Enya brushed grit from her thighs and let the cooling air soak her shirt. Zilant’s eyes were a hard line. She looked at Zilant.

“Why were you there?” he asked.

Enya paused, pondering.

“I ran. The garden was on fire… The attacker… there was an aura. I couldn’t get close.”

Zilant glared at her.

“You ran?” he questioned.

Enya forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“I did what I had to. The attacker retreated after the first strike.”

He slid his sword back into its sheath with a slow, controlled motion. A shout split the air. Lumerin barreled into the clearing, powder-white with rage.

“My garden!” Lumerin barked, hands flying to his face. “What—”

“A fire aura…” Enya said. Smoke clung to her hair. “I didn’t see them clearly, only a silhouette. Short build, didn’t sound like a mounted rider.”

“A-a… fire aura user?” Lumerin’s fingers raked through his hair. “Here? Did you see their face?”

“No… it looked like a boy… maybe a girl… I don’t know. It was dark. This area needs some light,” Enya looked around.

Lumerin clenched his fists.

If the Empress finds out that I have no sunfire nectar… then my usefulness to her will mean nothing to her… Lumerin trembled.

Zilant looked at Lumerin’s hand.

“Viscount, what could be in there for you to act this way?”

Lumerin rubbed his knuckles.

“My mother tended those plants for years. If anyone says they burned because of a royal aura—” His voice cut off. He swallowed hard and avoided Zilant’s gaze.. Could it be…? The First Prince?! Only he has the fire aura… as the Dragon royal.

Zilant squinted his eyes.

“My brother is unlikely.”

Enya rubbed a streak of ash from her cheek and tried to smile. “I couldn’t catch them.”

Lumerin stepped forward, voice urgent.

“Please keep this quiet. If word spreads that a fire aura walked the city at night, panic will follow. My reputation—” He didn’t finish.

“How so? Shouldn’t we let the Imperial Knights know about this? This is a serious matter, Viscount.”

“No… I’m sure it’ll stop… I don’t want my reputation to be tainted by this. Please, Duke…”

Enya watched them, staring at Zilant.

Zilant took a deep breath. He closed his eyes.

“Very well. This is the last favor. If there’s another incident, I will report it.”

Relief flooded Lumerin. He bowed so low his shoulders nearly touched his knees.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Enya let a humorless smile twist her lips. Obedience for convenience.

Zilant wrapped up for the night in Viscount Degardo’s estate as they got ready to leave. Zilant was silent, sitting on his horse as Enya walked behind him. They were five feet apart. Zilant suddenly stopped. Enya froze.

“What happened back there stays a secret…” Zilant commanded coldly. Enya groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Yes, Commander…”

Zilant swung down from his horse, stopping just in front of her.

“Do you realize what you just risked?” he asked, his gaze sharp.

Enya locked eyes with him, the memory flashing before her—smoke curling over the battlefield, screams of the fallen ringing in her ears.

“I have already experienced enough in life… like witnessing innocent lives die before my very own eyes…”

Zilant stared into her green eyes, realizing how much her eyes resembled Hansel’s. This softened him into retreat mentally. He exhaled deeply, stepping closer to her face.

“What does innocent lives have to do with your arrogance?”

“It has a lot to do with my arrogance… because it shows me that people like you who have power and wealth only think about themselves and their belly… Once I become one with power and wealth, I will make sure those who trampled on others will be trampled…” Enya responded, tightening her jaw. Emotions surged in her eyes, clenching her fists behind her back. She tightly gripped her wrists, withholding her anger.

Zilant seethed above her head, taking a step back. He realized that she wouldn’t back down without a fight. He stared at her eyes.

“As a boy who has just entered the knights, those words are dangerous. How high are you aiming?” Zilant wondered curiously.

Enya leaned her head to the side with a smirk.

“As high as one can soar into the sky…”

Zilant paused, silent.

“Just make sure you don’t bring harm to the Dukedom. I don’t want the one you met to get hurt… The one with the same green eyes as yours…” Zilant walked away.

“Oh, don’t worry… he will be the one that soars with me…” Enya whispered, smiling as she followed.

After they were done changing, Enya stepped away from the training ground and headed back to her residence. Once she stepped inside, she quickly grabbed a cloak, storming to the back door. She quickly jumped out of there and headed to the tower.

Salem stood by the window, bowing to her. The Phoenix way.

“Enya…”

“How did it go?” Enya asked.

Salem nodded.

“Kahni said that he will have Balis come by soon.”

“Good… Now, Salem.”

