The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

DARGEN

Everything is wrong today! I don’t even get what is going on anymore!

First, it turns out that those akyrians already mastered the dark magic! And according to our predictions, it wasn’t supposed to happen so fast! We were supposed to have another few weeks at least! Only now I realize that we should have attacked sooner. All this waiting was a big mistake!

And the only one to blame here is Derwood! If he hasn’t hidden the seal with which one can control his army, I would have invaded the Akyrian Kingdom weeks ago! That traitor! For the first time in our lives, I was the winner and he just couldn’t get over it! I’ve been waiting for it for years! In his shadow!

For as long as I can remember everyone was comparing me to him! Derrien! Rien! Rien, Rien, Rien! My father, my uncle, all the lords and ladies… even servants! They all have been comparing me to him! And I was not the winner in that situation! Not as fast, not as strong, not as clever… But one thing was definitely my virtue! Patience! Yes, I knew how to wait! And I waited! For my time! For the opportunity! I waited and I got rewarded!

Derrien became too unpredictable. And our uncle hates unpredictable! He wants loyalty. 100%! And since my cousin fell in love, he couldn’t give him that! What ironic about it that even here he had to choose the only girl who I was interested in! And yet it was my win all the way! He chose love over loyalty and lost all his favour with the Emperor! And my time has come! My!

And yet he couldn’t just accept and get over it! He couldn’t serve me, he couldn’t surrender Mira to me even though now I had the upper hand in claiming her! In claiming whatever I wanted!

Dark gods! Why doesn’t this bastard Brandon Sevill attack when we need him the most?! What the chaos is he waiting for?

I should have never trusted him. But I was pretty sure that he betrayed Derwood. I should have kidnapped that fiancée of his to make sure that things go smoothly today. It was very unlucky that my cousin’s army was ready to follow only his lead without the seal. But I thought that it could still work… Did he just betray me?!

If so then I am going to destroy him, his house, his girl! He is going to pay for his stupid loyalty to the wrong person!

The dark dragon appears out of nowhere! And I would recognize him everywhere!

This time, however, the akyrians surprised me! They attacked him again and again and for the first time ever I found myself cheering for the enemy! I just hate Derrien more! I would have helped them but he was far out of my reach!

And that’s when I notice something else!

Dragons! So many of them! When did this happen? How?! No, this cannot be happening for real!

Derrien Derwood In the flesh is standing before me with, shifting in seconds, an ugly smirk on his ugly face! Dragons are circling above our heads. No one would be stupid enough to attack him now. I know far too well what one dragon can do. I’ve seen him in action with my own eyes too many times to think that we could stand a chance against a bunch of them. And judging by his smug face, he knows that too. But it cannot end like this! I work too hard! I waited for too long!

“Long time no see!” Derrien says, “Missed me?”

“Not really,” I spit, “What is all this?! Explain yourself!”

“Are you blind, cousin?” he chuckles, “What does it look like?”

“Are you interfering with our war?” I hear the new King of the Akyrian Kingdom say, he is suddenly close to both of us. So bold! He never spoke with so much challenge in his voice when we were back at the Selection. And now when he has his dark magic, he thinks that he is our equal. The nerve of him!

“You bet I am interfering with this damn war! I am not letting you two destroy both, the Empire and the Kingdom!” Derwood says arrogantly, “I am putting an end to this.”

“By enslaving both nations with the help of your Dragons? Akyrians would rather die than surrender!” the King snorts and I have to admit that I am starting to grow on the guy.

“The same for gerdians!” I cross my hands on my chest.

He didn’t think that we would give up easily, did he? I’d rather destroy everyone and everything than pass it to him!

“Are you sure you don’t want to ask your armies if they are ready to fight against dragons?” the a*****e smirks, “They don’t seem so sure!”

I throw a quick look around and have to admit that soldiers look like they are about to run for the hills. For chaos’s sake! Luckily, at least my people are sworn by b***d to me! They will have to fight if I tell them to!

A dark shadow quickly moves over the ground and I look up into the sky to see two huge golden dragons flying over their heads. One of them lands close to us – people running away from it quickly. And only now I see that there is someone on the dragon’s back. Everything inside me rises up when I realize who this person is! Mira!

Her slender figure in golden armour jumps down with ease. She looks better than ever and the picture of me stripping her in my bed appears before my eyes again. I have to admit, the victory wouldn’t be full without her by my side!

She is a symbol! Of everything! The three most powerful men here want her for themselves. And only the winner would have it all – both countries, the crown and… her! It was clear from the very beginning that she is the kind of woman fit to be a queen! And I can only imagine what kind of fire creature she would be in bed… Yes, we all know that whoever wins today, would take her home with him and make her his. And I so wish that it would be me. But the problem here is the dragons! No one would be able to stand against them!

“I want to be fair,” Derwood says, and I am suddenly all ears. Gods, please, tell me that he is going to be stupidly noble again! Please!

“What are you proposing then?” I raise my brow and notice how the face of the King of Akyria changed as well at our words. The bastard probably sees hope too.

“I offer you a combat of three kings!” Rien smirks, “The winner takes it all.”

“And can we just trust that your dragons will fly away if you lose?” I hear Tristan, I think that’s his name, say with doubt.

“No,” Mira comes forward and says, “The dragons want to stay. And they will be ready to negotiate the conditions for that with the new king. Whoever it would be! But if you refuse, we would have no choice but fight!”

“And you?” the Akyrian Kings tries to come close to her, but Derrien blocks him, “What will you do? Will you marry the winner?”

“I am already married! And there will be no other man in my life!” she raises her hand and demonstrates to us the marriage bracelet that has gotten darker now that the ceremony has been held! Damn it! Now killing Derrien is the only way to get her!

