The Evil Emperor's Fragile Heart

Queen Dora smiled at her family, their fiercely protective expressions making her heart feel warm. She had indeed been lucky.

"I'm all right," she said. "In fact, I feel much better now – I didn't even realise that there was this curse on me." She shot a grateful look at the emerald green flames that were still burning. "Thank you," she said, bowing her head.

The emerald green flames blazed brightly for a moment, as if smiling at her, and then disappeared. Only the usual glowing circle in the middle remained now.

"It's a good thing we all came here today," Jules murmured. "We wouldn't even have known about this curse on Ma otherwise…"

King Jaren nodded. "Indeed," he said hoarsely. He peered at Queen Dora, his emerald eyes filled with concern. "Are you sure that you are all right, Dora?" he asked softly.

Queen Dora laughed and kissed her husband's cheek, making him blush. "Don't worry, love. I'm all right now. Our home's innate magic saved me – and so did our little grandchildren," she said.

"Grandmama is all fine now," Alya said immediately.

"All bad magic is gone now," Azar agreed as well.

King Jaren heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, my little ones," he said, rubbing the small heads of his two dragon grandchildren.

In addition, he sent a silent thank you to the innate magic of the Emerald Kingdom – and the glowing circle in the centre flashed brightly in response.

"But what was this bad magic that Ma had been cursed with?" Mana asked. "Ma, do you have any idea?"

Queen Dora shook her head ruefully. "I am afraid I don't have an answer to that, little Mana," she replied, a small furrow of frustration appearing on her brow. "I'm not even sure when I was cursed…"

"Big bad magic was older than Uncle Jules," Azar said. "Old bad magic."

Everyone was stunned.

"Do you know what the bad magic was for, Azar?" Raven asked quietly.

"Big bad magic is in two layers, first layer for harming Grandmama and Uncle Jules and Mommy first, and then second layer for harming Grandpapa," Azar said. "First layer was old and torn up."

Mana frowned. "Azar, was this bad magic different from the bad magic around Ma when we found her in the Sapphire Kingdom?" she asked.

Azar nodded. "This is old bad magic, and that was new bad magic," he told her. "Lots of bad magic, Mommy!"

"Is there more of different types of bad magic on Ma?" Mana asked worriedly.

Azar frowned and looked at Alya.

"Alya and Azar will check together," Alya said.

The two little dragons hovered in front of Queen Dora.

Just then, emerald green flames shot out of the glowing circle in the centre as well.

Rainbow coloured magical lights radiated from the two little dragons and covered Queen Dora, as if engulfing her in a warm embrace.

Emerald green light shot forth from the flames and enveloped Queen Dora as well, merging with the rainbow light from Azar and Alya.

Everyone was stunned, and could only watch what was happening with wide eyes.

Queen Dora's body floated up in the air, covered in multi coloured lights from the two dragons and the overarching emerald green light from the innate magic of the Emerald Kingdom.

There were no more flashes of red, and after some time, Queen Dora was gently lowered to the ground next to King Jaren.

"No more bad magic," Azar said happily. "Grandmama now has only her own magic and her soul bond with Grandpapa. Everything else cleaned up."

"All cleaned up," Alya repeated in a sweet voice. "Grandmama, be a good girl from now and don't go to bad people or bad places!" she warned.

Queen Dora chuckled. "Yes, dear one. Grandmama will be a good girl from now and stay with all of you," she said. "Thank you."

King Jaren hugged the two little dragons. "Thank you," he said, tears dripping down his face. "Thank you, Azar, and thank you, Alya. Thank you so much!"

Azar and Alya nuzzled King Jaren's face with their small heads.

"Don't cry, Grandpapa," the little black dragon said, his own big, round eyes pooling with tears. "Azar is sad when Grandpapa cries…"

"Alya is sad when Grandpapa cries, too," the little white dragon said, and her sapphire blue and emerald green eyes filled up with tears as well. "Don't be sad, Grandpapa…"

King Jaren chuckled tearfully, and rubbed the smooth scales of his two dragon grandchildren affectionately. "Grandpapa is not sad, my little ones," he said hoarsely. "Grandpapa is just very, very happy to have such wonderful babies in the family and Grandpapa is very grateful that you helped Grandmama…"

"Azar is a good boy and Alya is a good girl," the little black dragon said reasonably. "Of course Azar and Alya will help Grandmama!"

