Sold To The Dragon Kingdom

TWO

I opened my eyes slowly and found myself in the arms of Milan. His lips were mumbling something I couldn’t hear for a moment because my ears were deafened by a strange ringing sound. It seemed like the sound was coming from either my ears or my brain. My neck felt stiff when I tried to move, and the memories of how I almost died slowly flooded me. I remembered the hand with the mole that was squeezing the life out of me. I remembered the body of my sister…

My sister.

“What happ… happ…” I croaked out, unable to complete the sentence. A throbbing pain in my mouth caused me to flinch and sealed my eyes shut. I wanted to scream from the pain, but I couldn’t. Because moving my lips alone was torturous. It was as though my tongue was missing and my mouth and throat were filled with air bubbles and a thousand needles.

“Eliza can you hear me?” The voice came clear to my ears, and my eyes shot open to the view of Milan’s chapped lips which seemed darker than usual. It was then I noticed the environment around me. I was in a strange place like a… a dungeon?

“She is awake finally. This murderous wench who has killed her own sister!” My mother walked in throwing a disgusting look at me. “If it were true that an assassin attacked you, you should have died and not wake up after two days. No one saw how it happened, I’m sure you have a hand in killing my precious daughter.” She walked closer and pinned me down with an icy glare that made me wished the ground would open for me to jump in.

Milan bowed his head, his grip firm and strong around me as though he wanted to let me be aware of his presence. As though he was trying to tell me not to talk back to my Mother. He probably didn’t get the fact that I wouldn’t be able to speak even if I wanted to because something happened to my tongue.

“You, get me a rod and hot coal. I shall make this wench confess to her evil doings!”

“My Lady, she didn’t do anything wrong. As you can see, she has suffered a lot and barely survived the…”

“Shut up you i***t. Get me the rod before I kick you out myself. I thought you were smarter than her but look how you failed me. You let her conned you i***t! I can understand why your Father hated and deserted you to the mountain. Birds of the same feather flock together. You’re just as disappointing as her! Both of you are nothing more than a curse to this Kingdom!” Her words came out like a venom that stabbed me in the chest. My heart started aching the moment she involved Milan’s Father. She had no right to hurt him that way. His Father was a sensitive topic for him that he never wanted to share the experience with anyone. Not even with me, his best friend of eleven years.

Milan swept his eyes across my face for a brief moment. I saw a flash of darkness passed through his eyes before it turned to a strange color like the color of liquid fire. The hair on my neck stood still and just for a moment, Milan’s aura reminded me of the assassin who attacked me. He quickly looked away, and I felt his strength shutting down before he dropped me on the ground, my body trembling with fear and a rush of different emotions. He stood up and walked out without looking back at either of us that remained in the enclosure.

**********

KINGDOM OF NORTH ALBON

King Galileo Gatsby; the thirteenth descendant of the Dracul clan and the King of North Albon was a moronic dragon King who bedded and played with women all day and night without giving proper attention to the Council matters. He was an unfortunate dragon King who had lost his Queen at twenty one. Sixteen years of grief had thus left him frustrated to the core; always chasing a temporary succor in wine and women.

There were times when Sir Lugard Helios, the head of the War Council and Chief Adviser to the King would feel beyond infuriated by the King’s attitude. Perhaps this could be one of those times; Helios had been standing at the entrance to the King’s bedchamber, waiting to discuss a matter of urgency with the King, but all he was hearing were the never ending giggles of plenty women.

A beautiful honey skin lady with honey brown eyes opened the door halfway and threw a long, lazy glare at Helios. “You’re fond of interrupting the King’s entertainment time. What do you need?”

“This is no time for entertainment, Camilla. I need to discuss with the King. And you… what were you doing in there?” Helios asked, clenching his sharp teeth and flaring his nostrils when he saw that Camilla was wearing a flimsy see-through dress that exposed her round bosoms. Her dazzling brown hair gently swayed along with her hips as she walked forward giggling, letting the heavy door to slammed behind her roughly.

Helios grabbed and pulled her by the waist until she was close enough for him to smell her breath which had a thick and heavy intoxicating smell like fermented grapes mixed with vinegar. “You’re very much wasted, what did you do with the King I said?” He asked again. This time he was much angrier. His dark brows knitted together as he pulled down the veil from around her neck and spread it over her bosoms. The corridor was long and empty, filled with only the King’s laughter above a faltering music and faint giggling noises.

