Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

The beast within marched forward, in slow steps that shook the entire castle. The nobles in the gallery clutched their jewelry, as if the beast would eat their riches first.

I turned to the Queen to convince her one last time.

"Killing me is an act of war against House Stormborn," I said, hoping the fear of a fight would be enough to dissuade her.

House Stormborn was never known to start a war, but if anyone dragged them into one, they were sure to end it.

Queen Rosa let out a slight chuckle. "I have no intention of killing you. You're killing yourself by standing with her."

"She," I gestured at Lucy, "is officially recognised as a noble of House Elowen. Killing her is also an act of war."

"I'm sure the elves will understand why I had to."

The beast snarled again, its voice echoing into the throne room. It was getting closer.

I turned to Lucy.

"You could have just apologized, you know?"

She shook her head defiantly. "I will never apologise to anyone who calls me darkblood."

"I understand, but look at our situation right now. Just tell the queen you're sorry, and maybe she'll let this slide."

"No."

I sighed. There it was, that weird pride that was engraved into every noble. Lucy clenched her jaw, her eyes blazing with determination. Now I knew that this wasn't going to end well.

Lucy did have a point, but I wasn't ready to die just yet. So I released my concealment spell, just in case things went really south.

The air in the hall shifted, subtle but eerie. A violent stench filled the throne room – the smell of ash and burned meat.

Then, I heard it. The grinding sound of sharp claws scraping against stone.

The footsteps grew louder, and after a few more seconds, the menacing creature finally made it to the entrance.

"F*ck," I cursed, eyes widening. "It's a Dragon!"

"No, it's not," Lucy corrected. "It's a Wyvern."

"Oh..."

I had read about Wyverns in books, but I had never encountered one in real life.

Its scales were as black as coal, and when it growled, it revealed a set of large sharp teeth. With every breath, thick black smoke leaked out from between the gaps.

Its horns were quite short, which meant it was pretty young, but no matter how young it was, it was a fierce killer.

Its spiked tail dragged across the floor, clicking with every step the creature made.

It wasn't the size that made my stomach twist, it was the way it moved, like it owned the very ground we were standing on.

As soon as it stepped out, it spread its arms open, revealing a pair of leather wings, as a gentle reminder that it could actually fly. The only thing keeping it from actually flying off was the large chain tied over its neck

I should have probably backed up. Instead, I just stood there. Watching it decide which of us to eat first.

Its blood red eyes remained fixed on me like I had finally been weighed, measured, and chosen for dinner.

My instincts screamed at me to run, but my legs refused to budge.

My skin was filled with goosebumps, yet I had to wonder.

Where did the Queen get a Wyvern, and why was she keeping it in the castle?

"A kind mage gifted this to me," Queen Rosa replied, as if reading my thoughts. "He captured it wandering in the barren lands of Valhaven, where your people used to live."

A creature from the barren lands of Valhaven was definitely summoned, and keeping it as a pet was a bad idea.

"Not a good decision keeping it in the castle," I said. "Wyverns don't behave well in bondage."

"Oh, it's been tamed. It obeys my very will and eats only those I command it to. Isn't it ironic, dying at the hands of your own beastie?"

Lucy clenched her fists. "A summoned beast never attacks the bloodline of the summoner."

"Unless it's starving," the Queen said, her lips curving upward. "And it's been a while since we fed Winnie over here. He's going to have a great meal out of you."

My eyebrows shot upward. Something she said didn't sit right with me.

"How long has it been since you last fed it?" I asked.

The Queen scoffed. "What concern is it of yours?"

"How long?!"

"Well, if you're so keen to know, Winnie hasn't eaten in over a week."

Fuck.

"Get away from it," I ordered. "Now."

The Queen hesitated, her eyes furrowing, her confident facade faltering. "Who do you think you're talking to like that?"

CRASH!

The Wyvern's spiky tail slammed down right in front of the Queen.

"By the gods!" she screamed, ascending from her throne.

Yeah... That's what I was afraid of.

A starving Wyvern was basically a mindless killer.

The knights in the hall rushed forward to shield the queen from the creature. The nobles in the gallery ran out of the throne room, screaming at the top of their voices while they tripped on their fancy robes.

The Queen frantically retreated from her throne, as the knights threw their spears at the creature. The scales however were so thick that the spears just bounced off and fell back to the floor.

The creature let out another deafening roar. Then, it flung its tail at the men and sent a dozen of them flying into walls and columns. Next, it struck the chain that held it in place, breaking it completely.

With one deft move, it spread its arms, ready to take off.

"Not so fast, you stubborn creature," Queen Rosa fumed. "Nature Affinity: Vine Snare."

A splurge of vines spun up from the ground, twisting themselves around the beast. But with little effort, the beast spread its arms again, tearing the vines apart.

It turned to Queen Rosa, its eyes glowing with cold fury. Then, it opened its mouth and roared a breath of fire at the Queen...