It was dark by the time I arrived at the castle, which glowed with cozy light. As I approached the castle, a pair of castle guards stopped me.
"State your business here!" One of them demanded, and I presented to him a box, wrapped in silk.
"I have a present for the king," I explained innocently, with a smile. "It's something he will like." The two guards looked at me warily, and the left one nodded, glaring at me with one eye, the other was scarred close.
"Alright," The left guard dipped his head, and with the help of the right guard, opened the castle gates. I walked past them, holding the box.
"It's been a long, long time...since I've prepared the Dragon's Anathema..." I thought, walking down the ornate hallway. The Dragon's Anathema was a hard, and very costly amulet to make, the jewel infamously hard to find, but the end result was...worth it. The Dragon's Anathema turned those affected into dragons, starting with the lack of mercy and kindness dragons were notoriously known. I entered the throne room, the people falling silent. A human girl with pink hair stopped me as I made my way towards the throne.
"Who are you?" She asked harshly, with a scowl. "How did you get in here?!" I opened my mouth to reply, but the king regarded me curiously.
"Don't be so hostile Cardamon," He said calmly, and she frowned. The king looked at me. "What brings you here stranger?" He asked, his tone calm, though edged with a wary note. I presented the box to him, bowing deeply.
"I present His Majesty with a present," I replied, watching as Cardamon picked up the box, and handed it to the king. He took it and opened it slowly. The king smiled.
"Oh! How pretty!" He exclaimed, holding up the amulet, the light causing the large gem to shimmer.
"It's an amulet, for His Majesty," I explain. "The gem that makes up the amulet is extremely hard to find, so I hope His Majesty appreciates the gift." The king grinned.
"I appreciate the gift...um..." He stared at me intently, and I gasp, feigning surprise.
"My apologies Your Highness," I bowed again, watching as Cardamon put the amulet around the king's neck. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Toadstool." The king nodded, reaching up and touching the amulet subconsciously. I grin as the king's eyes flash red, no one else noticing. I turned to leave, walking back the way I came.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBK3b2neNc8
"Goodbye Toadstool!" The king shouted after me as I left. Once far enough from the castle, I broke into a run, going back to my cave, to tell Galangal the good news.
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