Conquered by the Dragon King (A Twisted Romance)

Chapter One- Ten Years Later.......

Ten years later……

Renata POV

“Renata, where the hell are you? Useless girl Come out at once!” A shrill voice reached me.

Peeking through the croaked slates of the vegetable cupboard, I prayed to the Lion God that the overbearing, horrid cook wouldn’t find my perfect hiding space. My feet blistered drawing blood and my hands felt raw. Any more washing they would c***k and welts would appear. It had taken me three weeks to get rid of the last ones, my chores ultimately made more painful. That deplorable woman wanted me to finish her chores. I scoffed, throwing my hand over my mouth, hoping I hadn’t exposed myself. The coast being clear I leaned back into the darkness and closed my eyes. I’d be damned if I did anything for that mean woman for she did nothing and reaped the benefits. The Duchess had made a dinner request, tonight she wanted the rabbit special. The problem being that the vile Dragon Stone Castle cook had no idea how to make the dish, I did. It had been a specialty in my Pride. My own mother had taught me my great aunts secret recipe that made the meat so tender and juicy. The broth thick and succulent. I'm not the cook, or even supposed to be in the kitchens, I am a slave maid.

A slave maid being the lowest form of slave in the castle. I washed the guest rooms, bathrooms and even the guests on occasions, which was as gross. To the Dragon Empire, I would always be a slave no matter my previous rank or even if I could be of use elsewhere. A slave is all I’d ever amount to, all they were willing to call me. Why? All because I wasn’t born in the Dragon Empire.

My Pride conquered or if you believe the retched rumours, destroyed due to traitorous activities against the precious Dragon Kingdom. Rolling my eyes, I listened to the cook desperately try to find me. At least she was in the right area this time. Maybe this wasn’t the last place she’d look.I held my breath and peaked out again.

The red pig nosed cook, Mrs K had fallen ill at the beginning of the summer and the Duchess had beheaded the assistant cook. For once the Duchess didn’t act out of just pure malice; it wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary for a slave or staff to be killed, sometimes on sight. I had been lucky that my own mishaps were punished less severely. Hetti had tried to poison the Duchess, not that I blamed her for trying, after all the Duchess killed her mother two weeks prior for spilling perfume on the rug in her room. What Hetti didn’t realise was that the Duchess's food was tested before she ate, I had been living in this castle for ten years, the slaves only knew what their chores were, I had accidentally found everything else out as the years dragged by. The Duchess hated among the slaves. Poisoning wasn't a surprise, hence the taster. The poor lackey that died was a surprise to Hetti. Mrs K ratted on her immediately. Thus the dragon b***h survived and poor Hetti died. Leaving no cook when Mrs K fell ill.

Being one of the lowest ranking slaves, the Butler personally appointed me to cook the Duchess's late night super. The hierarchy set and it didn’t matter if I c****d it up, the Duchess killing such a lowly slave was old news, clearly I am expendable. The whole thing fishy as I was set up to fail.

It irked the butler that I survived.

Apparently she enjoyed it so much that she now demanded it be prepared at least once every month. The cook trying her best to replicate and always coming short. The Duchess not being entirely pleased, leaving the cook exposed. Even staff born in the Dragon Empire were in danger once and awhile. Three times in the last six months I had been beaten into cooking the meal. Three times the Duchess had called upon the cook and three times the cook at be rewarded for my work while I was made to clear the dishes on top of my own cleaning chores.

Not tonight.

Tonight I would hide, not just because I didn’t want to help the horrid woman who enjoyed beating my already broken body, I was physically exhausted. I finished my own chores two hours earlier. The Butler too busy with the guests so my absence in the upper quarter would go unnoticed. Mimi, the head maid, a drunk, had given my tasks or chores and would only come out of her cupboard in the attic of the castle to complete her inspection.

This being the first time I had caught my breath this year and it had been a very long year. Especially as it is the Platinum year for Dragon King Drikira, a great feat to have ruled for 700 years undefeated in battle. Celebrations lasted for months which meant more Balls and parties, guests arriving and leaving whenever they pleased, more rooms being used and more disgusting nobles to deal with. Down time for slaves were rare. The Dragon kingdom believed that the only down time a slave should have was when they were dead.

Soon I would be called to the upper quarters to help the guests change into their evening gowns. A great Ball being hosted at the Duchess’s command or was it pleasure, for she was in glee at the news. The Duchesses engagement to the Dragon King being confirmed, although the arranged marriage agreed four years earlier, a date had yet to be set.

Rolling my eyes I thought of the despicable couple. The Duchess a vile, unyielding and unforgiving creature. The King; a merciless and blood thirsty master. I smirked, hoping that they would kill each other off and my mission complete without my own intervention.

“Renata”. A mouse like voice whispered into the cracks of my cupboard. “Mimi, she’s early, come quickly”. Nesta, a small mousey colour haired girl with big blue eyes frantically checked the kitchen in case Mrs K returned. Nesta being a girl from my Pride, not one that I had encountered before the battle, we were from different households. Nesta’s father was a warrior and had been killed instantly, her mother was a seamstress who had also been killed in the battle protecting her kids. The young girl before me was just six years old when they entered our Pride, she had clung on to me once we entered the castle, her big brother who was older than me, was never seen again. No one knew what happened to him. I was almost eight years old so we looked out for each other, we survived relying on each other for the last ten years.

I looked at Nesta through the slates, grime hiding her beauty except for her eyes. Every man was drawn to her eyes, it had become increasingly difficult to hide her from the disgusting nobles but we managed. “Hurry Renata”. I rolled by eyes and winced as my sore feet took my weight. I just wanted two minutes to myself, without being bothered. Without being hit on or spat at, I just wanted to be alone. The last ten years had been the worst of my life. The last ten years of my life hadn’t been my own.

I am a slave.

A slave to the people that slaughtered my own kind, my family. My life belonging to the Dragon people.

“Ok, Nes, I’m coming”. I slide out of the cupboard and gave her a reassuring smile. She looked so small and nervous.

“Don’t worry, I sorted out my chores and yours. You needed to rest, we haven’t had much to eat this week but I will try and get us something while they are serving the entrées”. I eyed the small girl in front of me.

I had given her my share of the food the week before, but the sickness hit her hard. We were barely clinging on to life, she needed to rest; medication would cure her but that was a luxury neither one of us could get our hands on. I would do anything for her, so I did. I completed her chores while she hid in the rooms and slept. Part of me hated trying to wake her, the other part was glad as I feared she would slip away in her sleep. We just needed to survive until I was eighteen, then I had a plan, a plan to get us out. Then I would enact my vengeance. We needed a couple more months. I prayed under my breath to the Lion God to give us that, Nesta didn’t belong here, I refused to accept I did either. Just a couple more months, my plan would work.