The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

The Cellar

HERA

There is a popular saying among the hags and mages of Averia.

That you go through life never knowing the decision that alters the course of your destiny, changing your life forever.

Well I knew mine.

And I know what you’re thinking but it wasn’t choosing to go to the capital in place of my mom the day my family was murdered.

It wasn’t even being sold out like a sack of greens to the man who was responsible for afore mentioned murder.

No, it wasn’t any of those things.

Instead it was the moment I decided to leap through the air, wrap my arms around his neck and sink my teeth into shoulder.

In hindsight I admit, it was a poor choice.

I should have bitten into his neck instead.

Did I know it was a pointless, foolhardy endeavor?

Of course I did. If one measly bite could have taken down the dragon king I am very sure King Avalon, all modesty aside, would have leaped on him himself in Averia.

Did I know it would drive him to nearly killing me that instant?

Well… I had been counting on it.

What I hadn’t known however, was just how much Midas loved to play with his food.

I glare at the one Midas had called Leo, the Chief Ryder standing at the foot of the bed dressed almost fully in amour save his helmet.

This, being led to the cellars was entirely his fault and as it turns out, anger is a good alternative to fear.

I slide down from the bed, leaving the covers behind, painfully aware of just how utterly exposed I am.

He looks away and I laugh bitterly.

“How thoughtful of you”

I stretch out my hands, ready for him to clasp cold iron chains around my wrists but he does not do that.

Instead, he takes me by the arm and leads me out of the King’s chambers. Our footsteps echo across the long dark empty halls, with their brick walls of grey stone lit by flaming torches and long purple carpets, soft against my bare feet.

He still does not look at me, deliberately averting his eyes when he notices me staring at him in spite. He leads me down a winding passage where the rug abruptly ends and I can feel the cold stones with each step.

“You will forgive me if my manners are less than adequate. As you might be aware, I am too busy being led to my death.”

He says nothing in response to my sarcasm, his grip on my hand not exactly gentle but at least he is not dragging me like a common thief.

He leads me down a flight of stairs and stops us at a simple wooden door, knocking sharply three times.

“I would have expected the cellar of the dragon kingdom to be a more fearsome affair”

It would appear being sent to prison has loosened my tongue considerably.

When he still says nothing, I get even angrier. “Your silence while irritating, surprises me. You seemed to have a lot to say about my fate in the king’s presence earlier.”

And for the first time he grunts out an answer. “Forgive me my queen he would have certainly killed you”

“And I suppose the place he has sent me broods for me a better fate.”

At this he has nothing more to say and bile rises in the back of my throat.

By death’s head on mop stick, just what exactly have I been condemned to?

The door opens and another Ryder appears, dressed head to toe in their black glistening amour, the emblem of the dragon kingdom etched on his chest and I fight the instinct to run.

The sight of them will never seize to make me tremble in fear.

The new one salutes him and ignores me.

The chief Ryder barks at him, managing to sound threatening without even raising his voice. “Have you lost your mind Garwith or does the sanctity of our realm so much elude you that you would show no respect to the King’s wife?”

The man shoots up to his full height, back ramrod straight before bowing low at the waist. “Forgive my impropriety, my Lady I did not recognize you.”

No one in the palace knows what I look like. I am almost certain half the dragon realm did not even know their King had gotten married.

To a human for that matter

I scoff. “I am about to be led to prison Garwith, I think your impropriety is the very least of my worries.”

If he is thrown or perplexed by my ill manners and overall general situation, he hides it well.

Leo is the one who speaks to him. “Fetch me a tunic.” And he disappears behind the door once more.

“Your concern for my honor is very touching.”

“You need something to wear. You are nearly…”

I let out another bitter bark of laughter. “Well, we all know who to thank for that.’

He goes rigid beside me, is voice taking on a steel edge. “You will speak about his majesty with respect”

“Or what Chief Ryder…you will finish his work for him?” I am surprised to find that I couldn’t have cared less if I tried.

Luckily, before I could run myself head first into even more dire situations, the door open once more and Garwith reappears, a single brown tunic more sack than clothing draped upon his arm.

Leo, sending him off, hands it to me and I snatch it from his hands.

As I put it on however, the simple shirt falling to barely cover my thighs with its scratchy material reminding me of what I used to wear before this accursed arrangement, I am instantly grateful to no longer have my entire body out on display.

But I would much sooner chew off my own tongue and throw myself into a vat of boiling lard than I would show gratitude to any one of them

Taking my arm again, Leo leads us past the door and to the left. We come to an iron door, a guard standing with a tall curving spear standing beside it.

The guard snaps to attention and without a word opens the heavy doors and I realize we are standing the top of narrow winding steps leading down to a deep darkness below.

He guides me down the treacherous stairs holding up a torch he has taken from the wall, the air getting colder with every step and my fear returning with such force that I have to bite my lips to keep from bursting into tears.

