The royal court laughed at her. They said she imagined it—that no one can turn into a dragon. But Princess Robin saw it happen. She watched her own fiance, the kingdom’s greatest dragon slayer, transform into the very creature he was sworn to destroy.
He saved her during the attack. Then he became the monster himself. Now the court mocks her. They call her unstable.
No one believes her—not even her father, the king. So Robin makes a dangerous choice. If they won’t believe her, she’ll prove it. She’ll cross into dragon territory, find her fiance, and uncover the truth about dragons once and for all.
But nothing goes according to plan. Her little brother refuses to stay behind. Their guide is hiding secrets. And Robin is changing.
She can’t get warm—not unless he touches her. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more everything she believed starts to fall apart. Because dragons aren’t the monsters she was raised to fear. And the man guiding her through their land might be one of them.
Robin had never seen a live dragon before. She’d seen parts of one—a massive skull mounted in the great hall, scales embedded in ceremonial armor. Her entire life had been spent training to fight the kingdom’s most feared enemy. Yet nothing had prepared her for the creature now soaring toward the palace, its massive wings casting a shadow across the western courtyard.
Time seemed to slow. The dragon’s scales caught the light like shards of ice, pale blue against the afternoon sky. It was beautiful. The thought startled her.
Beautiful was not how the royal tutors described dragons. Monstrous. Savage. Demonic.
But as it banked through the air with impossible grace, Robin couldn’t help the flutter of wonder in her chest. “Robin. ” Strong hands gripped her shoulders, spinning her around. Cyrus’s face was inches from hers, his blue eyes wide with urgency.
Her fiance’s golden hair was disheveled, his breath coming fast. “We can’t stay here. We need to move. Now.
”
Behind them, the first screams erupted from the courtyard below. Guards shouted orders, metal scraped against scabbards. Cyrus was already pulling her toward the door. Around them, chaos bloomed.
Servants ran in all directions. Royal guards formed defensive lines. Courtiers in silken finery scrambled for shelter. The palace shook with a tremendous roar, sending fine dust cascading from the ceiling.
“The guards are well trained for moments like these,” Cyrus said, squeezing her hand. “Do not be afraid. ”
“How can I be when I’m with you? ” Robin found herself smiling despite the situation.
“My father’s dragon slayer. ”
A shadow passed over Cyrus’s face, there and gone in an instant. Had she imagined it? They reached a long hallway lined with portraits of her ancestors.
As they passed the entrance to the royal treasury, Robin pulled her hand free. She darted into the chamber before Cyrus could stop her. “Robin, we don’t have time for this. ” His voice was sharp with frustration.
Robin hurried to a pedestal in the center of the room. Her father’s crown rested on a velvet cushion. The sun crown, they called it, though it was as black as midnight—a circlet of obsidian crystal said to contain magic from the kingdom’s earliest days. “Father says this crown is the kingdom’s strength,” she said, carefully lifting it.
“It supposedly has actual magical properties. ”
Cyrus stared at the crown with an odd expression. His face had gone pale, his jaw tight. “Has any mage worked out how to access the supposed magic?
”
“No. It’s more legend than anything else at this point. ”
Before he could answer, the entire palace seemed to heave. The floor bucked, throwing them both to the ground.
The crown flew from Robin’s hands, clattering across the marble floor. Cyrus rolled to his feet with inhuman speed, helping her up. Another tremor shook the walls. He pulled her toward a heavy wooden door concealed behind a tapestry, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness.
“The catacombs,” he explained, grabbing a torch from a wall sconce. As they descended, Robin’s thoughts turned to her family. “Wait. My father and my brothers?
”
“The king made it clear what my priorities are,” Cyrus cut her off. “I protect you. That’s my duty. ”
Robin wanted to argue but found herself following him into the gloom.
The stone steps gave way to a tunnel, ancient and smelling of earth. She studied the back of his head as they walked, the way his golden hair caught the torchlight. In three weeks, they would be married in the great temple. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she said.
