The Dragon Princess (Crystalosias - Saga - Book One)

Sahrah looked out the car window, excitedly. So much wonderous scenery. Not in her wildest dreams, would she have imagined this.

Derk smiled as he watched his mate’s elated face. He knew his planet would excite her, but he hadn’t been prepared for the excitement he felt, as he looked at his world through her eyes.

“Where’s the Castle?” Sahrah asked as she turned to Derk.

“It’s actually more of a palace.” He said and smiled when her eyes opened wider and her face lit up.

“If she gets any more excited, Tasheen, her face will explode.”

Both of them looked at Trey, she had made a humanoid joke, a very good one. They both laughed and Sahrah went back to looking out the window.

When the palace came into view, she sucked in a breath. “Am I going to live there?” She asked.

Derk grinned. “Yes, my Tashia, you will be living there with me and my family.”

She sighed. It has been so long since she has lived among people, and never in such a place as this. She hoped the people liked and accepted her.

When the car stopped at the palace gate, the guards stood up straight and the gates opened. When the front of the palace came into view, Sahrah sucked in a breath, for it was more magnificent than anything she has ever seen before. It looked like one of the palaces she had seen once, in a children’s fairy tale story.

“We are here.” Derk said as the car stopped at the large, double front doors.

She let him help her out of the car and walk her up the large stairs, to the front doors, which were opened by two guards, who bowed to them, as they walked inside. She sucked in a breath as they entered. If she thought the outside was beautiful, the inside outshone the outer walls. There was nothing like it on her planet, not even her father’s castle.

A Palace, she’s going to be living in a Palace. Her son is going to grow up in a Palace!

“What do we do first?” She whispered.

Derk chuckled. “First, I must let my father know that I am home, then I will introduce you to him, and we will tell him what you told me, about your seed, and after that, you will meet my brothers and sisters.”

She smiled. “In that order, huh?”

He smiled down at her. “Yes, in that order.”

She chuckled as he led her through the main hall, to another large double door. Again, two guards opened the doors for them, to allow them access. She wondered why they weren’t sliding doors, like on his space ship.

As they entered, she sucked in a breath when she saw the thrones at the other end of a long aisle. They were made of what looked like marble, with padding for the comfort of their bottoms. She giggled. She knows how uncomfortable that padding really is, her father’s throne is made of the Crystals of their planet, and the padding looked just like the padding on these thrones, very thin.

She had sat on his throne once, just to see what it was like, and she didn’t sit long before her lower back ached. No wonder her father had rub downs every night. Derk’s father probably did the same.

“Derksin.” A tall, muscular man said, as he walked into the room from a far door.

Now that door slid open.

“Father.” Derk said as he greeted his father with a firm hand to arm shake and a pat on the back.

“You have been gone for a long-time son.” Tentah Dentse said as he studied his son.

“Yes, Father, I am sorry. I was...”

“I was told you had gotten your heart broken by a fire headed woman.” Tentah said.

Derk frowned. “Actually, it was my fault. I hadn’t trusted her enough, and I am shamefaced, for it.”

Tentah looked at his son then to the fire headed woman beside him who wore his son’s sash and smiled. “You must be the one who broke my son’s heart.”

Sahrah frowned. “He broke mine too.”

Tentah laughed. “You must tell me all.” He said as he moved towards his throne.

“Sir, wouldn’t you be more comfortable in a regular chair?” Sahrah jumped in before the man sat down. She didn’t want him any more uncomfortable, on her account, then need be.

Both men looked at her and her cheeks turned a bright red.

“She speaks as if she knows something about my throne.” Tentah said with a laugh.

Derk chuckled. “She probably does, Father. May I introduce to you, my mate, Sahrah Prem Den, third daughter, to King Zeng of Dentoria.” He said with a proud smile.

“Ah, a true Tashia, very good, Son.” Tentah said with a smile as he looked Sahrah up and down. “And she is already carrying your child?” He asked when he saw the slight bump.

Derk grinned as he wrapped his arm around Sahrah’s shoulders. “Took only one try.” He said with his chest puffed out. “It happened at our Dunga.”

Tentah glared at his son, but he wasn’t angry with his son. “Someone dared to make my heir do the Dunga!?”

“General Dinskey Blan said that if I wanted to take her as my mate, I must accept the Dunga. You see, they had enslaved my mate, and I wanted her back...”

“They enslaved your mate!?”

