Today is a special day.

I got up from the princess' bed, still in the form of a familiar, and we were invited to the palace, to the great reception hall.

Invited was the word, obliged was the correct one.

As usual, the maids were unpleasant but wary. An invisible "guardian" made those who attacked Chlorophylle pay a hundredfold.

The emperor was in the middle of the nobles with his bitch empress watching the nobles and various factions stuff themselves at the buffet.

"We raise a glass to the hero exchange ceremony. Let the celebration begin!"

but no one had heard the emperor who was only the puppet of the witch, well, half witch.

The party had a hidden event but not so much the one that was prepared at first sight.

I was hidden in the shadows of the curtains, my gaze fixed on my princess and I observed the various noble houses represented by a mass of "flambeurs" and all that a corrupted nobility could offer as a spectacle.

"NORTH, we have a couple of warriors"

Everyone applauds, sometimes ejecting pieces of meat that they were holding in their hands at the time.

Servants will crawl in and pick up after all.

"To the South, A Lone Hero!"

Applause

"AND to the Eastern Empire

Zalar, Maxime and Sacha"

They will receive their final powers at the highlight of this evening.

I present to you our "Djizira! The second princess!"

At these words, Chlorophylle froze and looked for me, as if to find salvation.

But every corner of the room was guarded.

This word made me flinch. It meant paying a tribute of life. Pay to survive or be sacrificed.

Those who wanted to save and marry the princess paid. Often to become part of the imperial family or to sacrifice her and unleash the potential of heroes.

It was an odious and cruel auction.

Then the queen looked at her beautiful daughter: "Oh, I forgot!!! we also have a micro hero!!! Mirmoelnir the wyvern!!!"

"You didn't take me for a fool, did you? Second Princess!"

I was shocked and everyone was looking for me.

"Si, Si, I insist that everyone see the little lizard who thinks he's a hero. "the bat"

I landed, unseen, on the shoulder of the princess, obliged.

"Mir, you can show yourself"

Then when all the nobles turned to the princess, they burst out laughing.

Queen: "The Djizira includes the --micro-hero.." I guess, considering his size, he must be an expert in investigations and sabotage" She did this while looking at the frightened maids, who turned their hateful eyes towards the princess

Some of them muttered: "He is the princess's "guardian"... he will pay".

Then the queen: "Don't get me wrong... even small, their venom is deadly like their big wild cousins".

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The laughter turned into a smile.

I was like a big scorpion on my mistress

"Don't be an animal, Mir... I know you understand me... and the sooner you're out, the better off I'll be. It smells like a reptile in the palace!"

Zalar approached me.

"I knew you were more than a beast. Too bad I can't take you on, maybe with a chocolate wand...hahaha"

The princess turned around, putting herself between me and the hero, protecting me.

"Mir didn't do anything to you!"

Zalar looked me straight in the eyes and I lowered them.

"That's good!"

And he patted me lightly on the shoulder, "You are a hero too." and he laughed, almost choking.

The heroes of the north challenged him with their eyes and it was close to turning into a fight.

Sacha and Maxime were taking their drinks away but the nobles were listening to the queen.

"You may cast your assessment spells."

But as they did not have the level, nothing came out. The queen knew in advance.

In a last gasp, Chlorophyll tried "Daddy?"

But the emperor greeted the nobles, ignoring his daughter while looking her in the eyes with a disdainful look.

Zalar threw a meatball towards my head. "Catch," but the piece was thrown with bone-shattering speed.

And I dodged the projectile, crashing into a guard's tack. A dent appeared on the breastplate

"Pfff... eel!" he said through clenched teeth.

Then the nobles talked among themselves, discussing the pros and cons and the progress of their troops.

I felt the pressure and I said to Chlorophylle, take good note of all the families and people here present.

My instinct is never wrong and I sense a very deadly intention.

Sacha and Maxime had sensed it and were getting closer to us.

Vadia approached and asked her mother if she could just once call my princess "Big Sister".

"Oh, stop the act, Vadia. You never liked her... she's going to leave standing or feet first anyway. But I think it will be feet first. You want to be the Witch of the East, right? So stop being childish and do as I say!"

"But, Mother..."

"Say goodbye to her, whatever you want, but her fate is sealed, if that makes you feel better..."

"No.. I!!"

Then the queen turned to me.

"Little lizard... Did you think we would recognize your citizenship? You are barbaric and bloody animals. Just because you're well-trained like the other big ones doesn't mean I'm going to get soft on you.

If you become Vidia's protector, then you can stay as a pet.

I then hid like a lizard behind Chlorophyll.

"Pet! Pfft. HAHAHA!"

I hated them all. I only wanted to bite them!!!.

She was testing me, provoking me, to torment my princess again.

This made the emperor laugh.

Only my sting kept them at bay but the guards were ready to hurt me. I could see some of them wearing big leather gloves with long leather sleeves, like the hawk trainers.

But I could feel powerful magic coming from underneath.

In one of the cellars of the castle, a Cyrano de Bergerac-like figure with a big chubby nose, cheeks pinkened by years of drinking wine pills, wrapped in early renaissance armour faced a special mirror. His build showed a man who had survived many battles.

Sa carrure démontrait un homme ayant survécu à de nombreuses batailles [https://img.wattpad.com/b7952c3f35030daa30be8023a5a5708ac94ade6d/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f704e6e7945535651334775452d513d3d2d313334323438333930302e313735656335643533313265373663613338373633313733313031312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

That is, if anyone knows.

The imperial military adviser, almost a prime minister, took a sip of a good alcohol, as if to prepare himself for the emotions to come. Just as a smoker would take a cigarette to relieve the stress.

He knew what he had to do, but he still had doubts. What if it didn't work?

All the scandals, the financial orgies and the palace, which was nothing but a casino where the taxes taken from the blood of the serfs were spent, made him sick.

Poor Chlorophylle... she is the most innocent of all and the one we all want to eliminate!

He then took a dagger and repeated a secret incantation and extinguished all the candles.

Into the last flame he poured a trickle of blood, and an enigmatic figure appeared.

Dans la dernière flamme, il versa un filet de sang, et une figure énigmatique fit son apparition [https://img.wattpad.com/8a30ea0eb7600d538d6a1b3b9828efd3634fd8d8/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7256552d6c665a55754b453931413d3d2d313334323438333930302e313735656337303565646565363161663232373638343331303735362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

The Witch of the West, the great Enchantress.

The figure of the soldier also appeared on her side, and as she turned around, she blew out the candles so that the magical connection could take place.

"Commander, why do you call me BEFORE?"

"The empire is dying and capture is possible. You could set up a court and try these miscreants and thus separate the chaff from the good wheat."

"I understand Commander, but military and governance logic are not always compatible with the arcane"

"I understand, your highness... The powers will be yours"

"I know... I have not forgotten you in my calculations. Now it is up to you to keep your head on your shoulders"

"A threat?"

"A warning... Those who live by the sword, die by the sword. So, if you cut off heads, be sure to keep yours".

"Little Chlorophyll?"

"Her fate is sealed. She should have fled when her mother was poisoned."

"And her 'guardian', the young wyrm?"

"Get rid of her. It will set an example for the rest of his tribe. He should have stayed out of my way."

He then made the magical bow and blew out the blood candle.

And the darkness was.