The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 125

CASSIAN 

I left the infirmary with Amara’s screams still echoing in my ears, but this time, they were sharper, laced with something far more dangerous than pain.

She had given me more than I expected.

Far more.

⸻

The physician barely glanced at me as I entered Amara’s chamber again.

“My prince,” he said with a bow. “She is awake, but…” 

“I know,” I cut in, my voice low. “Leave us.”

He hesitated, then nodded and slipped out quietly, closing the door behind him.

The room fell into a tense silence.

Amara lay propped up against the pillows, her face pale, her lips dry. But her eyes, her eyes burned with fury.

Not fear.

Not weakness.

Fury.

“You came back,” she rasped.

“I told you I would,” I replied, stepping closer to her bedside.

Her gaze flicked to the bandages wrapped around her arm. Even covered, I could see the damage. The stiffness. The unnatural way she held it.

“She ruined me,” Amara said bitterly.

I didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, I pulled a chair closer and sat.

“Tell me everything,” I said.

Her eyes snapped back to mine.

“I already did.”

“No,” I said calmly. “You told the instructors. Now you’re telling me.”

She studied me for a moment.

Measuring.

Deciding.

Then she leaned forward slightly, wincing as she moved.

“It wasn’t an accident,” she said. “You know that.”

“I do.”

“She meant to burn me.”

“I believe you.”

That seemed to surprise her.

Her brows lifted slightly.

“…You do?”

“Yes.”

She let out a short, humorless laugh.

“Good. At least someone in this palace isn’t blind.”

“Start from the beginning,” I said. 

“Everything. No omissions.”

Amara exhaled slowly, then began.

“Calista approached me weeks ago,” she said. “Before the poison. Before the fights.”

My jaw tightened.

“Go on.”

“She told me she could ensure I made it to the dragon trials. That she had… influence.” Amara’s lips curled. “Which, clearly, she does.”

“What did she ask for in return?”

Amara met my gaze.

“My unwavering loyalty.”

I said nothing.

“And help,” she continued. “She had… targets. And my powers allowed me to watch them without being seen. I was her spy… in  a way.” 

A cold feeling settled in my chest.

“Who?”

“You know who,” she said bluntly. “The girls who stood in her way.”

My fingers curled against my knee.

“Lady Lira,” I said.

Amara nodded.

“And others,” she added. 

My pulse slowed dangerously.

“And what did you do?”

“I watched,” Amara admitted. “Listened. Reported things back to her.”

“What kind of things?”

“Where the girls went. Who they spoke to. When they were alone.”

A sharp, ugly anger flared in my chest.

“And the poisoning? Did you have anything to do with that?” I asked.

Amara hesitated.

“I didn’t poison Lenora or Lira,” she said quickly. “I know Calista might have a hand in it…. But I don’t have anything to do with it”

“So you don’t know if she had anything to do with that? Interesting.” 

“She promised me a place in the trials,” Amara snapped. “Do you know what that means? Do you know what I could have had?”

“And now?”

Her expression darkened.

“Now I have this.”

She gestured weakly to her arm.

Silence stretched between us.

“She burned Lira too,” Amara added suddenly.

My head snapped up.

“When?”

“During their match,” she said. “You didn’t hear?”

“No.”

“She grazed her. Lira was smart enough to duck at the right time.”

A dangerous stillness settled over me.

“And you’re certain she doesn’t have a hand in the poisoning?” I asked.

Amara let out a bitter laugh.

“I’ve been watching her for weeks, Your Highness. I know exactly what she’s capable of. But I don’t have proof.” 

I leaned back slowly.

“She’s claiming it was an accident.”

Amara’s eyes flared.

“That’s a lie.”

“I know.”

“She’s lying to all of you,” Amara continued, her voice rising. “She lies and smiles and everyone believes her. But she’s unstable. Dangerous.”

I said nothing.

“She should never be queen,” Amara finished, her voice shaking with fury.

The room fell silent again.

After a moment, I stood.

“I will look into this,” I said.

“Look into it?” she repeated incredulously. “That’s all?”

“For now.”

“That’s not enough,” she snapped. “She needs to be punished.”

