Notes From a Dragon Queen

Chapter 7

Rhys barely looked up as his sister barged through the door. "Do you know what knocking is?"

"You're funny." Zephrine sat across from Rhys.

"What brings you here?"

"I can't just say hello to my brother?"

"You literally never have before." Rhys reviewed the notes he wrote in the margin of his book. His draught now looked and behaved exactly like Vana's did on rose petals.

"Fine, I wanted to ask you about something."

"Oh, great. Here I was thinking you loved me."

"I do, Rhys. But on my way here, Caius told me something about Xavier's birthday. When is that?"

"Tomorrow. There's always a huge ball." Rhys ruffled his hair, finally looking up at his sister. "Why?"

"I don't know." Zephrine shrugged, playing with a mint leaf.

As if on cue, Xavier burst in.

"Does anyone know how to knock? I swear, you guys are going to break down the door." Rhys sighed as Xavier gently shut the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, I just forgot to ask Zephrine something." Xavier said.

"I swear, if you propose, I will scream." Rhys shut his book, sliding it back under his table.

"No..." Xavier blinked. "I wanted to ask her if she would accompany me tomorrow night. For the ball. Why would you think I'd be proposing?" Rhys heard him whisper quietly to Zephrine, "Does he know about our bet?"

"What bet?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Zephrine suddenly shifted her eyes down toward the ground.

"Okay, now I know it's something. What's going on?"

"Should I tell him?" Xavier flushed bright pink.

"Go ahead, he'll kill us both anyways." Zephrine rolled her eyes.

"Princey, maybe. Zeph, it'd have to be pretty bad." Rhys looked them both up and down.

"Don't call me Princey." Xavier's annoyed expression gave Rhys all the satisfaction in the world. "Anyways, the bet was, who would fall in love first."

"With each other?" Rhys pointed to the two of them, watching them nod. "You've known each other for two weeks. Wow, you move fast. Am I expecting a niece or nephew next month? And before either of you ask, Princey, I'm betting you say it first."

"Don't call me Princey!"

"Yes, Xavier, I will join you tomorrow night." Zephrine interrupted by holding onto Xavier's arm.

"Oh, sire, you are definitely going to say it first." Rhys's laugh took them both off guard. "She has you wrapped around her finger."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Xavier shook his head at Rhys. "Glad to know you've got my back."

"She's my sister, she's terrifying, I have to take her side. Plus I've known her for twenty years, she's never once given in."

"Good to know." Xavier gently kissed Zephrine's hand, eyes on Rhys the whole time, then slowly backed out of the physician's quarters.

"So you're not mad?" Zephrine smiled as she watched Xavier.

"You're not a kid anymore. I can't control what you do. But I will be mad if you lose."

"Got it." Zephrine nodded. "So can you come to the town with me? I don't know what to get him. Or what to wear."

"I can't help you in the fashion department, but I guess I can help with the gift."

"We can recruit Vana." Zephrine suggested. Rhys nodded, though he felt like inviting Vana would have been the literal worst decision Zephrine could make.

Surprisingly enough, Vana agreed to join them. As the three of them exited the castle into the citadel, she pulled Rhys back slightly, just enough so Zephrine wouldn't notice.

Vana whispered to Rhys as Zephrine walked ahead of them. "You know, Rhys, I asked you nicely for the vial."

"No, you sent my sister to ask me." Rhys tried to join his sister again.

"Just give it back." Vana stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Depends. What's in it?"

"A sleeping draught."

"That's actually kinda funny because, and I'm no medical professional, but I'm sure sleeping draughts aren't supposed to contain Belladonna. Care to explain?"

"I'll show you tomorrow night." Vana gripped Rhys's bicep so tightly he felt his pins and needles in his fingers. "Oh, and don't even think about squealing, or my draught is going to end up in your siblings' chicken before you can even blink."

Rhys's breath stopped for a second. "You wouldn't."

"Ask Eetu what I would and wouldn't do. I mean, how many of you will just jump in front of your sister to save her? You? Caius? Your mother? Xavier?"

Rhys bit his bottom lip until he tasted blood.

"What do you think?" Zephrine stepped out from behind a privacy screen, surprising both Rhys and Vana, who didn't know she had disappeared. She wore a dress that fell off her shoulders, supported by her biceps instead, hugging her soft curves and sweeping out to the floor. It was a gorgeous white with a gold layer inside, and golden flowers on the white, and white leaves on the gold going all up the hem and sides.

"Xavier will absolutely die when he sees you in this." Vana joined Zephrine at her side. "What do you think, Rhys?"

"It's lovely. A little revealing, so you shouldn't be wearing it, but it's good." Rhys wiped his lip, trying to hide the blood. "But, Zeph, what do you think of it?"

"I think I'm ready to see Xavier turn into a bumbling idiot."

"More so than he already is?"

Zephrine winked in response.

Rhys's heart jumped into his throat as he watched Vana. It was sickening that she knew just how to keep him quiet. The scariest part was, he didn't know if she was bluffing, or if she'd actually do it. But either way, he would be keeping his lips sewn shut.