The Dragon King's Breeder

Trip

The final blow came the next morning.

We were called down for breakfast to receive a message from the king. My father was practically vibrating with excitement. My mother had dressed Ravessa in a new gown, her hair braided with ribbons. I walked behind them, quiet and exhausted.

As we reached the stairs, Ravessa paused at the top. She glanced back at me, her eyes gleaming with something triumphant.

Then she threw herself down the last three steps.

She landed in a heap, crying out dramatically. My mother screamed. My father rushed forward. Jessa froze behind me, her hands flying to her mouth.

Ravessa whimpered, pointing up at me with a trembling finger. “She pushed me.”

My father’s face twisted with fury. “Valestra!”

“I didn’t touch her,” I said, my voice barely audible.

My mother knelt beside Ravessa, checking her arms, her legs, her face. “Why would you do this? Why would you hurt your sister?”

Ravessa sniffled, milking every second. “She’s angry I was chosen. She wants to ruin everything.”

I stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at them, feeling the last pieces of my world slipping away. Ravessa had taken the title, the ceremony, the future, and now she was taking my family too.

And they were letting her.

My father’s face is still twisted with fury, the kind that makes the air feel tight and dangerous. He looks at me like I’m something he’s scraping off his boot.

“I was giving you time to get on board with this,” he says. “I’ve been working to find you another mate, but it appears you’re just not suitable for such roles. No wonder Ravessa was chosen and not you.”