Lira felt a chill run down her spine. She had expected the tests to be difficult, but hearing them spoken so plainly made everything so real, so urgent. She glanced around at the other girls, noting the fear in some eyes and the hunger in others. But she held her head high, her resolve unshaken. She was here for one reason and one reason only. The competition was just a side quest, but she still had to make sure she didn't leave before she finished her mission.
"Remember this," the queen concluded, her voice ringing through the hall with authority. "This is not a game. It is the future of this kingdom. If you do not respect that, if you dishonor your role, you will be sent home. There are no second chances."
Cassian stood from his seat, his movement sharp and deliberate. "Mother, I think we've had enough of the speeches," he said, his voice laced with a mixture of boredom and challenge. He was already stepping away, his attention shifting from the proceedings to the more immediate allure of the evening's festivities.
The queen's eyes flashed with something akin to disappointment, but she said nothing. Her role was to ensure that the process ran smoothly. His was to choose the right girl, whether he liked it or not.
"The twenty-fifth Dragon Queen Selection of the kingdom of Aurelia has now begun!"
.........
The Dragon Queen's Selection had started and the girls were having lunch at the royal garden right after the Queen's address. It was a chance for them to get acquainted with each other and also a chance for the girls to learn who could be a threat to them.
The royal garden was a breathtaking sight, an expanse of vibrant flowers, manicured hedges, and shimmering fountains that whispered with the breeze. And today, the guests were thirteen young women, each with aspirations of becoming the next Queen of Aurelia.
The air was thick with tension as the girls, dressed in gowns of silk and velvet, sipped tea and nibbled on delicate pastries.
"I must say," Saphira began, her tone dripping with condescension, "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?"
Lady Saphira Caelum, with her sharp, ice-cold beauty, was the first to break the silence, her voice low but cutting as she turned to Lady Elora Dorne, who had quietly seated herself beside the fountain, her hands trembling slightly as she held her teacup. She directed the barb directly at Elora, whose cheeks flushed a deep red at the criticism. "I wonder how someone like you could possibly be the next dragon queen."
"I was looking forward to meeting a member of the Dorne family. I heard so much about your powers and how powerful and strong you are. But I must say I'm a bit disappointed you're not as much of a competition as I thought you'd be." She added.
Elora's mouth opened slightly, but she said nothing, the words stinging but no less effective for their silence. The other girls looked at one another, some with disdain, others with curiosity, but none intervened. It was clear that Saphira was trying to assert herself as the dominant force in the group and no one cared enough to go against her.
Lady Lenora Hawthorne, who had been quietly observing the exchange, couldn't hold back. "What I think is a shame, truly, is that the Crown Prince cannot see the kind of behavior that happens right under his nose," she muttered, her voice almost too soft for anyone to hear, but loud enough to stir the conversation. "If you ask me, someone needs to remind him that sleeping around is a sin. His actions tarnish the dignity of this entire kingdom."
The comment was met with a collective chuckle from the other girls. Some found it amusing, others simply mocked her naivety.
Cassian's notorious reputation had already made its rounds through the noble circles. To suggest that he would settle down with one woman was laughable to most. Lenora, however, looked on with a troubled expression, her deep sense of morality preventing her from facing reality.
"I do not understand why you are all laughing. Are you all not concerned about the rumours surrounding the Crown Prince? Many people doubt that he will truly settle down."
"Doesn't he have the right to live as he pleases?" Lady Amara Fenwick, the mischievous free spirit, chimed in, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Why are you so concerned with him living 'in sin,' Lady Lenora? Not everyone is as prim and proper as you might wish."
Lady Vivienne Trevanne, ever the bold one, leaned in with a half-smirk, her eyes dancing with a hint of rebellion. "The truth is," she said loudly enough for the entire group to hear, "this whole Queen's Selection is a farce." She looked around, gauging reactions, and then continued, "Why should we have to fight over a man because he is of royal blood and can ride a bloody dragon? Why should we have to preserve our dignity while he can go around bedding any woman he wants? If you ask me, a crown should not come with such... degrading conditions."
There was a pause, and for a moment, the girls stared at her.
"Well, I hope you will learn to be more careful with what you say, Lady Vivienne. I don't think the King or Queen would appreciate what you are saying. Despite the Crown Prince's shortcomings, he is still going to be the future king of Aurelia and he's a fine dragon rider too. The only one who was able to bond with the legendary dragon Taheer." Lady Cassandra Evernight said softly.
Some of them were still taken aback, not used to such open defiance against the process.
"Also, if you don't agree with the Dragon queen Selection, I don't think it is something you're supposed to admit out loud." Lady Evadne said cautiously.
But there were others who seemed to admire Vivienne's boldness, if only in silence. Vivienne's words rang with an honesty that, for some, struck a chord.
Lady Calista Harthwell, ever the strategist, let her lips curve into a tight smile, though her eyes were calculating. She could see the potential consequences of Vivienne's words. Such talk would surely stir up trouble, but there was something enticing in it as well—something that could give her an edge over the others if she chose to embrace it.
Before anyone else could respond to Vivienne's controversial remark, Amara leaned in with a sharp retort, her voice laced with venom. "If you're so dissatisfied with the system," she said, the words dripping from her tongue like poison, "why don't you leave? You can tell the Queen you are no longer interested in participating. The rest of us would have fewer competitors, and we wouldn't have to listen to you whine about it."
Vivienne's expression faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure, her lips curling into a tight smile. "Perhaps you should worry less about me and more about your own standing, Amara. It is, after all, a competition and from where I'm sitting it doesn't look like you're going to win."