Novel Full Chapter 63: Withdraw From Bestaris
Chapter 63: Withdraw From Bestaris
"A crown forged by fire burns the head that wears it."
~ Rebel Beast
___________
Tamara landed gracefully on the landing platform of House Aetheris in her dragon form. Evening had begun settling over the academy, painting the sky in streaks of gold and crimson.
The instant her claws touched the floor, her wings folded into her back, scales melted into smooth skin. A heartbeat later, Tamara stood where the dragon had been, still dressed in her academy uniform.
To this day, no one truly understood what ancient magic allowed dragons to retain their clothing whenever they shifted.
It simply worked.
Naturally, dragons considered it further proof that the Moon Goddess had favored their race above all others.
While wolves, serpents and nearly every other shifting species had to worry about replacing their shredded clothes after every transformation, dragons emerged with every thread perfectly intact.
If there was one thing dragons loved almost as much as treasure, it was reminding everyone else of that fact.
Tamara followed Rhydian’s scent through the familiar corridors of House Aetheris until it stopped outside his private quarters. She didn’t bother knocking because the door was ajar which was weird.
So she pushed it open and stepped inside and immediately halted. The last thing she’d expected to find was a room full of ravens.
Nearly a dozen of them occupied Rhydian’s living room, their familiar jet-black hair making them almost indistinguishable from one another at first glance.
Their sharp, beady eyes snapped toward her the instant she entered, instinctively assessing the newcomer.
Just as quickly, recognition dawned on them, and whatever wariness had flashed across their faces dissolved into relief.Some of them even looked one mild inconvenience away from bursting into tears.
Tamara frowned. "What is going on here?"
Her gaze swept across the room, taking in the organized chaos. Four long desks had somehow found their way into Rhydian’s living room. She was almost certain they hadn’t been there this morning.
Two of them were occupied by raven shifters furiously copying the contents of a single handwritten page onto fresh sheets of parchment, their quills scratching nonstop as they raced to keep up.
At the remaining tables, another group folded each completed letter before slipping them into expensive cream-colored envelopes. The others pressed House Aetheris’ crimson wax seal onto each one before stacking the finished invitations neatly inside waiting crates for delivery across the academy.
It looked less like the dragon prince’s residence, and more like the headquarters of an overworked postal service.
Tamara reached across one of the tables without asking permission and plucked a freshly sealed invitation from a raven’s hand.
The poor bird looked moments away from protesting before deciding against arguing with an irritated dragon.
She broke the wax seal and unfolded the letter :
To House Therion, House Ophidian, and our Honored Human Guests,
House Aetheris cordially invites you to an evening gathering this Friday at The Grand Arena.
Recent events have placed unnecessary distance between our Houses. While I cannot undo what has already happened, I believe we can at least prevent ourselves from creating more reasons to distrust one another.
There will be food, music, games, and, if the Moon Goddess is feeling particularly generous, no attempted murders.
The purpose of this gathering is simple: to remind ourselves that we are classmates before we become each other’s headaches.
I understand many of our human guests may be hesitant to attend after the unfortunate incidents of the past days. That hesitation is both reasonable and expected.
Trust is not earned through invitations alone.
Therefore, I offer my own future as collateral.
Should any human guest come to harm anywhere within House Aetheris or during the duration of this gathering, regardless of the cause, I shall immediately withdraw from Bestiaris Academy.
Since trust is a burden best shared equally, I respectfully invite House Ophidian to provide same collateral of their own upon accepting this invitation, so our human guests may enjoy the evening with a little less anxiety.
I eagerly await Prince Caelis Cobryn’s undoubtedly generous response.
As for House Therion, please ensure your wolves arrive well-fed. I’d rather they focus on the refreshments than the guests.
Until Friday, I kindly ask everyone to refrain from creating additional diplomatic incidents.
Sincerely,
Prince Rhydian Drakhar.
House Aetheris.
Tamara’s eyes widened.
"What the hell?"
She reread the paragraph where Rhydian had pledged to withdraw from Bestiaris Academy should a single human come to harm during the gathering.
Surely she was imagining things.
Except she wasn’t. It was just as insane the second time.
"Has he completely lost his mind?" she shouted, her pupils narrowing dangerously as several ravens nearby jumped in alarm.
She crumpled the letter in her grip before sweeping a furious glance around the bustling room.
"Where is he?!" she boomed.
The ravens exchanged uneasy glances before one of them quietly pointed toward the closed bedroom door.
Tamara didn’t wait another second and stormed across the living room with such purpose that one unfortunate raven, who had been crouched near the doorway polishing the wooden floor, barely managed to look up before she nearly stepped on him.
"Eep!" The tiny shifter squeaked and hurriedly threw himself out of the way.
Tamara never even acknowledged his existence. She reached the bedroom door, grabbed the handle, and flung it open with enough force for it to slam violently against the wall.
"Rhydian Drakhar!" The entire residence seemed to shake with the force of her entrance.
Sure enough, Rhydian Drakhar was inside. Just not in the way she’d expected.
The dragon prince lounged comfortably against the headboard, dressed in nothing but a pristine white bathrobe. Thin cucumber slices rested over his closed eyes while some sort of green herbal paste covered the better part of his face.
As though that wasn’t ridiculous enough, two raven shifters sat at the foot of the bed, dutifully massaging each of his feet. Another sat beside him holding an elaborate fruit cocktail, patiently adjusting the straw every time Rhydian took a sip, while a fourth raven worked on the tension in his shoulders. The entire room smelled of mint and expensive oils.
Tamara stood frozen in the doorway. Her eye twitched. Apparently the prince she was worried about was having a wellness retreat.
Her blood pressure had never climbed so high in her entire life.