The Albridge’s

Vinnandra swallowed and squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

Why was her chair unusually high all of a sudden? The silence about her was stifling. She suddenly wanted to be anywhere but there, taking in her family's condescending stares.

Something told her that her family would not bother pretending anymore with her… and yet, it was that knowledge that propelled her to fire on.

"Applications will be starting soon," She continued, looking anywhere but her family's face, "I will be eighteen soon. It would be proper if I joined this year's batch." She finished in a small voice that yet again, she certainly did not like.

Why was she thinking about how she disliked her voice so much?

Cleo was the first to break the silence by clanging her fork loudly against her fineware in a way that said anger and exasperation more than anything. Vinn felt her body jolt from the impact of the sound.

"You want to join the academy?" Cleo repeated slowly as if tasting the words on her lips.

For the first time in a long while, her only sister, an epitome of great beauty and a princess who easily stole the hearts of all the townspeople, had a crack in the perfect mask of grace she usually wore. A sneer revealed itself and she didn't look so beautiful again.

"Princess Cleo." Their father finally spoke, although the two words didn't sound like a warning or admonishment. It instead felt like he wanted to reestablish his presence as the highest authority on the table.

"Whatever on earth made you think that you're worthy of joining the dragon's academy?" Fred spat out, his face constricted with anger, although it was mostly over the fact that Vinn stole the attention in the room.

His eyes rested on her scarf-covered hair, "It is bad enough that you're some deformity," his voice was growing higher and getting angrier the more he spoke, "You're weak, incapable and a nuisance." He scoffed, resting his icy blue eyes on her which in addition to his white hair made him look fearfully pale at the moment.

"The Dragon's Academy is not for people like you." He concluded, as if that was the answer to the question Vinn posed.

Vinn felt her lips tremble from hurt. Her eyes moistened and she wanted to run, to leave the discussion and conserve the little relationship she had with her family if ever there was any. But she was tired of running, tired of growing small, tired of hiding, tired of pretending.

"Papa," she took in her father, the man who stood at the head of the table with no emotion on his face. Against his emotionless outlook, Vinn wore her emotions for all to see. Her desperation and plea reeked from her.

"Vinnandra dear, Fred might have used the wrong words, but he is right. You've been weak since you were a child, the academy is not for you. Just stay at home and take care of your papa, okay?"

In that moment, Vinn felt her entire world crumble. The cruelty of the situation stunned her into silence.

How could she, a descendant of a noble family, not attend the academy? All throughout Dragonia, it has always been a mandate that children of noble families attend the academy. It was there that they bond with a suitable dragon, learnt how to ride, and choose the sphere they wanted to enroll in.

Vinn had no military prowess like her brother Fred and Pete, so she had no desire to become a Military Rider. She had no outdoor skills so she had no desire to be a Scout Rider like her sister Cleo.

In contrast to her siblings, she was a voracious reader. In the years her family had basically ignored her, she had taken the time to consume the books in their library. She was amazed at her own intelligence and how easy it was for her to read anything and easily remember it years later.

Over the years, Vinn had thought hard and long on how to make herself a useful person. Considering her current predicament, she decided that the best course of action was to become a Spy Rider.

But that was a dream she never voiced out for fear of being brought into comparison with her mother.

"Just stay at home and be with Father." Pete, the kinder of her siblings interjected in a bid to quell the tension brewing. "Our father has not been feeling fine over the years, it will be good if one of us can stay with him."

Their father didn't need anyone to take care of him, but she didn't say that.

Instead she said, "Pete, I really want to attend academy, we've many physicians and helps who can take care of papa." This time her eyes were pleading.

They couldn't do this to her right? No matter the sin her mother committed, she was still their blood right? They couldn't rip her away from her chance of making something of herself… her chance to become someone other than the Hateful.

"I can see all these years, instead of grooming your mind and taking care of your attitude, you've grown wilder," this time, it was Cleo that spoke. "Perhaps it's the witch's blood in you that makes you this uncultured."

Finally, her sister had to say it. The dam broke. At the same time, Vinn felt a rage so hot that she immediately stood up from her chair, tears streaming down her face.

"All these years all of you have ignored me, this time around can you not just grant me my request? Do I not, as your sister and family m, deserve to be educated as all of you are?" She was shouting, Vinn realised too late going by the shocked wide eyes of her family.

Before she could fully process any other thing, she felt her face whip to the side so hard from the impact of a stinging slap that came from her father.

Vinn clutched her burning cheek, her tears coming to an abrupt halt as confusion and fear engulfed her.

Despite the circumstance with her mother eight years ago, one thing the Lord of Albridge had never done was to lay his hands on his daughter. Even as their relationship soured and grew cold, it was a line that he never crossed.

"Papa…" her voice again was small and tinged with tremors.

"How selfish you're," He was glaring at her so hard from his seat where he was now standing.

"The Royalty Council are on their way here. Brienda Castle suffered a crushing defeat from the Vale, they believe that your mother's information leak years ago has something to do with it, and they are on their way to investigate us! And yet here you're being incredibly selfish just like your mother!"

What? The royalty council was on their way to Albridge?