During the following days, Carmine's thoughts would be almost always revolving around what had happened the afternoon she had saved Wisp.

Part of her had hated that day.

When she had gotten back to the palace, she realized that she had lost the quill she bought before confronting Lance.

This meant that her mother had, once again, scolded her harshly for not following the few and easy rules she was given.

"You're a disappointment to me, Carmine. You'll tell me the whole story at dinner, as I'm sure your father will want to hear it," Queen Titian had remarked, before sending her away.

Part of Carmine knew her mother didn't mean it.

To others, the SkyWing Queen might appear terrifying and powerful, but the princess had heard her rambling in her sleep and had seen her pacing before an important meeting.

She felt that a dragon like that would never actually mean to say something so terrible.

But when she saw her pronounce execution orders and lead battalions against the SeaWings at the far north coast, she knew that there was a side of her that was still at the mercy of the SkyWing Queen.

-/-

Family had always been a solid part of Carmine's life.

Discounting her mother, who never seemed to be happy with her; she loved Father, King Forge. She remembered the time he had stayed up all night with her, teaching her how to write and read when Gust had been unable to. It had been one of the few times she had felt like a normal dragonet, not a royal one with responsibilities even when they were just one year old.

When talking about family, you couldn't forget her two brothers: Prince Ridge and Prince Spur, also known as the hot-head twins in the palace. They were just two years younger than Carmine, but they were not afraid of being scolded and would often team up against Mother. The SkyWing Princess had always considered them troublemakers from the day they hatched.

There were, of course, others in the vast SkyWing royal family. Princess Saffron was Carmine's cousin, second in line to the throne, as her mother, Carmine's Aunt, had been killed in a royal challenge. Carmine's other two uncles were both army commanders and were nearly never at the palace.

Out of her eight cousins, the SkyWing princess only truly liked one: her hatchmate, Prince Robin. They had grown up together, and Gust had mentored both of them, though never at the same time. Carmine always felt worried when she remembered that, ever since Gust had retired, he had been sent to train with the army near the coast, in constant danger from SeaWing attacks.

"He'll be fine," She kept telling herself, but she knew it was a lie. Robin was quick and agile, but he was as flimsy as a twig and wasn't suited for army life in the slightest.

She missed him.

And she missed him, even more, that night when she gathered for dinner with her mother, father, and brothers.

She felt four pairs of eyes look at her.

And she knew she would have to explain what had happened that afternoon.

-/-

Queen Titian glared at her until Carmine finished explaining her little 'adventure.' And when she did, there was a moment of silence before the SkyWing Queen decided to talk.

"Carmine. How could you have possibly thought that what you did was acceptable?" She demanded, clearly angry.

Prince Spur and Prince Ridge started laughing. "Yeah," Spur said, his voice haughty. "How could you?" Ridge continued, using a dramatic voice, like the ones that tragic actors used in their plays at the royal theatre.

Her father moved to intervene, silencing her brothers, "She didn't do anything bad, Titian-,"

The Queen immediately disagreed, "It's not her job to make sure the Kingdom is peaceful. That's what the guards are paid to do. She risked her life, and for who, a traitor!?"

"Son of a traitor, mother," Carmine corrected her quietly.

"Don't talk back to me, young lady. You're in enough trouble," Titian silenced her, infuriated.

"But," Forge started, flicking his tail for attention, "she stood up against violence. Taken into consideration all the possible bad outcomes, the odds of her being actually harmed are-,"

Titian flared her wings out with irritation. "I don't care about your probability or odds or whatever comes out of your mouth. This is between me and my daughter, Forge!"

Her father looked at her and lowered his head. He mouthed 'I'm sorry' at Carmine, who understood his position. He couldn't talk back to her anymore; as of right now, she was his Queen and not his wife.

"Gust told me he had found another dragon who could mentor you. You could have left Pyre High Academy by the end of the week," Her mother started, "But now until you learn some discipline and self-control, you'll be attending that school until the end of the year. Now leave, and get out of my sight!" She roared, glaring, and lashing her tail violently.

Carmine got up, walked around the dinner table, head held low, and tried her best to ignore her snickering brothers.

She left the dining hall, and flew up to her room, silently.

The princess felt like she had just thrown her future away.

She'd be stuck in a place she hated. And for who? Wisp? Why him of all SkyWings.

Because she had stood up to her in class. Because he held his head high without any reason to. Because he was nearly killed. Because he was the son of a traitor.

Because when she thought of him, she felt lightheaded. She wasn't a princess anymore. He didn't treat her like one.

Carmine had lived every day of her life bound to responsibility and power she hadn't asked for, and forced to believe that the choices others made for her were her own.

But this day had been a change. Its highlight had been a choice she had made.

This day had been different.

"And if I could, I'd relive again and again."