Ten years ago when Taheer had chosen his brother, it was nothing short of a miracle. The thousand-year-old dragon had not bonded with another rider in almost seventy years, ever since the death of their grandfather.
Evander had dreamed all his life that he would ride Taheer, but that dream never came true.
"You don't get to ignore it forever," Evander said sharply. "If Father doesn't find you soon, you know he will send the royal guards looking. You know how important this is to the kingdom's future."
Cassian's eyes darkened, and for a brief moment, the smirk faltered. "And what if I don't care about the kingdom's future, Evander? What if I don't want this at all?"
Evander's voice softened, though the frustration was still palpable. "You don't have a choice in that. We all have a role to play, whether we like it or not. The Dragon Queen Selection is a necessary step for the stability of Aurelia. You can't keep hiding in these brothels, chasing fleeting pleasures, and pretending that nothing matters."
Cassian stood, his eyes narrowing as he set his goblet down. The women around him shifted, sensing the change in his demeanor, but he didn't spare them a second glance. "Maybe you're right," he said, his voice a low growl. "But I don't care."
Evander took a step forward, his face a mixture of exasperation and concern. "You're not the only one burdened by the expectations of this family, Cassian. But you're the crown prince. You are the one who rides Taheer. You are the one who will lead this kingdom when our father steps down. If you keep running from it, everything will fall apart. Our kingdom, our family, the dragons."
Cassian took a long breath, his fingers curling into a fist at his side. He didn't want to admit it, but a part of him knew that Evander was right. The throne had always been his destiny, whether he wanted it or not.
Ever since Taheer had picked him, it had cemented his right as the one true king. As the one wanted by the dragons. The weight of it had always pressed against him, a constant reminder of his responsibilities. But even so, he refused to bow to it, refusing to be the puppet that everyone expected him to be.
"I'll do what I must, Evander," Cassian said, his voice cold. "But today is not that day. Let me at least celebrate the little time I have left."
..........
The sun had barely begun to rise over the mist-cloaked hills of the outskirts of Aurelia when Lira Sutton received the news.
She had been outside, dragging a sack full of wheat, when a messenger, exhausted from his long ride, arrived with a sealed parchment. He handed it to her with a bow, his face a mixture of respect and haste.
Lira knew she shouldn't open the letter; it was for Lord Vale to read. But the Lord was old, and she was the one who read most of his letters anyway. Lira quickly tore open the letter. Her eyes scanned the contents, and her heart skipped a beat. The royal announcement. The Dragon Queen's Selection was to begin, and with it, a chance—a chance she had not dared to dream of.
Her father's death still weighed heavily on her, the memory of his exile by the crown a fresh wound. His body had never been returned, and his name had been forgotten by those who once held him as a noble person. The royal family's betrayal had been swift and merciless. Her father, Lord Aidan Sutton, had been stripped of his title, exiled from the kingdom, and then quietly eliminated—his death a hushed, whispered affair that the court had simply brushed aside.
Now, with this new development, the very opportunity for revenge that Lira had been waiting for had arrived.
Lira folded the letter with precision, her mind already racing as she turned towards the stables, where she was sure her brother, Callum, would be with the horses. His dark eyes looked up at her when she entered the room, the weight of her silence immediately grasping his attention.
"Lira," he said, his voice gruff. "What is it?"
"I'm going," she replied simply. The fire in her chest burned hotter with every word she spoke. "I'm going to enter the Dragon Queen Selection."
Callum blinked, clearly taken aback. "What?" He put down the hoe he was carrying, his brow furrowing. "This is madness. You can't be serious."
"I am," Lira said, meeting his gaze steadily. "This is our chance. The only chance we have is to make the crown pay for what they did to Father."
For a long moment, Callum said nothing. His expression softened, the frustration evident in the set of his jaw. He knew what this meant to Lira. She had spent the past years in quiet grief and anger, plotting how she would make the royal family pay for their cruelty. But entering the Queen's Selection was a dangerous game, and he could already see the wheels turning in her mind.
"Lira," Callum said finally, his voice low but intense. "This is no child's play. You can't do that. Every girl selected in the selection is from a founding mage family. You have no magic. You're not from a founding mage family. They will find out!"
Lira took a deep breath, walked over to the table and sat down beside him. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her, his worry was in the air between them. But her resolve had already been forged.
"I'll infiltrate the selection," she said, her voice steady, calculated. "I'll destroy the royal family from within, piece by piece. We have always talked about this, how we would take our revenge. This is our chance, Callum. We can't lose it."
Callum frowned, his hand tapping nervously on the hilt of the hoe. "Are you listening to me? There is no way you're going to get in" His voice was rough with doubt. "The Vale family had one eligible woman, Lord Eaton's granddaughter, Lira. She passed away months ago. How do you plan to impersonate someone they'll never expect?"
Lira smiled—a dark, confident smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "The Crown only sends letters to the founding families who will participate in the Queen's selection. They also sent a letter because they hadn't been notified of Lady Lira's death. Lord Eaton's ailing health has been so bad these last few months, nobody has cared to inform them. Who will even inform them? This place is practically empty! I have already thought of everything." She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper, as if she were confiding in him a secret that would change everything. "I will become Lady Lira of the Vale. I will pretend to be Lord Vale's late granddaughter."