SPELLBOUND

And just as Evie suspected, she could not say out Vera's name at all when she tried so hard to answer Kione.

Everyone was looking at her with so much interest now. It was totally unlike the first time when she had mentioned about this matter inside the tent, where the Lords did not even bother to ask because it was obvious because of their doubt, they had already decided that it was just another false news, was that strong.

But after seeing her summoning her dragons, the look in their eyes were completely different now. Evie could see how hope was brimming and shining forth from their eyes now. Just by seeing her dragons, they suddenly had hope that an ice dragon keeper still truly exists.

Evie faced Kione. "You guys will meet her soon," she smiled with confidence.

"Her…"

"Yes." That was the most she was allowed to reveal. Since she could not speak Vera's name, she could disclose her gender at the very least.

"So it's a secret for now." Kione rubbed the back of his neck and leaned slightly closer to Evie. "Queen Evielyn, maybe you could give us some more clues about the …"

Kione trailed off the instant he felt a familiar pressure that sent shivers down his spine. Damn… this devil sprout. He truly is such a wife protector.

He shifted his gaze to look at the prince who was seated next to Evie and as soon he saw those venomous blue eyes spitting flames at him, Kione could only step back and surrender. He was actually quite surprised to see that Gavrael was back to being the devil sprout they all knew and remembered again. What had happened? He was so different back then when he was in Yryzia!

"Easy there, Your Highness. I was just asking. No harm done, right?" Kione whispered to Gavrael, amused that this prince was still the same as he was back then. This prince used to stare at him like this since he accidentally saw him in the past, playing with four women at one time. He had been staring at him like he was the Lord of scum. Now Kione could actually see a 'get near my woman an inch closer and you are so f**king dead' warning flashing in those dangerous eyes trained on him right now. Goodness! The devil sprout really is back! Could it be that because of the colour of his eyes was back to its usual, and thus now his attitude is also back?!

Just as Kione was about to open his mouth to speak again, one of the dragons that Evie had summoned spiralled down and everyone put on a protection magic above them except for the visitors and the royal family. Many of the dark faes who were late in casting a protection barrier over themselves even ducked when there was actually no need to, because the dragons were not flying low enough to touch anyone.

"Damn… did you see that? They didn't even bat an eyelid!" the dark faes murmured.

"Yeah!!!" Lord Azrael's shout echoed so loudly suddenly in that tense atmosphere, breaking it involuntarily. "I can't control him at all, but this is amazing!!!" he crowed out in extreme delight.

And they watched as the lord that was hanging onto the dragon's spike as the dragon tried to shake him off.

"That looks like so much fun!" the dark faes muttered amongst themselves, obviously envious at the three dark faes who had the good fortune to be flying with the dragons above them. "I want to try to ride and fly on a dragon too… damn it. I'm dying with jealousy here!!"

Evie was smiling inwardly as she saw the look in the lords' eyes. They too, wanted to try riding and flying with her dragons! They could never hide that intense longing sparking in their eyes!

However, one glance and Evie could tell that it would not be easy to make the dragons listen to them. Two of them were already among the riders she saw in the future and yet, the dragons were also trying their best to shake them off. If she was not there controlling the dragons very closely, Evie was certain that the dragons would have found the chance to do something damaging and irreversible to those three dark faes already. Because as of now, Evie could clearly feel the dragons' hatred for their riders right now.

And when Evie saw that Lord Cadmus was furtively trying to use dark magic to control Fir, Evie's eyes widened as she did not expect him to be that sneaky in broad daylight. She remembered that freaking half dark fae, Galleous, and she immediately stepped forward and called back her dragons promptly.

The dragons listened to her call and instantly swerved back towards her. They eagerly rushed back to their master and landed before her, surprising everyone – even the three dark faes who were riding them had been caught by surprise.

Everyone was looked at Evie with questions brimming in their eyes. What had just happened? Was not everything going on well? It was not even that long yet that the three of them were up in the air with the dragons.

Evie approached Fir and gently touched the dragon's snout. The dragon glowed and then dark smoke evaporated from his body. Everyone's eyes widened at the sight.

Lord Cadmus looked shocked as he met Evie's stern and firm gaze.

"I can communicate with all my dragons," Evie said out suddenly. She was talking to Lord Cadmus but her voice was forceful and projected all around them, obviously making sure that everyone could hear her loud and clear. "I can also feel if there were to be something wrong with them or there are some disturbances getting to them. Lord Cadmus… I didn't give you any permission to use dark magic on my dragons to control them. I only asked you to try riding it."

"Pardon my insolence, Queen Evielyn. I assumed you wanted us to try and control them. So, I thought that using dark magic would be the easiest to control them –" Lord Cadmus quickly flowed with the situation and threw out an excuse to explain his behaviour. He knew that he had crossed the line but he was unwilling to apologise to this light fae queen straight up.

"No. That is the wrong way of doing it. You don't get to control them by force. You teach them to listen to you, to cooperate with you. That is if they are willing to accept you in the first place. These dragons aren't heartless nor mindless monsters…" Evie's voice was firm and stronger now, not minding that her displeasure was showing. "They are very intelligent beings, and they also have emotions like us. A true dragon rider doesn't force their dragon to obey them, they gain their dragon's trust, and their dragons will willingly obey. There is a mutual respect between both dragon rider and mount."

Silence reigned in the area until Lord Cadmus jumped down from the dragon and faced Evie.

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A/N: Thank you so much @Monica_Ceja and @MonsterUndertheBed for the magic gachapons and thank you @Sacogun and @Rene_Lamey for the magic castles. ♡♡♡