2 - An Awakening

LIRA SUTTON

I was dragging a heavy sack of wheat toward the barn, dirt clinging to my skirts, when I saw the rider.

He was hunched over his horse, the beast slick with sweat. He barely waited for me to approach before thrusting a sealed parchment into my hands. His bow was rushed but respectful; he didn't know me, but he knew this place.

Knew the name Vale still held weight, even if no one else cared.

I turned the envelope in my hands, heart quickening. The seal was unmistakable: royal crimson and gold. For a moment, I froze.

This wasn't addressed to me, it was meant for Lord Vale. But he hadn't left his bed in weeks, and I was the one who handled his letters now. I always had.

My fingers broke the seal before I could think twice. As I unfolded the parchment and scanned the contents, my breath caught.

There it was.

The Dragon Queen's Selection was beginning.

For a moment, everything around me disappeared. The fields, the dust, the ache in my shoulders, all gone. Only one thought remained:

This is it.

The chance I had never dared speak aloud. The chance to undo what had been done.

My father's name flickered in my mind, Lord Aidan Sutton. Once a nobleman. Once respected. Until the crown turned on him. Until they stripped him of his title, and erased him like he had never existed. They never even returned his body. Just a letter. Just silence.

They thought we would forget. That we would wither away in the quiet. But they were wrong.

I folded the letter slowly, my thoughts already racing. Without another word, I turned toward the stables.

Callum would be there. He always was.

Sure enough, I found him brushing down one of the mares, sleeves rolled, hands rough with work. He looked up when I entered, his dark eyes sharp, already reading the tension in my face.

"Lira?" he asked, lowering the brush. "What is it?"

I held the parchment tight at my side, but my voice didn't waver.

"I'm going."

His brow furrowed. "Going where?"

"To the Selection," I said, stepping closer. "I'm going to enter."

His whole body stilled. "What?"

"I'm serious."

He dropped the brush, crossing the stable in two strides.

"You've lost your mind. That's death."

"No," I said, meeting his glare with one of my own. "It's our only chance. This is the only door they'll ever leave unguarded, Callum. And I'm going to walk straight through it."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but instead, he just ran a hand over his face, trying to stay calm.

"Lira... you have no powers. You're not from the Vale family. They'll see right through you."

"No, they won't," I said, my voice low and steady. "The Vales were a founding family. And Lady Lira Gracyn Vale, Lord Eaton's granddaughter, died months ago. Quietly. Unannounced."

Callum blinked, confused.

I took a breath and sat down at the table in the tack room. My hands were still trembling, but my voice was like steel.

"Lord Eaton never sent word to the capital. No one from the court has visited in years. Lord Eaton is barely conscious most days. There's no one left to speak for her."

Callum stared at me. "So what? You're going to pretend to be her?"

I nodded.

"They sent the letter addressed to Lady Lira Vale, because they still think she's alive. No one corrected them. Why would they? No one in the capital knows she's dead."

"But you have no powers! How will you pass the tests?"

"It's the perfect plan, Callum. The Vale family has the power of sight, they're known for it. Lady Lira of the Vale used to dream of the future. I'll pretend I see visions too. In my sleep, when no one can prove otherwise. No one will suspect anything. The Crown doesn't know she's dead. And with Lord Eaton's health being so poor, there's been no way to notify anyone. Who would? No one comes out here. This estate is forgotten."

I leaned forward, lowering my voice. "You're practically the one running things here. You'll cover for me. The royal court is in the capital, and even if they send someone to check, it'll be at least a week before they get here. It's the perfect plan."

Callum didn't speak for a long moment. He leaned back in his chair, lips pressed thin. I could tell his thoughts were racing.

"This is madness, Lira," he said eventually, voice low and strained.

"But..." he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I can't stop you. I know how badly you want this. Just promise me, don't stay long enough for the dragon trials. If they find out you don't have powers..."

His words trailed off. We both knew what the dragons would do. They would burn me alive.

I nodded.

"Of course. Don't worry. The trials are held at the end of the Selection. I'll be long gone by then. Or they'll be dead."

Callum didn't smile. He didn't have to. He knew I meant every word. The fire inside me burned too hot, too deep.

"I'm going to make them all pay," I said quietly. "The royal family will regret ever touching our father."

He looked at me with something between pride and dread. I didn't blame him. What I was about to do was either going to change everything, or destroy me.

"Fine," he said. "I'll help. But if they find out who you really are, it's over, Lira. If you fail... There won't be another chance."

I smiled, though it didn't reach my eyes. "Then I won't fail."

...........

The morning sun was creeping through the cracks in the shutters, painting the room in soft golden stripes. I stood in front of the old mirror, barely recognising myself. The dress I wore wasn't mine, it belonged to the real Lady Lira of the Vale. The girl I was about to become.

It was a deep forest green, soft velvet trimmed in gold. It fit snugly, delicate lace brushing against my wrists. I had pulled it from her abandoned room last night, brushing off the dust as best I could. No one had been in that room for months. No one dared to touch her things after her death. Not in this forgotten, crumbling estate.

Lord Eaton hadn't been to court in years. His health was failing, his mind worse. People had stopped paying attention to what happened out here. And Lady Lira had never been presented in court formally. She died when she was sixteen. Which meant no one would recognise me. No one would question a thing.

I adjusted the sleeves, pressing my palm over the fabric to smooth it. The dress was beautiful, far too fine for someone like me. But that was the point. I wasn't Lira Sutton anymore. I was Lady Lira of the Vale.

Behind me, I heard the door creak. I didn't need to turn to know it was Callum. I saw his reflection in the mirror, tall, tired, wary. His arms crossed as he studied me, as if searching for the sister he knew beneath the layers of silk and deception.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, voice low.

I turned to face him, the fire still burning hot in my chest. "I have no choice. You know that."

"If it weren't for the King and Queen," I continued, "Father would still be alive. And Mother..." I paused, throat tightening.

Her death still haunted me, quiet and slow, a grief she never escaped.

"She died because of him. Of what they did to Father. And you... you would've had a real life, Callum. Not one where you're forced to carry everything on your back."

His eyes dropped to the floor, jaw tight.

"They think because they have dragons and magic, they can treat us like nothing," I whispered.

"But they're wrong. I'm going to show them that."