Derk and Sahrah quickly told him about their time together two years ago, and how she had been taken, while she waited for him, but he thought she had left him, then she was enslaved for two years, until he found her again, by pure chance. But found that she had not left him, and now she’s his mate, again.

“Son, there is no becoming someone’s mate again.” Tentah grumbled.

Derk looked at Sahrah, whose face had paled. Did that mean he couldn’t have his Spitfire?

“But, Father...”

Tentah held up his hand. “Once she said yes, to being your mate, she was your mate for life. Did she tell you she no longer wanted to be your mate?”

“No, I did not.” Sahrah answered.

Tentah smiled. “Then she was your mate when they captured her, you did not have to ask for her back, she was yours to start with. But I am happy to see you found her.”

“Son of a Brigidan.” Derk cursed. “Do you mean to tell me, that for the past two years, my mate, has been a slave?”

His father nodded and Derk kicked at a chair. The chair folded up into itself and went into the floor.

Sahrah sucked in a shocked breath when the chair disappeared and both men looked at her. Derk smiled as he pulled her to his side. She was still so new to his “futuristic” planet.

“You can press charges to the men who captured her.” Tentah said as he headed for his throne again.

“For what?” Sahrah asked, completely confused about their conversation.

“For capturing you.” Derk whispered.

“But they had taken over my planet, isn’t that what they do?” She asked as she looked between Derk and his father.

Tentah turned to them and sat on his throne. “But they captured our Tashia, that is punishable by imprisonment if not death...”

“You mean I was your Tashia, two years ago?” Sahrah asked as she looked at Derk.

Derk smiled. “You were my Tashia, the moment you said yes to me. I just hadn’t realized you would have to deny me, to my face, for it to be undone. Now that I know, I would like to kill the men who captured you, myself.”

She smiled as she brushed a hair off his forehead. “It was a long time ago, Derk. Let’s let it go, okay. I am with you once again, that is all that matters. And besides, they did not know that I was their Tashia.”

Derk grumbled. “It does not matter, that they were ignorant about who you were. They took my woman from me...”

She laughed softly. “My big strong Warrior.”

He grinned as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

Tentah cleared his throat as he hid a smile behind his hand. “I have a feeling you two have something you need from me. Speak now, I am growing weary of this.”

Derk and Sahrah turned to him at the same time.

“Yes, your grace.” Sahrah said as she started to move towards the throne.

“No formalities, call me Father.” Tentah said with a smile.

She smiled back. “It would be an honor, Father.”

Tentah grinned. “Now, tell me, what is it you need of me?”

“Your protection.” She whispered.

Tentah sat up and looked at his son. “Has he...?”

She looked at Derk confused than at his father and laughed. “Oh no... Father. I mean protection from your leaders, and anyone else who may try to stop me.”

Tentah sat back with a sigh. “Go on.”

She told him about everything. How her people had not been lying, how during her time mining her planets Crystals, she had spoken to them, asking them to put their trust in her, and the day Derk had rescued her, they had.

“I was the only leader who believed your people, yet two years and no Crystals have grown.” Tentah said with a frown.

“That is because only someone of royal blood; has any effect on the Crystals.” She informed him.

“Then why had none come forward?” Tentah asked.

“Because when they captured my planet, they killed any royal they found, and the others went into hiding.”

“What?!” Tentah hollered as he jumped to his feet. “This is blasphemy!”

She took a step back. “But it is true, Father.”

He looked at her. “Then how were you taken as a slave, and not killed?”

She explained to him her rank, and how not even Derk had known who she was; until she had told him about the Crystals.

Tentah’s face softened as he sat back on his throne. “I believe you, Tashia.” He said with a nod.

She nodded. “Thank you, Father.”

“Now, about this re-growing of the Crystals, how does it work?” He asked as he studied her face.

Derk moved closer, he was curious about that as well.

“If my planet was still alive, as it was two years ago, when we had asked for the six months, a royal would have gone to the Crystals, always one from each city, to their own cave. They would sleep there, then the Crystals would gift them with seeds. Their young... And my people would plant them, and the Crystals would reward us with their old. Which are the Crystals we had been trading with your people. They are the most powerful of the Crystals, because of their age, and how much energy they have collected through the years.” She said as she watched her new Father.

Both men digested her information and Tentah nodded. “I believe you, Sahrah of Dentoria.”

