- 9 hours ago
The Stolen Princess and the Cursed Dragon EPISODE
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🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00:04The gold dragon I had raised with my own hands bit through my fingertip the moment it broke out of
00:00:09its shell.
00:00:10A heartbeat later, it turned away from me and flew straight to my sister Izalith, and curled tamely into her
00:00:16arms.
00:00:18She held the dragon that should have been mine, and sobbed in front of the entire kingdom.
00:00:23Seraphina! How could you steal my dragon egg?
00:00:28I did not steal it.
00:00:30I was the one who brought it to life from the egg.
00:00:33Murmurs swept through the noble stands like a storm.
00:00:36King Alaric slammed his seppler against the stone floor, and guards swarmed forward to pin my arms behind my hack.
00:00:44Izalith glided toward me through the chaos, but when she leaned close to my ear, her voice was cold and
00:00:50sharp, stripped of all pretend.
00:00:53Did you really think the dragon chose you? Newborn hatchlings are blind.
00:00:57They know their master only by the scent of blood on the egg.
00:01:00For three whole months, I snuck into your incubation chamber every midnight and adapt the shell with my own blood.
00:01:08Day and night you sat by it, because it never smelled you. All it knew was my scent.
00:01:15She paused, her fingertips brushing the bite wound on my finger, and I flinched as a sting of burning pain
00:01:21shot through my hand.
00:01:22I brushed dragon repellent sap on your fingertips before the ceremony.
00:01:26That's why it bit you the moment it touched you.
00:01:30To it, you reek of something loathsome.
00:01:35Why would you do this to me?
00:01:40Izalith laughed softly.
00:01:42Why?
00:01:44Because you were born first and the crown was handed to you without effort?
00:01:48A golden dragon is the omen of a rightful ruler.
00:01:52With it, I will take your throne, your title, everything that should have been mine.
00:01:59Just like that, I became a thief.
00:02:02My father stripped me of my claims into the throne and threw me into the dragon pit.
00:02:07The iron gate clashed shut behind me with a deafening boom.
00:02:11Starving lesser drakes tore at the hem of my gown.
00:02:14Hot, rancid breath rolled over my face, and sharp claws scraped against my arms.
00:02:24Before I closed my eyes, my sister was holding the golden dragon and wearing my crown, basking in smug triumph.
00:02:32When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my father gave us our dragon eggs.
00:02:37This time, I'd not kneel and beg anyone to believe me.
00:02:41If Izalith wanted to steal my dragon so badly, I'd give her the most dangerous one of all.
00:02:47King Alaric's voice rang out above me.
00:02:50Seraphina, what are you waiting for?
00:02:52My head shot up.
00:02:53I was standing in the golden hall.
00:02:56Candlelight flickered over the moppable marble floors.
00:02:58Nobles lined both sides of the chamber.
00:03:01Every pair of eyes fixed on me.
00:03:03Before the daisk, stood two, silver trays.
00:03:06Each holding a dragon egg.
00:03:07One was pale.
00:03:09Threaded with delicate gold veins.
00:03:11The other was dull and dark.
00:03:13Without shine at all.
00:03:14I had seen this scene before.
00:03:16No.
00:03:17I had lived it before.
00:03:19Back then, I was the crown princess of Valderria, the only daughter of the late queen.
00:03:24The kingdom called me calm, disciplined, worthy of the throne.
00:03:29I had believed that, if I worked hard enough, if I became perfect enough, my father would finally see me.
00:03:35Later, I learned the truth.
00:03:37Some fathers don't need a reason to favor one child over another.
00:03:41The child he loved was Isolet.
00:03:43The daughter born to his second queen.
00:03:45It did not matter how many royal laws I memorized, how many court rituals I mastered, or how many noble
00:03:51sons I defeated's training.
00:03:53To him, I'd always be the elder daughter.
00:03:55He did not want to acknowledge.
00:03:58Alarak glanced at me.
00:03:59There was no warmth in his face.
00:04:03Valderria was once protected by dragons.
00:04:07After the Great War, almost every adult dragon died.
00:04:12Only a few eggs remain sealed in the royal vaults.
00:04:17By our oldest law, the one who hatches a dragon will earn the right to inherit the throne.
00:04:25What he did not say was this.
00:04:27Valderria's nobles would never accept an heir without dragon.
00:04:30No matter how much he loved Isolet, he still needed her to receive a dragon in public.
00:04:35Only then would everyone keep quiet when she took the throne.
00:04:38I stared at the golden-veined egg.
00:04:40In my last life, I had reached for it first.
00:04:44My chest swelling with pride.
00:04:46I had thought it was a reward for my diligence.
00:04:48I had never guessed it was a trap laid from the very start.
00:04:52He lifted his hand.
00:04:54And a servant carried one of the eggs toward me.
00:04:56You and we'll each receive one.
00:04:59In one month, every noble and citizen will gather in the palace square to witness the hatching.
00:05:06When that day comes, the true heir will show herself.
00:05:18I reached out and took the egg.
00:05:21The shell was cold.
00:05:23Exactly as I remembered.
00:05:26A ripple of whispers moved through the hall.
00:05:31Isolde stood beside our father in a white gown, her golden hair falling over her shoulders.
00:05:37She looked soft.
00:05:39Innocent.
00:05:40Like a cherished little princess who had never done anything cruel in her life.
00:05:44But when she looked at me, a familiar flash of triumph crossed her eyes.
00:05:51It was the exact same look she had worn as she watched me fall into the dragon pit.
00:05:58Isolde came to my side.
00:06:00Her voice was soft enough that only the two of us could hear.
00:06:07You will definitely lose to me.
00:06:11In my last life, I had flushed with anger at this line.
00:06:16Arguing loudly that I would hatch the stronger dragon.
00:06:23The nobles had whispered that I was petty and unworthy of the crown.
00:06:29But this time, I only tightened my grip on the egg.
00:06:35We'll see about that.
00:06:36For a second, she froze.
00:06:38She had not expected me to be so calm.
00:06:41I held the dragon egg close.
00:06:44But inside, I went cold all the way through.
00:06:50In this life, I'd never again give my life just to earn my father's approval.
00:07:00After I returned to my old tower, I dismissed every maid.
00:07:06I placed the dragon egg on the table and stared at it.
00:07:14In my last life, this was the egg that hatched into the gold dragon.
00:07:18Before it broke open, it had answered my voice from within the shell.
00:07:29I drew a small knife and pressed the tip to my finger.
00:07:36If my blood touched the contract, the hatching would begin.
00:07:43My hand hovered there for a long time.
00:07:48Images of Isolde's smug face.
00:07:51The dragon pit's darkness.
00:07:52The drake's sharp teeth flashed before my eyes.
00:07:57In the end, I lowered the knife, pushed the egg into an iron box, and locked it.
00:08:05By the time I reached the palace, the hall outside the throne room was already packed with nobles.
00:08:10Everyone was whispering excitedly about Isolde.
00:08:13Who would have thought?
00:08:14Everyone assumed Princess Serafina had the stronger gift.
00:08:17But Princess Islaid is the one truly chosen by the dragons.
00:08:20A gold dragon.
00:08:22That is the symbol of royal power.
00:08:25The succession is practically settled.
00:08:28Princess Serafina has been hiding in that old tower, hasn't she?
00:08:31I heard her egg hasn't stirred at all.
00:08:34What a shame for the late queen.
00:08:35I walked through the crowd and entered the hall.
00:08:38Isolde stood before the throne with a gold dragon egg in her arms.
00:08:42Golden light wrapped around her like a halo, making her look like a saint anointed by the dragons.
00:08:47One glance was enough to turn my blood cold.
00:08:50It wasn't the egg hidden in my tower.
00:08:52But the gold markings, the cracks forming in the shell.
00:08:55Even the heartbeat coming from inside it.
00:08:57Everything matched the egg I had awakened with my own hands.
00:09:00A chill crept slowly up my spine.
00:09:02My egg was still in the hidden chamber beneath my tower.
00:09:05Martha had been guarding it without leaving her post.
00:09:08The windows were sealed.
00:09:10My own people watched the door.
00:09:12Not even a bird could get in.
00:09:13So maybe the problem was never that someone stole the physical egg.
