The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

PRIMROSE

They were late and I knew that it could not mean anything good. It was a crazy plan to begin with but I still hoped that there was some luck left for our family. Or at least for Laura. She was a chaos’ angel after all! The dark gods turned away from my family but maybe her Goddess of Light could still smile upon us. Somehow, I always liked that one. She was a woman in power after all. And divine one at that.

I felt pain in my chest again. The one that was with me for the last few days. The one that could only mean one thing – my soulmate was hurting. I bit my l*p, knowing how much I failed him. But I couldn’t do anything. It was an impossible love and the end of it was written in the stars to end im misery from the very beginning. That’s why after my first fiancé died, I went to the most powerful mage I could find – my mother – and pleaded with her to cast a spell upon me. So that when I found my mate, he would never feel the connection. I still felt guilty about that one because Mother had to pay a high price for my wish. Spells like that never went unnoticed and her health decreased after that. Father didn’t tell me anything but deep inside I also knew that he was probably blaming me for this. He didn’t know what kind of a spell that was since everything was only between my mother and me. And we never talked about it again. It was essential so that no one could know and use it against me in any way.

I asked to make it so that when I meet my mate, my one and only soulmate, whoever it was, they would not feel the bond between us. Even if that person was a dragon, he would never even suspect anything, he would never be able to tell whether I was his mate or not. I already lost a beloved and I knew that losing a soulmate would hurt so much more. I couldn’t bear it since the age when I was supposed to be able to recognize him was approaching. And my horrible prophecy was still there. I would never be able to be with the man that I loved. And it was impossible not to fall in love with one’s mate if they both accepted each other. I knew that much.

In a way, it was funny, because I wanted to protect him even before I met him. I still needed to know who it was, to make sure I avoided him at all costs. And when Demir returned from his 5-year battle mage training at the Gerdian Acadeny of Magical Arts with Ryker, I knew… I knew that Ryker was the one for me.

I always liked him. And even had a little crush on him as a child but I could never imagine that this man was my destiny. I felt all the attraction one was supposed to feel for his or her soulmate. I felt the pull, the infatuation… however for him, nothing changed. I was his best friend’s little sister and his princess. Nothing else. It was extremely hard and heartbreaking to welcome him back and then just turn away and leave, listening to how they discussed other ladies with my brother. I cried in my room all night that day and the next day, I pretended to be sick. I pretended to be sick for the whole next week. But in the end, I had to gather myself. I had to be strong. Life went on, after all… No matter how horrible I felt inside. Not to mention that as a member of the royal family, I had my duties.

I tried to avoid him for several long and lonely months. Yet one day my older sister’s birthday celebrations took place and my parents arranged a ball in her honour. He didn’t even recognize me from the back when he came to me. I was wearing I like a golden dress and I still remembered how cheesy his attempt to invite me for a dance was. And how his face changed when I turned and he saw me for the first time. I should have dismissed him and danced with someone else. He would have understood, I was off-limits and he had no idea about our real connection. But I made a joke that now he was obliged to dance with me and he did not back off. He took my hand and led me to the very centre of the ballroom. For one whole dance, I could afford myself to be this close to him, to feel his breathing on my neck, to feel his fingers brushing over my exposed skin, to experience his closeness… We didn’t break the etiquette, yet it seemed so intimate. And wrong… It was my biggest mistake. Because after being this close to him, I could never forget how it felt. I run away as soon as the music stopped and he tried to chase after me. He tried to chase after me ever since…

Regardless of anything, I never allowed us to be this close again. I knew how dangerous that was. Imagining that he might die because of me was more than I could handle. Keeping our distance seemed like the best solution at the time. However, once in a while, when there was a ball at the palace, he would invite me for a dance and I would say yes, leaving straight after we were done. It turned into an obsession of mine, sick and painful, but also sweet and enthralling. A guilty pleasure. I couldn’t give up on those little moments. I needed them. And he never ignored me, always looking for me with his eyes. Always smiling when he found me. We were dancing without saying a word to each other, but one time as I was about to leave, he pulled me back by my hand behind a column while no one was watching and kissed me. There, in the darkness, for just a few seconds, I felt like I was in heaven. And I run away again. I ran and I ran, as fast as I only could. Because I knew that if he would catch up with me, I wouldn’t be able to push him away.

That night I walked into my room, crying. I wanted to fall onto my bed and weep myself to sleep. But two strong arms caught me and Ryker turn me to face him. His hair looked disheveled as if he was touching it uncontrollably. And I wanted nothing more than to brush my fingers in its softness.