I am not sure what scares me more, maybe it’s the burning torches getting fewer and far between so that each step we take is darker than the next or maybe it’s the complete and almost utter silence, a silence so absolute in its hopelessness that I am scared to my very bones.

After what seems like an eternity, we come to the foot of the steps and I notice a light ahead

Leo’s whisper breaks through the fog of fear around my head. “My queen…I need you to trust me”

“Trust the man about to lead me to certain doom, what a delightful idea. What’s next, will the executioner be coming to sing me to sleep?”

He stops abruptly, turning me to face him. “The dragon King is not a very forgiving man and he is very easy to anger but maybe by tomorrow, he might reconsider this sentence. For that to happen, You need to alive.”

The urgency in his tone has my heart banging at my chest and stare silently at him, eyes wide with trepidation

“I need you to listen very carefully There are blocked tunnels beyond the cells filled with boulder and nooks and crevices. None of which lead anywhere but are small and dark enough that one such as her grace could hide.”

“Why would I need to hide?”

We are now close to a set of iron grates, and I can see two guards, more giants than dragon Ryders. Their faces a mess of scars and long beards, two swords strapped to their backs.

He ignores my question, the urgency in his voice increasing as we approach the guards. “When the clock strikes three times come midnight, you are to run to one of those tunnels, without a second’s hesitation and no matter what you hear, hide there till the bell strikes again to signal the morning’s dawn.”

“What are you saying, what is going to happen?” I don’t even bother to hide the panic in my voice.

One of the guards has seen us and he leaves his post, beginning to advance towards us.

“Just do as I have said and if the god’s will it, you shall see another day.”

The guard is here now but I don’t care. I grab unto Leo’s arm, frantic and afraid more than I had ever been in my life.

“No, don’t do this…”

“It is the King’s orders and they must be obeyed.

I’m crying now, hysterical. “No, No!…please! You can’t do this!!”

The giant pulls me off him and I struggle in the air, legs and arms flailing, fingers finding purchase in the skin of the giants face and clawing till I draw blood but it’s no use.

The heavy grates rise with a loud creaking sound and I fight even harder but it is no use and the giant carries me in. The last thing I see, illuminated by the flames of the burning torch in his hand, is the face of Leo.

Completely devoid of any expression.

When the guard tosses me into a cell and locks the door behind him, I am completely beside myself with grief and fear. I quickly scramble into a corner of the almost entirely dark space, making as little noise as possible.

While I might want to scream and cry, I know it will do me no good to draw attention to myself.

While I had seen other cells from my upside down position on the giant’s shoulder and caught glimpses of fearsome faces, as far as I could tell I did not share this cell with any creature besides myself.

The minutes dragged like they tend to do when one is afraid of some far of danger and as I sat in the corner barely daring to breathe, I wondered what Leo had meant. Could he have been mistaken?

The iron bars in front of my cell certainly meant I would not be going anywhere, and unless there was some secret passage behind hidden underneath my straw mat, there were no tunnels in sight.

Maybe he is wrong, maybe Midas had instructed him to say all those things and nearly kill me with fright.

But when the bells struck twelve it all became clear and whatever shred of courage I have left disintegrated like a dry leaves in a fire.

It was the most terrible sound a tiny vulnerable woman in a cell filled with vicious blood thirsty criminals could hear.

Loud and screeching, the sound stiff hinges makes when they have not been oiled for a very long time.

The sound of all the cell doors opening at the same time.

At first there is utter silence and then…the noises begin.

Blood curdling screams and the sound of bones cracking reach my ears. The inmates were attacking each other.

I consider staying in my cell, cowering in a darkened corner.

But I had seen the eyes that had followed my arrival and if I stayed here they would come and heavens knew what they would do.

I gather myself and stifling my sobs begin to creep to entrance of my cell but I am too late, dark shadows fall across the cell floor.

A leer too horrible for words is etched on the face of the man leading the pack as he advances towards me.

“Well what do we have here?”

I scramble backwards slowly, my palms scraping against the dirt packed floor but soon there is no where left to go and my back hits the wall.

I close my eyes as he crouches inches from me, his fetid breath hot against my face.

Gods above…is this to be my end?

He grabs me, pulling me under him and I scream, kicking and crying but I am no match for him.

“It’s been too long, I am going to enjoy every second…”

Then suddenly the weight is gone and something warm and liquid splashes against my face and the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth

But the blood splattered across my face isn’t mine and the when next I dare to look, fearfully opening one lid at a time.

My small cell is littered with the dead body of the men who had tried to attack me.

But I barely see them.

All my attention is focused elsewhere.

The brightest thing in that dark cold space are his eyes.

The bright angry red of a welder’s forge and the color of fire.

I run into his arms