Page 50 of Song of the Heart Scale (The Dragon’s Ballad #3)

ARYA

R eturning to Elaria was not the triumph I once imagined it would be.

There was no grand parade, no fanfare of trumpets or ringing of bells.

Of course not. No one knew I had even left.

Only a damp chill, the smell of scorched magic lingering in the air, and the distinct, crushing realization that time here had moved on without me.

After dragging myself out of River Elara, I found a carriage waiting for me, thanks to Cat thinking ahead. Inside, there was a bundle of clean clothes to change into.

“Where to, my lady?” the driver asked.

Cat had told me to go to the palace so Royal Prince Bai could offer protection and get me caught up on the war that had just happened. But no. I wanted to see my father first.

Lord Zacharia, Minister of Rites. A man who I once believed held some measure of affection for me beneath his lacquered exterior of duty and tradition.

How naive. The scars and bruises Cat had hidden beneath layers of silk were no mere invention.

He had flogged her. Publicly, I might add, as punishment for what he believed to be my rebellious, disgraceful behavior.

Except it wasn’t me.

And my darling sister Gianna, precious, docile, and beloved by fools, had wasted no opportunity to humiliate her further. Whispering tales into our father’s ear and watching with wide, innocent eyes as Cat was dragged to the whipping post like a servant who had stolen from the kitchens.

Imagine their faces when I returned.

I would make them wait, of course. If I’d learned anything from this forsaken world and the other, it was that timing was everything.

As the carriage trundled across the Northern District, I peered out the window and saw the remnants of war. I asked the driver, “What happened?”

He grunted. “Prince Damien took down Emperor Thorne. It was a bloody fare, I tell ya. But we were blessed by the Immortals, my lady. As soon as the false emperor Thorne died, the skies opened and it rained.”

“Hmm… interesting,” I murmured. Apparently, there had been a famine while I was away.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to the Ryder residence and I asked the driver to announce my arrival. When I descended the carriage steps, I heard startled gasps and murmurs from the servants as I made my way through the door.

“Where is everyone?” I asked the servant who ushered me inside.

“The main hall, my lady.”

We strolled through the outdoor corridors, hushed and blanketed by the soft drape of night. Even though I’d been away for months, this was still my home. I remembered every curve and bend like it was the back of my hand.

They were gathered in the main hall of our ancestral estate. Father stood at the head of the hall like some monument carved from ice with Gianna posed at his side like a wilted lily.

I took my time entering.

“You seem surprised.” My voice echoed through the vast chamber, piercing and cold as the wind that howled beyond the stained-glass windows. “Surely you didn’t think you could mistake another woman for your own daughter and escape my notice forever.”

The two of them looked me up and down as if wondering whether I was telling the truth or not.

“The emperor has fallen,” I muttered. “Cat and Prince Damien are gone. Royal Prince Bai now sits on the throne,” I said carefully. “Do you think His Highness will let you off for what you did to Cat? The woman who took my place?”

Gianna’s painted smile wavered. “Arya, I—”

“Spare me, Gianna. I know what you did.” My voice cracked like a whip.

Her mouth snapped shut like a trap. Sensible, for once.

Father’s expression barely shifted. “I knew the moment you entered this hall that you were no imposter.”

“Did you? Was that before or after you ordered my double to be flogged?”

A ripple of discomfort passed through the room. I savored it like wine warmed by a hearth.

His chin lifted. “I did what was necessary to preserve this house’s reputation,” he stated. “You had been behaving erratically.”

“She,” I corrected, stepping closer until I could see the flicker of doubt in his eyes, “was not me. And you knew it.”

A beat of silence. Then: “You have returned. That is all that matters.”

“Oh, Father,” I said, my voice sweet as poisoned honey, “you should be very afraid.”

He paled. Beautifully.

“From this day forward,” I continued, addressing not just him but Gianna as well, “you will no longer be head of this household. I think it’s high time Jacob took over.

I mean, if your handling of the mines is any indication, then you should have given up your position a long time ago.

” I stabbed my sister with a glare. “As for Gianna… Well… she’s the daughter of a servant.

Illegitimate. I don’t think you have a place here anymore. ”

Gianna made a small, strangled sound. “Father!”

“Arya—” our father started, but I held up a hand to stop him.

“Quiet!” I silenced them. “I’m sure once Royal Prince Bai learns the truth of what you’ve done, he’ll agree with my choice. Don’t you think?” I tilted my head and smiled.

Nobody said a word.

Good.

I left them standing there, frozen like dolls in a forgotten nursery, and went to find my brother.