“The dragons haven’t attacked human territories in decades. How is this possible? ”
“No idea,” Cyrus replied. “Something might have angered them.
”
“Dragons are always angry. ”
“That’s not what I meant. We have wards protecting this kingdom. No dragon has managed to pierce them.
”
“Until today,” he said somberly. “Until today. ” The question remained—how? They walked in silence.
Robin’s hands tightened around the crown, and she realized with a start that it was warm to the touch. The warmth spread from her palms up her arms, seeping gently into her chest. With it came an unexpected calm, a sense of presence, as though she wasn’t alone. It felt right somehow, like finding something she hadn’t realized was missing.
Light appeared ahead—an exit from the endless tunnel. Robin quickened her pace, eager to be above ground again, but Cyrus’s curse made her pause. Two horses lay dead near the exit, crushed beneath a fallen tree. “There are always some waiting just in case,” Cyrus said, kneeling beside the animals.
But the explanation felt hollow. “We can’t waste any more time. We need to go on foot. ”
Cyrus turned to her, then froze.
Robin followed his gaze to the crown in her hands. It was glowing now, a soft amber light pulsing from within. At its center, a jewel she’d never noticed before now shone with a brilliant reddish-gold light. The warmth had intensified, flowing through her like honey.
“It’s not supposed to be doing that,” Cyrus said, stepping closer. He reached for the crown. “Give it to me, Robin. ”
As his fingers approached, Robin recoiled.
Every instinct rebelled against surrendering the crown, as though doing so would tear away something that had become part of her. “Robin, please,” Cyrus said, his expression intense. “It could be dangerous. ”
The crown’s heat increased, but it didn’t burn.
It fortified, like drinking mulled wine on a winter night. Voices echoed from the forest nearby. “We have to go,” Cyrus urged. “Go?
Why? ”
“A search party is coming our way. ”
“Or it could be bandits,” her fiance countered. “The castle was just attacked, Robin.
It’s not safe. Please, come with me. We need to leave, now. ”
“I want to help my people, too,” Cyrus interrupted, his blue eyes locked with hers, pleading.
“Do you trust me? ”
Robin frowned, opened her mouth, hesitated. The ground shook as another dragon passed overhead—different from the first, darker in color. Cyrus glanced up, then back at Robin with naked fear in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I never meant for it to go this far. ”
Before she could ask what he meant, Cyrus doubled over as if in pain. Robin reached for him, then stopped mid-motion as his body began to change.
It started with his eyes. Those blue eyes she’d gazed into countless times. The pupils narrowed to vertical slits, the irises darkening to midnight. His jaw elongated, teeth sharpening to gleaming points.
His skin rippled and hardened, human flesh giving way to scales. His hands twisted and stretched into massive claws. Robin stood transfixed, unable to move, unable even to scream. The transformation accelerated.
Cyrus grew to three times his human size, his form elongating, a tail whipping out behind him. Great wings unfurled from his back, stretching wide enough to blot out the sky. Where her fiance had stood moments before, a massive dragon now crouched, its scales the color of a midnight sea. For one breathless moment, their eyes met.
In those draconic eyes, Robin saw something hauntingly familiar—a flicker of the man she thought she knew. But dragons were monsters from the wild edges of the map. They weren’t men who recited poetry and kissed her beneath the wisteria arbor. So when the creature reached toward her with one clawed foreleg, a gesture almost like pleading, the spell broke.
Terror flooded through her, and Robin stumbled backward, a scream finally tearing from her throat. The dragon Cyrus flinched at the sound. She didn’t wait for another reaction. She ran.
Back into the catacombs she fled, heart hammering, legs trembling. The crown still clutched against her chest. Everything she had been taught crumbled like sand. Dragons could take human form.
Her fiance was a dragon. Nothing would ever be the same again. When minutes passed and nothing pursued her, Robin crawled back to the entrance, peering cautiously outside. The clearing was empty.
