipped off to hunt a hare ze spotted.
The remaining dragon, Leyla, flew too close to Revi. The tip of her wing almost brushed Revi’s ear as she hissed. “What tricks are you playing on my child?”
Revi whirled around to face her, astonished. “I’m playing no tricks.” His outstretched wings stiffened at her accusation.
The green dragon gave him a sharp look as her tail lashed like a whip. “Something’s different about Ana. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but ze isn’t acting normally.”
“And what’s normal to you?” Revi couldn’t help but retort. Heat gathered in his throat, though he’d never dream of burning Anastasia’s mother.
Leyla’s eyes were hard. “I can smell a lie when I hear one. Don’t think you can get off easily just because Ana is being nice to you right now. You and your unicorn friend will pay for what you did.”
The gold dragon shook his head. “I’m sorry, Princess Leyla, but there was no other way — ”
“There were many other ways,” the green dragon snapped, showing her teeth. “I don’t know what schemes you’re making, now that you’ve destroyed our home. If Ana didn’t like you, I would have burned you to a crisp.”
Revi’s heart skipped a beat and he laughed. “Ana doesn’t like me. Ze told me zirself.”
The green dragon arched an eyebrow, and her smile was cruel. “Oh, I didn’t mean the romantic type of like. My child deserves someone much better than you.”
Before Revi could come up with a counter-jibe, Anastasia flew back to them, zir eyes bright and clear. “It feels good to hunt and eat again. What are you two talking about? Revi, didn’t you say you were hungry?”
The gold dragon glanced at Leyla and said, “We were just discussing what will happen now that the palace is gone. Your mother emphasized that there would be dire consequences for Phaeton and me.”
Anastasia looked at zir mother too and snorted. “Of course there will be consequences. But there’s nothing we can do about that until much later. We don’t even have a home to return to.”
Revi’s chest tightened. “I’m sorry, Ana, I truly am. Do you want to construct a new palace?”
Anastasia was silent as ze stared out into the distance. “A palace sounds extravagant and excessive. We could live in a house and shift into our dragon forms outside.”
Leyla cut in here with a snort. “Ana, dear, you’re one of the few dragons I know who doesn’t like to hoard treasure.”
“Maybe that’s why ze would be the best ruler,” Revi interrupted with a smile.
After he dropped those words, they both looked at Anastasia.
The red dragon stared back at them, zir expression stern. “Why must there be rulers at all? We can fend for ourselves and lend aid to anyone who needs it.”
Leyla huffed while she shook her great green head. “Honey, that won’t do. If you don’t seize power, someone else will. First, we need to see if we can find Freya and Teefa. But if not…”
“If not what, Princess Leyla?” pressed Revi.
Leyla grimaced. “If not, then I’m afraid Ana will have to rule, whether ze likes it or not.”
Something lurched inside Revi, and he glanced at Ana.
The red dragon was grim. “I’m not sure I can be a sovereign. It’s too much, and I’m still so young.”
Leyla sighed. “You won’t have to do everything. I will be there to help you, to ease your burden. As would Revi, I expect.”
Revi nodded, though he detected the warning in her voice.
Anastasia swooped down to sit on the grass, though ze didn’t look comfortable at all. “Is there no other solution? I don’t think I’m fit to rule.”
At that very moment, the air behind zir rippled like water. The watery patch of air expanded, and an ice unicorn and dark-haired woman stepped out of the portal.
Revi and Phaeton’s eyes met, and the ice unicorn’s head nodded almost imperceptibly.
Teefa ran to embrace Ana on the grass. Her wife Leyla shifted from the green dragon into her human form, a woman with silvery long hair. Teefa hugged her, too.
The two princesses murmured to each other, but Revi wasn’t interested in their spousal talk. Instead, he glanced over at Anastasia. The red dragon gave him a quizzical look, like ze suspected something was up.
Teefa said, “Everyone, I have terrible news.” Her voice trembled. “The Queen is dead.”
Relief swept through the gold dragon, though he also worried how Ana and Leyla would react.
Leyla gritted her teeth and sighed. “I had a premonition that it would come to this. May Queen Freya rest in peace, wherever she is.”
Teefa dipped her head with a sad expression.
Anastasia, however, clawed at the soil around zir. “But where is she, mother? Where is the Queen’s body?”
Teefa gave zir a mournful look. “Ana, I know you’re upset. I am too, but Phaeton showed me your grandmother’s body. It’s preserved in a safe place. Don’t go looking for it.”
Anastasia stared at her, then ze looked away, silent.
They were all speechless. A moment later, Ana asked, “Mother, where’s Ero?”
