Dragon's Sorceress Queen

11. Selfish Reason and Foolish Custom

Rosabella-

"Hello, my child. I've been waiting to meet you." A soothing voice comes from behind the curtain and I already imagine a beautiful woman standing behind it. 

 "My greetings, Ma." I bow my head awkwardly as I'm still in Dargan's arms.

"Put me down!" I say in a low voice and he puts me down before swiftly making his way to the opposite side. I see him disappearing behind the sheet and forming a shadow. I see him kneel and touch his mother's feet while placing his sword at the side. I just catch the scene unfold in front of me with surprise.

I need to touch her feet as well. She has him under him!

I see her hand settling on top of his bowed head but something tells me that she is looking at me. 

Am I supposed to do the same?

I stand with my head bowed not sure what to do.

"Raise your head, my child. Dargan has formed this habit over years. You see, I didn't teach him to bow in front of anyone but I did give him the freedom to choose his own God. I hope you understand that he isn't afraid of anyone, he just chooses to respect me above anyone." She says and I feel my breath stuck in my throat. 

Too much for having a good first impression! She is talking about what I had said.

Though she said it with a calm voice, her words still pierced through me. 

"I do, Ma. I was merely jesting." I say looking straight ahead. She asked me to keep my head high, and I'd continue doing so. I can't have her think of me as a weakling after I've upset her just now.

"I'm happy that you are getting along. It's very important." She says while Dargan comes to my side with a poker face.

"You see, Rosabelle, I'm sure you have questions about this marriage. I'm certain this all came to you as a surprise but the same happened with Dargan. You might not know, but it's for your own safety." She says 

She is saying the same thing my parents had said.

"I won't deny though that I've my own reasons for agreeing to this. You might not have a wolf but that doesn't make you any less strong. You just need to find yourself and your true strength." She says with confidence.

"How can you be so sure?" I ask her.

"Just think of us closely relative. I want to help you and let you be a free being." She says.

"If you can teach me to be free then why do you hide?" The words leave me before I could stop them. I gasp and turn to look at Dargan who is clearly pissed.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to... I was merely curious." I say.

"It's okay but you must understand that I might lack something that doesn't allow me to come before the world." She says calmly.

"What do you mean? I just know that I'm different and we've never seen someone like me before. I don't have a wolf and that is all there is to it." I say not wanting to talk about this more, but I also know that my mother has no wolf as well.

"You are different from the species here but not unwonted or uncommon. You are not something impossible, you are just mystic to the world's eyes." She says.

I stay quiet for a few seconds just deeply thinking and trying to make sense of everything she is saying. 

"Are you mystic to the world's eyes as well? Is that why you stay in hiding? You think we are the same?"  I ask her.

"I have my doubts about what are your strengths. We'll need to check that." She says.

"What is your reason for marrying me to your son?" I ask her straight.

"You have something important, but I doubt you even know about it. I want you to find your true self." She says.

"Why care so much about me?" I need to know her real intentions. No one is caring enough to help you without expecting anything in return.

"As I said, you have something important. Unless you know your true self, you won't know what it is. I lack that important thing and I want to help you. Unless you know what it is, you won't know its importance." She says.

"So in short, you want me to find it so that it can benefit you ultimately," I state.    

"I won't deny that I have a reason behind helping you, but there is no harm to anyone but only benefit. You get to know who you are and the benefits of it." She says.

"I don't understand all this," I admit. 

I feel like my head is about to burst!

"It's alright. Just know that I'm here to help." She says.

"Don't mind me, but I think if there was anything so important about me, my parents would have brought it before me," I say.

"Why do you think they agreed to your marriage with my son? They want to protect you, don't they?" She says and I realize she is right.

Father did say that they want to protect me and that they wish I never know the reason behind it.

"I don't know whether you are aware or not, but the truth about your mother's wolf is that she doesn't have a wolf. Your father has been successful in protecting her and now, you as well. I just want you to be free and not always remain in hiding like me. Of course, I'm doing it for my own benefit as well." She says and I take a deep breath.

I had thought this would be a simple meeting with my mother-in-law but it seems to be more than just that. A lot more than that.

"My mother doesn't have a wolf. I'm aware of that." I admit.

"Well, there you know that I'm telling you the truth. I hope I have won at least a little trust. We might be more alike than your think, but as I had said, I'd have to check that." She says.

