A Dance with a Dragon

Truthful Confrontation

Nikolai’s POV

Even though I tried to keep my mind on everything around me and show that I was okay, despite finding Nathan in a close posture with Freyja, as if they had been friends for a long time, I couldn't help but wonder if my eyes had been playing tricks on me. Dominia? Here in Ravkan? But there was no mistaking it; it was undoubtedly her. She had been there; there was no disputing that fact.

And then there's Lola, who is clearly deceiving me. I have never been careless with a woman, especially since knowing I would become the next king. A king should not have a child outside of marriage; it was a particular tradition that could harm the throne if it were found to be true.

No, I'm certain of my caution when engaging with women. But could I be wrong? I've been careful and ensured I had engaged her Safely. Yet, what if I was mistaken, and she is pregnant with my child, why is she choosing today to reveal it? Lola was naturally unpredictable. This was the kind of thing she might gladly do, although she had never attempted it before. She knew well my hate of tricks and games.

At that moment, I glanced at Freyja, who appeared happy, and I began to feel an unfamiliar sense of impurity and guilt. It was as if I had not allowed her the chance to enjoy her marriage before tarnishing her purity with my existence. For the first time in my life, I felt disloyal.

Above all, I knew I had to resolve this chaos with Lola once and for all. Her clinginess posed a threat to the throne, and that was something I could not permit. Only when I was free of this problem can I delve into uncovering the details surrounding Bradet's death.

It's even better now that Dominia is alive. I will find her, and she has no choice but to open up about the events that led up to the point of his death. I know she played a role in his death; I will prove it, I also know that she didn't do it alone. She couldn't have. Yes! I'll get to the bottom of this.

“Nikolai, the guests are nearly gone. You and your bride can retire early without concern. I've noticed your mind isn't here in this hall anyway, You must be thinking about your wedding night,” my mother said, beaming from where she sat, slashing into my thoughts.

I looked at her smiling face, and for the first time in four years, it dawned on me. Had she known about Dominia's survival all along? Had she concealed it from me? She had always favored Dominia, even when she knew Bradet had gone against custom by choosing the dragon princess himself. My father and I were the main opponents, but no one else in the kingdom knew Dominia had not been selected according to tradition.

So, it wasn't unthinkable that my mother might be aware of Dominia's existence and chose to keep it from me or even my father. If true, it was likely because of the way things had unfolded between Bradet and me, the fight that had torn two brothers apart. Thinking about it brought back unpleasant memories.

“Yes, in fact, I'm thinking about how to ensure a pleasant evening for Freyja," I replied.

Accusing my mother could bring chaos to our already fragile family bonds. My father's health was not at its best, and she knew how much he cherished Bradet. Her love for her children made her equally fragile.

"But we can stay until the last guests have paid their respects and left. Don't you think, Freyja?" I asked her.

I had been lost in thought for so long that I didn't even realize I hadn't said anything to her after the question she asked, despite the reassurance I'd given. We had been in the presence of my parents for a while now.

“Yes,” she said solemnly, like an obedient woman.

Damn! That's only making me more worried. I know I'm not in love with her, but something keeps pulling at me from the inside. Was it because of Nathan? Was it jealousy? Or was it the emotional state I found myself in after hearing about Lola's pregnancy and seeing Dominia alive here in Ravkan?

What the heck was going on with me? I'd never been this confused and emotional in my life. I didn't even know how to proceed with the night.

“No, Nikolai. She is tired, as you can see. Take her with you,” my mother interjected. I really hoped that after today she would back off when it came to my marriage. It's "mine," not "ours."

“Or maybe our latest bride is being honest in agreeing to stay outside, here with us, a little bit longer, Your Highness,” Nathan said casually, as he usually did, his eyes filled with indifference and spite. That man had a way of making me lose my temper!

“If you insist, Mother,” I said instead, ignoring Nathan altogether, and stood up.

I stretched a hand immediately towards Freyja and said, "Shall we?" She took my hand without hesitation and stood up herself.

“Goodnight, my King and Queen,” I heard her say from beside me, bowing slightly without ruining her dress. The courtesy lessons had served her well.

“Goodnight, Freyja. Today is a good day. Tomorrow will be even better,” my father said as she turned to follow me.

It finally happened. I have a wife. My mother's wish had come true, but what would come from this union was definitely not what they'd expected. It didn't take long before we got to our room, and all the way here, her breathing was the one thing I noticed the most.

“Why are you breathing like that? Are you scared?” I asked her.

“No.”

But I could tell that it was a lie. I knew there was no way she was not scared.

“Or do you miss your lover?”

