by R. C. Reigh
I looked around for my shin guards but, as usual, my room looked like it had just been tossed by a horde of mountain goblins. I’m sure father would not approve of me leaving it like this, but I didn’t have the time or desire to fix the mess before I left.
After finding the rest of my armor half protruding from under my bed, I gave up on packing. I could always send for whatever I needed.
As I waded through the mess back to my duffel, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. A mess of shaggy ink-black hair fell into my greenish-grey eyes. With my free hand, I tried to smooth my crazy bedhead down at the top, but the strands just sprang back up in retaliation. Father was right, I probably should have gotten it cut like he had demanded, but, whatever.
I spelled a portal beneath me and prepared to jump in. My father had made up some sort of crazy rule about materialization being strictly forbidden in front of the other kingdoms. It still blew my mind that they didn’t understand how to do it, but we Dragon shifters were secretive creatures by nature. I guess it made sense to keep our magic close to the vest when the other kingdoms probably had their own magical capabilities we didn’t know about yet, either.
I jumped through the portal and free-fell until my feet touched the soft grass in the woods outside of the Academy’s main gates. I was far enough away that I hadn’t been seen, so all I needed to do now was pass through the Bastion entrance and then I could fly up.
As I approached, the guards parted and opened the massive iron gates for me. They must have picked up on who I was because they each bowed their heads to me in respect of my title.
I unfurled my wings and thrust my duffle up over my head onto my shoulders, then tightened the strap across my chest. I spread my wings wide as I burst through the entrance and into the air. It felt good to get a decent fly in. I highly doubted the halls would be built to allow it indoors.
The aerial view of the grounds was impressive. There were giant lakes, bountiful gardens, vast woodlands, and various structures that were all enclosed within the massive outer stone walls, which stretched on for miles.
Inside of the complex, four larger buildings, which I could only assume were competitive spaces, sat apart from the rest, boxing in the main building of the Bastion. At each of the eight corners of the giant octagon-shaped academy were two turrets that my brothers had explained to me where the housing for the different kingdoms and teachers. There were several other buildings flanking it on either side. I wasn’t sure what they were used for, but a few of them looked like they could be temples.
I soared a few extra circles above it to take it all in before starting my descent toward the entrance to the school.
When I reached the steps of the main building, I landed and folded my wings again. Since I’d no longer be needing them, they burst into smoke and dissipated.
As I reached for the door, I had to admit it was a little exciting, but still mostly a drag.
Once inside, I made my way to the registration office, following the signs to check-in. There were three other newbies in front of me, and at least one of them appeared to be Carpathian, so I hung back and respectfully waited. It was common knowledge that dragons and wolves didn’t mix.
We were both considered superior species amongst the other inhabitants of Vaalbara and most shifters, Carpathian or Dragonian alike, seemed to agree with that, but I didn’t. Sure, we could shift into entirely different creatures at whim, which I would admit was pretty cool, but both our races had our own list of flaws, as well. The first being that we were made up of entirely too much testosterone for our own good.
When the Carpathian boy took notice of me at the back of the line, he straightened up and squared his shoulders. The hint of a snarl formed at his lips, which reminded me that both conceit and egotism were fairly high on that flaw list, as well.
Ignoring the curmudgeonly wolf altogether, I allowed my eyes to drift around the waiting area and down toward the dining hall.
My focus locked onto movement inside the lunch area. After a few rapid blinks, I found myself gawking. As I shifted for a better view, I involuntarily scraped my teeth over my lip. Who the hell was that?
I watched her from a distance. Her long dark hair was like waves in the night sky as it tumbled down to her tiny waist. The hypnotic sway of her hips as she walked accentuated the seductive curves of her body. I hadn’t even seen her face yet, and I knew she was a goddess among men. My mouth had dropped a bit, and I nearly whistled as I let out a long, slow exhale.
Damn. I guess this school was going to be a hell of a lot better than I had thought.
Kessara
“Have I made myself clear?” I narrowed my eyes at the Fae pinned against the wall of the empty classroom by my magic, her feet dangled and lips trembled as she nodded. “Don’t test me,” I warned before a shuffle of noise outside of the classroom distracted me.
Someone was coming. I needed to hurry up. I allowed the Fae to her feet.
“You won’t remember anything about our conversation other than that you have two days. Wait three minutes, and then you may leave.” I glared at her one last time before I turned toward the door.
I knew better than to try to use too much magic here. It would draw attention from the teachers, but at this point my patience had been worn thin. This had been her second and final warning, and I could only hope whoever had passed in the corridor hadn't felt the heavy magic I had used on her.
As I stepped into the hallway, I noticed a boy leaning against the wall a few paces outside of the classroom. When I walked past, he moved to follow me down the hall. I could feel his eyes upon me. This was nothing new, but there was something that made me pivot. He looked at me like a little lost hound.
Oh, how cute. It looks like I’ve caught the fancy of a little dragonling.
He was at that awkward in-between-a-boy-and-a-man phase, not unlike most of the primus and secondus year boys. I was mature for my age, and it made the difference all the more apparent.
