Page 10 of Ava’s Legacy of the Dragons (Of Dragons, Love, and Destiny #1)

Her heart pounding, she entered the rooms where the royal ball was being held.

She was a bit excited about the dragon fighter, even though all the praise was certainly due to Lilly's childish infatuation.

A man who made women faint in droves. She snorted, but quickly stopped when she caught the disapproving glance of an older gentleman.

Hadn't she wanted to remain inconspicuous?

The room she had entered through the servants' door wasn't particularly large. Painted ornaments adorned the high ceiling and walls, framed mirrors made the room appear larger than it actually was, and the flickering light from several candelabras on tall stands created a warm atmosphere.

She was in a passageway room with access to adjoining rooms on three sides.

This room didn't have furniture to relax on, nor many guests.

A couple stood by the window, the lady fanning herself while the man spoke to her intently.

He wore a uniform and she a fine, flowing ball gown that wasn't all that different from Ava's, though it was more elegant.

A mother in far more splendid attire glided past Ava with her two daughters, without sparing her a glance, heading for the adjacent room.

The older gentleman who had disapproved of her snort had strutted off in the same direction.

That must have been where the ballroom was.

She straightened her posture, held her head high, and glided towards the passageway. She did her best to look dignified and not give the impression that she was up to something or that she didn't belong here. Strictly speaking, she wasn't doing anything wrong. She was just concealing something.

A servant standing rigidly beside the passageway looked through her.

Clearly, nobody had been circulating drawings of her likeness.

Lilly was probably right that the soldiers were searching for her in the city, including the hiding places offered by the tunnels and cellars, but not among the visitors to the royal ball.

As she entered the hall, the violin music swelled but remained at a volume that allowed Ava to easily overhear the conversations of the surrounding guests.

They talked about the dancing couples moving across the center of the hall and about the weather, which was surprisingly mild for the season, and the roses in the castle garden, which grew more luxuriantly than anywhere else.

Harmless conversations, pleasantly and unobtrusively underscored by the dance music.

The hall was bedecked with candles, bringing warmth to the enormous room.

Festive tablecloths were spread over standing tables that held vases with flowers, candles, and appetizers.

The slender columns supporting the high ceiling were decorated with elegant garlands and silk ribbons, and the freshly polished wooden floor gleamed.

The large paintings on the walls depicted battles, landscapes, and portraits.

On the dance floor, couples twirled in a formation unfamiliar to Ava.

The men were all dressed in tasteful uniforms adorned with medals, and the female guests in chic, flowing dresses.

Some waved colorful fans, some had artful feathers or small hats tucked into their hairstyles, and all wore sparkling jewelry.

The ballroom and its visitors formed a single sea of glitter and splendor.

As Ava tilted her head back to follow the golden chain of a chandelier, she caught a glimpse of the ceiling.

A painting stretched across the entire expanse of the hall, showing a dragon bowing before the king.

It was majestically beautiful with reddish shimmering scales, yet looked sad.

The king was depicted in the finest regalia, enthroned on a rock before which the dragon crouched.

Although the painting was executed with great technical mastery, it looked terrible.

Wrong. Her heart clenched, and as she listened within herself, she felt that it wasn't just her heart that was tightening.

A sense of unease also emanated from the dragon egg.

Opposite the large window front, where the light of the evening sun was shining through, was a platform decorated with reliefs and half-columns. Beneath it was a red carpet, and armed guards stood rigidly beside a marble staircase lined with amphorae leading up to it.

On this platform stood the golden throne where the king sat, looking bored as he observed his guests.

With his magnificent cloak, the medals on his chest, and the golden crown sparkling with precious stones, he looked powerful.

His power was emphasized by the numerous knights standing beside him, ready at his command to. .. kill people?

This man had had Lilly's parents killed. No matter how disinterested he appeared, she had to avoid attracting his attention at all costs.

At his side, on thrones that were smaller but no less magnificent, sat two women.

