Page 5 of In the Embrace of Dragons

His brow furrows. “It is tradition here, when a member of the royal family marries, to have a wedding?—”

“I will not participate in such a tiresome thing.” Though I’m not quite finished eating, I am very finished with this conversation, so I rise to my feet. Syzari tries to pull me back down, but I resist her. She can stay and continue talking politics if she wants, but I’m tired.

The princess has no visible response to this except for a twitch in her eye. Perhaps she is going blind young.

“But—” the king begins.

“That’s all.” I wave him off as I put down my napkin and step away from my chair. “We will leave in the morning tomorrow and execute the ceremony in Selvumrrest, among my people. You can come or not. I cannot delay being away from my kingdom any longer.”

The human king nods as if he understands, but he’s clearly unhappy about it. I gesture to Ragnakor to follow me, and though he tries to mask it, I can see the disapproval on his brutish face. Together, we stride out of the room, the eyes of the royalty and their courtiers following me as I depart.

“An interesting first impression to leave your new queen,” Ragnakor says as we head down the hallways toward our rooms.

“She will learn some time or another.” I wave a hand dismissively. “This is a political arrangement, nothing more.”

My captain of the guard nods in understanding, but I can still feel his judgment.

He has no right to judge me, as he is the one for whose sake my heart is hardened against her.

Chapter Three

NISSIA

My father was embarrassed when King Vizarios showed himself out so early into the banquet, his bulky captain of the guard in tow. But in my opinion, his departure came as a relief. The dragon king has a difficult, closed-off energy about him that stirs dread inside me.

I have a hard time believing I will have a good life married to someone like that.

Vizarios’s advisor, a female who goes by Syzari, is much more reasonable. Though while we sit at the table together, I can’t help but compare us. She is tall, very tall, and slender, with barely a bump on her chest. I know dragonkind nurse their young as humans do, but clearly they don’t need knockers like mine to do it.

It is unlikely that Vizarios will find me attractive if this is how dragon women look.

I cringe thinking about what awaits me in two weeks when we arrive in Selvumrrest—and what I’ll have to do with him there. I’ve known for many years what the dragonsrequire to seal a marriage, but now the fear and anticipation have risen to the surface.

How can I possibly perform such an act with someone who despises me?

After my father and Syzari have finished their negotiations, Roylan and I are released. I’ve only finished about half my dinner, but my stomach is tied in too many knots to eat more.

When I get back to my rooms, Ari throws down her embroidery and jumps to her feet.

“How was it?” she asks, crossing the room to my side. She takes my hand in hers, and that’s when I realize that I’m shaking.

“He was awful, Ari.” I clutch her hand tighter. “Perhaps it will be different once we’re back in his homeland, but...” I can’t even say the words aloud: that I’m doubtful there will ever be any love or affection between us. That I’m destined for a miserable marriage.

She strokes my hand. “Let’s hope it’ll be different there while accepting that it might not be. No matter what, though, you’ll have me. You’ll always have a friend.”

When I peer around the room, I find that in my absence, Ari has finished packing up my things into trunks, and my rooms are oddly empty.

“Go home,” I tell her. “I’ll be fine tonight.”

Typically, Ari sleeps in the room next to mine, but “home” for her is her father’s house in the city. It will be a long time until they see each other again.

She nods in understanding. “All right. I’ll see you early in the morning to depart.”

With a kiss on my cheek, Ari is gone.

When I climb into bed, I realize this is the last time I’ll sleep here. I wonder what my bed will be like in Selvumrrest.Will I have to sleep beside the dragon king, or will I get my own room?

There are so many unknowns that I lie awake for hours in the darkness, dreading the future.