The Dragon Bride | ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Six

Kora's POV

"That's right, Kora! The Queen convinced the King to extend the choosing ceremony by another week for you to recover!"

I grit my teeth. Why? I don't need to recover! I just want the bloody thing to be over with already! I groan in exasperation. Seven days to figure out my entire life. I shake my head. No, I can't make such a decision. Not until I see who I need to.

"I need to get Azura out of prison, Marisol," I said sulkily, crossing my arms.

Marisol considers this for a moment, "You could do it. Convince the King,"

I think about it. What reasons would the King have to be forced to let Azura out of her cell? Ah, now that's easy. The Crimsons attack. So, all I need to do is somehow convince the King that it's unsafe for Azura to be in the dungeon when an attack can happen at any moment, especially since she hasn't actually been proven guilty.

But he'd never accept. Unless...

I grin, beaming at Marisol. "Thank you, Marisol!" I say happily, before practically speeding out of my chamber altogether, leaving her in a daze.

But before I can get very far, I see what I needed to.

"Synn!" I call out, racing over to him.

He jumps, startled, as he raises an eyebrow and closes the book in his hands. I know he can see my face light up at the sight of him because he chuckles at me.

"I need your help," I tell him.

"Oh, is that so, Grump? What with?" he questions. I scowl at him for a moment for bringing up the nickname, but then roll my eyes.

I look around the busy hallway and gently guide Synn towards the quiet library. "I want to get Azura out of prison,"

"What, break her out?"

"No, of course not! Although I will, if it comes to it-"

"There's no way you'd get away with it."

"I'm planning on somehow creating a fake Crimsons attack, one where Azura gets kidnapped,"

"Erm-"

"Shut up and listen," I snap at him, finding myself to be salty after his remark. Who is he to tell me what I can get away with? "And then she'll reappear. We'll be ecstatic and demand to let her live in the palace again. They'll have to agree then, won't they?"

"And who is they, exactly?" Synn asks, not missing a beat.

"Your parents,"

Synn considers it for a moment, but then shakes his head. "I don't know, Kora. It's far too risky..."

My smile fades, my hope diminishing, my stance falling. Of all people I expected to accept my plans, Synn was one of them. Technically, as my betrothed, he's meant to not only support my ideas but also encourage them. So why can't he do just that?

I know, inside of me, he's right, and I'm being unreasonable. That it's far too risky. But I don't want to admit it to myself. I can't admit it to myself. Because that means Azura might spend longer in those cells, and I can't bear that.

I huff at Synn. "Think what you want, but I'm going through with it," I snap at him.

"What? After I've explicitly told you it's a bad idea?"

"I don't give a rat's tail what you told me! Why can't you just agree with me, for God's sake?"

"Because it's a bad idea and you'll get into trouble!"