Salem stood close, looking at the empire with Enya.

“Yes, Enya?”

“How many people in the empire have an aura?”

Salem pondered.

“A few… Based on the palace, there are ten aura users in the Dragon Empire.”

“How many of them could use fire?”

“Two.”

“And… how many of them are considered reckless and troublesome?”

Salem paused, staring at Enya. Enya turned to her and smiled.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I think we need to push Lumerin to cause chaos… can you do that?”

Salem smiled and nodded.

“Yes. I can…”

Enya turned to the empire again, putting her chin up. She reached her hand over the window.

“The fire has started. Let it slowly blow throughout the entire empire…”

She blinked for a second, changing her eye colors to red instantly.

You will not be able to get rid of my flames that easily. Enya clenched her fist, twisting her wrist. Then she relaxed her hand and faced the palm up. The second her palm stretched flat, the fire in the Viscount Degardo’s garden grew.

“Fire!!!” a knight in the estate screamed.

Lumerin ran to the garden frantically. He stared at the fire as it grew bigger than it was before. He pulled his hair back.

“No… No! Your Highness, please don’t do this… Why would you?! How could you!” Lumerin screamed.

Everyone in his estate tried to put out the fire as much as possible. However, the entire garden had burnt down into ashes. Lumerin swallowed hard, staring at the ruin. The hidden door and the poisonous flowers. He sank to his knees, hands limp, head tilted to the side, lifeless.

The next morning, words stormed across the empire. Paper articles were thrown through every street.

“Big news! Viscount Degardo’s Garden was set on fire suddenly!” a paper boy screamed, holding the papers in his hand. Commoners gathered to read.

“Wow… a fire?”

“I heard that he screamed for His Highness…”

“The First Dragon Prince?”

“He’s the strongest fire aura user in the empire that could do this…”

“The other one barely has any aura…”

The gossip spread like wildfire, helped along by Salem’s whispers. Soon, the royal palace heard the news. In the prince’s hall, a prince stood beside the mirror as a maid helped him dress. A butler entered and bowed before him.

“Your Highness…”

“What is it?”

“News has spread throughout the empire that Your Highness had burnt the Viscount’s garden…”

The prince twitched and slapped the maid. She stepped back in fear.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. Please forgive me…” she knelt. The prince glanced at his arm.

“That really hurt… Do you want to die?” he asked nonchalantly. The maid trembled, lowering her head.

“Your Highness…”

“Take her away!” the butler ordered. Two Imperial knights dragged her out.

“No! Please, forgive me!”

The prince sighed, turning to the butler, golden eyes, shimmering black hair.

“Now… who said that I set their place on fire?”

The butler bowed.

“Viscount Degardo, Lumerin…”

The corner of the prince’s lip lifted irritably. He let out a harsh laugh.

“That bastard who tried to please my mother…”

The prince. The First Dragon Prince. Llard.

The head butler ran to the Western Palace. He knocked on the main chamber door.

“Enter,” a lady in her late forties said. The head butler entered and bowed.

“Your Majesty…”

“What is it?” she asked, skimming the papers on her desk.

“Words are spreading in the empire… that His Highness entered Viscount Degardo’s garden and set it on fire.”

The Empress froze and slid the paper aside, one eyebrow raised.

“And how did my son sneak in and set it on fire?” she asked.

The head butler took a breath and met her eyes.

“These are just rumors the Viscount voiced in his estate. There is no proof that His Highness the First Dragon Prince did anything.”

The Empress smiled and leaned back slightly. “Then find out the truth… keep a record of everything. Summon Viscount Degardo immediately. I want to know why he dared to blame a royal without proof.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will.”

The head butler left and sent the message to Degardo’s estate.

The news had reached the dukedom as well. Zilant groaned.

“How could anyone be so reckless? Is it really him who set it on fire or someone else?” he asked, frowning. He paused, recalling the night.

Enya was suspicious.

He definitely heard footsteps near him, then Enya appeared from the other side.

“Who was there? Were you really trying to fight the aura user?” Zilant asked. He walked to the window and watched Enya practice with the other recruits at Cullen’s command.

Who are you? What do you want? Why did you come to my knightly training ground instead of the Imperial one? Zilant couldn’t shake the idea that Enya had taken over his mind. He closed his eyes and returned to his desk. I need to find a suitable personal knight for Hansel… before anyone tries to harm him in any other way. Before he is able to awaken his aura…

Zilant clenched his fists, taking a deep breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🪶 🔥 Princess, Don’t Waver ❄️ 🐉 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~