Chapter Two

It was as if I blinked and my world had changed. I was standing in the middle of a great marble hall. In front of me were impossibly tall windows letting in so much golden sunlight I had to blink a few times to make out everything else in the room. Once my eyes adjusted, I was even more stunned to find that there were guards posted at four posts and what could only be described and a king and his queen on the landing at the end of the long runner where I was standing.

"How beautiful," Said what I had decided was the queen. "A lovely gift she'll make."

"Excuse me?" My voice seemed to explode into the large room and sounded more accusatory than I had intended.

"This Dragon Bride seems quite feisty," The king said with a chuckle.

"Dragon Bride?" I repeated in disbelief. Was this part of the play? It couldn't have been. How in the hell would Evelyn manage to beam me up to another stage like that?

The king and queen were frowning at me. Then she said. "Yes, dear. You. The Dragon Bride, the gift from the human realm. Has our existence died so from your realm that you do not even know now? Do they not tell you?" She waved a hand dismissively before I could answer. "You are in the Dragon Realm and in one week, you will be gifted my son, the Prince."

I was stunned into silence. All I could hear after her words was the sound of Granddad's voice repeating his tale of the Dragon Realm. This... this could not be that. That wasn't real. It was a story, right?

The king cleared his throat and motioned one of the guards closer, "Lycidas, please escort our guest to her room. I'm sure this trip has been a long one."

He could not have been more right. What had only happened in the blink of an eye seemed to take hours off my life. I felt jet lagged. My head had too much pressure in it. I was in a daze, unable to even recall how I gotten to this lavish room. The guard had closed the door behind me and I was left standing in an open foyer. In front of me, was small sitting room with a lounge and a chair positioned in front of a great hearth and beyond that was a large balcony. Behind it was a large bed on a platform incased in chiffon curtains. I could see a door to one side and assumed that would be the bathroom behind that. My body was drawn toward the bed but there was something shimmering in the room like a firefly. It flickered and pulsed in front of me, fluttered this way and that then flickered again and when I blinked, in place of the light was a woman with wings like a dragon fly.

I blinked again. She was a still a girl with dragonfly wings.

"Dragon Bride!" She exclaimed. "It wonderful to finally meet you! My, you are lovely!"

I sighed. "If one more person says that to me, I might die."

The girl frowned for a moment but recovered quickly and took a long bow. "Dragon Bride, I am Leila your personal handmaiden for your time in the castle."

"Aria. My name is Aria and I'm not the Dragon Bride."

Leila frowned again. "Why would you say that? Please do not say that to anyone else. It is very dangerous."

It was my turn to frown. This situation just went from inconvenient to dangerous just like that. That bitch Evelyn must have had the full run down what it meant to be a Dragon Bride. She knew exactly what this was, what she was getting into and what she sending me into. So Granddad had been right all along, there were families still bred for this. Goddamn you, Evelyn.

I rubbed my face and a petal fell from the wreath I forgot was in my hair. I sighed, watching the petal settle on my palm. After a long silence, I looked up at Leila. "What are you? Some kind of fairy?"

She blushed bright red but waved me off. "Me? Oh my, no. I'm just a dragonfly sprite."

I nodded but I wasn't quite grasping all of this. It was just too much. I could feel my brain shutting off, but I needed it on so I rubbed my temples. "Dragonfly sprite. Got it. Listen," I went on moving closer to her. "I know you said I shouldn't tell anyone else I'm not the Dragon Bride and I won't, but I will need your help. I need the crash course on what that means because I intend to say alive." And get back home, but that wasn't any of her business.

The dragon sprite flashed big eyes at me then her face settled into thoughtfulness. After a moment she said, "As you wish." She made a flourishing movement with her arm toward the door. "Let us walk and talk in the gardens. I feel the fresh air might do you some good. The people of the castle will want a glimpse of the Dragon Bride. It will be good to let yourself be seen but do not fear, they will not approach us. It is customary to allow a day before true introductions."