Tskk! I should not have said that! Of course, that would only intensify her already agitated emotional state. Why in the world am I even trying to prepare her? What the hell is wrong with me today? I'm simply overwhelmed, and that's all. It will all pass. But still, I felt vulnerable somehow.

“My lover?”

“Never mind.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

What's wrong with this woman?

“Don’t you think it’s too late for you to act indifferent towards me? We are married.”

“I could say the same about you. You had to invite your mistress to our wedding.”

Oh, she saw me when I stepped out with Lola. And now she's fuming. That explains some things, but not all.

“I didn't invite her.”

“Oh, so you are admitting she is your mistress then?”

“I never said she was anything! And if you continue to put words in my mouth, I won't go out of my way to stop you.”

“It does not concern me anyway. I don’t want to have anything to do with you, Nikolai. In fact, I’d rather just let today pass over without having your body touch mine.”

“Excuse me?”

I'm the one who would give anything not to be in the same room with her right now! I am the one who has been forced into this! How dare she, and who the hell does she think she is to give me orders?

“Yes, this is a dream anyway. I think I will prefer to wake up from this dream without having to remember how you don’t want me sexually or romantically.”

“Dream? I wish it was, Freyja. I wish it all was.”

“But it’s my dream, not yours. I might not know what your role is, or this whole thing that will soon happen. But I have to find a way out of this.”

She sounded serious! And just then, I suddenly remembered her saying the exact same words on the night when we were attacked by the wolves. She had said the same thing when she heard that someone had sent the wolves after her to kill her.

“Freyja,” I grabbed her by the shoulders, suddenly realizing something: the events of that day must have been so devastating and traumatic that she had continued to think and believe that this was all a dream. How could she think that all that has been happening is a dream?

"Look at me," I continued, "you are not in a dream. Maybe it's the guilt I feel toward you this evening, or maybe it's pity, I don't know. But whatever it might be, I feel a strong need to console you tonight."

"No! It's a dream. If it's not, how do you explain my two best friends? They've been my world, my all. The only family I have in the world. The ones I confide in, are the only ones who have cared for me and truly shown me what friendship and love really mean. How on earth could these people betray me?”

“Or how can you explain to me that a prince's dragon chose me? That I'm chosen, I'm a common slave, an Omega, the lowest of the low, with no mother, father, or relative to my name. With no one to hold and call me blood. With practically no identity in the world. Just a name, odd white hair, and strange green eyes. Someone whose appearance has been made fun of. Who has suffered bullying and real hurt? Someone who believes in keeping a low profile to escape trouble and, in doing so, doesn't even get to truly live life. Someone who has to earn her keep, with no skills apart from a strong memory and the ability to make poor decisions.

How do you explain that someone like this suddenly becomes a princess? You must know Inzaghi. You must have heard about that state of unconsciousness that puts you in a dream, but. . .But. . .It looks and feels so real. . . that. . . “

Was she crying? I shook her until I felt like she was awake from whatever trance she was in.

"I can tell you with all the truth I have in me, that you are not in a dream and this is as real as anything you have ever known in your whole life. Your friends betrayed you, that is true! You were chosen by my dragon, that is also true. You are a Ravkan princess now, and you now have a whole family who love you here."

I wasn't sure why I added that last part, but it was true. My parents loved her, Jovan loved her, even my dragon! I didn't, but it didn't matter at the moment.

"No..." She started to shake her head again in disagreement.

In the midst of it all, I noticed that she completely believed this to be a dream. She felt unbelievably fragile to me in that realization. I had never experienced this before, and neither had I had to deal with someone affected like this directly. Of course, I had heard of the myth called Inzaghi, "the dream state" as they referred to it.

It had even affected a few of the Ravkan citizens, supposedly so, and many of them had to be institutionalized. I even saw one man jump off a bridge on my way to college one time. It was really something else. But I didn't really believe in its power to possess someone, and Freyja's case just goes to show that it might not even be real. Unless its true power lay in convincing people that they were in a dream state when in reality they were not.

I moved her to sit on the bed as her whole body had already begun to shake. Even with all my experience with women, nothing could have prepared me for this. I practically didn't know what else to do, so I took her mouth with mine. I hummed against her mouth, placing my hand on the back of her head. Her full hair smelled captivating, a scent that reached into my soul. The extent to which my mother had gone to facilitate a well-consummated wedding night was evident in her hair.

And in a moment, just like that morning in the maze garden, her aura jolted my heart into awareness. She reacted to me by opening up and allowing me further entrance into the depths of her mouth. Our tongues entwined together, cresting and falling like waves of desire. The height of emotions in the air at the moment threatened to play a melody on my heartstrings, but I drew slowly, relaxing the intensity of the action. Then I looked into her eyes as I said,

"You are raving mad, little one. If you think that kiss was a dream."