Freezing Wings to Dust

A loud explosion erupted on the field below as a Dragon Knight's fireball crashed into a Fox captain's ice shield. The shockwave rattled the granite basin, sending a cloud of dust across the arena.

Several soldiers stumbled backward, while others raised their arms to shield their faces. A horn sounded shortly afterward, signaling a temporary recess in the training simulation.

The soldiers began clearing the field to rest, their armor clanking as they returned to their respective formations.

I adjusted the silver tray against my palm, grateful for the brief distraction. The prince had started squirming again, his little ears twitching at the sound of the horn.

I gently rubbed his back, sending another quiet pulse of cooling magic through his body.

Then I noticed Ignis moving.

The Dragon King immediately stood up. His massive frame dominated the viewing box, blocking part of the morning sunlight as he rose from his throne.

A wave of dry, suffocating heat rolled off his broad shoulders. The nearby servants instinctively stepped aside, their eyes following him as he moved.

He didn't look at Ivy. He didn't look at Zephyr.

Instead, he turned completely toward me and took two large steps in my direction.

My fingers tightened around the tray.

Oh, no. What is he doing now?

He stopped directly in front of me, close enough that I had to tilt my head slightly to meet his eyes. His shadow swallowed most of the sunlight falling across my uniform.

"The heat in this arena is unacceptable," Ignis commanded, his golden eyes burning down into mine. His nostrils flared as he drew in a breath, and I caught the faint scent of smoke coming from his clothes. "Aria, my quarters require preparation for the afternoon break. You will accompany me to the eastern tower immediately to fulfill your liaison duties."

I stared at him.

His quarters? Again?

For a moment, I almost forgot to maintain my innocent expression. The audacity of this man was remarkable.

He had an entire household of servants, personal attendants, and royal officials at his disposal, yet somehow, I was the only person he could think to summon.

I hadn't even opened my mouth when his large, calloused hand snapped out in broad daylight. His fingers reached toward my wrist, moving with the confidence of someone accustomed to having everything he wanted placed directly into his hands.

The intention behind the gesture was obvious. He wanted to take me away from the viewing box, away from the watching court, and demand the cooling magic his body had grown so desperate for.

But his fingers never touched my skin.

SLAM!

A violent, deafening crack echoed through the viewing box.

I flinched despite myself. The sudden impact made the crystal pitcher jump against the tray, and I instinctively curled my arm around the prince to protect him.

Three of Zephyr's sharp, silver-white tails snapped out of the shadows like massive steel blades. They slammed directly into the stone railing, pinning Ignis's massive forearm flat against the granite before his hand could even brush the fabric of my uniform.

The force of the strike sent a tremor through the balcony. Deep cracks spread beneath Ignis's palm, branching across the solid stone like broken glass.

For one suspended second, nobody moved.

The entire balcony went dead silent. A servant dropped his gaze so quickly that his forehead nearly touched his chest.

The guards drew their weapons in a single heartbeat, their blades catching the morning sunlight. Even Ivy seemed to forget how to breathe.

I could feel the prince stiffen against me, his tiny fingers clutching my apron again.

Well. That certainly woke everyone up.

King Zephyr stood up slowly from his silver throne. His silver hair fell over his shoulders as he rose, and his remaining six tails lifted behind him in a lethal, towering crescent.

The gentle breeze that had been drifting through the balcony disappeared. A sudden chill crawled across my exposed fingers, and the breath leaving my lips turned faintly white.

Frost raced across the floorboards, climbing the stone pillars and spreading beneath the furniture. The water inside my crystal pitcher froze so quickly that the glass made a faint cracking sound.

"You forget yourself, King Ignis," Zephyr said.

His voice was soft, smooth, and deadlier than a winter blizzard.

I watched his golden eyes settle on Ignis's pinned arm. His expression hadn't changed much, but the tips of his remaining tails were trembling with barely restrained anger.

So the Fox King finally decided to move.

Ignis didn't pull his arm back. Instead, he slowly turned his head, his molten gold eyes locking directly into Zephyr's sharp stare.

The temperature around him rose almost immediately. A violent orange flame licked across his shoulders, swallowing the frost creeping up his boots.

The ice beneath his feet melted into steaming water, and the hiss of escaping steam filled the space between the two sovereigns.

For a moment, neither king spoke.

Then Ignis's fingers flexed against the stone, testing the pressure of Zephyr's tails.

"The Head Maid belongs to the Fox Palace," Zephyr continued, stepping forward until the tips of his silver tails were inches from Ignis's throat. "She does not take orders from a visiting guest, nor does she leave this viewing box without my explicit permission. Remove your hand from my servant."

"She is my personal liaison, Fox King," Ignis growled, his aura flaring so hot that the granite railing beneath his pinned arm began to singe black. "I requested her service, and she accepted. If I require her in my quarters, I will take her."

My eyebrows almost lifted.

Did he really just say that in front of everyone?

I glanced toward Ivy. Her face had twisted into an expression I could only describe as disbelief.

Apparently, she hadn't expected her fiancé to publicly challenge another king over a maid.

How unfortunate for her.

The entire court was watching, and Ignis seemed completely unaware that his actions were turning her humiliation into a spectacle.

"Try it," Zephyr whispered, his golden eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "And see if your dragons can fly out of my valley before I freeze their wings to dust."

The pressure between the two kings became almost unbearable. I felt it in my chest first, a heavy vibration that made the prince shift restlessly in my arms.

The air grew thick and volatile. Flames curled around Ignis's shoulders while frost spread from Zephyr's feet, the two opposing powers crashing against each other in waves.

The stone floor beneath them began to split, a deep crack stretching down the center of the viewing box. A nearby servant stumbled backward, nearly dropping the stack of towels in his arms.

I tightened my hold on the prince.

Wonderful. Just wonderful.

Two rulers were standing on the verge of destroying an entire balcony, and I was somehow caught in the middle of their little argument.

I could already imagine the reports the royal officials would have to write afterward. A peaceful training exercise had turned into a potential diplomatic disaster before lunchtime.

Ivy sat frozen in her chair, her eyes wide with absolute shock and venomous disbelief. Her gaze darted between the two kings, then settled on me.

I watched her fingers curl slowly into the fabric of her ivory dress. She looked as though she couldn't decide whether to scream, cry, or order someone to remove me from the balcony.

The two most powerful rulers on the continent were practically preparing to start a war, and neither seemed particularly concerned about the consequences.

Not over borders. Not over gold. Not even over the future of their kingdoms.

Over a common human maid.

I stood behind them, cradling the hidden dragon prince against my chest. The warmth of his little body grounded me while the opposing auras continued to tear through the balcony.

Beneath my skin, something stirred. A familiar sensation, old and powerful, began vibrating through the invisible bond connecting our past lives.

I could feel it in the way Ignis's flames reacted to my presence and in the way Zephyr's frost seemed to bend toward me.

Neither king understood what was happening. They only knew that something about me had become impossible to ignore.

And that was precisely what I wanted.

I let a slow, wicked smile spread across my face as I watched the two kings glare at each other like rabid beasts. My fingers gently brushed the prince's silver hair while my eyes moved from one ruler to the other.

Go on, little pups.

I kept my expression perfectly innocent, but inside, the unsealed wrath of the Greatest Witch stirred beneath my calm exterior.

Tear each other apart. Burn the kingdoms down. Show me just how far you'll go before you realize who you're actually dealing with.

My smile widened by the smallest fraction.

The game has just begun, and you are both already begging to kneel at my feet.