The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

There he was… The man that haunted my dreams and my mind, the man whom I couldn’t throw out of my heart, the man who promised to find me and make me his… And now he was standing in the centre of the gerdian area while the men bowed to him. He said something to them and they all laughed and took their places, Demir included.

And I didn’t know what to think about all that. I was only happy that I still was standing in the dark next to Giana.

Demir looked around the room and furrowed his brows. For a second there I was sure that he would illuminate the room and get me that very second. Yet nothing was happening. One of the gerdian lords next to him started talking to him and the emperor replied something, making both of them chuckle.

“Who is that?!” a girl next to Giana gasped, “He is so incredibly handsome! And others seem to look at him and respect him!”

“He must have a high position!” another one whispered.

I clenched my fists, wishing I could go away. I always knew that women loved Demir. I had no illusions that he would stay alone for long after I left. But seeing all the girls here drooling over him did not make me feel any better.

Lady Fiona stepped on the stage and everyone got quiet. She curtsied to the lords and the ladies, then rose her chin high, “Dear guests! Welcome to the annual Dark Selection! This is a unique event that goes on for centuries and benefits both our nations! Many families were created here! Many dynasties were built! And I hope that this year would not be an exception! We will start with Introducing each other officially for the first time. I will be calling names of the lords and the ladies in turns and you will step on this stage and tell us about yourself! Let the Dark Selection begin!”

Everyone applauded and a chill went down my spine. The damn stage was not that far from us. If anything, it was too close!

“Selena Vanhover!” lady Fiona called the first name and a girl with long ginger hair went up very quickly. Yet still gracefully.

“Dear Lords and Ladies,” she beamed on the stage, making a perfect curtsy, “My name is Selena Vanhover and I am a daughter of Count Vanhover of the Akyrian Kingdom. I am an elemental mage and my prime element is Fire.”

To prove her words, she stretched her arm and created a fireball that then turned into myriads of butterflies that surrounded her and landed on her dress, without burning it. It was a good trick as she immediately got a round of applause from the lords. And slowly after that from the ladies as well.

“Show-off!” Giana g*****d next to me, while Selena continued talking about her. In the end, she clapped her hands and all the butterflies disappeared and she went down the stairs gracefully.

Next was one of the gerdian lords. He seemed younger than the rest and very eager to talk about himself. He didn’t do any tricks but almost received a standing ovation from the ladies. It was embarrassing, really. The way they jumped every time a gerdian was simply reaching the stage. Had they no self-respect?! I didn’t notice men reacting this way when ladies were introducing themselves.

For a second there, I almost forgot what I was doing here.

But then I heard something familiar, “Rien Frey…wood.”

I knew that it was him even before he went up that stage. Rien was the name of his father and the one he used when he wanted to stay unnoticed.

Demir was closer and closer and when we got literally a few feet apart, I kneeled to the ground quickly. Luckily, only Gianna noticed and hissed at me, “What are you doing, Kara?!”

“I… am making sure your dress is fine,” I lied through my teeth, “It will probably be your turn soon and I want to be certain you are not going to trip on that long train…”

“Good thinking,” the Lady of the South smirked but didn’t say anything else, her eyes were already on Demir.

“Dear ladies,” he showed them his pearly whites and I felt the need to throw something at him, “I stand before you with a broken heart.”

My fists clenched when a wave of gasps erupted through the crowd.

“We can help you with that!” some girl shouted and giggles followed.

“Oh,” the gerdian smirked, “I am really counting on that! You see, I thought I met a… soulmate but she left me alone.”

Another wave of sighs all over the room.

“She broke my heart but I feel that it’s the time to fix that and find the one who is truly meant for me! I am ready to do anything for that girl! And really hope that she is sitting in this very room right now.”

Bastard! I looked at all the happy faces of the ladies who were sitting at the moment. Each of them hoped that he was talking about her. Meanwhile here I was – crawling on the ground, lost on Gianna’s skirts.

I felt hurt that he was talking about his broken heart, which happened just days ago. And yet here he was – looking for my replacement so easily, mocking our story, bathing in the attention of other women.

He prepared to go off the stage, when he added as if he just remembered, “Oh, and I am a Duke of the Gerdian Empire.”

“A duke!” a blonde at Gianna’s table almost lost her consciousness from all the excitement.

That. Bastard.