My heart, My love, My dragon

Chapter 19

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Anya," Ryoko slumped down against the soft sofa in Anya's suite. "You don't need to act like a hobbit."

Anya groaned, "It's not that. I feel disgusted and ashamed with myself for actually falling for that goddamn idiotic bond. I'm asking myself why? Why did my beloved have to be the Dragon King and why, oh, why, did he have to walk into Mrs. Letberg's store that fateful day!"

"It's not easy, I know, but for now we'll have to deal with it until we find a way to get back home," Rochelle encouraged her. Rochelle had been kidnapped a year before Anya had been brought by the King and House Hydra took her under their wing but they didn't plan to stay.

"I was an ordinary thirteen-year-old girl and my life was ruined the moment I met the Dragon King," Anya growled angrily. Her life has been turned upside down in an instant and there wear many secrets to her past and of what laid ahead. "Ryoko, do you know of any portals to the Human World?"

Ryoko sighed and rubbed her temple, "Only the Royal Family knows, therefore, all of that information is with the King?"

"Do you think Libelle knows of those portals?" Anya asked hopefully.

"It's possible. That is if the King takes her on romantic dates to the Human World's beaches," Ryoko ponders for a moment before saying, "What I'm saying is that if he loves her then Libelle would already know. No offense, but I'm positive he does if he's willing enough for her to carry his child."

"I'll make sure to ask her. Maybe before this so-called tournament," Anya firmly says. For her, home was the Human world, not the Dragon King's palace. "As for that tournament, what is that made of."

Rochelle speaks up first, "If the King is with a woman who isn't his beloved and his beloved is alive then that is as good as a rejection which opens up the opportunity for the rest of the High Houses to fight each other to put one of their heiresses on the throne. In other words, one of the High Houses daughters has to fight for the title of Queen of the Dragons and as King Vulcan's bride. For example, House Magnetron is obviously sending Libelle, House Hydra is sending you, the King's beloved, House Terrain is sending Sierra, and my last example is that House Slasher is sending Aria."

"Let's say I defeat all of my opponents. What happens then?" Anya asks.

"You become the Queen of Dragons whether you like it or not," Ryoko says bluntly.

"And if I lose?"

Ryoko laughs, "I know your strength. You definitely won't."

"I mean, if I purposely lose..."

Rochelle stares at the ground, "Anyone who forfeits brings shame to their house and will receive ten lashes by a whip."

An unsteady silence is left hanging until the sound of people entering King Vulcan's suite is heard through the thing walls. King Vulcan's voice is soothing toward a somewhat straggly Libelle. Chris cracks a joke which no one laughs at on the other side.

Ryoko shushes them, "Walls have ears too."

Abruptly, Anya says, "Have you seen Luthor? I haven't seen him since he left me here."

Rochelle looks at her in bewilderment, "He hasn't told you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Luthor found his beloved and her name is Kaida of High House Vulcan," Ryoko interrupts.

"You're telling me that the son of a b***h didn't tell me he found his beloved?!" Anya shrieked. "There goes our trust."

"He's in his room," Rochelle commented nonchalantly. In truth, Rochelle and Ryoke enjoyed watching their arguments because they loved to watch as Luthor failed to defend himself and ultimately lose in the argument.

They all ran giggling to Luthor's room. Anya didn't knock on the door before trying the handle which was locked. Ryoko immediately kicked down the door in one swift move. 

"God, Luthor, she's only fifteen!" Anya yelled and covered her eyes. "I can't unsee this."

Ryoko balled over in laughter while Rochelle was to busy gagging alongside Anya. Kaida was pressed up against a wall with Luthor towering above her- shirtless and too busy suckling her neck. They were frozen until Luthor scrambled to put his shirt back on and Kaida fixing her messed up hair.

"The audacity of not even telling me and then for you to be on the verge of making a baby," Anya crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "Don't you dare utter another word to me. Oh, and don't expect me to talk to you, much less tell you anything personal."

Rochelle stifled her laughter as they left Luthor in the dust when they ran back to Anya's suite. Anya fell onto her bed in fits of uncontrollable roars of laughter. Moments, later Anya shushed them when Luthor knocked on the door of her suite.

"Anya, I swear I was going to tell you but I-" 

"Got carried away?" Ryoko offered. "Shoo, go away little brother."

"Ryoko, you told her before I got the chance," he argued.

"I doubt you were even going to tell Anya with how busy you were," Rochelle proclaimed.

A shuffle of footsteps came from the hallway connecting Anya and King Vulcan's suite. The laughter stopped but their faces were flushed red. King Vulcan came in first followed by Chirs and Libelle.

Rochelle, Anya, and Ryoko stood up immediately from their sprawled forms on Anya's bed and went into a defensive mode.

"Why are you here?" Rochelle asked rather rudely.

"We heard a lot of noise coming from here so we just came to check on you guys," Libelle defended.

"I want you to get out," Rochelle said shakily.

Anya whipped her head to Rochelle. This behavior was not normal for her normally calm position. If anything, the only thing that could unbalance her was talking about her k********g and reestablishment into High House Hydra.

"Excuse me?" King Vulcan said quite offensively. 

"I want him to leave," she pointed a shaky thing straight at Chris.

"Rochelle, why do you want him to-" Anay started worriedly.

"She's my beloved..." Chris whispered and started toward Rochelle who began backing away.

Anya quickly intercepted and stepped in front of Rochelle protectively, "Obice!"

Anya created a barrier or see-through wall that split the room in half. Rochelle, Ryoko, and herself on the right side and the rest of them to the left. 

"Get out, now," Anya said menacingly.

Chris did not take this lightly and his eyes ignited, "You won't keep my beloved away from me."

"We've made it clear that your presence is not required here. LEAVE. Unless you wish to start another brief war," Ryoko stood up to her full height and now took over in the discussion.

King Vulcan quickly pulled Chris back and began to whisper something in his ear. Chris's eyes moved back and forth from Anya to Rochelle who looked visibly mortified. Chris stormed out frustratedly and Luthor came in.

"Anya, could you conjure up a spell to teleport us back to House Hydra," Ryoko asked her. Lucia and Hydreich had already left earlier but Ryoko and Rochelle were scheduled to leave tomorrow. "We'll be back in time for the tournament."

Anya nodded and placed her full attention on Rochelle and Ryoko. She created a mental picture of the location of House Hydra. "I've never practiced this before so the location you might end up in might be a bit off."

"Lanuae Magicae," Anya held her arms out and formed an orb with her hands. Her eyes were closed and she broke into a sweat as she struggled to teleport them. Casting spells were energy-draining and there was only a limited amount a spell caster can cast before all their energy was drained or else they may face death. But for spells that were powerful and enormous such as teleportation, drain more than half of your energy. 

When she opened her eyes the barrier she built was gone because she could not keep it up longer and she felt weak in her knees. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and breathed heavily. Looking around, she could only see King Vulcan in front of her. Libelle was no longer in the room.

"Could you please leave my room?" Anya asked him. He approached her and gently lead her toward the bed so she could take a seat.

"I will but..." he hesitated. "I wanted to ask about what happened earlier."

"What happened earlier was a mistake," Anya rushed to speak. "It was a mistake and nothing more."

"Right...Okay..."

"This bond possessed us because we didn't say the proper words of rejection yet."

"Yet?"

"Well, you're with Libelle and it is as good as a rejection for me," Anya said, quoting Rochelle's words. "I'm just waiting for you to say the proper words to liberate me."

King Vulcan frowned and an angry aura surrounded him. "Yeah, well, you can stop waiting for that to happen because it won't."