The Dragon And His Witch

NINE

The next morning, Drystan woke up from his sleep in a sour mood. He did not know why he was suddenly so bitter but then he remembered his conversation with Seraphina from the previous night. And all his pent up rage returned to him.

He knew she hadn't revealed everything yet, but seeing the way even talking about her past made her look like she was trapped without an escape, caused him to wish to go back to Elyandria and set everyone, responsible for her pain, on fire.

The way her lips trembled and the way her eyes were overtaken by fear had made her want to pull her into his arms and hold her until all of her pain resolved to dust. He wanted to do everything in his power to make her happy.

And that feeling was so strange for him because he had never felt so protective over anyone but his siblings. But seeing Seraphina had shaken the very foundation his beliefs stood on.

Shaking his head, he stood up before looking around. He had slept in his brother's room last night. It was on the second floor of the cabin and overlooked the waterfall outside.

He sighed as he pulled on a thick robe over his bare chest and the leather pants he had worn since yesterday. He then picked up his glass of wine from the night before and walked over to the large window panel in the wall.

He looked out and frowned at what he saw.

Immediately, the Dragon King was making his way out of his room and down the stairs before rushing out of the house.

Seraphina sat on the rocks facing the falling water, dressed in a gown that Drystan had left out for her the previous night after she had gone to sleep.

Her eyes were on the water, as she sat with her legs placed on a rock below the one she was sitting on. Her back was straightened — as more of a force of habit than anything — while her hands were resting in her lap.

She did not notice him until he was standing a few steps away from her.

Slowly, she turned her head and he felt like he wasn't breathing anymore.

She looked ethereal. Her hair was flowing freely down till her lower back, free of any restraints. She wasn't wearing any jewelry aside from the ring he had put on her, and to his surprise, she had shifted it to the ring finger on her left hand.

He didn't know why, but that brought him happiness.

She cleared her throat, gaining his attention again. "Sorry, I woke up early so I thought I would come here to sit. It was looking peaceful." She told him in a sheepish way.

He nodded his head, "it's alright, Seraphina. You are free to do what you please. I wouldn't mind as long as you're safe."

She gave him a short smile and that was that.

He stood there for a moment before walking back inside. Seraphina thought that he was gone but then he returned with what looked to be a shawl in his hand. She looked at him quizzically and he cleared his throat.

"It's quite brisk here for you, so I thought..." He trailed off and she was touched by his gesture as she took the shawl from his hands and wrapped it around herself.

"Thank you, Drystan." She said gratefully.

He stood there for a few moments, trying to find something to speak. He wanted to talk to her, somehow her company had become too important for the male.

But when he realized that he did not have much to talk about and she was not going to be saying anything, he sighed and was about to turn away when she spoke up.

"When are we leaving for your kingdom?" She asked him with a hint of sorrow and something else in her voice that he couldn't quite place.

"Whenever you're feeling better again, Seraphina." His reply was answered by a short sigh.

"I feel better now, if you want, we could leave today."

He gave her a sad smile, "why do I get the feeling that you don't wish to see my kingdom, wife?" He asked her gently. "I told you, I won't let anything happen to you. Then why this sorrow?"

Seraphina looked down to her hands, "I just...I don't know anything about your kingdom. I don't even know if the people would accept a witch queen or if the court will. I'm clueless and I have no place to call home."

Drystan realized what she was going through as he walked to stand closer to her, "would you mind if I sit here?" He asked pointing to the space beside her on the rock she was sitting upon.

She was a little amused at his manners as she shook her head and shifted to the side to give him more space as he climbed on a small rock and came to sit beside her. He was towering over her small frame but somehow, she felt comforted by his presence.

"Ask me." He said simply.

She furrowed her brows as she looked at him, "ask you want?"

He met her green eyes filled with confusion and then he smiled at her. "Anything you would like to know about our kingdom. I'll tell you everything and I'm hoping that doing so would make you feel a little confident about it. But if not, we can always just stay here and not go back." He said with a shrug.

Her eyes widened at that, "you would actually do that?" She asked referring to the last part of his offer.

