The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

LARA

He looked at me hesitantly and I couldn’t blame him of course. Considering how we separate it in the morning it was probably suspicious. But time was pressing and I had to do it now because later Demir could already be dead. The thought alone made me shudder and he didn’t escape my stepbrother’s eye. It also didn’t make him rush to drink the tea that he watched with suspicion.

“Just forget it!” I mumbled and took a sip from my cup, slumming it back into the saucer loudly. I got up and prepared to leave when he stopped me.

“Lara, wait!” He said it with a hint of desperation and I turned back slowly to look at him again.

“Are you even sure that we can still speak as civilized people?” I raised my brow at him, “I’m not so sure after the morning that we had.”

“Of course we can,” he assured me with a vague smile, “we know each other for many years. Nothing will ruin the relationship that we had.”

It was hard not to scoff. It was so ironic that he felt this way because for me there could never be any kind of relationship for the two of us anymore. But I managed to hold back my reaction and force a smile, returning to the table.

“Very well,” I took the sparkling silver teapot in my hands and poured the tea into two teacups, moving one of them in his direction. I pretend to fill in mine as well, although it was almost full anyway with the clean tea I had made previously. I sat in my place and looked at him expectantly.

Gideon hid his wings and joined me on the opposite side of the small table. However, he was not even looking at the tea. He wasn’t a big fan of it, to begin with, but he used to drink a cup or two with me back at the White Archipelago. This was our time to talk and share what happened during the day. Although now I realize that I was probably the only one sharing back then. He turned out to have so many secrets I had no idea about that it was hard to tell if I knew him at all. Not that it was important anymore.

I took my cup into my hands and brought it to my lips, taking a small sip and watching him at the same time. He didn’t move and I knew that I could do anything except for telling him to drink the damn liquid. Then he’d know that something was wrong.

“So,” he leaned over the back of his chair, “You obviously wanted to talk.”

“I did, didn’t I?” I tensed. A conversation with him was the last thing I needed. Since I didn’t have anything good to tell him.

The silence was getting awkward and I took another sip.

“I think I’ll start if it goes like this,” Gideon sighed, “But I have to say that I am glad that you reached out to me first. I felt bad after what happened in the morning.”

“This makes two of us,” I avoided his gaze, “I did not expect that you are capable of…”

I stopped talking and fluttered my eyelashes, wiping a non-existent tear. Was that how he did it all these years?

“Lara,” he stretched his hand to me but I avoided that, “Of course, I am never going to hurt you. I was just angry… I am going crazy seeing how he made you hate me now.”

“I could never hate you, Deon,” I lied, slightly shocked at how easy that was for me. Maybe because it didn’t matter anymore. If it didn’t work out and I couldn’t save Demir – nothing would ever matter anymore.

I looked at him and noticed a small smile spreading over his face which he erased almost immediately.

“I am very happy to hear that,” Gideon said and placed his hands back on his cup. I tried really hard not to look at it. The less attention I paid to the most important thing – the better. It was essential not to arouse any suspicions. “Listen, Lara,” my stepbrother continued, “We will be going back to the White Archipelago as soon as this wedding is over. And we will get married there. Everything is already arranged. But I want you to learn to enjoy all that. Just think about it, you will be the Leader’s wife. You will have whatever you want, even the light wings. You will lead the life that made you so happy before. We were happy, right?”

“Sometimes,” I had to admit and he tensed again. I probably should have nodded eagerly. Chaos!

“We will be happy again,” he did not give up, “I know it’s very new to you, but we will take things slow. There is nothing I love more in this life than you, Lara. All of this is for you. Everything that I did…”

I swallowed hard and took another sip, when an idea came to my mind, “This tea reminds me of the time when Father died… Back then, you became the Heir of the Artes House. And you were too busy to pay any attention to me. I felt so lonely and one day decided to bring you tea myself just to be able to see you and talk to you…”

I looked at him through my lashes and smiled weakly, adding, “You drank all of it and I was pouring you more all the time so that we could talk longer. I took it a sign of goodwill back then…”

This time a full smile blossomed on his face and he took the cup and gulped all of it almost in one go, making me exhale with relief.

Prim told me that I should be careful with what words I choose and also that it may need time to work. But I wanted to test it badly.

“You will drink one more cup, right?” I ask him with a grin, and he nodded.

I stood up and poured the drink, thanking the Goddess of Light for all her help. Although, of course, it also could be nothing. Yet the good news that he was drinking more of Sideria.

It was a shame that Demir’s mother was gone, I wished I could meet her and k**s her!

“About our wedding, Lara,” Gideon cleared his throat.

“You really don’t want to talk about that,” I smiled, “Not now. Right?”

“Right,” he was not smiling but did as he was told.

“And you trust me now, you know that I want all the thing that you want. I just need time. A lot of time…”

“Of course,” he agreed, “Take as many months as you need.”

“It may take longer than that,” I chuckled, “A year, maybe two. But I know that you will be fine with that. You said it yourself – you are ready to wait as long as it takes. Right?”

“Right,” he agreed quietly.

“You want another cup, I can see it in your eyes,” I smiled and poured some more of sideria potion for him which he drank happily.

“Thank you,” he said.

“You are welcome,” I giggled, getting slightly bolder. It seemed to be working. “I just want to make you happy. I make you happy, yes?”

“Yes,” Gideon nodded. It was slightly creepy but I did not give a care in the world.

“There is something else I wanted to talk about,” I mentioned nonchalantly, “I think that we can only fix our…relationship… when we trust each other. I need your complete trust, Gideon. You give me your full trust, you believe in everything I do and say, right?”

He said nothing and I clenched my teacup so hard that it was at the point of breaking. Was it not working after all? Or did I overdo it? Deon looked like he was fighting some inner conflict and I bit my l*p. This was the defining moment and I already started to think that I lost and he somehow overpowered the magical plant.

But he looked at me with clear eyes and nodded, “Of course, Lara.”

“Then maybe you want to prove it?” I stretched my hands to him and he took them into his large palms. I almost rolled my eyes. “Take the magic blocking bracelets off me, Gideon. This will make both of us very happy and it’s the most important thing.”

“You are right,” he agreed again even though his brows were knitted. His hand left mine just for a second as he produced a little crystal from his pocket. He touched each wrist with it and both bracelets opened up. He was about to take them away when I stopped him.

“Leave them as a present for me,” I tilted my head, smiling brightly, “I want them as a memory of this first time we…started this new chapter in our life.”

“Of course,” he beamed and wanted to take my hands again but I stood up, distancing myself.

“Finish the tea, Gideon,” I said walking away and holding the bracelets, “And I am sure that you are very tired. You need a good sleep for a couple of days. You’ve been through a lot and you are exhausted.”

“You are right,” I heard his voice, “That’s exactly how I feel.”

I left the room and went to Prim, ignoring her guards who ignored me. My dress had long bell sleeves and it was impossible to notice that I didn’t have the magic blockers on anymore.

When I was in, Prim jumped off her bed. The room was squeaky clean already and all broken furniture and vases were replaced.

“How did it go?” she asked me nervously and I showed her my bare wrists, which only made the princess smirk delightfully.