Both dragons had vanished into the sky. She sank to the ground, the crown’s warmth now the only steady thing in a world turned upside down. Three days passed before Robin stood before her father’s council. She had told them almost everything—the escape through the catacombs, finding the emergency exit, her confusion about the prearranged horses.
Almost everything, except the one detail she’d been holding back. “And that’s when we found the horses crushed by the fallen tree,” Robin concluded. “If they hadn’t been there, we might have—”
“Yes, yes,” interrupted Lord Darian. “We understand the sequence of events, princess.
What we need now are actionable measures. ”
Robin straightened her spine. Her father sat tall at the head of the table, the sun crown gleaming black upon his brow. It sat there, inert and cold, showing none of the amber glow it had revealed when she held it.
“It doesn’t belong there,” whispered a thought so sudden and unbidden that Robin nearly gasped aloud. “I understand you’d like us to send a search party, daughter,” her father said, looking regretful. “But sparing those resources after we’ve just fallen prey to the first dragon attack in decades—”
“It didn’t exactly attack, though, did it? ” Robin interrupted.
“No casualties, no real damage except to the east tower. ”
“Nevertheless,” Lord Darian interjected, “dragons have breached our wards. War could be close. We must prepare our defenses, not scatter our forces on a rescue mission.
”
Robin met her brother Kendrick’s eyes. At 25, seven years her senior, he had always been the practical one—the soldier, the heir who saw every problem as a military equation. “Look, Robin,” he said, his tone gentler but still matter-of-fact. “There’s very little chance Cyrus is still alive.
You said the dragon arrived, you fled back inside the catacombs, and when you came out, Cyrus was gone. If the dragon took him, he must be long dead by now. ”
Robin’s gaze darted again to the crown on her father’s head. “Cyrus is alive.
” The words left her lips with absolute certainty. She had left out the most important part of her story, afraid they might not wish to pursue a dragon. But surely now that they were jumping to terrible conclusions, the truth would be preferable. “He’s alive because he is also a dragon,” Robin interrupted.
“That’s how he disappeared. He transformed into one. I watched it with my own eyes. ”
A pregnant silence fell over the chamber.
Then Lord Darian snorted. A chuckle escaped Lady Mira. Within seconds, the entire council chamber had erupted in laughter. “Oh, that’s rich,” wheezed Lord Halford, slapping the table.
“Dragons taking human form. What will she come up with next? ”
“I’m not joking,” Robin protested. “It’s true.
I saw it happen. ”
“Dragons are beasts,” Kendrick said firmly. “Powerful, dangerous beasts, but beasts nonetheless. They don’t reason, they don’t transform, and they certainly don’t infiltrate royal courts.
”
“But I saw—”
“You saw a man flee in one direction while a dragon appeared from another,” her father said gently. “In the chaos and fear of the moment, your mind connected them. ”
“No. I know what I saw.
” Robin’s voice rose. “He changed right in front of me. ”
“And that crown,” she continued, her frustration mounting. “It glowed when I held it.
It was warm and amber light shone from within it. Why is no one talking about that? ”
Her father’s hand moved protectively to the crown. “Robin, enough.
”
“Look at her,” Kendrick said, gesturing to Robin’s flushed face and trembling hands. “She’s exhausted, traumatized. She’s just lost the man she was to marry. Of course she’s created a story where he’s still alive somewhere.
”
“Father, please, just let me hold it again,” Robin pleaded. “You’ll see. ”
King Baldwin sighed heavily. “Robin, my dear, I think you should retire to your chambers and rest.
This council has serious matters to discuss. Master Fenrin, would you please escort the princess to her quarters? Perhaps a sleeping draft? ”
“I don’t need a sleeping draft,” Robin cried, backing away.
“I need someone to believe me. ”
Humiliation washed over Robin in a scalding wave. She stopped struggling and allowed Master Fenrin to lead her toward the door, her eyes fixed on the floor. She had always been the dutiful daughter, the clever princess whose observations were praised.
