Reborn:The Dragon Queen No More

For generations, the women of House Silvermoon have carried a unique blessing. Our blood ensures high fertility. More importantly, it purifies the lineage of those we bind with. Because of this, the moment a daughter of our house comes of age, she becomes the most coveted prize in the realm. In my past life, my older sister, Clara, looked down on the brutal, cold-blooded dragon shifters. Her heart was set on the elegant Elven Prince. She fully believed she would rule the Nightwood at his side. She got her wish. And I was readily married off to the Dragon Prince, Kail, in her stead. No one expected that within a year, I would give birth to a pure-blood dragon—the first sole heir the Dragon Clan had seen in centuries. Overjoyed, Kail crowned me his only Queen the day he ascended the throne. Under his rule, the dragons conquered the continent. My position was secured, and I enjoyed endless wealth and absolute power. Meanwhile, Clara discovered the grim reality of the elven court. The prince was a notorious womanizer. Clara was merely an insignificant consort, drowning in tears while she watched the entire realm bow at my feet. Jealousy ate her alive. During a family gala, she lured me to the edge of a cliff and pushed me into the abyss. But when I opened my eyes again... the dragon bridal envoy was already at our gates. And Clara, without a single moment of hesitation, accepted the proposal. I knew instantly—she had been reborn, too. What she doesn't know, however, is that becoming the Dragon Prince’s bride is the easy part. Winning his heart? Surviving long enough to bear his child? That is next to impossible. Chapter 1 When I opened my eyes, the dragon clan's envoy procession had already arrived. A piercing roar echoed from the horizon. Storm clouds churned. Several massive, pitch-black dragons tore through the sky, their armored riders perched upon their backs. The dragons exhaled a scorching breath, whipping up a blinding gale of dust. Everyone at Silvermoon Manor was on their knees, too terrified to lift their heads. My heart sank. Reality hit me: I had been reborn. In my past life, the Dragon Clan had made the exact same grand entrance to propose to our family's eldest daughter. Back then, they had not yet conquered the realm. Clara dismissed them as uncultured savages. She rejected the proposal publicly, turning her attention to the Elven Prince she so deeply craved. My family simply shifted the arrangement, marrying me off to the dragons instead. None of us foresaw that my blood would allow me to bear a pure-blood dragon heir—a miracle not seen in a hundred years. That child triggered the meteoric rise of the Dragon Clan. Kail was crowned King, and I became the Queen ruling above all races. Clara, neglected and forgotten by the elves, went mad with envy. In the end, she pushed me off that cliff. Coming back to this moment, I assumed she would walk the same path. I assumed she would chase her Elven Prince again. I was completely wrong. "Clara has accepted the Dragon Prince's proposal." Our mother stepped out of the grand hall, a look of pleasant surprise on her face. I snapped my head up. She accepted? The same Clara who had haughtily humiliated the dragon envoys in our past life had eagerly agreed the very first second this time around? I looked toward the center of the hall. Clara stood there in a flowing, moon-white gown, bowing gracefully to the dragon envoy. Her face was identical to the one from my memory, but her lips carried a smug satisfaction she couldn't quite hide. Our eyes met. Her smirk widened, throwing a deeply meaningful look my way. In that instant, everything clicked. She had been reborn, too. She knew the Dragon Clan would rule the continent. She knew the Dragon Queen would hold absolute power. So, she moved first to claim that crown for herself. How tragic for her. She only sees the glory of the Dragon Queen. She has no idea what it costs. The dragon bloodline is notoriously volatile and dominant. Nourishing a pure-blood fetus requires draining the mother’s own life force and essence. A normal woman wouldn't survive the ten-month term. In my past life, walking away from death's door alive wasn't a stroke of luck. Clara thinks that by stealing this marriage, she is stealing my crown. She has no idea that this match was never a blessing. It is a deadly gamble where the odds are heavily stacked against her. