The Substitute Mate: Healing the Fallen Dragon

Seraphina POV:

The carriage jolted along the rough road, each bump sending a fresh spike of pain through my head. I kept my eyes closed, trying to piece together the fragmented memories of the girl whose body I now inhabited.

Suddenly, the carriage lurched to a halt. Outside, I heard a commotion and the sound of respectful greetings.

A sharp rap on my window. A lady's maid in a fine livery, her expression haughty, spoke through the glass. "Lady Juliana requests your presence."

I opened my eyes. Through the window, I saw my half-sister, Juliana Carlisle, standing beside her opulent carriage, which was drawn by four proud horses and emblazoned with the family's dragon crest. The display of power was obvious.

She was wearing a gown of shimmering scales, interwoven with red-gold threads that formed the pattern of a dragon's flame. It glittered in the sun, a stark, painful contrast to the drab servant-like dress I wore. The humiliation was intentional.

I had no desire to see her, but her maid, Elsie, had already forced the door open. I had no choice but to step out.

The surrounding guards and onlookers bowed to Juliana, then shot me looks of contempt and curiosity. I was the family joke, put on display.

Juliana's eyes raked over me, a fake smile playing on her lips. "Sister, you look so pale. Are you heartbroken about having to marry a cripple?"

Her words drew a ripple of stifled laughter from the crowd.

I stared at her, my face a blank mask. "Isn't this what you and your mother wanted?"

Her smile faltered for a second before turning venomous. "Don't be ungrateful. If you weren't of some use, marrying in my place, Father would have thrown you, a Dragonless, out of the house long ago."

"Oh, by the way," she added, her voice rising for all to hear, "Prince Theodore was so relieved when he heard you were marrying Gideon. Now he can marry me without any complications."

I had a girlish crush on Prince Theodore in my past life. Juliana was twisting the knife.

But now I felt nothing. A man who would cast aside his fiancée for power wasn't worth a second thought.

"Congratulations, then," I said, my voice even. "I hope your dragon flame can warm his cold heart."

My calm, sarcastic response caught her off guard. She had expected tears, a breakdown. She got neither.

Furious, she leaned in, her voice a low hiss. "You're nothing but the shame of our bloodline, a failure who couldn't even awaken her Dragon Soul! You'll die a much faster death in the palace!"

I met her gaze directly. "That sounds better than staying here and looking at your disgusting face."

Without waiting for a reply, I turned and walked back to my carriage, ignoring her strangled cry of rage.

Elsie moved to block me but flinched back from the cold look in my eyes.

I slammed the door shut, the sound cutting off Juliana's fury. Leaning against the carriage wall, my heart hammered against my ribs. It wasn't fear. It was anger.

System, I thought, pull up public information on Gideon Beaumont.

The screen appeared in my mind. [Gideon Beaumont, son of the Dragon King, of the Dragon-God bloodline. Once the kingdom's most brilliant prodigy. Three years ago, his Dragon Core was damaged in a border war. His power has since waned, and he is unable to fully transform into his dragon form. Personality has become violent and reclusive.]

Violent and reclusive. Marrying a man like that was indeed a death sentence.

But Juliana's words had reminded me of one thing: the Carlisle estate was a more immediate hell. I had to get out, and Gideon was my only way.

The carriage started moving again. I watched the manor disappear from view. Goodbye, Carlisle estate.

I turned my attention back to the system, studying what else my ten starter points could buy. Survival was just beginning. I found a section for basic knowledge packs. One title stood out: "Introduction to Dragon Physiology."

This could be my breakthrough. To cure Gideon, I first had to understand him—not as a prince, but as a dragon.

I closed my eyes and began absorbing the information. The focus seemed to dull the ache in my head. The carriage continued to sway, but for the first time, my mind was calm and focused.