00:09:17Perhaps something had been redirecting the results of my hatching to Isolde all along.
00:09:22Isolde saw me and her eyes lit up.
00:09:24She adjusted her hold on the egg, holding it higher as if displaying a trophy.
00:09:31Sister, you came.
00:09:33She carried the gold egg toward me, smiling sweetly.
00:09:37Sis, I didn't think you'd show up.
00:09:40It must hurt, watching your little sister hatch a gold dragon first.
00:09:45No matter how hard you try, the dragon always ends up mine.
00:09:51I did not smash the egg.
00:09:53I did not hurt the young life sleeping inside.
00:09:58The egg was not the one at fault.
00:10:00The people using it to trap me were.
00:10:02At the northern edge of the palace grounds stood an old dragon roost that had been sealed for years.
00:10:08My mother had told me of it when I was small.
00:10:11Her voice soft as she spoke of the gold egg she had hidden there.
00:10:14A gift left for me when I came of age.
00:10:17Under the cover of night, I slipped past the sleeping guards and pushed open the rusted iron gate.
00:10:25Ash swirled up around my boots, thick with the scent of burnt scales and old magic.
00:10:31At the very back of the roost, half buried in cold ash, I saw it.
00:10:36It was small, but the moment I drew close, it trembled.
00:10:40From that night on, I began hatching a dragon again.
00:10:45I snuck to the roost every midnight, sitting for hours with the egg pressed to my chest,
00:10:50whispering old dragon lullabies my mother had taught me.
00:10:54Day by day, the shell grew brighter, the gold veins glowing like molten sunlight.
00:10:59On the 20th night, I pressed my ear against it and heard a faint heartbeat from within.
00:11:05It was alive.
00:11:07It was mine.
00:11:08Then, at dawn on the 21st day, the palace bells began to ring.
00:11:16Martha hurried into my chamber, her face pale.
00:11:25Your highness, news has come from the palace.
00:11:30Princess Islote's dragon egg has turned gold.
00:11:34The king has announced that she may hatch a gold dragon.
00:11:41The cup slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor.
00:11:45Impossible.
00:11:47The gold dragon egg was right here with me.
00:11:51How could Isolde's egg turn gold at the exact same moment my dragon awakened?
00:11:58Was this fate?
00:12:00Had I struggled so hard to change everything, only to walk right back into the same ending?
00:12:06I stared at the egg in her arms, my fingers going cold.
00:12:10My father sat on the throne, his satisfaction plain on his face.
00:12:19Serafina, bring out your egg too.
00:12:22I looked up at him.
00:12:23He had spoken to me the same way in my last life.
00:12:26He had never given me a chance to explain.
00:12:28If Isolde shed a single tear, he could condemn me without hesitation.
00:12:33My egg has not hatched yet.
00:12:36Whispers burst through the hall.
00:12:38Isolde covered her mouth in exaggerated surprise, her eyes wide with false pity.
00:12:43How could that be?
00:12:45Sister, haven't you always worked the hardest?
00:12:48Are you saying you can't hatch a dragon at all?
00:12:52She shook her head softly as if grieving for me.
00:12:54Father, don't be angry with sister.
00:12:56I'm sure she tried her best.
00:12:58It's just...
00:12:59Maybe the dragons don't favor her.
00:13:02My father's face darkened.
00:13:05Useless.
00:13:06He seized the goblet beside him and hurled it at my feet.
00:13:09It shattered against the floor, shards scraping my hem, wine splashing over the tips of my shoes.
00:13:16Valdoria needs someone who can wake a dragon, not a failure who only knows how to look proud.
00:13:22I said nothing.
00:13:23Not because I was afraid.
00:13:24Because I had finally realized this was deeper than I had thought.
00:13:28The egg had not been stolen.
00:13:30Isolde had not been lucky.
00:13:32Something had been delivering my results to her from the very beginning.
00:13:36From this day forward, Serafina will remain in the old tower.
00:13:40She will not leave unless summoned.
00:13:42She will stay there until she hatches a dragon of her own.
00:13:47The noble's eyes changed when they looked at me.
00:13:50In my first life, they called me a thief.
00:13:53In this life, they called me a failure.
00:13:56There was not much difference.
00:13:59When I left the hall, Isolde followed me.
00:14:02She waved a hand to dismiss her maids.
00:14:05And the soft, innocent mask fell from her face the moment they were out of sight.
00:14:10Sister, the look on your face just now was beautiful.
00:14:14I stopped walking.
00:14:17You can't understand it, can you?
00:14:20You hid your eggs so carefully.
00:14:25So, why do I have a gold egg too?
00:14:28The truth is, I don't even need to know what you did.
00:14:33The result will always be the same.
00:14:36She lifted a hand and patted my shoulder as if comforting a loser.
00:14:40You guard it.
00:14:42You feed it.
00:14:44You love it.
00:14:46But when it breaks out of its shell,
00:14:49it will still choose me.
00:14:52I grabbed her wrist.
00:14:54Pain flashed across her face, but she did not pull away.
00:14:58Instead, her smile widened.
00:15:01Angry?
00:15:02Then I must be right.
00:15:04She leaned in, her lips almost brushing my ear.
00:15:08Just like in your little incubation chamber.
00:15:11You thought you were raising a dragon for...
00:15:14yourself?
00:15:16You were raising it for me all along.
00:15:19I released her.
00:15:21Isolid.
00:15:24You had better pray you can keep winning.
00:15:27She smoothed her sleeve, her eyes full of contempt.
00:15:31I will.
00:15:33Father loves me.
00:15:35The kingdom expects me.
00:15:37Even the dragons choose me.
00:15:39What do you have?
00:15:41Sister?
00:15:41I watched her walk away and my mind became clearer than it had been all day.
00:15:47She was wrong.
00:15:49There was one thing I had that she did not.
00:15:52And I knew there was a second dragon growing in the old roost.
00:15:56One she would never see coming.
00:15:59On the third day of my confinement I began searching through my mother's belongings.
00:16:03At the top of the old tower was a small study.
00:16:06It had been locked for years.
00:16:08My father never came there.
00:16:09Isolde thought it too cold and dreary to set foot in.
00:16:13After my mother died her books, letters, and some old royal records had been piled inside
00:16:18like dust the whole palace wanted to forget.
00:16:19I sat on the floor and went through them one by one.
00:16:23Most of the books about dragon eggs had yellowed with age.
00:16:26They did not record mysterious legends.
00:16:28They recorded rules.
00:16:30Dragon eggs need warmth.
00:16:32Dragon eggs need quiet.
00:16:34Dragon eggs remember the contract.
00:16:36My hand froze.
00:16:38The contract?
00:16:39I read on quickly.
00:16:41Before a royal dragon egg could be hatched, the hatcher had to sign a magical contract.
00:16:46The contract bore the hatcher's name.
00:16:48When the dragon broke from its shell, it would recognize the name on the contract as its master.
00:16:53Worse, the contract did more than decide ownership.
00:16:56The blood, warmth, voice, and awakening power given by the hatcher would all be credited to
00:17:01the name that truly took effect.
00:17:03Then I saw a tiny note my mother had written in the margin.
00:17:07Queen's note.
00:17:08Beware the double ink.
00:17:10My heart clenched.
00:17:11Double ink was something royal mages used to hide secret orders.
00:17:15A line of writing appeared on the surface but beneath it,
00:17:18another line the one that actually took effect could be concealed.
00:17:22Ordinary eyes could not see it.
00:17:24Only a revealing solution could expose it.
00:17:26At last I understood where the problem might be.
00:17:30That night I changed into a maid's dress slipped past the guards and broke into the royal archive.
00:17:35In my last life when I was desperate to prove my innocence,
00:17:38I had knelt there and begged them to let me see the contracts.
00:17:41They did not open the door.
00:17:43They only shoved me down the steps and called me a lying thief.
00:17:46This time I did not beg.
00:17:49I used the sleeping powder Martha had given me to put the guards to sleep,
00:17:52then took the keys from his belt.
00:17:55Who's there?
00:17:56The guard's voice faded before he could finish.
00:17:58He slid down against the wall asleep.
00:18:01The archive was cold.
00:18:02Rows of wooden cabinets stretched into the darkness.
