The Crown's Fire - Chapter 179

Chapter 179: Aurum’s Choice
Cora stirred in her sleep, her brow furrowing as she touched something with a dry, leathery texture. She gently caressed it, feeling a strange sense of warmth, and then heard a soft purring sound.

In an instant, she opened her eyes and saw a small dragon staring at her. ‘Is it smiling?’ she wondered, rapidly blinking, but the image of the little golden dragon remained, its eyes gleaming with curiosity. It nudged its head against her hand, urging her to continue touching it.

“Oh heavens! A d-dragon?” she stuttered, her voice tinged with both awe and uncertainty. It was only a baby dragon, right? So it couldn’t possibly harm her with its fire?

“Why do they have a dragon here?” she murmured, contemplating her next move.

She gently touched it again and said, “You seem so harmless…”

The dragon seemed to like her touch and moved closer, as if asking to be cradled in her arms. Cora chuckled, delighted by its affection. She loved animals, but her role as a commander in the cavalry division often kept her too busy and in too dangerous situations to consider having a pet.

“Does this mean that this kingdom managed to keep dragon eggs and have them hatched?” Cora thought aloud while continuing to stroke the golden dragon’s back. She knew Zion’s history and its ancient connections with dragons and dragonriders, but that was almost a millennia ago.

“Right, Her Majesty is a dragonrider… This…” Cora gasped. “I should report this to the king.” She moved to get another parchment to send a report, but the golden dragon suddenly breathed fire on the parchment on her table, reducing it to ashes.

Cora blinked and then gulped. “You… Aren’t you too little to breathe a powerful fire like that?” she mumbled, her face contorted in surprise. The dragon roared softly as if scolding her.

“Fine… I will not send a report!” she hissed. Then she shrugged and said, “What should I do with you then? It’s not like I can keep you here. Where did you even come from?”

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Cora quickly turned, wondering who it could be. “Who’s that?” Cora asked.

“Lady Cora, it is me, Leviticus,” the young king answered.

She looked at the dragon and asked, “Do I need to hide you?” The dragon shook his head in response. Cora still couldn’t comprehend her situation, but maybe the little king could explain it further.

“Come in,” she called out.

Levi entered, looking relieved as he spotted the dragon. “There you are, Aurum! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Cora glanced between Levi and the dragon. “Aurum, huh? So you belong to Her Majesty’s brother?”

Levi nodded, moving forward to gently scoop up the dragon. “Yes, this is Aurum. He tends to get curious and wander off. I apologize if he bothered you.”

Cora shook her head, smiling. “No bother at all. He’s quite a charming little creature. But… I have to admit, I’m a bit confused. Can you explain why there’s a dragon here?”

Levi chuckled, cradling Aurum carefully. “We’ve recently discovered these dragon eggs. They hatched, and now we’re learning how to care for and communicate with them.”

Cora watched as Levi stared into the golden dragon, and then Levi looked at her. “You want her as your dragonrider?” Levi voiced out, talking to the golden dragon Aurum. Cora creased her forehead and mumbled, “You’re talking to the dragon?”

Levi smiled at her and said, “Yes, Lady Cora. My sister and I are of dragonrider descent, and I’m sure you’re aware of that. Currently, my sister lost her bond with dragons, but I’m sure it will be awakened soon as she remembers and perfects the dragon bond spell. So for now, it’s only me who can talk to them through our eyes.”

Cora gulped as she registered everything inside her head. “It seems like Aurum has already made up his mind and chosen you to be his dragonrider,” Levi stated.

“What?! But I’m no dragonrider!” she blurted out.

“Hmm, it’s something that still fascinates my sister and me, to be honest. Maybe it’s because my sister and I are the only dragonriders left, and in history, a dragonrider can only form a dragon bond with one dragon. So we are honestly thinking of altering the spell in a way to form a bond between the dragon and their chosen dragonriders. I think that’s the only way to explain this phenomenon where our dragons choose ordinary humans to be their dragonriders.” Levi explained at length.

Cora nodded, feeling a mix of apprehension and excitement. “But I’m from Ebodia!” she pointed out.

Levi gave her a reassuring smile. “I saw my sister getting married to your King. Surely these two kingdoms will merge soon as one.”

“You have the gift of foresight?” Cora asked with wide eyes.

Levi simply smiled and said, “I also found out that Aurum is here because I saw it in my vision a while ago that it’s inside your chamber.”

Cora’s eyes widened even more. “You can see the future?”

Levi nodded. “Sometimes. It’s not always clear, but I get glimpses of what might happen.”

“Your Majesty… Aren’t you trusting me too much to give me this information?” Cora couldn’t help but point out.

Levi chuckled and said, “I have no choice because Aurum already chose you, and dragons don’t just change their pick for their dragonriders once they’ve made their choice. Aurum saw that special light in you. You’re its twinflame.”

“Wait… Twinflame like the romantic bond? No way!” Cora burst, aware of that familiar word a dragon would call their other half or mate in werewolves.

“No, it’s not like that… A twinflame for a dragon is different from a twinflame for humans. It’s like you’re the other half of each other’s souls and spirits,” Levi clarified. “But we’ll never know how things could progress at this rate since a lot of things are happening. Like how King Ezekiel merged himself with the golden dragon spirit. There’s so much possibility in the near future…”

Cora took a deep breath, trying to process everything. “So, what do I need to do now?”

Levi smiled reassuringly. “For now, just spend time with Aurum. Get to know him, let him get to know you. The bond will form naturally. My sister and I will help you with the specifics of the bond spell once we’ve perfected it. Trust in the process, and trust in Aurum’s choice.”

“Why do you talk like an adult? Aren’t you just five years old?” Cora mumbled.

“I just turned six years old last season, Lady Cora,” Levi answered with a pout.

Cora couldn’t help but chuckle at his expression. “I apologize, Your Majesty. It’s just that you speak with such wisdom beyond your years.”

Levi smiled, his eyes twinkling. “Thank you, Lady Cora. I’ve had to grow up quickly because of the responsibilities I carry. But I trust that you will be a great dragonrider.”

Cora looked down at the golden dragon nudging her hand, feeling a sense of connection she never expected. “I’m still unsure about this…”

After her words, Aurum flared its nostrils, with smoke puffing out from them.

Levi chuckled. “Aurum said you have no choice but to accept him because he will not leave your side.”