Lucius POV
For the first time in what felt like centuries, I found myself… entertained.
There she was, my little witch—kneeling beside a pool of icy water, commanding her dragons with the confidence of someone who hadn't thought a single thing through. I watched her gesture dramatically at the water's surface, coaxing the smallest dragon to breathe fire over it. The creature obeyed, a flicker of orange flame licking across the surface, hissing and steaming for a heartbeat before the pool settled again into a calm, cold mirror.
It didn't work. Of course it didn't. She sighed, crossing her arms, glaring at the water as though sheer willpower might coax it into warmth.
The steam from their failed attempts at fire danced over the water, turning her hair into a silver halo of light.
"Why won't you just work!" she complained, throwing her hands up as one of the dragons huffed smoke in defiance.
