Dragon's Sorceress Queen

10. Ma

Rosabella-

"Mmm..." 

I stir in my sleep feeling slight, soft pats of fingertips on my back. I feel a few little dabs before a soft caress on my skin. It is soft and ticklish. As soon as the hand reaches my lower back and I feel a little giddy, I get on my side to turn on my back.

"Rose, no." Two hands stop me and push me back on my stomach but I recognize the voice well. My eyes flutter open and I get on my elbows to look at Nina. She is sitting on the bed with a bottle of oil by her side with her fingertips glistening with the oil. Suddenly, all the memories from last night tumble upon me and I fall flat on the bed with a sigh.

"Good Morning." Nina greets and I groan.

"No morning is ever going to be good for me here, Nina." 

"I'm sure we can change that but care to tell me what... you did to yourself?" She asks discreetly asking me to clear her doubt. She was here when Dargan asked her to leave. Of course, she'd doubt if it's his doing.  

"Long story, Nina," I say before getting up and letting her instruct me for the day ahead while sharing my latest memory with the Alpha King.

***

I walk down the corridor with Nina a little behind me. It's time for breakfast and after that, I'll have the pleasure to meet the lady who can make the arrogant Dargan submit to her.

Ah! I'm so excited to meet her!

As I turn to my left, I see Eleanor coming with her personal helper right behind her. She meets my gaze and I offer her a smile. She doesn't smile but at least she doesn't glare at me as well.

"Rose..." Nina whispers but I smile at her. 

I know she is doubtful of what to expect from this encounter, but I can be friends with Eleanor. She can't be that bad now.

"Queen Rosabelle." Eleanor does courtesy and I smile at her.

"We can overlook the formalities, Princess Eleanor. Also, I'm afraid you got my name wrong. It's Rosabella. I'd like it if you call me just that as well." I say.

"I can surely do that, Rosabelle, but I'm not sure if it'd be appropriate to use your maiden name now. I suggest you stay aware of the happenings around you or they'll catch you by surprise like it just did now." She says making my eyebrows crease.

"I'll take a leave now. I believe you can have a better company. Though I assure you, you can ask for me anytime." She says before doing a courtesy one last time and leaving.

"I didn't understand anything," Nina says and I nod in agreement.

"It seemed that she was nicer to me than yesterday but it was kind of forced, don't you think?" I ask Nina.

"Yes. I thought so too." She says and we continue our way to the great room.

As I look down below at my side, I see Dargan halting his discussion and looking at me. I suddenly get scared of his intense gaze but also feel a little hot remembering the dress he saw me in and our moments before he ruined everything.

"Go to him, Rose. I know he hurt you but I believe he'll figure out the truth soon." Nina says and I resist myself from making a face. Everyone is looking at me right now. I need to behave.

"Only if he starts trusting me more than that letter," I mutter making sure to keep my voice low or else these wolves will hear me. Good thing there is light music playing in the background.

"It'll be alright, Rose," Nina says before stepping aside and vanishing behind the curtains. As the staircase is at the side and not the first thing you'd see entering the great room, the curtains hanging do justice in hiding everything that comes after the end of the steps.

I see Dargan stepping towards the steps and I make my way down the huge staircase. From what I know, the only man allowed in the wing is Dargan and the noblemen only have access to the great room. This place is protected from the outside to give us the desired privacy. At least it is better than what our ancestors did. They had the men go eunuchs.

As I walk down the stairs, Dargan waits for me patiently while eating me through his eyes. 

Once I reach down, his hand comes around my waist and he leans down to me.

"You seem you are doing good after last night. You don't feel any pain now, do you?" He says and I gasp knowing that others have heard it as well, and I know very well what idea they might get. I glare at him resisting myself from uttering any profanities with everyone else in earshot.

We soon join the others where the noblemen are greeting me as, "Queen Rosabelle" and when I try to correct them, Dargan always pinches me as a warning. His eyes tell me enough to make me stay put.

"Hi, Roald." I greet him without any formalities. I think Roald is a nice man. He is even young and I hope it'll be easy to get along with him than all the other elder men here, especially when Dargan is away talking to someone else. 

"Hello, Queen Rosabelle. I hope you are enjoying your very first day here in the Kingdom." He says bowing.

"Let go of the formalities, Roald. I think you are not that old. We are of the same age, and I feel a little weird when you call me that." 

"I'm afraid, Alpha won't like that, but I can surely let go of the formal greetings." He says chuckling.

"Oh, that'll do just fine," I say in the same tone.

"So, do you know why everyone has suddenly forgotten my name? I mean I was introduced yesterday as Rosabella and now, they keep calling me Rosabelle." I ask him.

"Oh, you don't know? Alpha has made it clear that along with your maiden last name, your first name won't be the same as well. You are the queen of the Royal Kingdom and you'll be known as Queen Rosabelle Dargan. The news has been spread among the ministers and it'll be spread among the whole Kingdom as well during your meeting with Ma." He says and I take in everything with a  frown on my face.

He even changed my name without my consent. What could be the reason for that? Ugh! This family is insane!

"I'm sorry you had to know about it like that but I assure you, he might have done that for a reason. He never does anything unnecessarily." Roald says and I just smile at him.

