Masuk"Again." The man standing in the center of the war room swallowed hard. "Your Majesty, I've already delivered everything I know."Roland leaned back in his chair and tapped a finger against the wooden armrest. "Then tell it again."The spy exchanged nervous glances with the guards before continuing. "The reports remain unchanged. Pandora is alive and still residing in Scorish. Astria publicly revealed herself months ago, and the people have accepted Pandora as her rider."Roland's eyes remained fixed on the map spread across the massive table. Every border, village, mountain pass, and trade route had been marked in ink. Small wooden pieces represented armies, supply routes, and scouting positions.Most kings used maps to protect their kingdoms. Roland used them to conquer others. "The dragon?" he asked.The spy nodded. "Every report confirms it. Astria has bonded with her."A smile appeared on Roland's face. The reaction surprised several people in the room. The messenger had expecte
"I don't care what they're calling me."I shoved my sword back into its sheath and grabbed the water flask beside the training fence. The morning sun hung low above the training grounds, and every muscle in my body ached from hours of practice.The soldier standing nearby scratched the back of his neck. "You should hear them when you aren't around."I sighed. "Trust me, I don't want to."A few of the soldiers laughed, but the man looked completely serious. "I'm telling the truth, Princess. Half the kingdom already calls you the Dragon Queen."That title again. Ever since the discovery at the shrine and everything that followed, it seemed impossible to escape those words. No matter where I went, whispers followed me. Dragon Queen. The girl chosen by Astria. The girl from the legends. The girl who might save Scorish. I hated how heavy it felt."I don't need a title," I muttered.The soldier smiled. "Maybe not. Doesn't mean people won't give you one."Before I could answer, a familiar vo
"Pandora... Roland's army isn't preparing anymore. They're marching."Astria's words stayed with me long after we left the balcony. I barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those distant shapes moving across the moonlit sky. Dragons. Real dragons. Not one or two, but enough to make Astria worry.That alone was enough to terrify me. By sunrise, the palace was already awake. Messengers moved through the corridors carrying reports while soldiers gathered in the courtyards below. The tension from the previous day had only grown stronger. Everyone knew something was coming. Nobody knew exactly when.I found Astria waiting for me near the dragon grounds. She looked restless..Several dragons were gathered nearby, but none of them seemed comfortable. They shifted their wings, paced the field, and exchanged low growls with one another."They can feel it too, can't they?" I asked.Astria lowered her head. "Dragons sense danger differently than humans."I frowned. "What are
I couldn't stop thinking about the scout's words. Even after the council meeting ended and everyone returned to their duties, those three words kept repeating in my head.Roland has dragons. The palace felt different after that announcement. The halls were still crowded, servants still moved from room to room, and soldiers still laughed with one another when they thought nobody important was watching. Yet beneath all of it was a tension I hadn't felt before. It was like the entire kingdom was holding its breath.I stood near one of the castle windows overlooking the training grounds below. Hundreds of soldiers were practicing together despite the late afternoon sun. Their movements were sharper than usual, and every command from their officers carried an urgency that hadn't existed a few weeks ago."You're doing it again."I didn't need to turn around to know who it was."I'm not doing anything."Valdanus came to stand beside me and followed my gaze toward the courtyard."You're stari
"You've been staring out that window for almost an hour."I didn't turn around when I heard Valdanus enter the room. The sun had already started setting, painting the palace gardens in shades of gold and orange. A few weeks ago, I would have been down there laughing with Maria or training with Astria. Now every path below seemed occupied by guards, messengers, or soldiers carrying supplies. The entire kingdom felt different."I was thinking," I said.Valdanus walked over and leaned against the window beside me. "That sounds dangerous."A laugh escaped me before I could stop it."There she is," he said. "I was wondering where that smile went."The smile disappeared as quickly as it had come. My gaze drifted toward the training grounds where rows of soldiers practiced with shields and spears. Their movements were sharp and disciplined, but I could still see the tension behind it all.They were preparing for war. A war that wouldn't be happening if I hadn't come to Scorish."You don't ha
"Pandora, wait." I had barely stepped out of the infirmary corridor when Maria caught up with me. She was breathing hard, and the look on her face made my stomach tighten before she even spoke again."The delegation is already here," she said. "The entire court has gathered."I stared at her for a moment before looking down the hallway toward the throne room. Only yesterday I learned the truth about my birth. I was still trying to understand what it meant to be created by dragons, still trying to make sense of memories that didn't feel entirely like my own. Now another piece of my past had arrived at the palace gates.It felt like fate had decided I wasn't allowed a single peaceful day."You don't have to face this alone," Maria said.I managed a small smile. "You'll be there?"She squeezed my hand. "Try getting rid of me."That earned a laugh from me, and for a moment some of the tension eased. Together we made our way through the palace.The closer we got to the throne room, the mo
“Pandora? Hey, can you hear me?”The voice reached me through a heavy fog. My eyelids felt strangely difficult to open, and my head throbbed as memories from the shrine came rushing back. The sword, the visions and the painful truth.The moment my eyes opened, Maria threw her arms around me so hard
"Pandora?" Valdanus's voice sounded distant.I stared at the ancient sword resting inside the stone altar. The silver cloth had fallen away, revealing a blade unlike any I had ever seen. Strange symbols ran across the metal, glowing faintly as if they were alive.Apparently nobody was moving. The h
I knew the meeting was going to be a disaster the moment Stiles tried to eat the king's sleeve. King Eldric had barely finished greeting us before the little dragon lunged forward and grabbed the edge of his coat with his teeth. The courtyard fell silent. Stiles chewed proudly.King Eldric looked d
Maria's POV I seriously didn't expect a dragon to change my life. Again. The funny part was that I wasn't even looking for one.A few days had passed since I sat outside the palace kitchens feeling sorry for myself. I had mostly gotten over it. At least that was what I kept telling myself. That mo







