Chapter 96: Don’t Forget Who We Are
"A king who cannot sit beside the weak will never be worthy of leading the strong."
~ Rebel Beast
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No matter how furious Rhydian was, it didn’t seem to have any effect on Charlotte. Instead, she stared up at him from where she lay sprawled on the ground, her eyes practically sparkling.
"Rhydian Drakhar," Charlotte breathed, awe filling her voice. If she died right then, she would have no regrets.
Charlotte hadn’t expected to ever see him again, especially after that annoying dragoness had threatened her. Yet here he was, standing right in front of her, and her poor heart simply couldn’t settle.
"Human," Rhydian called, confusion evident in his voice. "Are you okay?"
She just kept staring at him with that strange look in her eyes.
Rhydian glanced up toward the walkway above. It wasn’t an especially high fall, but it was enough to leave someone seriously injured if they landed at the wrong angle or hit a hard surface.
Fortunately, neither appeared to be the case.
"If you’re fine, then get on your feet. There are eyes all over this academy, and I don’t need Maverick Nightshade giving me grief over how I treat the humans," Rhydian said, genuine concern creeping into his voice.
Uh-oh. She definitely didn’t want him getting into trouble because of her. So Charlotte immediately sprang to her feet.
"I’m good," she said hurriedly. "I’m good."
Now she was standing face to face with Rhydian. They were so close she could actually reach out and touch him.
Touch Rhydian Drakhar?
Ahhh!
She’d die! No, she’d never wash that hand again!
...Wait. Maybe she’d cut it off and treasure it forever.
No! That wouldn’t work. It would rot.
Ahhh!
Then she’d simply have to find another way to preserve the memory of his touch forever— if it ever happened.
Oh, wait. She could make it happen.
Except Charlotte knew it had to happen naturally. She didn’t want Rhydian getting angry or, worse, thinking she was some kind of creep.
Rhydian gave her one last look over. "Since you’re fine, I’ll be on my way."
"Wait!"
Charlotte’s voice rang out before she could stop herself, making Rhydian pause. She quickly cleared her throat and straightened her posture.
"I mean Prince Rhydian." Her chin lifted ever so slightly. She had learned that was how the dragons addressed him and fully intended to make a good impression.
One of Rhydian’s brows rose. He hadn’t expected that.
"What is it you want, Charlotte?"
Charlotte brightened instantly. Just hearing her name leave his lips was enough to send her heart into a frenzy.
"I was wondering..." she began. "What are your plans for us? I mean, you brought us out of the human dormitory for a reason, didn’t you? When do we start classes? What exactly are we supposed to do around here? How can I make the dragons like me a little more? How do I—"
Whatever question she intended to ask next was interrupted by the unmistakable growl of her stomach. Charlotte froze as heat rushed to her cheeks. There was no pretending he hadn’t heard that.
"Why haven’t you eaten?" Rhydian asked, a frown settling on his face.
Charlotte answered carefully. "Because... there wasn’t anything to eat."
A tiny, devilish thought slipped into her mind.
"Miss Tamara had us staying in a room that used to be a storage room. We spent most of last night cleaning because there was so much dust and clutter. We survived on the little snacks we had with us." She gave an embarrassed smile. "To be honest, we still don’t know where our next meal is coming from."
As if determined to support her story, her stomach growled again.
Although Charlotte sounded completely innocent, every word she had uttered subtly painted Tamara in an unfavorable light.
Whether Rhydian noticed or not, she could not tell, not when he rested a finger against his chin.
"Hmm, that’s true," he murmured. "Humans need regular meals."
A spark suddenly lit his blue eyes. One, Charlotte mistook for concern. Was he actually that happy to take care of them?
"Would you escort us to the dining hall yourself, Prince Rhydian?"
The question seemed to pull Rhydian back to the present. He looked at Charlotte, his expression unreadable.
Charlotte’s confidence immediately crumbled.
"Or... not," she said awkwardly. "It was a silly suggestion. You’re royalty. I shouldn’t expect someone like you to escort a mere human to the dining—"
"Go and gather the others."
Charlotte blinked. "Huh?"
Rhydian’s blue eyes curved with unmistakable amusement.
"The humans of House Aetheris," he declared, "are about to receive the rare honor of having breakfast with their prince."
Charlotte nearly threw herself at him. She somehow managed to stop herself at the very last second.
"You won’t regret this, Your Highness!" Charlotte blurted excitedly. "We’ll be ready so fast, you’ll think we teleported!"
Teleported? Rhydian almost laughed. The human was unexpectedly amusing.
Charlotte spun on her heel, only to nearly collide with Tamara. She instinctively recoiled, fear flashing across her face. Then she remembered who was standing behind her.
Rhydian.
Her spine straightened immediately. Charlotte offered Tamara a smile that was sweet enough to fool no one.
"Good morning, Miss Tamara."
Tamara’s brows drew together. She heard the mockery hidden beneath those innocent words. The human, Charlotte, was really asking for death.
Unfortunately for Tamara, Rhydian was standing right there. So she watched in silence as Charlotte skipped away, barely containing her excitement.
"Really?" Tamara sneered, turning to Rhydian. "You’re having breakfast with the humans now? Is that how low you’ve chosen to stoop, Your Highness?"
Rhydian took a moment before speaking.
"I wasn’t aware sharing a meal with a human stripped me of my title." His lips curved into the smallest smile. "Perhaps I should mention that to Father. He’s had breakfast with the human president on more than one occasion."
"You know that’s different, Your Highness. The president is—"
"Human," Rhydian finished for her. "Just like the girls you’re looking down on."
Tamara opened her mouth, but Rhydian continued before she could interrupt.
"Several of those girls come from influential families. Had humans not become so consumed by politics and power, they wouldn’t be here at all. We’d be the ones requesting audiences and waiting for permission to meet them in the human territories."
Yet Tamara shook her head, she wished she could make him understand.
"You’ve been drifting farther and farther from our traditions, Rhydian," she said. "Our people are beginning to notice. They’re uncomfortable. We are dragons. There are values we’ve upheld for generations. Don’t forget who we are."
"Then perhaps we’ve placed too much value on a tradition that fears change." Rhydian said, no hint of hesitation in his voice. "If holding on to old beliefs means refusing to become better, then they’re no longer worth preserving."
Tamara became speechless.
Rhydian took a deep breath.
"Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m already late for breakfast."