"You thought I knew about this, right?" I ask him because no one would do anything like this without their wife's knowledge.

"Yes, honestly." He says with tight lips.

I'll deal with that later. There is nothing Roald can do in that but I might as well get the information for what I plan to do.

"How does the patrol work, Roald?" I ask him.

"There is no need for the queen to be worried about the patrol. My Kingdom has the best combatants and I assure you... I'll personally take care of your safety." Dargan's voice interrupts our discussion and I try to compose my disappointment.

"I do not doubt that at all, my King," I say acting normal.  

Great time to interrupt me, Dargan!

The breakfast went well. Like any other typical one. Though I would've rather enjoyed it with Nina, it's my first day. 

Now, it's time to meet my mother-in-law.

Nina can't accompany me but neither the guards can. I walk with Dargan alone. He grabs my palm in a firm grip and leads me outside the castle door, out in the big opening. We walk under the shade of the trees as I see many other buildings built on the land. I haven't been everywhere but I can recognize where the throne room is. 

"Did your mother approve of your sudden decision to marry me?" It'll be good if I know how much effort I need to put in to impress her.

"She brought me the proposal." He says shocking me.

"Really?" He doesn't answer to that.

We take another turn and passing the pacing combatants outside a dome-shaped room.

"That's the drinking area where men usually discuss and like to sit together," Dargan answers my unasked question.

I see ahead of me and the very last wall of the castle come into my view. We have long passed the buildings and I notice that there weren't any men guarding this area as well. It's like for them, the castle ended there itself. 

"Where are we going?" I ask him while measuring the wall with my eyes. It is huge and seems like it is going to fall upon us, but I figure it has been built that way.

"To meet Ma," Dargan says before placing his plan flat on the wall. I notice a silver chain around his palm and frown but instantly the frown gets replaced by wide eyes as I see a part of the wall backing away to the side like a door. 

"Wow!" I let out involuntarily and see him giving me a smug look.

But how is he holding a silver chain around his palm? That is supposed to hurt him.

Dargan pulls me in and shuts the door... wall. A soft light glows at the edges and the piece becomes the wall again. It's like it was never a door.

"How did you do..." I ask but stop as the dark shadow dawns upon me. It's so dark here.

"You'll never know." I frown at his response to my unasked question but look at the little entrance in front of me. Passing this wall feels like entering the nighttime. There is a high ceiling and no open sky. Several mashaals are stuck up at the wall and they are the only source of light.

We enter through the already opened door.

Not like there would be any use in locking it when a huge wall already stands tall in front of it.

 "Your mother likes to stay in dark..." I again halt when I see the beauty inside. The theme seems to be blue and white. Nothing is dark inside. The walls are off white. It's spacious with less furniture and the floor doesn't have any marbles. It's all sand, simple land. 

I feel the wind swirl around me and I turn at my back. 

What is happening? There is no open sky here. Where is this wind coming from? 

We take a turn and I take my statement back. There is not less furniture but NO furniture at all. There is no floor and there are several plants popping from the land. I walk through them while balling my gown in one hand. 

His mother definitely has some different tastes. A house with plants all around and no furniture?  

"Remove your footwear," Dargan says and we walk ahead through the corridor while feeling cool sand under my bare feet. 

"Ow!" 

Ah, it's not all sand after all. There are pebbles mixed. 

Dargan frowns before lifting me in his arms.

"I can walk!" I say surprised by his actions.

"I can't afford to get late."

"Afraid of Ma?" I ask taking the liberty of calling her 'Ma.'

"I would say compliant." He says meeting my gaze and I back away a little. I think it's easier to talk to him while he isn't looking at me. Meeting his gaze makes me realize that it is actually him I'm talking to... and I... I get nervous, I guess.

"You have the right to defend." I shrug looking away.

"I am not defending. I'm stating the truth." He says.

"You can accept the truth, Dargan. Remember you vowed to be truthful?" I say raising my eyebrows. Annoying him is a really good habit to have, I suppose. It'll keep you entertained, but only if you are his wife, or else you are dead.     

"I'm not afraid of anyone." He says with a growl this time.

"Admit it. You are afraid of your mother. There is no need to be embarrassed. Every mother can whoop her child's ass no matter their age, so one should actually be afraid." I say before his hand disappears from under my thighs and I get pinned to the wall. His lips come crashing down on me and I gasp at how rough he gets. 

He plays a battle with my tongue that gets assaulted by him. He holds my jaw tight and swipes his tongue on my lips. He bites my lower lip before tending to it but chewing on it softly. 

I remain in a daze even after he pulls away but I manage to look at him while expecting an explanation.

"You ask too many questions. Learn to stay quiet." He says before lifting me up again. 

 I stay silent with a heart beating widely before realizing that he has stopped and we are in a big room. The plants growing from the land are the only thing that remains the same. Other than that, there is a library and many small pillars that hold water on top of them. The lighting is dim and there is a small pool as well. There are tables with different ingredients and things I don't know.

The most intriguing thing though, I see a figure behind a sheet in front of me. I instantly think of her as Ma. 

I can't see her now as well?        

"Hello, my child. I've been waiting to meet you."