Zuri wandered through the castle halls, dragging the baby dragon behind her like a golden, fire-breathing backpack.
"Rowan," she whispered, "we need to figure out how to survive here without accidentally killing anyone. Or ourselves."
Rowan flinched. "That's… ambitious. Especially with your track record."
Zuri rolled her eyes. "Hey, everyone makes mistakes. Just… not everyone blows up chandeliers, okay?"
The dragon chirped happily, snorting tiny sparks. Zuri groaned. "And you're not helping."
---
Suddenly, a voice called from around the corner.
"Who's that?"
Zuri froze. A girl with long silver hair, sharp eyes, and a confident smirk stepped into view. She wore a mage's robe and held a staff like she owned the castle.
"I'm Seraphine," the girl said, voice dripping with suspicion. "And you are… the new Lady Zelaria?"
Zuri blinked. "Uh… hi? Technically, yes. But I'm… not her. I swear. Totally innocent. Very good person. Love puppies, hate chaos… mostly."
Seraphine raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because the council thinks you're dangerous. And so far… your magic looks… unpredictable."
Zuri shrugged. "Chaos is unpredictable. That's its thing. You wouldn't understand. You probably follow rules and, like… plan stuff."
Seraphine's smirk twitched. "I do. And I think I'll be keeping an eye on you."
The dragon chirped and leapt onto Zuri's shoulder. "Yes," Zuri whispered, "we need all the allies we can get. Even suspicious ones."
---
Caden appeared behind them, hands crossed, looking slightly amused.
"Seraphine, meet Zuri," he said.
"Hello," Zuri said cheerfully. "We're going to be friends! Or at least tolerate each other while chaos ensues."
Seraphine raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you seriously vouching for her?"
Caden shrugged. "She hasn't destroyed the kingdom… yet. I see potential."
Zuri grinned. "Thanks! That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day. Well… except the dragon. It blinked at me affectionately earlier. That counts too."
The baby dragon nuzzled her cheek. Zuri laughed. "See? Friendship confirmed."
Seraphine frowned, clearly suspicious, but didn't argue. For now.
---
Later, Zuri explored the castle library with Rowan and the dragon waddling behind.
"Secrets!" she whispered dramatically. "Castles always have secrets!"
Rowan groaned. "Some of us just want to live without being turned into ash."
Zuri ignored him and pulled a dusty book from the shelf. Its cover read: "The History of Lady Zelaria: Prophecies, Powers, and Predicaments."
"Jackpot!" she whispered. Opening it, she discovered:
Zelaria had magical powers far beyond Zuri's current abilities
There was a prophecy involving her return
And… she had enemies hidden within the castle
Zuri's eyes widened. "Okay… so maybe I do need allies. And not just the dragon."
Just then, Caden appeared beside her. "Planning your next chaotic adventure?" he asked.
Zuri grinned. "Yes. Adventure, magic, dragons, potential assassination attempts… all in a day's work!"
Caden shook his head, suppressing a smile. "You really are… something else."
Zuri winked. "That's why you like me."
He looked flustered. "I—what? I—"
The dragon chirped, as if agreeing with Zuri.
Zuri laughed. "See? Even the dragon knows the truth."
Somewhere, in a mirror down the hallway, Zelaria's spirit watched and whispered:
"She's gathering allies… this is going to be far more complicated than I expected."
---