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice Clara walking over. She stopped right in front of me, looking down her nose. "I’m marrying into the Dragon Clan, Lena," she said. Her voice was soft, but loud enough for everyone around us to hear. "If you ever find yourself with nowhere to go in the future, I suppose I could find a job for you in the dragon palace. As a maid, perhaps." Muffled chuckles broke out around us. I didn't argue. I simply lowered my gaze and said quietly, "Congratulations, sister. You got exactly what you wanted." She stared at the top of my head for a long moment, caught off guard by my submission. Then, she let out a sharp scoff. She leaned down, whispering directly into my ear. "Stop acting, Lena. I know you're burning with jealousy right now." My eyelashes fluttered slightly. "Too bad for you. The one marrying the Dragon Prince is me. Sit tight and watch me take my place on the dragon throne." Without waiting for a response, she turned and swept away. Her moon-white hem brushed past my feet like a passing cloud. I watched her retreating figure and slowly straightened my back. Out of her line of sight, the corners of my mouth curled into a faint smile. If you are so eager to die, Clara, far be it from me to stop you. Chapter 2 The family attached immense importance to this alliance with the Dragon Prince. Clara and I, along with several other female relatives, were moved directly into the dragons’ stronghold—the abyssal Keep of the Dragon’s Maw. We weren't allowed to leave, not even for a step. Every waking hour was dedicated to prepping Clara for her upcoming wedding. I ran a finger over the dragon-crystal necklace Kail had sent over. My heart didn't even skip a beat. It was beautiful, sure. But to me, it was nothing but a gilded death warrant. In my past life, the treasures bestowed upon me were a hundred times more magnificent than this. Back then, every word I spoke and every gesture I made was obsessively emulated by women across the continent. But no one saw the agony. Only I knew how much blood I had to vomit just to carry the child in my womb. Before I could study the necklace further, Clara’s handmaiden burst into my quarters, breathless. "Lady Lena, the future Dragon Queen commands your presence." Commands me? Shouldn't Clara be busy fitting her bridal gown right now? Why was she suddenly remembering her irrelevant younger sister? Despite my doubts, she was now the prince’s officially recognized betrothed. I couldn't disobey. The moment I reached Clara’s chambers, the doors swung open. Kail stepped out. His tunic was loosely undone, his face flushed with a triumphant grin. I immediately lowered my head. He walked right past, not throwing me a single glance. But the scent clinging to him was intensely familiar. It was ambergris—the heavy, musk-like pheromone the dragon race secreted only when aroused. I knew instantly: Clara had already slept with him. It was inevitable, really. Once the women of House Silvermoon come of age, the potent bloodline within us begins to stir restlessly. It craves a bond with a powerful mate to achieve balance. The moment we encounter a dominant male, our instincts draw us to them like a moth to a flame. Inside the room, Clara was lounging back on the bed, a smug smile plastered across her face. She was draped in nothing but a sheer silk sheet that did little to hide the curves of her body. The second she saw me walk in, her expression hardened. "Kneel," she commanded casually. I froze, remaining upright. Seeing me static, she snapped. She bolted upright, grabbed a heavy silver candelabra from the nightstand, and hurled it straight at my face. Crack. "Are you deaf? I said kneel!" she shrieked, her voice shrill. "I am the future Dragon Queen! What are you? How dare you defy my orders?!" Blood welled from the cut, blurring my vision. I forced down the white-hot rage building in my chest and dropped to my knees. My compliance seemed to soothe her ego. She leaned back, exhaling a lazy breath. "I brought you all to this castle for one reason: so you can watch me take everything that belongs to me, step by step. You better kill whatever pathetic little schemes you're cooking up in that head of yours. Keep your distance from the prince. Because if you don't..." She paused. Her voice dropped to a sinister, freezing whisper. "I will make sure the dragons know House Silvermoon has a restless second daughter. The nesting grounds are always looking for fresh meat to feed the hatchlings." A cold shiver ran down my spine. I lifted my head, meeting her gaze dead-on. "As you wish, Your Highness." The sheer calmness in my eyes caught her off guard. Agitated by my lack of terror, she lunged out of bed, closed the distance, and violently grabbed a fistful of my hair. "Lena, do you think I don't know? You’ve envied me since we were children. You’ve always wanted to steal what’s mine. But the throne belongs to me. You will sit in the dirt and watch." I let out a slow sigh, raising a hand to steady my throbbing forehead as I stood up. "Clara, I have never wanted to fight you for him. And I will never cross paths with the prince." She let out a mocking laugh, entirely unconvinced. She dragged her finger down my face, her sharp nail tracing right over the fresh, bleeding cut. The sting was so sharp I nearly flinched. "Did you really think a plain, pathetic thing like you could ever beat me? Even if you tried, you wouldn't stand a chance." She leaned in, her eyes wild with ambition. "I am going to make you watch. You will watch me sit on that throne. You will watch me give birth to the most powerful heir this realm has ever seen. You will watch the entire continent bow at my feet—and you, Lena, will be right there at the bottom, looking up at