Miho felt good in my arms. Her body was soft and curvy under my rough hands and pressed against my body. Her soft breath was warm against my lips with the power of the kitsune like electric heat between us, sparking against the lava like flow of my own dragon powers. Yet, even as I kissed her, as her body slithered against mine, her thighs tight across my hips where she sat straddling me, it wasn't her in my thoughts. For weeks now, whenever I closed my eyes, all I could see was that dark hair shining under the lights of the club and the way her body moved to the music. She was human, I knew that. I could smell her like all the other humans there but she moved like a succubus, maybe even better. I didn't know her name, I had only seen shadows of light dance across her perfect face but I remembered her smell and the way she moved. They way she had been dancing with that guy. How it had taken everything in me not to scoop her away from the club that night and bring her back here. Luckily for me, Miho didn't mind all the extra attention she was getting because my lust for this unnamed human had to be quenched. I had gone back since then, in an attempt to find her. I had thought, perhaps, that maybe if I had her for one night this desire would have gone away but I was unable to find her. So far, no other human seemed to satisfy this unquenchable thirst. Not even Miho, my long time plaything could drain the thoughts of her from my head.

"Your Highness."

The voice startled me from my daydreaming and I heard a thud.

Miho whined and looked up at me from the floor, looking wounded.

"My apologies, Your Highness, I did not realize..." the guard stammered.

I waved my hand. "Never mind. What is it?"

"The Dragon Bride has arrived." He said, still bowed in repentance.

I rolled my eyes. Not only was this tradition ancient and stupid but... I sighed, clutching my brother's necklace in my hand. It was my duty to show face for this and no way around it. "I'll be there soon." I said, reaching down to help Miho off the floor. She shunned my hand and the guard backed out of the room slowly.

"What the hell was that?" She scoffed the moment the door was closed. Her tails were flicking angrily like nine pissed off cats.

"Sorry." I shrugged, moving passed her to get my clothes on.

"This is good." Miho said from behind me. I could feel her moving closer. "We can finally get this over with." Her hands moved up my back.

I nodded. A century was a long time but suddenly it felt as if the moment had come to fast. I turned to Miho, her silver hair had already been smoothed out and bound back into the braid she kept over one shoulder, her silver eyes shone up at me with hope and expectancy. I cupped her face and gave her one last kiss, it felt hollow and automatic. "See you later."

The great hall was slowly being over taken by moonlight. Stripes of sunlight were being turned into dashes of ash and rolling clouds set the room aglow with firelight. So the evening sun was all but gone and I knew I had missed the greeting ceremony and expected the frowns from both my parents when I arrived.

"You could at least pretend to be in a rush, Lucien." My mother scolded me.

"Maybe next time, mother."

She waved a hand at me the same way I had the guard. "You've already missed it. Go back to what or whomever you were doing."

That made my father laugh. "She should be in her quarters by now. You will not have to worry about The Bride or your decision for another week."

I nodded. My head felt heavy so I went out to the garden. By the heavy murmuring and whispers and I could tell she had been there. Pockets of guards and servants and aristocrats alike were murmuring about grand beauty. By this, I knew no one had yet to speak to her, only see her from afar and it was not beauty that would sway me. Though at this point, I doubted anything could sway me, but still, I found myself wandering in the direction where all their eyes lingered.

Then, I held my breath.

Through the small gaps between tall, green shrubs I saw a familiar silhouette. Her dark hair was braided around her head and halo'd with bright living flowers. There were soft stray wisps of her hair across the back of her long, swan-like neck and sunlight was dancing across her narrow shoulders turning her already bronze skin in shades of gold. I knew that neck, that silhouette, and I knew if I took a deep breath my nose would fill with the scent of orchids and ocean air.

"Go on, Leila, I'll be fine I promise. I know my way back to the room. I just... need some time."

I knew that voice. I watched as the dragonfly sprite handmaiden hesitantly bowed out and disappeared. Then the Dragon Bride let out a long sigh and I felt myself let out the breath I had been holding. She brushed her hands down the front of the long gown she wore then began to walk along the shrub wall that separated us. I felt myself walking along side her watching the features of her small face twist with worry, grief and confusion. My heart clenched when a tear rolled down her high cheek, it was quickly followed by another and then she held her face in her hands and sank to her knees leaving me watching her shoulders shudder with her silent cries, her face buried in her arms on the seat of a stone bench.