"What if I'm not someone you expect me to be?" I ask one last question.

She has shared more than enough information with me. What if I'm not what she thinks?

"It won't matter. You have the right to know the truth being Leena's daughter." She says.

Does she know my mother?

"So, I need to figure out a few things about you first. I have to perform a ritual." She says and I hesitate.

What kind of ritual?

"What are you going to do?" I ask her.

"You must follow what I say." She says and emerges out of the sheet. Her face is covered with a metal case and a beautiful, simple white dress adore her.

She can't be his mother! She looks of my age! Damn, she is beautiful.

I look at her in awe. Though I can't see her face, her hair is beautiful and she seems to be beautiful.

"What is it that you want me to do?" I ask. There is no harm in trying the ritual.

"Undress." 

I frown at her words while she casually moves to the front of the pool and sits at its side. She dips her index finger in the small pool and swirls it in the water while I stand there rooted at my place.

"Umm... what?" I ask.

"I said, undress." She repeats and instantly I feel a strike at my pride and I take two steps back. 

What nonsense is this?!

"What? I'm not doing any such thing." I say calmly.

"You need to, Rosabelle. I'm afraid you need to. This is more important to me than you. Just follow along." She says and I control myself from letting out my anger.

"I'm doing no such thing!" I say aloud and she looks at Dargan.

I turn my head to Dargan who is standing just beside me.

"Just do what is said, Rosabelle. You have already asked too many questions for my liking." He says and I look at both of them.

This family is truly insane!

"I'm not getting naked here!" I say making myself clear before he suddenly holds my hand and drags me out of the room without caring that I'm barefoot and getting pierced by some really sharp stones.

When we come far enough from his mother, he pushes me against a wall and holds my hands above my head with one hand. His other hand slips to my back while I try to wiggle out of his grip. He pulls at the strings of my gown and I yell at him.

"Dargan, leave me!" 

"SHUT UP!" He roars making me flinch. I just want to hide away from him, go far from him. I can't handle him near me when he is this angry and scary. I can't look straight into his eyes while he has control. I can't challenge him when I do not even have any idea what he can do to make me submit. 

"You do as she says. Strip and get inside the water. Do not make her repeat and do as I just said."

"I won't get naked in front of you or your mother!" I yell and he hits his fist against the wall. 

"Do you really think you have a choice in this? You know you can't go anywhere. Just do as you are told." He says grabbing my jaw while tears stream down my cheeks.

"Why does she want me to get undressed?" I ask him crying while he looks at me with angry eyes, annoyed.

"If you have a problem with me, I'll stay outside." He suddenly says and hoists me over his shoulder. 

"Dargan, please. It's weird." I plead with him but he drops me in front of his mother. Like literally in front of her.

"I'll be outside, Ma." He bows in front of her. I ignore the fact of him being so submissive to his mother and rather wrap my hands around his waist.

"Dargan, please, I don't want to do this," I say in his chest. I don't know why am I even asking him for help. Just before we arrived here, I didn't want to be even in the same room as him and now I'm clinging to him for my dear life. 

"Bella, stop. I'll be outside. It's just her. Just get inside the water, you'll be covered." He says holding me to him. He is assuring me but that is not enough. I want him to get me out of here, away from his mother. I know he can do that. I want him to do that for the sake of every moment we have spent together.

"I don't want to be alone with her."

"Then you'll need to strip in my presence." He says coldly. 

Ha! How foolish of me to expect anything from him? Why did I hope that he'd listen to me, a girl he married a day ago? He even married me because she had asked him to.  

I unwrap my hands from around him and take a step back. I sit down on the floor, partly because my legs couldn't take it anymore and I do not want to face any of them. I hold my loose dress to my chest, preventing it from coming off due to the pulled strings at my back.

"I'll be outside." I hear him say and feel his hand on top of my head like I'm his pet wolf.

He gets out of my sight and probably out of the room because I hear his mother speak next.

"Get inside the water, Rosabelle. Get rid of your clothes." She says.

"What if I don't?" I say looking at her and that's when she stops doing whatever she was and turns to me.

"I'm not that calm with everyone, Rosabelle. I don't like to repeat as well. It's either you do it or I shall force my son to help you." She says and I instantly change my opinion of her being a sweet lady. 

You don't have any way out of this, Rose. Just get this over with.