Page 135 of The Dragon Queen

“Bring him…” I yanked hard on the train, finally breaking the grip static had on the fabric and then swept forward. “Or I’ll go find him myself.”

The women all looked up expectantly when I burst out of the doors, but I didn’t pause to acknowledge them. They were all trying to do right by me, but it wasn’t attendants I needed, but answers. The train threatened to tangle, snag on the flagstones of the abbey, but when I was jerked to a halt, Glimmer ran over and tugged the fabric free.

You’re going to them?she asked.You’re going to your mates.

Humans don’t have mates, Glimmer,I told her as I marched forward.

Yes, they do.My steps slowed as I turned to stare at her.They do. I’m the dragon seer and I have seen it. You’ve only caught brief moments of our history, but I know.My feet stopped completely.I’ve always known. We are of one heart.

Gods, the tears were coming now and I couldn’t hold them back.

Every girl that tried to impress themselves upon me, they made clear what they wanted. To walk down that aisle in a dress with all the sparkly bits on it.She eyed my dress.Though most saw more gold in the design. That would’ve been nice.

Glimmer!

But they all wanted to be queen. I was just an accessory, like a bangle or a necklace.Her claw lifted the pendant on her chain.A means to get them the crown, to make them queen, to get them a place standing beside Darkspire’s rider, but not you. When I felt your heart, it was a different thing entirely. You were just scared I would get hurt, wanted to protect me and I…She sat down with a sigh.It’s my turn to do the same for you.

I followed her gaze as she stared back down the hall. The ladies in waiting were all badgering the general, despite the fact he obviously wanted to chase after me.

If you walk up that aisle and perform the mating ceremony of your people, you will be forced away from your mates and…My heart felt like it couldn’t take another beat until she finished her sentence.And so will I. They’ll use the baby queens as bargaining chips. They will be allowed to live free because the wild dragons are protecting them.

But you’ll be forced to mate only with Darkspire, because of me.

Gods, how had I been so bloody blind? They didn’t get rid of queens altogether in Nevermere. We were too valuable to do that, so they bound us to the throne. Our babies formed a king’s power base, and without us, he would not be able to rule.

“Starting to see it, are you, lass?” I looked up to see Marcus stepping forward. He was almost unrecognisable, dressed now in the fine livery of a servant, the rakish eye patch the only thing that was unchanged. “I tried to tell you how it would go, but you weren’t ready, not then. How about now?” He held out a hand. “I can get you away from here.” His eyes took in my dress, my wig, and he frowned. “And out of that ghastly get up. What on earth were they thinking?”

That they needed me to fulfil a role, that was clear, and if they had to stuff me, strap me, compress me to fit it, then that’s what they’d do.

“I need to see Draven,” I told him.

“That way, lass, but… if he doesn’t tell you what you need to hear and mean it, I’ll be just outside in a carriage that can have you in Dragon Rest in hours.”

The sharp sound of a guard’s shout had me moving again, following Marcus’ direction to another set of grand doors. My hands came to rest on the handles, the brass cold against my palms. I sucked in one breath, followed by another, and then pushed them open.

Chapter 64

“Pippin…”

This was the way a husband was supposed to look when he first saw his bride, wasn’t it? Draven’s eyes went wide as he seemed to try to take all of me in at once. The dress, the stupid damn wig, the train.

And my tears.

“Gods, what’s happened?” He was moving closer and so were the rest of the wing, leaving Stefan to look on bemusedly. “What’s happened, love? Did the duchess make another rude comment about your dress? Were the ladies unwelcoming? I told them I needed them to make an extra effort?—”

“It’s not that.” My hands hovered in the air, then finally took his. That’s what we’d do after I’d walked down the aisle. A flower girl would rush forward and take my bouquet of arum lilies, a flower I detested, and then I would go and stand beside my king as he took my hand and pledged his troth. “It’s not…”

My throat worked because there were too many words to be said and I couldn’t work out which to say first.

“Cousin, can you give us the room?” Draven asked, looking over his shoulder.

“More secret wing stuff?” He nodded and winked at me. “Don’t you worry, lass. I’ll stand at the door and make sure no one comes in. Tell ‘em you’ve got a bout of cold feet.”

Truer words had never been said.

My eyes went to the floor, but I felt them cluster closer, and that was all the more poignant now. I’d taken it for granted that my men would be there when I was miserable, not realising that it was all going to be ripped away.

“The general came to see me,” I said, forcing the words out. I looked up and met Draven’s eyes, catching the moment his brows jerked down. “The divorce papers were signed in triplicate?—”

---