The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

MIRA

What exactly did he mean? Is that man crazy? The thought alone makes me shiver! And not the pleasant kind of shiver! Of course not! That would be ridiculous!

I mean, he threatens me! How could I… No, I am most definitely not anticipating anything! Not me! I am not one of those silly girls crazy for the gerdians’ attention!

I look around once again. This room is huge – a nice comfortable sofa and chairs with a coffee table, a bookcase and a desk next to one of the windows and a few little tables here and there standing by the walls. So similar to Derrien’s living room, this was definitely intended for a dark lord! Although colours here are nice – mostly silver silk and wood with a white finish. Much better than the chambers I shared with Bella…

Bella, although I knew her for just a few hours, she seemed so nice! I can’t believe this has happened to her! Who could have been so cruel?

Although if I really think of it – it’s pretty much everyone! Girls all look at each other like they are competitors, gerdians look at us as if we are specs of dust… maybe they find us pretty and they do need women, but we are still insignificant to them. So, if Bella angered one of them… Gods know what could have happened! I know one thing for sure – I am not going to rest until I find out who killed her! And I will make him or her pay!

But first I need to find something suitable to wear! Surely there will be something here! Anything! Anything better than a thin nightgown I am wearing!

I walk to the next room and, of course, it’s a bedroom. The bed is huge and beautifully decorated in shades of silver as well but in this room, only dark wood has been used. There is an elegant dressing table next to the window but I do not see any wardrobes. However, I do notice two further doors. One of them leads to a luxurious white marble bathroom, the other surprises me by being a whole room dedicated to hangers and shelves. But no clothes whatsoever, which makes me sad! Without clothes, I cannot walk out of here!

A knock on the door brings me back to reality. Someone is here and I cannot open looking like this. In panic, I pull one of the canopy curtains of my bed and tear it off… It can do for a shawl or something… At least I can cover myself a bit with it! I throw it on my shoulders and wrap around carefully, hurrying to the door, while the knock became louder and more persistent.

I open the door wide without thinking and only then remember on what floor my room is.

A familiar face smirks at me, “My oh my, lady Mira, my offer to help you with your wardrobe still stands. As I can see, Derrien is not keeping his word to take proper care of you.”

“Lord Ryden, if I am not mistaken?”, I curtsy lightly.

“Lord Ryden Dargen”, he says with pride in his voice but I soon realize that this pride is there for a reason. Dargen! That family name is the same as the royal family of the Empire!

“I see you already recognized me. Since everything is clear now, why don’t we get to know each other better?”, he smiles confidently and steps into the room, only to hit himself against an invisible barrier. He looks startled at first but then checks it again with his hand. “What the hell is this, lady Mira?”, he asks angrily and I shake my shoulders apologetically.

“I apologize, my lord, but I have no idea. Lord Derrien brought me here and left me without saying anything…The only thing he said is that I have to stay here at all times. He didn’t warn me about anything…”

“That son of a chaos!”, Ryden swears and suddenly his eyes turn black as soot and he hits the barrier with his dark magic. I shrug at the sight as the man looks terrifying! Back at the academy, they taught us a bit about dark magic – it influences different people in a different way. But I never imagined something like that – he hits the barrier again and again, and again… And at that moment I realize that if he breaks it, I am done for!

“Lord Ryden!”, I say loudly and he stops, looking at me with his mad eyes and breathing heavily, “Thank you so much for trying to rescue me, but I am afraid I am not feeling well. So all your efforts would be in vain anyway. I need to go and lie down, yesterday turned out to be too stressful for me. Thank you again.”

I don’t know if my bluff is going to work, but, honestly, what else can I do? However, soon the dark lord’s lips curl into another smirk and he bows to me lightly, “Lady Mira, have a good rest. Soon we’ll meet again and the circumstances would be very different.”

My lips part to say that there is no need to meet each other ever again, but at the last moment, I decide against it. This man does not look like a person who can take a “no” from “a voiceless property”… I’d better not risk it. So, I just curtsy again and say, “Thank you, my lord. I don’t think I am worthy…”

“Don’t think about it, Mira!”, he interrupts me, “I’ll see you soon!”

With that, he turns and leaves, leaving me alone in my new room.

What a crazy world did I get into?

And what is lord Derwood even thinking? Locking me here alone with all these gerdians! Thank Gods for the protective barrier, but something tells me they can still break it! And I am not even wearing anything proper!

I only think of it and flames of dark magic rise, everywhere around the room leaving box after box, after box… Big, medium, small and tiny – mostly grey and blacks. What is this?

I walk up to one and take away the lid, gasping…