The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 49

CASSIAN

I had been heading back toward my chambers after a long, miserable afternoon of meetings when I heard voices echoing from the far end of the corridor. Soft, hurried, and tense.

I recognized Elora’s voice first, gentle, but strained.

"Where exactly are you going Lira?"

Lira shrugged.

"Just for a walk. That's all."

“…Lira, please just listen to me. Everyone is on edge. If you keep wandering off like this, someone will accuse you of something you didn’t do.”

Then Lira’s voice, low and frayed around the edges. “But I’m not doing anything wrong, I told you I'm just talking a walk."

I slowed my pace, letting the shadowed archway hide me, and watched them unnoticed.

Lira stood with her back half-turned, her shoulders too rigid, the muscles along her neck tight like she was barely holding herself upright. Elora faced her, arms folded, not in anger but worry.

“All the time??" Elora whispered urgently. “The servants talk. The other girls talk. Someone already pointed at you yesterday.”

Lira scoffed. “Let me guess, Amara?”

Elora ignored that. “If you keep disappearing, they will assume the worst. Especially after… after Lenora.”

A beat of silence.

Lira flinched at Lenora’s name. Not visibly, but enough that I caught it.

“And if they think you’re responsible,” Elora continued softly, “you know what they'll try and do.”

Lira looked away, jaw working. “I don’t care what they think. It's not like they like me anyways."

“Yes, you do,” Elora pressed. “You’re not as alone as you pretend to be. Some of us actually care about you.”

Lira’s throat bobbed. She said nothing.

I stepped closer, quiet enough that neither noticed.

“Just promise me,” Elora said, grabbing Lira’s hands, “please, at least act like you’re not sneaking around suspiciously. Stop wandering around, stay in your room tonight. Don’t disappear. Don’t...”

But Lira pulled her hands back suddenly, as though Elora’s touch had burned her. She swayed.

Actually swayed.

Her eyes unfocused. One hand flew to her temple as if she’d been struck.

I didn’t hesitate.

“Lira?” I said sharply, stepping forward. “What’s happening?”

Both women jumped at the sound of my voice.

Lira staggered backward, nearly collapsing, but I caught her just in time, arms around her shoulders as she slumped against me.

“Easy, steady,” I murmured, lowering her carefully.

Her breath came shallow and rapid. Sweat dotted her brow. Her pupils were blown wide.

Elora rushed to her other side. “She needs the infirmary...”

“No,” Lira gasped, pushing weakly at my chest. “No infirmary.”

“Lira,” I said, more sternly, “you’re barely standing. You need a healer.”

“No.” Her fingers curled in the fabric of my sleeve. “I get like this before… before a powerful vision. It’s normal. Bed rest fixes it.”

Elora blinked at her. “A vision?”

Lira nodded miserably. “Everything gets overwhelmed. It passes.”

“You’re burning up,” I said, touching her forehead. “This doesn’t look normal.”

“It is normal for me,” she insisted, voice trembling. “Just… please. Don’t drag me to the infirmary. I'll be fine."

She looked at me then, really looked, and I saw the desperation. The fear. The exhaustion she always tried to hide.

I sighed. “Fine. But I’m carrying you. You’re in no condition to walk.”

She didn’t argue.

I scooped her up easily, she didn't weigh much, and she tensed in surprise, fingers gripping the front of my tunic. Her cheek brushed my shoulder, hot against my skin. Elora followed anxiously as I carried Lira through the corridor towards her chamber.

Her breathing steadied the longer I held her. She didn’t speak again until we reached her room.

Once inside, I set her gently on the bed. She sagged back against the pillows with a small, pained sigh.

Elora hurried to arrange the blanket over her. “Lira, are you sure this is just from visions?”

“Yes,” Lira whispered. “It’s always like this. It’ll pass.”

Her voice was frayed, thin as parchment.

I crouched beside the bed. “If anything worsens, Elora come to me immediately.”

Elora nodded fiercely. “I’ll stay with her.”

“Cassian…” Lira rasped, eyes half-open. “Thank you.”

I brushed a stray strand of hair from her face before I caught myself. “Just rest.”

I stepped away before I did something foolish, like touch her again.

When I left the room, my pulse had not yet returned to normal.

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

I was halfway to my own chambers, thoughts tangled between Lira’s strange collapse and the poisoning investigation, when the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind me.

“Your Highness!”

Saphira.

I swallowed a groan. “Lady Saphira, it’s late.”

She rushed up to me anyway, eyes glossy, breathless. “I-I had to speak with you.”

I stiffened. “About?”

She wrung her hands dramatically. “I haven't seen you in a while. I was worried about you. I missed you. I couldn’t sleep. I..."

“Saphira,” I interrupted gently but firmly, “you should be in your chambers. The guards are doubling patrols. They won't like that you're roaming about."

“But I was worried about you,” she whispered, edging closer. “I heard you've been so busy trying to find the killer. It just made me so scared for your safety. I haven't been sleeping well too."

Her voice trembled. For a moment, I thought she might cry.

“I can have the guards escort you to the infirmary. They will find something for your sleepless night ,” I offered. “Then you should return to your room.”

She shook her head.

"No, but I was wondering if maybe we could go to your chambers. I'd feel a lot better in there, maybe after a glass of wine..."

She stepped toward me with a look I instantly recognized.

“Cassian…” she breathed. “Could I… stay? Just for the night?"

“No,” I said sharply.

She froze.

Before I could leave, she shamelessly grabbed my face and tried to kiss me.

I pulled away immediately.

“Saphira. Enough.”

Her lips parted, shocked. “I thought...after that night, that it meant something!”

“That night was a mistake,” I said coldly. “I deeply regret it. You caught me at a weak moment. It won’t happen again.”

Her expression twisted.

“A mistake?” she repeated, voice cracking with hurt. “You think I’m the mistake?”

“That is not what I said..."

“It doesn’t matter,” she spat bitterly. “Because I can tell everyone what happened. I can ruin the whole dragon Queen selection. I can..."

“You can try,” I cut in, stepping closer, lowering my voice to ice. “But it won’t change anything. And it will not make me choose you.”

She flinched.

“Saphira,” I continued, steadier but no softer, “ You will not threaten me.”

Tears filled her eyes, hot, furious. “You’ll regret this.”

“Go back to your room.”