Winter Ball: The Northern Academy

Chapter 1.3. The Introduction.

As usual, just before midnight, the black dragon arrived in our room. Judging by the guy's snow-whitened hair, things were wild outside.

"As ordered, toffees for the princess," Maximilian said in an overly cheerful tone, handing me a covered dish full of sweets.

"You forgot again, dragon. I have a name—Aurora," I growled, placing the dish on the table.

"Forgive me, Aurrrora. We've only met three or four times, and calling you all 'princess' just helps me avoid mistakes. It's a habit," he shrugged, pulling off his coat and running a hand through his snow-dampened hair.

What could I even say to that? Typical dragon. For guys like him, all female mages probably looked the same. Why bother remembering anyone's name if no one seems to care?

Inspecting the dragon's gift, I already imagined unwrapping the candies in the morning and washing them down with a hot infusion of fragrant herbs.

While I was daydreaming about sweets, wrapped up in my blanket, the dragon had already kicked off his boots and settled into his usual sleeping position.

I wasn't sure what was keeping me awake that night—the loud snoring coming from the guy on the other bed, or the fact that the magic in the warming artifact had run out.

Even with a warm dress and socks, I couldn't stop shivering. The storm showed no sign of letting up, and with each minute, it seemed the room grew colder.

"Founding Dragon, can you stop chattering your teeth? I can't sleep with that noise!" Maximilian growled from the side, his bed creaking as he sat up and swung his bare legs onto the floor.

The sight of a half-dressed dragon made me pull the blanket tighter around myself, and I shivered even more.

"The artifact's out. You think I'm doing this on purpose?" I muttered, pulling my legs closer.

Maximilian cursed softly under his breath, and his bed creaked louder.

"Move over, Frosty," he whispered right by my ear, and now my bed started creaking.

Maximilian threw two of Kami's blankets over me and, without asking, pulled me into his arms as he settled beside me.

"What do you think you're doing, you arrogant dragon?" I snapped at the uninvited guest, not bothering to be polite.

Maximilian froze for a moment, then quietly chuckled, pulling me even closer.

"That's probably the first time a girl has reacted like this to my embrace," he whispered, resting his chin on top of my head.

"Let go of me right now. I'll scream and fight back," I squeaked, trying to break free from the dragon's grip, but his arms locked around me like a vice.

All I could do was huff in frustration; I couldn't move a hand or foot.

"Scream, Frosty. Let everyone know who you're spending the night with. It won't hurt my reputation, unlike Camilla's. And I wouldn't recommend using magic. I'm stronger, and I might accidentally hurt you on instinct. Probably not seriously, but your pride will take a hit," he said sternly, wrapping us tighter in the blankets.

"You should be thanking me, you know. I'm a dragon — better than any heating artifact. Just snuggle up and stop complaining. The sound of you shivering is way more annoying than your huffing. A couple of minutes, and you'll warm up. I'm tired of hearing you freeze."

As I processed his words, I realized I was actually starting to warm up.

Sure, I knew dragons had a much higher body temperature than humans, but the fact that one dragon could replace multiple heating spells was new to me.

Feeling a bit warmer, I reconsidered fighting back.

My frustration turned to curiosity. I placed a hand on Maximilian's chest, wondering if he was really heating the blankets or if he was just warming up the space — and me along with it.

His chest rose and fell rhythmically, signaling that he'd already drifted off to sleep.

I remembered Camilla saying that once a dragon falls asleep, nothing can wake them until they sense danger. That's what I was counting on. I wasn't a threat, so I had a pretty good chance of staying unnoticed.

For a few moments, I listened to his quiet breathing, and when I was sure my arrogant bedmate was deeply asleep, I let my hand wander down his neck, across his shoulder, and then along his muscular chest.

Even through the thin fabric of his shirt, I could feel the difference in temperature. His toned torso, which I was pressed up against, briefly stirred my imagination, distracting me from my purely investigative interest. But I quickly remembered my goal, locating the warmest spot near his heart. I even pressed my ear to his chest to make sure I wasn't mistaken.

We weren't exactly taught much about human or dragon anatomy in the academy since we weren't healers. So, it was possible I'd gotten the location of his heart wrong.

Listening closely, I even closed my eyes. Unlike a human's, a dragon's heart beats much faster, creating a strange sound, like something rhythmically rattling inside.

"There's one more spot just as hot, Frosty," a quiet voice came from above, and I instinctively tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip around me.

Maximilian, now awake, firmly took my hand and started guiding it down his torso. The moment I realized where he was leading it, I squeaked:

"Stop it, Maximilian! That's improper! Let me go, right now!"

He chuckled softly and moved my hand back to his chest, but didn't release it. Instead, he slowly guided it upward, letting me feel his well-toned body, honed from countless training sessions. Once my hand was back to the spot where I'd been exploring earlier, he finally let go.

"So shy. Aren't you even a little curious? When's the next time you'll get to examine a dragon up close like this? You won't find this in any book, will you, Frosty?" Maximilian murmured, his breath hot against my hair, sending a shiver down my spine.

His low voice, so close and yet somehow dangerous, made me tense up.

"I was just... your chest felt too hot near your heart, and I got curious. Sorry for waking you. I'm warm now, you can go back to Camilla's bed," I stammered, my voice trembling with tension.

His hand tightened around my waist in response.

"If I leave, in five minutes, you'll be shivering again. No, I plan on getting a good night's sleep, Aurora, and you should too. Don't worry, I won't touch you. You're shaking like a leaf. If it weren't for your... explorations, I'd think you were disgusted by me," he said in a stern tone, slightly pulling away, letting the cold air from the room seep under the blankets.

I flinched at the sudden chill.

"I wasn't... petting you! I was just... examining," I protested, closing my eyes, realizing how awkward and inappropriate that sounded.

His quiet laughter told me he appreciated my slip-up.

"Let's just sleep, Frosty. If you stop 'examining' me, we might actually get some rest," he said, running a hand down my back, causing me to flinch again.

"Seems like the weather's had an effect on your choice of nicknames," I muttered, trying to get comfortable.

It was clear this stubborn dragon had no intention of leaving or freeing up my bed. So, why not take advantage of this walking furnace? It was better than shivering and chattering my teeth all night.

"No, I've come up with a special one just for you. You're the first girl I've spent three nights with fully clothed. You've earned it," he said, sounding either smug or annoyed, I couldn't tell.

He adjusted the blanket around us, making sure I was comfortable, then softly began snoring again.