As I glanced at the Queen, our eyes locked for a fleeting, agonizing second before she snapped her gaze away. My chest tightened as if gripped by an icy hand, but I forced my expression to remain a mask of calm.
"Alana and…?" the Dragon King prompted. His voice was a deep, velvet rumble commanding and smooth, yet laced with a sharp, predatory curiosity. A faint, knowing smile played on his lips.
"Justin, my lord," I said, sinking into a deep, formal bow. I kept my back straight and my voice steady, betraying none of the turmoil churning within.
"Oh… and I see you and Alana are engaged, as she so colorfully informed Darius," the Dragon King added. He began rubbing his hands together; the numerous rings on his fingers clicked and scraped with a metallic screech that set my teeth on edge.
Just like a loyal hound, Darius must have reported everything to the King, I thought. I was thankful Alicia had given me that crash course on the dragon hierarchy last week. If my memory served, Darius was the third strongest Dragon ,Knight commander of the "Black Dragons" the elite guard tasked with protecting the Lord and his son, Volta.
"Yes, my lord. I am engaged to Justin," Alana interjected smoothly, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness as she claimed my identity for her own ends.
"Yes, my lord," I added, playing along. I subtly pulled her closer, feeling the warmth of her shoulder against mine. "We are… quite fond of each other." The words felt like ash in my mouth bitter and hollow.
Thinking about it, I'm only fourteen and already drowning in these lethal political waters. Wait, how old is Alana? A sudden chill ran down my spine as that realization hit me.
Alana's eyes widened slightly at my unexpected initiative, but she didn't pull away. My pulse quickened as I realized how strange this felt; it was the first time I'd ever held someone of the opposite gender this close. More than that, I realized I had grown.
Only days ago, she had been taller than menow, the dynamic had shifted. I was looking down at her.
We followed the Princess through the labyrinthine halls, the polished marble reflecting the flickering torchlight like a dark mirror. The air was a heavy mix of ancient incense and cold stone.
We reached the tea room, a space of oppressive elegance. Alana pulled out a chair for me and sat beside me, immediately reclaiming my arm and casting a disgraceful, triumphant stare toward Darius.
"The Dragon Knights are willing to cooperate with the Demon Knights," Darius stated, slamming his palm onto the table.
"And as decreed by the previous Lord, General Yuza follows orders only from the Valerius family."
Demon Knights? General Yuza? My mind raced. Why was such sensitive military information being discussed right in front of me?
"Yes, Darius, you are correct," Alana said, finally releasing my arm to lean forward, her hands flat on the table. "The General follows my orders alone, as I am the last of the Valerius bloodline." She gritted her teeth, her voice trembling with suppressed rage.
"Once again, Alana, I urge you to consider the marriage proposal to Darius," the Dragon Lord said, suddenly standing. His shadow loomed large over the table.
Why the desperation? Why force her into this? "Well, my lord, I must kindly reject the offer once more," she replied, her grin sharp enough to draw blood.
I had to hand it to her; the girl had guts to throw a rejection back into the King's face like that
"I see," the Dragon Lord responded, slowly lowering himself back into his seat, his eyes narrowing.
"I would consider it, but as the Lord can see, I am already spoken for," she added, sliding her hand back onto my arm and gripping me with a firm, possessive strength.
Darius slammed the table so hard the tea service rattled. He surged to his feet, his chair clattering to the floor behind him, and stormed out of the room.
Alana turned to me with a smile that made my stomach twist in a deeply unsettled way.
Shortly after, three new figures entered the room. General Yuza arrived first, clad in battle-worn armor with a sword still stained with dry blood, looking as if he had just stepped off a massacre.
Behind him was Maniva, second-in-command of the Dragon Knights; she wore a long black dress split high to the thigh, her fiery red hair matching eyes that seemed to burn. She gave me a slow, deliberate wink.
Finally, there was Connan the strategist a short man with emerald-green eyes and blonde hair, clutching a mountain of scrolls.
The leaders spoke in calculated tones about a "United Nation," their voices full of pride, but the tension in the room was palpable.
Night fell swiftly, and dinner passed in a blur of forced etiquette and masked threats. The Dragon King insisted we stay the night, assigning Alana and me to a single room.
"Since you are engaged," he had said with a tilt of his head.
Once inside the room, the silence was heavy.
"Justin, I'm going to take a bath. No peeking," Alana called out, wrapped in a white towel as she headed for the steaming bathroom.
"Yeah, yeah. I have way more important things to do than look at your… attractive body," I muttered, feigning interest in the moonlit window.
THWACK.
A soft but heavy impact hit the back of my head. I spun around to find Alana, her face flushed crimson with a mix of fury and embarrassment.
"What was that for?!" I shouted.
"That's for… for looking at me and saying those things!" she stammered, trying to maintain her composure while clearly flustered.
"I was being sarcastic, you dummy," I sighed, pacing the room to clear my head.
She let out a shaky breath, her voice softening in a way that caught me off guard. "That's… not nice, Justin. I guess I'm just as mean as I… I actually like you."
My heart skipped a beat. "What did you say?"
"Nothing!" she barked, slamming the bathroom door shut.
Women are weird, I thought with a dry chuckle. But the humor faded quickly. It was time.
"Hey, before you go, I've got something to ask," I said, my tone turning deadly serious.
The bathroom door cracked open slightly. "The Lord wants you to marry Darius so they can seize control of the Demon Knights, right?"
Her expression turned ice-cold. "Yes, Justin. That is the reality of it."
"So you only agreed to my 'proposal' because I seemed weak and easy to manipulate?" I asked, falling back onto the bed.
"That was the plan initially," she admitted, turning to look at me, hands on her waist.
"But finding out it was all a stupid bet with your friends? That actually pissed me off."
"Nice way to dodge the question," I grinned, closing my eyes.
"But... I can tell you're not as weak-willed as your friends," she added, her back now to me.
"It's weird how quickly you've figured me out," I said, sitting upright. "But don't believe everything you see. My advice? Watch your back. Those dragons will stop at nothing to get their hands on your knights." I walked toward the dressing room on the opposite side. "Have a nice bath."
I saw her hesitate, my words clearly striking a nerve. She gripped her chest, then disappeared into the bathroom.
I lay on the bed, feigning sleep until I heard her emerge and climb into the bed. I waited until her breathing leveled out.
Silently, I rose. A soft, crimson glow surrounded me the manifestation of an anti-gravity spell. It was different from the white light I had used during the entrance exams; this hue felt more like me.
I floated toward the window and, with a silent wave of my hand, a magical seal unlocked the latch. I slipped out into the night.
I moved along the castle exterior, window by window, searching for a specific room.
Finally, I found it: the Princess's chambers. I unlocked the window from the outside and slipped in. Princess Calamity lay asleep, looking serene and defenseless. As she stirred, I quickly placed a hand over her mouth.
"I'm going to let go… don't make a sound, understand?" I whispered firmly. I slowly withdrew my hand.
"Umm… Justin? Can I help you?" she asked, clutching her blanket to her chest. I quickly averted my eyes as I realized she was bare beneath the silk.
"I don't want anything," I said, steadying my racing heart. "I just want to talk, sister… or should I say, half-sister?"
The room was still, the air charged with the scent of her perfume and the weight of a decade of secrets. Tonight, the truth would finally come to light.