If seventeen was the year of waiting, then seventeen-and-a-half was the year of surprises.
I had thought at least Awakening would come before our futures were decided. But that evening, when Papa and Mama called Kael and me to the grand hall, banners swaying, chandeliers glittering, I knew something serious lingered.
"You are both nearly men now," Papa said, voice strong, though his eyes betrayed thoughtfulness. "And men of Ravenclaw do not walk behind fate. They stride before it."
Kael leaned back lazily, smirk tugging at his lips. "Is this about training? Because I'm already way ahead of Mark."
"Ha." I snorted. "In boasting, maybe."
Mama chuckled softly, though her gaze carried the same brightness that always left me uneasy—like she knew the world three steps ahead of us. Then she spoke the words that changed everything:
"It is time we spoke of your engagements."
The first blow fell on Kael, though he wore it as if it were a crown.
"The Elven Queen has offered her daughter's hand," Mama said. Her smile was serene, though I caught the flicker of amusement in her eyes at Kael's slack jaw. "You know, of course, she is my closest friend."
Kael blinked. "Wait. You mean that daughter? The one with hair like gold sunlight and ears so sharp they could slice bread?"
"Kael!" Mama scolded, though she covered her laughter with a hand.
Papa's tone was firmer. "Do not speak lightly. This union strengthens both Ravenclaw and the Elves."
Kael's smirk returned, brighter than ever. "So I get to marry a princess. You know, I always suspected greatness was my destiny."
"Trouble is your destiny," I muttered.
He ignored me, already daydreaming aloud. "An elf princess as my wife… imagine the songs! My legend will be sung beneath golden trees."
Mama's eyes glinted. "If they do, I hope they leave out your snoring."
I nearly spilled my drink laughing. Papa pressed his lips together, failing to hide his smile.
But the truth was clear: Kael's fate now lay entwined with the forests, with silver banners and timeless trees. Through him, Ravenclaw's name would shine in Elven halls.
Then Mama's gaze turned to me. Warm. Steady. Heavy with something I couldn't name.
"And you, Mark," she said, "will be engaged to the princess of the Dragons."
I blinked. "A dragon princess?"
"Not just a dragon," Papa said. His voice carried a weight like iron. "She is the daughter of the Dragon King and his first wife—who was not a dragon, but a vampire."
The room turned to stone around me. Even Kael forgot to breathe.
"That's… that's impossible," I whispered.
"It should have been," Papa agreed. "The blood of two top races cannot mingle. Their offspring cannot bear the power—it destroys them before they take breath. But this child survived. She lives. She thrives. The first of her kind."
Silence thickened, heavy as chains.
Kael broke it with a wheeze. "Mark! You're marrying the impossible. Half-dragon, half-vampire… what do I even call her? A dragpire?"
I threw a cushion at his head.
Papa pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is no jest. The girl is proof of miracle and defiance. Entire empires watch her with awe—and fear. To ally with her is to bind Ravenclaw to power unchallenged."
My mouth was dry. "And what if… she doesn't like me?"
Mama leaned forward, laying her hand over mine. "Then we will not force you. But I believe she will see what I see. Strength in you. Steadiness. A heart that will not falter, even for her."
Kael smirked. "Or maybe she'll just bite you."
I kicked him under the table. He yelped.
The rest of the night swirled with laughter and dread. Kael strutted around the hall, pretending to wear a crown of leaves. "Behold, the future Prince of Elves!"
I shot him a glare. "You're not even married yet. And I doubt they'll let a fool like you near their throne."
He winked. "At least I won't be roasted or drained on my wedding night."
Mama snapped her fingers, and vines burst from the stone floor, wrapping around his ankles until he toppled. "Enough."
I nearly doubled over laughing as Kael struggled. Even Papa smiled faintly.
But when the laughter ebbed, silence returned, heavier than before.
We were no longer just sons. Not merely brothers. We were bridges. Kael to the forests. Me to fire and shadow.
And I wondered—would those bridges hold, or would they burn?
That night, Kael and I stood on the balcony beneath the stars. He leaned against the railing, unusually quiet.
"Scared?" he asked finally.
"Maybe."
"Same." He grinned faintly. "But hey, at least our wives will be prettier than everyone else's."
I laughed, and the heaviness cracked. Whatever came—leaf or fang—we would face it together.
.....................................................................................................
The summons came only a fortnight later. Another letter, sealed with molten wax, crest of the Dragon King stamped in crimson fire.
Papa read it aloud at the council table. His voice was even, but the weight behind it was clear.
"The Dragon King has declared," Papa said, "that Kael shall be engaged also to his second daughter—the princess born of his second wife."
The words hung in the air like ash.
Kael nearly toppled out of his chair. "Wait—what? Another one? I already have the elf princess!"
Mama's brow furrowed. "This is most unusual. Dragons do not make alliances lightly. For him to bind two daughters to our family…"
"It makes no sense," Papa finished. "One engagement should have sufficed. Two? There is purpose hidden beneath this."
Kael sputtered. "What am I, a collection box for royal daughters?"
"Apparently a very popular one," I said dryly.
His scowl deepened. "Shut up, Mark."
Confusion and Weight
Mama sat back, eyes thoughtful, lips pressed. "The second daughter is dragon-born. Pure flame and scale. To give her away—especially to one already promised—goes against every tradition of their kind. The Dragon King has reasons he does not speak."
Papa agreed, though his voice was sharper. "It may be strategy. It may be protection. Or it may be something darker. Until we know, we tread carefully."
Kael groaned, dropping his head onto the table. "Two fiancées… I can't even manage one without tripping over my tongue."
"You manage everything else with your tongue," I muttered.
He kicked my shin under the table.
Mama's Reassurance
Then Mama's tone softened, though her words carried steel.
"Listen to me, both of you. These engagements are weighty, yes. They bind clans and realms. But above all—they are about you. If either of you stands before your fiancée one day and feels no bond, no trust, no heart… then we will not agree. Do you understand?"
Her green eyes flashed like leaves in sunlight. "I will never hand my sons to futures they do not choose."
For the first time that night, I felt the weight ease a little. Even Kael sat straighter, his usual smirk softened into something almost grateful.
"Thanks, Mama," he mumbled.
She smiled, brushing back his hair the way she always did when he pretended he didn't like it.
Later, in the quiet of our chamber, Kael flopped onto his bed with a groan. "Two fiancées. I swear, Mark, they're going to bury me alive under wedding contracts."
I sat on the edge of my own bed, staring at the moonlight cutting across the floor. "And I'm marrying someone who shouldn't exist. Between us, we're doomed."
Kael turned his head, smirk returning. "Yeah, but at least we'll be doomed together."
I snorted, lying back beside him. "Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better."
"Give it time." He yawned. "We'll laugh about this one day. You'll see."
I doubted it. But as his breathing slowed and the night wrapped around us, I realized something: whatever mystery, whatever danger awaited, we would face it as we always had.
Together.