The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

The day of the Golden Jubilee ball approached too fast. The golden dress fits me like a glove and my hair is in an intricate hairdo with some of it up, braids creating a beautiful pattern, while the rest is flowing down my bare back in perfect curls.

Rien walks into my changing room and all the maids disappear the moment they see him. I wonder what he was doing to servants before I arrived here because they are all clearly terrified of him. But that’s a thought for another time because as soon as I catch his reflection in the mirror, I see how great he looks today in a beautiful black coat with golden embroidery and a dark cloak draped over one shoulder with the same golden patterns on the edging – all symbols of the gerdian royal family, which Rien’s ducal house is allowed to wear on special occasions.

“You look magnificent”, he smiles at me and all I want now is to stay home and get to our bedroom with him. I feel like I am the luckiest girl alive to have such a man love with me with all his heart!

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” I chuckle as he puts his hands on my shoulders.

“I have something for you”, he says and I look surprised as he doesn’t seem to have anything with him. But in the next moment, dark flames appear around my neck and a gorgeous necklace with smoky diamonds emerges from them.

“Rien!” I touch it, feeling how warm the metal got from the flames, which surprisingly never burn me, and then squeeze his hand that is still on my shoulder, “This is so beautiful! It’s just perfect!”

“Only the best for my bride,” he lifts up my hand and bends down to k**s it, sending tingles all over my body. Honestly, ever since we started to live together this effect is getting more and more powerful!

“Perks of being the bride of the Dark Dragon!” I giggle and he suddenly grabs my chin and turns me to face him, covering my lips with his.

“You drive me crazy!” he mutters, “In the best and in the worst ways, Mira.”

“Same here,” I mumble, kissing him back, but very soon come to my senses, “Rien, we need to stop! Rien… Rien!”

“I don’t think I can”, he says somewhere around my neck.

“I don’t think I can”, he says somewhere around my neck.

“We can’t miss the Jubilee!” I remind you, “And if we don’t stop now, we will not be able to stop later!”

“s**t!” he mutters, pulling away, and then adds some swearing that is unknown to me. Probably something gerdian. “You are right, Mira,” he says, “I am sorry…”

“No need to apologize,” I bite my l*p, “If it wasn’t important to attend this ball, I would have never even tried to stop you!”

His eyes spark with dark magic and I know what it means and hurry to fix the situation, “But we absolutely must go, Rien!”

“Yes, yes, you are right,” he grits through his teeth as he closes his eyes and takes his dragon under control.

I quickly fix my make-up. The lipstick got destroyed over our little encounter. And when I turn back, Derrien is already back to his usual and smiling.

“My lady,” he bows and offers his hand.

“My lord,” I curtsy and accept it.

And the moment I do he transports us both to the palace.

It is exactly as I have imagined it – dark marble everywhere, columns and heavy golden decorations everywhere. Portraits of royals in dark clothes, heavy golden curtains that also somehow look dark and louringly. The whole atmosphere here is heavy, I feel like I breathe dark magic in here instead of normal air.

“Are you alright?” Rien brushes his hand over my cheek as we stand in front of the main staircase. Other couples and even whole families appear out of dark smoke here and there. All bow to Rien as they notice him and he just waves, dismissing them all, eyes on me only at all times.

“I am fine,” I smile, gathering myself, “It’s just…It is so different here from your castle. I have to say I definitely like the castle more!”

“Me too,” he chuckles, “Let’s go, Mira. Time for a show.”

He offers me his hand again and I accept it, holding my back straight and head high. We walk together up the stairs and into the main ballroom, which is apparently also the throne room here. Two thrones are standing there – one bigger at the front and one smaller slightly behind. Dargen is sitting in the smaller one and looking bored to death. But as soon as he notices us his eyes light up and an ugly smirk spreads over his perfect face. And I wonder for one-hundredth time how can someone be so beautiful and so disgusting at the same time?!

“Don’t look at him,” Rien says quietly, “The less he notices you, the better.”

“Oh, dear,” I snort, “He was waiting for us and is definitely up to something. I doubt that we can avoid him.”

“And yet we have to stay here at least for a few hours and we longer we don’t intersect with him, the better,” my fiancé smiles.

We make a circle around the ballroom and I notice that Morgan is here with Brandon, and so is Isidore, surrounded by three young gerdians and flirting all the way. Desirae is nowhere to be found though. But I notice two other girls from the Selection with gerdians that also seem familiar.

When the music starts, Rien leads me to the dancefloor at once, taking a place in the very centre.

“It’s one of your favourites,” he smiles, speaking about the dance.

“How on heavens did you know?” I raise my brow, “I never told you!”

“It’s my job to know these things,” he chuckles and starts leading me, “And this Dan Sa’Rotte, we always dance this one together. Haven’t you noticed?”

He makes me arch my back, giving me all support that I need, and then starts circling around the ballroom with me in his hands at ease.

“Of course I have”, I whisper, “That’s why it became my favourite!”

We dance and we dance as if there is no one else in this world. And at the final accord, Derrien pulls me towards him, leaning in for a k**s…

Then suddenly fanfares sound throughout the hall, making people whisper and bow at once.

“Lords and Ladies of the Gerdian Empire, greet his majesty the Emperor of Gerdian Empire Ghardin the First!”

Oh, my…