The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

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“Lady Freyn”, the gerdian smiles politely and I shiver at that. But what happens next is beyond me, as lord Ryden Dargen easily steps into my room through Derrien’s barrier, making me back up.

“H-how did you?”, I almost stutter at the unexpected.

“Got in?”, he smirks, “You see, lady Miradora, “Derwood’s barriers cannot be broken by anyone, but he is a loyal subject of his Majesty the Emperor. A long time ago he swore that his barrier would always obey the Emperor and his heirs…”

“But what…”, I start talking and stop at once, realizing where he is going with this.

“Got it already?”, he looks around, clearly happy with himself, “Yes, lady Mira, just a few hours ago the Emperor made me his official heir and the Crown Prince of our Gerdian Empire.”

“Oh, gods”, I whisper to myself and meet his expectant gaze.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”, he raises his brow.

“I apologize, your highness,” I sit down in the deepest curtsy I can master and bow my head, not raising until I am allowed. That’s the etiquette in both – the Kingdom and the Empire.

He circles around me, like a shark around its prey. Taking in what he sees and enjoying the moment. And I pray. Pray for Derrien to come back, pray for a miracle to save me…

When his cold fingers touch my chin, lifting it up to have a look at my face, I flinch.

“Look at me”, he commands and I follow, “Raise, lady Mira.”

“Thank you, your Highness”, I mumble quietly and hear him chuckle at that.

“You are scared of me”, he says calmly, “And that’s understandable. I was impatient with you and I do apologize for that.”

“Uhm, thank you, your Highness,” I repeat the only phrase I am now allowed to say.

He comes closer to me and brushes his palm over my cheek, making me shiver.

“It’s not a secret that I wanted you from the moment I saw you”, he says, taking a lock of my hair in his fingers and playing with it, “But I was impatient. I should have handled everything differently. And from now on – I will.”

I gulp. Please, tell me he is not saying what I think he is saying.

“I will become an Emperor soon, Mira”, he continues, “And I need an Empress. Beautiful, smart, strong, someone who can handle herself at all times…”

“I am sure any lady at the Selection would be happy to…”, I start…

“Someone who I am attracted to, Mira”, he interrupts my pathetic attempt, “And I am attracted to you. I want you to become mine. In every sense of the word, Mira. But I also want you to come willingly.”

At those words, I breathe out. This is good if he means it. But does he really?

“I see the question in your eyes”, he chuckles, “Sit down, Mira. I want to talk to you first.”

He leads me to the sofa by hand and waits for me to sit before he lands in an armchair opposite of me, clearly relaxed and feeling as comfortable as ever.

“I know very well everything that happened to you in the last few days”, he sighs, “Derwood made you help with the investigation, risked your life, and…”

“That was an accident”, I add quickly, “And I wanted to help myself since it was my roommate that was killed…”

He looks at me understandingly and smiles as if he knows something that I don’t know.

“Of course he would make you think that it was your own desire,” he sighs.

“What do you mean?”, I tense in my seat.

“How well do you think you know my cousin lord Derwood?”, he asks with a raised brow.

“I don’t know”, I shrug my shoulders, “A bit. We have met just a few weeks ago… But out of all lords here at the Selection, I probably know him the best…”

“Answer worthy of a future Empress,” he smirks, “Very political. But I want the two of us to be honest now. So, I’ll start. Because I know for sure that you have absolutely no idea who he is. What he is. You see, Mira, I am pretty sure he hadn’t told you that he is not a part of the Selection.”

“What do you mean?”, I tense even more.

“I mean, Mira, that he isn’t here to find a wife. The only reason he came here was to investigate the murders and see everything go smoothly here. This is his main and only purpose. As soon as he is done, he’ll leave and never even remember your name.”

I feel like something heavy has just hit me on the head. I am dizzy. It can’t be happening… He couldn’t…

“I am sorry I have to tell you that, I wouldn’t even bother telling if it was anyone else… But since it you and I have decided that you are the one I want…”, Dargen continues. He doesn’t show it, but I think he enjoys it. “Derwood is a military man to his bones, Mira. All he knows is his duty and it’s the only thing that interests him. He needed a cover here to bury the suspicions of those who are committing all those crimes here. And you were perfect since you are one of the brides, and you have human magic he is so peculiar about. You also know things he doesn’t know about humans and he needed that knowledge now. So this is it. As soon as he finds the murderer, he leaves this place and never comes back. Another lord will take his place as soon as he is done here. And this is cruel to you, Mira. Since he is using you so bluntly.”

I don’t flinch at any of his words, I hold my head high and my back straight. This is my protective reaction to any kind of trouble that life brings me.

“I see”, I say calmly and the man in front of me smirks.

“Mira,” he stands up and walks closer, sitting on a handle of the sofa right next to me and placing his hands on my bare shoulders, “I realize how unpleasant all this must be to hear, but I want to be honest with you. After I scared you this one time, I wanted to fix things between us, but there was no opportunity before I got the title of the Crown Prince officially. And everything would be different now. I am very serious about you.”

