Villain Awakening: Rising to the Strongest Dragon God-Chapter 62: Claudia’s Cage?

Claudia woke to sunlight that felt too bright. Her chambers smelled of lavender, her mother insisted servants placed in cloth sachets by the windows.

She was still in yesterday’s dress, wrinkled and uncomfortable against skin that ached in ways she didn’t have words for yet.

She sat up slowly. Her hands shook when she touched her throat, fingertips finding the spot where the obsidian blade had pressed but there was no mark. Just the lingering memory.

The window attracted her as she crossed the room and looked over Valeroy from the elevated view of the castle.

The morning market was bustling with sounds drifting in from the lower city. Normal life continuing like nothing had changed. But everything had changed.

Somewhere down there, Lorain was probably writing poetry about honor and justice and challenging princes to duels he couldn’t possibly win.

The image formed so clearly it didn’t feel like speculation. She saw him standing in some courtyard with a practice sword, face set with determination that would get him killed. If he ever dared challenge the Third Prince then he was as good as dead. Her hands went to her chest that skipped a beat at the thought of Auryn’s speed.

Claudia sighed even as her fingers fiddled with the window edges. "If they were watching father, the prince and the castle. What is to say they don’t know about the book club," she thought.

She shook her head. Afraid to think about it. Staring at her reflection on the mirror. Her eyes looked deeper than they’d ever been in years. Her shoulders sagged even as she heaved another tired sigh.

Right then and there she made her decision. Not because it felt right but because staying meant watching everyone she cared about get consumed by politics that had nothing to do with them.

The Third Prince was all about building, exploring and he valued knowledge. Maybe there was space in Aurelia for someone who didn’t fit the warrior mold her bloodline always demanded.

Maybe removing herself as a target would protect the people who’d never asked to be part of her world but were willing to be there and share in her hardships.

Maybe she could finally stop hiding. Stop running around in secret.

Or maybe she was lying to herself and just didn’t know it yet.

—

Claudia entered the dining hall and it felt like walking into a storm, waiting to break out.

The tension felt like ants under her skin. The entire Valir family sat assembled around the long copper table.

The stone walls that bordered the edges of the room bouncing sunlight that poured in from the tall windows located behind Castor.

Castor at the head looking like he’d aged another decade overnight. Eva was beside him. Eyes bloodshot with dark rings that even the make-up couldn’t fully hide.

Daren picked at bread but he wasn’t eating. His eyes glanced at Auryn at intervals. Cara chattered about something, filling silence that wanted to stay empty.

And the guests. Lyra sat with perfect posture, fingers curled around her teacup while Auryn lounged in his chair like the atmosphere was someone else’s problem.

Servants moved through the room trying their best to maneuver the heaviness. Avoiding eye contact as best they could. Everyone in the castle knew what happened yesterday.

The network of spies exposed and the attempt on her life. The Third Prince saving his future wife’s life when Castor’s own guards had tried killing her.

The whispers had been spreading since before dawn and they was no stopping any time soon.

Claudia took her seat opposite Lyra.

Cara brightened immediately. "Are you feeling better now big sis? Mother said you were resting."

Before Claudia could answer, Auryn extended his hand toward Cara. Crimson scales shimmered beneath his skin catching morning light.

Cara gasped with delight. A cute smile on her face.

"Can I see your claws?" She asked clapping her small hands in excitement.

Auryn let out what anyone would believe to be a genuine smile. Slowly, sharp claws extended from his fingertips. Cara began laughing but just beside her. Eva’s knuckles went white around her fork. This man somehow remained unaffected.

---

Claudia could feel her heart rate spike as she set down her glass of water.

"Father." Her voice came out steadier than she felt. "I want to leave for Aurelia with the Third Prince’s party when they depart today."

The words landed like stones in still water, leaving almost visible ripples that spread across the whole chamber.

Castor’s hand froze halfway to his mouth. Eva whimpered softly, barely audible. Even Cara stopped talking about dragon claws.

Claudia kept her gaze on her father even as the silence stretched. Refusing to look away, though she wanted to.

