The whisper at Daya's window chilled her blood.
Her breath caught as the figure pulled back his hood, moonlight spilling across familiar features. Her lips parted in disbelief.
"Ralen?" she whispered.
The young servant glanced nervously around before pressing a finger to his lips. "Quiet. Please, Daya." His eyes darted to the door where guards stood on the other side. "They'll hear us."
Her knees nearly gave way. Ralen—one of the kitchen boys she had known for years, the boy she once smuggled extra bread to when he went hungry—was standing outside her chamber window in the dead of night, cloaked like a thief.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in a trembling voice.
"I came to warn you." His voice cracked with urgency. "You must leave this place. Rosa's reach is already inside these walls. If you stay, you won't live to see another week."
The air seemed to drain from the room. Daya clutched the window frame for balance.
"Rosa sent you," she whispered, horrified.
His jaw tightened, guilt flashing in his eyes. "She—she has men everywhere, Daya. I didn't want this, but I owed her favors. If I didn't obey, my sister would…" He trailed off, his voice breaking. "But I don't want to see you die. Come with me. Tonight. I can get you beyond the palace before sunrise."
Her heart pounded wildly. Escape. Freedom. Yet with it came the image of the dragon prince's burning gaze, the weight of his words: You are under my protection.
She opened her mouth to respond—
The doors slammed open.
The guards outside had heard. They surged into the chamber with blades drawn. A roar split the silence as Prince Vanda himself strode in behind them, fire already sparking across his knuckles.
In an instant, the room was fire and fury.
Ralen's eyes widened with terror. He stumbled back, but Vanda was faster. With a sweep of his hand, flames erupted across the window, trapping the servant in their glow.
"Traitor," Vanda growled, his golden eyes like molten suns.
"Wait!" Daya cried, rushing forward. "He—he only came to warn me—"
"Silence!" The command thundered across the chamber, silencing even the guards. His fury was not aimed at her, but the weight of it still pressed her into trembling silence.
Ralen dropped to his knees, sweat pouring down his face under the heat of the flames. "Please—I had no choice!"
Vanda's boot crashed into his chest, pinning him to the floor. He crouched low, his hand searing with fire as he grabbed the boy by the throat.
"You serve Rosa," Vanda hissed. "You dare step into my walls, into my wing, to lay your filthy whispers at her feet?" His grip tightened. "You will burn for this."
"Don't!" Daya's cry cracked the air. She rushed forward, clutching Vanda's arm. Her voice shook, but her grip was firm. "If you kill him now, we'll never know what Rosa has planned."
The fire flickered, wavering under her touch. Vanda's head turned slowly toward her. His eyes blazed, his face carved in fury, yet something in her trembling defiance made him hesitate.
At length, he growled and released the boy, tossing him onto the floor like discarded prey. "Chain him in the dungeons," he ordered the guards. "If he so much as breathes without my command, cut out his tongue."
The guards dragged Ralen away, his terrified cries echoing down the hall. When the door slammed shut, silence fell once more.
Daya's chest heaved. She looked at Vanda, torn between fear and relief. His face was still dark with fury, but his hands were clenched, the flames gone.
"You risked yourself for a traitor," he said coldly.
"I risked him for the truth," she whispered.
Their gazes locked, unyielding, until finally Vanda turned away.
---
Later, in the dungeons, the truth came to light.
The air was thick with damp stone and the stench of fear. Ralen hung in chains, his face pale, his breath shallow. Vanda stood before him like a predator, silent and merciless.
"Speak," the prince commanded. "What does Rosa plan?"
Ralen's lips trembled. "She… she wants the maid." His eyes flickered toward Daya, who stood behind Vanda, hands clasped tightly. "She says if you keep her, she will bleed your kingdom for every day you defy her."
Vanda's expression darkened. He stepped closer, his hand pressing against Ralen's chest. Flames hissed faintly, the smell of singed cloth filling the air.
"And where is she now?"
The boy's body shook violently. He gasped, words spilling out in panic. "She's here! Already here!"
The chamber fell into stunned silence.
Daya's heart plummeted.
Vanda's hand dropped, the fire extinguished—but his eyes burned hotter than ever. He turned slowly, his gaze locking on Daya. For the first time since she met him, she saw not the fearsome dragon prince, nor the arrogant ruler. She saw the man facing a storm that could tear his kingdom apart.