After Rhiannon offered to watch Morghan for one more night, Xaden faced Vyshena as they laid in bed. "You gonna miss me?" He teased while poking her shoulder. She turned her head to him and rolled her eyes, "why do you think I've been so quiet about it?" She asked, looking at the ceiling again.

"No, I knew." He sighed while scooting closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her sides and she held her arm around his shoulder and back of neck. His hand coming and grabbing her thigh, he set it over his hips. "That's better." Sighing while she rested her cheek on the top of his head.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do." Xaden admitted, holding her a bit tighter while she scratched her nails against his back gently. "Do your job," she chuckled while he nodded. "I can always sneak away, and you'll be here so Sgaeyl can see Tairn." Xaden nodded his head, shifting so he could tilt his chin to look at her.

"You're going to behave?" He asked, eyes falling to her lips while they tugged into a slow smile while nodding. "'Cause I can't get you out of shit if I'm not here." He used his elbow to push his body up, and laid over the top of her. "I'll behave." She answered, adjusting her hips so she was more comfortable.

Xaden hummed under his breath, Vyshena feeling it fan over her neck while he gently kissed her skin. She hummed under her breath when his fingers grabbed her hip and squeezed, pulling her hips up closer to his while he rocked them into hers. He kissed up her jaw until pecking her lips, then again, until he caught her in one that melted her body.

His hand on her face, holding her close to him as he sucked in a slow breath and held it. Keeping them there before he slowly exhaled through his nose and widened his lips, sitting on his knees while gently pushing Vyshena's sleep gown over her hips and thrown onto the floor.

"Lay back down," he squatted her hands away while she lowered herself onto her back. Xaden tugged her hips further down, kissing the inside of her thighs. "Be nice,"

"I'll be so nice." She kicked his side while he caught her ankle and pushed her leg to her chest. "Don't test it, my queen."

Violet met them in Vyshena's dorm the next morning before Xaden was to leave. "He said, secrets make for poor leverage. They die with the people who keep them." Violet told the two while Vyshena shot her head to Xaden. Morghan was asleep under the covers in bed, Rhiannon bringing her back an hour before dawn. Violet finally catching sight of her while her eyes widened at the sleeping child.

"He knows. He's the one who wrote the letter. Dain got the information from Violet, then told his dad." Vyshena said, her words coming to a stop as she looked at Violet. "How did you know?" She asked, furrowing her brows before turning to face Xaden.

"Did you tell her?" She asked, her voice raising while Violet's eyes looked at Morghan to see if her sleep was disturbed. "A couple weeks ago, yes." Vyshena scoffed while she slowly shook her head. "You're kidding? What all did you say?" Xaden rose his brows. "Can we not talk about this now?"

"Okay, so when? When you get clearance to come and see her?" Vyshena asked and Violet's brows slightly furrowed. Xaden cursed under his breath, "I will see you soon, avy jorrāelan, princess." Vyshena scoffed while she slowly shook her head, "seriously? You can't wait two minutes?"

"Vyshena, I don't have a choice. I have eight hours to get there before noon." Xaden told her while she shrugged her shoulders. "We can't leave it like this," he told her and Violet shifted on her feet before slipping from the front door and waited in the hall. "What all did you tell her?" Xaden walked closer toward her.

"I told her things to make her hate me. Told her about the dragons, your family and their decision, our decision." Vyshena stared at him through her eyelashes while he grabbed the sides of her face. "You think I would tell her something she couldn't keep to herself? She scared of you, she's not going to tell anyone."

"No, but look what it cost us." Vyshena told him while he placed his forehead to hers and sighed deeply. "I will see you when I am back." He told her while she nodded. "Have fun." Telling him while he grabbed her into a kiss.

"Stop, I'm mad at you." She pushed at his chest while he stumbled back. "Avy jorrālean." He told her while pointing his finger. "Say it back." He said, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Avy jorrālean, my king."

"Rhi, what's the letter?" Vyshena asked her friend with a wide smile. "Are you our new squad leader?" Rhiannon's face drops. "How do you always know?" She asked while Violet gasped and jumped up and down. "Rhi's our new squad leader?" Ridoc asked, holding his hands on Vyshena's shoulders while he jumped up and down.

"Are we celebrating?" Sawyer asked loudly from the edge of the courtyard, all eyes turning to him. "Abso-fucking-loutely!" Ridoc shouted.

"First orders, let's hear it." Ridoc told Rhiannon who smiled while thinking about it. "Live." She answered, seeing Violet smile and Vyshena wink at her.

Vyshena sat besides Ridoc in RSC, the professor introducing himself as Professor Grady- the professor's first year at Basgaith. He was teaching the rider survival course, and Vyshena sighed at another class she didn't need. How ever she paid close attention to what Professor Grady was saying, and what they would end up going through during the class.

"I see here we have royally in the class," Vyshena saw right through him, and he had full, excited intentions that he'd be able to teach a Lenayon. "Don't get your hopes up, I haven't learned anything yet of my year being here." Vyshena's voice carried over the heads while the professor looked up quickly.

"Speak again, princess?" He offered while Rhiannon's eyes went wide as Vyshena's cheeks turned red. "Yeah, right here." She rose her arm and saw how the professor pointed at her with a quil before smiling.

"It's an honor, your honor. I hope I will be able to teach you something new." Violet knocked into her elbow. "Sure he could teach something."

"I ran into your brother in the archives when we were in Alithia." Violet told Vyshena in her dorm, sitting on the bed and completing homework. "Yeah? How was that?" Vyshena chuckled while she saw her friend shrug, then felt Morghan shift who was curled asleep behind her back. Rhiannon looked up, "is he hot?" She asked, seeing Vyshena who had a sour look on her face and Violet who squinted her wide eyes.

