The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

LARA

They all looked at me in silence and I knew that it wasn’t even my place to ask. Everything was as clear as day. Yet I couldn’t leave it like that either.

“Is my brother one of the prisoners?” the words came out dry, my voice croaked. And the pity in everybody’s eyes only made it worse.

“Yes, Lara,” Demir replied. We agreed not to lie to each other after all.

“Is he…wounded?” was my second question.

“Yes,” my fiancé stepped closer and stretched his hand to me to cup my chin, “I am sorry, Lara. It was… really bad there.”

“How bad?” I felt cold sweat trickling down my spine.

“Really bad,” this time Ryker took his turn to speak, and I noticed that he was covered in splatters of b***d. Prim got out a white silk handkerchief and started to carefully wipe his face to his big surprise. In the meantime, my eyes traveled to Demir. His clothes were dirty too but I did not find traces of other people’s b***d on him or any kind of wounds. He looked at me with guilt in his eyes and my heart sunk.

“They…” Ryker started speaking as soon as the princess was done, “It was as if they wanted to die. They were throwing themselves at us, even when we had to turn into dragon forms. We had to take prisoners simply to make sure they stay alive. And to end all this…”

“Nonsense,” I finished for him, “All this… It doesn’t sound right. Our people don’t do that!”

“They didn’t look like people anymore, Lara,” Demir sighed, “Their eyes… something was wrong with them.”

“I need to see them!” I clenched my fists. It felt like it wasn’t happening to me. Never had I ever thought that I would listen to such stories about Warriors of Light.

“No,” Demir said firmly and I looked at him in shock.

“What do you mean, no?” I furrowed my brows. I thought we were past all this already.

“Trust me, Lara, you don’t need to see this,” he stood firmly, avoiding my gaze.

“Demir!” I gasped, “You can’t be serious! They are my people! Gideon is my brother! However bad things are, I have a right to at least see them!”

“No, Lara!” he sighed heavily and held his ground, “Something smells bad there and none of them is getting even a glimpse of you. Because something tells me that this is exactly what they want!”

“Why would they…”, I started but then bit my tongue under the emperor’s heavy glare. We agreed not to share our theories about seraphim for now and I was sure that he didn’t share those with Ryker or Prim.

But it could be that.

“I need to deal with a few more things tonight,” Demir told me and I nodded, “I’ll take you to your room. Wait for me there. All right?”

“Of course,” I smiled sadly. The last thing I wanted was to be in his way after what he had to do today.

Dark flames surrounded me and I found myself in my chambers. Lisa and Sandra were already there, their faces pale.

“We are so sorry, my lady,” they both curtsied quickly.

“What a shame that your Introduction banquette was canceled,” Sandra didn’t look sorry at all. As always.

“It’s fine,” I replied coldly, “Just help me change into something more comfortable.”

They got to work. While Lisa was undoing the many tiny buttons on my back, Sandra brought a few dresses for me to choose from. I approved the first one as I didn’t even care that much anymore.

My thoughts were elsewhere.

There was no denial that Gideon loved me. I spent too many years with him to doubt that. But for him, I was never his sibling. Now that I thought about it, while I kept referring to him as my brother, he never called me sister. He always used my name or nicknames, detesting calling me his sister from early on. I just never thought much of it. It didn’t matter… He treasured me and kept me away from everyone. And I used to think that it was for my protection since he was always telling me that people of the White Archipelago would never accept me. But what if there was a different reason for all that?

After our recent conversation, I had this lingering feeling inside of me that he wasn’t truthful.

“You stopped asking those questions a long time ago,” he told me with regret in his voice.

And seraphim… When I mentioned them, I could swear he knew something. More than he was willing to share back then.

Question after question were popping in my head and I just knew that I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

It was late at night and I tried to distract myself with a book, which seemed useless at this point. Demir still didn’t come and the things that I was imagining were making it worse.

And no matter how hard I tried to deny it, I still kept thinking about Gideon too. You can’t throw away someone from your heart in an instant. I didn’t know him the way I thought I did, but I still loved him. And the thought of him alone in that prison was making me suffer too.

I stood up and put a shawl on as it was chilly tonight. Not wasting time, I got into my wardrobe room and took one of the diamond brooches that I owned.

“Sandra!” I called the girl and she appeared out of the dark smoke.

“My lady,” she bowed lazily, only making me smirk. She was perfect for what I needed. I liked Lisa more, but she was the perfect maid, the one who would always follow the rules. And I was about to break some.

That’s where Sandra came in. She did not care as long as it benefited her.

“I want to award you for all your hard work,” I smiled and showed her the shining jewellery piece in my fingers. Her eyes started sparkling more than the diamonds and I chuckled lightly.

“That will be very generous, my lady!” now she was doing a deep curtsy with more enthusiasm than ever.

“True,” I took the trinket away and the girl in front of me almost lost her balance, “But maybe you can do something else for me and earn it?”

For a few seconds, she stared at me, clearly thinking about her next move. Luckily, she made her decision fast and bowed to me, “Anything for my future empress!”

“That’s the spirit,” I crossed my hands on my chest, “Tell me, Sandra, do you know where the palace dungeons are? Where do they keep the new prisoners?”

She looked at me from under her brows and I already thought that she would back down. Yet she just nodded, “I can show.”

“Wonderful!” I exhaled loudly, “Lead the way then!”

I prepared for a walk when she came closer and touched my shoulder, surrounding us with the black smoke.

A few moments – and we stepped out in the dark room with a long narrow stone staircase.

“The guards are standing at both entrances,” Sandra informed me, “So, you will need to come back here when you are done. I’ll take you back.”

She looked eagerly at the pocket where I had a brooch and I handed it to her. And then got out a sapphire ring as well. The girl’s eyes got wider and I grinned at her, “Wait for me and I’ll give you that as well.”

Now the obstinate maid was ready to eat from my hand as she nodded vigorously, “I will not fail you, my lady!”

Of course, she wouldn’t! No one was this crazy.

She showed me where to go and in no time I was in a long corridor with numerous cages. Most of them were empty, but in some of them, I noticed familiar features. The white and silver uniform that was now dirty, the wings that were broken and bloodied… But most importantly, the burn marks everywhere. They didn’t even resemble the warriors of Light anymore and I felt a lump forming in my throat.

And then I saw him… A bloody mess with feathers scattered around the floor of his cell. His golden eyes opened as soon as I came close.

“Hello, Lara,” Gideon smiled weakly…