The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

LARA

The b***d inside of me started to boil when I heard those words and the cheering of all the guests. They started raising glasses, shouting, and laughing at the same time.

“To the golden-haired maiden!”

“To the prophecy!”

“To the end of the Dark Dragon Emperor!”

“What was he even thinking of letting her so close?!”

“i***t!”

“Well, better for us!”

My first instinct was to get up and leave, but Gideon placed his hand on top of mine, holding me in place. I looked at him and he shook his head slightly, signaling to me that it wasn’t the time yet. I wanted to ignore him and just do what I felt was best for me, but then my eyes locked with Prim’s. This was the first time she spared me a glance and I knew that she was angry with me. Primrose was the one who knew from the very beginning that me being with Demir was a bad idea. She told it to me, and she told it to him. But we didn’t listen. And that’s what happened. The worst thing about it was that the two of us weren’t the only two people suffering the consequences.

Xander put his glass back on the table with a thump and laughed loudly, pulling Prim closer to himself and breaking our eye contact. Guilt washed over me. It would be selfish to leave her alone here with these monsters.

So, I continued to sit there. For hours. Watching how the red dragons were getting drunk and one by one were leaving the table with the ones they were going to spend the night with. Until finally the usurper stood up, hardly being able to stand on his feet. He took the golden chain that kept Prim on a leash off and handed it to Sean, growling, “Get my bride to her room!”

Sean accepted it and Prim did not look surprised as well. They left the hall together, without saying a word to each other and I realized for the first time that Xander wasn’t forcing himself on her. It was as if a heavy rock was lifted off my chest and for the first time during the evening, I was able to breathe properly relaxing in my chair.

Gideon was talking to other invited Warriors of light in the far corner of the room. I noticed Bria standing close to him and rubbing his arm from time to time, trying to attract his attention. But he seemed too busy. My best friend didn’t even acknowledge me once for the duration of the dinner. However, I wasn’t too upset because of that.

Xander grabbed some girl and was kissing her wildly on his improvised throne. And I decided that it was the best time to escape this parody of a royal dinner.

Quietly, I left the celebration hall, for the last time looking at the flowers, carefully selected for my and Demir’s engagement. All I wanted was to go down to the dungeons and to see him. I wanted to try and help him even though I didn’t have a good plan in my head yet. But the opportunity was too good to waste!

I took off my shoes to not make any noises. Luckily the palace was half empty now and met no one on my way.

But when I was very close, I saw something that I didn’t expect. I froze under one of the magical lamps, not knowing what to do. Right in front of my eyes, Fabian was… making love to some girl.

All right, making love wasn’t even the right word for it. He was mercilessly taking her in the middle of a dark passage, pounding with all his might from her back while muffling her screams with his hand. For a second there I even thought that he was taking her by force but then I saw her sucking off his fingers. The whole scene made me cringe and I wanted to run away. But it was the only way to the dungeons that I knew of. I wasn’t even sure that it was the right way. But other than that, I had no idea where to go.

Judging by how busy they both were, they probably wouldn’t even notice me.

Right when I thought about it, my eyes met with Fabian’s. He kept going while staring at me with eyes half-closed and a smirk formed on his face.

And that’s when I knew that I wouldn’t run. I wouldn’t let myself be intimidated anymore. So, clenching my fists, I continued my way past the two of them. I’ve managed to make just a few steps when I heard his loud g***n, probably meaning that he was finished.

I sped up just a bit but soon heard steps behind my back.

“Did you like the show?” Fabian grabbed my arm and turned me to look at him.

“I don’t want to disappoint you, but I’ve seen better,” I shot my brow up, “Take your hands off me. Considering where they’ve been just a few seconds ago… Eww.”

He released me, studying my face.

“You’ve changed, Lara…”

Xonder grobbed some girl ond wos kissing her wildly on his improvised throne. And I decided thot it wos the best time to escope this porody of o royol dinner.

Quietly, I left the celebrotion holl, for the lost time looking ot the flowers, corefully selected for my ond Demir’s engogement. All I wonted wos to go down to the dungeons ond to see him. I wonted to try ond help him even though I didn’t hove o good plon in my heod yet. But the opportunity wos too good to woste!

I took off my shoes to not moke ony noises. Luckily the poloce wos holf empty now ond met no one on my woy.

But when I wos very close, I sow something thot I didn’t expect. I froze under one of the mogicol lomps, not knowing whot to do. Right in front of my eyes, Fobion wos… moking love to some girl.

All right, moking love wosn’t even the right word for it. He wos mercilessly toking her in the middle of o dork possoge, pounding with oll his might from her bock while muffling her screoms with his hond. For o second there I even thought thot he wos toking her by force but then I sow her sucking off his fingers. The whole scene mode me cringe ond I wonted to run owoy. But it wos the only woy to the dungeons thot I knew of. I wosn’t even sure thot it wos the right woy. But other thon thot, I hod no ideo where to go.

Judging by how busy they both were, they probobly wouldn’t even notice me.

Right when I thought obout it, my eyes met with Fobion’s. He kept going while storing ot me with eyes holf-closed ond o smirk formed on his foce.

And thot’s when I knew thot I wouldn’t run. I wouldn’t let myself be intimidoted onymore. So, clenching my fists, I continued my woy post the two of them. I’ve monoged to moke just o few steps when I heord his loud groon, probobly meoning thot he wos finished.

I sped up just o bit but soon heord steps behind my bock.

“Did you like the show?” Fobion grobbed my orm ond turned me to look ot him.

“I don’t wont to disoppoint you, but I’ve seen better,” I shot my brow up, “Toke your honds off me. Considering where they’ve been just o few seconds ogo… Eww.”

He releosed me, studying my foce.

“You’ve chonged, Loro…”

“And you are one of those who helped me with that, Fabian. Betrayal does that to people,” I sneered and at the same time his smirk faded.

“I wasn’t thrilled about that either, you know,” he rubbed his neck, “We didn’t have a choice.”

“We always have a choice,” I lifted up my chin.

“Everything changed at the White Archipelago,” he sighed, “When you go back there, you would hardly recognize the place.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that your bro… your fiancé,” he scowled pronouncing the word, “is even worse than my father. And that says a lot!”

“How so?”

“My father was…scheming and selfish. He liked power and probably wasn’t the best leader to the people of Light. But Gideon… He… He is mad. He… purged the Citadel of Light, Lara… He called that ‘cleaning the house’. It would probably be better to call it the Red Citadel now.”

“That bad?” I gasped.

“It was terrible,” Fabian’s face became grim, “I myself hardly survived. In fact, I was one of the first he wanted to kill after my father. I was just lucky that I am the commander of the first squadron. And I also gave him a magical oath that I will never even think of marrying you or being in any kind of relationship with you.”

“Can’t say that it came as a shock to me,” I rolled my eyes, “This whole proposal of yours reeked of your father’s politics. At least now I know why…”

“I didn’t know,” he interrupted me and I looked at him in surprise. He looked away but continued, “I don’t know who you were. What…you were. My father didn’t tell me. He just said that it might be good for the family and I was happy to agree since… Since I always liked you.”

“Yet you survived without me just fine!” I let out a little snort, waving at the passage where just a few minutes ago he was enjoying his time with another girl.

“Survival is what I do best,” Fabian admitted, “I just… I just wanted you to know.”

“Why?” I asked nonchalantly.

“Because, if there is anyone capable of stopping your… Gideon… and saving our people – it’s you, the Lady of Seraphim.”