00:00My cousin. She carried another dragon egg. I kept my eyes closed, breathed steady,
00:06let her think I was sleeping. Cinder stopped beside the cradle. Then she lifted my golden
00:11shelled egg and replaced it with her own dull, cracked one. Behind her, ash stood in rags,
00:18bruises everywhere, scalp bleeding where hair had been torn out. No dragon spark in her eyes,
00:23just fear. My daughter. Born from the egg Cinder had stolen from me.
00:28The dragons gather. The weavers watched from the heavens.
00:31Serafina descended in a gown of woven starlight. The crowd gasped at her beauty, her power,
00:37her perfection. Cinder stumbled through the crowd, clutching a bloodstone.
00:42Ash trailed behind her on an iron chain, crawling across the marble like an animal.
00:46Stop the trial! It's all a lie! Serafinas is my daughter! Swapped the eggs a century ago!
00:54Very well, let's swap them back.
00:55Cinder froze. She'd prepared speeches, arguments, threats. None needed. Kale's face darkened.
01:03Ash is my daughter. I watched the eggs get swapped.
01:06Ash's eyes went wide. She crawled toward me, mouth opening, trying to say,
01:11Mother! Through her ruined taan. I watched my cousins steal my dragon egg.
01:18And I let her. For one hundred years, she tortured my real daughter.
01:28While I raised hers as the future dragon queen.
01:34Then, at the air ascension trial, my cousin exposed the truth.
01:39Stop the trial!
01:41She thought she had won.
01:43She thought she was about to take back her daughter and steal my future.
01:49Because I had been waiting one hundred years for this exact moment.
01:54Moonlight spilled across the crystal cradle beside my bed.
01:58Inside rested a golden dragon egg.
02:00My heir.
02:01The future of the dragon empire.
02:03Then the door opened.
02:05My cousin.
02:07She carried another dragon egg.
02:11I kept my eyes closed.
02:13Breathed steady.
02:14Let her think I was sleeping.
02:16Cinder stopped beside the cradle.
02:18Tears filled her eyes.
02:19It should have been me.
02:21Kyle should have chosen me.
02:23Then she lifted my golden shelled egg.
02:25And replaced it with her own dull, cracked one.
02:28My nails dug into my palms.
02:30Cinder left with my egg.
02:31The door closed behind her.
02:33I opened my eyes.
02:35A stranger egg sat in my cradle.
02:37I stared at it.
02:39I could have stopped her.
02:40But I didn't.
02:42Tired opposite to her.
02:44Wild is another lobily enchast.
02:47Ssss.
02:50Elyria!
02:51You're working Seraphina too hard!
02:54Poor thing.
02:55Are you hungry?
02:57Tired?
02:58You don't deserve this.
03:01I've got a flame gem that can help you get through the dragon trial.
03:05I'll send it to you tomorrow.
03:06This was her ritual.
03:08Ever since the swap,
03:10Cinder found every excuse to be near her daughter.
03:13Criticizing my parenting.
03:15Offering gifts.
03:17Stealing moments with the girl she'd stolen from my arms.
03:20I said nothing.
03:22Behind her,
03:24Ash stood in rags.
03:25Bruises everywhere.
03:26Scalp bleeding where hair had been torn out.
03:29No dragon spark in her eyes.
03:31Just fear.
03:32My daughter.
03:33Born from the egg,
03:34Cinder had stolen from me.
03:36Cinder turned,
03:37grabbed Ash by the hair,
03:38and dragged her forward.
03:43Look at Seraphina!
03:45Look at what you can never be!
03:47Ash whimpered.
03:49Cinder pulled harder.
03:50A clump of bloody hair came free.
03:54Teach you what happens when you forget your place.
03:58She held the bloody hair in front of my face.
04:01See, Elyria?
04:02This is how you train trash.
04:04Trash.
04:10You're too kind.
04:11Cinder's smile faltered.
04:13She wanted me to care.
04:15Because the girl in chains?
04:17She was never my daughter.
04:19Not really.
04:20Seraphina loved Firefish,
04:22and Cinder spent dinner deboning it for her,
04:25never eating as her full attention stayed on the daughter she believed was hers.
04:30Ash sat chained to the table leg,
04:33iron collar, rusty and tight,
04:35digging into her neck.
04:37Mother,
04:38may I have bread?
04:41Cinder's face transformed into something demonic.
04:44She seized Ash's head and shoved it into the slop bucket leftovers,
04:48bones,
04:49grease.
04:53Eat!
04:54Eat, you ungrateful worm!
04:56Ash's face emerged covered in filth.
04:59Tears cut through the grime.
05:01She looked at me,
05:02pleading,
05:03begging for the mother who had never once defended her.
05:05I lifted my wine glass.
05:07I took a sip.
05:08Didn't move.
05:10Seraphina turned pale.
05:12Cinder noticed immediately.
05:13What's wrong, dear?
05:14You look pale.
05:16She hauled Ash away by the collar.
05:23You've upset your eminency.
05:25I'll deal with you later.
05:28The next morning,
05:29Cinder brought the flame gem as promised.
05:32Last night,
05:33I sent three males to teach the little brat some manners.
05:36She watched my face for a reaction.
05:39She's just an Ashbourne.
05:41What matters is Seraphina.
05:43Right, cousin?
05:44I gave her none.
05:45Kale,
05:46my husband,
05:47shot me a look of disappointment.
05:48He'd always behave the honorable type.
05:52Cinder pressed the flame gem into Seraphina's hands.
05:58This will protect you through the Ascension trial.
06:01Then leaned down to Seraphina's ear.
06:05On the day you win,
06:07I'll tell you a great secret.
06:09I closed the door behind them,
06:11masking the cold fire in my eyes.
06:16Yes,
06:17some secrets are overdue.
