“I was just about to come looking for you,” Sky said cheerfully, appearing out of nowhere.

  Snapping out of the fog of my thoughts, I looked around and realized we were now at the far end of the ballroom.

  Camille stood nearby, looking a bit flustered, with drops of melting snow glistening in her dark hair. She smiled brightly, stepping out from behind the air dragon. But when she caught my curious gaze, she quickly looked away.

  “Let’s leave the ladies to chat and go for a walk. My beast is itching to stretch its wings,” the white-haired dragon announced with a wink at his friend.

  “I was just about to suggest the same,” Maximilian replied, flashing a grin. Leaning closer to me, he whispered, “See you later, Frosty,” before heading toward the nearest balcony.

  Sky pulled Camille to him in one swift motion and, completely ignoring the students milling around nearby, kissed her deeply and far from modestly.

  I felt myself flush at such a public display of affection and didn’t even notice when the dragon disappeared.

  “He’s gone, Ava. You can open your eyes now,” Camille called, laughing.

  Only then did I realize how tightly I’d squeezed my eyes shut. Blinking, I looked around, then took Camille’s hand and glanced at her apologetically.

  “Cam, I’m sorry. I didn’t understand... I didn’t realize how much dragon magic affects us. It must have been so hard for you all this time, and I kept blaming you. Please forgive me.”

  Camille gave my hand a reassuring pat before stepping closer and wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

  “It’s okay, my friend. I knew you’d figure it out eventually. Honestly, if I were in your place, I’d probably react the same way. I really did feel like I was losing my mind after the first time. But you get used to it after a while. The longing for the dragon gets stronger every day, but at least your thoughts become clearer,” she said, leading me toward the statue of Terragon.

  The professors and guests were beginning to disperse, leaving the area nearly empty.

  “How did the meeting with Vir Ereolus go?” I asked Camille, noticing her bittersweet smile.

  “Worse than we hoped, but not terrible,” she replied quietly. Seeing my questioning look, she explained, “Sky’s father isn’t thrilled about my background, but he approved me as long as etiquette and dance tutors come to the Academy to teach me. Until I graduate, and while Sky is training in the capital, they’ll be grooming me in the ways of aristocrats,” she sighed, glancing at the ice statue.

  I let out a breath of relief.

  “You’ll manage, Cam. The fact that they’re letting you finish at the Academy is already a big win. I was afraid they’d take you straight to the Amatrix quarters.”

  “That’s exactly what Vir Ereolus wanted, but Skylar insisted I finish my studies first. He’ll be traveling constantly at first anyway—training in Dracania, then down south. Plus, the house needs to be prepared,” Camille smiled, pulling me into another hug. “So, you’re stuck with me until graduation,” she declared.

  Then, narrowing her eyes at me, she asked, “So, how did your meeting with the advisor go?”

  “It went well. Vir Terragon promised I could join the Department of Urban Development if the spell works,” I said, looking up at the proud dragon statue above us.

  From there, our conversation shifted to dancing and gossip.

  I told Camille that the proud black dragon didn’t know how to dance, which sent her into a fit of laughter. She, in turn, shared the rumors she’d gathered while I was watching Maximilian’s confrontation with Dona Flavia.

  I wisely kept quiet about the meeting between the black dragon and the advisor’s wife, deciding it was far too personal to share. Maximilian might have allowed me to witness it, but I doubted he’d be pleased if students started whispering about it. I wasn’t one for spreading gossip.

  Caught up in our chatter, neither of us noticed the approaching danger.

  Camille was in the middle of telling me about a senior student when a sudden force yanked me backward, sending me flying almost to the center of the dance floor.

  Camille let out a quiet squeak, but it was quickly muffled, judging by the stifled sound.

  The remaining students and professors fell silent, unsure of what had just happened or why one of the students was now sprawled in the center of the ballroom.

