A Note from the Author:

Hello, my fellow readers and thank you for taking the time to read Dance of the Dragons. The story is inspired by how much I enjoyed writing Mingxia and Liwei's experience in A Celestial Requiem. I hope that you'll fall in love with the story as well as the characters as I have while writing about their journey.

This version on Wattpad is an unedited version. It does not contain the final edits or additional arc that was added in the published version. The published version is viewable on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Please note that where a majority of the story takes place is inspired by Tang Dynasty China, it should not be used as a reference for Chinese culture. Some elements have been borrowed, while others are completely invented. Negative comments made about the characters will be deleted. I'm tired of people telling me how to write my stories, when it is #ownvoices and I've specified that it should not be used as a learning tool. My experiences, as alluded in this novel, do not apply to all Chinese individuals or all Asian individuals. If you are interested in learning more about Chinese culture, please conduct research to educate yourselves.

There are times when Mandarin is used. Despite having Chinese roots, I am not fluent in this language nor do I claim to be knowledgeable about it. I've asked a friend who is fluent in Mandarin to check it, but if you notice any typos or misuse, please let me know and I'll fix it as soon as possible.

If you ever have any questions, please feel free to leave an in-line comment. I do my best to respond to every comment even if I may be months late to the party.

Happy reading!

Copyright Notice and Art Credit:

The map design is done by Alli May (eosophobias). The cover was created by _Foxicious. I designed the banner via Canva. Use or editing of these graphics is not permitted under any circumstances whatsoever.

Copyright © 2021 by Wera Niyom.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

About the Realm of Naestrirea:

The Realm of Naestrirea is a fictional realm that I created for this series. It is composed of thirteen nations, each housing different creatures. For this novella, Chinese mythology and folklore will be featured. Other nations will be gradually introduced into the story. You can flip over to the next chapter to see the map and learn about what other creatures will be featured in this series. A glossary has been prepared and is available at the end of the novel.

Naestrirea used to be united and prosperous. Everyone could be friends with anyone and visit any country they wanted to. However, with the coming of the Tarot, wars and battles fueled by greed and revenge have torn apart the realm.

All Tarot cards come with a price and shouldn't be used no matter the reason. Each casting tears away at the contractor's mind and/or body, in rare cases, both. No one knows the side effects of each card and that should make the contractor more wary of the divine consequences. The Tarot are believed to bring about two possible outcomes: stability or chaos.

This is a dual POV story. Also, whenever the late Emperor or individuals of high status are referred to in third person, the first letter will be capitalized to emphasize the significance of his position (e.g. Father, Emperor, etc.).

This novella was an entry for the 2021 Open Novella Contest and responded to Romance Prompt #69: When music becomes a way to communicate, no words could compare.

About the Secrets of Tarot series:

Book 0.5*: Dance of the Dragons

Book 1: A Celestial Requiem

Book 1.5*: The Prince's Beast

Book 2: A Celestial Redemption

Book 2.5**: Broken Bonds

Book 3: A Celestial Atonement 

Book 3.5***: Ceosal Kingdom Tales

Book 4: A Celestial Acceptance

* These stories are not connected to what is happening during what is considered to be the "present" in the novels (Books 1, 2, 3, and 4). They should be read as standalone stories as they occur centuries before A Celestial Requiem and include unrelated characters. They are worth reading if you're interested in other countries and creatures of the Realm.

** Knowledge of Books 1 and 2 are recommended but not required.

*** Knowledge of Book 1 is recommended but not required.

Reviews, Awards, and Rankings

Outlining: 2/1/2021 - 2/1/2021

Started: 2/1/2021.

Finished: 2/12/2021

Passed ONC Round 1 on 3/23/2021

Passed ONC Round 2 on 4/20/2021

Passed ONC Round 3; Longlisted on 5/21/2021

Shortlisted on 5/30/2021

Added to WattpadHistoricalRomance "Ancient Love" RL on 6/14/2021

Added to MythandLegend "Mythopoeia and Invented Mythologies" and "ONC 2021 Mythmakers" on 7/8/2021

Mentioned in MythandLegend's Interview Book on 7/8/2021

1k reads milestone on 7/25/2021

Added to TheWarriorGoddess "Fantastical Warriors" RL on 8/3/2021

Added to Watt-Dragons "Legendary Creatures" RL on 8/10/2021

Featured on "From Our Stars" RL on homepage from 8/10/2021 to 9/13/2021

10k reads milestone on 9/16/2021

15k reads milestone on 12/16/2021

Featured on "From Our Stars" RL on homepage from 11/23/2021 to 12/30/2021

1k votes milestone on 1/1/2022

Added to AmbassadorsCN "Back to the Dynasties" RL on 1/9/2022