Winterfall

As I approached the door I heard Théoden's and Roland’s voices. What the hell? Those two never fought. They acted as if they were brothers most of the time.

“You are a DRAGON!” Roland shouted. I heard a loud smack of a skillet as it banged against the wall. “A BLOODY DRAGON!?” I had never heard Roland shout before and to be frank, his angered voice scared the hell out of me.

“Roland please let me explain-” I heard Théoden speak as softly and calmly as possible. He was utilizing his aura of soothing to try to ease Roland’s emotions. “Maria, get in here!” Théoden shouted as I knew he could sense that I was right outside the door.

I took a deep breath and entered the kitchen. The kitchen was in disarray as there were several pots and pans thrown in Théoden's direction. There were even a few knives stuck in the wall.

“Maria! Did you know what he is?” Roland growled at me.

“Yes.”

“And neither of you thought to tell me that he was a DRAGON?” Roland spat. His face was beat red, the veins in his forehead looked like they were about to pop. Roland, for the first time, was pissed.

“We thought about telling you, but we didn’t know how to approach the subject. Not everyone takes it well.” I said in a calm demeanor.

“She’s right and honestly I did not want you to know what I am. Sometimes when people hear there is a dragon, it attracts unwanted attention.” Théoden added.

“So, before we tell you more Roland, I have to ask, how did you know if neither of us told you?” I questioned him.

“This note was left on the table.” Roland said as he handed me the note and kept an eye on Théoden.

I unfolded the crumbled piece of parchment paper and read the note to Théoden through our bond. How do you like feeding a dragon? The writing didn’t look familiar to me so I walked it over to Theo for him to examine.

I watched as he read and re-read the note. “I have no idea who this could be. The writing is elegant and almost seems feminine.” Théoden said as he stared at the note.

“I don’t give a damn as to who wrote it, but it’s true isn’t it?” Roland grumbled.

There is no sense in lying to him, we have to tell him. I told The oden through the bond.

He sighed in defeat, you are right. If he doesn’t take it well, I can modify his memory.

Very true. Do you want me to say it or do you want to say it?

Considering he tried to throw knives at me, perhaps it is best if you say it, Maria.

I took a deep breath, “Yes, Roland it is true. Théoden is a dragon.”

He glanced between the two of us and lowered his skillet. “Tell me more Maria. And you,” he said looking at Théoden, “do not move.”

“Do you want to take a seat Roland?”

He glared at me but decided it was best for him to take a seat as his legs were a bit shaky. “Go on.”

“Théoden is a dragon,” I repeated. “He is a Silver Dragon, so if you fear he is going to burn the kingdom to the ground you don’t have to worry about that.”

“A Silver Dragon? That explains the occasional cold air in the summer months.”

“Yes, his body emits a bit of cold around him, let alone his own capability of producing a calming aura. As this aura produced cold too.” I told him.

“Have you always known he was a dragon?” Roland questioned me further.

“Yes, Theo and I met when I was around one hundred. He was just a few years over one hundred, making him an adult dragon with curiosity about humanoids. Theo and I encountered each other through a powerful magical pull on one of my family's many outings. His overall aura and my own bonded, fusing our souls. Our connection was made evident when I saw him for the first time, watching me. He was invisible to everyone else but me."

“I was not afraid of him when I met him for the first time; I was amazed. I felt complete. After a few years of sneaking out to see him, we decided on a more suitable approach as I could hear his voice inside my mind. His elven form is a bit younger than his draconic form. I believe that catches us up to date. From there, he became a guard, then guard Captain, and my sworn Protector.” I decided to tell Roland everything, sparing only the gritty details of our relationship.

"The way you talk…it almost sounds as if you are bonded to him?" His face was that of recognition, as there were other stories of dragons and their riders. But those were all tales, as none could ever be proven.

"That's because I am. That first meeting we had in the forest wasn't by chance. It was fate."

"But how did he fool all of us? His magic went undetected this whole time."

"May I?" Theo asked hesitantly; Roland nodded. "One of my many abilities is my draconic shield. The shield does not just protect me from oncoming attacks but protects me from being detected. It's a powerful tool that only a few of us have. I've only heard of a couple of other dragons having this ability. And those dragons have become some of the great ones."

"And it didn't go undetected, father knew. He always knew." I interjected.

Roland took a deep breath. "I have more questions, but I'll ask those later. I think I need to lay down for a bit." He stood up a bit wobbly and looked between Theo and me. " Look, I'll keep your secret, but someone is taunting you. Be careful. Both of you."

“That we kind of know already. This note proves it more.” Théoden pointed out as we already had the suspicion that someone was watching us.

“What type did you say you were again?” Roland questioned again.

“Silver,” Théoden responded this time.

Roland nodded, "No wonder the king trusted you with his daughter. Silvers are rare and some of the most trusted of dragons. They protect what they hold dear to their hearts and treat those around them respectfully. Making them remarkable allies or foes."

Theo couldn't help but smile, "Someone knows their lore."

“Those that lived long enough do.” Roland said, “I trust you, not because of lore or what is written down in history. I trust you because I have gotten to know you as a man before you revealed what you truly are.”

"Thank you."

"Now, enough of that. I need to go lay down." Roland left the kitchen, leaving us alone.

"Well, that could have gone a lot worse," I said, looking at Theo.

He sighed in relief, "Still, it's not good. Who's going to be the next to fall victim to that blast of knowledge? What else will be revealed?”

"We will figure this out."

"I hope you are right.” Théoden told me.