06:19Seraphina's clothes gradually disappeared,
06:22and her body was enveloped by an orb of light.
06:25Then the orb of light shattered into fragments,
06:28and her body transformed into a dragon.
06:33Cinder watched,
06:35mesmerized.
06:36Then her gaze snapped to the tail.
06:38She's missing a scale!
06:40How could you miss this?
06:42What kind of mother are you?
06:44Your daughter's nearly bald from lesson lets,
06:47but Seraphina loses one scale,
06:48and you're screaming?
06:51Cinder trembled with rage.
06:53Then her lips twisted into something venomous.
06:56She activated her communication crystal.
06:59Scar the little one's face.
07:02Your eminency lost a scale.
07:04She must have cursed her.
07:08From the crystal,
07:10screams.
07:13Please,
07:14I beg you.
07:16I'll be good!
07:18Cinder closed her eyes in bliss.
07:25Seraphina frowned.
07:27Auntie,
07:27I knocked the scale off myself.
07:28It doesn't affect my power.
07:31Every scale matters.
07:33Aurora,
07:34you must infuse her again with heart flame!
07:36I stared until Cinder squirmed.
07:39I'm sure Seraphina appreciates your...
07:42concern.
07:42You should worry about your own daughter.
07:44Not mine.
07:46I said it flatly,
07:47then turned and walked away.
07:49I heard Cinder whisper,
07:51When you're the Ascended Queen,
07:53I'll tell you everything.
07:58I smiled.
08:00She'd tell Seraphina nothing.
08:02Because I would tell everyone first.
08:05And the great secret she planned to reveal?
08:08The Ascension trial was three days away.
08:10I had waited 100 years.
08:12I could wait three more days.
08:25The Dragons Gather.
08:27The Weavers watched from the heavens.
08:30Seraphina descended in a gown of woven starlight.
08:33The crowd gasped at her beauty,
08:35her power,
08:36her perfection.
08:38Elders raised his staff.
08:44By blood and fire,
08:47we named the...
08:47Wait!
08:49Cinder stumbled through the crowd,
08:51clutching a bloodstone.
08:53Ash trailed behind her on an iron chain,
08:55collarbone bleeding,
08:56crawling across the marble like an animal.
09:00Stop the trial!
09:01It's all a lie!
09:04Seraphina's is my daughter!
09:06Swapped the eggs a century ago!
09:09Elaria,
09:09give me back my baby!
09:16Cinder fell to her knees,
09:17grasping my skirt.
09:19Elaria,
09:20take your Ashborn back!
09:22Seraphina is my daughter!
09:25The crowd erupted.
09:27Seraphina's an Ember-class dragon!
09:29You're a wizened!
09:31How could you birth an Ember-class...
09:32The Ashborn's been ruined!
09:33You want to swap now?
09:34The Ashborn does look more like Elaria.
09:37The Ashborn does look more...
09:39Ash glanced at me,
09:41looked away.
09:42Kale rose from his throne.
09:44This is absurd.
09:46My wife would never...
09:47I raised my hand.
09:49Silence fell.
09:50Then I smiled.
09:51Very well,
09:52let's swap them back.
09:54Cinder froze.
09:55She'd prepared speeches,
09:56arguments,
09:57threats.
09:58None needed.
10:00Kale's face darkened.
10:01He rushed to me.
10:03You can't this alone!
10:05We've invested everything in Seraphina!
10:07I looked at the crowd.
10:09At Ash.
10:10Ash is my daughter.
10:14I watched the eggs get swapped.
10:17Ash's eyes went wide.
10:18She crawled toward me,
10:20mouth opening,
10:21trying to say,
10:21Mother,
10:22through her ruined taan.
10:26His eyes were red with fury.
10:35Why, Elaria?
10:37Why?!
10:49The dragons gather.
10:51The weavers watched from the heavens.
10:54Seraphina descended in a gown of woven starlight.
10:57The crowd gasped at her beauty,
10:59her power,
11:00her perfection.
11:01Elders raised his staff.
11:08By blood and fire,
11:10we name the...
11:11Wait!
11:12Cinder stumbled through the crowd,
11:14clutching a bloodstone.
11:16Ash trailed behind her on an iron chain,
11:19collarbone bleeding,
11:20crawling across the marble like an animal.
11:23Stop the trial!
11:25It's all a lie!
11:28Seraphina's is my daughter!
11:29Swapped the eggs a century ago!
11:32Elaria!
11:33Give me back my baby!
11:40Cinder fell to her knees,
11:41grasping my skirt.
11:43Elaria,
11:43take your ashborne back!
11:46Seraphina is my daughter!
11:48The crowd erupted.
11:51Seraphina's an ember-class dragon!
11:53You're a wizened!
11:54How could you birth an ember-class?
11:56The ashborne's been ruined!
11:57You want to swap now?
11:58The ashborne does look more like Ariria.
12:03Ash glanced at me,
12:04looked away.
12:06Kale rose from his throne.
12:08This is absurd.
12:10My wife would never-
12:11I raised my hand.
12:12Silence fell.
12:14Then I smiled.
12:15Very well,
12:16let's swap them back.
12:17Cinder froze.
12:19She'd prepared speeches,
12:20arguments,
12:21threats.
12:22None needed.
12:23Kale's face darkened.
12:25He rushed to me.
12:27You can't this alone!
12:29We've invested everything in Seraphina!
12:31I looked at the crowd.
12:33At Ash.
12:34Ash is my daughter.
12:38I watched the eggs get swapped.
12:40Ash's eyes went wide.
12:42She crawled toward me,
12:43mouth opening,
12:44trying to say,
12:45Mother,
12:46through her ruined taan.
12:49His eyes were red with fury.
12:58Why,
12:59Elyria?
13:00Why?!
13:01Why?!
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