What exactly does it mean to be his bride? *** Every year, in each of the seven villages that made up the great Kingdom of Ignas, a Choosing Ritual was conducted. During this Chosing Ritual, one of the ladies in the village would be chosen to be the dreaded Dragon King's Bride. No one knew exactly why the ritual was being performed every year or what happened to the brides that had been chosen in the past. Was he turning them into slaves? Feeding them to his dragon? Or was he... feeding on them? That couldn't be ruled out. After all, there were rumours that the king wasn't like them, that he wasn't human. Yet the question relentlessly troubled the people's heart. What was he using them for?! But they dared not question the King, afraid of what fate daring to go against him would be. Anyways, none of these was Belladonna's business. Although it was her village's turn to produce a bride this year, she was certain she wouldn't get chosen. Why? Well, because she had a plan and she was absolutely certain it wouldn't fail her... or would it?
View MoreThe room Belladonna had been assigned when she got here was just as empty as she had left it this morning --- not that it would make sense for anyone else to be here.A sigh of relief slipped past her lips as her hands unrolled the rolled-up sleeves of her green knee-length gown - she had done it that way earlier for the ease of the crafting of those custom goods for the sale at the Trade Feast. She struck a match and lit a candle; although she preferred the darkness for what she was about to do, she just had to ensure that she was absolutely alone and the doors were locked and the windows were shut. Then she put off the candle and got rid of her dress. Laying on the puff-up straw-woven mat she had prepared before leaving in the morning, she closed her eyes as she allowed her mind to run wild with lustful images. Her fingers skimmed lightly over her exposed thigh. Up and down, up and down, and again. Butterflies fluttered in the depths of her stomach at the sensual touch, her cor
The word blurted right out of her mouth like hot coal that she was trying to get rid of. "No!"It was the truth, but why was she feeling regret over saying it? Jazliy let out a sigh of relief. Although some people had told her already that Belladonna had arrived with the King and the way he had left, it had seemed like they were together, she just had to be certain the one she had her eyes on wasn't encumbered with her, in that sense."Such a relief," she placed her hand on her chest, then gave into a dramatic display. "He is the most handsome man I have ever laid my eyes upon. He is huge, strong, and his arms... oh! How does it feel to be with supernatural beings? Don't tell me, I will find out myself! I have warned everyone else to keep off, for he is mine." She emphasized with her hands. "They are awestruck by him, but they maintain their distance." She nodded, like she had done something she was proud of as Belladonna killed her in a thousand and one ways in her head. "Then yo
Besides, what was so funny for her to laugh like that all over him?Was this jealousy? Probably, it was. It was misplaced though, so she decided to ignore it. If she had been able to work out her feelings she probably wouldn't even feel this way right now. But ignoring it was an impossible task. It became even harder to ignore when it was time to go into the house and Eli had to help her because Jazliy - as Eli had called her- was too drunk to walk on her feet. She was falling all over him, giggling and laughing loudly, like they were friends who had known each other for many years. They knew each other's names and they appeared close.It was a sight that burnt Belladonna's eyes.________The Trade Feast began the next day. The Trade Feast was a competition in which any family who came first was to be crowned the Conqueror of the Trade Feast and awarded gifts by the end of the Feast.Today, the judging criteria was the family with the most sale. Many of the villagers of Kaytegu
Alaris had flown them to a field, and the scenery helped Belladonna calm down.This time around, their lessons did not involve any intimate form of distraction which Belladonna was very grateful for. After many hours of strenuous training, she could keep him out of her mind to some extent, using Eli's letters as a focus or anything about Eli she could remember at the moment of the lesson. She would have to find another source of focus soon enough though, it just couldn't be Eli, the man who she was trying to get away from and figure out her feelings for. It was disappointing that she couldn't fully keep Alaris from breaking into the barriers of her mind yet. That only meant that she would have to spend more time training with him. That was against her plan. She had thought of taking off the bracelet, suspecting that it was contributing to Alaris' easy access but the ghosts also had a close connection to her, and taking off the bracelet would not help her training.The sun was set