She waited for his response. His permission. She wasn’t sure she needed it but still wanted.

Daren’s chair scraped back slightly. He stared at her with an unreadable expression. Did he feel betrayed or was it just concern? Claudia couldn’t tell.

Castor slowly set down his silverware. The click of the ware was louder than expected.

"Why?"

The single word came from beside Castor and it carried weight that threatened to collapse her resolve in an instant.

Eva didn’t wait for Claudia to answer.

"You nearly died yesterday." Her voice cracked but she continued.

"And now you want to leave? Travel hundreds of miles to a province we barely know?"

Eva leaned forward, reaching across the table with her trembling hands.

"Come back upstairs, sleep over it. This doesn’t have to be decided now darling."

Her tone was a mix of love and desperation even as Claudia’s chest tightened.

Eva knew if Claudia left today, she might never come back. The betrothal meant she’d eventually go to Aurelia, but eventually was different from today. Eventually gave her time to give her lovely daughter a good farewell.

Claudia felt her resolve waver. She hadn’t expected her mother to take it this hard. Her mouth opened but it closed as if been stitched by fate.

Finally she steeled her resolve when Daren’s voice cut across the table before words slipped through her lips.

"Is this about the betrothal?"

The young man’s tone was sharp and much colder than Claudia anticipated.

"About being traded like a broodmare to seal political holes and failures?" He leaned forward, eyes locked on hers.

"I thought you were smarter than this. I thought you of all people would see through their pretty words,"

His jaw tightened. Anger bleeding through.

"Where did my sister who cared about women not being property to nobles, go,"

The words hit Claudia like physical blows. The memories of her conversation with Daren playing in her head, her vastly idealistic look to life rubbing off on her brother.

"And now what? You’re running straight into the cage and it’s alright because you’re running into it yourself instead of being dragged in?"

The entire table fell silent. Every eye on the young man. He seemed to be off-loading everything that weighed heavy on his chest.

His voice dropped lower and unexpectedly devastating.

"You’re not escaping anything. You’re running away from your family when we need you,"

The accusation hung in the air.

Cara looked between her siblings, confused and frightened by the anger she didn’t understand.

Eva’s face had the semblance of a ghost. Castor still said nothing, but something in his posture suggested Daren’s words hit a nerve he’d been trying to ignore.

Lyra’s expression hadn’t changed, but her eyes sharpened. Watching Claudia closely.

But amidst all this, Auryn remained utterly still. His attention was on her. He wasn’t interfering, wasn’t defending the betrothal, wasn’t claiming she had freedom. Just waiting to see what she’d do. How long she would hide from the truth.

Claudia’s mind had gone numb. The words sank in like blades finding spaces between ribs. He wasn’t entirely wrong.

’The betrothal had been negotiated in her absence. So why was she was choosing to honor it early’ Claudia thought.

Sure, it looked like acceptance. Looked like walking into a cage voluntarily and calling it choice like she ever had a say.

But Lorain’s face surfaced in her mind again. The ponytail girl, her elven friend. All the members of the book club who would fall into the growing complexity of her world if she stayed.

Staying meant all of them would enter into the fray of Vaedon’s spies. Her father’s investigation.

Was she really escaping. Or just choosing which cage felt less suffocating?

Daren was right. Maybe she was lying to herself. Maybe intellectual freedom in Aurelia was just another form of captivity she was too naive to recognize yet. Maybe the Third Prince was just better at making his control look like care. Like safety...

"You’re safe.." Auryn’s words echoed again in her mind. The safety in his hug. It steeled her resolve again.

At least in Aurelia, they’d be safe. Lorain wouldn’t act stupidly and everything might just turn out better.

"Maybe it isn’t freedom. Perhaps it was just choosing whose pawn, she’d rather be. But it was still a choice, wasn’t it? her thoughts caved the more she tried.

She looked up at her brother and didn’t have a good answer for him. She wasn’t sure there was one.

Claudia swallowed slowly. Her eyes still on Daren.

"I’m—"