00:18:05I found the contracts from the day of the egg ceremony by date,
00:18:08my fingers shaking so badly I could barely hold the papers.
00:18:12The first contract was Isolde's.
00:18:14On the surface it said Isolde.
00:18:16The second contract was mine.
00:18:18On the surface it said Serafina.
00:18:20I took out the revealing solution my mother had left behind and let a drop fall onto the page.
00:18:25At first nothing happened.
00:18:27Then the ink began to blur.
00:18:29The name Serafina faded.
00:18:31Beneath it, another name rose to the surface.
00:18:35Isolde.
00:18:36I stared at that name, ice flooding my veins.
00:18:39So that was it.
00:18:40My dragon had not betrayed me.
00:18:43Isolde had not truly beaten me with her own power.
00:18:46From the moment I signed my name on that paper,
00:18:48my father had already replaced it with hers.
00:18:51Every drop of blood, every hour of warmth,
00:18:53every whisper I had breathed into that egg,
00:18:55none of it had ever been mine.
00:18:57It had all belonged to her.
00:18:59The next morning, I walked straight into the throne room.
00:19:03King Alaric with Islica, examining her gold dragon egg.
00:19:08The shell was already criss-crossed with cracks,
00:19:12and faint, thin cries of a young dragon drifted from within.
00:19:19Isolette looked up at the sound of my footsteps.
00:19:22A sweet, triumphant smile spreading across her face.
00:19:25Sister, have you finally come to your senses?
00:19:29Are you here to apologize to father, and beg to keep your place at my side?
00:19:34I did not look at her.
00:19:36I bowed to the man on the throne.
00:19:41Father, I can't hatch a dragon.
00:19:45The hole went silent.
00:19:48What did you say?
00:19:51I said I am willing to withdraw from the succession trial.
00:19:56I am no match for Isolette.
00:19:58Since she has already hatched a gold dragon,
00:20:01the throne should naturally belong for her.
00:20:07The smile frozen on Isolette's face.
00:20:10Her fingers tightened around the egg so hard her knuckles whited,
00:20:14and a small piece of shell flaked off onto her skirt.
00:20:20My father did not look pleased either.
00:20:24Nonsense!
00:20:26I looked at him calmly.
00:20:29Of course he could not let me quit.
00:20:32Isolette had not truly hatched anything.
00:20:35The gold dragon egg in her arms,
00:20:37depending on my contract upon my blood.
00:20:40If I stopped hatching dragons,
00:20:43she would have nothing left to steal.
00:20:45Alarith softened his voice,
00:20:47trying on the mask of a gentle father.
00:20:49Seraphine, you have always been a proud child.
00:20:53One failure means nothing.
00:20:56The kingdom needs you to keep trying.
00:20:59I almost laughed.
00:21:02In my first life,
00:21:04when he stood over me in the dragon pit,
00:21:06and condemned me to die,
00:21:08he had never once said the kingdom needed me.
00:21:12The kinder he pretended to be,
00:21:14the clearer the truth became.
00:21:19Isolette's golden dragon was nothing but a shadow of mine.
00:21:23And without me,
00:21:24it would die before it ever saw the sun.
00:21:28The answer was already in my hands.
00:21:31As long as that hidden name remained,
00:21:34every drop of blood I gave would become Isolette's claim.
00:21:37A small zound came from behind me.
00:21:41A soft rustle came from the archway behind me.
00:21:44I whirled,
00:21:46dagger drawn and pressed to the intruder's throat before I saw her face.
00:21:50Martha stood in the doorway,
00:21:52pale as a ghost.
00:21:54Your Highness, it's me.
00:21:57I saw you leave the tower and followed.
00:22:00I was afraid you'd be caught.
00:22:02Slowly, I lowered the blade.
00:22:04She stepped inside,
00:22:06and when her eyes fell on the glowing contract in my hand,
00:22:10her lips trembled and tears spilled over at once.
00:22:14The Queen suspected something like this would happen.
00:22:19The year the eggs were moved to the vault,
00:22:22she said the contracts felt wrong.
00:22:25But she was already too ill.
00:22:28She died before she could prove it.
00:22:31I closed my eyes.
00:22:32The weight of my mother's unfinished protection settled over me,
00:22:36warm and sharp all at once.
00:22:38My mother had not failed to protect me.
00:22:42She had simply run out of time.
00:22:45Your Highness, what do we do now?
00:22:48We have proof.
00:22:50We can call the nobles at dawn.
00:22:53Show them the truth.
00:22:55We can clear your name and take everything back.
00:22:59I looked at the name on the page and suddenly laughed.
00:23:05No, Martha stared at me.
00:23:09They won't believe it.
00:23:10In my last life, I laid everything bare, and they still chose Isolette's tears.
00:23:15The nobles did not care about the truth, neither did the people.
00:23:20They believed the winner.
00:23:22Truth doesn't win here.
00:23:24Winners write the truth.
00:23:26So this time, I'd make the winner confess she was a fraud.
00:23:31I rolled the contract back up and put it where I had found it.
00:23:36If father loves changing names so much, then let that name stay there.
00:23:44Isolette likes stealing my dragons, then I'll let her steal one.
00:23:49She stole my golden dragon, my crown, my life.
00:23:53This time, I will let her steal something else.
00:23:56Something that will tear her lies apart from the inside out.
00:24:01The royal forbiddance vault lay beneath the dragon pit.
00:24:05There were no gilded pillars there.
00:24:08No golden flames to symbolize royal power.
00:24:13Only a cold, damp staircase leading down into darkness.
00:24:16The walls scarred with black burn marks.
00:24:20After the war, the royal family had sealed the most dangerous dragon eggs here.
00:24:26Not because they were noble.
00:24:28Because no one dared to hatch them.
00:24:37My mother's notes mentioned one egg in particular.
00:24:43A black dragon egg.
00:24:50Black dragons were powerful, savage, and almost impossible to tame.
00:24:59They were not like gold dragons, which symbolized the throne.
00:25:05They were not like red dragons, which burned for war.
00:25:09Black dragons devoured falsehood in a contract.
00:25:12They attacked those who deceived them.
00:25:17They were not like gold.
00:25:17Three kings had tried to bind black dragons to their will, over 300 years.
00:25:22All had paid a terrible price.
00:25:24The first lost an entire hand to dragon fire.
00:25:28The second went mad on the day the dragon hatched.
00:25:32The third managed to make the dragon open its eyes.
00:25:35But when he declared himself its master, it bit through his throat.
00:25:44After that, the black dragon egg was locked in the deepest part of the Forbidden's Vault.
00:25:54In my first life, I died without ever knowing it existed.
00:25:58In this life, I opened the door.
00:26:02There was no light behind the iron door.
00:26:06I walked in with a torch and saw a jet black dragon egg resting silently on a stone platform.
00:26:12It was much larger than an ordinary egg.
00:26:15There were no markings on the shell.
00:26:17As I approached, the torch flame shrank and dimmed, as if the darkness itself was eating the light.
00:26:23The thing inside was awake.
00:26:25I know you're dangerous.
00:26:27The black egg did not respond.
00:26:30I also know you won't kneel tamely at anyone's feet.
00:26:35This time, the shell trembled lightly.
00:26:40Father, I'm tired.
00:26:42I accept that I am not as capable as Isoth.
00:26:47Please allow me to leave the tower and move to the estate outside the city.
00:26:51I will never touch another dragon egg.
00:26:55No.
00:26:57This time, it was Isolate who spoke.
00:27:00She flinched as soon as she said it, realizing she took ocean to had broken her gentle ale mask in
00:27:06front of the nobles.
00:27:08Sister, I didn't mean it that way.
00:27:10I only think you shouldn't give up so easily.
00:27:15You are my sister.
00:27:28I want you to prove yourself too.
00:27:30I turned to her fully, taking one slow step forward.
00:27:35She stumbled back half a step before she caught herself.
00:27:40What good would that do you?
00:27:44Isolate's face went pale.
00:27:47Don't you already have a gold dragon?
00:27:49Aren't you about to become the heir?
00:27:52Why are you afraid I'll stop hatching dragons?
00:27:55Several nobles in the hall exchanged puzzled looks.
00:27:58Isolate bit down hard on her lip, tears rolling down her cheeks.
00:28:02Sister, how can you think that of me?
