HERA
“Join me for dinner.”
No one but the dragon King would call me a criminal and invite me to dine with him all in the same breath.
“I am not hungry.”
“It does not matter and there are no options. You will join me for dinner.”
I do not want to sit next to him, pretending to smile and trying to stomach food while having dozens of dragonkin eyes stare out at me like the latest attraction at the country fair; watching my every move, questioning me, judging me.
I just know I am going to slip up and someone will notice or even worse maybe like Henette, they would realize that I am not who I claim to be.
Just the thought of it is so terrifying; it makes me sick to my stomach with worry.
So I hide my fear behind defiance and fold my arms across my chest.
“And if I refuse?”
He glances at me with indifference.
“I do not care one wit for your hunger or your temper tantrums. I intend for you to meet with the rest of the castle today and you can either join me quietly or have the castle think their new queen is a lunatic that needs to be dragged to the table, kicking and screaming.”
I bite my lip and glance at my feet, resisting the urge to wring my fingers in distress like Henette does.
The words are scarcely out his mouth when a knock comes on the door and his head turns towards it.
“Enter.”
“My king” The servant girl curtsies so low her brown apron dress touches the floor.
“You may rise.”
She straightens but continues to address him with her head slightly lowered, not meeting his gaze.
“Everything had been readied my King and as per his highness’ requests, all are even now gathered in the great hall awaiting your arrival.”
He nods once, brisk and sharp. “Good. You may return Anith. We shall be with you all shortly.”
The girl curtsies once more and backs out of the room, pulling the doors shut in front of her as she goes.
He walks towards me, now fully dressed and it is difficult to remember exactly why I dislike him when he looks so damn good.
“Are you going to stare at me the entire time or are you going to decide if you would much rather walk yourself or have my men drag you?”
Ah there it is.
I frown, thinking.
Dragonkin all over the dragon realm, those in the castle not excluded would have a hard time swallowing the fact that they now have a human queen, a species they consider to be much weaker than they are.
Some would probably even hate me and maybe they would be right to.
But I am not about to make matters worse by creating a scene or appearing weak and end up losing their respect before I have even had a chance to earn it.
So I swallow my fear, set my mouth in a grim, determined line and lift my head up to meet his steady, observant gaze.
“I have made my decision. I’m afraid I might get too used to being carried around.”
He voices nothing but raises one brow in response as if to say we haven’t got all day.
I steel my nerves and take a deep breath. “Lead the way my lord.”
I am unsure if the expression that flickers across his face is relief or surprise at my sensible decision.
Mine however, is most definitely surprise when he offers me his arm.
I hesitate and he smirks.
“Relax slave, I do not bite.”
I resist the urge to scoff and roll my eyes. I had thought we were past this ‘slave business’ but it would appear I was wrong.
“So you say my Lord…so you say.”
I hook my arm through his and wrap my hand around the bulging hardness of his arm.
Skies, is this man made of flesh or steel?
He clears his throat conspicuously. “While I quite enjoy your fascination with my body, you may want to postpone feeling me up till after dinner.”
My cheeks flush and I force my fingers on his arm to stay still.
The doors open as if on cue and as we step out.
The chief Ryder is outside and he bows, before proceeding to take his position.
I am confused to note him walking behind me and not the king.
Although I know Midas does not really need any protection and is more than capable of defending himself, I would still expect that Leo would be by the king’s side and his staying by my side instead, surprises me.
I turn my head slightly to look at him and meet the steely grey coolness of his gaze.
Maybe he notices the nervousness on my face, heavens know, but when our eyes meet, he winks.
He bloody hell winks and I am so astounded by this completely unexpected gesture, that I momentarily forget my panic.
I did not realize anyone in the dragon realm was capable of doing something as mundane and human as winking, much less the stoic Chief Ryder with his calm, expressionless face.
Yet for some unknown reason, his doing this makes me feel marginally better.
But it doesn’t last very long and I am soon very worried again.
I gather up my gown and hold it in my other hand as we descend down the winding steps so I don’t trip on it and fall flat on my face.
My pulse quickens as we walk arm in arm through stone arches and long castle passages.
