Chapter 119 The Magical School
Elara's POV
"The real Princess Celestia is alive?" I stared at the message in horror. "But she died! She sacrificed herself to save us! We saw her die!"
"We saw A Celestia die," Drakon said grimly. "But what if that was another fake? Another person the Eternal King manipulated?"
My mind raced. "If the real Celestia is alive and comes here claiming her rightful place as your betrothed..."
"Our marriage could be declared void." Drakon's jaw clenched. "You'd lose your crown. Your position. Everything."
"I don't care about crowns!" I grabbed his hands. "But if our marriage is illegal, the mating bond..."
"Would still be real," he interrupted firmly. "Magic doesn't lie. Whatever legal games the Eternal King plays, you're my true mate. That won't change."
But doubt crept into my heart. What if it did change? What if the bond was somehow tied to the marriage contract? What if I lost everything Drakon, my position, my purpose?
"We can't think about this now," Drakon said. "We have three days. Let's use them wisely."
He was right. Panicking wouldn't help. So we threw ourselves into the school project with desperate energy.
The location we chose was perfect, a valley between Northern and Southern territories. Neutral ground. A fresh start.
The foundation stone ceremony drew hundreds. Parents brought their children. Teachers gathered. Even some of the skeptical citizens came to watch.
"This school represents everything we're fighting for," I announced to the crowd. "A future where differences don't divide us. Where children learn that cooperation creates strength, not weakness."
"My daughter will attend!" Marina called out. "She's half ice faerie, half human. Finally, somewhere she'll belong!"
Other parents stepped forward. A dragon shifter father with a human wife. A Southern farmer whose son showed magical abilities. A Northern ice faerie whose daughter had no magic at all.
All of them wanting their children to grow up differently than they had. Without fear. Without prejudice.
"Let's begin," Drakon said.
Together, we placed the foundation stone, that fusion of Northern crystal and Southern gold. It pulsed with magic as it settled into the earth.
Children cheered. Some threw flower petals. Others created small ice sculptures in celebration.
"This is what we're protecting," I whispered to Drakon. "This hope. This future."
"Then we'll protect it with everything we have."
But as the ceremony continued, I noticed someone watching from the crowd. A woman with a hood pulled low. Something about her felt familiar. Dangerous.
I started toward her, but she melted into the crowd before I could get close.
"Did you see that woman?" I asked Drakon.
"What woman?"
"There was someone..." I scanned the crowd. "Never mind. Probably nothing."
But I didn't believe that. Someone was watching us. Studying us. Planning something.
That night, exhausted from the ceremony, I found a package on our bed. No note. No explanation.
Inside was a book. Old, leather-bound. I opened it carefully.
My breath caught. It was a journal. Princess Celestia's journal. The real one.
"Drakon!" I called urgently. "You need to see this!"
He read over my shoulder as I flipped through pages. Celestia's handwriting covered every page. Personal thoughts. Private fears. And terrible revelations.
"Mother knows I don't want to marry the Dragon King. But she says I have no choice. I must do my duty. I must unite the kingdoms. Even if it destroys me."
"I met a commoner girl today. Elara Moonstone. She was delivering clothes Mother commissioned. She seemed kind. I envied her freedom."
"Mother is planning something terrible. I overheard her talking about using my marriage to destroy the Northern Kingdom from within. I want to warn someone, but who would believe me?"
"I've made a decision. I'm running away. Let Mother find another pawn for her schemes. I won't be a tool for destruction. If a marriage happens, let it be with someone who actually wants to save both kingdoms, not destroy them. Someone like that seamstress girl. Someone good."
The final entry was dated two days before my forced impersonation began.
"I'm leaving tonight. I'll hide somewhere Mother can't find me. And if she forces someone else to take my place, I hope they do better than I ever could. I hope they actually love the Dragon King. I hope they build the peace I was too weak to create. Goodbye, false life. Hello, freedom."
I closed the book with shaking hands. "She ran away. She chose to disappear. She wanted someone else to take her place."
"Which means our marriage might actually be legitimate," Drakon said slowly. "If she abdicated her position before the contract was signed..."
"But why send this now?" I flipped through the book again. "Who left it here? And what does it mean?"
A knock on our door. Thorne entered, face grim.
"Your Majesties. A woman just arrived at the gates. She claims to be Princess Celestia. She demands an audience immediately."
My heart sank. "What does she look like?"
"Blonde. Blue eyes. Exactly like the portraits of the real princess." Thorne paused. "But there's something off about her. She doesn't act like royalty. Acts more like..."
"Like what?" Drakon demanded.
"Like someone pretending to be royalty. Reading from a script. Getting small details wrong."
Hope flickered. "Another fake. Another of the Eternal King's puppets."
"Maybe. But she has documents. Proof of identity. Witnesses who say they've known her since childhood." Thorne looked troubled. "She might actually be real. Or the Eternal King's deception is just that good."
"Bring her to the throne room," Drakon decided. "Let's see what game he's playing now."
As we walked to meet this supposed Princess Celestia, I clutched her journal. Her words echoed in my mind.
'I hope they actually love the Dragon King."
I did love him. With everything I was.
But would that be enough if the real Celestia decided to reclaim her stolen life?
We entered the throne room. The woman who claimed to be Princess Celestia stood there. She looked exactly like the descriptions. Exactly like the portraits.
But when she saw me, she smiled. Not a friendly smile. A cruel one.
"Hello, imposter," she said in a voice dripping with contempt. "I've come to take back everything you stole. My title. My kingdom. My husband."
She looked at Drakon with calculating eyes. "And tomorrow is your anniversary, isn't it? One year since you married a fake wife. How fitting that your real bride returns on the day that reminds you of your biggest mistake."
Tomorrow. Our anniversary. The day we'd planned to celebrate choosing each other freely.
Now it might be the day we lost everything.