She’d never imagined they would simply not believe her. Two days passed, and Robin had barely left her chambers. Two days of whispers that stopped when she entered rooms, of servants who couldn’t quite meet her eyes. Two days of wondering if perhaps she truly had lost her mind.
Despite the already blazing fire, a persistent chill had settled deep in her bones that no amount of flames seemed to chase away. She had taken to keeping her chambers almost uncomfortably warm, yet still found herself shivering at odd moments. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to replay the moment for the hundredth time. Cyrus doubling over in pain, his skin rippling, hardening to scales.
The way his body grew, expanded, changed. The dragon’s eyes, his eyes, meeting hers one final time. It had been real. It had to have been real.
One fact remained. Cyrus was gone, and no one was looking for him. If she could find him and bring him back, her father would have to believe her. Decision made, she moved with new purpose.
She changed into riding clothes and packed lightly—a change of clothes, a waterskin, dried food, coins, and her dagger. The castle was quiet as she slipped through shadowed corridors. The stables were dark, but Robin knew her way by touch and smell. Her mare, Briar, nickered softly as she approached.
“We’re going on an adventure, girl,” she whispered, securing her pack behind the saddle. “Just you and me. ”
“And me,” came a small voice from the shadows. Robin jumped, her hand flying to her dagger.
Prince Tommen stepped into the dim light, arms crossed over his chest. At 12, he was all gangly limbs and curiosity. “You’re going after him, aren’t you? ” he asked.
“Yes, all right. I know no one believes me, Tom, but I know what I saw. I have to find him. I have to know the truth.
”
Tommen’s eyes widened to perfect circles. “Dragons can turn into humans? ” he breathed, wonder filling his voice. “I believe so.
Which is why I must find Cyrus. Because if they can, then everything we’ve believed about dragons until now has been wrong. ”
Tommen nodded solemnly. “I’ll come with you.
”
“No. Absolutely not. ”
“I know where we should go,” he continued, ignoring her protest. “The captain of the guard is always talking about this inn near the borders where mercenaries meet.
That’s where smugglers who can get you across hang out. ”
Robin weighed her options. She could leave without him, but he’d wake Kendrick the moment she was gone. “You’ll do exactly as I say,” she said sternly.
“No arguments, no wandering off, no heroics, understood? ”
Tommen nodded eagerly, already moving toward his pony. “I’ve already packed. I’ve been ready since I overheard Kendrick talking about making you marry Lord Cassius’ son.
”
“You’ve been planning this? ”
“I’ve been waiting for you to finally do something,” he corrected. “You’re not the only one who can sneak out at night. ”
Despite everything, Robin found herself smiling.
“Lead the way to this infamous inn, then. ”
Tommen grinned. “I left a note saying we’ve gone to visit Aunt Elaine in the southern province. That should buy us at least a week.
”
Robin stared at her brother, reassessing him completely. The innocent boy had just revealed himself to be far craftier than she’d ever suspected. As they slipped out of the castle grounds, Robin felt something she hadn’t felt since the council chamber. Hope.
The road stretched dark and unknown before them, leading to a world where dragons might walk as men and everything she thought she knew could be wrong. The Fallen Drake was a ramshackle building at the edge of the borderlands. Two men were brawling in the dirt outside while others cheered them on. Robin grimaced as another shiver ran through her.
“It’s not so bad,” Tommen said, looking puzzled. “It’s nearly summer. ”
“Let’s go in,” Robin said firmly. They tethered their horses and pushed through the battered door.
The stench hit Robin first—unwashed bodies, spilled ale, and something acrid she couldn’t identify. The room fell into a watchful silence as heads turned toward them. For the next hour, Robin and Tommen approached table after table, offering increasing sums of gold. Some laughed outright.
Others began negotiating only to back out when they learned the destination. “Told you,” the scarred barman said. “No one’s going to want to risk their lives by dragging dead weight into a danger zone. You’d need someone who’s both money obsessed and has absolutely no sense of self-preservation whatsoever.