"Yeah, he is- sorry V."

"He's got a lot of issues so just, be careful. His name is Aelon." Rhiannon shrugged while humming. "I mean, if we run in to each other."

The three girls were set to take down names for Conscription Day, Violet leaned over the wall when Vyshena sat on the top. "Careful," Rhiannon gasped while Violet looked past the parapet. "They're starting up the stairs." Vyshena jumped down and went to her post at the step onto the bridge. "They look nervous." Rhiannon chuckles while she grabbed the pen and shared a glance with the kids who stayed in line.

Not one eager to go. Not like last year. "I don't think I saw you cross." Rhiannon told Vyshena who looked at her. "I was quick. I didn't want to be seen." Vyshena answered as she counted the amount of kids in line. "24 here," she told Violet who wrote down the number, placing 1st beside it.

"Welcome to Basgaith, you're the first cadets to cross this year. There's a two hundred foot drop below you but what ever gods you believe in, believe in you today. Let's get it started." Dain introduced and noticed how the first few went white in the face.

He said that same introduction another three times before seeing Aelon walk to the podium. "Ope," left Rhiannon's mouth at the mere sight of him. His facial features were defined when glancing between the girls. "Go," Violet told him while he turned on his heels and stepped onto the Parapet.

Violet watched how he didn't take his hands from his pockets, just walked the duration. He even stopped when someone was squatted down and trembling. Violet saw how he pulled his hand from his pocket and leaned over, grabbing onto their bicep and lifting them. He waited until they got to the end before continuing.

"That is not my brother." Vyshena said as the three girls stared at them wide eyed. "My brother would have flicked him over the side for just being here."

"What's the age difference? Is he one of them?" Rhiannaon asked. "He's two years younger than me." Violet watched as Bodhi was jumping, waiting for Aelon how he waited last year for Vyshena.

"And no, he's like me. Just," Vyshena pulled her eyes away when Aelon disappeared with Bodhi. "Just completely different. Think Jack Barlowe but he has morals." Rhiannon's eyes went wide. "He doesn't kill for just any ole' reason. But he did kill, and he wasn't shy about it."

"Only ninety-one dragons have agreed to bond this year," Dain tells the group crossing, holding Xaden's position now. "More candidates making it across isn't going to equal more riders." Dain continued while hearing a quick gasp from Vyshena. She apologized, looking at Dain, then in the crowd.

"What? Who is it?" Rhiannon asked as Vyshena wrote down the remaining names. Violet saw a short blonde, her hair down and eagerly waiting while she rocked on her feet. She looked familiar. Vyshena saw the name written, Sloan Mairi.

Vyshena pushed past Dain and grabbed the girl, holding her tight as Sloane let out a quiet sob under her breath. Vyshena's hair pushed in her face when she nuzzled her head into her neck. Vyshena pulled away, tying up her hair and pulling the straps tighter across her shoulders. She held Sloane's face, where her blue eyes shined bright from the tears. "Avy jorrālean." Vyshena kissed her forehead while Sloane nodded her head and walked to the bridge.

Vyshena said a silent prayer, going back to her position. Sloane turned around, "is Aelon here?" She asked while Vyshena nodded, wiping under her eyes. "Yes, he made it over. Find him, I'll make sure you both are in my squad." Vyshena told her while Dain furrowed his brows and looked at Vyshena. "My brother and Liam's little sister. Chill out." Vyshena told him as Sloane started her journey across.

Rio had flew above with Sgaeyl, both doing patrols while Aelon stared at the sky with his hands still in his pockets. He furrowed his brows, keeping them on Rio who danced in the air. "my Prince," Sloane said while she bowed in front of Aelon. The boy gasped, leaning down and pulling her into a hug while she laughed and wrapped her arms tight around him.

"Hey, you seen Violet Sorrengail yet?" She asked Aelon who nodded, "she's taking names on the other side." He told her while more kids of the rebellion joined their small group. "Why?" He asked and Sloane shook her head, not answering while Aelon slowly nodded his.

"Cam?" Vyshena turned, seeing who Violet was talking to while she straightened her back and eyes lowered his body. "Aaric... Graycastle." His eyes flared when Vyshena met his and Violet wondered what he was doing here. "You sure about this?" Violet questioned and he nodded his head, "I'm sure."

"Once you cross, there's no going back. Take it from the girl who tried to run." She told him as he took a step back and toward the parapet. Dain gave him a weak smile as he went forward. "You two don't get along?" Violet asked while watching him cross out of the corner of his eye. "He's the prince, Violet. Of course we don't get along."

Vyshena made eye contact with General Varrish's dragon, the orange dagger-tail that is oh, so familiar to her. She stared up at him, and squinted her eyes seeing the scarring around his neck from the night of the rebellion. When looking back to the formation in front of her, Varrish found her first with an ugly smile on his lips.

Vyshena's lip tugged up and eyes hardened, "this year is going to be fun."

Violet sat in her dorm that night, "Tairn?" She asked quietly while hearing him hum. "Why did you take Solas' eye?" She questioned and pulled the blankets up her body and curling into a ball. "He was flying after Fyda." Tairn answered. "The princess was on her, I have trust in them but have none for him. He injured Eon that night, and got into a brawl with Soamei. She left the scars at his throat."

The girl stared at her ceiling. "So you knew Vyshena before she came to the school?" She asked, "I've known her since she was an infant in a crib. You forget that she is royalty and mother to dragons. Every dragon here knows who she is, every being around the continent knows who she is." Violet rolled her eyes, knowing that wasn't what she was asking. "I think she's cool." Andarna.

"Of course you do. Everyone thinks she's cool." It went silent in her mind, "I didn't mean for that to upset you." Andarna said while Violet furrowed her brows. "No, you didn't upset me. Go back to sleep."