The Chief Warden’s expression hardened. “You defeated an injured prisoner and surprised Donald Ashford. Do not mistake those incidents for greatness.”David smiled. “If that explanation helps you sleep, continue believing it.”The warden looked away. “Move him.”The officers formed a loose circle around David as they escorted him from the arena. None of them shoved him or struck him with their batons.The difference was impossible to ignore.During his earlier journey through the Sterling dungeon, the officers had called him weak, talentless and worthless. Now they avoided walking too close to him.The corridor beneath the arena was narrow and cold. Green lights covered the walls, while reinforced doors closed behind the group as they moved deeper underground.One of the younger officers kept looking towards David’s restrained hands. He had seen the recordings from the dining hall and witnessed the arena battle.“Chief,” the officer whispered, “will those restraints actually hold him?

The officer immediately faced forward.The Chief Warden held David’s gaze for a moment. “I still do not know what we are escorting.”David smiled faintly but said nothing more.They continued until the narrow corridor opened into a secured entrance beneath Sterling Tribunal Hall. The noise above them grew louder with every step.Hundreds of voices filled the building. News of Donald’s defeat had spread across Asterion, drawing more spectators and dignitaries than the first trial.The Chief Warden stopped before the final doors. “Once we enter, you will speak only when the Arbiter permits you.”David looked towards the doors. “Did that rule apply when everyone was laughing at me during the first trial?”The warden’s expression tightened. “Move him inside.”The massive doors opened, and the sound inside the tribunal weakened almost immediately.David entered between the prison officers. His hands, ankles and neck remained restrained, yet nobody greeted him with laughter.The hall was mo

For several tense seconds, nobody inside the tribunal moved. Alistair remained beside the Judgment Stone with the Emerald Sceptre raised in both hands, while Seraphina stood in the honoured section with violet light burning in her eyes.Confused whispers soon spread through the galleries. The Astral Empress had not merely interrupted a court official. She had directly prevented the patriarch of House Sterling from confirming David’s execution.A Sterling dignitary leaned towards the elder beside him. “Why would Her Majesty interfere now? She remained silent when David was convicted.”The elder watched Seraphina with a troubled expression. “Perhaps she knows something the tribunal does not. No ruler would challenge House Sterling without a reason.”Another representative shook his head. “This is an internal Sterling matter. David Myles has no position in Varethia, so what interest could the Astral Throne possibly have in him?”The questions became louder. Some people suspected that the

If Seraphina choses to expose David, the Seven Houses would no longer see him as a condemned member of a fallen family. They would see the return of the bloodline that had once possessed the authority to command other Dragons. Some would try to control him, others would attempt to destroy him, and ancient enemies he had not yet identified would begin hunting every surviving member of House Myles.Raw Dragon Energy stirred beneath David’s skin as the danger became clearer. The Dragon-suppressing collar around his neck hummed in response, but he immediately forced the energy back into silence before the tribunal seals could detect it.David fixed Seraphina with a firm warning look. It was David's intention that his identity would remain hidden until he understood more about the Primordius Dragon within him and who had caused the fall of his family. Was she now about to destroy that protection before every major House in Asterion?Seraphina understood the question in his eyes, but she s

David said nothing. He knew she was right. Defeating Donald had required only a small amount of Raw Dragon Energy hidden beneath his skin. Escaping a court filled with prepared Dragon wielders would be different.Seraphina moved closer. “If you revealed yourself today, some Houses would kneel before you. Others would send assassins before sunset. The system that destroyed your family would learn that the Primordius Dragon Lord had returned before you even discovered more about that system.”Raw Dragon Energy stirred again beneath David’s skin. This time, it responded to the danger contained in her words rather than the threat of execution.“My family would become targets,” David said.“Every surviving Myles would be watched,” Seraphina answered. “Nathaniel your grandfather, your uncles and your cousins would be used to reach you. Your enemies would attack before you understood the Primordius Dragonheart or recovered the Five Azarian Rings.”David’s confusion deepened at the mention of