00:28:05I'm only worried about you.
00:28:09In my last life, I'd have rushed to defend myself and ended up looking cruel beside her tears.
00:28:17This time, I only smiled.
00:28:21Then thank you for your concern.
00:28:24I bowed to my father again.
00:28:35Father, since Isolate has won, there is no reason for me to remain here.
00:28:40Alaric stared at me.
00:28:41For the first time, I saw panic in his eyes.
00:28:46You must continue hatching dragon eggs.
00:28:50Why?
00:28:52He stopped.
00:28:53The words died on his tongue.
00:28:56He could not say the quiet part out loud.
00:28:59I lowered my voice, just loud enough for the front rows of nobles to hear.
00:29:04Surely it isn't because Isolate needs me to hatch them for her.
00:29:08The sentence cut through the false calm of the hall.
00:29:12Isolate's face changed completely.
00:29:15Alex slammed his palm down on the arm of the throne so hard the goblets rattled.
00:29:20How dare you!
00:29:22I knelt slowly, my back straight.
00:29:24Forgive me, father.
00:29:26It was only a joke.
00:29:28But the joke had already sunk its teeth in.
00:29:31No one in that hall would forget the question, or the panic on Isolate's face.
00:29:35After I left the hall, Isolate followed me.
00:29:41She grabbed my wrist, her nails digging hard into my sleeve through the fabric.
00:29:49Seraphina, what are you planning?
00:29:51I'm planning to give up.
00:29:53You're lying.
00:29:55You must have hidden another dragon egg somewhere.
00:29:57You think you can raise one in secret and take everything back?
00:30:00I pulled my wrist free, brushing off my sleeve as if I'd touched something dirty.
00:30:06Then take your time looking.
00:30:09Search every tower, every cellar, every corner of the palace.
00:30:13I won't stop you.
00:30:14Her chest and fell with anger.
00:30:17She leaned in, her voice low and vicious.
00:30:20Don't think you can threaten me.
00:30:23Father will stand with me.
00:30:24The nobles will stand with me, as long as I say you stole something from me.
00:30:28They will throw you into the dragon pit.
00:30:31All over again.
00:30:33I know.
00:30:34My calm only stoked her panic.
00:30:37She had expected tears, rage, pleas, anything but this quiet certainty.
00:30:44That's why this time, I'll give you something you won't be able to resist stealing.
00:30:50Something you will beg to take from me.
00:30:52She did not follow again.
00:30:56The bait was already set.
00:30:58And I knew she would bite.
00:31:01I unfolded the crumpled copy of the altered contract I'd taken from the archive.
00:31:05On the surface, it said Serafina.
00:31:07The name that truly took effect was Isolda.
00:31:09My father thought he had built a throne for Isolda.
00:31:11He did not realize the same forged contract he'd used to steal my dragon
00:31:15would also tie a ravenous noose tight around her neck.
00:31:17I cut my finger and let my blood fall onto the contract.
00:31:20The name on the page flared.
00:31:22Isolet.
00:31:23On the stone platform, the black egg shook violently, so hard it rattled against the rock.
00:31:27A low, rumbling growl rolled out from within the shell.
00:31:29Deep and guttural, nothing like the soft, high chirp of a newborn gold dragon.
00:31:34Grow well.
00:31:36Soon enough, she will come to steal you.
00:31:39For the next ten days and ten nights, I did not step foot back in the old tower.
00:31:42I stayed in the damp, dark forbiddance vault, curled up beside the black egg through every hour.
00:31:47I gave it warmth.
00:31:48I gave it blood.
00:31:49I gave it silence.
00:31:50It was nothing like the gold dragon I'd raised in my last life.
00:31:53The gold dragon had answered my whispers with tiny, soft taps from inside the shell.
00:31:58Gentle as an unborn child reaching for its mother.
00:32:00The black dragon never sought comfort.
00:32:02It never tapped back, never leaned into my palm.
00:32:04It only grew hotter and heavier with each passing day, the shell burning like forged iron.
00:32:09More than once, I felt as if it was watching me.
00:32:11On the eleventh day, the first crack appeared in the shell.
00:32:14Martha stood at the door, her face paler than the dust.
00:32:17Your Highness, black dragons are untameable.
00:32:20Once it breaks free, people may truly die.
00:32:22Isolet may die.
00:32:24And you still want to go through with this?
00:32:27There's no turning back once the shell breaks.
00:32:29I stared at the glowing crack on the black shell, and the memories of my last life flashed before my
00:32:34eyes.
00:32:34The iron gate of the dragon picks them up shut.
00:32:37Isolde is smug.
00:32:38Tear streaked smile high above.
00:32:40My father's cold unforgiving eyes.
00:32:42The roar of the crowd screaming thief as I fell.
00:32:44They never gave me a way back.
00:32:46Yes.
00:32:47I continue.
00:32:48If it truly recognizes Iselec as its master, will she die?
00:32:51I did not answer right away.
00:32:53Death would be too easy for her.
00:32:56First, the black dragon will tear away every last one of her lies.
00:33:00It will make every person in this kingdom see exactly what she stole.
00:33:04The dragon, the crown, and my life.
00:33:07On the night before the succession ceremony, Isolde came to the entrance of the Forbidden's Vault herself.
00:33:12She could not enter.
00:33:13She could only look at me through the iron gate.
00:33:15Sister.
00:33:17I knew it.
00:33:18You've been hiding something this whole time.
00:33:20I picked up the black egg and carried it to the iron gate, holding it up so the firelight fell
00:33:24full across its glossy black shell.
00:33:26Her eyes lit up at once, bright with naked greed.
00:33:29All pretence of gentleness vanishing in the dark.
00:33:31A black dragon egg.
00:33:33The most powerful dragon in all of Valdoria.
00:33:37Stronger than any gold dragon.
00:33:39Isolde's throat bobbed hard as she swallowed.
00:33:41She could not look away from the egg.
00:33:42Tomorrow, at the ceremony in the square, you can stand in front of all the nobles and all the people
00:33:47and tell everyone that this egg belongs to you.
00:33:50As I turned away, I heard her whisper.
00:33:52It will be mine.
00:33:54Everything will be mine.
00:33:55I smiled.
00:33:56Serafina quietly to herself.
00:33:58Of course it will.
00:34:00On the day of the succession ceremony, the palace square was packed from end to end, the crowd buzzing with
00:34:06excitement.
00:34:07Nobles stood on both sides of the high platform.
00:34:10Commoners crowded behind the iron railings.
00:34:12Everyone wanted to see the gold dragon hatch and witness Isolde become the next queen.
00:34:16Isolde stood at the center of the high platform in a snow-white ceremonial gown.
00:34:20A delicate pearl crown perched on her golden hair.
00:34:23The gold dragon egg in her arms was crisscrossed with cracks.
00:34:26Warm golden light seeping through every gap.
00:34:29And faint, soft chirps drifted out from within.
00:34:32King Alaric stood proudly at her side, his chest puffed out,
00:34:35every line of his face screaming satisfaction at the heir he had chosen.
00:34:39The sight burned into my eyes, sharp with the pain of old memories.
00:34:43In my last life I had stood exactly where she was.
00:34:46Holding that same glowing gold egg.
00:34:48Believing my diligence had finally been rewarded.
00:34:51I had thought the world was fair.
00:34:53That the dragon would choose the one who raised it.
00:34:56But justice had always been a joke written by the winners.
00:34:59The real rules had been rewritten in secret long before I ever stepped into that hall.
00:35:03The master of ceremonies lifted his staff and his booming voice rolled across the square.
00:35:09By the ancient laws of Valdoria, let both princesses present their dragon eggs before the people.
00:35:20Isolde stepped forward first, her skirt trailing elegantly behind her.
00:35:24She set the gold dragon egg gently on the stone altar.
00:35:27And golden light burst forth, drawing a wave of odd murmurs from the nobles.
00:35:32A true gold dragon.
00:35:34I never thought I'd see one in my lifetime.
00:35:37The gold dragon is the very symbol of royal power.
00:35:40This is an omen.
00:35:41Princess Isolette truly is the chosen one.
00:35:45She is Valdoria's future.
00:35:47Beneath the hum of admiration, I stepped out from the shadow of the archway.
