The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 41

CASSIAN

I entered the grand hall later than planned, I had journeyed a very long way to ensure that I made it to my mother's banquet. And I right on time to watch every noble in Aurelia turn their head toward me. The Queen had insisted I join the banquet, it was her birthday, after all, but I rarely enjoyed these things.

My mother was going to briefly have dinner with the girls in the private dining hall they were in and I intended to make a quick and short appearance before heading back to the main hall.

“Your Highness,” several nobles greeted as I passed, bowing low.

I nodded, offering little more than a polite smile, and finally reached the private dining hall at the far end of the palace. I took my seat near the Queen’s right hand. Mother looked radiant tonight, crimson silk and gold embroidery catching the candlelight, her presence filling the table more than any jewels could.

The girls looked shocked to see me, with some of them already whispering, but I didn't spare any of them a glance. Not yet.

The food came in waves, roasted pheasant, spiced venison, candied figs, but I barely touched it. My eyes lingered on the girls, studying them. Calista sat straighter than the rest, practically glowing, her performance still the talk of the room, unfortunately I had missed it. She had a way of absorbing attention, of letting it stick to her like wax on flame.

Saphira passed me a smile, she looked demure and coy in a dark blue dress, it suited her complexion. I nodded briefly in her direction. That seemed to make her blush even more, her rosy cheeks red with colour.

Lira, though, she sat quieter, further down the table, dressed in bright blue dress I hadn’t seen her wear before. She looked different. Her dark brown hair was piled on top of her head, the curls perfectly framing her small face. Her amber eyes looked golden in the light. Her long elegant neck was adorned with jewels. Not gaudy, not vying for attention. Just… beautiful. But it suited her.

I lifted my goblet, pretending to sip, and leaned back. That’s when I noticed it.

A servant moved to Calista’s side, tray balanced expertly, but his hand hesitated, barely a flicker, before placing a goblet before her. A hesitation most wouldn’t have seen. But I did.

Something in me tightened.

“Lady Calista, a toast to your brilliance,” Lenora said suddenly, her voice pitched sweetly as she reached for the goblet before Calista could touch it.

I opened my mouth to stop her, to tell her it wasn't her wine, but it was too late. Lenora lifted it, murmured some sort of blessing, and took a sip.

Her gasp cut through the music like a blade.

The goblet clattered onto the table, staining the cloth crimson. Lenora’s hands clawed at her throat, her eyes bulging with panic before she crumpled forward.

Chaos. Pure chaos. The girls screaming, chairs scraping, servants scattering.

I slammed my goblet down. “Physician! Now!” I barked, rushing to her side.

The Queen rose, her voice sharp enough to silence the hall. “Guards! Seal the doors! No one leaves this hall until we have answers.”

I eased Lenora back, her breath ragged and shallow. Her lips were turning pale. The stench of something bitter clung to the goblet. Poison.

The court physician came running, already clutching a satchel of vials. He dropped to his knees, checking her pulse. “Fast-acting poison. I’ll need to test the residue, but she won’t last long if we don’t draw it out.”

“Do it,” I ordered.

The Queen’s gaze swept the room like a storm. “Search everyone. Servants, the girls, even the kitchen if you must. I will not suffer a snake in my house.”

Guards sprang into action, corralling the servants first. The young man who’d served the goblet trembled violently, his face white as marble. “I swear, I don’t know what happened! I only served the tray given to me!”

“Then you’ll explain in the dungeons,” a guard growled, dragging him away.

Behind me, the girls huddled together, pale faces and wide eyes. Juliette whispered, too loudly, “Who would do such a thing?”

Calista, however, sat frozen, her hand pressed to her mouth. “That drink…” she whispered, voice trembling. “That drink was for me.”

I straightened slowly. “What did you say?”

She lifted her gaze, shimmering with fear. “Lenora took my goblet. It wasn’t hers, it was mine. Whoever poisoned it meant for me to drink it.”

The words carried, silencing even my mother. Murmurs rose like a tide, speculation and suspicion rippling across the table.

“Your Highness,” Calista said, turning to me, her voice unsteady. “I fear for my life. Someone in this palace, someone wants me dead.”

I studied her carefully. The trembling, the widened eyes… she was shaken, yes, but not broken. Not like Lenora, who still fought for breath in the physician’s hands.

“You’re certain?” I asked, my tone flat.

“I am,” she whispered. “Your fondness for me has made me a target.”

My jaw clenched. Fondness? She was still delusional. I looked away, toward the Queen, who was already speaking with the guards in hushed tones.

“Take her,” I told the guards at last. “She’ll be safer away from the hall.”

“But.." Calista began.

“Rest, Calista,” I cut her off, not unkindly but firmly. “We’ll handle this.”

Her lips pressed into a trembling smile as she curtsied, though I saw the flicker of disappointment in her eyes when I offered no more comfort. She wanted more, words of protection, promises of devotion. But tonight, she would not have them.

When she left, I turned to the Queen. “Whoever this was, they had access to the trays. This wasn’t random.”

She nodded. “And it was meant for Calista."

I looked again at the Selection girls. Amara clutched her goblet tightly, her knuckles white. Vivienne muttered prayers under her breath. And Lira, Lira sat still as stone, her eyes narrowed not in fear, but in thought. She was watching. Always watching.

Evander entered then, slipping past the guards with that careless confidence of his. His eyes darted to Lira immediately, concern etched across his face. “Are you alright?” he asked her quietly.

She nodded. “I’m fine.” But her gaze shifted to Calista’s empty seat. “Lenora wasn’t the target.”

I caught the exchange, the quiet certainty in her tone. The worry in my brother's eyes. And I wondered if there was more between them than I thought.

The Queen’s voice cut through again. “No one leaves until this matter is settled. Let it be known, this treachery will not go unpunished.”

The nobles murmured, the Selection girls whispered among themselves, but I stood in silence, my hand tightening around the hilt of my blade.

I had to find out who did this.