Princess Teefa looked uneasy. “We — flew together to search for everyone else. At some point, he wanted to explore a lake below us. Ero claimed that there was something peculiar about the lake, like it was some living beast. But before I could stop him, he jumped in.”
Anastasia was instantly upright and poised. “What do you mean? Where is my cousin now?”
Teefa glanced at the ice unicorn. “Perhaps Phaeton will tell us.”
They all turned to gaze at the ice unicorn, his frosty eyes filled with age and cunning.
Mildred, still in her cow form, was lying in bed, while Lance’s hand was laid on her pelt.
Demiel, Lance’s brother, grinned ear to ear, while Clive, Mildred’s bull-shifter husband, strode into the room. He was in human form.
Clive was grim and moody as always, his lips pinched. He eyed Lance’s hand as it caressed his wife’s body, even though she was in her cow form. He declared, “That’s it, Mildred. I’m getting a divorce.”
His announcement struck her like lightning, and she immediately shifted back to human form. Her shape shifting forced Lance’s hand to slide off of her. Mildred clenched her teeth. “Are you out of your mind, Clive? What the hell?”
The bull shifter laughed bitterly. “Why delay the inevitable? We knew that this day would come. I had decided to tell you this even before I saw you in this compromising position. I thought you would have better taste, though.”
Mildred’s cheeks warmed, and she didn’t dare look at Lance. “There’s nothing happening between us. We’re not even friends.”
“Oh? Then what on earth was he doing just now?” Clive demanded.
Lance laughed and got into Clive’s space.
Mildred shouted, “Leave him alone, Lance!”
“Why? This man doesn’t love you, and you don’t love him. Why do you still protect him?” Lance protested, though he took a step back as she requested.
Clive said, “So you’re saying that you love my wife, do you?”
Lance sneered. “I said no such thing. And since you’ve just announced a divorce, you don’t have the right to call her your wife anymore.”
“Enough!” Mildred came between the two men, short of pushing their faces away from each other. She turned to glare at Lance. “This is all between Clive and me. You dragons stay out of it!”
“Yes, stay out of it, Lance. It’s none of your business,” Clive said in a cold tone. “Mildred, I don’t like these dragons, or any dragons, for that matter. But I came of my own accord. It’s clear that our marriage isn’t helping either of us. I had believed, as you did, that staying together would help our children. But Kallias is still too young to know anything. And Vera…”
His smile was warm, the only thing joyful he had displayed so far. Clive went on, “She is healthy, blooming, strong! Happy for once in her life. I know you and these two buffoons saw her earlier. I saw Vera just now. And I have discussed this openly with her, and our daughter agrees with my decision.”
“What? Vera agreed that her parents should get a divorce?” Lance sounded incredulous. “What kind of father are you?”
Mildred wanted to kick Lance’s foot and cry on his shoulder at the same time. She said, “How could you talk to Vera about this? She’s just a child.”
“She’s just a child, yes, but old enough for us to respect her feelings on this matter too,” said Clive. “She agrees that we would all be happier if we didn’t pretend to love each other.”
Lance groaned. “Who could even pretend to love you, I wonder?”
This time, Mildred did kick his foot. “Cut it out,” she warned. She turned her gaze back to her husband. “Are you sure? This is such a rash decision!”
Clive laughed. “Now that even Vera gives our divorce her blessings, why are you worried? Do you think Lucille and Mateo will make a fuss? Or Ero?”
Mildred’s heart sank. She had been so caught up in Vera, the Gloom, and Lance, that she had put aside her thoughts for her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Who knew if they were even alive after the earthquake?
The cow shifter said, “Let’s go talk to Vera together. I want to hear it from her lips.” It was her only way to regain any dignity from this.
Clive smiled. “As you wish. But Princess Vera retired to bed, with strict orders not to be disturbed by anyone until tomorrow morning. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait.”
Mildred groaned. “It is late, I suppose.” The clock showed that it was past 10 pm already. “But Clive, how did you find The Gloom? And how did you know Vera would be here?” She furrowed her brows. “And where did you go when you got separated from her?”
The bull shifter’s lips were pursed. “It’s late, Mildred. We already have too much to think about. We can talk more tomorrow.” With that, the rude man pushed past Demiel out the door.
“Wait, Clive — ” Mildred tried to chase after her husband, but Lance pulled her back by her arm.
“There’s no use,” he said. “If anything, you should be glad that you’re free of that brute.”
Mildred wanted to slap his face. Instead, she said in a withering voice, “Yeah, only for me to be stuck with a new brute.”
Lance blinked, then he laughed. “We’re not together, Mildred.”
She gave him a snide smile. “I didn’t say we were.” Then she stood at her full height and pointed to the door. “Now, get out! Both of you!”
