The Red Queen of Nothing

Vinnandra woke to the thought of a world of many possibilities. A world where she could finally be anything and anyone she wanted to be.

The first thing she noticed was that she was back in her room at Xander's chambers. She let out a sigh of relief, burrowing herself deeper into the bed which had now come to represent home. The dusty smell of books permeated her nostrils, and she smiled, a peace she had never known before resting upon her.

Who would have thought that her status would change in the blink of an eye because of the trifecta bond? But that was not what really occupied her mind… Now, she thought what next?

She had her freedom back, but save that she was still the red-haired girl and no family to speak of. But that was no longer entirely true, because now she was bonded and for her, that had to count for something.

Vinn stretched herself like a cat, squinting against the onslaught of sunlight assaulting her eyes. She tries to remember what happened before she passed out from exhaustion, and Selene's furious face comes to her mind.

Whatever, Vinn could hardly care why she was angry. If Selene had any bone to pick, she should take it to her fiancé. Vinn was now a free woman, that was all that mattered.

"Is that so…?"

Vinn jumps from her bed in fright, clutching onto the bed stand as she scans the room for any sign of an intruder. It takes her a minute to realise the voice was from her head… Astrid.

She hadn't really talked to the dragon since the whole three day saga of her life… especially when Xander wasn't around or present in the conversation. Vinn felt a bit weird which she shouldn't as she now shared a bond with the red dragon, but still….

She concentrates her breathing and tries hard to communicate back in kind.

"Astrid… can you hear my thoughts?" Vinn asked, her skin flushed from embarrassment.

"Only if you allow me." Astrid drawls lazily in a manner that reminded Vinn of Xander. Ughhh.

"But I didn't allow you." She retorted, filled with righteous indignation. The gods, they can't actually hear her thoughts too now can they… even Xander? What if he stumbles on what she thinks about him… no, used to think about him?! Horror filled her at the thought, she would just will the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

Astrid lets out a growl much like a chuckle. "You allowed me unconsciously, and no, Xander can't hear you now… he currently blocked us out. He does that when he's busy with something. And yes, I will advise you to, ehhh, hold your unusual thoughts to yourself, it won't do you good if Xander catches a whiff of it."

Wow, Astrid was chatty and easy to talk to unlike Xander. Vinn digested everything she said, but her last sentence bugged her the wrong way.

"It's just a crush, it's not like I want to kill him or something. Besides, I'm way over it." Vinn rolled her eyes internally, yes, she was over him. And yet, despite her sweeping declaration, Astrid found it funny.

"Good for you, Xander is most unromantic, you, my dear, deserve a good romance."

What could a dragon possibly know about romance? She wanted to ask but instead said, "Unromantic? I doubt that. Xander is smoking hot and has eyes like sin, voice like honey and a charisma that would rock any woman's world…a man like that is anything but unromantic."

The gods, what was she saying? Was she defending Xander's rights in romance? Vinn was insane, that was the only explanation for the nonsense she was spouting.

"If you say so." Astrid's voice was filled with barely contained laughter that only pushed Vinn to laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of their discussion. Astrid, barely able to contain herself anymore joined in her reverie in her growl-like manner, laughing so hard along with her. Tears spilled down Vinn's cheeks and her stomach started to hurt.

"Promise me you won't tell him what I said?" Vinn asked Astrid as their laughter died out.

In an equally light hearted manner, Astrid replies, "only if you promise you won't tell him I called him unromantic."

Vinn smiled at that, giving her promise. She felt like she just found a friend.

"Speaking of promises, it won't do you any good if Xander gleans into your mind and knows everything… If you have the time, I will teach you how to protect your thoughts from seeping through the bond."

For the next two hours in a stream of breathing, concentration and meditation exercises, Vinn learnt how to rein in her thoughts. Astrid was a great teacher with an amazing sense of humour, although she was of the thought that Vinn was a great learner. According to her, it normally took dragon riders two weeks at most to master it, and for witches, a month.

Vinn didn't mind the thought of having Astrid in her head most of the time, but the thought of Xander being able to glean into her thoughts whenever he wanted almost sent her into a panic attack… she was truly grateful for Astrid's guidance on that one.

Vinn took a most needed long, hot shower. From what she learnt from Astrid, she had been knocked out for more than a day… she was well and truly rested. And hungry.

One thing about long showers was that they allowed one room to think. And think she did. By the time she was done, she was certain she knew what she wanted to do next with her life.

Vinn stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a silky towel that she had always considered too luxurious to be in a slave's room, except she was no slave now. Clothed from head to toe in expensive black leather and sprawled comfortably on her bed was Xander, the picture of boredom and impatience.

His eyes rest on her face, then comes to rest briefly on her legs as he scans her, but almost as quickly they are back on her face, something wicked flaring in his eyes.

But then, it's gone almost immediately, annoyance resting on his perfect features.

"You're too skinny, you should eat more." He says to Vinn who was still stunned in place where she was standing. By the time she processes what he says, the anger she is supposed to feel arrives too late. So instead, Vinn scowls at him, trying her best to muster her fiercest expression.

The man doesn't even react.

"That's a rude thing to say to a girl." She says matter-of-factly.

Xander frowns as if trying to make sense of what she said. "But you're not a girl, you're a…woman." He says instead, exasperating Vinn greatly.

The gods, was that the only thing he took from what she said? Perhaps Astrid was onto something when she called Xander unromantic. Yet, it didn't matter if that was true or not, not when the mere sight of him on her bed, calling her a woman spiked her desires

Vinn needed to steer the conversation to the safest ground. "I know what to do with my life now." She said, remembering all the running she did during her long shower.

"Pray tell what it is?" Xander asked, not even attempting to appear intrigued by her sudden inspiration.

"I am going to attend the dragon academy."