"Alya and Azar will help Grandpapa, too!" the little white dragon added. "Grandpapa, be good and don't cry."

King Jaren chuckled and wiped his face. "Yes, yes, my little ones, Grandpapa will not cry any more," he told them.

"Good," Azar told him.

"Good," Alya repeated. And then she batted her eyelashes at King Jaren. "Grandpapa, Alya wants some delicious food!" she demanded.

"Yes, of course, little Alya," King Jaren said, his emerald eyes sparkling. "Let's go and get some delicious food for all of us!"

The two little dragons were quite excited about that and immediately took up their usual positions on either shoulder of King Jaren.

With a dashing smile, King Jaren held out his hand to Queen Dora, who took it with a shy smile, for once.

The royal couple led everyone out of the sacred ancestral chamber.

When Mana and Raven reached the door, there was another flash of light and flames shot up from the glowing circle in the centre of the sacred ancestral chamber.

Everyone else had already stepped outside and only King Jaren remained in the room with Mana and Raven. Of course, Azar and Alya were still sitting on their Grandpapa's shoulders.

"What's happening?" Mana asked, looking up enquiringly at her Papa.

King Jaren frowned. "I'm not sure," he murmured. He let go of the door and it closed immediately.

"Pretty green flames have something for Mommy and Daddy," Azar informed them.

Mana and Raven exchanged a surprised glance, and then looked up at King Jaren.

"We've already got our royal pendants earlier, though?" Raven asked King Jaren. "Do you know what this is about, Papa?"

King Jaren shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't, little Raven," he murmured. He took Mana's hand in one of his big ones and Raven's in the other one.

"Let's go and see what the innate magic of the Emerald Kingdom wants to give the two of you," King Jaren said, and led the two children to the centre of the sacred ancestral chamber again.

Mana and Raven walked hand in hand with their Papa to the centre, where the emerald green flames were blazing again, rising up from the glowing circle in the centre.

When they reached the centre, Mana's pendant and Raven's pendant flew off their bodies and went into the flames. Unlike Queen Dora's pendant, which had flashed while it was in the flames and then was purified, the pendants of Mana and Raven were burnt to ashes and disappeared in front of their eyes in the emerald green flames without a warning.

Both Mana and Raven were stunned, and so was King Jaren. Mana was his own flesh and blood and a child of the royal family of the Emerald Kingdom – how could her pendant be burnt to ashes in the sacred flames?! And Raven was her chosen companion – so the existence of his pendant would depend on hers, so if hers got burnt, so would his own, since Raven's relationship with the royal family of the Emerald Kingdom was through Mana, his fiancée – and in any case, if Mana, for some reason, was going to be ousted from the Emerald Kingdom, Raven would voluntarily follow her regardless of who said what and what happened with anyone; Raven's priority would always be Mana and no one else. Much as Raven loved his Papa King Jaren and Big Brother Jules and the people of the Emerald Kingdom – without Mana, none of it was worth anything to him. He would always protect and help King Jaren and Big Brother Jules, of course – but if Mana was not going to be a part of the royal family of the Emerald Kingdom, neither would Raven.

King Jaren, too, was utterly shocked. He could understand if his daughter Astra's royal pendant was revoked – she had certainly caused enough harm to the Emerald Kingdom with her antics – but Mana and Raven? These two were the biggest benefactors of the Emerald Kingdom in the recent months!

How could their royal pendants be revoked?!

Mana and Raven stared at each other, aghast. What was the meaning of this? Were they not recognised as members of the royal family of the Emerald Kingdom any more? How could it be that their pendants were just destroyed like this? And, more importantly, why in the world would their royal pendants be destroyed like this?