The first year of Seraphina's reign was the hardest.
Being a queen, she discovered, was nothing like the stories her grandmother had told her. There were no glittering balls and handsome princes—only endless petitions, disputes over land and water rights, and the constant balancing act of keeping the noble families from each other's throats.
But she learned. Every day, she learned something new—about diplomacy, about economics, about the thousand small decisions that kept a kingdom running. And through it all, Kestrel was at her side, offering advice, support, and occasionally a well-timed jest to lighten her mood.
Pyre, too, proved invaluable. The dragon's centuries of experience gave her insights into situations that no human advisor could provide, and her presence at court sessions often kept the more troublesome nobles on their best behavior.
"You're doing well," Kestrel told her one evening, finding her in her study surrounded by documents. "Better than you know."
"I feel like I'm drowning."
"That's normal. Every ruler feels that way in the beginning." He sat beside her, taking her hand. "But look at what you've accomplished. The treasury is recovering. The roads are being repaired. The Dragon Academy is accepting new students for the first time in decades."
"All things that were already in motion before I took the throne."
"And you kept them moving. You didn't break what was working, and you fixed what wasn't." He squeezed her hand. "That's more than many rulers manage in a lifetime."
She leaned into him, letting herself draw comfort from his presence. "I miss it sometimes. The simplicity. Washing fish in the river, not having the fate of a kingdom on my shoulders."
"I know. But would you go back? If you could?"
She thought about it—really thought about it. The quiet life she had left behind, the grandmother who had raised her, the village that had never quite accepted her.
"No," she said finally. "I wouldn't. This life is harder than I ever imagined, but it's mine. I earned it."
"And you'll continue to earn it. Every day for the rest of your life." He smiled. "But you won't have to do it alone."
She kissed him, soft and sweet, and for a moment, the weight of the crown didn't feel so heavy.
Through the bond, she felt Pyre's contentment—a warm, steady presence that had become as natural as breathing.
You have a council meeting in an hour, the dragon reminded her. And after that, a petition from the eastern provinces about a disputed well.
I know, Seraphina responded. But right now, I'm here.
Right now, you're here, Pyre agreed. And that's exactly where you should be.
The months continued to pass. Spring turned to summer, summer to autumn, autumn to winter. The kingdom prospered under Seraphina's rule, and slowly, the people who had once doubted her began to see her as she truly was—not a fisherman's daughter playing at queen, but a leader who had earned her place through sacrifice and strength.
And through it all, she never forgot what she had learned in that first year.
That ruling wasn't about power or privilege.
It was about service.
And she would serve her people until her last breath.