POV: Ravenna
Edmund found me in the library.
I'd been hiding there most of the morning, surrounded by books I wasn't reading, trying not to think about the fact that I was falling for my betrothed and had no idea what to do about it.
When he cleared his throat from the doorway, I jumped and nearly knocked over a stack of histories.
"Princess Ravenna." His voice was gentle as always. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Edmund." I set the book down. "No, I was just—" Avoiding my feelings. "Reading."
He smiled like he knew exactly what I'd been doing. "I came to say goodbye. Brynn and I leave within the hour."
"Oh." Something in my chest tightened. Edmund was leaving. The one candidate who'd been nothing but kind throughout this entire nightmare. "I'll miss having you here."
"I doubt that." He moved into the library, hands clasped behind his back. "I imagine you'll be relieved to have fewer reminders of the competition."
"You were never a reminder of anything bad," I said honestly. "You were—you've been honorable through all of this. More than I deserved."
His eyebrows rose. "What do you mean?"
I looked down at my hands. "I planned to sabotage the competition. To make all of you look weak or unsuitable so Father would cancel the whole thing." The words came out in a rush. "I was going to ruin you. All of you. Because I was too much of a coward to just tell my father I didn't want this."
Silence.
I forced myself to look up, expecting judgment. Disappointment.
Instead, Edmund's expression was understanding. Kind.
"I know," he said simply.
"You—what?"
"I suspected from the beginning." He pulled out a chair and sat across from me. "You were terrified, Ravenna. Anyone with eyes could see it. A scared woman backed into a corner will use whatever weapons she has." He paused. "I didn't hold it against you then. I certainly don't hold it against you now."
"But I was going to—"
"But you didn't." His voice was firm. "You could have. You had opportunities. Yet when it mattered, you chose honesty. You chose to face your fear instead of running from it." He smiled. "That takes more courage than sabotage."
My throat felt tight. "You're too good, Edmund. Seriously. It's almost annoying."
He laughed. "My late wife used to say the same thing."
The shift in his voice made me pause. "Your wife. The one who—"
"Who died eight years ago." He looked out the window. "Yes. Mira was—" He stopped. Started again. "Our bond was immediate. Overwhelming. The kind of recognition that feels like destiny and terror combined." His smile was sad. "I thought nothing could break us. That we were invincible as long as we had each other."
"What happened?" I asked quietly.
"Illness. Sudden. Vicious." His hands clenched on the table. "One day she was healthy. Three weeks later she was gone. No amount of healing could save her." His voice dropped. "The bond breaking nearly killed me. I was unconscious for days. When I woke up, I wanted to die."
Gods. "Edmund, I'm so—"
"But I didn't die." He looked at me directly. "Because Brynn needed me. Because our love had been strong enough that even with Mira gone, I had something to live for. Our daughter. The life we'd built. The memories we'd made." He paused. "Loss taught me that bonds are precious. That finding someone whose dragon recognizes yours is rare and miraculous. That you should never, ever take it for granted."
I couldn't speak.
"That's why I entered your competition," he said. "Not because I was over Mira. I'll never be over her. But because my family insisted I needed to try. To see if lightning could strike twice." His smile was gentle. "It didn't. Solace made the right choice. I have no regrets."
"You're a better person than I am," I whispered.
"No." His voice was firm. "I'm just older. I've had more time to learn that fear and stubbornness waste the precious time we have." He reached across the table and covered my hand with his. "Cherish what you have with Theron, Ravenna. I've watched you two together. The way you look at each other. The way you're trying so hard not to fall even though you're already falling." His eyes were kind. "Don't waste time being afraid. Life is too short. Bonds are too rare. Love is too precious."
"I don't—" I stopped. Swallowed. "What if I mess it up?"
"Then you'll fix it. Together." He squeezed my hand gently. "That's what bonded pairs do. They stumble and fall and get back up. They make mistakes and forgive each other. They choose each other every single day even when it's hard." He paused. "Especially when it's hard."
"You make it sound simple."
"It's not simple. It's terrifying and vulnerable and sometimes it hurts." His smile widened. "But it's also the best thing in the world. And you deserve that, Ravenna. You deserve to be happy."
The tears came before I could stop them. "Thank you," I managed. "For—for everything. For being kind when I didn't deserve it. For showing me what honor actually looks like."
"You always deserved kindness." He stood, releasing my hand. "And you've shown more honor than you realize. Accepting the bond even though it terrified you. Defending Theron against Lucien. Choosing to trust when every instinct told you to run." He bowed slightly. "You're going to be a remarkable queen someday."
"Edmund—"
"Take care of yourself, Princess. And take care of that warrior of yours." His eyes twinkled. "He's lucky to have you."
"I'm lucky to have him," I said, and realized I meant it.
"Yes." Edmund smiled. "You are. But he's luckier."
He left before I could argue.
I sat there alone in the library, tears still sliding down my face, and thought about everything he'd said.
Cherish what you have. Don't waste time being afraid. Choose each other every day.
Edmund had lost his bonded and survived through love strong enough to give him reason to keep living. He'd entered a competition he didn't want, been rejected by a dragon who knew he wasn't meant for her, and he was leaving with grace and dignity intact.
He'd shown me what honor looked like from the very beginning. Quiet. Steady. Unshakeable.
Not loud or performative or demanding recognition. Just—being good because that's who he was.
I wiped my face and stood up, something settling in my chest.
Edmund was right. I was falling for Theron. Possibly already fallen. And I was wasting time being terrified when I could be—what? Actually trying? Actually letting myself feel?
The thought was still scary. But less scary than it had been yesterday.
Maybe I could do this. Maybe I could be brave enough to fall and trust Theron to catch me.
Maybe I could stop running and start building something real.
I left the library and went to find Brynn before they left. I owed Edmund's daughter a proper goodbye. Owed them both gratitude for showing me kindness I hadn't earned.
And maybe—just maybe—I could start showing Theron the same honesty Edmund had just shown me.
Starting with admitting I was falling.
Starting with choosing him not because I had to, but because I wanted to.
The thought made my heart race and my hands shake and everything in me want to run away.
But I didn't run.
I walked toward the courage Edmund had tried to give me.
And hoped it would be enough.