The older of the two wore a crown and had a hard set to her lips.

Her festive gown was high-necked and made of dark silk, matching the gloomy aura that surrounded her.

Even her hair, which gave off a golden glow, couldn't change that.

She sat upright, and her expression spoke of the contempt she felt.

The queen.

On the other side sat the princess. She was wearing a silver silk dress that clung to her slender figure, and her silky brown hair was pinned up in a festive hairstyle with silver clips and a tiara that vied to outshine each other.

With a lovable smile, she watched the couples dancing, tapping her foot to the rhythm of the music, and seemed to be waiting only to be asked to dance—which no one dared to do, thanks to her father's haughty expression.

What a shame for the princess. At first glance, she seemed to be the only sympathetic member of the royal family.

But Ava wasn't here to think about them. The further she stayed away from them, the better. Standing on tiptoe, she scanned the guests with her eyes, but nowhere did she see a man who stood out from the crowd and who had an intense dragon fighter look.

She should have known better. Lilly had exaggerated wildly. Ava should probably ask a servant about this Rob, Robert Kensington, as soon as possible, so she could leave before attracting attention.

There was no shortage of servants. Countless numbers of them hurried past the visitors, balancing trays of drinks or appetizers, blending into the music and the lavish ambiance without standing out.

"Good evening, beautiful stranger, may I have this dance?

" She hadn't noticed a man about her age who had approached, now bowing before her like a gentleman.

The medals and chains on his smart uniform swayed back and forth.

His thin figure, however, didn't give the impression that he had earned them.

Ava hesitated. She hadn't expected this.

Dancing would be a good cover, but she would lose precious time.

Especially since she had no idea what the dance steps were.

She opened her mouth to politely decline when suddenly all heads jerked towards the entrance of the hall.

Even the gentleman no longer paid attention to her.

She stood on her tiptoes, looked towards the entrance, and froze. Five men were coming through the door. Their dark leather clothing clearly set them apart from the other male guests. Their confident and controlled movements spoke the language of seasoned fighters, not aristocrats.

The dragon fighters.

They all had the same hard, determined look on their faces, the dark clothing unsuitable for a ball, and a demeanor that made it clear they had no use for such events.

Although the group already stood out like a peacock at a funeral, the man in the middle managed to capture the guests' attention even more.

He was taller than his companions, broad and muscular. His curved lips were pressed tightly together, his dark eyes sizing up everyone present and all potential dangers in a split second, and his chiseled cheekbones gave his face a courtly appearance, though he clearly placed no value on it.

Every one of his movements was controlled, his expression impassive, and his demeanor was that of a leader.

The band also looked at the newcomers and the music fell silent for a moment, but the couples on the dance floor had stopped twirling anyway.

Even the king turned his face towards the entrance to look at the group.

His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. He nodded to them encouragingly, although the dragon fighters were already moving in his direction, heading for the stairs to the platform.

Ava watched the scene with bated breath. She didn't need to listen to her excited heartbeat to know that she had found Kilian. And this Rob that Lilly had mentioned was certainly one of his companions.

The dragon fighters entered the gallery and bowed to the king and his family. Ava might be mistaken, but the bows seemed too brief to demonstrate subservience.

They talked among themselves, and Ava would have loved to have snuck closer so she could understand what they were saying.

To hear what Kilian's voice sounded like—for it was his lips that were moving.

All the while, his gaze swept vigilantly across the hall.

Whether he did this to avoid being surprised by an ambush, or because he didn't want to give the king his undivided attention, wasn't entirely clear.

"I know when I've been beaten." With these words, the gentleman who had asked Ava to dance bowed and retreated.

Heavens, she had completely forgotten about him.

Only now did she become aware that she had been standing motionless in the middle of the way since the arrival of the dragon fighters, just like most of the other women.

Almost all of them were looking at Kilian, frozen or posing, fixing their hair and hoping to catch a glance from him or his men.