My gaze snapped to him instantly.
Lorik Draventh walked toward the Dragontail table where we stood, Ugo Zeyu beside him. His eyes were already on me, his face carved into that unreadable, rigid expression. The softer look he’d worn last night, the one I’d seen both in the bar and in his room, was gone, sealed behind that cold, disciplined mask he always wore.
Without having any time to react, Lorik and Ugo were suddenly standing in front of us.
“I can see you’re recovered, Solenhart,” Lorik said, his gaze locking onto mine with a look I had never seen from himbefore. It wasn’t hate… but it wasn’t kindness either. Something sharper lived there, something unreadable.
Then his eyes slid to Thalen, dismissive, as if he barely existed. Lorik’s eyes found me again and held me.
“I hope you slept long and didn’t have to sneak out of bed so early,” Lorik added.
My heart lurched.
What was he doing?
Why would he say that? Was he implying I’d slipped out of his bed? Would he tell people? Why would he put that idea in anyone’s head if that were equally bad for him as it was for me?
Ugo’s hand came into view for half a second, brushing Lorik’s arm softly, almost unnoticeably, as if trying to pull him back before he said anything worse.
“I slept… until now. The healer from Wolventon was rather sophisticated. Nothing hurts,” I said, layering lie over lie. But this time, it felt like a trade, a way to repay him for saving me. Shakari was probably right: he must have had a reason for helping a Solenhart. And keeping his healing ability quiet, an ability that would draw far too much attention to him, was the only way I had to even the scales.
Lorik Draventh’s expression softened. For a moment, he simply looked at me, confused, but grateful too.
“Thank you for saving the Princess. The crown owes you, Lorik Draventh,” Thalen said.
“Yes. Thank you,” I added, letting a thin edge of sarcasm sharpen my words. “The crown owes you my life.”
I met Lorik’s eyes directly, holding his gaze for a breath before shifting my stare to Thalen with the same quiet disdain.
Then I turned and walked out of the dining hall.
I was done with them both. I almost got killed yesterday, and I wasn’t up for games today.
Chapter 23: The Paper
“Princess Thea Solenhart and Thalen Barret: A Kiss That Stuns Elarion After Wolventon Attack”
Elarion awoke this morning to a storm of rumors after Princess Thea Solenhart and Thalen Barret shared a very public kiss in the academy dining hall, an unexpected moment that has electrified students and citizens alike.
This surprise followed a harrowing incident in Wolventon. There, the Princess was reportedly attacked by a royalist extremist. Sources close to the academy confirm she fought for her life and defeated the threat alone, drawing on her emerging Dragontail combat training. The Royal Office issued no statement. Still, witnesses say she returned to the academy shortly before dawn, exhausted but alive.
Thalen Barret, son of General Barret and long considered the most promising Sunheart bachelor, approached the Princess with visible relief upon seeing her safe. Moments later, he embraced her and pressed a kiss to her lips in full view of dozensof stunned onlookers, signaling to the public that the pair are officially reunited.
For nearly a year, the couple has been at the center of public fascination. Their previous relationship ended abruptly under circumstances neither has ever publicly addressed, leaving the island brimming with speculation. The dining-hall kiss marks the first clear sign of reconciliation, and the potential political ramifications are considerable.
Marriage between the two has long been considered a likely path, but confirmation of renewed romance has sent royal supporters into a frenzy. If Princess Thea, now proving herself a formidable Dragontail trainee were to marry an Emberkeep heir, many believe it would mark a powerful and balanced future for the throne. Fan groups across Rionis have already taken to their scrying mirrors and message boards, celebrating what they are calling “the return of the kingdom’s golden pair.”
Whether this moment marks a rekindled courtship or a fleeting spark born from fear and relief, one thing is certain: the kingdom is watching, closely.”
I flung the paper across my room the next morning. The pages skidded across the floor. The headline alone made my blood boil; the rest only fed the fire. Shakari and Soehl watched in stunned silence. Neither moved, both frozen, as if afraid a single word might set me off.
“I’m sure the queen is ecstatic,” I snapped, my words sharp as shattered glass. “The whole article is a lie. I didn’t defeat the royalist, Lorik Draventh did. My mother and her court are butchering the truth, shaping me into some heroic, queen-worthy puppet so I look fit to rule. It makes my skin crawl.”
Soehl opened her mouth, then closed it again. Even Shakari, who rarely held her tongue, stayed quiet.
“I need some air,” I said, and I left before either of them could respond. For a heartbeat, I considered going back to the Hall of Mirrors, burning the anger out of me with sunfire. But
I’d just come from drills. My magic was already stretched thin. Instead, I headed for the sky terrace. If I couldn’t blast flames, I could at least hit something.