The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 43

LIRA

The morning after the Queen’s banquet felt heavier than any before it.

I hadn’t slept much, the images of Lenora collapsing replaying in my mind like a cruel loop. Her gasp, the goblet slipping from her fingers, the way her face twisted in pain, it clung to me like a second skin. I couldn't shake it away.

When the bell summoned us to gather, I half-expected to find empty chairs, someone missing. But no, every girl arrived, though each of us wore a mask of fear and tension.

The palace itself seemed changed. Servants whispered as they passed us, their voices low, eyes darting toward shadows. The guards had doubled in number, and their boots echoed ominously through the corridors. It was as though poison still hung in the air, invisible but deadly.

We were gathered in the grand sitting room, sunlight spilling across polished floors that suddenly felt too bright, too exposed. The silence between us was thick, no chatter, no laughter. Even Elora fidgeted nervously beside me.

Saphira was the first to cut through it. Her voice sharp, as though she meant to slice through bone.

“Let’s not ignore the obvious, someone here tried to kill one of us.”

The words dropped like stones into a still pond.

Her gaze swept across us, ice cold, daring someone to flinch. “The question is, who?”

Juliette, sweet and mild, shifted in her chair, her voice hesitant. “Well, to be honest… which one of us do you think would do such a thing? I know it’s a competition, but I don’t think anyone here is capable of that."

Calista’s scoff cut through her softness like a whip. Her glare fixed on Juliette. “And do you know everyone here personally, Juliette? No, you don’t. Whoever did it is here, in this room. Envious of my progress with the Prince.”

Of course she’d turn this into another performance. Calista could make a disaster into a stage.

Vivienne leaned back, arms crossed, eyes narrowing. “Well, maybe if you weren’t so deliberate in rubbing your ‘success’ in everyone’s faces, someone wouldn’t have tried that. You were the one who rushed here to tell us about the brooch. About how much the Prince favoured you."

“Are you blaming me now?” Calista snapped, her tone rising. “It’s not my fault the Prince likes me more than the rest of you.”

I rolled my eyes, but said nothing. That was always Calista’s fallback, Cassian’s supposed ‘fondness’ for her. The fondness only her could see, but the rest of us couldn't.

“Hey, everyone,” Isla’s soft, melodic voice broke in, “let’s not twist this. We should stop pointing fingers at each other. It could have been someone who isn't here. Maybe the servants, or someone who plans to attack the crown."

Her gentle voice made her words float like music, and for a moment it worked, the air easing slightly. But Amara wasn’t one for peace.

She stretched lazily in her chair, her smile sly. “Perhaps it’s someone who feels threatened by Calista’s rising position. Someone keeping strange hours… wandering the palace late at night.”

Her eyes slid toward me.

The room went still. Every pair of eyes turned to me, some suspicious, some curious, some simply eager for drama.

Of course. It was always me.

Everyone knew I roamed the palace. The staff had excused it as harmless, "Poor Lady Lira, another sleepless night.” It had become a running joke, and eventually the girls had heard. But harmless quirks can be painted as sins in the right light.

I lifted my chin, feigning indifference. “Wandering the palace? I had no idea a walk to clear my thoughts made me a criminal.” My tone was even, laced with sarcasm. “If that’s the standard, perhaps we should question everyone who’s ever stepped into the gardens after sunset.”

Vivienne leaned forward, her eyes sharp. “It is true you’ve been keeping to yourself. We hardly see you unless it’s during challenges or breakfast. What exactly are you up to, Lira?”

Before I could speak, Elora jumped in, bless her loyal heart. “Why attack her, Vivienne? Lira’s not the only one who takes late night walks. I mean, I've caught Saphira out on a few walks. I saw her yesterday night too.”

The focus shifted in a heartbeat. All eyes cut to Saphira.

She gave a little shrug, her voice cool. “I just take walks to clear my head. Can you blame me for that?”

The hypocrisy made my lips twitch.

“I take walks to clear my head too. And I'm just trying to survive here,” I said, my voice calm but edged. “Like the rest of you. If you’re looking for a scapegoat, try someone else. I have no reason to harm Calista, or anyone else, for that matter.”

Calista, pale but still clutching her queenly composure, spoke then. Her voice trembled but carried weight. “Enough. This isn’t helping. We’re all being watched closely by the palace. If one of us is involved, they’ll be found out.”

Her declaration hushed the room, but it didn’t soothe the storm. Distrust still clung to the air like smoke.

I folded my hands in my lap, outwardly calm, inwardly seething. They could point fingers all they wanted. I knew the truth, this attack had layers, and none of these petty accusations would touch it.

Still, I couldn’t help wondering: had the poison been meant as a warning, or was it simply the first attempt of many?

And if it was the latter… who would be next?

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

CASSIAN

I lay on my back, staring at the canopy above my bed. Saphira shifted beside me, curling onto her side to face me. Her fingers traced a lazy pattern on my chest, I slowly shifted away, pulling the covers over my bare skin.

"See?" she murmured, her voice smug and satisfied. "You needed that."

I didn't answer. I just kept staring upward, the weight of my mistake settling over me like a shroud. I had let my guard down. I had compromised myself, the Dragon Queen selection, everything. And she was here, in my bed, a complication I could not afford.

"You should leave. Before anyone sees you."

Saphira smiled proudly, she stood up slowly, her naked body on display, she took her time in putting back on her robe.

"Don't worry your highness. Unlike some other girls, I know how to be discrete. No one will find out about this. Especially not with everything going on."

With that, she quietly slipped out of my room and left me regretting what had just happened.

The game had just become infinitely more dangerous, and I had handed my opponent a victory without a fight.