  “Thief!” a shrill voice screeched above me as the silver fabric of my dress tore under the hands of an enraged girl.

  I had no idea what was happening. Instinctively, I raised my arms to shield my face as the stranger shredded my gown, ripping chunks of fabric away.

  “How dare you, you pathetic little mage? This is my

  “Seraya, darling, that’s enough. This is getting indecent—she’s practically naked,” a familiar voice drawled.

  I lowered my hands cautiously and looked up to see Dona Flavia, the same dragoness who had argued with Maximilian earlier, standing just a few steps away.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  She wasn’t even trying to hide the smug grin that spread across her face as she eyed the remnants of my gown, now in tatters thanks to her companion.

  The other dragoness was breathing heavily, still clutching the torn fabric she’d ripped off me. Her dark hair was disheveled, and her crimson dress was creased as if it had been hastily removed and put back on. Her brown eyes, eerily similar to Dona Flavia’s, sparkled with fury, and her brightly painted lips twisted into a grimace of disgust.

  “The fur coat is mine too, Dona Flavia,” Seraya declared, her voice sharp and unrelenting. “I won’t allow some worthless mage to wear such precious materials.”

  She reached out, trying to grab my sleeve, but I darted out of her grasp and scrambled to my feet.

  All those basic physical training lessons were finally paying off.

  Backing away a few steps, I raised my hands in a clear warning. One more move, and regardless of their noble status, I’d use magic.

  The dragonesses weren’t foolish. They quickly realized my intent and stepped back, glaring at me with smoldering rage.

  “What’s going on here?” A cold voice echoed through the hall as the fifth junior imperial advisor approached the brunette.

  “Seraya, what is this nonsense? Why are you bothering this mage? Maximilian hasn’t even marked her. Leave the human alone,” the dragon’s voice boomed.

  “She stole my dress and my fur coat! Flavia personally commissioned these from the palace seamstress. They’re mine!” Seraya protested loudly, turning toward the junior advisor.

  The man stroked his chin thoughtfully and then looked at Dona Flavia.

  “She has a point, Don Ventus. I personally collected these items from the palace tailor. How they ended up on this girl, I have no idea,” Dona Flavia said with a sly smile, patting Seraya’s hand in a mock gesture of comfort.

  “Didn’t you decline the outfit Dona Flavia offered when you decided to attend the Winter Ball at the Capital Academy?” the dragon asked Seraya, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

  “That doesn’t change the fact that it’s mine! It was ordered and made for *me*, not for some pathetic mage, Father!” Seraya snapped.

  It took me a moment to realize that the fifth junior advisor wasn’t here to help me at all—he was Seraya’s father.

  A spectacle was unfolding before me, but I couldn’t tell who the intended audience was until an enraged Maximilian stormed into the hall.

  “What are you doing to my companion?” the young dragon growled, his boots echoing sharply against the stone floor. “Why am I forced to rein in my beast because Skylar Ereolus’s chosen mate is in hysterics, screaming that her friend is being attacked?”

  Maximilian’s eyes were black, filled with that familiar burning fire of fury. He didn’t seem to care about the concerned professors and guests watching the confrontation unfold but unwilling to intervene in a dispute between dragons.

  “Control your beast, Maximilian!” another roar rang out, and yet another figure joined the spectacle.

  From his appearance, it was clear that Advisor Terragon had been preparing to leave the Academy, but the commotion had evidently made him change his plans and step in.

  “I haven’t even started yet, Father!” Maximilian shouted back. “What kind of performance have Seraya and your wife put on here? Look at what those two lunatics have done to this girl!”

  The young dragon’s hands were already sprouting black claws as if he was preparing to fight.

  “Calm down, young dragon. I was nearby. No harm was done to Dona Winder. Only her dress suffered. The girl is merely frightened,” Vir Ventus stated calmly, gesturing toward my tattered gown, which barely covered my thighs.

  “And the reason for this?!” Maximilian roared, his gaze sweeping over the dragonesses.

