The Amber Matriarch

        “I wish you were here, Lianisa,” he knelt down and sat between two eggs. Lianisa was his third consort, sister to his Amber Warden, Dawnisa. When the Sanctums were destroyed by his brother-in-law, Korialstrasz to prevent the Twilight’s Hammer from corrupting the Dragonflights, Lianisa didn’t make it out in time. The Wardens that perrished alongside her were gathering up the remaining eggs in the Sanctum. But time had ran out.

        It pulled on Dralad’s heart each and every day that he wasn’t there to help his beloved consort. He sat amongst her eggs each day, waiting for them to hatch, but they laid silent. Dralad felt the life within, knowing they weren’t dead, but he wanted he and Lianisa’s eggs to hatch, he wanted them to know the world their mother grew to love.

        When the Aspect appeared, Dawnisa had left strict orders he was to be left alone or if he wanted to see her, the amber wardens would alert her to his wishes and she would appear and give her reports.

        But when she did appear, she saw who’s eggs he was nearby and her heart went out to him. He wasn’t the only one who lost someone during that attack. She had barely managed to secure the large majority of the eggs away while her Wardens, lead by her husband had gone with his wife to retrieve the rest of the eggs, including her own clutch when the Sanctums had been destroyed, he perished along with their children.

        Her sister’s surviving eggs had been placed near Dawnisa’s sleeping spot even though she wasn’t supposed to show favor to any female’s eggs, not even her own, she felt responsible for the fact their mother was not here to love and raise them. She knew that whelps responded better when they could sense a Warden or the Matriarch nearby.

        “Draladis…” was all she said. She didn’t want to disturb his time with his unborn children and it had been nice and quiet around here lately.

        Draladis glanced up, his emerald eyes resting on his Warden. He took in a deep breath, regaining his composure before rising,

        “Lady Dawnisa?” tilting his head “would you do me a favor?” he inquired, glancing to the eggs he sat with and closing his eyes momentarily “Your sister’s eggs...” he sighed “they need a comfort of a female to hatch, perferabbly the female of closest relation,” he glanced over to her, “Would you... lay with them?”

        This was the best he could offer Dawnisa. She had been in a deepmourning period for a while now, the best he could do was offer her the chance to raise her sister’s children. He knew that her job as Amber Matriarch took a toll on her, raising the Amber Whelps of other Amber Dragons, and not her own. Perhaps this was what she needed. To have children that she could call her own.

        Dawnisa was hardly ever surprised but when the Aspect had suggested that she raise her sister’s children her eyes went wide at the notion of becoming mother to her sister’s children. She knew that he knew her mate and clutch had perished during the destruction of the Sanctums and as Matriarch, she had to have a heir to carry on her work.

        “I have kept them closest to me, ever since that happened so that they feel my warmth. I know I’m not supposed to show any favor to any particular whelp, but their mother, your beloved consort and my sister, and I hatched within seconds of each other. She gave up this job for a chance to be with you. I felt that I owed her to make sure her surviving children got the best of everything.”

        She furiously wiped tears away, even talking about it made her upset but she was loathe to cry about it. It was in the past and she had to move forward.

        “I will raise them as if they are my own. If one of them is a female, I will raise her as my heir, if that is all right with you…”

        The prospect of being a mother again, was alluring at most, but she wanted to make sure he was doing this for the right reasons.

        Draladis bowed his head,

        “I am fine with that Dawnisa,” he looked down to the egg on his right side “Lianisa favored this one,” he sighed “she knew the whelp inside was to be a girl; her skill at predicting things is what drew me to her in the first place,” he looked to Dawnisa once more. He could see the familial resemblence between them “Thank you, Dawnisa,” he bowed “it warms my heart to hear that these eggs will have a mother,” he rubbed the back of his neck “I was worried that I would have to put the burden of hatching them on Caerisa or Havenisa, a much too difficult task for them if the whelps wouldn’t hatch for them...”

        “Sometimes whelps will only hatch for their natural mothers or as you said a closet female relative. And I’ve seen whelps only hatch for me, their mother could be here every day and still nothing.”

        She curtsied out of respect “Thank you, for this honor…” She honestly didn’t know what else to say.

        "You are welcome, Dawnisa," he smiled "it is the least I could do," Dralad placed a reassuring hand on the Amber Warden's shoulder "I have to go attend some important matters as Renatus, Let me know if you require help at all with the eggs," his form shimmered, his horns becoming hidden from sight, and his features losing their Draconic traits, making him appear as a mortal.

        "I will come checkon you once my bussiness is concluded," with that, he vanished from the Meadows, leaving the Warden alone with her eggs.