The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 14

LIRA

“A lie?!” Lady Lenora gasped.

“What kind of lie?” Calista pressed, her eyes gleaming with interest.

Saphira leaned in, smiling like she had just won something. I didn’t like that smile. It was too smug, too rehearsed.

“Well,” she said, lowering her voice, “you all know Lady Cassandra was married before, yes? The only reason she was allowed to enter the Queen’s Selection was because her parents swore the marriage was never consummated. They even brought in a private physician to examine her and confirm it.”

My stomach tightened. Where was this going?

“But,” Saphira continued, her smile turning sharp, “I heard that was all a lie. Her husband didn’t die a few hours after the wedding like they claimed. He died the next morning. Which means the marriage was consummated. And they covered it up. Their housekeeper happens to be my handmaiden's aunt. I overheard them talking about it."

Gasps echoed through the room. Every girl was trying to hide her shock behind a fan or a hand, but I could see it eyes wide, lips parted, thoughts racing.

They were all thinking the same thing I was: this information could change everything.

Calista didn’t speak right away. She just blinked, and I could almost hear the gears in her head turning.

No doubt she was already planning how fast she could get this message to her father. Her father would find a way to use the information in their favour. Lord Gareth would certainly not waste time in confronting the Queen about this.

I knew the look too well, because I was thinking the same thing. So were half the girls in the room.

“So,” Lenora asked quietly, “does that mean she’s not a virgin?”

Saphira gave a small nod. “That’s exactly what it means.”

Another round of gasps.

It was a requirement. Every girl here had to be chaste. It was one of the Queen’s strictest rules.

No exceptions.

I sat back slightly, arms folded across my chest.

My mind wasn’t reeling like the others'. It was calculating.

Fast. If Cassandra did lie, if her family had covered it up, that was a scandal big enough to end her chances here.

Maybe even exile her for lying to the crown.

But what mattered most was what we did with that knowledge.

I looked around the room, watching each face carefully.

Calista’s expression was unreadable now.

Cold. Strategic.

Vivienne was still trying to hide her shock, her brows furrowed as if she couldn’t believe it.

Lenora looked pale, like the news had shaken something in her.

But none of them were innocent at this moment. Not even me.

We all knew this changed things.

The game had shifted. The real competition had begun.

Cassandra had played too boldly. She flirted too openly, drew too much attention. She thought she was ahead of the rest, but now she wasn't.

And whether or not it was true… the girls were going to use the information.

Cassandra Evernight had just painted a target on her back.

........................

PRINCE CASSIAN

The weight of the day pressed down on me like a suffocating cloak as I reclined in my private chambers.

Every damn hour had been another performance to watch, another forced conversation, another simpering smile from one of the noble girls vying for my hand. A week of this torture, and I was already exhausted.

The palace, once my sanctuary, had become a gilded cage where I couldn't even walk the halls without some eager lady finding a way to corner me.

I dragged a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. The fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows across the room, but its warmth did nothing to ease the restless energy coiled inside me.

Then, a knock.

I stilled, irritation flaring. If this was another subject with some trivial matter, or worse, one of the girls who "accidentally" lost her way to her chambers...

I yanked the door open, and my breath caught.

*Lady Cassandra Evernight.*

She stood there, draped in a silk gown so thin it might as well have been smoke.

The firelight behind me caught in the dark fabric, revealing the silhouette of her body beneath, every curve, every dip.

No undergarments. Nothing but smooth, bare skin hidden only by the whisper of silk. I wondered how she had walked past the guards and everyone else wearing something so bold and daring.

It was a huge risk.

My pulse kicked hard.

"You," I murmured, unable to stop the slow grin spreading across my face.

Her lips curved, those dark eyes gleaming with mischief. "Who would refuse the invitation of a prince?"

Before I could respond, she stepped past me, the scent of jasmine and something darker, more intoxicating, trailing in her wake. The door clicked shut behind her, sealing us in.

I poured wine with steady hands, though my blood was anything but calm. When I turned, she had positioned herself near the fire, the glow painting her in gold and shadow. The gown clung to her like a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination.

The swell of her breasts, the narrow dip of her waist, the flare of her hips....

"Gods."

I forced my gaze up before I lost control entirely and handed her the glass.

"To bold moves," she said, raising it.

I clinked mine against hers, my voice rough. "And dangerous games."

We drank, the silence between us thick with tension. Her lips, stained red from the wine, parted as she exhaled. I couldn't look away.

"You're not like the others," I said, stepping closer.

She tilted her head, defiance and desire warring in her gaze.

"No," she whispered.

"I'm not. I'm better than them. I don't play children's games, Your Highness."

A challenge. A promise.

I closed the distance between us in one stride, my hand cupping her cheek. Her skin was warm and soft. She didn't flinch or pull away, just held my gaze, her breath hitching as my thumb brushed her lower lip.

I didn't ask. Didn't hesitate.

My mouth crashed onto hers, and she met me with equal hunger, her fingers tangling in my hair. The wineglass slipped from her grasp, shattering on the floor, but neither of us cared. The taste of her was intoxicating, sweet wine and something darker, something *hers.*

Her hands slid down my chest, nails scraping through the fabric of my shirt. I groaned, gripping her waist, pulling her flush against me. The thin silk was no barrier, I could feel every inch of her, the heat of her skin, the way her body arched into mine.

"Cassian," she breathed against my lips, and the sound of my name in that voice sent a bolt of pure need straight through me.

I backed her toward the bed, my hands roaming, claiming. The gown slipped from one shoulder, baring smooth, pale skin. I dragged my lips down her throat, nipping at the delicate curve, relishing the way her breath hitched.

"You"

"You're playing a dangerous game," I growled, my fingers tightening on her hips.

She laughed, low and breathless, her nails digging into my shoulders.

"Then punish me for it, your Highness."

*Fuck.*