Page 116 of Tortured Soul
I looked at her then, in silence. Whatever I had to say would not get me anywhere. I hoped my eyes were enough to express how mad I was at this whole situation she and Father had forced me into.
“I was nervous too when I was chosen to carry your father’s heir. I know it must be intimidating. You must be thinking how hard it will be to compete with his other wives attention, but you won’t need to. You’ll be carrying his heir. You’ll hold a special place.”
Or I wouldn’t. Father was not a fucking Dragon, and they were not known to be kind, even to their partners.
“I knew I was right to refuse your hand to your father’s warrior two years ago. That something like this would come up.”
And I had been grateful, then. Thinking that she actually cared. That she didn’t want me to end up in the same situation as her. That I would get to choose, like some other girls from our clan. Like my sisters from other mothers.
How clueless and naive I was.
“Now, out and get on with your tasks.”
She dismissed me with a wave, turning back to look at her reflection on the large polished plate hanging on the wall.
I didn’t wait another second before escaping the house.
Aghen was waiting with his arms crossed over his chest, his foot tapping anxiously on the muddy ground. He inspected me, his face pulled taut as I walked closer.
“Not a word,” I said, placing my finger on my lips and tilting my head toward the cliffs. The last thing I needed was him commenting on how ridiculous I looked, squeezed in this dark dress, my breasts almost spilling out, the stupid necklace like a claim around my neck.
He nodded, gulping silently before he grabbed the empty basket by the door and walked with me.
People bowed slightly as we passed, greeting us before scurrying away to do whatever they needed to do.
“What did she say?” Aghen asked, unable to wait until we were out of earshot.
I glared at him and quickened my pace, only stopping once the village was far behind us and no one was around.
“Ania, what’s going on? Father wouldn’t tell me anything and forbade me to go with the scouts.”
“Dragons are coming here,” I blurted, suddenly crushed by the weight of the events. “They’ll be here before nightfall.”
He frowned, physically jerking back. “What do you mean, Dragons?”
I gave him a side look. “Dragons. Astrals?”
“But why? They dwell on the other side of the world, why come here? I won’t take over Father’s position until another year, on our next birthday.”
I sighed, fidgeting nervously, looking around, paranoid that someone might overhear.
“Because it turns out our parents sold me to their Shard Carrier. He needed a Maiden to carry his heir, and I apparently made the final cut. You know what? I always wondered why mother was so adamant on keeping me pure when our other siblings were free to do whatever they pleased…It could have been any of our half-sisters, but it had to be me.Of course, that bastard wants me. I’m the Heir's true sister. An anomaly that never happens. He’s probably hoping his heir will be stronger because I kind of have Heir’s genes too. What a moron—”
Aghen’s eyes widened, lips parting in shock.
“No. No, no, no, they can’t do that,” he said, voice turning frantic. “I met their clans when Father was invited to Amyntas’ shard transferceremony. Amyntas’ mother, the previous Maiden? She was miserable. She was pregnant, and from what I gathered, she spent most of her life shitting out Dragons’ offspring, and—”
“You must have misunderstood,” I interrupted him sharply. “Shard Carriers can only produce one strong seed, resulting in only one pregnancy for their heir’s carrier. He can’t have bred her more than once. She can’t have spent her entire life pregnant, it’s not—no. It must have been one of his other wives. One that carries his other children.”
“Oh no, you misunderstood me, Ania. The whole fucking clan used her as breeding stock. She gave birth to Amyntas, then since his father couldn’t impregnate her with more of his own, let the other male Dragons have their turn. She didn’t carry only his heir. She increased their number while slightly strengthening their fucking lines.”
My heartbeat turned erratic in my chest. My throat felt like it was filled with sandpaper.
“No. Astrals—Dragons are assholes, but there are rules,” I said, unable to believe that they could do something like this. “Since Astrals cannot reproduce within their own species, the Maidens carrying the heirs are special, revered. Even the other wives are coveted and carefully selected from diverse human clans. They can’t disrespect the Maiden like that, it’s not—”
“Father knows about this, Ania. He’s seen it too.”
He couldn’t. I knew I was not his heir, and he cared less about me than he did Aghen, but he was a decent man. He wouldn’t.
