I glanced out the window of the carriage, watching as we rolled along the paved road, the early morning sun barely cresting the horizon. I wasn’t happy to leave so early in the day, but given the route we were taking, the sooner we left the better. Isadora and Cyldri had argued whether using the river route would be better to get to Caizar, but it was ultimately Caspian who decided for the mountain route. I wasn’t sure what the real difference was, as they had made it a point not to say why they were debating the route, but I got the sense it had more to do with who might see us rather than how quickly we’d get there.

  The rest of the summer had passed quickly and quietly. Once Cyldri had given her permission for me to attend Roxarry, the Emperor and Empress almost seemed excited. I learned that Emperor Hewe had attended when he was crown prince and was somewhat disappointed that Isadora had declined to go. It seemed he viewed me going as a substitute for his daughter, and as far as the Empress, she simply requested I take etiquette classes. To hide my draconic nature, I was going to be in the fighting course, and both Caspian and his mother had spent the rest of the summer and fall training me to pass the entrance exam without transforming.

  As such, Tritetia and I barely saw each other. She returned to Isadora’s palace and eventually to Aehorus, and we had only spoken via the crystal a few times. She still seemed shaken over realizing she had died, and I had decided it was better to leave her alone than to push her. While her anger had surprised me, it was clear she was distressed more than anything, and it was smarter to leave her alone while she came to terms with everything so I didn’t risk her breaking our agreement.

  I sighed, thinking back to my mother’s hug as we left. Yssac still hadn’t returned, and it was clear that my mother was worried for him, even if Caspian seemed indifferent. She had squeezed me tight, making me promise to write her at least once a month, and to not come back unless I truly wanted to. I had nodded, though I wasn’t sure what she meant. For her part, Isadora hadn’t tried to hug me, but she had given me a communication crystal so I could reach her and Caspian. It was far bigger than the one Tritetia had given me, and came with its own case, and I balanced it on my lap as the carriage jostled.

  Caspian hadn’t spoken to me at all, merely waiting for me to sit before sitting across from me. No kiss farewell to Isadora, or even a word from what I heard. It seemed strange and even now, he was just staring blankly out the window. The grasslands were finally giving way to dirt and stone, and I frowned as I watched him. Despite all that had happened, he still remained a wall to me, although one I had only begun to respect more once learning he was a Draconid like me.

  “If you have a question, then ask,” Caspian’s voice shook me from my thoughts and I blinked, a startled breath catching in my throat before I could hide it.

  “I didn’t say anything,” I muttered, annoyed that he could still read me so easily. I shifted my gaze back to the road, the rising cliffs casting long shadows across the path ahead.

  “You didn’t need to,” he replied simply, his eyes not leaving the window. I growled softly, but adjusted the crystal in my lap again.

  “You didn’t say goodbye.”

  “I didn’t need to. I’ll be back in a few days,” Caspian answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He finally glanced at me, his eyebrow arching in surprise. “Why does that bother you?”

  “That’s not how my parents acted,” I shrugged, offering a half-truth. Caspian knew I didn’t really care about how he treated Isadora, but if I lied, he would know right away. I barely understood why I cared myself. “My mother would always kiss my father before he left, even if he was coming home the same day. It’s strange you and Isadora don’t act that way.”

  At that, Caspian turned to look at me properly, as if trying to assess whether I was actually curious or just prodding him out of boredom. I adjusted my grip on the crystal, letting my nails tap once against the case before I forced myself to stop.

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  “Your parents likely loved each other,” Caspian finally answered, looking away from me again. “Isadora and I are not in love.”

  “But you’re married,” I argued, thinking of what I had heard from the servants. There was no lack of talk about how lucky Caspian and Isadora were, to get along so well despite being arranged to marry after he killed Kapral. The entire empire was convinced they were in love and even my mother would sometimes mention that Caspian was always softer when it was just him and Isadora.

  “Yes, but marriage does not guarantee love, nor does it require it. Isadora is my friend, and I am lucky to have her as my wife,” a pause, one that felt more measured than hesitant. “But I am not capable of love.”

  Something in the way he said it made me pause. “Because you are a failed dragon?”

  “Yes,” Caspian answered, looking at me again. There was no hint of sadness or regret in his eyes, just the same neutral acceptance he had toward everything. Something told me it truly didn’t bother him. “My body will never accept Isadora as my wife or my mate, so I cannot love her or anyone else. Isadora does not want or need love, so we get along well.”

  “But then how–”

  “What others think is not my problem. Isadora is my friend and my wife, and that is enough for both of us,” something in his gaze and voice made the question die in my throat and I pouted, turning back to look out the window. I could see the narrow road that would take us through the mountains, and I could already feel the way the air changed—thinner, colder, and edged with the scent of pine and damp stone. It wrapped around my senses in a way that made my skin prickle, though not from fear.

  I shifted again in my seat, stretching my fingers absently. The power coiled under my skin, quiet but never gone, like it was waiting for something I didn’t know how to name. Everything was so different from how it had been in my first life, and I could almost feel the magic humming under my skin constantly. It was both strange and reassuring, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was part of the reason I could transform into a dragon sooner in this life. If it was the case, it meant I was always going to receive Cyldri’s blood in this life, since Tritetia always saw me transform as soon as my mother died. The thought made me uncomfortable, because it also implied that there were other absolutes I could not stop. Pieces of the puzzle outside of my control.

  “You are still curious.” Caspian sighed, and I shrugged.

  “I am, but your relationship with Isadora isn’t really my business. I’m only your son until you two have a child,” my voice dropped slightly, thinking of the few moments I spent with Isadora over the summer. She and Caspian didn’t bother to continue my lessons, since most of what I had been learning would also be taught at Roxarry, but she did finish teaching me Naeraen history. She also had me choose a territory for my future duchy, considering it was likely she would take the throne before I graduated from the Academy. I simply chose an area to the south near the ocean, remembering my mother’s desire to see the sea. It would be a nice place for her to stay.

  “It’s nothing for you to worry about. It’s only a concern for failed dragons, and I doubt you will fail to awaken as one,” Caspian insisted, and I glanced up, noticing the small hint of a smirk on his face. “You are too passionate not to.”

  “Are you saying you are too dispassionate?” I shot back and Caspian shrugged.

  “I never cared before and I don’t care now. What I am has little effect on how I live my life, and failed dragon or not, I’m content with where I am and who I am with.” The carriage rattled as we crossed a narrow ridge, the sound of gravel scattering beneath the wheels briefly filling the silence that followed. I let the words settle, chewing on them like gristle.

  Contentment.

  I didn’t understand it. The idea that someone could simply be—not fighting, not hiding, not calculating every breath they took—was foreign to me in a way I couldn’t untangle. My entire first life had been an uncomfortable lie and this one had been spent trying to ensure my mother didn’t die. I knew once she was safe, I could relax a bit, but she would never be truly safe until I destroyed what had killed her in the first place, be it the Marquess or whoever was helping him. Until they were dead at my feet, I could never be content.

  Before I could answer, the carriage jerked hard to the left. I gripped the crystal tightly to keep it from sliding out of my lap, and once the vehicle settled, I looked up to see Caspian kneeling on the floor. His hand was on his sword, and I started to reach down for my axe.

  “No. Stay inside,” Caspian ordered as he opened the door, stepping out as soon as the carriage rolled to a stop. I opened my mouth to argue, but I heard a sound that made me stop. Voices.

  Human voices.