As Elysia and Thalassa moved through the crowd, a kind man tried to reason with Thalassa. "Princess, perhaps it's best to reflect on what happened and—"
Thalassa cut him off sharply, her voice dripping with disdain. "Reflect? Reflect? I don't need advice from someone like you!"
Elysia's face hardened. "Thalassa, control yourself," she said sharply. But Thalassa wasn't listening, too consumed by her own anger and humiliation.
When she turned to Kaelan, her words stung with venom. "And you! How dare you speak to me as if you're my equal? You are nothing but a commoner!"
The crowd gasped, and the Duchess, standing nearby, looked ready to lash out. "A commoner, is he?" she said, her voice dangerously calm. "If only titles defined worth, Princess. But it seems your behavior has more in common with a spoiled child than with true nobility."
Before Thalassa could respond, Gareth stepped in, grabbing the Duchess's arm gently but firmly. "This isn't the time," he murmured. The Duchess gave Thalassa a withering look but stepped back, her eyes still blazing with anger.
Elysia continued to drag Thalassa away, her face a mask of frustration. "You need to stop this, Thalassa. You're making things worse."
The rest of their friends, preoccupied with the absence of Isabel, didn't intervene. They watched the scene with a mixture of frustration and resignation, understanding that confronting Thalassa would only escalate the situation further.
As Elysia dragged the ranting Thalassa, she glanced back toward her father, hoping to see some sign of concern. Failing to bond with a dragon was the greatest shame a royal could face. However, the king seemed completely oblivious to the commotion, his eyes distant and his thoughts elsewhere.
The realization that her father didn't care about Thalassa's public humiliation struck Elysia hard. She had expected at least a flicker of empathy or a gesture of reassurance, but there was nothing. His indifference was like a slap in the face, and the bitterness of it settled deep within her.
The look in Elysia's eyes hardened. Disappointment was clear, but her resolve was even stronger. She gripped Thalassa tightly, ignoring her sister's furious outbursts, and pulled her away from the crowd. As she did, the contrast between her sister's unruly behavior and her own growing determination to rise above their father's neglect became all the more stark.
Crown Prince Adrian stood at a distance, his eyes fixed on the commotion caused by Thalassa, yet his expression remained unreadable. His sister's outburst drew the crowd's attention, but Adrian did not move to calm her.
Instead, he watched in silence, a subtle tension in his posture. His gaze, sharp and calculating, flickered briefly with an emotion that vanished as quickly as it appeared. He observed Elysia's struggle to contain Thalassa with an unreadable look, his thoughts hidden behind a mask of indifference.
As Elysia dragged the ranting Thalassa away, the crowd's focus shifted, and a sense of relief washed over Mirael and her friends. The commotion died down, and the once chaotic scene grew calm.
Mirael, Eamon, Kaelan, and Alaric took a moment to gather themselves before heading toward the front. They approached Grandmaster Lysander and King Scorvius, who were deep in discussion. With respect, they bowed deeply to both the king and the Grandmaster.
Kaelan, stepping forward, spoke with a respectful tone. "Grandmaster, our friend Isabel was also a candidate in this ceremony, but she has not returned, and she is not even among those summoned back. We are concerned for her safety."
As Kaelan mentioned Isabel's name, the king's gaze snapped to their group. His expression turned from distant to sharply focused. The weight of their words seemed to penetrate the king's otherwise aloof demeanor.
The group felt a collective tension as they bowed their heads even lower, not daring to meet the king's intense gaze. The atmosphere was thick with anxiety as they awaited his response.
But before the king and grandmaster could respond, something unexpected happened.
Every dragon at the castle suddenly stirred, their attention drawn to something beyond the horizon. It was as if they could sense something that was beyond the capacitance of mare mortals.
One by one, the dragons stretched their powerful wings and took to the sky. Their movements were perfectly in sync as if guided by a shared purpose. From the back of the castle, the king's dragon—rarely seen and awe-inspiring in its size and beauty—soared into view. Its scales gleamed like gold in the twilight, and its eyes shone with a fierce, yet calm, light.
As the king's dragon flew, the other dragons followed suit. They rose into the sky together, forming a majestic circle. Each dragon let out a deep, resonant roar, creating a harmony that seemed to fill the entire air. Their roars were like a grand, mystical song that echoed across the sky.
The crowd below watched in wonder, their heads tilted upward in amazement. The riders, usually in control of their dragons, were equally spellbound. Their dragons, previously indifferent, now looked up with the same awe and respect as the others.
The whole scene felt magical. The dragons' synchronized flight and their powerful roars created a sense of ancient admiration
and unity. It was as if they were welcoming a significant presence with a timeless ritual.
The sky was alive with the dragons' movements, and their combined presence created an unforgettable display. The entire scene felt like a breathtaking moment where the ordinary world met the extraordinary, filling everyone with a deep sense of wonder.
As the dragons roared and flew in unison, the nobles below murmured with surprise and curiosity. They exchanged confused looks, trying to understand what was happening.
The riders, usually in control of their dragons, stared in astonishment. They couldn't figure out why their dragons were acting so strangely, and their faces showed confusion.
King Scorvius, usually stern and unreadable, was visibly shocked. His face revealed awe and recognition as if he knew exactly why the dragons were behaving this way. The high-ranking nobles around him, seeing the king's reaction, grew even more anxious and expectant.