00:35:51The black dragon egg held steady in my arms.
00:35:53In an instant, every sound vanished.
00:35:56The black egg did not glow with warm, brilliant light like the gold one.
00:35:59It drank in the light around it.
00:36:01Heavy and oppressive, pressing down on every breath.
00:36:05Wherever it passed, the flames nearby bent low.
00:36:08A commoner in the front row breathed out the question.
00:36:13What is that thing?
00:36:15An elderly noble in the front row stood up abruptly, his hands shaking on the railing.
00:36:20A black black dragon egg!
00:36:22That's a black dragon egg!
00:36:25Another noble leaned forward, his face pale with shock.
00:36:29Impossible. Wasn't that sealed deep in the forbidden vault generations ago?
00:36:34How did she get it?
00:36:35When Isolde saw the egg, all color drained from her face.
00:36:40Isolette drew a deep breath, lifting her chin and straightening her back,
00:36:43putting on all the dignity of a rightful heir.
00:36:44Yes, it belongs to me. It was sealed away for the royal heir and I am the heir.
00:36:48I looked at her, and you are equally certain that when it breaks its shell,
00:36:52it will recognize you, and only you, as its master.
00:36:56Unease flickered in her eyes, but the thrill of victory quickly smothered it.
00:37:01Of course it will! Dragons know their true master!
00:37:05I stepped back slowly, putting distance between myself and the altar.
00:37:10Then go ahead.
00:37:13Prove it to everyone.
00:37:15Isolette had not expected me to yield so easily.
00:37:18She stared at me for a long time, as if searching for the trap.
00:37:21Every eye in the square was on her. Every noble,
00:37:24every commoner was waiting to see their future queen command her dragon.
00:37:26She had already declared the egg hers. If she hesitated now, all her lies would crumble.
00:37:29So she squirms flat against the cold black shell.
00:37:31In the name of Valdoria's future queen, I command you to break your shell and recognize your master.
00:37:36For one moment, the black egg was still. Then it cracked.
00:37:39A single razor-sharp black line split the shell clean from top to bottom,
00:37:42glowing with faint smoky light. The nobles closest to the altar stumbled back at once.
00:37:51Isolette forced a proud smile onto her face, but her fingers were trembling so hard against the shell,
00:37:55she could barely keep them still.
00:37:56Why should I? It is my dragon. It will not hurt its own master.
00:38:05Before the crowd could finish whispering, Isolette suddenly stepped forward to the edge of the platform.
00:38:13I stopped and looked at her. Tears filled her eyes
00:38:16right on cues.
00:38:17Was stealing my gold dragon egg not enough? Now you've snuck into the forbidden vault
00:38:23to steal my black dragon egg too? The square exploded into an uproar.
00:38:28Angry shouts and murmurs rolled over me like a wave.
00:38:32I heard the crowd call me greedy, shameless, a thief who would do anything for power.
00:38:38I heard them say I'd never change, that I'd always been jealous of my sister.
00:38:42I heard a woman's sharp voice yell that I was not worthy of being a princess,
00:38:47not worthy of the royal blood in my veins. On the throne, King Alaric rose slowly.
00:38:53Serafina, hand over the black dragon egg at once.
00:38:56I did not move. On what grounds?
00:39:02His gaze cut through the noise. Isolette has said it belongs to her.
00:39:07I laughed.
00:39:11So that's the law of the palace now? If she says it is hers, then it is hers?
00:39:18Isolette shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks.
00:39:21Sister, I know you hate me for being loved by father, but you can't steal from me again and
00:39:24again just because you want the throne. The gold dragon chose me and you refused to accept it.
00:39:27Now you've gone and stolen the black dragon too. What else do you want from me? Do you want my
00:39:30life?
00:39:30In my last life, I had lost everything to those tears. I'd shouted, I'd argued, I'd begged,
00:39:37and I'd still looked like a cruel bully beside her soft weeping figure.
00:39:42But this life, there is no mention of, of explaining myself. I would not beg. I would not yell.
00:39:52I stepped up onto the platform, walked to the altar, and set the black dragon egg down right
00:39:57beside the blowing gold one. Isolette, are you certain this black dragon egg belongs to you?
00:40:02In front of father, in front of every noble, every citizen standing in the square, are you
00:40:05certain you want to swear before all of them that this is your dragon egg? Isolette's eyes darted to
00:40:09King Alaric, searching for reassurance. Alaric nodded almost imperceptibly. I saw it. Good.
00:40:17Just like last time. They had chosen greed over truth.
00:40:22The moment the second crest split open, the sky above the square darkened. It was not that clouds
00:40:27had rolled in to cover the sun. It was as if something inside the shell had reached up and
00:40:31swallowed all the light in the air. One torch after another bent low, even the faint cries from the
00:40:35gold dragon egg suddenly stopped. Isolette's hands were still pressed tight to the black shell.
00:40:40But her knuckles had gone white. Her smile froze.
00:40:44This is wrong. This is all wrong. A black dragon's hatching is thunder and fire.
00:40:50It should not be this quiet. This is unnatural.
00:40:53The next second, with a sound like shattering obsidian, the entire shell burst apart.
00:40:58A young black dragon crawled out. It was not large.
00:41:01But the entire square fell into dead silence. Its wet black scales clung to its body.
00:41:07But its eyes were already cold. It did not cry softly like a gold dragon. It did not nuzzle
00:41:12anyone's hand. It only lifted its head and looked at Isolde.
00:41:17Isolde took a step back before she could stop herself.
00:41:27The black dragon tilted its head, then it lowered its snout and sniffed the contact. Paper on the
00:41:33altar black fire ignited across the page. The name hidden beneath the surface slowly appeared, Isolde.
00:41:44Isolde. Everyone saw it. Sharp breaths rose all around me. Isolde's face turned white. She whipped her
00:41:50head toward our father. Alaric had frozen to it. Must not have expected the black dragon to burn the
00:41:56hidden name into the open.
00:42:02The black dragon took one slow, deliberate step toward Isolde, its claws clicking sharp on the stone
00:42:08altar. At last, panic broke through her composure.
00:42:15No! No! No, it wasn't me! This is a trick!
00:42:18She backed away, her voice shaking.
00:42:21I didn't hatch you! She did! Seraphina hatched you! She's the one who fed you her blood!
00:42:30You just stood in front of this entire kingdom and swore it was yours.
00:42:35Isolde screamed, sharp and streal, her composure gone entirely.
00:42:40That isn't what I meant! You tricked me! You lured me into saying it!
00:42:46You said the gold dragon was yours and everyone believed you. No one tricked you then.
00:42:51You said the black dragon was yours and everyone believed that too. You reached for it gladly.
00:42:56You called it your birthright. I stopped just out of the dragon's reach,
00:43:00looking down at her cringing figure. Dear sisters, haven't you always loved stealing my dragons?
00:43:06This one is yours now. Keep it. The black dragon lunged without warning,
00:43:12a low snarl rumbling in its chest. The guards beside Isolde drew their swords with a sharp clang,
00:43:18but the dragon swept them aside with one flick of its tail, sending men and steel crashing into the
00:43:24stone steps. It did not kill her at once. It was toying with her, the way a cat toys with
00:43:29a mouse before
00:43:30the kill. It pinned her wrist beneath its claws, and black fire crawled up her skin. Isilad screamed.
00:43:37The golden contract marks on the back of her hand burned away inch by inch. It was not ordinary fire.
00:43:44It did not char her flesh. It burned the stolen contract out of her.
00:43:55She sobbed and shrieked toward Alaric, her body twisting uselessly beneath the dragon's claw.
00:44:01At last, Alaric could no longer stand still and watch. He stormed down from the throne platform.
00:44:07Stop it, Seraphina! Make it stop this instant!
00:44:13Why should I? Isn't it Isila's dragon? Shouldn't her own dragon obey her?
00:44:21His face went studged. The black dragon continued pressing in on Isolde. Black fire had already climbed to her throat.
00:44:35Her carefully arranged hair had fallen loose. Her pearl crown dropped to the ground and shattered
00:44:42beneath her own foot. She no longer looked like a noble princess. She looked like a fraud finally being exposed.
00:44:51Father! Tell them! Say it out loud! Or it will burn me alive! I don't want to die!