“You… You married him?” the Sapphire boy just cannot believe in her words. And what did he think? That a gerdian would lose his time with the woman he wants?! Speak about naïve…

“Yes,” she says, “And we are also expecting our first child!”

Chaos! That also wasn’t supposed to happen so fast! I thought I still have time to find her before they… Doesn’t matter! One potion and the baby inside her womb will be gone! She would suffer a bit but in the end, it was always going to be a breaking game with her. Mira is a tough nut, I haven’t met a woman with inner strength matching hers but I am sure that in the end, even she is going to break.

I thought so many times of ways I could punish her… for not wanting me, for defying me, for her last little trick on me with this damn Sideria! And now I think I have a perfect punishment in my hands! Yes, that would help me to break her faster!

“And you are going to risk everything just like that?” I hear Tristan speaking. He doesn’t get it, does he?

“I am not risking anything,” Derwood smirks and comes to Mira, to give her a k**s on the temple. He just parades to us that he has already won. And then he turns back to us and asks firmly, “So are you ready to agree to my conditions? The last one standing will become the new ruler of both nations!”

The Akyrian and I look quickly at each other… And I know a scheme when I see one. His eyes are full of hatred. And he hates the same person that I hate. A plan is born without the two of us saying a word to each other. We two against him. This is our best chance!

And after we kill Derwood together, I’ll destroy that Sapphire boy as well… Good. Everything still can turn out good for me.

A few dragons shift next to Mira and I see a pretty woman and a very tall guy standing by her side. They both wear golden armour like hers. Too shiny to my taste. But who cares…

Meanwhile, everybody around us moves, creating a big circle for our battle. Derrien raises his hand and creates a barrier dome around us. From now on we are trapped! I know his barriers far too well! Now I will be able to get out only if he is dead or kind enough to let me go willingly. And I wouldn’t count for the latter too much!

The three of us get our swords out, we walk in a circle watching each other’s every move. That smirk on his face… I want to wipe it out! And I will!

He steps into the middle of the battlefield first, I think he knows our plan, he knows that he is our main target. He has never been stupid, I have to give him that. Although, this combat now seems like such a silly idea … If I had the Dragons under my rule, I would have already killed my competition and crowned myself King. Luckily, Derrien likes his victories clean. Hence giving me and the Sapphire boy a chance of survival.

We circle around him, blades ready for attack, shields of dark magic created on our left hands. And Derwood is cocky! He doesn’t even make himself a shield! He probably doesn’t take this too seriously. And that makes me even angrier! I want to kill him so much! I need to kill him!

The Akyrian King Attacks first, Derrien dodges easily. I don’t waste my time too and our swords clink meeting each other for the first time in a while. I tried to hold him in place, giving Tristan time and opportunity to attack him properly. He charges at him, but a wave of dark magic throws him back. Chaos! I disappear in the cloud of dark smoke and reappear behind his back, trying to stab him hard. The Sapphire boy is back in no time as well, yet Derrien blocks both of us making it look effortless. He is mocking us! He is just playing here!

The hatred in my heart boils and burns! Kill him! Kill!

Another attack on him and one more, again, and again! Tristan and I are almost cornering him to the wall of the barrier! Get that you selfish arrogant prick!

Slash! I feel b***d dripping down my leg! It makes me kneel as I think was his plan all along. The pain is piercing but I transport and this time jump on him from the air, aiming at his skull. And yet he dodges again with ease, slashing my arm this time!

I catch my breath and watch the king of Akyria fighting him off. He is not that bad! And he sends waves of dark magic every other second, making it hard for Derrien to get close to him. Where does he get all that power from? Women that get married to gerdians need at least a year to get this powerful! Does this boy know something that we don’t? Even Derwood seems startled at his power!

Now or never! I attack him as well, finally able to make a small cut. It may be small but it will be the first of many!

Meanwhile, Tristan advances on him inevitably, crazy fire in his eyes, finally able to s***h his side.

A scream echoes across the battlefield, “Rien!”

It’s her…

The king looks at her as if she has betrayed him. And luckily for me, it only fuels his rage!

“You are never going to get her!” he roars, wielding his weapon, “She is mine!”

A wave of dark magic big enough to destroy a castle knocks us both off our feet! He shouldn’t have said that!

A sound of something breaking emerges and looking at Tristan, he is holding a broken stone in his hand… One of the many sapphires mounted into his armour… He doesn’t look too happy about that either. Was it his favourite stone or something?

“Chaos with it!” he shouts, charging again, “I don’t need an amplifier to deal with you!”

Ah! Amplifier… didn’t think it was possible to use those this way!

Derwood’s sword cuts through his flesh like a knife through butter! I see the blade that got into his stomach poking out of his back… The Sapphire King of Akyria falls to his knees, b***d gushing from his wounds. Rien Steps aside and the whole battlefield is quiet. We all know that the guy is dead… Not surprisingly, he looks in the direction of Mira. There is so much in his eyes… I think he really loved her. She looks at him … with pity… I don’t want her to look at me like that! Ever!

I don’t waste my chance and attack while all the attention is on the dying King. . I feel how his sword goes through me in less than a second. Weird feeling. The pain comes much later than it actually happened.

I fall to my knees right next to the dead Sapphire Knight, the wound is going to end me. Even with gerdian healing abilities, my chances are slim. Derrien takes the barrier down. He knows he has won.

Won! Again! No, it can’t be! Not again! I cannot lose to him!

He makes a circle around me, walking slowly …

“ I am sorry, cousin,” he says sadly, “ I never wanted for it to come to this !”

Is he playing a noble person again?! The audacity of him!

Not thinking twice, I disappear in the cloud of dark magic. Reappearing next to Mira, I grab her roughly and then transport with her in my arms…