at the elf. The dragon knew that he had heard the surname laVerture before, but until now he had not associated it with the elven aristocracy. Now he suddenly remembered how they had discussed the power structure of the Asati kingdom in one of their classes at the Academy. At the very top stood the king, theoretically wielding absolute power over all his subjects, but in fact his every decision was influenced by the opinion of the three Grand Dukes holding the entire Council of Nobles in check. In addition, the king's brother had married the daughter of one of the Grand Dukes and inherited the title after his death, so not only was he a contender for the throne, but he also had real influence over power. One might have thought that he could have reached for the throne, but it was rumored that the truth was more complicated. Rumor had it that it was his wife who held the real power, not him, and she was supposed to emphasize this by not taking her husband's name. Draco swallowed when he realized that Prince Veletoun had died childless a few months earlier and the title of Grand Duke had been inherited by his wife. And now he stared at that very person calmly sipping tea with a gentle smile on her face.
-Oh, did you really only realize now?- The woman laughed.- I was already about to bet with Darius, when will you realize.- She took a sip of tea.-Oh, well don't look at me like that. You really don't have to stare at me like that and turn red.
Draco, a bit confused, muttered some kind of apology without quite knowing what to say. Somehow he couldn't get himself to look her in the eye. He suddenly felt awkward sitting at the same table with one of the most important people in the magical world. The dragon lowered his gaze and stuck it in his cup.
-Draco?- He felt a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. He lifted his gaze and encountered emerald eyes that caught him off guard.