I flashed a smile and continued on, but when I could hear his footsteps still following me, I whirled around.
“Enjoying the view?” I snarked and abruptly took a step backward. He was closer than I thought, bringing the pleasant scent of smoke and sandalwood into perception.
“Sure, but you already knew that.” His voice was a bit more soothingly masculine than I had been expecting, prompting me to give him a once-over again.
Other than possessing an adorable baby face, his appearance was a bit gangly overall. Still, with his dark hair and striking green eyes, he would probably turn out to be quite good looking someday.
He held out his hand.
“I’m Prince Roarke of Dragonia. I’m afraid I am behind on introduc tions, being a year primus and all.”
Great, a first-year dragon prince.
“Well, Prince Roarke, it’s nice to meet you.” I extended the formality of my handshake to him. I didn’t bother to introduce myself and, apparently, my reputation preceded me because he didn’t ask me to, either. He simply took my hand in his before turning it on its sides and kissing the top of my fingers lightly.
“The pleasure is all mine.” He winked, and his stormy green eyes sparkled beneath a mess of dark tousled hair.
The last bell of the day rang and students began to flood the halls.
After a slight bow of his head in farewell, the boy promptly turned and walked away. Eyebrows still raised, I stood there as I watched him disappear into the sea of other students.
What an odd little dragonling.
Cora
"So, you and Amelia had a chance to chat last night." I side-eyed Dane from the arena bench.
His head immediately swiveled toward me.
"You were explicit that discussing the princess was off the table. Is this a test?" He quirked up an eyebrow at me in suspicion.
“I brought it up,” I shrugged, still keeping my gaze on Ivan and Ellis sparring before us, “and I’m probably going to regret this but. . . let
’s hear it.”
Dane’s features lit up like I’d just told him he had won a legion of dragons to command.
“Amelia didn’t tell you what she had wanted to discuss with me?" He seemed unsure, as if he thought discussing their conversation may be considered a betrayal of some kind.
"She did, but I’m asking for your side of it." I trained my gaze on him.
He nodded before turning his attention back toward his friends. His face went stoic, and his voice took on a tone that was entirely too formal.
“The princess simply wanted to express her regrets for the incident. I, in turn, apologized for kissing her.” As much as he tried not to show his emotion, the tips of his ears still flushed red.
“Amelia mentioned that she was grateful that you and I are partnering because you are happy with the arrangement.”I could see his composure was starting to falter and when he turned to look at me, there was a hint of disappointment behind his eyes. “That about sums it up," he finished.
"Hmm, yeah, thanks for the most boring play-by-play I’ve ever heard. Now, how about we get to the part where you level with me. I’m sure you have more to say about the two of you." I said bending over to pull my canteen from my satchel. He sighed heavily.
"What would you like to know?" His composure was guarded as he buckled the strap on one of his leather arm cuffs.
"Well, for starters, why didn’t you take her up on her offer to end the betrothal?" I studied his face for hints of the feelings he would probably never tell me willingly.
"It’s what’s best for our kingdoms," he deflected, turning his attention back toward watching Ivan and Ellis practice.
I frowned.
"Is that your father's answer, or yours?" I stared him down the same way that always made Amelia crack under pressure.
He turned to me once again. His teeth dragged across his lower lip, and by the way his foot was tapping, I could tell he wanted to open up. I couldn’t blame him for being nervous about confiding in me. I was Amelia’s through and through, but over the short time we had been working together we had developed a fast friendship. I truly wasn’t out to be malicious. He let out a long breath before he finally broke and the flood gates opened.
"I want it to work between Amelia and I. I want to be with her and make her happy. I want her to want to be with me.” The lines in his face as he spoke conveyed hints of just how distraught he was deep down.
I believed him. Wait, was he actually crushing on her? I couldn’t stop my eyebrows from flying up to my hairline.
“Huh. Then, maybe you should try treating her like a person instead of a possession,” I suggested in my usual sorry-not-sorry tone.
His lips parted and a crevice formed between his brows.
“I didn’t realize I wasn't.” His expression turned somewhat confused.
Ugh, wolves. . .
“Really? How would you feel if someone came in ordering you around like they owned you?” I deadpanned.
“I’d go off,” he admitted as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“My point exactly,” I chimed.
“I realize that, but the question now is how do I fix it?” he asked. As he turned to me, I could see the hints of desperation in his honey eyes.
“Well, you could just let her go,” I offered hesitantly, knowing he probably wouldn’t like my reply, but it was time for answers, and I was going to force him to give them to me.
His shoulders tensed, and he immediately began shaking his head.
“I mean, it’s not like you’re not still young enough to meet the perfect queen for you,” I added.
“It’s not an option.” Dane’s reply was clipped.
“Why, because your father wants you to be miserable for some reason?” I pressed.
“It’s my choice, not my father’s, alright?” His eyes met mine, and to my surprise, I could tell he was speaking in earnest, but that only left me with more questions than answers.
“You know what? I’m not buying that. There has got to be some reason you keep this up,” I pried, fully aware that I was teetering on that fine line that would agitate the wolf side of him.