00:45:01Every eye in the square turned to the king. Curiosity, doubt, judgment. All of it landed on him at once.
00:45:08I walked toward him.
00:45:12Tell them what, father?
00:45:13Alaric stared at me, hatred and fear warring in his eyes. His hands clenched at his sides.
00:45:21I lowered my voice.
00:45:24Father, don't you love Isileth most?
00:45:29Saving her is simple. Tell everyone why every dragon I hatched, every drop of Bly gave,
00:45:39all ended up recognizing her as their master. His lips trembled.
00:45:47Seraphina, must you destroy the royal family? Must you humiliate us in front of every subject?
00:45:55I smiled.
00:45:57Didn't you already do that?
00:46:00The day you altered the contract? The day you threw your own daughter into into the dragon pit?
00:46:08You destroyed the royal family's honor yourself.
00:46:14The black dragon growled again and Isolde's scream tore through the square.
00:46:20Finally, Alaric closed his eyes.
00:46:25It was me.
00:46:30I changed the name on the contract.
00:46:35Wind swept across the altar, scattering the ashes of the burned contract into the air like black snow.
00:46:48Before any royal dragon egg can be hatched, the magical contract must be signed.
00:47:04When the dragon breaks from its shell, it recognizes the name on the contract as its master.
00:47:13I ordered the royal mages to use double ink on Seraphina's contract.
00:47:29On the surface, Seraphina's contract bore her own name.
00:47:35But the name that truly took effect was Isolette.
00:47:49Gasps erupted from the crowd.
00:47:53Isolde was crying so hard she could barely breathe, but she still shook her head wildly.
00:48:00No! No! No, it wasn't me!
00:48:03Father did it! I didn't know anything! I knew nothing!
00:48:13You knew nothing?
00:48:18I crouched down in front of her.
00:48:23Three whole months.
00:48:26Every midnight, you snuck into my incubation chamber and dapped my egg with your blood.
00:48:34You knew nothing then either?
00:48:36Her eyes went wide.
00:48:38She had never told anyone about those midnight visits.
00:48:42Before the hatching ceremony,
00:48:45you brushed dragon repellent sap on my fingertips.
00:48:48So the gold dragon bite me.
00:48:52You knew nothing about that either?
00:48:55Of course, no one else in this life understood those words.
00:48:59But Isolde did.
00:49:01The fear on her face deepened, turning to something close to terror.
00:49:10You knew every time.
00:49:14Every time.
00:49:15You planned every step.
00:49:20You just thought you'd never get caught.
00:49:23You also knew that if you cried,
00:49:26Father would always stand on your side.
00:49:31Isolde tried to answer, but the black dragon's claws pressed into her shoulder,
00:49:36and she could not form a single complete sentence.
00:49:40I stood and turned to the nobles.
00:49:44Do you still think I am a thief?
00:49:47No one answered.
00:49:48Those who had been so eager to insult me lowered their heads one by one.
00:49:52The hidden name has been burned into the open.
00:49:56The king has confessed with his own mouth.
00:50:00The gold dragon, the black dragon, and every dragon Isolik ever claimed as hers,
00:50:06were hatched by me.
00:50:08Some stepped back.
00:50:09Others dropped their eyes, unable to meet my gaze.
00:50:12At last, they understood that the princess they had worshipped was not chosen by dragons.
00:50:17She was a fraud propped up by her father's cheating,
00:50:19and they had all been her willing audience.
00:50:22An elderly noble fell to his knees, his whole body trembling.
00:50:27Princess Serafina, we were deceived.
00:50:32We did not know the truth.
00:50:35Forgive us.
00:50:36I looked at him.
00:50:39No.
00:50:41You were not deceived.
00:50:44You chose the more convenient lie.
00:50:47Because that lie did not require them to oppose the king.
00:50:49Because that lie let them stomp a disgraced princess into the mud.
00:50:53Because Isolde cried beautifully, and I refused to lower my head.
00:50:57They were not blind.
00:50:58They had simply decided the truth did not matter.
00:51:01Alaric suddenly spoke.
00:51:03Serafina, this was my crime.
00:51:04Punish me if you must.
00:51:07Isolette is innocent.
00:51:09I turned to him.
00:51:10Even now, he was still protecting her.
00:51:14Innocent?
00:51:15She just claimed the black dragon egg in front of the entire kingdom.
00:51:18Did you force her to do that too?
00:51:19Alaric had no answer.
00:51:21Isolde finally broke.
00:51:23I was wrong, sister.
00:51:25I was wrong, I swear!
00:51:27She tried to crawl toward my skirt, but the black dragon pinned her to the ground.
00:51:33I was just scared.
00:51:35I was afraid that once you inherited the throne, we would have nothing.
00:51:39I only wanted a better life.
00:51:42You wanted a better life, so I deserved to die.
00:51:46You stole my dragons.
00:51:48You stole my throne.
00:51:49You stole my reputation.
00:51:51You let everyone call me a thief.
00:51:54You let father throw me into the dragon pit.
00:51:59She stared at me in horror, as if looking at someone who should not remember those things.
00:52:04I did not explain.
00:52:05I lifted my hand.
00:52:07The black dragon raised its head to look at me, its cold eyes softening for the first time.
00:52:13Enough.
00:52:13The black dragon released Isolde.
00:52:15She collapsed on the ground, trembling all over.
00:52:18The golden markings on her hand were gone.
00:52:21Only scorched black traces remained.
00:52:23She had lost every claim the stolen contracts had given her.
00:52:26From that moment on, no dragon in Valdoria would ever recognize her as its master again.
00:52:32It rained softly on the day my father was deposed.
00:52:35After the hidden contract was exposed,
00:52:37the council had no choice but to strip Alaric of the crown before the entire court.
00:52:41I did not kill him.
00:52:43Death would have been to light.
00:52:45I had his crown removed and replaced with a crude iron circlet.
00:52:48It had no jewels.
00:52:49No gold designs.
00:52:51Only cold weight.
00:52:52When the guards lifted the old crown away, Alaric reached for it by instinct.
00:52:57Former King Alaric, lower your hand.
00:53:00The title struck harder than a slap.
00:53:02For the first time in his life, no one called him your majesty.
00:53:06He was imprisoned in the deepest dungeon beneath the throne room.
00:53:09There was a narrow window there, facing the great hall.
00:53:13He could not see the throne, but he could hear every word spoken above him.
00:53:17From then on, whenever the nobles swore loyalty to me, he heard it.
00:53:24Whenever the people shouted long live the queen, that sound would drift down through the stone and into his cell.
00:53:29The daughter he had despised, the one he'd thrown away like trash, sat on his throne.
00:53:35The daughter he'd loved most, the one he'd given everything to, had lost everything and been cast out of the
00:53:40palace in disgrace.
00:53:42That was the punishment I chose for him.
00:53:50I stood outside the iron bars, looking at the iron circlet pressing into his graying hair.
00:53:59You only remembered you were my father, after you lost your crown.
00:54:05The kingdom needs me. You're your young. You don't know how to rule. You'll tear it apart.
00:54:13No.
00:54:15And it will thrive without you.
00:54:17The guards closed the iron door.
00:54:20The sound echoed under the throne room. Alaric stood behind the bars, staring upward as the first voice from the
00:54:26great hall rang down.
00:54:28Long live Queen Seraphina!
00:54:33Then another, then a hundred, then a thousand, until the whole palace rang with it.
00:54:38His face twisted with rage and grief and humiliation. He couldn't cover his ears.
00:54:43From that day on, he would have to listen to it every single day until the day he died.
00:54:49As for Isolde, I did not let her die either. After the black dragon burned away the stolen contract,
00:54:56she was too weak to stand on her own. Half her hair had been scorched by black fire.
00:55:00The contract mark on her hand would never return. Nobles no longer called her princess. Maids no
00:55:05longer lowered their eyes when she passed. I stripped her of her title and sent her to the
00:55:09lowest level of the dragon pit. It was no longer a place of quick execution. Now it housed the lesser
00:55:13drakes kept by the royal family. Filthy sharp-toothed things that ate scraps and charred bone.
00:55:19Every day, she had to muck out their pens, carry baskets of charred bones, and scrub rust and filth
00:55:24off the iron bars until her hands bled. Chains circled her wrists. Shackles clamped her ankles.