"Don't..."I heard the word come out of my mouth before I realized I was standing behind her. She leapt to her feet pushing her arm out to keep distance between us. "Don't cry..."

"I'll do as I please, thank you. Who the hell do you think you are?" She snapped, an almost instant rage drying up the tears yet to fall.

I almost smiled. "I just meant--"

"I know what you meant. It's a stupid saying; telling people not to cry. Crying is healthy, telling people not to express their emotions because it makes others uncomfortable is not. I don't care who you are. Go away and leave me alone."

I craned my head. I felt like a curious dog but... were all humans like her? She was in a strange land surrounded by creatures that were only myth in her world, in castle dripping with armed guards and touchy aristocrats and yet with no idea of who I was or how much power I held, she spoke to me as if we were equals. She was unabashed and fearless in the face of complete unknown. I blinked and stood straight, she was staring daggers at me, shoulders squared.

Before I could speak, she said, "Fine, if this spot is so sacred I'll leave." And turned to do just that.

"No," I said, reaching for her shoulder. She turned immediately, my hand in hers and twisted it up behind my back. Pain shot through my shoulder then suddenly through the back of my knee and I hit the ground with a thud. "It's not sacred." I strained. "You don't have to leave. I came to protect you." She shoved me forward and let go. Getting to my feet I groaned rotating my shoulder. Standing this close, she barely reached my chest. I could cover her with my entire body and she'd disappear but her jaw was tight with rage, her hazel eyes blazing an amber brown, angry and skeptical. "I..." Her body weight shifted from one leg to the other as if she were running out of patience with me. "I have been assigned to your personal guard."

"Personal does not mean you get to put your hands on me." She spat.

"My apologies, Dragon Bride, I just didn't want you to leave."

"Aria. My name is Aria."

I nodded. It was a beautiful name. It suited her.

"And you are?"

"Me? Oh. I'm..." Shit. Think of something Lucien, quick. "I mean, my name is Dante."

She squinted at me. A half a second longer and she would have been completely suspicious, but she nodded and lifted her tiny hand to her face dabbing away at the left over tears on her cheeks. I reached into my pocket and handed her my handkerchief but she pretended that she didn't see it and turned away from me fiddling with the train that rested on her hips. I watched her fingers move quickly and nimbly like spiders legs and then the train was off, leaving her in form fitting gown. She threw the train down on the stone bench and let out a sound somewhere between a scream and a growl. It made me want comfort her but after her reaction a moment ago I kept my distance.

Silence stretched between us. She stood staring away from me, off into the distance, wringing her hands together. Then she turned and gave me a once over, folding her arms in front of her. "So how does this work? Are you going to follow me every where and stand behind me when I want to be alone?"

"If that is what you require."

"And if I tell you to go?"

"As long as you remain in the castle, I will."

"So I can leave the castle?"

"No."

She growled and stepped closer to me. "So then what's the point of having a guard? Are you telling me I'm not safe in the castle?"

I blinked. "No, I mean, you're safe here.. just..."

"Just what? I'm a prisoner? You aren't guarding me. You're here to make sure I don't escape?"

"No... It's... just... customary."

"Whatever."

Wow, she was hostile. I wanted to ask why but I had a feeling she would bite my head off instead of answer. I was going to need her to trust me at least some what before I could pick her brain. She was unlike any human I had come across in my travels. I had watched many humans turn on each other. I had seen them in fear of people they called friends only moments before. I had watched them fight over each other, with each other, and worst. But most of all I had seen how fragile and violent they where especially in the face of anything they didn't understand. I heard them speak of us as things to be feared and exterminated but she was neither afraid nor interested in what I was only annoyed and be grieved by being here.

"Lady Aria--"

"Aria. Just Aria."

I nodded pushing a hand through my hair. "Has anyone told you why you're here?"

She looked up at me and I couldn't help but notices the delicate curve of her breast with her steady breathing. "Yes, why?" She answered.

"So you're aware this is the Dragon Realm?"

"Yes..."

"...That King is a dragon and so is his son, the man you're supposed to marry?"

"If he choses me." She snapped. "What's it to you? Yes, I'm aware that I am no longer in my world, that I am surrounded by magic and magical creatures, all of whom are stronger and faster and far more dangerous than myself, so what?"