“We are Fated.” The words snuck past his lips like an arrow slipping through a window and straight into its target.
I sucked in a breath, and his eyes went wide at the shock of his admission.
“Whoa.” I was pretty sure my jaw was gaping. This was huge news. “Well, that explains a lot,” I finally managed to spit out. After a few random blinks, I added, “Are you sure? Are you going to tell her?”
He nervously twirled the shin guard he hadn’t put on yet in his hands. There was a sadness in his eyes I was certain he’d been holding back for quite some time. I’d never seen a werewolf look so vulnerable. He really loved her. If he was telling me it was the truth, which I believed he was, then I was a complete idiot for helping Amelia in her quest to ditch him.
“No, and I beg of you not to either. I don’t want it to be like that. I want her to be with me willingly and of her own choice, not just because it has already been decided for her by fate. I don’t want her to go through it all over again, you know?"
I knew exactly what he meant. Amelia had spent her entire life being told she didn’t have a choice in who she could love. Finding out she was Fated would be like telling her she would never be able to decide for herself all over again, and she'd fight it all the more.
"You’re certain? I mean, it’s supposed to be really rare. How can you even be sure?" I scrunched up my nose as I peppered him with questions.
"Absolutely certain. It's not something that could be mistaken." He looked down at his sword and chuckled, "It’s like I was just floating along in this great big world revolving around the sun, then there she was and my trajectory changed. All of a sudden, I’m circling her, instead. She’s my sun.”
And she hated him. If that wasn’t the most heartbreaking thing I had ever heard.
“I don’t know much about Fating, Dane, but in the stories it always goes both ways. Amelia has been really against it,” I pointed out, feeling rather guilty for doing so.
He let out a humorless laugh.
“I don’t have the answers, either. I never asked for this, and yet," he closed his eyes and smiled before continuing, "I would give anything to be with her. To be the guy to make her laugh and smile, to be the one to make her happy."
Damn, I truly believed he meant it. Gods, this was complicated.
“Can I tell you another secret I’ve been dying to get off my chest?” He let his head fall back, and he stared at the ceiling.
“Sure,” I replied, hoping I wasn’t going to regret saying yes.
“I hate the marriage aspect of our treaty.” A bite of anger laced his words. “I wish my father had never made it. Amelia and I could have just come together naturally, without all this other crap. We could have enjoyed falling in love without any expectations. I don’t even know if it is possible for one’s Fated mate to fall out of love. I didn’t think it could happen, but after everything, now I don’t know. I don’t know how to connect with her, or if it’s even possible. It's not like you and me. You and I can connect on a level I will never have with her, as warriors. I don’t know how to do that with her. I wish my father had never made that deal.”
Scornful and frustrated, he took a deep swig out of his canteen. I really felt bad for him. If only Amelia could see this side of him, maybe they could actually be happy together.
“Well, I’m sure he was just looking out for you. What if King Simmion had promised her off to someone else, or if she married before you ever got the chance to find one another? That would have been a huge mess. I know this is gonna sound awful, but it’s not like the two of you are dead. You have until her graduation, nearly three years to prove you’re not a complete jerk. Those odds are in your favor if you can stop being one long enough for her to notice.” I made a playful face as I tilted my hand back and forth.
His lips hooked up in a
smile and he chuckled before he turned those honey-colored eyes to meet mine.
“And how is it that you are still single, Lady Coranithe of Avonlee? No one live up to your expectations?" His voice was gentle.
“No, I’ve had an interest here and there, but managing the drama between you and Amelia has thoroughly turned me off relationships,” I gasped as I held my hand up near my open mouth, feigning a scandalized look. Someone had to lighten up the heavy mood we’d found ourselves in.
“Great, now I’ve ruined both of your lives,” he said, shaking his head, but the grin that played on his lips was a sure sign he knew I was just giving him a hard time.
“No, you didn’t. In all seriousness, I haven’t been looking. I have things I want to accomplish for myself first.” I shrugged. For me, a love life was definitely not a priority.
“Smart and beautiful? You’ll make some man very lucky one day,” he replied, giving me a genuine compliment.
I nodded and rose to my feet.
“Yeah, well, right now, how about we show those two Lorenian boys just how unlucky they are to have challenged us?” I shot him a mischievous wink.
They didn’t stand a chance, and we both knew it. He grinned, grabbing my water canteen from the bench and handing it to me.
“To victory!” He raised his canteen toward me, and together we toasted to victory.
Kessara
It was getting late when my eyes fixed on a willowy human leaving the classroom alone. His gaze was focused downward on the book in his hands as he turned and headed toward where I lay in wait.
Over the weekend, I had paid a visit to my father. It had been a much-needed reprieve from the mundane day to day life at the Bastion. During my visit, my father had tasked me with a special assignment pertaining to a certain Alstare lord he needed crucial information on. The boy that was now unknowingly making his way toward me was the son of that said lord.
I watched him with a hint of curiosity. I wasn’t sure of whether he had landed himself in detention or was receiving extra tutoring from Professor Braintree, but it gave me the perfect opportunity to corner him without interruption.