“I said I will handle it,” I replied, my tone sharper now.

Amara held my gaze.

Searching.

“Will you really?” she asked quietly.

I didn’t answer that.

Instead, I turned and walked toward the door.

“Your Highness,” she called after me.

I paused.

“If you don’t stop her,” she said, “she’ll do much worse.”

I didn’t turn back.

“I know.”

___________________

The corridors felt colder as I moved through them.

Heavier.

Every word Amara had said echoed in my mind, intertwining with everything I already suspected.

Everything I already knew.

I found Vivienne first.

She was in one of the smaller sitting rooms, speaking quietly with a servant.

She rose immediately when she saw me.

“Your Highness.”

“I need a word.”

The servant was dismissed, and the door closed.

Vivienne folded her hands in front of her.

“This is about Amara, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

She exhaled softly.

“It was not an accident.”

“I gathered as much.”

“She went too far this time,” Vivienne said. “Even for her.”

“Even?” I repeated.

Vivienne hesitated.

Then… 

“She has been… intense. These past few weeks,” she admitted carefully.

I nodded once.

“Thank you.”

Next was Evadne.

She was less composed.

“Calista burned her,” Evadne said immediately, before I could even ask. “Everyone saw it. She would have gone on.” 

“Did she provoke her?”

Evadne frowned.

“Well… yes. They were fighting, yes, but… that was deliberate.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

No hesitation.

No doubt.

And then,  Elora.

She was the last.

The most reluctant.

But also the most honest.

“She did it,” Elora said quietly. “And she’s done other things too.”

“Like what?”

Elora hesitated.

I waited.

“She doesn’t like Lira,” she said finally. “Not at all.” 

My jaw tightened.

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” Elora admitted. “But it’s more than rivalry. It feels like she’s out for blood.” 

I didn’t need her to say more.

I already knew.

—————————-

By the time I reached Lira’s corridor, my mind was a storm.

The guard straightened as I approached.

“Your highness.”

“Take a break,” I said. 

He hesitated only a moment before stepping aside.

I moved toward the door.

Raised my hand to knock, and froze.

I could hear talking to someone. Or something. 

Without thinking, I pushed the door open.

The room came into view.

Lira stood near the bed.

And in front of her… 

A small white dragon hatchling.

For a moment, the world stopped.

I had seen dragons before.

Grown ones.

Massive. Powerful. Terrifying.

But this, was different.

This was… new.

Impossible.

Lira turned sharply, her eyes widening in horror.

“Cassian…” 

The hatchling froze.

Then darted, it scrambled under the bed, disappearing into shadow.

Silence crashed over the room.

I stepped inside slowly.

Then reached back, and closed the door.

Lira was staring at me like she’d been caught standing at the edge of a cliff.

“I can explain…” she began.

“Can you?” I interrupted quietly.

My gaze moved to the bed.

To the place the dragon had vanished.

Then back to her.

“A dragon,” I said.

My voice sounded strange to my own ears.

“In your room.”

She swallowed.

“It’s not…” 

“Not what it looks like?” I finished.

She said nothing.

My eyes dropped to her arm. The burn mark was red. 

“Come here,” I said.

She hesitated.

“Lira.”

Slowly, she stepped closer.

I reached for her arm gently, pushing her sleeve back.

The sight of the burn sent a sharp flare of anger through me.

“Calista did this,” I said.

It wasn’t a question.

Lira nodded.

“Yes.”

My jaw tightened.

I let her arm go slowly.

Then looked back at her.

At her face.

At the fear in her eyes.

At the secrets she kept stacking between us.

“Enough,” I said quietly.

She stilled.

“No more lies,” I continued. “No more half-truths.”

I took a step closer.

“You have a dragon in your room,” I said. “A hatchling that should not exist here.”

Another step.

“You’ve been hiding things from me since the beginning.”

Another.

“And I am done guessing.”

I stopped right in front of her.

Close enough to see the way her breath hitched.

Close enough to feel the tension radiating off her.

“Tell me the truth, Lira.”

My voice dropped.

Soft.

Dangerous.

“How did you come to have that dragon?”