The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 54

LIRA

The bad thing about being questioned twice is that it opened you to the wrong attention.

Breakfast in the grand dining hall was always an exercise in endurance, but that morning, it felt like a full battlefield.

I had barely stepped through the doors before the whispers rose like a stormfront.

“I heard they questioned her twice,” Calista murmured loudly to Amara, making no effort whatsoever to be subtle.

Amara leaned in, eyes bright with ugly curiosity. “Obviously she did something. Why else would the queen demand it? Maybe she really did have something to do with it.”

They wanted me to bite. They wanted me to break.

I didn’t give them the satisfaction.

I picked up a plate, ignored the stares prickling my skin, and sat at the far end of the table. The clinking of silverware barely covered the hissed speculation that followed.

“Poison is such a cowardly method.”

“What do you expect? It's not like she had a real chance anyways.” Calista said as she laughed.

“She’s always sneaking around at night, I knew something was up with her." Juliet added.

“That’s enough suspicion on its own.” Saphira finally said.

I kept my gaze on my food. If they expected me to defend myself, they would be disappointed.

Eventually, their attention span waned, as it always did and the conversation shifted in a more favorable direction: themselves.

“With Lenora withdrawing,” Amara said happily, “we essentially have one less competitor this week.”

“No elimination too,” Calista sighed dreamily. “Thank the gods. I didn’t practice my lessons for today’s assessment at all.”

“None of us did,” another girl added, I think her name was Isla. “But no matter. At least we won’t be sent home.”

They continued chattering, relieved, relaxed, already discussing what their next lesson would be. If the Crown Prince would be in attendance.

I finished my breakfast silently and rose when the attendants signaled it was time to move toward the small hall for lessons.

We had barely crossed the threshold into the corridor when the instructor approached me.

“Lady Lira,” she said crisply, folding her hands behind her back, “an attendant from your grandfather, Lord Eaton Vale, has arrived with urgent news. You are to meet him immediately.”

My heartbeat thudded once, sharp and hard.

Lord Eaton Vale?

Urgent news?

My heart skipped a beat at first, I wondered if my secret was out already. But then I remembered my brother's letter.

Callum?

Or something worse?

I kept my expression smooth and nodded. “Of course. Where is he waiting?”

“In the small common room in the outer palace. A guard will escort you there. You are to spend no less than ten minutes."

If I was being escorted, someone was going to be listening in on our conversations then. The crown tried as much as possible to limit our conversations with the outside world to prevent cheating. But people like Calista still found ways to pass information to her father.

Whatever Callum and I said needed to be buried under layers of code. Fortunately, we had discussed it, even practiced for a moment like this.

The walk felt slow and suffocating, but eventually we reached the small common room, sparsely furnished, dimly lit, and blissfully empty except for the single guard stationed inside.

Relief washed through me when I saw him, but I stayed neutral.

Callum stood with his back to the door, dressed in the dark forest-green of the Vale house, the heavy cloak of a senior retainer draped across his shoulders. He looked older. And formal. Last I saw of him, he was in his farm boy clothes.

But his eyes gave him away instantly when he turned.

My brother. We shared the same look. The same dark curly hair our mother had given us. The same light coloured eyes. The same smile, except he had dimples while I had none. Two sides of the same coin. If the guard looked at us more closely, he would have figured out that we were somehow related.

I swallowed the instinct to smile.

“Lady Lira,” Callum greeted with a small bow, calculated, respectful, exactly what a high-ranking attendant should do in front of a guard. “It is good to see you.”

I inclined my head. “You too. I pray all is well?”

“Your grandfather has been very concerned about your wellbeing,” he replied, voice polite, measured.

“We haven't heard much news,” Callum continued smoothly, "so your grandfather suggested I check in on you personally."

I folded my hands, playing my part. “I appreciate your concern.”

The guard stepped back slightly, giving us a semblance of privacy but never fully relaxing. Good. He’d hear every word, but he would understand none of them.

Callum’s gaze flickered toward me.

The signal.

Talk normally, but listen for the meaning beneath the surface.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice just a fraction. “I’m managing. Palace life has been… enlightening.”

“That is good to hear,” Callum said. “And your studies? Your lessons? How are you progressing with them?"

Translation: Any progress in finding who killed our father?

I nodded carefully. “They’re ongoing. Some areas are more difficult than others. I am trying my best."

"So you're doing well then?" He asked.

"I'm having a difficult time adjusting to palace life. The Crown and everything. But I'm trying my best." I answered as lightly as I could.

Callum’s jaw tightened. Just barely, but I caught it. “Then perhaps you should consider approaching things differently.”

I blinked once, the faintest warning. “Differently?”

He clasped his hands behind his back, adopting a lecturing tone that suited his disguise. “Your grandfather always said that when a conventional proves fruitless, a more unconventional method can yield results. There are other methods to get to the finish line, as long as you don't forget your main objective."

Yes. Destroy the Crown. That was our main objective.

I kept my expression neutral. “That… might be true.”

The guard yawned quietly.

Callum stepped closer, lowering his voice to something entirely appropriate for a dutiful retainer and entirely meaningful for a brother. “I worry for you. This environment is… dangerous.”

Did he heart something now? I wondered. Or did news of my questioning go far beyond the palace walls?

I nodded, feeling a faint tremor run through my hands. I clasped them tightly. “I’ll be cautious.”

“Good.” His tone softened infinitesimally. “Because until you find what you’re searching for, caution is all that protects you.”

"Don't get carried away. Or forget what you came here for." He added and I nodded slowly.

"I won't"

My stomach tightened.

“Is my Grandfather well?” I asked aloud.

“He sends his regards, he worries for you too." Callum replied.

"Thank you. Please give him all my love.”

“I will.”

He stepped back, posture straightening. The guard perked up slightly, sensing the conversation was ending.

“It has been an honor to speak with you, Lady Lira,” Callum said with a bow. “If you need anything, please send word.”

“I appreciate your visit,” I replied gracefully, though my heart clenched. “Travel safely.”

Callum nodded once more, then turned and exited the room, the guard following him out.