The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

LARA

I looked at him, feeling how hate, agony, fury, and desperation boil inside of me, wanting to get out.

A slap echoed through the dark room and the fireball disappeared.

Sean created a new one and sent it to the ceiling this time. And I slapped him again. Then again and again, until he caught my arm and pushed me against the wall.

“I think you made your point loud and clear!” he rolled his eyes, “Are you done?!”

“I am not even close!” I tried to hit him where it hurt the most but he caught my knee as well, lifting it up too high for me to be able to use it against him again.

“Let go off me!” I screeched but instead, he only pressed himself tighter into me, looking me straight in the eye.

“Are. You. Done?!” he repeated himself and I struggled against him some more, only realising how useless it was. I was considering hitting him with my forehead but in that case, I would probably be the one unconscious after.

He didn’t stop looking at me and I felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze.

“Yes!” I spat and turned away.

Slowly, very slowly he released me.

“We need to talk,” he sighed and a chuckle escaped me.

“What makes you think that I will want to talk to you ever again after everything that you have done?!” I hugged myself, looking for a way out. So far it seemed that this room did not have a door. But we managed to get inside somehow so it meant that there definitely was an exit here somewhere.

“I explained to you before,” Sean run his hand over his face, “This is war. I am doing what I can for my people.”

“Well, you won,” I snorted, “Congratulations! Are you happy now?! Is everything exactly as you imagined it?”

“You know very well it’s not,” he admitted, “All I wanted was for my people to be heard and respected.”

“Have you seen your leader?” I gave him an eye roll, “What did you expect when a lunatic like him comes to power?!”

“He is more pragmatic than you think…”

“Well, then there is no problem. Is it there?” I was touching brick after brick on the wall, looking for the one that would open the secret passage for me. “Just let me out of here. We don’t have anything to talk about.”

“Lara,” his warm hands laced around my shoulders and he turned me around so that we were looking at each other again. “I can’t help Prim or Demir… It’s true… But I can help you.”

“And how would you do that exactly?” I raised my brow, “Most importantly why would you do that? Haven’t you heard? My life is amazing! The man I love is being tortured! I am soon to be married to my brother! The people who I grew up with now drink my b***d! Everything is just wonderful!”

“Lara…” He stretched his hand and brushed his palm over my cheek, “If you… don’t want to go back to the White Archipelago, I can help you with that. You can stay here… With me…”

My eyes grew wide but he continued, “I am Xander’s right hand, he would not refuse me such a little request. He already got what he wanted from your brother and doesn’t need him anymore. He is awful when it comes to many things, but he keeps his word. He promised me a reward…”

“And you plan to ask me as your reward?!” I almost choked on the words.

“Only if you accept…”

“Never!” I gasped, “I will never…”

“Lara!” he interrupted, “We don’t have time for all this! I know very well how you feel. What I am offering to you is… freedom of sorts. Stay here with me and you will have my full protection. I will not touch you. If you don’t want me, I’ll live with it. But you don’t have to go back there. You don’t have to marry Gideon…”

I looked at him with my lips parted. He seemed sincere. But the more he talked, the more furious I got.

“Do you even hear yourself?!” I chuckled darkly, “You are offering me to exchange one cage for another! That’s just that!”

“You will be free to do whatever you want, I will treat you well. With time, it will get easier… And I’ll… If you want… I can even give you your wings back…”

“I knew it was you!” I hissed, “You stole my wings and now you offer me them back if I agree to stay with you in return?! How noble! Now that I think about it, I am not surprised that you serve someone like Xander!”

He looked down and clenched his fists.

“Just think about it, Lara. This is the best I can do for you.”

“Oh, no,” I shook my head, “You can do so much better than that! You just won a war with your scheming, going through this castle as you pleased. One thing is for sure – you are capable to do more than you are offering here. And that’s why I am going to decline such an ungenerous offer!”

He didn’t say anything to that and I leaned over the nearby wall, tired. Sean came closer and pressed on one of the bricks right next to my head. The wall moved, creating a very narrow passage.

“The offer still stands,” he said dryly and motioned for me to leave first.

“If you really want to help,” I threw one last gaze at him before walking out, “Help me see him.”

~ * ~

Thanks to that little encounter I was late for the feast and when I entered the spacious hall where everyone was already eating and drinking, Gideon ran up to me.

“Where have you been?!” he looked mad but I just shrugged my shoulders.

“It’s that time of the month,” I met his gaze and held it. I knew very well that the noble lord and Warrior of Light could never talk about things like that. And I wasn’t wrong, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and took me by my waist, leading me to our places.

There were no surprises and we sat next to Xander and Prim, while Sean was opposite of me and Fabian was on my left. I didn’t say a word to anyone for the duration of the dinner. Not that anyone tried to speak to me. Moreover, all of them, with the exception of the self-proclaimed emperor, did not look at me.

It was noisy. Red dragons were no gerdians. Manners meant nothing to them and they drunk way too much. It did not resemble a dinner at a royal palace at all. But when Xander stood up with a glass in his hand and raised it, everyone got quiet.

“We already drank a lot today to our victory,” he said, “But we forgot to thank the one person without whom this victory would be impossible!”

I had a bad feeling about it but then he looked directly at me and smirked, “The golden-haired maiden who fulfilled the prophecy and became the end of the ruthless emperor! Without her help and sacrifice, we would be here today!”