7 - The Vipers

LIRA

Lady Lenora Hawthorne spoke, her voice quiet but edged with steel.

"What I think is a shame, truly, are the rumours going around about the Crown Prince," she said, just loud enough to stir the air.

"Is it true he spends his days and nights at the brothels?"

A few girls chuckled. Mostly because they found it amusing. Others because they didn't know what else to do. I didn't laugh. I just studied Lenora, wondering if she realised how odd she sounded.

It was no news that the crown prince slept around. There was even a rumour that he had bedded almost half the women in the kingdom and in the next!

"I don't understand why you're all laughing," Lenora said, frowning deeply.

"Are you not concerned about the rumours surrounding the Crown Prince? Many doubt that he will truly settle down."

That's because no one here came for love, I thought. Not really. They all just wanted to be Queen.

Lady Amara Fenwick stretched out her legs lazily and raised a brow.

"Doesn't he have the right to live as he pleases?" she asked with a smirk.

"Why are you so concerned with him sleeping around, Lady Lenora? Not everyone is as prim and proper as you."

I watched her closely. Amara was playing the jester, but a sharpness lay behind her smile. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Then Vivienne Trevanne leaned forward, that wild look in her eyes lighting up like fire to dry wood. "The truth is", she said, loud and clear, "this whole Queen's Selection is a farce."

My pulse quickened. Now this was interesting.

"Why should we have to fight over a man because he's royal and can ride a bloody dragon?" she went on. "

"Why should we have to preserve our dignity while he goes around bedding anyone he likes? If you ask me, a crown shouldn't come with such... degrading conditions."

Dead silence followed her words.

I didn't know whether to laugh or applaud. I agreed with her, though not entirely. I also respected her for saying what others were afraid to admit. She was bold.

Lady Cassandra Evernight's soft voice cut through the tension.

"I hope you'll be more careful with what you say, Lady Vivienne. The King and Queen won't appreciate such... opinions. Despite the Crown Prince's shortcomings, he's still the future king of Aurelia. And let's not forget, he's the only one who bonded with the legendary dragon, Taheer."

So she was a loyalist. Or at least clever enough to stay on the winning side.

Lady Evadne spoke next, more cautious than the rest. "If you don't agree with the selection, it's probably not something you should admit out loud."

Several girls nodded in agreement, but I noticed a few others glancing at Vivienne with something like quiet admiration. They wouldn't say it, but they agreed with her.

It was the truth anyways, the selection was a century old tradition that got violent and more crass with every passing selection. Girls who left the selection early ruined their chances to marry well, as nobles believed they were unworthy.

Lady Calista Harthwell sat still, her expression unreadable, but I could tell she was calculating.

Watching. Measuring. The strategist type, definitely. She would remember every word spoken today and use it later.

Then Amara leaned in again, eyes glinting. "If you're so dissatisfied with the system", she said sweetly, but the venom was clear, "why don't you leave? Tell the Queen you're done. The rest of us would have fewer competitors, and we wouldn't have to listen to you whine about it."

That landed hard. For a second, Vivienne's smile faltered.

But then she lifted her chin. "Perhaps you should worry less about me and more about your own standing, Amara," she said coolly. "It is, after all, a competition. And from where I'm sitting, it doesn't look like you're going to win.

"A competition that you're also not interested in. You should do us all a favour and drop out of it. One less girl to worry about," Amara murmured.

The others laughed, the tension thickening with each passing moment. Amara and Vivienne's rivalry was clear, and while some girls exchanged awkward glances, others seemed more entertained by the spectacle of it all.

Amara, despite her extraordinary powers of invisibility, had a natural talent for always putting herself in the spotlight. She leaned back in her seat with a self-satisfied grin.

She had always enjoyed provoking others, especially those who thought too highly of themselves.

But Vivienne, she realised, was a force to be reckoned with and wouldn't let Amara have the last laugh.

"Drop out of the competition so you can have a chance? Not happening. You should rather focus your energy on working on that attitude of yours. I don't think the Prince will appreciate a smart mouth like yours."

Vivienne snapped in anger. The other girls gasped and chuckled while Amara sat there fuming.

Calista, who had been observing the unfolding drama with quiet precision, finally spoke up, her voice low but authoritative.

"It's way too early to be fighting girls." she mused, her eyes flicking between the girls, "One of us here is going to be the next Dragon Queen."

"I think it would be proper if we could at least start acting like one."

Her words were sharp and perfectly timed, slicing through the chatter like a blade. Everyone went quiet after that, facing their tea, their food, anything but each other. I watched them carefully, trying to measure what each expression meant. Fear. Pride. Arrogance.

Desperation. It was all there, laid out like an open book if you knew how to read it.

I didn’t speak. Not yet. My job wasn’t to charm or make allies. at least not today.

I stood up from my place beside the fountain, careful not to draw attention. The tension was unbearable, and though I knew I should’ve stayed, played the game, smiled at the right moments… I couldn’t. Not yet. I wasn’t like them. I didn’t have the same sharp tongue or perfect mask.

My feet moved on their own, carrying me away from the gathering crowd. The further I walked, the lighter I felt. The garden was quiet in the distance, the smell of roses and lavender still clinging to the warm evening air. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting long, gold-tinged shadows across the path. I wandered beneath arched vines, my fingers grazing the petals of a white bloom as I passed.

Let them fight over the Prince. I had my eyes set on something far bigger.

Cassian Valemont.

Not because I wanted him. But because I needed him. I needed to get close enough to learn his weaknesses, study his blind spots, and understand how he moved, how he thought. Only then could I tear everything down from the inside.

A quiet smile crept across my lips as I turned down a narrow path that curved behind the gardens. I knew from the stolen blueprints and whispers passed in taverns that somewhere back here, there were hidden entrances, secret tunnels from centuries ago, meant for escaping during war or smuggling goods in and out unseen.

I stepped into a shaded corridor, my footsteps barely echoing against the old stone. Faded tapestries hung like tired ghosts on the walls, and the air was thick with the scent of damp earth and dust. My hand skimmed along the wall, fingertips brushing over cold stone, looking for even the slightest shift or edge. There had to be something here.

A draft, maybe. A hollow knock.

I took another step forward, eyes narrowing.

Then I heard it.

A voice, low and smooth, drifting from the shadows behind me.

“Looking for something?”

I froze.