The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 120

CASSIAN  

I didn’t sleep.

Not truly.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw fragments, shadows moving where they shouldn’t, doors left slightly ajar, the echo of something unseen breathing within walls I was meant to command.

And beneath it all, 

That lingering, gnawing certainty.

A dragon is still here.

Taheer’s voice had not left me since the night before. I had not slept one good night’s sleep since then. 

It is close.

But close meant nothing when the palace itself was a labyrinth. And I had already searched it. Twice.

I stood at the balcony overlooking the inner courtyard, arms braced against the cold stone railing, watching the guards rotate through their patrols.

“They must have missed something,” I muttered.

Or someone is hiding it well, Taheer replied.

My jaw tightened.

“I don’t miss things.”

No, he said calmly. But others can deceive you.

That irritated me more than it should have.

Because he wasn’t wrong.

And I hated that.

I pushed away from the railing and turned sharply. “Enough.”

If the dragon wouldn’t reveal itself…

Then I would stop looking for the dragon.

And start looking for what was feeding it.

Because something was off. It made no sense that it had stayed hidden for so long. It’s been at least three days and no sign of it yet. 

“Double the internal patrols,” I ordered as I strode through the command hall.

Captain Rhenfall blinked. “Inside the palace, Your Highness?”

“Yes.”

“But the threat is external…”

“No,” I cut in sharply. “That’s what we thought.”

The room fell silent.

I stepped closer to the table, placing both hands against the wood.

“We are not dealing with a simple breach,” I continued. “A dragon does not vanish into stone. If it is here, then something, or someone, is allowing it to remain unseen.”

The captain frowned. “You believe there’s help from within?”

“I don’t believe in impossibilities,” I said. “And right now, the only explanation left is that we’re being played. The dragon is inside this palace somehow.” 

That got their attention.

“Search everything,” I went on. “Servants’ quarters, supply routes, unused wings, hidden corridors. I want names, movements, patterns.”

“And the nobles?” one of the guards asked carefully.

I paused. If I had the nobles searched, word would get out that I was searching their rooms. The King and Queen would find out and demand answers. Answers I wasn’t ready to give. 

“Not yet. But soon.”

A ripple of unease passed through the room.

Good.

They should be uneasy.

“Discreetly,” I added. “No accusations. Not yet.”

Captain Rhenfall nodded. “Understood.”

“And one more thing,” I said.

They waited.

“No one leaves the palace without my approval. Not even a letter.”

*******************

Hours passed. Still no news 

I was halfway through reviewing guard rotations when the door burst open.

“Your Highness…” 

I looked up sharply.

“What is it?”

The guard was slightly out of breath. “We found something in the lower corridors. Near the eastern supply wing.”

My pulse sharpened instantly.

“What? The dragon?”

He hesitated.

“A… meeting.”

I stood.

“Who?”

“We’re not sure yet. They scattered when we approached. But we could recognize one so we’re looking for him.” 

Of course they did.

“Take me there,” I said.

The eastern supply wing was rarely used. It was too far from the main halls. Too inconvenient for daily traffic.

Which made it perfect. The moment I stepped into the corridor, I noticed the details.

“Here,” the guard said, pointing toward a narrow archway.

A crate slightly out of place. A lantern still warm. Footprints in the dust, multiple, recent.

“They were here,” I murmured.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I crouched slightly, studying the ground.

Not servants. Too many, their absence would be noticeable if they were servants. 

Too coordinated too. And they knew enough about the palace to have the meeting here. 

And then, I saw it.

A scrap of fabric.

Caught on a jagged edge of stone. I reached for it, pulling it free. It wasn’t the palace issued fabric the staff and servants wore. 

I turned it between my fingers.

And then my eyes narrowed. Because the fabric was similar. Not native to Aurelia. I only recognised it because, I had felt something similar. The Princess of Norwyn had worn this fabric once. 

My stomach dropped.

“No…” I breathed.

What is it? Taheer asked.

I didn’t answer immediately.

Because I already knew.

“Norwyn,” I said quietly.

The word felt heavy in my mouth, but I was holding the proof.

I stood slowly.

“How many?” I asked.

The guard shook his head. “We don’t know. We only caught a glimpse four, maybe five.”

“Then there are more.”

Always more.

“They’re inside the palace,” I muttered.

Not trying to get in. Already in.

My grip tightened around the fabric.

“They’re not here by accident,” I said.

“No, Your Highness.”

“They’re preparing something.”

“But what?”

I looked around the empty corridor.

At the shadows.

At the hidden corners.

“War,” I said.

“They’re waiting.”

“For what?” the guard asked.

I turned toward him slowly.

“For the right time to strike.”

⸻

Back in the command hall, the air felt different. I had to see my father. He woukd not be happy about this recent development, but he had to know. 

Because now we weren’t guessing anymore.

We were being hunted.

“Seal the lower corridors,” I ordered. “Quietly. No alarms.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I want watchers placed at every supply route. Rotate them frequently, no patterns.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And bring me the records of every new servant, worker, or guest admitted into the palace within the last month.”

The captain hesitated. “That’s a large list.”

“Then start reading.”

He nodded quickly.

I paced once the room emptied.

Norwyn spies. Inside my palace. During a crisis.

It wasn’t a mere coincidence. They had planned this. They knew something.

Or they were planning to take advantage of something.

Either way, I was already behind.

This complicates things, Taheer said.

“That’s one way to put it.”

‘Do you still think the dragon is your greatest concern?’