”
Just then, the door swung open. A tall figure in a hooded cloak entered. As he approached the bar and pushed back his hood, Robin’s words died in her throat. He was striking.
His hair was dark, almost black, with a streak of deep auburn that caught the light. His face was all angles—sharp cheekbones, strong jaw—and his eyes were the strangest color she’d ever seen, a warm amber that seemed almost to glow in the dim tavern light. “Actually,” the barman said, brightening. “You could ask Xander here.
He fits the bill pretty well. ”
“Usual, Gareth,” Xander said, walking right past Robin as if she were invisible. His voice was low and rough, as though he didn’t use it often. “You should probably ask him now while he’s sober enough to understand you,” the barman suggested.
Tommen hurried after the man. “Excuse me, kind sir. ”
Xander paused at the door, looking down at Tommen with a raised eyebrow. “What do you want, kid?
”
“For you to take us across the borders to the dragon territory,” Tommen replied. “And who’s we? You and your mother? ”
“Sister,” Robin growled, sliding into the space beside her brother.
Xander’s eyes finally shifted to her. “You two want to go into dragon territory? ”
“It is of the utmost importance that we do,” Robin declared. Xander’s lips quirked.
“Right. ”
“We can pay. Heavily. ”
“You wouldn’t last a day out there, sweetheart.
And I’m not in the business of condemning royalty to death. ”
“Why do you even want to go there, anyway? ”
“For love,” Robin answered without thinking. Xander nearly choked on his drink.
“Did you just say for love? Your fiance went into dragon territory voluntarily? ”
“Something like that. ”
Xander threw back his head and laughed.
“Oh, this is priceless. The princess is on a quest for true love in dragon territory. Look, princess, I’m sorry your betrothed had poor judgment, but charging into dragon territory for a rescue mission is suicide. ”
“You don’t know that.
”
“I know dragons,” Xander replied, his tone suddenly serious. “And I know what they do to trespassers. ”
“We’re still going,” she said firmly. “With or without you.
”
He turned to leave. In desperation, Robin reached out, her hand closing around his forearm. “Wait. ”
The moment her fingers touched him, she froze.
His skin was unnaturally warm, radiating heat like a banked fire. The warmth seemed to flow from him into her, chasing away the persistent chill that had plagued her for days. Xander pulled away sharply, frowning. “I’m the princess of this kingdom,” Robin blurted, playing her final card.
“If you help us, whatever you desire from my father’s treasure vault is yours. ”
Xander’s protest died on his lips. “Anything? ”
Robin pulled out a large ruby ring from her pouch.
“Yes. Anything you want. ”
Xander’s eyes fixed on the gem with an intensity that seemed almost predatory. His hand moved of its own accord, snatching the ring from her grasp.
He caught himself, straightening and clearing his throat. “Fine,” he snapped, tucking the ruby into an inner pocket. “When do you want to go? ”
“Tomorrow morning.
”
“Meet me here at dawn. Bring only what you can carry and more shiny things. ” He inclined his head in a mockery of a courtly bow. “Until tomorrow, Your Highnesses.
”
As he turned to leave, Robin suddenly stepped forward. “Wait. Could we meet earlier? Two hours before dawn, perhaps?
”
Xander raised an eyebrow. “Why? ”
Robin glanced at Tommen. “I’d prefer to leave before my brother wakes.
He’ll be safer here. ”
Xander studied her for a moment, then gave a curt nod. “Eastern edge of town, two hours before dawn. ” He held out his hand.
“For the inconvenience. ”
Robin hesitated, then pulled a small gold bracelet set with emeralds from her pouch. His eyes fixed on it with that same strange intensity before he pocketed it and walked out without another word. “What was that about?
” Tommen asked, returning his attention to Robin. “Nothing. Just confirming details. Come on, let’s find somewhere to sleep.
”
As they left the tavern in search of lodging, Robin’s thoughts were already racing with plans to slip away before her brother could follow. What she didn’t notice was the thoughtful look in Tommen’s eyes as he watched her from behind.
