The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 105

CASSIAN 

By the time I entered the council chamber, I was expressionless, stone cold. 

The realization that had clawed its way into my chest and refused to leave. Lira and her lies.

Her hands on me, not just wanting, not just desperate but taking. Using me. 

I clenched my jaw as I stepped fully into the room.

Not now.

I couldn't afford to think about her now.

The chamber was already full.

Lords and ladies from the most powerful houses in Aurelia sat around the long obsidian table, their expressions ranging from outrage to barely concealed fear. My father sat at the head, rigid and unreadable. My mother beside him, calm, composed, but her eyes...

Her eyes were sharp.

"Cassian," my father said as I approached. "You're late."

"I was handling matters in the courtyard," I replied evenly.

That much, at least, was true.

He grunted.

"Sit."

I took my place at his right, my gaze sweeping briefly across the room.

Lord Gareth Harthwell sat near the front, his expression tight with concern. Beside him, Lord Trevanne looked like he had already decided this entire situation was a disaster.

Others whispered among themselves, the tension thick enough to choke on.

My father didn't waste time.

"You've all seen it," he began, his voice carrying easily through the chamber. "Or at least heard of it."

Murmurs rippled across the room.

"The dragon."

The word alone was enough to silence them.

"It is time," my father continued, "that you are told the truth."

I felt my shoulders tense.

From everyone. From me. My father's gaze swept across the room.

"The dragon you saw is not new. It is not foreign. It is not a wandering beast that stumbled upon our lands."

A pause.

"It came from us."

The reaction was immediate.

"What?"

"That's impossible…” 

"How can a dragon be hidden beneath the palace?” 

My father raised a hand, silencing them.

"Her name is Veyraxis."

"She has been beneath this palace for centuries," he continued. "Contained."

"Contained?" Lord Trevanne repeated sharply. "A dragon?"

"Yes."

"How is that even possible?" someone demanded.

My mother spoke this time, her voice smooth and deliberate.

"Through magic. Through blood. Through a binding that has been passed down through the royal line for generations."

"And now she is free?" Lord Gareth asked, his tone tight.

"Yes," my father said bluntly.

"How?" another lord demanded. "How does something like that simply... escape?"

My father's jaw tightened.

"That," he said, "is still under investigation."

That wasn't entirely a lie.

But it wasn't the truth either.

Because I knew.

Or at least, I knew enough.

And I said nothing.

"Is she hostile?" Lord Trevanne pressed. "You said she was bound. Why was she?"

My father's expression darkened.

"She doesn’t believe in the first pact. Doesn’t believe humans should ever have control of dragons. She is vengeful.” 

The word settled over the room like a storm cloud.

"She has every reason to be," my mother added quietly.

A murmur swept through the chamber again.

"Then we are in danger," someone said.

"We are always in danger," my father snapped. "That has never changed."

"That is not reassuring," Lord Trevanne replied coldly.

I leaned forward slightly.

"She will not attack yet."

All eyes turned to me.

"She has just been freed after years of imprisonment," I continued. "She will be weak. Disoriented. Recovering."

"And you know this how?" Lord Gareth asked.

I met his gaze evenly.

"Because I know dragons."

That, at least, was undeniable.

"She will not risk an attack in her current state," I added. "Not when we have the advantage."

"And what advantage is that?" someone challenged.

"Taheer," I said simply. "And the rest of our dragons. The rest of the dragons are on their way to the dragon keep."

That shifted the room.

Slightly.

Not enough.

"She would be foolish to strike while we are fully defended," I continued. "And Veyraxis does not strike me as foolish."

Silence followed.

"For now," I said, "we watch. We prepare. And we do not panic."

Lord Trevanne scoffed.

"Easy for you to say. You’re a dragonrider."

"And you’re a noble," I shot back.

Lord Gareth leaned forward slightly.

"And what of our families?" he asked. "Our daughters?” 

I stilled.

Of course.

It would come back to that.

"My daughter is in this palace," he continued. "As part of the Dragon Queen's selection. I would like to know if she is safe."

I held his gaze.

"She is."

"You can guarantee that?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Because I will ensure it."

A pause.

"And the other girls?" he pressed.

"They are under the same protection."

Lord Dorne leaned back in his chair, clearly unconvinced.

"This entire situation is unacceptable," he said. "Secrets of this magnitude being kept from the council…” 

"The secrecy was necessary," my mother cut in smoothly.

"For whom?" he demanded.

"For the stability of the kingdom."

"Or for your control of it?" Lord Trevanne shot back.

The room tensed again.

My father's expression hardened.

"You would do well to remember who you are speaking to."

"And you would do well to remember the people  who keep this kingdom standing,"  Lord Trevanne replied.

A dangerous silence followed.

Then

"I believe," Lord Gareth interjected carefully, "that the more pressing matter is the safety of those within the palace."

A calculated shift.

Smart.

"If the palace is no longer secure," Trevanne continued, seizing the opportunity, "then the Queen's selection should be ended. The girls should be returned to their homes."

My chest tightened slightly.

Lira.

The thought came unbidden.

Unwelcome.

"Those who wish to leave may do so," my father said bluntly. "But the selection will continue."

My gaze flicked briefly to my mother.

She looked... pleased.

"Then I see no issue," Lord Gareth said. "As long as their safety is ensured."

Trevanne looked like he wanted to argue further.

But he didn't.

Not yet.

The discussion dragged on after that.

Strategies.

Defenses.

Speculation.

What if the dragon returned?

What if she didn't?

What if this was the beginning of something larger?

I heard it all.

And none of it.

Because my mind, my mind was somewhere else.

"She used me."

The words echoed again.

I clenched my jaw.

The meeting finally came to an end.

Chairs scraped against the floor as the council began to disperse, voices low and tense.

My father stood, already speaking quietly with a few of his inner council.

My mother watched them all.

Always watching.

I stood as well, my head pounding slightly.

I needed air.

Space.

Distance from all of this.

I turned toward the exit.

But I didn't make it far.

"Cassian."

I stopped.

Closed my eyes briefly.

Then turned.

Evander stood a few steps away, his expression unreadable.

"We need to talk."

Of course we did.

I exhaled slowly.

"...About what?"

His gaze didn't waver.

"You know what."

My chest tightened slightly.

Lira.

Of course.

It was always going to come back to her.

I held his gaze.

"Fine," I said.

Evander stepped closer, his jaw set.

"Not here."

I nodded once.

"Lead the way."

And as I followed him out of the hall. 

I had the distinct feeling that whatever came next...

Was not going to be simple.