My jaw was hanging, I snapped it shut and then shifted from one leg to another. She spoke with such fire. She didn't seem afraid so much as she was bothered by my line of questioning. "So... you're not afraid?"

She scoffed. "Of course I'm afraid! I'm alone, betrothed to someone I've never met and the worst part is that isn't even guaranteed and who knows what will happen to me if the prince doesn't want me. Hell, who knows what will happen if he does!"

"He wouldn't harm you."

"Oh yeah? And how much time have you spent with the Prince to be so damn sure?"

"Enough." I said. It was my turn to start feeling angry with this situation. It was getting personal. "How can you judge someone you've never met?"

"Don't give me that shit. Are you serious? I have been ripped out of my life and tossed into a marriage contract with a man --- I'm sorry, a dragon, I've never met to face a destiny that is no longer mine."

"So you're afraid because he's a dragon?" I couldn't help but sneer.

She stared at me incredulously. "I'm afraid because he's a stranger! What difference does it make if he's a dragon or a troll or a damn werewolf for that matter?! Is he like you? Does he walk and talk and think and fuck? I'm sure he does, and do you know what that means? It means he, like everyone else, is capable of great good or great evil and you expect me to be okay-- to be fucking okay with rolling the dice on that." Tears rimmed her eyes again and her voice softened to a defeated whisper. "You all are. So..." She sank to the bench, hugging herself. "I'm right back where I started."

Something had ripped through my heart. Something that drew me to my knees in front of her and despite her past reaction to me, I reached for her again. This time she only recoiled. "What do you mean back where you started?"

She sniffled. "I was only just starting to build a life again. I had friends, a good job... I ... I felt the roots growing and now..." Her face fell into her hands and sobs shuddered through her shoulders.

I sank back on my heels, my head reeling. Something in my chest was tight. Now there was a question burning in my mind. "Don't you want to go home?"

Aria lifted her head from her hands, her eyes shining with tears. "Anyone who is ever ripped from their life wants to go back to it. They long for the familiar, the comforts of the things they know."

I tilted my head. It was a cryptic answer to a simple question. "But you?"

Her eyes fell to her lap and there was silence for one aching heart beat, then she whispered. "Of course I do, but I have no way of doing that."

I stood and scooped her off the bench and immediately her fist slammed into my chest and she demanded I put her down. "Let me take you to your room. You should rest."

"I was crying. I'm not crippled. Put me down. I can get there on my own."

"Please...Let me help you."

She stared at me for a moment. I could feel her eyes on my face as I stared over the top of her flower crown. After a moment I felt her tiny body relax in my arms and her head rest on my shoulder and I began to walk toward the castle.

We were nearly out of the garden, headed toward the steps when I heard, "Oh, there you are." It was Miho. I turned to face her and her face dropped. "What are you doing?" She nearly demanded it. I could hear the edge of jealously. Aria lifted her head.

"I'm taking the Dragon Bride back to her room, Captain."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm the guard that has been assigned to her." I was staring daggers at her now. If she didn't follow along with my ruse and broke my cover, I would have every one of the nine tails ripped from her body. It seemed to take her a moment but her face settled into indifference but I knew Miho enough to see the rage and jealously simmering just under the surface.

"Is she injured?"

"No."

"Then put her down."

"With all due respect, Captain." I said, trying not to clench my teeth when I said it, "It is a long way back to her room. She is tired. It is my duty to protect and see to the comfort of the Dragon Bride and that is what I am doing."

Miho visibly swallowed and some of the rage and jealously drained from her face. "Fine. Go."

I turned from her and continued into the castle. When the doors to the garden closed behind us, Aria asked, "What was that all about?"

"What do you mean?" She was looking at me, but I made a point of watching where I was going.

I felt her shrug. "Does everyone know you're fucking your Captain?" I stopped short and looked down at her. She was smiling knowingly with a wicked glint in her eyes that made them more green than brown now. Her smile unwound that clench in my chest from earlier. She waved a hand at me and wiggled out of my arms. I let her go, trying not to make it too obvious that I didn't want to. She felt good in my arms. "Nevermind, it's none of my business."

I shrugged. "It's not that serious." We were walking again.

She laughed at me. "Sure. Maybe not to you."