Jacob was waiting in our usual place—the Black Siren, a tavern nestled in the heart of the merchant district where the ale was strong, the music louder, and gossip flowed like wine.

He grinned when he saw me and slid his mug to the side. “Didn’t think I’d see you here. I thought you’d forgotten about this place.”

I hadn’t forgotten, but obviously Cat didn’t know about it.

“You just fought in a war and you’re here having a drink?” I smirked as I sat down and signaled the barmaid for a drink.

“When you’re standing at the brink of death, Arya, it’s the little things like a mug of ale that bring a smile to a man’s face at the end of the night.” He smiled sadly.

“And here I thought it was women,” I snorted.

“Don’t be crass, Arya. You’re a lady,” he reprimanded.

I smirked. “Oh, you know me. I’ve never been very ladylike.”

He sighed. “Truthfully, I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you’d be celebrating with Prince Damien.”

By the Immortals! How was I going to explain his disappearance? Prince Damien was with Cat, not me. I took advantage of the barmaid arriving with my mug to think of an excuse.

“Prince Damien left,” I said carefully. “He’s gone.”

Jacob froze. “You mean…”

I nodded, letting him think Damien had left the kingdom.

“By the Immortals,” he muttered. “We couldn’t have won this war without him. Are you okay, Arya? I know how much you loved him.”

I rolled my eyes and held back a gag. “I’m fine, brother.

Like you said, nothing like a mug of ale to bring a smile to one’s face.

” I gulped my ale and looked away, but I couldn’t miss the look of confusion on Jacob’s face.

I decided to change the subject. “I went to see Father. From now on, you will be the head of the household.”

His eyes widened. “What?”

“And Gianna is being reduced to a commoner.”

“What?!”

My expression was unforgiving. “They betrayed the crown, Jacob. This is their punishment.”

“Is Father still breathing?” he murmured.

I snorted. “Barely.”

He laughed, a rich, easy sound that warmed the chill clinging to my bones. “Then we drink.”

We clinked mugs. I took a long swallow. It burned, but in a good way.

The tavern was crowded tonight. Merchants, soldiers, thieves, and scholars were all pressed shoulder to shoulder, their voices raised in argument and laughter after the ravages of war. At the far end of the room, a bard stood atop a makeshift stage, tuning her lute.

“New song tonight,” Jacob said. “Been the talk of the city.”

I arched a brow. “Does it involve scandal, betrayal, or fire-breathing creatures?”

“All of the above, apparently.”

I leaned back, watching as the bard struck her first chord. The room hushed. Even the drunkards fell silent as she began to sing.

It was a haunting melody, soft and sweet at first, like a lullaby whispered beneath starlight. But beneath it ran a thread of iron, a strength that built with every verse.

They say she rose from water deep,

Through a doorway none could see.

A girl of land with mortal breath,

Lost in a world of mystery.

The rivers sang, the mountains watched,

As fate was written in her eyes.

And from the dark, he found her there—

A dragon bound to skies.

Oh, love that crossed through water wide,

Oh, flame that would not die.

A dragon gave his heart away,

And taught the stars to cry.

He traded wings for flesh and bone,

Left crown and sky behind—

For one small life, for one small hand,

For the love he swore to find.

She touched his scales beneath the moon,

He learned her name beneath the sun.

Together they turned back the dark,

Together fought ‘til wars were done.

They saved his world through fire and storm,

Through sacrifice, blood, and pain.

But when the final battle slept,

He chose her world again.

They say the waters whisper still,

Of vows beneath a dying moon.

That even dragons kneel to love,

And mortal hearts can change a tune.

Oh, love that crossed through water wide,

Oh, flame that would not die.

A dragon gave his heart away,

And taught the stars to cry.

No throne, no wings, no fire remains,

Just laughter shared in time—

For one small life, for one small hand,

For the love he swore to find.

And somewhere now beneath our skies,

He walks with her… as man.

The song ended. The silence lingered, heavy with something unspoken.

“Clever,” I said, setting my mug down with a soft thud. “They hide in riddles what history will never speak plainly.”

Jacob leaned in, his grin wolfish. “It’s called The Dragon’s Ballad . I wonder who it’s about. Do you think we know them?”

I grinned. “Maybe, maybe not. Stories like that never stay buried."

He raised his mug again. “To legends.”

“To inconvenient truths.”

We drank.

For a while, we said nothing more, letting the music carry us as the fire crackled and the night spun on without us. Outside, the world turned. Inside, I allowed myself, just for a moment, to feel... at ease.

I had returned. I was whole. And they would learn to fear me properly this time.

But not tonight.

Tonight, I listened to a song and smiled.

Good luck, Cat and Damien .