Queen Vespera — The Dragon Queen Queen Vespera had never feared dragons. As a child, she had watched them circle the mountains beyond her father’s kingdom, but while others saw monsters, Vespera saw creatures that could be understood—and perhaps even commanded. Years later, during a brutal winter, Vespera discovered something buried beneath an abandoned dragon nesting ground: a massive egg, larger than herself, covered in deep crimson scales and strange markings. The egg belonged to a species thought to be nearly extinct. A rare dragon species. The royal hunters wanted it destroyed. Vespera refused. She secretly brought the egg back to the castle and kept it hidden beneath the old royal fortress, tending to it herself. For weeks, nothing happened. Then, one night, the egg cracked. A tiny dragon emerged. Even as a hatchling, he was unusually large, aggressive, and fiercely independent. It refused food from the servants and attacked anyone who came near it. Everyone except Vespera. When she entered the chamber for the first time, the hatchling simply stared at her. Vespera slowly extended her hand. The dragon approached. And instead of biting her, he rested his head against her palm. From that moment onward, they were inseparable. Years passed. The dragon grew. And grew. Eventually, the dragon became huge capable of carrying Vespera across entire kingdoms. Its strength became legendary after it began hunting enormous rival dragons whose claws eventually became trophies attached to its tail. Vespera treated it like a beast. It was her companion, her mount, her guardian, and ultimately the symbol of her reign. When Vespera finally claimed the throne, she did not arrive with an army. She arrived upon her monsters back. The sight of the dragon descending from the clouds was enough to silence an entire battlefield. From that day forward, kingdoms began calling her the Dragon Queen. And whenever Vespera sat upon her throne, Icebreaker could usually be found somewhere nearby—its enormous body curled around the castle walls, its head resting beside the royal courtyard as he watched over its rider. Anyone who threatened the Queen would have to get past it first.