“Why are you crying, Primrose?” he asked, wiping away my tears. I didn’t reply and he then started to k**s them away one by one. I couldn’t resist it anymore and gave myself away to him that very night. It was amazingly beautiful… He was loving and caring, but also passionate at the same time. And I was crazy about him. I loved him so much! I let myself melt in his arms and forget about everything for one night only…

In the morning I was lying in my bed and watching him sleep, knowing what I had to do next. I got out first, wrapped in silk sheets, and started to dress when he g*****d and started to stretch himself lazily in front of me as if it was completely normal. I didn’t look at him because I knew that if I would then I would never be able to do what I had to do.

“Morning, Princess,” he smiled but I remained cold. I needed to be heartless for this.

“Good morning to you too, Ryker,” I said dryly and avoiding his gaze, “You need to get up fast.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me, Primrose?” he lifted himself up, in no hurry to get dressed and tempting me with his perfect naked body. He didn’t understand yet…

“Well, since you said it yourself… isn’t it time for you to leave?” I erased my brow and started to brush my hair to keep myself busy and distracted.

The beautiful smile on his face faded and he started to slowly find his things that were scattered around the room, pulling the pants on first.

“Did I offend you somehow, Prim?” he came closer, trying to touch me but I dodged.

“Riker,” I sighed heavily, “Please, don’t make this complicated… You know very well that there can be nothing between us. Nothing serious that is. You offended me in no way and I’m very grateful to you for the night. It was a pleasant experience and I enjoyed it greatly.”

His lips twitched as he looked at me with his stormy grey eyes.

“What game are you playing, Prim?” He clenched his fists but I tried to keep my composure.

“It’s not a game Ryker. You know very well what my family is and what are my responsibilities towards them. One day I will marry someone useful for the empire. And that someone wouldn’t be you. So let’s say ourselves the trouble…”

“You’re one strange dragoness, Primrose… other girls of your age dream of marrying their mates,” he said to me with a challenge in his voice.

I look straight into his face and I hate myself for this up until this day.

“Maybe I will when I meet him,” I said firmly and without any kind of remorse. I needed him to hate me.

“Very well. As you wish,” he bowed to me politely just the way one should bow before a Princess, “I understand. I will not bother you again, Your Highness.”

He left my room and he kept his word. Ryker did not seek me anymore and avoided me when he could, probably not even knowing how he was breaking my heart. But on the other hand, he was alive. And that was what was important. His life was my priority. Besides, theoretically speaking, he could still be happy with someone else. He didn’t know that he was my soul mate, neither could he feel the real bond between us. So when I noticed that he was courting one of the noble ladies, I was in great pain. But at least I knew that whatever we had was finally over. I went to visit my sister Bridgit and her husband, wishing to forget about Ryker. And there I met a man who almost helped me to do it. I couldn’t love him but I liked him a lot and tried very hard. We returned to Demir’s court and started to prepare for the wedding. But that was when those red Dragons rebelled and Xander killed my fiancé, Proving once again that I couldn’t allow myself to care about anyone.

Years passed and Ryker was always polite to me, acknowledging my royal status at all times. Sometimes, very rarely, I caught his glances on me. But he always retreated immediately. And every time we had a ball, he was inviting me for one dance. No more, no less. There was nothing inappropriate in what he was doing and I always accepted, we weren’t saying a word to each other and always behaved according to the etiquette. But for the last few years, this was all I waited…

And now I knew that he was in pain. Probably because of me. No one knew, no one noticed… except for that beast Xander. Somehow, he understood, he felt it… and now Ryker was paying for it. Paying for something he wasn’t even aware of.

And the worst thing was that it wasn’t important anymore. At least that’s what I had to repeat to myself all the time while I was waiting for Demir and Lara. Over and over again. I couldn’t help Ryker. Not now anyway. And judging by how much he was hurting, he wouldn’t last long.

I even thought about going to Xander and offering myself to him on the platter, asking to free Ryker in return. But I knew that monster far too well. I was aware that the moment he knew for sure that Ryker was my soulmate – he would kill him on the spot. Not because of great love… That monster was incapable of that feeling. But I was his obsession for a while and there was no denying that.

There was no sign of my brother and his beloved, and desperation started to overwhelm me. I was the daughter of my parents and I didn’t do losing well. Just the thought that it could end like this was killing me. Of course, I knew that my siblings would come to avenge me sooner or later… but I couldn’t lose my soul mate and my most favourite brother at the same time. It would crush me…

I heard noises coming out from the buildings and hid behind a huge oak tree and some bushes. Luckily, our royal garden had plenty of places to hide. Those were soldiers and judging by what they were talking about, Demir and Lara managed to escape. That was good. But they weren’t here. And that was bad.

I was watching and listening, and praying, and hoping. Soon I saw a spark of light on the top of the nearby wall. The one under which we were going to escape. Meaning that Lara wasn’t even close.

I tried to watch carefully when I saw her summoning light, a lot of it this time. And I saw that my brother was with her… Or at least that was what I thought. It was hard to see from such a distance but that couldn’t be anyone else next to her.

