Chapter 34


    The Dragon’s Egg


    The next morning Cassandra woke up early, around sunrise. Someone was slowly caressing her hair


    and bare skin. Remembering the events of the previous day, she opened her eyes and checked


    around, worried.


    “My Lord!”


    Kairen was indeed there, on the side of the bed, sitting there while watching her. She jumped, her arms


    wrapping around his neck to hold him, letting out all her worries from the previous night. Cassandra


    was so worried, she even checked his torso for injuries, but he only had a couple of thin ck scale


    lines on his arms, already healing themselves. She let out a long sigh of relief and the Prince put his


    hand around her neck.


    “I was so worried.”


    “You’re fine now.”


    Didn’t he understand that she was worried about him at all? He only kept looking at her for a long time,


    like he was trying to capture her face in his mind, until Cassandra blushed. Kairen seemed a bit odd


    this morning.


    “Is there something wrong, My Lord?”


    “No.”


    He got up and brought her one of the usual gold trays, with fruits, meat, and cheese. Cassandra was a


    bit lost though and ignored the food. She tried to think of what could be wrong.


    “When did you get back, My Lord? I meant to wait for you, but I fell asleep…”


    “Late in the night.”


    “Did you get any sleep at all?” she asked, worried.


    “I did.”


    She frowned. She couldn’t even tell if he had slept beside her, she was too exhausted herself.


    Suddenly, she thought of something else.


    “Is your dragon back yet?”


    Kairen immediately frowned slightly.


    “Not yet…He will be here soon.”


    Was the problem with Krai then? Cassandra couldn’t help but worry about its absence. It didn’t seem


    usual for the dragon to leave, and go so far away and for so long, without its master. Did that exin


    Kairen’s odd behavior this morning?


    Probably no one else but Cassandra would have noticed anything was different with the Prince, but she


    was sure. He even seemed a bit…uneasy. She grabbed a bit of food, eating in silence, lost in her


    thoughts. Kairen didn’t say a word either, watching her eat, sometimes taking some meat as well.


    After a while, a little knock was heard on the door.


    “Your Highness? May Ie in?”


    Nebora walked in as soon as Kairen gave permission, bringing in hot water and soap for Cassandra.


    Kairen got up and left without a word, leaving his concubine even more confused than before. She


    turned to Nebora.


    “Nebora! Do you know what’s going on?”


    “What do you mean?”


    “I don’t know. His Highness is acting…odd.”


    Her friend frowned, turning her head towards where the Prince had just left.


    “Odd? How so? Come, I’ll help you bathe.”


    It was weird to have her own friend help her take a bath, but Cassandra didn’t say no. She had gone to


    bed quite dirtyst night and this was more than wee. She got into the bath, where Nebora poured


    the hot water, and started washing herself.


    “I don’t know, he seems uneasy.”


    “I don’t know what you’re talking about Cassie. His Highness isn’t like usual? I couldn’t tell the


    difference. But the dragon isn’t back yet. Maybe it has to do with that. We saw it leave in the direction


    of the pce, didn’t we? Perhaps something happened there? I guess we won’t know until ites


    back. Oh, I’ll wash your hair too, give me that.”


    She let Nebora tend to her and help her wash her long brown hair, trying to rx a bit. Maybe she was


    just worrying too much and it was nothing. Yet she couldn’t shake off this feeling that something big


    was about to happen.


    “He retrieved our stuff, by the way.”


    “His Highness?”


    “Yeah. He came backtest night with the chariot and everything in it! I already took your herbs to


    the storage, as we had discussed. Oh, and he even killed some snow leopards! It’s awesome, do you


    know how expensive their fur is? We can make you some great coats with that!”


    Cassandra didn’t feel much about getting a snow leopard coat, but she was impressed by her Prince


    once more. He had managed to kill several of those beasts all by himself and carry their cart back


    home? The War God was truly worthy of his title!


    Once she was done bathing, Nebora picked a new red dress for her and insisted that Cassandra wear


    some jewelry. After a bit of arguing, she was made to wear some little ruby earrings and a gold hairpin.


    Nebora even helped her apply a bit of lip balm and scented cream on her neck.


    Cassandra felt a bit odd wearing so much, but she was prettier than ever. When she and Nebora got


    down to the castle’s open area, Marian and Prunie ran to them, all sparkles in their eyes.


    “Cassandra, you look so pretty!”


    “Are those real rubies?”


    “Hands off!” said Nebora. “Don’t forget, Cassandra is our friend, but she’s also His Highness’


    Concubine. Don’t touch her stuff with your dirty hands!”


    “Nebora, you meanie!”


    Cassandra chuckled at the girls’ bickering. She had missed all of them, and insisted on making some


    tea for them. They walked to the kitchen, meeting the rest of the castle’s staff there. Cassandra brought


    out some of her new herbs to make tea, all the younger girls watching her with expectation.


    “It smells so good!” said Bina, humming.


    “It’s citrus and mint tea,” exined Cassandra before serving them.


    “A Concubine shouldn’t be pouring tea for servants,” said Patrina with a frown.


    Nebora rolled her eyes at her.


    “Who caies, it’s just tea and we are the only ones here.”


    “Do you know where Krai or His Highness are?” asked Cassandra to Patrina.


