The Dragon Beneath the Castle

In the kingdom of Aurelith, the royal family has guarded a terrible secret for centuries: beneath the castle lies an ancient dragon chained deep within the catacombs, its magic harvested to keep the kingdom prosperous. Princess Elyria has spent her entire life trapped in gilded isolation, treated less like a daughter and more like a political pawn promised to a cruel future she cannot escape. But when whispers in the dark lead her beneath the castle, she discovers the monster imprisoned below is not the mindless beast she was taught to fear. The dragon speaks to her. Night after night, he begins appearing in her dreams—not as the terrifying creature bound in iron chains, but as a darkly beautiful man with golden eyes and a voice that slips beneath her skin. In dreams woven from smoke, starlight, and ancient magic, he becomes her confidant, her obsession, and the only one who truly sees the loneliness festering beneath her perfect royal mask. As their connection deepens, Elyria finds herself pulled further from her family and closer to the dangerous creature beneath the castle. But the dragon is hiding secrets older than the kingdom itself, and every dream binds her tighter to him. Because while Elyria believes she is slowly taming the monster below… The dragon has been carefully, patiently manipulating her into setting him free. And if his chains break, the kingdom that betrayed him will burn.