He snorted, "well, I would have to keep going to and forth between the main city and here, but I think I can manage." He stated casually, as if he hadn't just told her that he would allow her to never go inside his kingdom for her entire life. "And besides, you'll be safe here. All of your needs will be taken care of and—"

"Stop." Seraphina protested with a troubled expression. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

He looked at her with confusion, "why wouldn't I be?" He asked gently, "you haven't done anything to deserve my hostility and you're my wife, why would I ever be cruel to you?"

"What if I use my magic against you some day?" She asked curiously. There was no ulterior motive to her words, she just wanted to see what he would reply to that.

Drystan shrugged, "you don't seem to me as someone who would ever do anything without a good reason. So, I'd say that if you ever use your magic against me, it will probably be because I gave you a reason to do so. And in that situation, I want you to know, that I won't be holding you accountable for my own actions."

Seraphina was stunned by him for a moment. She just sat there, looking at him. His raven curls were brushing against his forehead, his face was relaxed as he gazed at the water below them, and when he looked up at her, his violet eyes were filled with nothing but sincerity that she had seen since the moment she met him.

His words reminded her of something that her father used to say:

'A man who takes responsibility for his actions and does not project his demons on those around him, is a man who can be trusted to do the right thing in the wrong situations.'

Seraphina shook her head, realizing that they had been staring at each other for a few long moments as she looked back at the rippling water.

"I know you have many doubts about me, Seraphina." He murmured to her with a comforting timbre to his voice, "but you have to give me a chance to clear all of them. You have to at least let me try to show you that I'm not as bad as everyone makes me out to be."

She was quiet for a few moments to reply, "you know, growing up, when I began to realizing my powers, it was not long before people around me realized it too. And from then on, all anyone would talk about was how the Dragon Kings would react if they sensed my presence. And then, you did." She breathed looking at him with an unreadable expression, "you somehow found out about my powers and asked for me to come to your kingdom to learn. No one knew why you would make such an offer because you hadn't given us a reason. So, tales of your brutality during the War grew around me, people began assuming why you wanted me, and I began to get more and more scared each day. You were always painted to me as a monster, Drystan. Someone who would destroy me and my kingdom."

Drystan looked down at his hands, fidgeting with the silver rings on his fingers, trying not to make it evident how much her words had affected him.

"But," she breathed and that made him look up, "since yesterday, there have been endless moments when you have made me question everything that I was made to believe about you. You have given me a promise and I know how much those mean to you. You saved me from dying by falling into the ocean. You protected me from being poisoned by silver. And you haven't been anything but respectful. So yes, I am willing to give you a chance to tell me the truth about who you really are. I've grown up listening to rumours about you from the mouths of those who were scared of you. I need you to show me who you really are. And only then, will I make any judgements."

Drystan did not know what came over him as her words made a wide smile appear on his lips. It was as if he had won the greatest conquest in the world and seeing him so happy made her heart race. She had never seen a more beautiful sight.

"I am so glad that you're doing this, Seraphina. I promise you that you won't regret giving me this chance." He told her before he caught her staring and looked at her raising his brow, "what is it?"

She cleared her throat and looked back at the water, shyly shaking her head. "Nothing." She told him and he nodded. The two of them sat beside each other in comfortable silence as the sounds of the wilderness surrounded them.

Seraphina was glad to have the liberty of talking to someone after so long. She couldn't even remember the last time she had spoken so many words at once.

Drystan was happy, for once. For the last few days, he had been worried out of his mind about the outcome of his wedding with her. But now, things seemed a little better than before.

"I have to tell you, though..." She breathed, sounding nervous as he looked down at her with furrowed brows, encouraging her to speak, "you will have to forgive me if it takes me some time to build my trust on everything around me. I have had it broken by a lot of people so I have to confess that it will take some time before I can learn how to trust someone again."

Drystan gave her a sad smile at that. "I expect nothing less, wife. Take as much time as you need." He told her softly.

She nodded her head before putting forward her hand, making him look at it with confusion. "It's a bargain, husband." She said softly.

He smiled again, nodding his head and shaking her hand. He savoured the feeling of holding her hand for a moment before she gave him a short smile and retracted her hand.

"Now you can tell me all about your kingdom."