    “His Highness just went to the dragon’s field. His dragon might being back soon.”


    “The dragon’s field?”


    “More like his yground,” exined Nebora. “It’s the ck dragon’s favorite spot, it usuallynds


    there instead of directly inside the castle likest time.”


    Cassandra immediately put down her teapot and grabbed her coat again, hurrying outside. Did this


    mean Krai was about toe back? Nebora and Prunie ran after her, but she was walking too fast.


    Nebora helped her find her a way outside to a little hill, where indeed, her Prince was standing still, a


    hand on his sword. He was looking at the sky when Cassandra walked up to him.


    “My Lord?” she softly called him.


    “Cassandra. What are you doing outside?”


    It wasn’t so cold though and she walked easily through the thin coat of snow to get to him. He grabbed


    her as soon as she was in his reach, pulling her against him.


    “Are you waiting for Krai toe back, My Lord?”


    “Look.”


    She turned her head up to where he was hinting at, a little dark shape appeared a couple of seconds


    agitating its tail even from such a distance. How high was it? It was slowly going down to them, getting


    closer with each p of its wings. Cassandra felt her heart warm up a little as the dragon wasing


    down.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Something felt wrong, however. Krai was more agitated than usual. What was going on? It took her a


    while to realize a silhouette was standing on its back. Did the ck dragon usually let someone ride it?


    Who was that?


    With Kraiing closer, preparing tond, she finally recognized the feminine silhouette, totally


    surprised.


    “Princess Shareen?”


    A minuteter, there was no more ce for doubt. Krainded swiftly, though it immediately ran to


    Cassandra, disregarding its rider.


    Imperial Princess Shareen didn’t seem to be unbnced, however. She got down with a little jump,


    shoulders. She smirked upon seeing Cassandra, and Kairen next to her.


    “Sister.”


    “Hello, handsome. Happy to see your older sister?”


    “Shut it. How did it go?”


    Shareen stopped smiling, crossing her arms.


    “Not as we expected, unfortunately. Someone took it before us.”


    Kairen’s anger on his face scared even Cassandra, who had no idea what was going on. She slowly


    stepped aside, as Krai kept nudging her with its head, growling softly, repeatedly asking for her


    attention. 1


    “Who?” asked her Prince, not hiding his anger.


    “Not one of our siblings. Vrehan was furious and Sephir had no idea. Anour even tried to help me


    retrieve it, but


    someone else got into the vault first. They left a clue though.”


    She stepped to him and gave him a little diamond. Kairen’s anger seemed to calm down, as Shareen


    smiled.


    Bitchy as ever, isn’t she?


    “Better her than anyone else.”


    Cassandra, who couldn’t take it anymore, stepped forward again, ncing at the little diamond in


    Kairen’s hand.


    *My Lord, could you tell me what’s going on? Something was stolen? From the Emperor’s vault?


    It doesn’t belong to our father, but to you, sweetie.”


    “To me?”


    Cassandra was confused. Why would something of hers ever be in the Emperor’s vault in the first


    ce? She had no idea what was going on. Shareen smirked and stepped closer to her with a cunning


    expression.


    “You don’t know, do you, sweetie? What’s in our Imperial Father’s vault?”


    Cassandra shook her head, a bit lost. Behind her, Krai growled at Shareen, annoyed, but the Princess


    ignored it, ying with a strand of Cassandra’s hair around her finger.


    “Our Imperial Father keeps everything in a very secret ce, especially everything about dragons. That


    vault is kept by had, our father’s dragon, because it’s connected to the Dragon’s Nest.”


    A nest?


    *This Empire’s most precious things are Imperial Dragons,” continued Shareen, and their eggs. When a


    dragon is ready to have its egg, it goes to the nest,ys its egg, and protects it. So our father always


    knows when another dragon will be born.”


    Cassandra waspletely astonished. She had no idea. She turned to Krai, putting the pieces


    together.


    “You’re saying… Krai went back to the Pce to …”


    “Lay an egg,” said Kairen.


    She was starting to understand, looking at the ck dragon. But, dragons were linked to Imperial


    Family members? So, Kraiying an egg meant…


    “Congrats,” said Shareen with that little smirk of hers. “You’re having my brother’s brat.”


    Cassandra was floored. She was pregnant? With her Prince’s baby? And Krai having an egg was proof


    of that? She turned to the dragon, which was still acting all clingy, asking for scratches from her. Kairen


    was still frowning though.


    “But…What happened to Krai’s egg, then?” she asked, worried.


    “Somebody stole it before I got there,” exined Shareen. “Once an egg appears, it bes a race to


    see who will get to it first.”


    “Why would someone steal an egg?” asked Cassandra, confused.


    “To try and destroy it,” exined Kairen. “If our son’s dragon is killed, he won’t be acknowledged as an


    heir to the throne.” +


    “No one wants Kairen to have an heir. Everyone knows Father would pick him as the next Emperor


    right away,” sighed Shareen. “So, as soon as Krai had it, it was obvious everyone would try to get that


    egg. Someone got there before me though.”


    Cassandra nced at the diamond. Who then? And what did they want with it?


    Cassandra nced at the diamond. Who then? And what did they want with it?


    “Who did…”


    “Our mother,” growled Kairen. “That old witch stole it.”