The Lost Dragon Queen

Etheline, Queen of Dragons and Florian's wife, goes into labor. Motis, the high priest, refuses help, attacks her, and takes her newborn son. He hands the court a decoy and an assassin story, then leaves Etheline in a volcano as payback against Florian.

Seven years later, Etheline lives as Thea, a fisherwoman with broken memory and a damaged voice, raising her daughter Prisca. Prisca is a dragon-human hybrid with strong magic, and Thea gets her into Dragonfire Academy.

A week before the academy clash, Prisca won a recital with a song about Thea; Damian came second. At the academy, Damian attacks Prisca and claims she stole his spellbook. Thea shields her daughter, then apologizes. Gabrina, Florian's mother, arrives, finds Thea's face familiar, and orders Prisca expelled.

Thea kneels. Gabrina sets a trial of fire. Thea walks through flames meant for criminals to keep Prisca enrolled and is burned by dragonfire.

Only dragon healing magic can save Thea. Prisca and Simon, the village chief and a former palace guard, enter the dragon palace with the token Simon carries. Florian sends a royal healer instead of coming, so Prisca sneaks in and begs him. Gabrina and Damian accuse her of stealing Damian's dragon's tear. Florian presses Prisca on the necklace and warns that if she lies, her mother dies. Prisca concedes the theft under that threat and asks only that he save Thea. Simon stakes his life on the child's good heart. Florian agrees to heal her and warns that a lie will cost both their lives. A servant returns Damian's necklace from his quarters; Prisca's identical one from Thea remains.

Florian goes to the village with Prisca. There, he criticizes Thea's living conditions; Prisca defends her mother. Damian and Gabrina arrive with both necklaces. Damian says his necklace was never missing; Florian compares the two and says Damian's mother may still be alive.