All the torches lining the walls are lit, casting warm golden lights on the grey slate walls.
When the maid had said everyone was gathered in the great hall, she had well and truly meant everyone.
Because the only people I see are the castle guards who bow low as we pass by them and the only sounds other than the echoing of our footfalls, are the noise of crickets and night birds carried through the palace on the howling wind.
Then I begin to hear a faint buzzing.
It gets louder as we walk and I realize it is the far off sound of many people whispering and talking, wondering what in all the realms could have possessed the dragon King to take a human bride.
My palms are sweaty and my heart is pounding so fast I would not be surprised if he can hear it.
“You are nervous.”
The words come out of nowhere, breaking into my jittery thoughts.
It is not a question but a statement and yet when I glance up at him, he isn’t even looking at me, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
But I do not bother to deny them.
For one, if I try to speak, I do not trust my voice not to come shaky and besides he can most likely even feel the clammy, sweatiness of my palm, seeping through and wetting his sleeves.
The buzz is much louder now as we near two impossibly high, golden doors.
The doors are decorated with unnervingly realistic carvings of dragons, swords and strange reliefs of hand painted blue mountain roses.
The doors loom imposing and frightening even in the distance.
Each step we take brings me closer and closer until we stand right in front of them, inches away from whatever and whoever lies behind the closed doors of the castle’s great hall.
My breath escapes my mouth in shaky puffs and my heart is throwing itself around in its rib cage in protest.
It does not think we can handle this and neither do I.
I barely notice him glancing down at me nor do I notice the fact that we are no longer moving.
“Hera…”
Gods above, I cannot do this…. I just can’t.
“Hera…”
What if I fail, not just at keeping this dangerous secret but at everything else?
How do I be queen over a people I intend to get revenge on?
Maybe it would be better if they just found out now because to have to uphold this lie for the rest of my life…
He spins me towards him and grips my face between his palms, jerking me out of my panic and forcing me to look at him. “Hera.”
My eyes are brimming with unshed tears of panic and I chew furiously on my bottom lip, nervousness seeping from my very pores and mixing with my sweat.
He reaches out and gently pulls my bottom lip out from beneath my teeth with his thumb before I can cut myself.
“Stop doing that, it’s distracting.”
I gaze up into the nectar gold of his eyes, knowing what I want to say but not how to say it.
He beats me to it, his eyes dropping momentarily to my chest as if he can somehow look through it and see the pounding organ beneath.
“I can hear your heart racing.”
Of course he can.
I shake my head slightly and drop my eyes to the floor. “I can’t do this…My lord I…”
“Hera…” He cups my chin and tilts my face towards his. “Look at me.”
And I do staring up at him through the haze of the tears that are dangerously close to falling because he is so very close and there is nowhere else to look but at him.
The pad of his thumb is still resting on my mouth, sending shivers down the rest of my body.
Those impossibly beautiful eyes hold me in place. “You are queen of the 5th realm, consort to the dragon’s throne and my bride. If anything, they should be the ones nervous to meet your approval.”
His words calm my erratic heart until I can breathe again without bursting into tears.
“My lord, what if I can’t do it? What if I can’t be the queen you want me to be?”
“You have to Hera…”
He straightens, taking the warmth of his body with him. “…There is no other choice.”
I take in one last deep breath and the doors are pulled open.
The buzzing stops instantaneously.
The great hall of the dragon castle does not vary too greatly from that of Averia.
It is an impressively large chamber with a high vaulted ceiling and three doors that led in and out of the vast room.
One to the far right for the servants bringing in trays and carts of piping hot food, one on the opposite end for the guests and whoever else would enter the hall and the one reserved only for the King.
It is through this door that Midas and I have had made our appearance.
We are standing at the top of a set of steps, and below it, at the end of the dark purple carpeting running down the center, are all the castle’s inhabitants.
Midas steps forward first and then reaches out to me.
It is now or never Hera. You either do this or you die.
So I place my hand in his and he pulls me into the room.
Dozens of dragonkin eyes stare out at us…at me.
Then just as suddenly, as if listening to a cue that only I am unable to hear…
They all bow.