Meanwhile, on the night Maria arrived, Drexo sat alone in his chamber.
The fire had been burning for days. Not the soft kind meant for comfort, but something stronger, hotter. The flames curled and snapped around the two dragon eggs resting within, their surfaces glowing faintly under the heat. He had not moved them far. Not really. Only enough to check, and to hope.
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, his eyes fixed on them. Waiting for something.
Anything.
After a while, he reached in and pulled one out carefully, holding it between both hands. The heat pressed into his skin, but he didn't flinch. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused on it, as though listening for something buried deep inside.
Then he spoke. "Asta darki Colos."
The words rolled off his tongue slowly, carrying a weight older than the room itself. The ancient Jupiter tongue, a language that was never meant to be spoken lightly.
He opened his eyes, but nothing happened. The egg remained still. No crack. No shift. Not even the smallest sign of life.
Drexo exhaled sharply, the breath leaving him heavier than before. "Come on," he muttered under his breath. "I need you to hatch."
He turned the egg slightly in his hand, as if that alone might change something.."You cannot just remain like stones."
But the silence held. Unmoved.
Frustration crept in, slow but certain. He dropped the egg back into the fire, not roughly, but without the care he had shown moments ago. The second followed soon after.
"It has been three weeks," he said, his voice tightening, "and you are not showing any sign of life."
The fire crackled in response. Nothing else did.
Eventually, he pushed himself up and walked to the bed. He lay down, one arm resting over his eyes, staring into the darkness behind it.
But sleep did not come. It couldn't. Not with her in his thoughts.
Maria.
The image of her refused to leave. The way she had walked into the throne room, the way she had looked at him without fear, the way everything had shifted the moment she spoke.
He turned slightly on the bed. Then again. And after a while, he gave up.
With a quiet breath, he stood up and reached for a dark hooded robe, pulling it over himself until his face was shadowed. The disguise was simple, but enough.
He moved toward the door. Carefully, and silently. He slipped out of the castle unnoticed.
Elsewhere, Maria felt it too. That same restlessness. It didn't sit still. It didn't allow her to remain inside the walls that had been given to her. After a while, she stepped out, her feet carrying her without hesitation toward the forest beyond the castle grounds.
The night air was cool. Still. But not empty. She walked deeper in, past the edges where light faded and shadows took over. It wasn't planned. Not exactly.
But it wasn't random either. She stopped. And waited. A voice broke through the quiet. "Were you expecting me?"
Maria turned sharply.
There he was. Drexo stood between the trees, the dark hood still covering part of his face. Slowly, he lifted it off, revealing himself fully.
For a moment, neither of them moved..The silence stretched. Their eyes met, and held. And then, without words, the distance between them disappeared.
Their lips met. It wasn't hesitant. It wasn't careful. It was immediate. Familiar. Like something that had been waiting too long to happen again. The kind of closeness that didn't need explanation.
They held onto each other, the tension from everything else slipping away, even if only for a moment.
Time passed, though neither of them seemed to notice how much.
When it finally slowed, they lay back against the dry leaves, the quiet of the forest settling around them again. "I have missed you," Drexo said.
Maria smiled faintly. "Same here." The words were simple. But they carried more than that.
Another silence followed, softer this time. Drexo shifted slightly, staring up at the dark sky above them. "My dragons," he began, then paused. "They have refused to hatch."
Maria turned her head toward him. "I need to learn sword fighting," he added.
She raised herself slightly on one elbow, studying him. "Good," she said. "Then you should find one of the trainers and begin immediately."
Her tone sharpened just a little. "War might come at any moment. We need a leader who can swing a sword, not one who hides in his room."
For a second, he looked at her. Then they both laughed. Short, sharp, and real.
But it didn't last long..Drexo's gaze returned to her, more focused now. "I want you to train me," he said.
Maria tilted her head slightly.
"Not anyone else."
She smiled, but shook her head.."I only train maiden warriors."
Drexo frowned, the expression almost immediate. "Do I need to wear gowns before you agree?"
That earned another small shake of her head.
"Men and women fight differently," she said..But he didn't back down.."I want to fight like you," he replied. "If that makes me a woman, then I will gladly be one."
There was no humor in his voice now. Only determination.
Maria watched him for a moment longer, searching his face as though trying to measure something deeper than his words.
Then she nodded.."Alright," she said. "But do not blame me when people mock you."
Drexo didn't hesitate. "I won't." they stayed there a while longer, speaking little, letting the quiet settle around them again. The kind of quiet that didn't feel empty.
But time moved. It always did. Before dawn, they rose and made their way back, each slipping into the castle through different paths, unseen, unnoticed.
By morning, Cliffland had already begun to shift.
The maiden warriors gathered early, their movements precise as they began their training. The sound of feet against ground, of practice blades cutting through air, filled the space steadily.
More women joined. Some were curious. Some were determined.
Maria stood at the front, guiding them, correcting stances, adjusting grips. Her voice carried clearly, firm but controlled.
Then Drexo arrived. The moment he stepped into the training ground, the rhythm broke slightly.
The girls glanced at one another. Confusion passed between them. Then a few laughs slipped out.
Quiet at first. Then louder. But Drexo didn't react. He stepped forward and joined them.
Took position. And followed every instruction given. The laughter faded. Not completely. But enough. Because he did not stop.
By evening, the air had changed again. A raven cut across the sky and descended toward the castle, its wings beating fast as it landed near Helen.
She caught it quickly. Removed the note, and read.
Her expression shifted almost instantly. Without delay, she turned and made her way to Maria.
Maria took the note. Her eyes moved across it once. Then again. She exhaled sharply. No hesitation.
She turned and walked straight toward the Warden's Castle.
Inside, Havana, Fabio, and the other lords were already gathered, their voices low as they discussed matters that now felt smaller than what was coming.
Maria stepped in. All eyes turned. She bowed slightly. "My lady," she said. "We have a big problem."
The room stilled. "What is it, Lady Woodland?" Havana asked.
Maria lifted her head. "I just received a message from my loyalists in the North," she said. "Robert is planning to attack Cliffland in two days."
The shift was immediate. The air tightened. "An attack," Havana murmured, almost to herself. "We are not ready."
Her gaze moved across the room, calculating. "I did not expect it to come this soon."
Maria nodded. "We may not be ready," she said. "But the war will not wait for us to be."
Her voice steadied. "We have to do what we can now."
Fabio stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "He was not planning to attack so soon," he snapped.
Then he turned to her.."This is happening because of you." The words hit cleanly. "If you had not run from your wedding," he continued, "we would have had more time to gain allies."
Maria bowed her head slightly. "I am sorry, my lord." The apology was real. But it did not linger.
She lifted her gaze again. "We have two days," she said. Her voice was clear. "We can either spend it casting blame, or preparing for the war that is coming."