  "She’s wearing the dress and coat that belong to Seraya. Your fiancée is within her rights, Maximilian. That expensive clothing was stolen from her," Dona Flavia declared with the same smug smile, stepping closer to her husband.

  Maximilian growled but retracted his claws under his father’s stern gaze.

  "Perhaps you’ve forgotten, *mother,*" Maximilian hissed through gritted teeth, baring his fangs. "You were the one who gave me the dress and coat after Seraya rejected them. I was the one who gifted them to Aurora!"

  His words hit me like a slap to the face.

  Taking deep breaths, I clenched my fists tightly, fighting back the urge to cry. He had made me wear the cast-offs of his fiancée.

  No matter how luxurious or expensive the dress was, knowing how it came into my possession made it unbearable.

  But I wasn’t about to show my feelings.

  Raising my chin high and holding a defensive posture, I stood frozen, focusing on counting each breath.

  “Oh, forgive me, dear,” Dona Flavia cooed, batting her lashes and pressing herself against her husband’s arm. “I completely forgot. There’s just so much on my mind…”

  "The matter is settled," Vir Dominic growled, his voice cutting through the tension. "Vir Ventus, I think you owe the girl an apology. If the attire was given to her by Maximilian, it belongs to her now, no matter who it was originally made for."

  Taking his wife’s hand, the head of the Terragon family swiftly left the hall, his commanding presence leaving everyone else in stunned silence.

  The fifth junior advisor stood frozen in a respectful bow until the sound of Vir Dominic’s footsteps faded beyond the ballroom doors.

  "Maximilian, calm your fiancée. I will apologize to your companion, but I’ll do so privately. I’ll also discuss compensation with the girl for this regrettable incident and my daughter’s outburst," Vir Ventus said, extending a hand toward me.

  The dragon forced a smile, but I didn’t believe it for a second. His eyes betrayed his simmering anger.

  When Maximilian didn’t move, still growling softly at the man, Vir Ventus lowered his voice, adding, "You must understand my daughter, boy. She assumed you brought a lover into our ancestral estate. Seraya doesn’t know Dona Winder and wasn’t aware she’s merely your companion for the ball and not your future Amatrix. The girl got jealous, that’s all."

  His smile widened into something meant to appear cheerful, though it felt anything but.

  "Besides, I doubt the young lady would want you escorting her right now. Clearly, she wasn’t informed of the… peculiar nature of your surprise regarding her attire, Maximilian."

  The fifth junior advisor kept his hand outstretched, waiting for the young dragon’s decision.

  But the Terragon heir didn’t move, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at his fiancée and her father in turn, frozen like a statue of an ancestor.

  “Attend to your fiancée, Vir Terragon,” I said softly, tired of being caught between two angry glares.

  I couldn’t tell who hated me more — the dragon’s fiancée or her father, who had just been ordered to apologize to some random girl.

  Maximilian, however, seemed to have forgotten my existence altogether, his gaze bouncing back and forth between his fiancée and her father.

  No one responded to my words.

  The dragoness stared unblinkingly at the shredded remains of my dress, while the junior advisor smirked, clearly amused as he watched the young dragon.

  I wouldn’t be surprised if this entire spectacle had been his plan, though I couldn’t fathom why.

  After several long minutes, Maximilian exhaled sharply, grabbed the dragoness by the arm, and dragged her toward the exit.

  "I wouldn’t want my fiancé treating me like that," I thought briefly before pushing the thought aside.

  Humans don’t act this way, but what can you expect from a beast? A beast acts like a beast. Just like his rabid fiancée, who was ready to kill me over a dress and coat she didn’t even want.

  "Dona Winder," the elder dragon’s voice reminded me of his presence, his hand still extended.

  Wrapping the miraculously intact coat tightly around myself, hiding my exposed undergarments from the onlookers, I ignored his hand and quickly left the ballroom.