The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

MIRA

He doesn’t tell me, but I know it. Everything depends on what will happen at the Emperor’s Jubilee Celebration… This is a test for me and if I fail it, Derrien will be the one suffering the consequences. Well, and me too.

Dargen will be against us whatever happens. And only gods know what’s inside the Emperor’s head.

I grit my teeth thinking that it was Tristan who put me into this position, making me a symbol of this damn war. I could have been just another pretty Akyrian wife here, happily married to the archduke and leading a peaceful existence with the man I love. But it’s just not happening for me…

War… This war is…complicated. I can guess that the Emperor would want to use me in some way for his own propaganda… That’s why he wants to see me so urgently in his palace. And on the one hand, it would be easier for me to just go with the flow and do whatever he requires from me. But then again… my homeland is the Akyrian Kingdom. And this is where my family is. Speaking of which, Derrien helped me to connect with Dereck and he says that my parents and brother are now guests in his house. Tristan wouldn’t be able to reach them at the marquis’s estate… But for how long?

Just what do I do with all that mess?

“Everything is going to be alright,” Rien brushes his hand over my cheek as we both sit on a comfortable sofa right next in front of the fireplace. I watch the dance of flames with my head relaxed against his chest as he reads a book and plays with my hair.

“I don’t know,” I sigh heavily and he puts his book away, “It’s all so…”

“Mira,” is fingers sup my chin and he makes me look at him, “I told you I will take care of everything. I’ll find a way…”

“Rien, however much I think about it, the only way for us both to be truly happy is for that war to stop,” I say looking right into his eyes. His expression is tense but I know he understands.

“It will stop sooner or later,” he says.

“Oh really?” I chuckle, “Would that be before or after you meet my brother, my friends, my classmates on the battlefield?”

“I can get them out and…”

“They wouldn’t go,” I say quickly, because I know it’s true, “They would all fight for our country until their last breath… And that’s what scares me the most…”

He pulls me in for a hug and k****s the top of my head, “We’ll figure something out… One step at a time…”

A week flies fast and now I have just a few days to get ready for the Celebration at the palace. My maids helped me to prepare the most beautiful gown and jewellery for me. Since it’s the golden jubilee, I chose gold as the main colour. And I can tell for sure that this is the most expensive gown I have ever owned. But at the moment it seems appropriate as I am now the archduke’s fiancée. I can’t fail him and need to make sure that he isn’t embarrassed for me and everything corresponds to his high status. Rien promised that he would find someone who can help me with the etiquette and other rules of the gerdian palace. But the event is so close and he hadn’t brought anyone yet. He must have forgotten so I read a book on all that, which I have found in the library. It’s a bit boring like any other etiquette book. But at the same time, it is very useful.

I sit on the sofa in my reception room when Derrien walks in through the main door, startling me as he actually usually just transports himself here with the help of his dark flames. He looks me up and down, smiling.

“Did something happen?” I raise my brow.

“I have a surprise for you,” his smile is getting broader. For a man who used to be emotionless all the time he sure started to smile more often now!

“What is it?” I raise, anticipation is killing me as I bite my l*p.

He opens the door and in come Morgan, Isidore and Desirae.

“Oh, my gods!” I run up to them, aiming to hug Morgan, but somehow Isidore intercepts me and hugs me much tighter than you would expect from a delicate girl like her.

“Welcome to the Empire, Mira!” she chuckles happily.

“Finally!” Morgan gets me out of her hands and also embraces me warmly. Desirae is next. They all look so different now even though it has been just about a month since I saw them last. They all wear dresses in the latest gerdian fashion now and somehow look more sophisticated.

“Thank gods!” I say, wiping a tear in my eyes, “You are all alive! But how?!”

“Gerdians were saving the ones they could,” Morgan replies, touching the bracelet on her wrist, “Brandon got me out first.”

“I see,” I smile.

“And my fiancé, Dairon De Guise saved me,” Desirae blushes, demonstrating her bracelet, and I take a mental note that this is not the same guy who was courting her at the Selection.

“And your fiancé saved me,” Isidore smiles, looking at Derrien for just a second, “He said that you would never forgive him if he left me there.”

I turn to look at my Rien once again and he winks at me.

“Thank you,” I whisper to him and he k****s the top of my head.

“Have time, you only have about an hour today,” he says and as soon as he is done, dark flames cover his body and he disappears. That’s more like it!

“Come in! Come in!” I gesture my friends to the sofas and call the maids, ordering them to bring us beverages and some snacks, “Tell me everything!”

They tell me everything. They tell me how terrible the explosion has been and how the whole castle was on fire. But luckily gerdians started to appear here and there, grabbing girls and transporting them to a remote castle in the Empire. Well, all except for Morgan and Isidore. Brandan took Morgan to his castle. And Rien brought Isidore to him, asking to take care of her. Then he left to look for me again. Even though he knew already that I was not in the castle.

The other girls were held in that new place for a few days, before they all were invited to the palace. It was announced to them that the Selection continues but some of the rules will change. Most girls were engaged within the first week. All very happy with it.

Isidore’s innocence has been confirmed by Rien and Brandon later when they told and proved to the emperor that Sideria has been used on her. And that’s when the first announcement from Tristan started to circulate in the kingdom. The beautiful story about him rescuing the woman he loves – me – from the hands of evil monsters… Gerdians were not happy about that. Some were even saying that I was one of the spies back at the Selection. But Rien put the rumour down saying that he personally checked me and that I am as much a victim as the girls who died at the Selection.

Isidore, however, is not one of the girls who is engaged.

“Yeah, I decided to take my time to choose,” she snorts while taking a sip of tea.

“I am sorry, what?” my jaw drops to the floor, “Choose?”

“Yes, the emperor now granted us with the ability to choose if we agree or not to marry,” she grins, “We were as surprised as you are. Of course, most agreed to just their first proposal. But not me. I am taking my time. You have no idea how valuable we are here! I have four active suitors and around five who admire me from the distance! This is the most fun I have had in my life!”

“ I can’t believe they decided to bend their own rules!” I gasp, “So not like them!”

“I guess they are now trying to prove that they weren’t cruel to us in the first place”, Morgan giggles.

“And how is life with Brandon Sevill?” I ask her, “Are you…”

“In love”, she finishes my sentence and blushes again, “We are very much in love. You are invited to our wedding, by the way.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” I smile when a knock on the door disturbs us. “Who is it?”, I shout.

“I am sorry, my dear, but your time to have fun is up for today”, Derrien walks in, “Time to learn now.”

“But aren’t they here to help me with the etiquette and stuff?” I look at him in surprise.

“As if they could!” a familiar voice behind his back makes me jump up to my feet.

Noooo, it can’t be! Out of all the people, I do not expect to see her here!