They Wanted Me to Serve My Sister, So I Joined the Northern Dragon King Chapter 05
As the vessel rose into the sky the bells of the vestiture ceremony rang in the distance.
A public crystal in the cabin was broadcasting the Rayne family’s ceremony live.
I let out a cold laugh.
They wouldn’t spare me a single mine, yet they had spent a fortune broadcasting the investiture.
On the crystal, Cecilia stood in pristine white ceremonial robes, receiving her title.
Lorne stood at her side as Sworn Knight, a red silk ribbon wound around his black dragon lance, the mark of his oath to protect
her.
No one had noticed I was gone.
The final stage of the ceremony would determine whether Cecilia could complete her full dragon transformation.
One by one, the mages entered the array, but the stabilizer position assigned to me remained empty.
The guests began to whisper.
“Isn’t Miss Elaia supposed to be the stabilizer? Where is she?”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her all evening.”
My mother’s expression froze.
Dorian tried to reach me again and again. Every message went unanswered.
His face hardened. “She’s jealous that Cecilia can transform completely. She ran away at the last minute. The traitor!”
My father said in a grave voice, “She was supposed to stabilize the array. The family raised her for eighteen years, and she won’t even shoulder this much responsibility.”
The guests murmured among themselves.
Lorne raised a hand, trying to calm the situation.
“Elaia has always been prone to tantrums. After the ceremony, I’ll bring her back myself and make her apologize to Cecilia.”
I listened quietly, feeling nothing. They hadn’t even checked if I was safe before convicting me of jealousy, cowardice, and betrayal. I muted the broadcast.
On the crystal, my father glanced at the impatient Lord Vale and ordered, “Forget Elaia. Proceed with the transformation!”
Cecilia cut her palm and let dragon blood drip into the array.
Crimson flames surged skyward. Her body began to shift, and a pair of massive fire wings spread open behind her.
The wings had barely half-formed when the array began to destabilize
The presiding priest cried out, “Her core is unstable! We need frost essence to suppress it!”
My mother pulled out a mithril case, her voice urgent. “Use this!”
The lid opened, and freezing mist swept across the altar
I recognized it instantly. That was my frost blood
For years, they had drawn my essence blood every month, telling me it was to treat a blockage in my bloodline. Each time, I was left weak for days, and they told me it was a normal side effect of the treatment. Now I knew the truth. None of that blood had
ever been used to heal me. It had all been saved for Cecilia.
The Royal Court envoy overseeing the ceremony, Gideon Hart, rose to his feet. “Wait! Using someone’s essence blood requires their consent. Do you have written authorization?”
My father stepped in front of Cecilia, his tone unyielding.
“This is Elaia’s essence blood. She is a daughter or the Rayne family. Her blood belongs to the family.”
Lorne glanced at Cecilia struggling in the flames and spoke urgently.
“Save her first. Whatever the consequences, I’ll take full responsibility as a Black Dragon Knight.
My mother poured the blood from the mithril case into the array.
The frost blood did not merge with the array. Instead, it rose into the air and condensed into the Frost Dragon King’s seal.
A moment later, a silver-white dragon lance forged from pure energy plunged from the sky and buried itself in the center of the
array.
Every flame froze solid. The array collapsed.
Cecilia screamed. The half-formed fire wings lashed back and tore into her core.
Lorne threw himself over her. His right arm was charred black by the uncontrolled dragon fire.
Screams erupted across the altar grounds. The entire ceremony descended into chaos.
In the next instant, a spectral projection of Severel, the Frost Dragon King, materialized above the altar.
A single projection was enough to force every Black Dragon noble present to bow their heads.
“Elaia Rayne carries an S-Class Ancient Starfrost Bloodline.”
Severel’s commanding voice rang out from the projection. “You used her essence blood without permission. I will personally investigate this matter.”
The altar grounds fell deathly silent.
Then the broadcast cut out.
Outside the Royal Vessel, dragon cries pierced the sky.
Formations of Frost Dragon Knights broke through the clouds and formed an escort on either side of the vessel.
A respectful announcement echoed through the ship.
“Lady Elaia, welcome to the Northern Territory.”
[Lome’s Perspective]
Lorne stared at his charred right arm, his face white as bone.
He clenched his jaw and turned to look at Cecilia, unconscious on the other side of the altar.
Her dragon form had collapsed. Frost covered her entire body. Her core was likely damaged.
Lorne dragged himself forward, hoisted her onto his shoulder with his left arm, and staggered toward the exit.
He hadn’t taken two steps before Envoy Hart blocked his path.
“Move!” Lorne spat blood, his expression feral. “I’m taking her to the Grand Cathedral for a priest!”
“You enabled the unauthorized use of essence blood.”
Hart removed his Sworn Knight silver ring. “Your Sworn Knight status is revoked, your Black Dragon Knight authority suspended. You are under investigation.”
Lorne swayed. The last trace of color drained from his face.
“Then let Cecilia’s parents, or her brother, take her to the Cathedral…”
“Cecilia’s parents and brother are also under investigation.”
Hart cut him off. “Cecilia stays with me. You go join them.”
Lorne looked around, dazed.
The altar grounds had been sealed with wards. Investigators were already carrying away the Rayne family’s records.
He surrendered Cecilia and stumbled over to her parents and brother.
The moment he steadied himself, he heard Cecilia’s mother, Vivian, making frantic excuses.
“Elaia has had a bloodline blockage since she was a child. We drew the frost blood to clear her mana channels. Would I really hurt my own daughter?”
Cecilia’s father, Roland, quickly added, “She can’t transform anyway. We just wanted her to help her sister.”
Her brother, Dorian, echoed, “I swear on my honor. Everything my parents said is true.”
The investigator flipped through the blood bank records, his expression growing colder by the page.
“Drawing essence blood once a month for nine years. I’ve never heard of a treatment like that.”
Vivian’s lips trembled.
Dorian cut in at once, changing the subject. “This is just a misunderstanding. But Elaia shouldn’t have deserted us at the last moment. Cecilia’s transformation failed and her core is damaged. She’s the one you should be investigating!”
The investigator scoffed and turned to Lorne. “You’re not even family. Why did you get involved?”
Lorne shuddered. “I was just trying to protect Elaia! I even filed a Black Dragon protection contract for her!”
He fumbled out the attendant contract.
The investigator read two pages and let out a scornful laugh.
“This is an attendant contract.” He stared at Lorne. “And you had the nerve to call it a protection contract?”