She wouldn’t last long. Everybody already knew where she was and even if she was the best fighter in the world, she wouldn’t be able to take down every single soldier and dragon that was rushing to that wall.

I didn’t think twice before shifting into my golden dragon form. I also did not waste any time and flew up in the sky so that everyone could see me. I made a circle, observing how Laura used the moment and knocked more soldiers off their feet.

I decided to give my last gift to the red dragons. At full speed, I flew right into the tower where their best warriors were residing, blowing my golden fire at the same time, the one that resembled lava more than anything. My claws were tearing pieces of the stone walls… I heard screams… Those would be their last ones. I had no time to think about that. I had to do as much damage as it was only possible… All our warriors were in the dungeon and I wasn’t risking in that sense.

Roars sounded above my head and I knew that one of them was Xander in his dragon form. But as always, he wasn’t alone. If he was, I could take him and he knew that. He was not going to risk such humiliation. I flew away before they could reach me. I counted four of them but I knew that more was coming. However, the main problem was that I couldn’t fly too far away. I needed to make sure that Lara and Demir could escape. And if I left them now – they wouldn’t. I could try and grab them, but that would be problematic, especially considering that they were under constant attack and so was I.

So at least I could distract the red Dragons and fight their beloved leader with all what I had. And the gods knew – I have a lot!

I flew high in the sky and made a flip, maneuvering myself all the way down, straight into the beasts who were following me. Four of them were coming at me but as I passed them, only two were left when I was done. I tore off a wing from one of them and broke the neck of the another. I didn’t go for Xander as he could potentially avoid my attack. And I needed to lessen their numbers. Fast.

He was following me, I felt it with my golden scales. They caught up with me pretty quickly. But what they didn’t know was that I let them. All that to twirl while breathing out fire and destroying another one of them. My fire was one of the strongest, it was reaching its victim, it stuck to it and it was next to impossible to put it down until everything there was to burn was burned.

Now only Xander was left. Surprisingly, he didn’t order others to shift. It bothered me. Because I knew that he always had a plan. And unfortunately, most of the time his plans were good ones. That was why he was such trouble for us for so many years.

I felt pain in my chest again. And then again and again. Something was happening to Ryker.

The realisation hit me hard. Xander knew everything and he was about to use it against me. I lowered myself in the air, making a circle around the palace. That was when I saw him.

They brought him out to my balcony, the one with the best view, the one that was impossible to miss from the sky. He could barely walk and two red dragon soldiers were holding him while the third was walking in circles around him, telling him something. Ryker threw himself at that man but the other two held him in place, while the third one slammed his fist into my soulmate’s face.

Everything changed for me at that moment. My instincts took over and I flew to protect what was mine. I was ready to kill for him, I was ready to risk everything for him. However bad that sounded, I even forgot about my brother and my country. He was the only thing that mattered.

But then a piercing pain slashed through my chest and I growled in frustration. I didn’t understand at first what that was but then I looked at Ryker again and saw that one of the soldiers stabbed him right where the heart was. I tried to reach him but it still wasn’t fast enough… I wasn’t close enough! And then something heavy landed on top of me, making me fall to the ground. I raised my head, still looking at him as they stabbed him again and again. I howled and I cried, even in my dragon form. Our eyes locked. And as if it wasn’t enough, they threw a rope over his neck and pushed his body off the balcony. His hands were tied, he was bleeding, but he also was still struggling.

I tried to get rid of whatever was holding me back, not realizing that sharp teeth were biting into my flesh and huge talons pierced even through my scales. Xander did not have pity. He was breaking me, submitting me…

But what he didn’t realize was that it didn’t matter anymore. My eyes were locked with Ryker’s and I watched him take his last breath, feeling my whole world crashing around me.

I didn’t save him! He still died because of me! All those years I was torturing myself and him, denying our feelings for each other, pushing him away, breaking my heart, and making us both suffer… All that was for nothing.

I didn’t even tell him that he was my mate… He never knew how much I loved him… How stupid!

I didn’t even realize that I was already in my human form, pressed against the soft grass of the royal gardens. Someone wrapped a cloak around me and yanked me back to my feet. Xander was fuming, looking at me with such fury but for a second there I thought that he was going to kill me.

Gods, how I hoped that he would kill me!

But he didn’t… instead, he locked magic blocking presence around my wrist again and pulled me back inside the castle, shouting to his warriors to deal with Demir. I couldn’t walk… it seemed like I forgot how to do it. So he lifted me in his arms and kept walking.

“I didn’t want to do it like this,” he said grimly, “but it was one and only way to demonstrate to you that in this life you will only belong to me. No one else!”

“Too late,” I replied, feeling how I was losing b***d rapidly and not healing at all, “You just destroyed me…”

He was taking me away and I looked for the last time at where Lara and Demir were supposed to be. And I saw a miracle…