Chapter 2

Elenna's POV

The great hall fell silent. My mind was racing with a question. Was the emissary talking about me?

Father's voice broke the silence, rough and uncertain. "What do you mean, my lord? She's just a disgraced servant."

"His Majesty Dragon King Aurelian is looking for girls with her exact traits," he said, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. "I must take her immediately to Draconia."

The words hung in the air. The Dragon King—the ruler of all tribes, the most powerful being in the realm—wanted me? Why would he even know I existed? I was nobody—a fallen daughter stripped of status, enduring daily humiliations.

Mother let out a shocked gasp. "There must be some mistake. The king wouldn't—"

"The king does not make mistakes," the emissary cut her off coldly. "Nor does he explain his decisions to those beneath him."

Kyra leapt to her feet, her face red with fury. She stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger at me.

"This is absurd!" she shouted, her voice trembling.

The emissary's eyes narrowed, irritation crossing his features.

Kyra continued, oblivious to the way the emissary was looking at her. "She's nothing but a whore. Why would the Dragon King want such filth? She's unworthy of even serving in his kitchens!"

The emissary ordered his guard to deliver a slap to Kyra's face. The sound echoed throughout the hall.

Kyra's head snapped to the side. Tears welled in her eyes, her cheek quickly reddening. She'd never been struck like this, even when she deserved it. I had always been our family's punching bag, while Kyra remained the perfect child.

With obvious contempt, the emissary spoke clearly, "How dare you question His Majesty's decisions? You insult both the king and his property. I have every right to have you executed."

Mother moved immediately, positioning herself between Kyra and the emissary, pleading, "Please forgive my foolish child, sir! She didn't mean those words. If someone must be punished, punish me. As her mother, I'm responsible for her."

My knees ached, still kneeling on the floor. I watched Mother protectively wrap her arms around Kyra, desperate to shield her, while no one protected me.

The emissary exhaled in frustration, turning his attention to me. "You have ten minutes to gather your belongings. Just one bag, nothing more."

Ten minutes wasn't much time.

I rose shakily to my feet, avoiding the broken teacup shards. "Yes, my lord."

No one cared about my feelings. After two years of being treated like less than nothing, I shouldn't have expected anything different. Maybe it was better to go to Draconia than to stay here.

I started toward the stairs, my mind in a whirl.

Two years ago, after the "lost virtue" scandal, I'd been moved from my luxurious bedroom to the attic. It was cold there, without the good insulation of the rest of the house. Sometimes the lava heating system couldn't reach there when it rained heavily or when snow piled too high. Yet I'd still managed to make it home, placing my few possessions around my simple bed.

I needed my bag first—the one Father had given me for my birthday before everything changed. Of course, Kyra had taken it, like she had taken everything else that was mine. But I knew where she hid it.

I slipped into her room, moving quietly. The air was thick with perfume, the bed piled with silk and furs. I found my leather satchel at the bottom of her chest, under her winter cloaks. It was mine again.

What did I need to take? The list was short, with just a change of clothes. Two years as a servant had taught me to live with next to nothing.

As I walked toward the ladder leading to my attic room, I couldn't help wondering what awaited me in Draconia. Would I be a servant there too? Or something worse? The Dragon King's reputation for cruelty preceded him—stories of enemies burned alive, of servants who displeased him fed to the beasts.

When I pushed open the trapdoor to my room, I froze.

"Solan, what are you doing here?"

Solan stood beside my narrow bed, his broad shoulders hunched, his expression troubled. The small space made him look even larger than he was, a bear in a rabbit's burrow.

"Elenna," he whispered, stepping toward me.

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice. Despite everything, the sight of him still stirred feelings I thought I'd buried long ago.

"Pack what you can't live without right now," he said, his voice urgent. "We can leave before anyone notices. I know a place in the mountains where they'll never find us."

I blinked, certain I'd misheard him. "What did you mean?"

"Run away with me. We don't have much time left!"

"But... why?" I asked, my heart racing.

"I never wanted to marry Kyra." His blue eyes were earnest, pleading. "I've been delaying the wedding for two years. In two weeks, I'll be officially named Bear Tribe leader. Then I can choose my own mate." He took a step closer. "It's you I want, Elenna. It's always been you. I've been waiting until I had the power to make you my mate properly."

My breath caught in my throat. Two years of silence, of passing each other in hallways with downcast eyes, of pretending we were strangers—and now this?

"But you haven't spoken more than ten words to me in two years," I whispered, my voice shaking.

"I couldn't risk approaching you before," he said, guilt in his eyes. "My father threatened to disown me if I defied the tribal leaders. But once I'm leader, no one can challenge my choice of mate."

I stared at him, trying to make sense of it all. No matter what tribe you come from, the mate bond is sacred—breaking it means pain for both body and soul. Solan had once turned down his fated mate for our engagement, and two years ago, he broke things off with me and chose Kyra instead.

I always thought he, like his family, saw me as tainted. But now I realized it was never truly his choice—he just couldn't go against his family's orders. He let everyone believe he wanted Kyra, just to keep his place as heir.

If what he said was true, he'd been pretending all these years, letting everyone believe he wanted Kyra, only to change everything once he was formally confirmed as Bear Tribe leader.

"Solan, I—"

"Your mate?" Kyra burst into my room, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Are you mad? She belongs to the Dragon King now. Do you understand what that means? No one defies King Aurelian—not even a Bear Tribe leader."

I stumbled back a step, panic rising. Had Kyra heard everything?