The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

LARA

“You?!” I hissed at Sean Sarn when he pulled me closer but that only made him slam me against the wall and close my mouth with his large palm. All while pressing his body into mine, restricting my movement.

“Shhh,” he put his index fingers to his lips, all while looking from behind a wall to see if the hall we were at was still empty.

However, when he made sure that it was, he still did not move away. Our eyes met just for a second and I felt like it was time to do something about it, hitting him hard with my knee, and surprisingly, I hit something that was hard.

“Eww!” I yelled at him, “What do you think you are doing?!”

He was still bending and groaning when he put his hand inside his chest pocket and produced some kind of necklace on a golden chain.

“I brought you this,” he muttered, standing up, “Gods, Lara, where did you learn to hit like that?!”

“Don’t test me next time,” I warned him, “And I don’t need jewellery, thank you.”

“That’s an artifact!” he finally managed to stand straight and got my interest.

“An artifact?” I took it from his hands and had a closer look. It was an oval-shaped gold pendant with a medium-sized ruby. Carvings on the sides were clearly runes and I could feel its energy. “What is it for?” I asked.

“It’s to hide your aura,” the red dragon replied, coming closer again, “I think you are already aware that Demir is here. I am shocked that he still didn’t drag you back to his palace. He should have felt you by now.”

“I guess he was too busy looking for a bride,” I snorted, pretending that it didn’t hurt even though my heart was already bleeding, “It would probably be better for me to just escape again…”

“Probably,” he agreed, “Even with this, if he sees you, he’d recognize you…”

“I know,” I sighed, “Then again, it may not matter to him anymore. He clearly moved on.”

“Demir never moves on this quickly,” Sean chuckled and I looked at him in shock, “However, he always had plenty of women. And he does need an heir. What he is doing here now is as much work for him as everything else. He should have done it years ago.”

I did my best not to show any of my emotions to him.

This was just work…

It was probably supposed to make me feel better. Well, it didn’t. That meant that he would choose someone even if he didn’t fall for her… He would take that woman to his palace, give her the room I used to live in… He would make love to her and have a family with her…

I knew I needed to look at the bigger picture. This was exactly what I wanted. For him to live happily because it couldn’t be with me…

But I for sure did not want to be the witness of that happiness. I did not want to see him choosing another woman and forgetting all about me… This was too much.

“I need to leave this place,” I told Sean and he nodded understandingly.

“I don’t have a castle in Akyria, but I have one in…”, he started saying when I interjected.

“No need. I need to find my own place. Now I know for sure that I need to be as far as possible from the Gerdian Empire and anything and anyone who might be connected to it in any way. If you want to help – help me to run away today.”

“Today?” he looked at me in shock.

“Yes,” I nodded firmly, “This very moment Demir has dates with the contenders for his heart. Maids are supposed to be present there as well. And as you may understand, I cannot go there with the lady I am serving.”

“That… probably wouldn’t be the best of ideas…” he agreed.

“Who knows why he ordered maids to be there,” I continued, “My lady will go one of the last ones. And before she enters without a maid at her side, it’s best for me to run away and hide. With that necklace, it will be easier.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sean agreed, “Go, change and get ready and I’ll get you out. I will go with you until you leave the Akyrian Kingdom and cover you with a barrier if any dragons follow us. The Gerdian Empire has a treaty with Akyria and they can fly here freely. But Demir would never go to the next kingdom – Nestar, they do not have any agreement and if a dragon appears in the sky, it may cause a war.”

“Then this is where I am going,” I said, “And thank you for offering to escort me but I think I’d better manage on my own.”

“Lara, I…” he wanted to say something else when we heard footsteps nearby and looked around.

“Oh, don’t stop on my account!” lady Fiona looked cross, “After all, you’ve just been discussing all your treacherous plans right here in the maids’ hall!”

We both looked to the ground like two mischievous children who were caught red-handed.

“I think you failed to mention some things when you asked me to hide this girl here, Sean! Just what did you get me into?!” the lady hissed, but before we even managed to say something, she pointed to my door, “Inside her room! Now!”

As soon as we all entered, she clicked her fingers and I felt a barrier forming around us. So, lady Fiona was a mage too.

“Thanks,” Sean said, “I was planning to do that myself and…”

“Oh, shut up!” Fiona stomped her foot and for the first time ever I saw her showing those kinds of emotions, “I demand you telling me everything now!”

“No time for that,” the red dragon tried to calm her down, “I just need to take La… Kara our of here. We will not bother you again. And the next time we see each other, I’ll tell you everything.”

“Oh, you think you are so clever, aren’t you?” the lady let out a laugh, “You thought everything through and all… Right?”

None of us said anything. But I felt that something was really off here…

“The Duke, who is not even a real duke, but the god damn emperor of the Gerdian Empire, placed his own barrier over the whole damn castle, Sean!” she shouted, “No one can get out now! No one can get in! We are all stuck here until he finds what he is looking for!”

And with that, she looked at me with fury in her eyes.

“I guess it’s her!” she pointed her finger at me, “Who the hell are you?!”

“She is the woman I love!” Sean suddenly said and I choked on that.

NOW this was a mess!

“What?” Fiona massaged her temples, it all was too much for her and when she stumbled, I caught her and helped her to sit on my bed.

“You know my story with the emperor,” Sean continued in the meantime while I was throwing daggers at him with my eyes, “If he gets my woman, he gets me. That’s why it was so important for me to hide her. I knew that with you she would be safe. But I guess I was wrong…”

“Oh, Sean!” the woman closed her eyes, “You shouldn’t have started this rebellion in the first place! And now this…”

“Fiona,” he knelt before her, “Help us! Only you can.”

“I will lose everything because of you!” a few tears rolled down her cheeks, “You destroyed me!”

I felt a prick of guilt. I didn’t think that Demir would do anything to her. But I could understand the stress she was under.

“It’s… going to be all right,” the words came out of my mouth even though I didn’t believe in them.

Lady Fiona took a deep breath and stood up, straightening her dress.

“It will be, but not thanks to you too!” she scoffed, “I already handled today’s fiasco. Lady Gianna will not go to her date alone, another girl will be with her, covering for you. And that girl will do all the special events with her. I had to tell you that you got sick and can’t serve her. Luckily, the lady of the South hates sick people. But she was not pleased. So, from now on keep away from her. Keep away from everyone! Just sit here until this is over!”

I nodded quietly. There wasn’t anything else to say.

“And I’ll stay with her!” Sean offered, “Until the barrier is gone and…”

My eyes widened at his words. This room was too small for us and the Dark Selection could go on for months!

“No way in chaos!” lady Fiona gritted through her teeth, “I’ll find another hole for you! You are not to see each other! If one of you gets discovered then at least another has a chance!”

“But…” Sean wanted to say something but I stepped in before he had a chance.

“I agree!” I said, “Sorry for the inconvenience, lady Fiona. I’ll be gone as soon as there is a chance…”

“Oh, dear,” Fiona sighed, “I hope there will be a chance like that. Otherwise, we are all doomed.”

“Fine,” the red dragon agreed, “Put the necklace on, Lara.”

“Lara? Was anything you told me true, Sean?!” lady Fiona scolded him.

“The less you know the better,” Sarn chuckled, only making his cousin angrier.

And I put the chain with the pendant over my head. The second it was done, a loud roar emerged from somewhere outside, making walls shutter…