Chapter 4 Caught His Attention

EVALINA

This is becoming unbearable. How could he ask me to stay behind?

Is this king trying to get me killed?

I had already been forced to explain myself to the dragon… And now I would have to explain myself to the queen as well.

Queen Valeria stared at me with disgust, anger, and something far more terrifying, as if she wanted to rip out my heart.

My heart sank. I lowered my head even further.

“Do you have a problem with that, Valeria?” the king asked, pulling her out of her stare.

She took a deep breath, forced a laugh, and turned to face him.

“No, I do not,” she said, her voice calm and sweet.

Does she usually speak like this? It felt strangely uncomfortable. The gentleness in her tone clashed completely with the terror of her dragon and her true nature.

“Evelina, dear… when you are done with the king, meet me in my chamber,” she said, then walked out.

Everything inside me froze. My heart began to race.

This was not the plan. In less than a day, I had already gotten myself into serious troubles.

“Come, human,” the king’s eunuch said.

My heart skipped a beat, but I summoned every ounce of courage I had and slowly stepped closer, my head still lowered.

“You can leave, Zaus. Close the door behind you,” the king commanded.

My eyes widened in shock. I nearly lost my balance.

“Yes, my king,” the eunuch replied happily before rushing out.

The moment the door clicked shut, a thick silence settled over the room—so thick I was certain he could hear my racing heart.

“Look at me, Evelina,” he ordered.

My grip tightened around my dress as I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his.

He sipped from a golden chalice, his eyes fixed on me. An uneasy weight settled over me under the force of his stare.

“Who are you connected to in this palace?” he asked carefully.

My eyes narrowed in shock.

What was he talking about? I shook my head instantly.

“No one, my king. I don’t know anyone in this palace,” I blurted out.

He paused, lowered the chalice, and rose to his feet.

My breath hitched as I tried to understand what he meant—and why he was asking.

“No one?” he repeated, taking a few steps toward me. With every step, my heart rate climbed higher.

He stopped directly in front of me. I barely dared to breathe.

“A human maid serving a queen… how is that possible? One thing is certain—you must have a stormbone in this palace backing you,” he said calmly, his voice dripping with suspicion.

I almost laughed, but thank the gods I managed to hold it back.

“My king, I truly don’t know anyone here,” I replied carefully, though his question was beginning to make a strange kind of sense.

Everyone across the seven clans desired a position in the Stormbones Palace. Those already inside worked tirelessly just for the chance to serve the king or queen. Yet here I was—on my very first day—granted the privilege of serving the queen herself, and I came from the weakest clan. It did seem entirely impossible.

“You can leave Evalina, but remember I will be watching you”

My heart sank, instantly I fled as fast as my legs could carry me. I nearly fell in my haste.

When I reached the queen’s chamber door, I froze.

Her dragon was no longer standing guard. Did that mean she was out?

The door clicked open. I gasped. It was the same elf from earlier. She stared at me blankly.

“The queen and her dragon are at the hill. You should go meet them,” she said casually before closing the door and walking away.

The queen and her dragon.

The thought alone made me even more uneasy.

What if they were waiting for me only so I could be burned alive?

Would that be my end?

I walked out of the palace and made my way up the hill.

My entire body froze at the sight before me.

“No, please, Vhalek—let her go, please!” Queen Valeria sobbed.

The king's dragon had nearly burned her alive.

“My queen!” I screamed and rushed toward her, grabbing hold of her.

The dragon stared at us, then stretched out its mighty wings and flew away.

The queen instantly pulled away from me and ran to her weakened dragon.

“Azura!” she cried, rubbing the dragon’s side. “Azura, hang in there, baby. I’ll take care of you.”

I stared at the weak dragon roaring faintly on the ground.

What was wrong with the king’s dragon? Why was it so ruthless?

“Call the physician!” the queen yelled.

I quickly moved closer.

“I can help, my queen,” I said, lowering myself near the dragon.

“A mere human? What do you know about dragons? Can you even communicate with them?” she snapped, her eyes burning with anger.

I exhaled deeply.

"I have studied dragons for years, I may not be a dragon healer, but I know enough to recognize when one is suffering"

She stared at me for a moment.

“Then do what needs to be done.”

I nodded and placed a hand on the dragon. Her pulse was slow. Her eyes looked up at me weakly.

One thing was certain, Azura was suffering from emotional damage. The king’s dragon had not only rejected her but had also injured her body.

I turned to Queen Valeria.

“My queen, you don’t need a physician. Milk will do, along with tender care. We must make sure the dragon does not feel detached.”

She blinked, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

She rushed back to her dragon.

“Azura, dear, don’t take it to heart. You know how Vhalek behaves. Remember… he isn’t entirely submissive to the king,” she murmured.

I could see a spark of hope returning to the dragon’s eyes.

But was that true? That Vhalek was not fully submissive to the king? That was strange. All dragons were supposed to be completely bound to their masters.

“Tell Miranda to prepare milk for Azura, then come meet me in the room. We still have unfinished business,” the queen commanded.

My heart dropped. I knew exactly what that “unfinished business” meant. It was about what the king had said. I had already decided I would tell her the complete truth.

Within a few minutes I had informed the chief maid and returned to the queen’s chambers. I sat on the floor with her feet resting on my thighs as I massaged them. My heart pounded while I waited for her questions.

“What did Darius say to you?” she asked casually, as if it were the most ordinary question in the world. She didn’t sound furious, only nonchalant. That somehow made me even more uneasy.

“My queen… the king thought I might be a spy. He believes you would never choose a mere human as your personal maid. He was afraid I might try to hurt you, he really loves you” I said softly, still pressing her feet.

She let out a soft laugh. I couldn’t help but smile triumphantly. All Stormbones were the same, regardless of status, master, or dragon. Once honoured, they became predictable. Even the most vicious ones.

Suddenly she sighed in satisfaction. A thick silence settled between us.

“Do you think I’m a fool, Evelina?” she muttered.

My smile vanished.