me." I chose silence. Sometimes, you choose not to fight simply because you prefer to stay alive. Only a fool races toward their own execution. Chapter 3 The dragons certainly lived up to their reputation as a proud, ancient power. A mere engagement ceremony was executed with staggering opulence. Dozens of elite factions had gathered to bear witness, bearing mountains of rare treasures to show their utmost respect. Clara made her grand entrance under the expectant gazes of the crowd. Draped in a brilliant crimson bridal gown, her cheeks flushed with excitement as she held Kail’s hand. She had finally secured the position of her dreams. Pure ecstasy radiated from her. When her eyes found me in the crowd, she tilted her head provocatively. Her lips moved, mouthing a silent, two-word insult: “You loser.” Fine. Let me be a loser. She was about to step straight into a living hell anyway. I wondered which of us would look more pathetic by the end of it. Her triumphant smile didn't last long. Kail soon thrust a goblet into her hands. "Drink," he commanded, his voice echoing through the hall. "Drink, and our betrothal becomes law under the eyes of the Elders." Clara took the goblet eagerly, intending to down it in one go. But as she brought it close, a volatile, suffocating heat flared from the liquid. The wine churned violently, glowing with a faint, ominous crimson light. Clara gasped, her face draining of color. Instinctively, she knocked the goblet away. "There's dragonfire in this wine!" she shrieked. It was Hellfire Brew—an ancient concoction infused with a dragon's own primal breath. Drinking it was akin to swallowing liquid coal. Even a battle-hardened warrior would be left bedridden for months after a single cup. For human women with fragile constitutions like ours, it was a torment worse than death. In my past life, I had faced the exact same trial. But I hadn't even thought of refusing. I knew my life was worthless compared to the pride of the Dragon Clan. If I humiliated Kail in public, our relationship would never be anything more than a cold, transactionary arrangement. So, I had braced myself and swallowed it. Throughout the entire ceremony, my internal organs felt like they were being incinerated from the inside out. And Kail hadn't cared. To him, I was a political tool meant for breeding. Who cares about a tool’s feelings? Clara, however, clearly failed to understand her new reality. Pouting her lips, she threw herself into Kail’s arms, throwing a tantrum. "I don't want to drink that!" She failed to notice Kail’s expression darkening. Aware of the hundreds of high-profile guests watching, he forced himself to maintain a shred of patience, leaning down to soothe her. "Clara, this is an ancient dragon tradition. Everyone is watching. Don't be childish." For a crown prince of the Dragon Clan to lower his voice like that was a massive concession. Clara should have taken the cue and swallowed her pride. Instead, utterly blind to the escalating danger, she pushed further. "I don't care about your stupid traditions! I’m human! How am I supposed to withstand dragonfire? I don't ever want to see it again!" Those words sealed her fate. The Dragon Elders in the front rows stiffened, fury flashing in their eyes. To the dragons, consuming the Hellfire Brew was the ultimate symbol of loyalty and submission. For a bride to swallow the flame meant she was willing to burn herself to ash for the glory of the clan. Clara’s public rejection was a direct slap to their collective faces. Whispers immediately broke out among the dragon nobility. They openly murmured about the new bride's utter lack of decorum, instantly questioning Kail’s judgment in choosing her. As the criticism reached Kail’s ears, his remaining patience evaporated. His voice dropped to a freezing, menacing register. "I will not say it again. Drink it." Clara froze, utterly stunned by his sudden shift in tone. Panic setting in, she snatched a fresh goblet from a servant's tray and choked the fiery liquid down. The moment the scalding wine hit her throat, her face turned dead white. Her knees buckled. She only managed to stay upright by violently clenching her jaw, her entire body trembling. But the damage was done. The festive mood of the banquet had been thoroughly ruined. The moment the formal vows were concluded, Kail swept out of the hall without casting a single glance back at his new fiancé. Clara stood frozen in the center of the room, completely lost. Just yesterday, they had been wrapped in passionate whispers. How could a single cup of wine turn him into a total stranger? Clutching her chest, she fought back the burning agony tearing through her throat. She stared at the empty doorway where Kail had disappeared, her eyes burning with resentment and disbelief. I let out a quiet, mocking breath. She was so incredibly naive. To a dragon, nothing mattered more than pride. A trophy bride meant to decorate his court actually thought she had the power to dictate a prince's will. This was barely the prologue. Her "happily ever after" was about to get a lot more interesting.