The Extra's Rise

The morning sun streamed through the palace windows as I made my way to the formal dining room, expecting another day of careful negotiations and diplomatic maneuvering. Stella had already been awake for an hour, chattering excitedly about her new name while Reika helped her get dressed in one of the Southern continent's traditional children's outfits—a flowing dress decorated with tiny embroidered dragons that made her look like a fairy tale princess.

"Daddy, look!" she called out as I entered the room, spinning to make the dress's skirts flare out. "The dragons move when I twirl!"

"Very impressive," I said, scooping her up for a morning hug. "Good morning, Princess Stella Luna."

She giggled at the formal address, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Good morning, Daddy. Are we having more boring meetings today?"

"Hopefully not too boring," I replied, settling her into her chair before taking my own seat. "Prince Ian should be joining us shortly to discuss—"

"Arthur!" Ian's voice boomed across the dining room as he strode in with the kind of energetic confidence that could only come from very good news. "Perfect timing. I have excellent news."

Something in his tone made me look up sharply. The negotiations had been going well, but Ian's expression suggested something beyond normal diplomatic success.

"The Council has reviewed your proposal," Ian continued, his golden eyes practically gleaming with satisfaction. "We accept. All terms, all conditions, exactly as presented."

I blinked, certain I had misheard. "All terms?"

"Every single one," Ian confirmed, pulling out an ornate document bearing the royal seal. "Exclusive Aetherite distribution rights for the Southern continent, preferential pricing structures, joint research initiatives, military applications development—everything."

The surprise must have shown on my face because Ian's grin widened. "I take it this is better than you expected?"

"Significantly better," I admitted, accepting the signed contract with something approaching disbelief. "Ian, these terms were intentionally ambitious. I expected months of back-and-forth negotiations."

"Well," Ian said with a slight shrug, "sometimes the stars align perfectly. The Council was... unusually decisive."

I caught the careful phrasing and understood immediately. Tiamat's influence.

"Regardless of the reasons," I said, meaning every word, "this is incredible news. The Southern continent's partnership will accelerate our timeline significantly."

With the major negotiations concluded ahead of schedule, I found myself with an unexpected gift: time. Real, unstructured time to spend with Stella without the pressure of political obligations hanging over every moment.

"Since we're done with the boring business stuff," I said, turning to my daughter with a smile, "how would you like to explore the palace with just me? I hear they have some very interesting things here."

Stella's face lit up like sunrise. "Just you and me, Daddy?"

"Just you and me," I confirmed, ignoring the way my chest tightened at her obvious delight. When had simply spending time with her father become such a rare treat that it warranted that level of excitement?

After arranging for Reika and Seraphina to have some well-deserved rest time, Stella and I set off to explore the palace grounds together. The moment we stepped into the corridors, I noticed something different in how the staff treated us. Guards bowed deeper than protocol required, servants stepped aside with obvious reverence, and even nobles we passed offered respectful nods rather than the casual acknowledgments typical between peers.

Word of Tiamat's visit had clearly spread throughout the palace. In the Southern continent, where dragon worship was deeply ingrained in the culture, being personally sought out by the Radiant Dragon carried implications that went far beyond normal political favor.

"Daddy," Stella whispered as we passed a group of courtiers who practically prostrated themselves, "why is everyone acting so weird?"

"They're showing respect," I explained quietly. "Sometimes when very important people take an interest in you, it changes how others see you too."

"Is that good or bad?"

"It's... useful," I said after consideration. "But it doesn't change who we are inside."

Our first stop was the palace's famous Dragon Reserve—a vast enclosed courtyard where various dragon subspecies lived in carefully maintained habitats. Unlike the massive preserve Ian had told us about in the mountains, this was more intimate, designed to allow close interaction between the royal family and their draconic allies.

"Welcome, Lord Nightingale," the reserve keeper said with a bow that was noticeably deeper than his earlier greeting. "Lady Stella, how wonderful to see you."

As we entered the main courtyard, I was struck by the variety of dragons present—but also by their limitations. The largest was perhaps thirty feet long, impressive by any normal standard but nowhere near Tiamat's colossal size. Most were Integration or Ascendant-rank in power, with only a few reaching even Immortal-rank.

'No wonder Tiamat is treated with such reverence,' I thought, watching a beautiful silver dragon demonstrate aerial maneuvers for Stella's entertainment. 'True Radiant-rank dragons must be extraordinarily rare.'

