Chapter 303: The Redhead Who Was Meant to Burn — Part 3.
Draculeus clicked his tongue in deep irritation. He had only taken a brief break from his duties to see how his siblings, the next batch of candidates, were progressing, but seeing this chaotic cruelty made a dark anger simmer beneath his stoic expression.
He looked down at the trembling redhead one last time.
"She will no longer disturb you," Draculeus stated, his voice carrying the finality of a royal decree. "Because if she ever attempts this again, I will ensure that flick is not the last time I raise my hand against her."
Without waiting for a response, the First Dragonprince turned on his heel. His massive cape flared as he strode past the trembling messenger, exiting through the heavy iron gates to attend the blood pact ceremony.
The redhead remained frozen on the stone floor, her heart racing wildly against her ribs. The shock of being saved and the sheer gravity of Draculeus's protection left her completely breathless. Before she could even find the voice to whisper a thank you, he was gone.
The moment the heavy gates slammed shut, the suffocating pressure lifted, and the courtyard erupted into a tense, chaotic energy.
The white-blooded siblings rose from the dirt, their faces a mix of pale terror and absolute bewilderment. They looked back and forth between the unconscious body of Sharpy, slumped against the shattered stone wall, and the bruised redhead still sitting in the center of the yard.
The dynamic of the hive had shifted in an instant. The crowd that had been cheering for the redhead's torment just moments ago was now gripped by a collective panic. No one dared to step close to her. To touch her now meant defying the explicit warning of the First Dragonprince—a mistake that would mean instant death.
Whispers broke out like wildfire among the children:
"Did... did the First actually just protect the hybrid?"
"Don't look at her! If Draculeus thinks we are bothering her, we're finished!"
"Someone grab Sharpy and get her to the infirmary before she wakes up and causes more trouble!"
The cruel smiles were completely gone, replaced by a sudden, frantic urge to distance themselves. Strangers who had insulted her just minutes prior now actively averted their eyes, scurrying away to the corners of the courtyard. For the first time in her life, the redhead was left in absolute peace, surrounded only by the stunned silence of a completely terrified swarm.
The moment of peace did not last long, as the grand cathedral grounds quickly transitioned into the strict, systematic operations required before the legendary Dragonrite.
First came the purification ritual. The castle maids gathered the candidates, preparing them to be presented before the eyes of their primordial dragon—Tiamat. The maids were ruthless in their duties, aggressively scrubbing and scratching the children's skin to strip away every speck of dirt, ensuring their bodies were flawlessly clean for the dragonrite.
The process was painful, but the redhead barely felt the sting. Her mind was entirely consumed by the memory of her older brother standing up for her, his powerful voice echoing in her defense.
Following the cleansing, the candidates were brought together for the Last Dinner.
To the redhead's surprise, the seating arrangement was entirely different from the usual chaos. A line of castle guards and staff stood positioned around the room, keeping a sharp, unblinking eye directly on Sharpy.
Sharpy sat across the hall, a heavy bandage wrapped around her head from her crash against the wall. She was glaring a literal death stare across the table, her lips moving in silent, venomous mumblings. No one else could hear the words, but the redhead knew exactly what they meant:
"This isn't over… you, red bastard."
Yet, looking at the watchful guards standing between them, the redhead felt a sudden wave of calm. She realized the true power of Draculeus's warning. His protection was an invisible shield, forcing the staff to guarantee her safety through the night. Sharpy could do nothing to harm her here.
For the first time, as she looked at the feast before her, a fierce determination sparked in her chest. Tonight, she was completely safe from the bullying. Tonight, she would enter the chamber with her head held high, claim the dragon's blood, and prove to the entire hive that she was the one in a thousand who deserved to rule.
For the first time in her memory, the redhead could actually taste and enjoy her dinner. There was no iron tang of blood mixing into her food from a split lip, no dirt kicked into her bowl, and no sudden blows to interrupt her meal. She ate until she was completely full, a rare sense of comfort and genuine happiness washing over her as the warmth of the food settled in her chest.
Across the room, however, Sharpy's malice had not faded; it had only turned inward, becoming sharper and more desperate.
When the attendants began clearing the tables, Sharpy volunteered to help stack the dishes, using the movement to mask her intentions. As she gathered a pile of cutlery, her fingers subtly slipped around a heavy, serrated carving knife. With a swift, practiced motion, she slid the blade beneath the folds of her garments, pocketing it securely. Her eyes remained lowered, hiding the frantic rhythm of her thoughts.
Once the final feast concluded, the heavy horn of the inner sanctum echoed through the halls. The time had come.
The candidates were gathered, lined up by height, and sent toward the high summit where the primordial presence awaited. With guards flanking the columns and the weight of their destinies hanging in the cool night air, the solemn march toward the Dragonrite began.
The redhead kept her mind sharp as the long line of candidates moved through the winding mountain passes. She knew Sharpy was reckless and desperate enough to try anything, so she strategically kept her pace close to the armored guards walking alongside the column. Because of the strict height arrangement, the redhead was positioned near the front, while Sharpy—the tallest and thinnest of all the thousand candidates marched at the very back of the line.
Separated by hundreds of her siblings and flanked by the kingdom's finest security, the redhead was completely untouchable.