"All that matters is that at the end of the Selection there will be a woman by your side, and she will be your Queen. Is that not enough?" Lord Reginald, his friend asked.
"Enough? And if she isn't who she pretended to be?"
"Are you telling me you really care about that, Cassian? Because we both know you do not. Do you even care about getting married?"
Reginald said as he patted his shoulder.
As the ball continued around him, Cassian's thoughts drifted back to the crown—the weight of it, the responsibilities that came with it. He had never wanted to be king, and he certainly didn't want a wife who was nothing more than another piece in his royal puzzle. But his father's insistence was clear, and so, like a puppet on a string, he was there, forced to play his part.
His sharp eyes flickered toward the girls again, this time pausing at a figure who stood out amidst the crowd. A girl he hadn't noticed before, her amber eyes burning with something more than just ambition—something that caught his attention, even if he didn't want it to.
"Who's that girl?" Cassian asked Reginald, his eyes fixated on her.
"Oh I don't know. I assume she is one of the lesser Lord's daughters...."
It was Lira, though he didn't know her name as he looked at her. She was standing across the room with her rose pinned firmly to her dress. She was wearing a deep green dress, far more modest and simple than what the other girls were wearing.
"Do you know who she is?" Reginald turned and asked the other men. They shrugged.
"We don't have the slightest idea who that is." One of them replied.
"Well someone has to know her..." Cassian murmured.
The girl was interesting. Her hair seemed to have been hurriedly tamed into a braid, she wore no accessories, except for a gold ring that glinted in the light on her delicate finger. She was talking to another girl, but there was an air about her that suggested she didn't care to be there. She had not even tried to introduce herself to him, nor looked in his direction once. He had not even noticed her before.
Cassian's lips tightened. He knew nothing about her, but he could already sense she was different from the others. And despite himself, he was intrigued. The tension between them, though unspoken, was thick in the air.
For now, he dismissed the thought. But it was there, lurking in the back of his mind.
He would have to play the game, just like everyone else.
........
The grand throne room of the Valemont palace was as regal as ever, its towering arches reaching towards the heavens and its golden tapestries shimmering in the soft light. The air was thick with anticipation as the thirteen girls stood in neat rows, their hearts beautihg in their chests. They had been summoned here to meet the one who would oversee their futures—Queen Seraphina, the very woman who had once been in their position years ago.
The room was silent except for the soft rustle of silken gowns as the girls shifted nervously.
The royal instructor addresses them first. His voice loud and boisterous.
"Each of you are aware of the weight of this moment, the immense responsibility resting upon your shoulders. To become a dragon queen is the greatest of ambitions for anyone of you in this room, the reward for countless years of preparation, of learning the arts of diplomacy, of magic, of charm, of duty."
"Many of you will fail," he continued. "For there can only be one Dragon Queen. But if you can manage to make it to the dragon trials of Queen's Selection, then you will be accorded with the most respect."
Cassian sat at the side, his eyes half-lidded in boredom, though there was a hint of something else in his gaze—an awareness of the gravity of what was unfolding, even if he didn't want to admit it. The queen, however, stood with unwavering poise, her regal presence commanding the room.
"My dear ladies," Queen Seraphina began, her voice calm yet laced with authority, "I welcome you to the Dragon Queen Selection. You are here not only to win the favor of the crown prince but also to prove you are worthy enough to bond with a dragon." She let her gaze sweep over them, as if assessing each girl's strength, resolve, and character. "The selection will not be easy. It will test you in every way imaginable—magically, diplomatically, socially, intellectually, and personally. It is more than just a beauty contest. It is a test of leadership."
The girls stood in silence, listening intently, though some of them exchanged glances, eager for the queen's instructions. Cassian barely seemed to notice. He was distracted by the figures in the room, his eyes occasionally catching on one girl or another, though his focus was fleeting, almost disinterested.
The queen's gaze shifted to him briefly, a silent reminder that his role in this process was far more significant than his posture suggested. Cassian straightened himself, not eager to get an earful from his mother later. She returned her attention to the girls, her voice unwavering.
"You have all been chosen from founding families across Aurelia. You are the best of the best, the only ones who have access to magic and who can practice magic, but make no mistake—this is not a mere formality. Only one of you will take my place as dragon queen. The crown prince will choose, but your actions, behaviour, and ability to prove your worth will be the deciding factors that will enable you to move to the dragon trials." Her eyes hardened as she continued. "In the coming weeks, one of you will be sent home every week. You must prove yourselves worthy, or you will not stay."
A murmur rippled through the group, a mix of shock and anticipation. Cassian's expression didn't change. He had already been briefed on the rules, and he knew well that the selection was as much a game of survival as it was of winning his affection. Every week a girl would be sent home if she was deemed unfit. To be sent home first was the highest disgrace. It was the one thing every founding family was praying against.
The queen raised a hand, silencing the room. "There are few things I will not tolerate. Under no circumstances will the use of magic be tolerated during the selection. You shall not use your powers unless we ask you to, or you will be disqualified. Any behaviour that dishonours the crown, any attempt to manipulate or cheat, will result in immediate disqualification. We are here to find a queen, not a puppet. A queen does not just rule with grace but with strength. She commands respect not through deceit or allure but through wisdom and duty."
The girls stood taller now, the reality of what they were competing for setting in. Lira, in particular, felt the weight of the queen's words more than most. She had not come there to win Cassian's heart—she had come for something far darker. And yet, in that moment, as she stood among the other girls, she realized just how much she would have to blend in, how much she would have to feign compliance to succeed.
Unlike the other girls who had been trained from birth, Lira received no such training. She had no magic. Her formal education and training stopped when she was just ten years old, right after her father died. She had no idea of etiquette, diplomacy, or more than half of the things that made a queen. She knew she wouldn't stay long enough to make it to the dragon trials, but she still had to stay long enough to avenge her father.
"Your progress will be measured in many ways," Queen Seraphina continued, her voice steady but laced with the finality of a decree. "From this moment on, each of you will be tested on different subjects. There will be trials of diplomacy, tests of languages, trials of etiquette, trials of combat, of magic, and of leadership. Some of you will excel. Others will falter. Those who falter will be sent home. And only the best—those who have demonstrated that they can rule—will remain to face the final choice." Her eyes narrowed as she spoke the last words. "At the end of the thirteenth week, there will be an engagement party, where the final two will remain. After that are the dragon trials. The one who manages to bond with a dragon will be crowned my successor and the Crown Prince's bride. The other will leave the palace."