00:55:30Isolde would slam her fists against the bars, her voice hoarse from screaming.
00:55:35Gisolde. Take these chains off me! I am Princess Isoleth! You cannot do this to me!
00:55:45Guard. There is no Princess Isoleth in Valdoria anymore. There is only a prisoner doing hard labor.
00:55:55Noble girl who had once clung to her skirts, flattering her every word, would come to the
00:55:59pit edge on fine days and look down at her through the bars. Noble girl one.
00:56:07Is that the former Princess Isoleth? The one who used to call us common and unworthy?
00:56:14Noble girl two. She looks like any other servant now. Hard to believe she almost wore the crown.
00:56:20Noble girl three. I heard she never hatched a single dragon egg herself. Every bit of it was stolen from
00:56:27the queen. Whenever she heard those words, she would throw herself at the bars like a wild animal,
00:56:33spitting and screaming. Isolde. Liars! All of you are liars! I was chosen by the dragons!
00:56:41I was the rightful future queen! But no one was afraid of her now.
00:56:45She had lost my father's protection. She had lost her title. She had lost everyone's trust.
00:56:51The cruelest part of all was the black dragon. Sometimes it would circle high above the pit,
00:56:55whenever its shadow fell over her. Isolde would scramble into the darkest corner,
00:56:59curling into a ball and covering her head. Because she knew that she had once claimed that
00:57:03dragon as her own. She had stolen every dragon. I raised the last one became the nightmare she
00:57:07would live with for the rest of her life. On the night before my coronation,
00:57:12Martha carried the gold egg from the old tower to me. She told me that when Isolde's gold egg began
00:57:16to
00:57:16crack, mine had gone dim. As if every bit of life had been drained from it, but it had not
00:57:21died.
00:57:21After the black dragon burned away the false contract, it warmed again. Little by little,
00:57:26the power that had been diverted returned to it. The gold veins on the shell glowed once more,
00:57:30like a late sunrise. Martha. Your Majesty. It waited for you. I touched the shell with my fingertips.
00:57:39Seraphina. I made it wait too long. On the day I was crowned, the blood had already been washed from
00:57:44the square by rain. The gold dragon from my old tower finally hatched. It was small. Its scales bright. Its
00:57:50eyes clear.
00:57:51Now that the contract had been corrected. It walked me at last and rested its head gently
00:57:55against my palm. The entire square knelt. Crowd.
00:58:04I looked down at the warm gold dragon in my hand. Then lifted my gaze toward the highest tower.
00:58:09The black dragon perched there, silent.
00:58:13One symbolized the throne, the glory, the hope of the kingdom. One symbolized the price.
00:58:17The truth, the cost of every lie. Baldoria would no longer be ruled by lies.
00:58:22That same day, I abolished every clause in the old contracts that allowed a king to alter them in secret.
00:58:27From then on, every dragon egg contract had to be signed in the presence of the council.
00:58:31Noble witnesses, and representatives of the people, no one would ever again use double ink to steal a name.
00:58:36I also opened the royal vaults and ordered every sleeping dragon egg to be registered again.
00:58:41Dragons would no longer be tools for a father to favor one daughter over another. They
00:58:44belong to the ones who truly awakened them. The first public dragon egg registration under the
00:58:50new law was held in the same square where Isolde had once lied. This time, there was no hidden ink.
00:58:55The contract table stood in the open. Three counselors to noble witnesses and five representatives
00:59:00of the people watched every name written down. A baker's son stepped forward with shaking hands.
00:59:04Your majesty, may someone like me really try? I looked at the small copper-colored egg resting
00:59:10before him. An egg once deemed unworthy of royal blood, left to gather dust in the vaults.
00:59:15If you are willing to give it your blood, your warmth, and your patience, then you may try.
00:59:22Dragons do not care about birth. They care about who wakes them.
00:59:27The boy lifted his head, his eyes bright. He took a small knife, cut his fingertip, and signed his name
00:59:32clearly on the contract. The crowd murmured, not in fear this time, but wonder. At that moment,
00:59:37a pair of guards led Isolde through the edge of the square on their way to deliver ash from the
00:59:41dragon pens. She was bent under the weight of a heavy basket, chains clinking with every step.
00:59:46She stopped when she saw the boy at the contract table. A baker's child? You let a baker's child
00:59:52touch a dragon egg? People turned to look at her. People turned to look at her. A laugh broke out
00:59:57first, then another, then more. Better a baker's child with his own name on the contract than a
01:00:02princess who stole every name she ever had. Isolde lunged toward the table, chains dragging across
01:00:07the stone. Dragons belong to royal blood! The copper egg trembled. A tiny crack appeared in the shell.
01:00:14The boy gasped, his hand flying to his mouth. It moved. The gold dragon beside me lowered its head,
01:00:19calm and watchful. The black dragon's shadow slid across the square from the high tower.
01:00:24Isolde froze under that shadow. I stepped between her and the table. The guard pulled Isolde back
01:00:29toward the pit. No! Dragons belong to the ones who truly awaken them. She screamed and struggled
01:00:35until her voice cracked, but no one looked at her anymore. Behind her, the small copper dragon pushed
01:00:40its way out of the shell and crawled unsteadily toward the baker's son, nuzzling his hand. The crowd
01:00:45burst into cheers for a child Isolde would once have stepped over without a glance.
01:00:49That sound hurt for more than chains.
01:00:52The first winter of my reign was harsh. Not all the nobles King Alaric had left behind accepted me.
01:00:57Some swore loyalty to my face while secretly trying to support distant relatives for the throne.
01:01:02I did not rush to kill them. I let them expose themselves. One duke tried to bribe a witness
01:01:06during a public dragon egg registration to have his son's name secretly added. The witness's testimony
01:01:11read aloud in the square. Then I stripped him of all his lands in front of his own family and
01:01:15his own
01:01:16people. Your majesty, this is only a misdisunderstanding. A servant acted without my knowledge.
01:01:21Then let this misunderstanding be clear to everyone. From today on your lands return to the crown,
01:01:25and your house will never again hold a dragon contract. One bishop declared from his pulpit that
01:01:30a woman could not rule Valdoria, that my reign was against the old gods. The ledgers of bribes he had
01:01:34taken were nailed to the doors of his own cathedral. This is an insult to the temple! No. Taking gold
01:01:41from
01:01:41villages where children froze to death was the insult. Then there were those who tried to smuggle
01:01:46Isolde out of the dragon pit, thinking they could raise a banner in her name. I did not execute them.
01:01:51I sentenced them to serve three months in the dragon pit themselves, doing the same work she did.
01:01:55When the three months ended, the man who planned the escape knelt before me, thin and shaking.
01:02:00Your majesty, I beg forgiveness. One week in that pit is worse than a year in exile. I will never
01:02:07do
01:02:07anything so foolish again. Then remember where you tried to send your loyalty. I was not merciful,
01:02:13but I'd not destroy the laws of my own kingdom for selfish love the way my father had. A year
01:02:18later,
01:02:18Valdoria was stable again. The gold dragon had grown enough to carry me over the capital. When the
01:02:23people looked up and saw it, they took off their hats and bowed. Children chased its shadow through the
01:02:27streets shouting my name. Queen Seraphina, the gold dragon is coming! For the first time,
01:02:33their voices did not sound like judgment. They sounded like a kingdom learning a new truth.
01:02:40Sometimes, I visited Alarep in the dungeon. He aged quickly in that dark cell. The iron crown bent
01:02:48his neck. The king, who once sat above everyone, now had only a damp stone bed and the sound of
01:02:56cheering
01:02:56from above. Seraphina. He called once through the bars. Can you truly never forgive me? I am your
01:03:07father. I looked at him. There was regret in his eyes, yes. But there was resentment too, and pride,
01:03:14and the bitter taste of having lost. I knew then that he did not regret hurting me. He regretted losing.
01:03:22No. His hands tightened on the bars. His voice shook. I am your father. I gave you life. You had
01:03:31many chances to remember that. Before the contract was altered. Before I was thrown to the drakes.
01:03:40Before you chose her over and over and over again. I turned and left.