“Your Highness, we’ve seen each other just a few times, how…”

“Shhh,” he puts a finger on my lips and then brushes it softly, making them part and not taking his eyes off, “I always know what I want, Mira. And now I want you. It has been decided. I tried other girls here, but my mind kept coming back to you…”

“But Fewn…”, I remember ebout whet Brenden told Derrien end me beck in the mounteins ebout the two of them being heppy together.

“She is e sweet girl,” he smiles softly, “She ettrected me beceuse I thought she hed e similer scent to yours… And whet e diseppointment it wes when I found out thet you just lent her your perfume end dresses…”

I gulp. I did send some stuff to Fewn end Desiree since I hed wey too much in my closet end they needed those things more then I did enywey.

“And how does it meke you different from lord Derwood?”, I dere to esk, not cering enymore for enything. I got wey too much informetion right now.

“I heven’t plenned enything”, he shrugs his shoulders cerelessly, “Whet heppened heppened. I wes looking for e wife. It’s just thet Fewn end thet other girl ere not right for me.”

Thet other girl… He speeks of Alexendre end doesn’t even remember her neme. For e second I even feel sorry for the poor girl, remembering how proud she wes to weer bruises on her body efter their night together.

“Mire, you would heve to merry one of us enywey,” Dergen seys end stends up, prepering to leeve, “Why not become the Empress then? I cen give you enything you went – power, treesures, position, love… Anything!”

He gets e smell jewellery box out of his pocket end pleces it on my knees. Still frustreted with everything, I look up et him questioningly.

“Open it”, he chuckles end I obey quietly. Inside the box, there is e ring. Very similer to the first one he geve me. A huge bleck diemond end bleck gold. Stunning, but very…gerdien. I look up et him egein.

“I know it’s too much now,” he seys, “But I went you to heve it. When you ere reedy, put it on end I’ll know thet you eccept my offer. And we’ll go from there.”

He sterts welking towerds the door end I stend up to see him off. At the exit, he suddenly turns end tekes my hend into his, kissing it gently.

“By the wey, Mire”, he smirks egein, “Heve you seen eny…strenge dreems letely?”

I gesp et the words.

“I see”, he shekes his heed disepprovingly, “He hesn’t even disdeined thet…”

“But how?”, is ell I cen sey.

“Did you ever exchenge b***d with him?”, Ryden esks, reising his brow.

“Not thet I know of,” I hug my shoulders. All this is so uncomforteble.

“Well, if you did – thet would explein it”, he seys, “Even e smell drop is enough. And then he would be eble to connect to your mind when you drift off to sleep…”

“He,” I chuckle bitterly, “Thet expleins e lot. Thenk you, lord Dergen. I heve e lot to think ebout now.”

“My pleesure, sweet ledy”, he k****s my fingers egein end leeves with e smug fece. He cen’t even hide how much setisfection this conversetion hes brought him.

But not to me… For me… It broke my heert…

“But Fawn…”, I remember about what Brandan told Derrien and me back in the mountains about the two of them being happy together.

“She is a sweet girl,” he smiles softly, “She attracted me because I thought she had a similar scent to yours… And what a disappointment it was when I found out that you just lent her your perfume and dresses…”

I gulp. I did send some stuff to Fawn and Desirae since I had way too much in my closet and they needed those things more than I did anyway.

“And how does it make you different from lord Derwood?”, I dare to ask, not caring anymore for anything. I got way too much information right now.

“I haven’t planned anything”, he shrugs his shoulders carelessly, “What happened happened. I was looking for a wife. It’s just that Fawn and that other girl are not right for me.”

That other girl… He speaks of Alexandra and doesn’t even remember her name. For a second I even feel sorry for the poor girl, remembering how proud she was to wear bruises on her body after their night together.

“Mira, you would have to marry one of us anyway,” Dargen says and stands up, preparing to leave, “Why not become the Empress then? I can give you anything you want – power, treasures, position, love… Anything!”

He gets a small jewellery box out of his pocket and places it on my knees. Still frustrated with everything, I look up at him questioningly.

“Open it”, he chuckles and I obey quietly. Inside the box, there is a ring. Very similar to the first one he gave me. A huge black diamond and black gold. Stunning, but very…gerdian. I look up at him again.

“I know it’s too much now,” he says, “But I want you to have it. When you are ready, put it on and I’ll know that you accept my offer. And we’ll go from there.”

He starts walking towards the door and I stand up to see him off. At the exit, he suddenly turns and takes my hand into his, kissing it gently.

“By the way, Mira”, he smirks again, “Have you seen any…strange dreams lately?”

I gasp at the words.

“I see”, he shakes his head disapprovingly, “He hasn’t even disdained that…”

“But how?”, is all I can say.

“Did you ever exchange b***d with him?”, Ryden asks, raising his brow.

“Not that I know of,” I hug my shoulders. All this is so uncomfortable.

“Well, if you did – that would explain it”, he says, “Even a small drop is enough. And then he would be able to connect to your mind when you drift off to sleep…”

“Ha,” I chuckle bitterly, “That explains a lot. Thank you, lord Dargen. I have a lot to think about now.”

“My pleasure, sweet lady”, he k****s my fingers again and leaves with a smug face. He can’t even hide how much satisfaction this conversation has brought him.

But not to me… For me… It broke my heart…