Page 59 of The Dragon Maiden

Dracul looked at me, his eyes pleading with me to understand. “I was unable to take the title of High Dragon Lord without a Maiden,” he said. “Lying and saying I had the ring was the best way to move forward. Any delay in the process and Borthen could have easily gained support for becoming High Dragon Lord himself. And then when I found out he actuallyhadfound the ring, I knew there was no time to waste. I needed to have it in my possession.”

“Then what was the point of appointing me as your Dragon Maiden?” I asked.

He came and knelt in front of me, reminding me of that time so long ago when he consoled my worries about the Dragon Maiden ceremony. “You mean so much to me, Valora, more than words can express,” he said softly.

My breath caught in my throat. The tenderness in his expression and the heat from his eyes weakened my resolve, and I could feel myself leaning towards him.

Gently, he took my hands in his. “Ever since you came here, I’ve felt a connection to you, something I never even hoped to experience. I hope you know me well enough by now to know that I keep my word and that when I say that I never meant to hurt you, I mean it.”

“I… I…” I wanted to say I did not believe him, the words were on the tip of my tongue, but they just would not come out.

Dracul’s expression turned intense, heat rolling off him. In a fluid movement, he leaned forward, capturing my lips with his. There was an urgency yet softness to his kiss as he gently pulled me towards him, his arms circling my waist. After the initial shock, I could feel my body yielding to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. The heat that I felt so often around him flared up into a blaze. Now my feelings were staring me in the face and I could no longer ignore them. I had fallen in love with the High Dragon Lord and it seemed he harbored the same feelings for me. The thought made me giddy and lightheaded.

After a few moments, he pulled away, his chest rising and falling rapidly. It seemed the kiss affected him as much as it did me. I could tell my cheeks were flushed.

“I’m sorry,” he said, putting a hand to his head.

Mischievousness rose up within me. “Why?” I asked. “Because you stopped?”

His eyes darkened with lust as he tried to hold back a grin. “For getting carried away,” he said. “Now was not the right moment.” From his uncertain expression, I could tell he was nervous about how I interpreted his actions.

I grabbed the lapel of his robes, pulling him towards me, crushing our lips together. I could feel him stiffen in surprise before his body loosened and he dragged a hand through my hair. The feeling was exquisite.

Eventually, I pulled away, my eyes searching his face. “Well?” I asked when it did not seem like he would say anything.

Dracul rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. “I wasn’t expecting that,” he admitted. “Though I am doing my best to hold back right now, I don’t think your brother appreciates the display. Not to mention, we still have topics to discuss.”

I looked to Ronan, having completely forgotten about him, a stricken expression on my face.

He stared at both of us in shock before shaking his head. “I suppose if you can forgive him enough to kiss him, then I guess I don’t have much to say,” he said at last.

“Really?” I asked, sensing that right now, this was as close to getting his blessing as I could get.

He shrugged. “I guess so.”

My questions from earlier came flooding back. “I have more questions for you,” I said, and Ronan’s expression dropped. “Why did you leave all those years ago? I heard part of the fight that day. I know that’s part of the reason. But I just don’t understand why.”

He visibly swallowed and I could see that it was hard for him to tell me what happened. “Father and I fought and we both said things that we shouldn’t have. He basically said that it would be best if I left. It was hard for me to leave, but I knew he was right, that I should set off on my own. I was getting tired of being cooped up and never being allowed to go anywhere. After I left, I got mixed in with bad people. The only way to leave was to join a group that worked for Lord Dracul. He sent us to retrieve the ring and we infiltrated as Borthen’s servants. When we disappeared right after it was stolen, it wasn’t hard to figure out that it was us. In retaliation, they sent people after our families. The other guys have no one left now. By the time I found out, it was too late, there was nothing I could do.” His eyes took on a tortured look and I went to him, giving him a hug. “I never meant for it all to happen,” he whispered. “But it did, and I have no one to blame but myself.”

“Ronan, I…” I took a deep breath, trying to wrap my mind around everything. “When you left, I could not understand why, and when the men came, I blamed you for a long time. I searched for you, trying to dredge up every ounce of information I could about where you were, to find you and ask what happened. It was difficult, having to live on my own, figure out everything by myself.” I pulled away from him, unable to meet his eyes. “I could only get Father’s book of stories and Mother’s brooch out. I had to leave everything else behind.” Tears spilled as the memories I thought I had conquered came rushing forward.

“I’m sorry.”

“It was horrible,” I choked out, needing to tell him. “The smoke grew so thick that I couldn’t breathe, but I managed to get out through the back door. They had left right after setting the house on fire, thinking I was too injured to move. They wanted me to suffocate and burn to death—they laughed after they left.”

Dracul came up behind me, wrapping me in his arms. I leaned into his embrace and closed my eyes, trying to ground myself in this moment.

“I’m sorry, Lora,” Dracul murmured. “I should have sent people to protect you. But at the time, I didn’t see the point in…” He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

“In protecting a useless human family that you didn’t know?” I, on the other hand, had no such qualms. “I understand your reasoning. You had gotten what you wanted. We didn’t matter.”

He buried his face in the crook of my neck, breathing deeply. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice muffled. “I would do anything to go back and redo that moment.”

“Even if it meant we never would have met?” I asked softly.

Dracul let out a snort. “I don’t know if I would go that far,” he said. He turned me to face him, his expression solemn. “Although there is one thing I need to tell you, Valora.”

My heart stopped at how serious he seemed. He’d used my full name. “Another secret to share?” I asked.

---