01:03:50Behind me, I heard him crying quietly. I did not look back. Later, Martha asked me whether I ever felt
01:03:57lonely. Your Majesty, do you ever wish there was someone who could stand beside you without bowing,
01:04:03without calling you Majesty? Just someone who knew you before the throne? I thought about it for a long
01:04:08time, staring out the window at the Black Dragon's Tower. After taking the throne, I was surrounded by
01:04:15ministers, guards, and people who bowed to me. But there were very few people I could truly lower my guard
01:04:21around. Still, that loneliness was far better than kneeling at someone else's feet and begging for
01:04:29fairness. I'd rather stand alone on the throne than return to the girl who needed someone else's
01:04:33approval to exist. Martha lowered her head, her eyes red. Your Majesty, the Queen would have been proud.
01:04:47Over the years, dragons slowly returned to Valdoria. Not every egg hatched. Not everyone who tried
01:04:56succeeded. But at least, the new laws gave everyone a real chance. Isolette remained alive, deep in the
01:05:04dragon pit. She was no longer beautiful, no longer proud. Years of labor in the dragon pit roughened her
01:05:11hands and bent her back. Sometimes the new servants didn't recognize her, and even asked whether she
01:05:17had once been a servant herself. She would fly into a rage and scream that she had been a princess.
01:05:21I am a princess! I was Valdoria's future queen! You dare speak to me like that?!
01:05:29Then everyone would laugh. A princess? In the dragon pit?
01:05:37What princess cleans dragon filth down here?
01:05:42What she could not bear was not the hard work. It was that no one believed in her nobility anymore.
01:05:49The identity she had valued most had become the biggest joke of all.
01:05:54As for the black dragon, it never belonged to anyone. It still lived on the highest black
01:06:00tower of the palace. Sometimes it landed outside my window and watched me with those cold eyes.
01:06:06I knew it was not obedience. It was not affection either.
01:06:13It simply remembered that I had let it hatch. That was enough.
01:06:20Years after my coronation, one of Isolde's former flatterers came to the dragon pit at midnight.
01:06:25The woman had once knelt beside Isolde's skirts, praising her beauty,
01:06:29her purity, and her so-called destiny. Now she wore a dark cloak and carried a hidden key stolen from
01:06:33a drunk guard.
01:06:35Old noblewoman.
01:06:36Isolet, be quiet and come with me.
01:06:41Isolde lifted her head from beside the filthy stone trough for one impossible second.
01:06:45Light returned to her eyes.
01:06:47Isolde.
01:06:48I knew it.
01:06:51I knew someone still remembered who I am.
01:06:53Old noblewoman.
01:06:57There are still people who hate the new queen. If we get you outside the city,
01:07:02they can use your name. Isolde grabbed the bars with both hands.
01:07:05Isolde.
01:07:11Lose my name.
01:07:12No.
01:07:14They will kneel to me.
01:07:16I am the true princess!
01:07:18A lesser drake raised its head and arrived. The guards appeared from both ends of the passage,
01:07:22swords drawn. Guard.
01:07:25Step away from the prisoner!
01:07:26The noblewoman dropped the key. It rang against the stone floor. I walked down the stairs behind the
01:07:31guards, my cloak untouched by the rain. Isolde's face changed from joy to horror.
01:07:36Serafina.
01:07:37Still trying to steal something that isn't yours?
01:07:40Isolde.
01:07:40You set this up!
01:07:43You knew she would come!
01:07:45No.
01:07:46I let greed walk where it wanted.
01:07:48The old noblewoman collapsed to her knees.
01:07:50Old noblewoman.
01:07:52Your Majesty, Mercy.
01:07:54I only thought the old bloodline...
01:07:57Serafina.
01:07:58The old bloodline nearly destroyed Valdonia with forged contracts and stolen dragons.
01:08:06I ordered the woman stripped of her remaining title and assigned to the dragon pit for one year.
01:08:10Then I looked at Isolde.
01:08:12Serafina.
01:08:13For encouraging escape, your chains will be moved to the lower panels.
01:08:17Isolde.
01:08:20No! Not there!
01:08:22The lower pens housed the smallest drakes, but they were the cruelest.
01:08:26They snapped at ankles, spat sparks, and never slept quietly.
01:08:29As the guards dragged her down the steps, Isolde finally screamed without pretending to cry.
01:08:34Serafina!
01:08:35I am your sister!
01:08:37I did not answer.
01:08:38It's too late to awaken to family ties now.
01:08:42The next morning, Alaric heard the news before I went to him.
01:08:46The dungeon carried sound strangely.
01:08:49Cheers from the throne room drifted down.
01:08:52So did screams from the passages leading to the dragon pit.
01:08:57Alaric ripped the bars.
01:09:03That voice...
01:09:05Isolet.
01:09:07The guard did not answer.
01:09:10When I entered, Alaric's eyes were bloodshot.
01:09:15What have you done to her?
01:09:18What she earned.
01:09:20She is weak.
01:09:21She was never meant for filth and chains.
01:09:24I looked at the man who had once thrown me into the dragon pit without blinking.
01:09:31Neither was I.
01:09:36For once, he had no answer.
01:09:39I ordered the guards to open the small passage window that faced the lower pens through the iron grate.
01:09:45Alaric saw Isolde in the mud, wrists chained above her head while a young drake snapped sparks near her feet.
01:09:52Her white dresses were long gone.
01:09:55Her hands were cracked.
01:09:57Her hair was uneven.
01:10:04Father!
01:10:05Father, tell them to stop!
01:10:07Alaric staggered back as if the sight had struck him.
01:10:11Seraphina, please.
01:10:13Whatever I did, she should not suffer for it.
01:10:17You still don't understand.
01:10:19I stepped closer to the bars.
01:10:23She did not suffer for your crime.
01:10:25She suffers for her own.
01:10:30She was young.
01:10:32She was old enough to hold my dragon and call me a thief.
01:10:36The words landed between us like a blade.
01:10:39Above us, the morning council began.
01:10:41Long live Queen Seraphina!
01:10:44The sound poured into the dungeon.
01:10:46It also poured into the passage where Isolde was screaming.
01:10:50For the first time, father and daughter heard the same truth from opposite cages.
01:10:58They had lost the kingdom they stole.
01:11:03Many years later, a historian asked whether I regretted hatching the black dragon.
01:11:08Your Majesty, the black dragon changed the fate of Valdoria.
01:11:13Valdoria, did you never fear that it would destroy more than lies?
01:11:17No.
01:11:17Without the black dragon.
01:11:20I might still be explaining my innocence to people who had never wanted to hear the truth.
01:11:25Now they did not need to believe me.
01:11:30They only needed to remember that day.
01:11:33Remember that Isolde had claimed the black dragon egg as hers with her own mouth.
01:11:38Remember that Alaric had confessed with his own mouth that he had changed the contract.
01:11:44Remember how the princess they called a thief and a failure shattered the lie beneath her feet and took the
01:11:49throne.
01:11:55I was not born a queen.
01:11:57I was made one by betrayal, death, and rebirth, so what?
01:12:01Valdoria did not need a girl spoiled by her father's love.
01:12:04It needed someone who could see a lie clearly and dare to burn it down with her own hands.
01:12:11And I, Seraphina, did exactly that.
01:12:16Martha stood by the window, watching the gold dragon circle over the capital.
01:12:21Your majesty, the people are gathering again.
01:12:24I looked down from the tower.
01:12:26Children were running through the streets beneath the dragon's shadow.
01:12:30Merchants paused their stalls.
01:12:32Soldiers lowered their spears in salute.
01:12:35No one shouted thief, no one shouted failure.
01:12:38They shouted queen.
01:12:39Far below the palace, Alaric could still hear them from his dungeon.
01:12:44Deeper still, Isolde could hear them from the dragon pit.
01:12:48That was the final justice.
01:12:51They would live long enough to hear.
01:12:55The name they tried to erase become the name the kingdom trusted most.
01:13:01The black dragon opened its wings on the highest tower.
01:13:06The gold dragon lowered its head beside me.
01:13:09I placed my hand on the window ledge and looked over Valdoria.
01:13:13Let the record show this clearly.
01:13:15A stolen crown can be returned.
01:13:18A stolen name can be burned clean.
01:13:21But a queen who has died once will never kneel again.
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