Chapter 6 - Fated to the Dragon I Deceived

Eileen's POV

By the time I reached the manor, dusk had already settled over the grounds. The servants were lighting the lamps in the hallways, their soft glow casting long shadows across the polished floors. The smell of roasted meat and wine drew me toward the dining hall.

I paused at the threshold, taking in the scene before me.

Vespera's mother, Melanie Thorne, sat at the head of the long oak table, her hands clasped in prayer, her voice low and reverent. "Great Silver Dragon, we thank You for the sustenance You have bestowed upon the Thorne family this day..."

Celia huddled at the far end of the table, pressed into the corner like she was trying to make herself invisible. Her dress—patched at the elbows and faded from too many washings—looked even shabbier against the gleaming silverware and fine china that covered the table.

The prayer ended, and Melanie's eyes snapped open. When she saw me standing in the doorway, her entire face transformed. The cold piety vanished, replaced by warm affection that made my stomach turn.

"Vespera, darling!" She rose from her seat and hurried toward me, her silk skirts rustling. "Come, sit beside me. You must be exhausted."

She took my arm and guided me to the chair at her right hand—the seat of honor, the one reserved for the family's most valued member. I sat down stiffly, my spine straight, my hands folded in my lap the way Vespera would have done.

Across the table, Celia reached for her fork with trembling fingers.

Melanie's eyes narrowed. "For God's sake, Celia! How many times must I tell you? You hold it like this." She snatched up her own fork and demonstrated with exaggerated precision. "A commoner's daughter will never learn proper manners, but at least try not to embarrass the Thorne name in public!"

Celia flinched, her hand jerking back as if she'd been struck. Her amber eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away quickly, her head bowed in submission.

I felt something hot and sharp twist in my chest. I know what that feels like. Vespera had humiliated servants the same way. I'd stood there and taken it too, too afraid to fight back, too desperate to keep my position.

But I couldn't defend Celia now. Any kindness would raise suspicion, would make her question whether I was truly her daughter. So I did what Vespera would have done.

I let out a soft, disdainful laugh. "Honestly, Mother, you can't expect much from someone with her bloodline. Commoner habits run too deep." I picked up my wine glass and took a delicate sip, my tone casual and cutting. "But why waste time on her etiquette lessons? We have more important matters to discuss. The Academy's test is in two days."

I remembered the timeline. Two days from now, the entrance examination for Dragonspire Academy would take place. During this period, Lady Thorne would pull every string she could to ensure Vespera's success—bribes, connections, expensive tutors. Everything except the final test itself, which no amount of money could fake.

Melanie's eyes lit up with hope. "Yes, yes, of course! The test—"

I didn't look at Celia, but I could feel her gaze on me. When I finally glanced in her direction, I saw the hurt in her expression—a mixture of pain, confusion, and instinctive fear.

I'm sorry, I wanted to say. I'm not her. I'm not Vespera.

But I couldn't say that. So I turned my face away, my fingernails digging into my palms until the pain drowned out the guilt.

Melanie leaned forward, her fingers gripping the edge of the table. Her voice dropped to an urgent whisper, though her excitement was barely contained. "Vespera, do you understand what this test means for our family?"

I nodded slightly, keeping my expression neutral.

"Since your great-grandfather's generation, the Thorne family hasn't produced a single Dragonbound." Her voice trembled with emotion. "Not even a mage with basic elemental affinity. Do you know what that's done to us? Those families with even low-ranking mages—barons, for God's sake—they look down on us at every social gathering. They whisper behind our backs. They treat us like we're nothing!"

She stood abruptly, her palms slamming against the table. The silverware rattled. "If you pass this test, if you become Dragonbound..." She paused, her breathing shallow. "No—even if you're just a mage, it would be enough. We'd regain respect. But if you become Dragonbound..." Her voice rose with fervor. "Tax exemptions. Land grants. An audience with the King himself! Those pompous nobles who sneered at us would have to bow their heads!"

Her gaze suddenly shifted to Celia, and her tone turned sharp and mocking. "Of course, if you fail, there's always the option of sending Celia to try. Though I highly doubt commoner blood could ever pass the Dragon Crystal's judgment."

Celia's head snapped up, her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and desperate hope. I felt my chest tighten.

She doesn't know yet. Celia didn't know that she would be the one to pass the test. She would become a Dragonbound, the one blessed with perfect affinity. And Vespera—consumed by jealousy and fear—would make choice after choice that would lead to her destruction.

But now, I didn't even know if I could pass the test.

The original Vespera had zero magical talent. She couldn't sense elemental energy, couldn't cast even the simplest spell. The Dragon Crystal test required touching a massive silver crystal that would glow in response to dragon affinity. The brighter the glow, the stronger the bond. No reaction meant immediate disqualification.

I picked up my wine glass and took a slow sip, buying myself time to think. "I'll do my best, Mother."

Melanie seemed to sense my hesitation. She sat back down, her expression hardening. "The test is in two days, Vespera. This is the Thorne family's last chance." Her fingers drummed against the table, each tap like a hammer striking my nerves. "I've already hired the best magic tutors. I've procured the most expensive elemental potions. All you need to do is show even the faintest spark of talent in front of that crystal. Just a flicker. Don't disappoint me."

Don't disappoint me.

The words echoed in my head long after dinner ended.

I excused myself as soon as I could, claiming I needed to rest and prepare for the test. Melanie nodded approvingly, and I escaped to my room, locking the door behind me.

I stopped in front of my desk, where the Academy's entrance brochure lay open. Next to it was my notebook, filled with scribbled notes from the magic tutors Melanie had hired. Every page ended with the same word: Failed.

I'd tried everything. Meditation techniques. Breathing exercises. Visualization. Nothing worked. I couldn't sense elemental energy. I couldn't feel the flow of magic that supposedly surrounded us all. I was as magically inept as the original Vespera had been.

I thought about bribing the examiners, but Dragonspire Academy was run directly by the Silver Sanctum. Any corruption would bring the Inquisition down on my head. I thought about faking an illness to avoid the test, but Melanie would never allow it. I even thought about running away with Cassius, disappearing into some remote corner of the kingdom.

But where would we go? I had no identity, no resources, no allies. We'd be hunted down within days.

I collapsed onto the floor, my back against the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Since I'd woken up in this body, I felt the weight of my situation crushing down on me step by step.

I was a fraud. A maid trapped in a noblewoman's skin. I was holding a stolen Dragonheart. I was trying to bind a dragon to me through lies and manipulation. Every step I took was a step closer to death.

But I couldn't give up. Because giving up meant dying.