“We were only dancing to entertain the King. Are you jealous I may have to bed with another dragon tonight?” She asked jokingly. It was a wrong time for her to joke about such matters.

Helios raised a long finger and pushed a hair strand away from her face, his height towering over her like a canopy. His eyes blazed like molten magma as he gripped her arm fiercely and ran his bony fingers into her hair, stopping at the nape of her neck. “You know me very well, Camilla. I’m going to shred you to pieces and feed you to the vultures if you allow any dragon to touch you. Not even the King can have what belongs to me.” He threatened.

“Forgive my misbehavior.” Camilla said, flinching painfully because his fingers were poking her neck. He finally released his grip and she quickly regained composure. “The King is getting dressed and will be out at any moment. I’ll be waiting for you at the West Wing, there’s something I need to tell you.” She picked her dress up and hurried out of the corridor before the door swung open abruptly.

A stubby, ginger-haired King stood in a magnificent golden robe that glittered in the candle lights. He wore a sardonic look that caused his malevolent eyes to look as miserable as sin. His shoulders were so wide that the robe was failing to conceal his abundance of chest hair.

“What unpleasant situation may have forced you to disturb the King at this time? Make it brief and quick.” King Galileo grumbled.

“Your Grace.” Helios dropped on one knee and crossed his arms together to show respect to the King. “Your orders have been carried out, your Grace. However, it seems like the East Kingdom are willing to have the peace treaty with the West with or without the shaman. Our plan will be in shambles if we let the treaty to proceed.”

“Ah, matters beyond the wall again.” The King replied in a bored tone, clearly not interested in having a long discussion. “I expected you to take care of it with the council members. Now what have you and the commander proposed?”

“We are scouting three warriors to travel beyond the wall and do what needs to be done. We shall set off before dawn break, with your orders your Grace.”

“You have my orders. Stop the treaty from happening no matter what you have to do. You may leave now and discuss the strategy with the council members.” The King said, and then his figure vanished by the time Helios was back up to his feet.

It was nothing new to Helios. He was used to the King’s insolence. He walked out of the King’s residence and headed for the West Wing.

The night air at the West Wing of the Great castle of North Albon was always hazy with smoke coming from the weapon production factory. It was the largest Wing in the castle where swords were forged, arrows and war weapons were made. It was the Wing which the tenth King had dedicated to his fiercest dragon Warriors who had fought wars and rose through the ranks to win the golden banners.

Among the recently established hierarchy, Helios was second to the Chief commander, so it was only natural that warriors bow before him and feared his presence like a King.

Camilla was leaning on a dragon banner, waiting for Helios to arrive when she felt herself getting pulled into the dark alley. She knew who it was, so she obediently followed until they reached to the house that stood between the tall factory tower and the West Wing dungeon. Helios kicked the door open with his legs and entered his house and lit the candles with his breath.

“You kept me waiting for too long.” Camilla started grumbling, taking off her cloak as she hung it on the wooden hanger. “My feet are sore, I need a massage tonight…” She stopped talking when his pale-gold eyes met hers. Her gloves fell off and she walked across the floorboards and stood in front of him.

Helios scooped her up and carried her to his bedchamber where he dropped her on his iron bed and started to massage her toes. He treated her delicately as though he was not the same dragon that scared her at the King’s chamber.

“I will have my people keeping an eye on you.” He said, hardening his gaze on her. “Make sure to behave well and take care of yourself before I come back.”

“Are you travelling again?”

“I have a mission beyond the wall. It may take up to five or six days.”

“Take me with you this time. Living under the watchful eyes of the King is quite suffocating. I want to explore the world outside, see what’s over there, that makes you too attached.”

Helios stopped massaging the feet and used his knuckles to knock her on the head. “How is it possible for you to not know what is right or wrong, Camilla? You think a King’s woman can set a foot outside of this Kingdom? You chose to be a King’s woman, now face the consequences of your greed.”

Camilla muttered something under her breath, earning herself another knock. She kept silence, glaring at Helios while he continued massaging her feet. This time he was doing it roughly. He stopped again and grunted as he pulled her ankle forward, making her to flinch as she came face to face with him. “What was it you wanted to tell me?” He asked.

“Erm... I... l...” Camilla started stuttering nervously as she lowered her eyes down. “ I think the King is planning to take me in... as... his concubine.”