The Villainess Always Loses

Chapter 5: In Which I Try not to Kill a Wizard

The loud shrieking from the dragon sets everyone off in a series of loud shouts and shattering glasses. Knights, I didn't even notice start to surround the royal family and evacuate them. The rest of the nobles lose it save for a handful. Claude and Henry are assessing the situation while also looking for me. I try to make my way towards them but am pushed and shoved until I lose sight of where they are. I try to find the girl to see that she's disappeared too. The dragon is a long scaly thing. With shimmering green skin and wings as long as three men. It's not as big as I would normally imagine a dragon but it's breathing fire so I would count it as not better.

The knights are shooting it and throwing spears to no avail and already some people are injured. I slip off my heels and begin running towards the nearest wall. It's better to have support instead of running towards where everyone else is. When I'm finally starting to think this scenario will never end a familiar shimmer of gold hair and bright silver flash from the corner of my eyes.

I look to where the dragon is and see on the top of its head a sword buried and holding said sword is Xander. The blood from the dragon spills onto the white of his suit covering him in its unnatural green. His eyes gleam with what I'm guessing is bloodlust and the dragon lets out one last scream before falling to the ground. I've never seen something like this taken care of so quickly in a book or even a video game. Wow, I gasp from my corner of the wall and watch as he shouts orders to the knights to help people leave the room in an orderly fashion and how to begin the cleanup. He goes back to the dead dragon and cuts off its head in one swift swing. It's the last thing I expect him to do. But it gets worse. He grabs the head and throws it in the path of the emperor.

Happy birthday, Father, he says in a firm tone with a large smile before heading out of the room.

....."Where were you, Sylvia?!" Claude shouts at me in the main hall of our home. I wave him off with a wave of my hand. "I'm fine right? So there's no need to worry I just went into the garden for a breather and wasn't anywhere near the dragon when it came." "But!"- "Claude that's enough," a low voice says from the end of the room. The duke walks into the light and I get my first look at him. In his forties, with dark blue hair, he has a hard look on his face but doesn't seem cruel. Remember this is the man who abandoned Sylvia. "Hello sir" I curtesy with my eyes lowered. If I just act invisible I won't have to talk to him. Everyone goes deathly quiet. "Sir..?" He says in an almost hurt voice. I glance up questioningly. Both Henry and the Duke are looking at me with what seems to be confused looks but I can't figure out why. I didn't say anything wrong did I? Thank god Claude is dense and doesn't pick up on the awkwardness. "Father! Tell Sylvia she can't be roaming around the palace as she pleases." "Especially after her last incident" finishes Henry from where he's standing next to the Duke.

"I'm my own person now and I don't need to ask my brother's permission for whenever I want to go somewhere" I snap in a stern voice.

That statement even makes Claude go silent. "Your sisters right," the Duke says in a soft tone. "She doesn't need to ask anyone anything before doing what she pleases. It may seem hard to accept but she is an adult now" he finishes in an almost softer voice. "Father her coming of age is officially in three months so until then she should still be mindful of what she does and where she does it. You've already heard the rumors about her that say-" "Enough!" The Duke interrupts Henry his face a cold fury. That I'm a slut I complete his sentence silently in my mind. "Those are exactly as they are. Rumors. We're supposed to protect her not hurt her. Remember that." He looks me in the eye and in that moment I can see his encouragement to stay strong before he turns and leaves. "I'll be in my study you should head to bed early and I'll need a report of what happened tonight from you Henry."

....As I fall onto my bed the fragrance of roses hits my nose. I love this soap. I recount the night's events and shudder. The prince, the dragon, the Duke. If I had known it would be like this I wouldn't have got out of bed earlier. But it seems the Duke isn't as evil as portrayed in the story he seems to care about Sylvia. As far as to even shout at his successor over her. "I shouldn't think too hard" I grumble and bury my face in the sheets. "Pfft as if you could even think to begin with" I hear the low voice from earlier speak. That damned wizard. "You're back?" I question not even bothering to lift my head. "I never even left" he responds. "I even attended the party and can I say your dress was absolutely boring?" "Thanks," I say sarcastically trying to reel in my annoyance.

"What do you want this time?"I inquire." I think I'll be staying here for a while. Since at that ball, a dragon was summoned I assume that the Believers of Amon are gathering here. They usually aren't a big deal but summoning a dragon is no easy feat. They're up to something" he grumbles in a voice that tells me he's thinking. The Believers of Amon are a group of wizards that come from unknown origins. They have a strange goal of wanting to rid the empire of non-mana users. Mana is an energy that determines how much magic you contain. Wizards contain high amounts but normal people contain none. They believe that once they rid the empire and eventually the world of non-mana users that Amon their god essentially will come and enlighten them.

Sounds like an excuse for genocide to me. "Because that's exactly what it is," the wizard says to me. "Could you stop reading my mind, please?" "Nope, it's too fun." "I hate you. Also, what's your name? I know it's not Wizard so just tell me." I wait a moment before I hear some rustling. "Liam" is whispered in a low rough voice in my ear and a deep shiver works its way down my body. "What the!" I shoot up and back up until my spines touching the baseboard of my bed. Sitting inches from me now on my bed is the wizard. "Liam", he repeats his eyes doing that strange swirling again. "My name is Liam."