"Hey Little Fox!" Phoenix barreled into her brother after scampering down the stairs. It had been two years since she had left her room.

She had gotten to know everyone at the palace, especially her brothers.

"Oh, Fires Phoenix, can you please bother Eagles cry instead? I'm going out to the gardens to read."

Her dark green brother slowly walked away with his scrolls, avoiding eye contact with anyone else.

Phoenix rolled her eyes at this. One of her brothers was a shy moping mess and the other was crushing on her tutor. And being extremely awkward about it.

Eagles cry would come in during the middle of one of her lessons and start asking Skipping Stone if he wanted to do something later.

Phoenix was extremely bored right now, so she started following Eagles cry around the palace. First, she watched him have a small training session with a small dragonet on their fighting grounds, then she followed him around as he helped out several of the servants, before heading out to sit on the grass and bug Little Fox.

"Hey guys!" She said, popping up and trying to create something interesting.

"Hey Princess." Eagle grinned.

"Is there anything interesting going on right now?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Nope. Not that I know of." Eagle said.

Little Fox looked up from his scroll. "Actually, mother invited all the heirs from the other tribes to come here."

"What?" Phoenix asked, extremely curious.

"They've been talking about it for months. Trying to get the heirs to make ... friends."

"Huh."

"I think it's that the queens expect an upcoming war which is starting between the Skywings and the Icewings. Apparently the Sandwings are getting involved somehow too.

Anyway, they're trying to create alliances."

"Oh Funnnnn." Phoenix said with a smile, before spreading her wings and swooping back to her room.

What can I wear to.... Impress tonight?

She opened her chest and started digging through it, before finding her favorite necklace, a bright ruby in a gold chain.

Perfect!

She was about to leave her room when her mother came in.

"Queen Night!" Phoenix immediately bowed, like her brothers always did.

Darkest Night laughed.

"Phoenix, you're the heir. You don't have to bow to me." Darkest Night pulled something out from behind her. A small box.

"This is the heir's headpiece and necklace. It matches my crown, which will one day be yours."

Phoenix opened the box to find a small half headpiece that she would clip around her left horn and tuck under her ear. It had criss crossing gold pieces that came together to hold a ruby. Her mothers crown had the criss-cross around her entire head and at the top, it held a ruby.

"Thank you!" Phoenix smiled.

Dancing Night smiled back, but there was something else in that smile. Something not so good.

"As the Queen, it is my job to raise you to be important. Even if you're... different."

That made Phoenix wince.

"Oh. Well, thank you again. For the headpiece."

Darkest Night didn't answer. She just left.

"Princess Diamond Dusk and Prince Shard!"

The Icewing prince and princess entered the giant ballroom. Immediately making faces like they were judging everything and everyone.

Phoenix rested her elbow on the side of the smaller throne, which was next to Queen Nights' bigger throne.

"Head up, Fire's Phoenix."

Phoenix rolled her eyes, but sat up straight.

Phoenix decided to count the royal dragons in the room.

Two princes from the Rainwings. They were Eagle and Fox's age.

No heir? Oh right.

A small dragonet, much younger than Phoenix, toddled around her brothers.

Then the Seawing princesses, the older sister, Otter, and the younger sister, Splashfin.

Then the Skywing Princess, Squirrel.

The Mudwing Princess was very young, just hatched, and wasn't able to come. Her older brother, Blackbird, came instead.

The Nightwings had a princess named Stardancer.

The Sandwings hadn't arrived yet.

Suddenly, the Sandwing prince, the only current royal, walked into the ballroom with a few other Sandwings.

Tail curled, golden scales and light brown tinted wings scales, the Sandwing prince walked through the crowd and up to their thrones. When he got in front of them, he bowed down and when he stood up, Phoenix noticed he had green eyes. He looked very serious and like an adult royal.

"Your majesty, I am here to represent my sister and the Sandwings. My sister, Queen Sunset, has just become Queen and was unable to come."

"Thank you, prince Venom."

He bowed again and went over to the group of dragons.

Venom seemed interesting. He was her age too.

"Mother, may I go over to the other heirs?"

Darkest Night smiled. In a whisper, she added, "get close with the Sandwing. If there is a war, they have the current resources and strength that we need."

Her mother was using her.