The noise did not die all at once. It lingered. Like echoes trapped in stone.
Long after the final cheer had faded from the arena, the castle still breathed with the memory of it. Footsteps dragged across corridors. Laughter spilled from distant chambers. Servants hurried past with lowered heads and quiet voices. Doors opened. Closed.
Then, slowly, the night began to swallow it all. One by one, torches dimmed. Voices thinned. The great halls emptied.
And the castle of King City settled into something quieter. Not peaceful. Never truly peaceful. Just restrained.
Maria stood by the window of her chamber. She had removed her armor.
The weight of it still clung to her body, though it was no longer there. Her shoulders ached faintly. Her fingers still remembered the grip of her sword.
Below, the courtyard stretched wide and silent. Guards moved like shadows along the walls. The banners that had danced wildly during the day now hung heavy and still.
For a moment, she simply breathed In and out.
The kind of quiet that comes after victory. It should have felt satisfying. But it didn't. The memory of the young prince lingered. "why does it feels like I have known him before now?"
A faint sound brushed against the air. At first, it was nothing. Just a tremor. A distant vibration that barely touched the edges of hearing.
Then it grew eeper, and heavier. A rumble that rolled across the sky.
Maria's head turned. Her eyes lifted. She and her maid ran to the window to see.
Fire burn in the sky.
And then, a shadow passed across the sky. Massive, and alive.
Maria stepped closer to the window. The night above the castle tore open as a great dragon cut through the darkness. Its wings stretched wide, blotting out the stars as it moved. The air bent around it. The very sky seemed to recoil.
Then came the fire again. A burst of flame poured from its jaws, lighting the night in a violent glow.
Orange gold. But that was not what held her. Not entirely. There was another shape beside it.
A Smaller, and faster one.
A younger dragon, its wings beating harder to keep pace. And on its back was a rider.
Maria's breath slowed. Her eyes narrowed slightly, focusing. The distance between them shrank as the dragons circled lower.
The rider leaned forward, steady, balanced with ease that did not look practiced but natural.
The same face she had seen in the arena earlier. The same face that seemed very familiar.
The same calm intensity she had seen from across the arena. The younger prince, Drexo.
High above, the larger dragon twisted in the air. Its rider laughed. The sound carried faintly through the night.
Dereek.
The dragon turned sharply and unleashed another wave of fire. The flames roared toward the smaller dragon.
Maria's fingers curled slightly against the edge of the window.
The younger dragon reacted. It veered fast, but not fast enough. The fire brushed past it.
It swallowed it. But never got burned. Dragsrians doesn't get hurt by fire.
The smaller dragon let out a sharp roar. Not of fear, but defiance.
Then it answered. A stream of fire burst from its mouth. Very thin, and short.
It flickered more than it burned. The difference was clear. Painfully clear.
High above, Dereek's laughter rang out again. "It will take your dragon years to become battle worthy!" His voice echoed across the night.
Drexo's dragon pulled back, wings beating harder. The smaller creature trembled slightly beneath him, but it did not falter.
Drexo leaned closer, his hand pressing firmly against its neck. "Just watch," his voice carried faintly. "I will train her to rain more fire than yours could ever spit."
The words hung in the air: bold, and certain. Even from this distance, Maria could feel it. The refusal to bend.
Dereek circled once more, slow, and confident. "In your dreams!"
The larger dragon surged forward again. The smaller one turned to meet it. This time, it did not hesitate.
Fire met fire. One vast and consuming. The other small, but unyielding.
Maria didn't realize when she stopped breathing. Her eyes followed every movement. Every turn. Every shift in the air. But it wasn't the dragons. Not really. It was him.
The way he sat on the creature as though he belonged there. The way he leaned into danger without flinching.
"The youngest prince is very bold and handsome." The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Behind her, Evelyn stilled. .The silence that followed felt different.
Maria did not turn immediately..Her eyes were still on the sky. On the prince. On the firelight dancing against his face.
Evelyn's voice came carefully. "This is the first time you are complimenting a man."
Maria exhaled softly. A faint smile touched her lips. "I thought you hardly noticed them."
That pulled her back. Maria turned slightly, glancing over her shoulder. There was something unreadable in her expression now.
Then she shook her head once.."This one is too beautiful to be ignored." Her gaze drifted back to the window. "To him. "He is the most charming creature on earth."
The words lingered in the air. Evelyn watched her. She didnot sound like the warrior she had known her to be. Not the champion of the arena.
But a young girl, admiring a man for the first time. There was a pause. Then Evelyn smiled.
Slow, and knowing. "That is a very dangerous thing," she said, "for a woman who is already engaged and would be getting married in a year time to say."
The words settled between them. Heavy, and unavoidable.
Maria nodded once. Small, and controlled. "Of course," she said. Her voice was steady again.
Grounded. "I belong to Robert." The name came easily, familiar. "I have sworn myself to him." Her fingers loosened from the window frame. She leaned back slightly. "I am just admiring this one."
A beat passed. Then another. Her lips curved again. Almost playful.
Evelyn saw it. Of course she did. She always did. "Say it, my lady."
Maria turned. There was a spark in her eyes now. "Say what?"
Evelyn stepped closer. Not smiling anymore. "That thing you are holding in your mind."
For a moment, Maria said nothing. Then, she smiled. Not the smile of a noble lady. Not the polite curve she offered to lords and kings.
Something sharper. "Nothing serious," she said lightly. Her gaze drifted back toward the toward the sky. Toward him.
"I was just thinking…" She paused. Just long enough. "…that if I had seen the younger prince first…" The words softened, and slower now. "…I might not have sworn myself to Robert Rendell."
The room went still. Evelyn's hands flew to her mouth. Her eyes widened. For a moment, she looked like she had forgotten how to breathe.
Maria watched her. Amused, and curious. Almost testing.
Evelyn stepped forward suddenly. Grabbing her by the head. "Come here, you slut." The words came out half-scolding, half-shocked.
Maria let out a small laugh as she allowed herself to be pulled. Then Evelyn released her just as quickly.
Stepping back. Running a hand through her own hair. "You are lucky," Evelyn said.bHer voice had changed now. Less playful. More serious. "To have Robert."
Maria's smile faded slightly. Evelyn continued. "He is a good man." Each word was deliberate.n"He adores you. He worships the ground you walk on."
Maria said nothing. Evelyn's eyes held hers. "And he is ready to kill for you."
Silence stretched. The kind that presses in.
Evelyn took a breath. "Do not betray his love," she said quietly. Then added, "…unless you want to start a war between two cousins."
The words did not rise. They did not need to.nThey landed all the same.
Maria's gaze dropped for a brief moment. Just a moment. Then she looked up again. The smile returned.
Calmer now, and steadier. "You don't have to worry yourself about that." Her voice was soft. But certain. "I am a Woodland." The words carried weight.
History. Pride. "And Woodlands…" She paused. "…don't break their oaths."
Outside, the sky burned once more. Fire streaked across the darkness. And somewhere within it, the younger prince still flew.