6 - A gathering of vipers
LIRA
Bonding with a dragon. The words made my stomach twist.
I didn't belong here. Not really. I wasn't raised for this. I hadn't studied languages or etiquette or magic. I had spent my life hiding. And surviving.
But I couldn't leave.
Not until I avenged my father's death. Someone must at least pay the price for the destruction of my family, one way or the other.
"The selection will not be easy," Queen Seraphina continued. "It will test you in every way, magically, diplomatically, socially, intellectually, and personally. This is not a beauty contest. It is a test of leadership."
Some of the girls shifted beside me. A few even exchanged glances, like they were ready for the challenge. I stayed still. I had to. Any wrong move and they'd see me for what I was, an impostor in a borrowed name, wearing someone else's destiny.
"You have been chosen from founding families across Aurelia. The Harthwells, the Dornes, the Trevannes, the Caelums, the Fenwicks, the Ravenshades, the Moorlands, the Crestfalls, the Hawthornes, the Windmeres, the Vexleys, the Evernights and the Vales," the queen went on.
"You are the only ones who have access to magic, but do not forget, this is no formality. Only one of you will take my place. The Crown Prince will choose, but your actions and worth will decide if you make it to the dragon trials."
I stared straight ahead, but her words struck something deep. I don't want to be queen. I never did. But I had to stay in the game. I had to survive long enough to destroy the people who destroyed my father.
He didn't die mysteriously like they had claimed; if not they wouldn't have stripped him of his title and taken everything away from us.
He was executed.
Disgraced. Betrayed. Left to rot in the cold because of a crown.
And now I was standing in the very palace that had sent the order.
That had destroyed my family and caused the death of my mother.
Someone had to pay.
"One of you will be sent home every week," Queen Seraphina said. "Fail a trial, act dishonourably, or break the rules, and you will be disqualified. This is not a place for girls who only wish to be pretty. It is a place for queens."
The girls straightened.
Even I did, though my throat had gone dry. I couldn't afford to be the first sent home. That would ruin everything.
"No use of magic will be allowed unless asked. No tricks. No lies. No manipulation. This is your only warning. A true queen does not win through deceit. She wins through wisdom."
That made me want to laugh.
No deceit?
This entire palace was built on it. The entire royal family was deceitful, filled with lies and deceit.
Built on the blood of innocents, like my father.
I caught a glimpse of Cassian again. His eyes drifted lazily over the girls. His face didn't give much away, but I didn't miss the small furrow of his brow when he looked at me.
He noticed me?
I turned away.
No matter.
I wasn't here for him.
I was here to make the crown pay for what they did to my family.
Queen Seraphina kept speaking, her voice steady. "From now on, you will be tested. Trials of diplomacy, languages, etiquette, combat, magic, and leadership. Some of you will rise. Others will fall."
Then came the part that made my stomach knot.
"At the end of the thirteenth week, there will be an engagement party. Two of you will remain. Then comes the final dragon trial. The one who bonds with the dragon will be the next Queen. The other will leave."
..................
We were led to the royal garden. The royal garden was even more beautiful than I expected, too perfect, really. A wonderland of manicured hedges, bright blooms, and crystal fountains that shimmered like they'd been enchanted.
But the prettiest places often held the sharpest thorns.
Today, the danger wasn't even hiding in the roses.
It was sitting in silk gowns, sipping tea with painted-on smiles.
I sat near the edge of the group, eyes scanning the others.
Thirteen girls in total, each one a potential obstacle. Some were playing nice, others were already drawing lines in the sand. I could see behind their eyes the scheming and manipulations they were planning. Many of them had trained their whole lives for this moment, taught and groomed to be Queen, to win.
The selection was no joke; the entire kingdom were involved in it one way or another. While the girls plotted and schemed, the entire kingdom took bets on who they wanted to win.
Lady Calista Harthwell was the one with highest bets, half the kingdom was already rooting for her.
Lady Saphira Caelum was the first to show her fangs. I watched her like a hawk as she tilted her head toward the fountain, where poor Elora Dorne clutched her teacup like it might save her from drowning.
"I must say", Saphira purred, her voice sharp as ice, "it's a shame how some of us are so... lacking in confidence. How will one so timid ever learn how to ride a dragon?"
Her tone made my teeth clench. Not because I cared for Elora. I didn't know her, but because I recognised a power move when I saw one. Elora was very timid, a very easy target for her.
Saphira was drawing blood, and she didn't even flinch.
"I was looking forward to meeting a member of the Dorne family," she added, the corners of her mouth twitching into a cruel smile. "I heard so much about your powers and how strong you are. But I must say I'm a bit disappointed. You're not much of a competition after all."
Elora didn't answer. Her cheeks flushed red, and I could practically feel the humiliation coming off her in waves. No one rushed to her defence. No one wanted to be Saphira's next target.
Except one.