It put Tiamat's offer into perspective. Bahamut's heart wasn't just a powerful magical artifact—it was the preserved essence of a being that had stood at the absolute pinnacle of achievement.

"Daddy, look!" Stella called out, drawing my attention back to the present. She was carefully offering treats to a small bronze dragon who was performing what could only be described as showing off—loops, barrel rolls, and precision landings that made the creature look like a living work of art.

"This is Ember," the keeper explained. "She's only eighty years old, practically a hatchling. Very social, loves attention."

"Hello, Ember," Stella said solemnly, offering the treat with proper reverence. "You're very talented."

Ember preened at the compliment, then surprised everyone by gently nuzzling Stella's hand—a sign of acceptance that even the keeper seemed impressed by.

"She likes you," I observed with amusement.

"I like her too," Stella replied, carefully stroking Ember's scales. "She's so pretty and graceful. Can I visit her again?"

"I'm sure that can be arranged," the keeper said warmly. "Ember would enjoy the company."

We spent the better part of an hour in the reserve, with Stella making friends with several of the dragons while I marveled at their intelligence and personality. Each one was distinctly individual, with preferences and quirks that reminded me more of people than animals.

After the reserve, we explored other parts of the palace—the Hall of Ancestors with its portraits of legendary heroes, the Crystal Observatory where Stella was fascinated by the way sunlight refracted through carved prisms, and the Royal Library where ancient texts sat alongside children's storybooks.

"This place is like a fairy tale castle," Stella said as we walked through a corridor lined with tapestries depicting dragon-human partnerships throughout history.

"In many ways, it is," I agreed. "The Viserions have been building this place for a thousand years, adding something new with each generation."

"Will I have a place like this someday?"

The innocent question caught me off guard. "Would you want one?"

"Maybe," she said thoughtfully. "But only if you were there too. And Reika and Princess Seraphina and everyone else. What's the point of having a beautiful castle if you're lonely?"

'Out of the mouths of babes,' I thought, struck by her wisdom. "That's very wise, sweetheart. The best places are the ones filled with people you love."

"Exactly," she agreed with satisfaction. "That's why our home is perfect even though it's just a penthouse. Because our family is there."

Our exploration was interrupted by the arrival of Ian, who found us in the palace's famous Butterfly Garden—a controlled environment where rare species from across the continent flourished in perpetual spring.

"There you are," he said with a grin, watching Stella attempt to coax a particularly large butterfly to land on her finger. "I've been looking for you two. I have a proposition."

"Oh?" I asked, noting the excited gleam in his eyes.

"Well, since our business is concluded ahead of schedule, and since I have a few days before I need to be back for classes, I was wondering..." He paused dramatically. "How would you feel about a proper tour of the Southern continent? There are some amazing cities I'd love to show Stella—the Crystal Markets of Drakmoor, the Floating Gardens of Velthara, maybe even the famous Singing Caves of Pyrros."

Stella's head snapped up, the butterfly momentarily forgotten. "Singing caves?"

"Caves that sing in harmony when the wind passes through them," Ian explained with obvious enjoyment of her reaction. "They say the music can make flowers bloom out of season."

"Can we go, Daddy? Please?" Stella asked with the kind of desperate hope that only children could muster.

I looked at my daughter's eager face, then at Ian's equally enthusiastic expression, and felt something in my chest relax. The Second Calamity was still coming. Bahamut's heart still waited to be studied and eventually consumed. The impossible goal of reaching demigod status in four years still loomed over everything.

But right now, in this moment, I had the opportunity to give my daughter experiences that would create happy memories for the rest of her life.

"Two days?" I asked Ian.

"Two days," he confirmed. "I'll handle all the arrangements, know all the best places, and I promise to keep Princess Stella thoroughly entertained."

"Well," I said with mock consideration, "if Prince Ian is willing to be our tour guide..."

"Yes!" Stella exclaimed, bouncing on her toes. "Yes yes yes! We can see singing caves and floating gardens and crystal markets!"

"Then it's settled," Ian said with satisfaction. "Two days of adventure for Princess Stella, and a proper vacation for the rest of us. When do you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning?" I suggested. "That gives us time to pack and plan the route."

"Perfect. I'll have everything ready." Ian's grin was infectious. "This is going to be fantastic."

As we headed back toward our quarters to begin preparations, Stella chattered excitedly about all the things she hoped to see. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself genuinely looking forward to the mini-adventure ahead.