The window broke and Alaris slipped into her mind, effortlessly through the space. The images of a drowning child flashed in her mind, it felt like a memory that wasn't even hers.It was all so fast. "Is she awake? Is she--am I late---" the voice made her snap back to herself and she pulled away from Alaris immediately. Her gaze snapped to the door of the study to see Eli looking at them... at her with the most hurtful look in his brown eyes.His chest was rising and falling, it seemed like he had ran here."Donna---? I," his expression became guarded as he looked from Alaris to her. With a surrender and a hardened look, he said, "Excuse me."Belladonna took in a breath she didn't know she was holding when Eli left the door, she could hear his boot hit the floor of the hallway as he turned away. Instinctively, she headed to the door to go after him.This made no sense. The kiss was a mistake, one she didn't willingly partake in, and she owed Eli nothing yet she felt like she had to
Alaris had sat at the edge of the bed, planting his arms behind him to support his weight, it almost looked like there wasn't a single thought behind his eyes as he looked at her bored, as if he was tired of her always doing this. "She isn't a bride, her soul wasn't prepared like the others. She can't have such privilege or she would have used it." "But---""The witch is not stupid, Nightshade. She would have used it." "Well--""Come on," he rose, cupping her head in the palms of his warm hands, "No one resurrects from a dragon's flames. The witch is gone, you have nothing to fear. If she could have that opportunity, she would have used it.""My fear is not unreasonable," Belladonna stated, looking up at him. He hummed, with a little shrug and a smile played on his lips. "Well, since one of your ghosty friends has tried to possess your minds, I think the rest will try to do the same. We must find a way to block it. Make your mind strong, mortal." He ended, flicking his finger aga
With Kami now in control of Belladonna's body, she led her mother to a hidden passage in the wall of her room that led to the roof. At first, Tamina had been very confused, but soon enough she was able to understand what was going on, and as any person would wish in that situation, she wished she could spend longer time with her daughter. They spent heartfelt moments together, talking about how they had missed each other and how they wanted each other to be happy. Kami made her mother promise her that she would tell her father and her brothers to be happy too. They talked about a lot of things, her brothers and their families. For the things she had missed out on, her mother did well to fill her in. Then they danced to the rhythm of the piano that floated to their ears from downstairs, as the gentle breeze carried it around them."Mother," she said with tears in her eyes and a real smile on her face. "What, Kami?""I must leave now." Her action was jerky and when she snapped her
Belladonna didn't want to panic, she didn't know what abilities the ghosts brides that lived in her head had. Could they read minds? Her thoughts? What about all the conversations she had been having? Had they heard them all? Could they hear them right now?Most of the time, to get a response from them, she usually had to ask them in her head, then, they would respond.So, maybe they could not. "Kami used to hate her room so much," Tamina's voice interrupted Belladonna's train of thought, her attention was divided. She tried to see if Kami would respond to anything her mother was saying but from her side, there was only silence. "She said it felt too much like her brothers'. It is so hard to train a girl child when you only have one, even harder when you already have seven sons before her. You just forget you know, and have to relearn." Still silence. Maybe they really couldn't hear them. Maybe the door situation was just a pure coincidence and not a trap. Convinced that she
"My greatest apologies for causing your family pain." It was Eli apologizing this time. Tamina blinked her tears away, waving a dismissive hand in the air as her sons resigned to a brief moment of sadness. "We were all fooled. What is done is done. The right thing to seek now is the way forward." She clapped. "Boys, let us be on our way now. Help the travellers with their things. We use the backdoor, do not forget the ones we are avoiding." Her sons started getting to work. Done, they all started their short journey to Kami's family house. Now realizing they had left their carriage behind, Eli walked behind Belladonna like her shadow, if she were to be tired from exhaustion, he would be there to help."Boys, do not tell your wives of this."Were they all living in the same house with their wives?"What? That is impossible! Kristi knows everything I know." Braided beards yelled, as they moved around the trees. "Can you, for once, keep a secret?" Baldy jabbed. "It is going to be ha
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