Sahrah smiled. “Thank you so much.”

“But, how are we to prove this, if there are not enough Crystals to provide for this service? Or royals.”

“Because they gifted me, with one of their young.” She whispered as she opened her palm and held it out to him.

“I see. That was what you were saying happened the day my son found you?”

She nodded. “Yes. And I had Derk get me some dirt, so I can plant it. He told me that I must wait for you to witness it.”

Tentah nodded. “I have a wise son. I will also put a camera directly over it, to watch its growth, so there is no denying it.”

She smiled as she pulled the seed back to her and held it against her heart. A tear slid down her cheek as she thanked him.

“Derksin, take your mate to your chambers, have her dressed properly, and she will meet your siblings, tonight.”

Derk smiled. “Yes, Father.”

So full of happiness, she pulled away from Derk and ran to his father. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek; before she turned and followed her mate from the room.

Tentah sat on his throne with a broad smile on his face. His son has finally chosen his mate, and she was exactly what he had been told, would come into the folds of his family.

**

Sahrah watched as the door slid open when Derk stood in front of it. He smiled at her as he led her inside. She sucked in a breath as she looked around the large room. It was the largest bedroom she had ever seen. And it had everything she could ever need, except a bed.

She peeked through a sliding door and found a bathroom. Then another and found a closet, and another was a sitting room. The last door was where the bed was, and she smiled. Good, the bed was in a private area, and the bed was the largest bed she had ever seen...

“Spitfire.” Derk whispered from behind her.

She turned to him with a smile. “This is so wonderful, Derk.”

He smiled as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “I must go talk to my father, but Trey will take care of you until I am back. Please do what she says, she is programmed to know everything you will need.”

She nodded. “I won’t leave the Palace, without your sash.” She said with a smile.

“Don’t leave our chamber, until I come for you.” He said as he studied her face.

She frowned and he kissed her lips.

“But...”

“It is for your safety. Until everyone knows who you are...”

“But the sash...”

“It only works, for outside the Palace. Inside, there are so many, that they won’t know...”

“How many mates do you have?” She asked as she pulled back from him.

He chuckled. “Just you, Tashia. I have never taken a mate before.”

“Then...”

“I do have women who I protect. But I have never lain with them.” He assured her when he saw the look on her face. “And in the past two years, since I thought you had left me, I have not been able to do anything with a woman. You have been engraved into my soul.”

She frowned. “Does that mean you tried?”

He sighed heavily. “I had thought you had left me. I was miserable.”

“Miserable enough to sleep with other women?”

He grunted. “But I did not, that is my point.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “But you tried to.”

He grumbled. “Just don’t leave our rooms. I will be back for you.” He kissed her lips then left the room.

“Men.” She grumbled.

“He really was miserable without you, Tashia.” Trey said as she watched Sahrah.

Sahrah huffed. “So miserable he went looking for other women.”

“He tried to forget you. But he could not... He has never felt for a woman, the way he feels for you, so when you did not show, he slipped away...”

“I did show, damn it.” Sahrah cried.

“Yes, and we now know everything, and he is happy again. But if you are not happy Tashia, your Tasheen will not be.”

Sahrah sighed. “I guess I can forgive him, it’s not like he actually fornicated with someone, right?” She asked as she looked at her companion.

Trey smiled. “Correct, Tashia. You are the only woman Tasheen has slept with; since the day you beat him in the arena.”

Sahrah smiled at that knowledge. For he is her first and only lover.

“So, what do we do while we wait for Derk?” She asked as she looked at Trey.

“You need new clothes.” Trey said as she pressed a button and a closet opened. Row after row of clothes were displayed.

“Holy, heavensdale.” Sahrah said as she looked at the clothes. “And who’s clothes are these?”

“Why, they are yours, Tashia.”

“But who’s were they before me?”

“No ones. They were supplied for Tasheen for his Tashia, and you are the first to see them.”

Sahrah grinned, she liked that idea. She looked through the clothes; until she found a dress she liked. She changed and looked at herself in it. Dextonian women dressed a lot like her own people, except for the Warrior Women like her. But she had had a few outfits like this, for special occasions. But never had they shown off her breasts so... For on her planet that would make everyone look away from her in disgust. She grinned. She wondered what kind of reactions she will get here.

“You look like a Tashia.” Trey said with a smile. “Tasheen will be pleased.”

Sahrah sighed. “But will his people?”