“Very good, Prince Cyran. Today we will…”

  I sighed, glancing over to the window as my tutor droned on. It was some nobleman who had been brought in to be my tutor, but I didn’t care to remember his name. I had expected to be taught Naeran history, or at the very least, the customs of the empire I was now meant to serve as a prince. Instead, my lessons had been focused almost entirely on the surrounding kingdoms—their rulers, their politics, their strengths and weaknesses.

  I shifted in my seat, resting my chin in my hand as Valaine’s laughter carried in the room despite the closed window. Her and Tritetia were no doubt playing again, and I felt a twinge of irritation at being stuck in this room while they ran free through the palace gardens. It had only been a few weeks since my adoption, but already my time was being consumed by lessons and formalities. It was all information I wanted to learn, but I hated not being free to investigate the Marquess or Yssac.

  “Prince Cyran,” my tutor said sharply, his voice cutting through my thoughts. “Are you listening?”

  I forced my eyes back to him, not bothering to change my expression. Thanks to my hearing, I would remember everything anyway. “Yes, sir.”

  He gave me a look that suggested he didn’t believe me but continued anyway, tapping his fingers against the heavy book in front of him. “As I was saying, the Sovereign of the Tides holds full control over the Isles, though the title itself does not pass through bloodline. They are believed to be the earthly representative of Aehorus, the sea god amd are elected from among the nobility to serve until death,”

  I hummed, tapping my fingers against the wooden desk. “So what about Princess Tritetia?”

  “Princess Tritetia is unique,” The tutor paused, his lips pressing into a thin line as he considered my question. “As an Aehorusian seer, she has a different role to fulfill.”

  I frowned slightly, feigning mild curiosity as I straightened in my seat. “Different how?”

  The tutor glanced down at his book, flipping through a few pages before continuing, his tone shifting into something more rehearsed. “Seers are rarely born but heavily valued throughout the land, not just on the isles. Once she comes of age, she’ll be given her own temple in a location of her choice and there she will stay for the rest of her life. All the nations will begin enticing her to have a temple there, but where she goes is up to her.”

  I nodded, considering his words as I listened to the girls outside the window. It explained why she was allowed to play with Valaine instead of being forced into lessons like me; she was never going to inherit her mother’s title, even if the Sovereign title was passed on through blood. They likely wanted her to have an outgoing and carefree childhood before she was bound to a temple for the rest of her life. It also explained why she was being presented as a girl; based on how the tutor spoke, male seers were not a thing.

  I leaned back slightly in my chair, staring down at the open book in front of me, though I wasn’t really reading the words. If the truth were to be revealed, that the new seer was a boy. the entire foundation of her role would collapse. It seemed I had stumbled on a more powerful secret than I realized and I allowed myself a slight smile. Even if Tritetia didn’t know the full truth now, she would learn it as we got older, and if she tried to abandon me, I could easily hold the guillotine over her head.

  “So, who is Aehorus?”

  “Aehorus, the God of the Sea, is one of the oldest sea beasts that lives around the Isles. He rarely shows himself, since he causes earthquakes when he moves, but he is revered by the people of the isles for his magic and size,” I answered calmly, not even bothering to look up to see the annoyed look on my tutor’s face. “When will I learn about Naera?”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “I told you before, Prince Cyran, those are lessons that I do not have the knowledge to teach,” the man sighed, as if he were growing tired of me constantly asking about it. “Your lessons on Naeran history will come directly from the Emperor and Empress when you are of age.”

  I frowned, not trying to hide my disappointment. I wasn’t eager to be alone with the Emperor or Empress, especially given how the Empress had reacted to me, but I also wanted to learn more about dragons. I wasn’t even allowed into the Imperial Library yet, although Isadora promised I would gain full access on my twelfth birthday.

  A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts, and I turned just as it opened, revealing Caspian standing in the entryway. His expression was unreadable as always, but his presence alone was enough to send my tutor scrambling to his feet in a hurried bow.

  “Your Highness,” the tutor greeted, his voice tight with the nerves of a man who knew his position depended on favor. “How may I be of service?”

  Caspian barely acknowledged him, his eyes flicking to me instead. “The lesson is over.”

  My tutor stiffened, clearly displeased at being dismissed so unceremoniously, but he swallowed his pride and nodded. “Of course, Your Highness. Prince Cyran, we will continue later.”

  I gave him a polite nod as I stood, carefully closing my book before following Caspian out of the study. He didn’t say anything as he led me through the halls, his pace steady but unhurried. I took the time to observe him, as I often did when we were alone. Caspian was not an absent father, but he was certainly a distant one. He made no effort to spend time with me outside of escorting me and my mother around, yet he was never cruel or dismissive. He was respectful, thoughtful at times, but it was clear he wasn’t sure what to make of me.

  “Where are we going?” I asked innocently, but Caspian didn’t miss a step. He often waited until the end of my lessons to escort me back to my mother, so I couldn’t help but be curious why he had ended the lesson early.

  “A guest,” he answered simply. “They requested to see you.”

  I frowned slightly but didn’t ask more. If Caspian wasn’t telling me outright, then it was either because he wanted me to form my own conclusions or he didn’t really know either. Both made me uncomfortable, but I kept my expression neutral as we made our way through the palace halls. I had been in the palace for a few weeks now, and aside from Isadora, Caspian, and the Emperor and Empress, no one of true importance had shown an interest in me yet. The nobility whispered, of course—speculated on my origins, on Isadora’s choice to adopt me—but none had dared to approach.

  I studied Caspian’s back as we walked, trying to decipher anything from his posture, but he remained as unreadable as ever. It was almost funny; he was the man who had killed me in my past life, and now he was my adoptive father. I had every reason to hate him, and yet, out of everyone in this palace, he was the one I understood the least. Caspian was a man who measured his steps carefully, but it was obvious it was a lesson he learned, not one he preferred.

  When we reached the drawing room, Caspian finally slowed, his posture shifting ever so slightly. It wasn’t visible to the untrained eye, but I caught the way his hand hovered a fraction of an inch away from the hilt of his sword. A quiet precaution, subtle yet telling. Whoever was inside was not a typical guest and as soon as he opened the door, chaos unfolded.

  I ripped the earmuff from my head, grabbing the two daggers out of the air as they were thrown at me. In the next moment, Caspian has his sword fully drawn, pointed at the guest in the room, blocking my view of the occupants. I heard Isadora’s gasp as she stood, the distinct sound of shoes scraping against the marble floor.

  "Was that necessary?" she demanded, her voice sharp with irritation.

  Caspian remained unmoving, his blade still raised, but I could see the slight shift in his grip—he wasn’t attacking, only warning. The air in the room had changed, thick with an almost tangible weight, something that made the hair on my arms rise in warning. I tightened my fingers around the daggers, feeling the cool weight of the steel settle in my palm.

  Whoever the guest was didn’t speak, but I heard as they shifted on the couch, and Caspian tightened his grip before slowly lowering his sword. Even I could see the reluctance in his movements and he slowly turned, holding out his hand for the daggers that had been thrown at me. I handed them over, leaning around him to see who was in the room with us.

  As soon as our eyes met, I felt my heart stop.

  Her hair was a deep shade of blue, like a deep hue that hung in the sky at sunset and her jade-green eyes remained locked on mine. The circlet on her head was unlike anything I had ever scene, but it was not her appearance that made my breath hitch—it was the unmistakable pressure that surrounded her, a presence that felt far too familiar.

  She was a dragon.