The Last Dragon Princess

CHAPTER 2

"You will marry him." Father said.

The words echoed through the council chamber and for several seconds I simply stared at my father. Surely I had heard him incorrectly. Surely the king who had spent my entire life telling me I was his daughter before I was his princess could not have said those words.

The silence stretched between us while every noble in the room waited for my response and then reality crashed into me.

"No." I said.

My voice shook, but the word still carried across the chamber and my father's jaw tightened.

"No?" He repeated.

"I won't do it." I insisted.

Murmurs immediately erupted throughout the room and I stepped forward and ignored the horrified expressions around me.

"You cannot seriously be considering this." I said.

"I have already made my decision." Father said as his calm tone only fueled my anger.

"You are sacrificing me." I said.

The accusation hung in the air. Several advisors quickly looked away while others suddenly became very interested in the table before them. And my father's eyes darkened.

"Choose your next words carefully, Seraphina." Father said.

"No." I said as my hands curled into fists at my sides.

"You lost this war, not me and now you expect me to pay for it." I added.

The room became so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat. King Aldric rose from his chair. The movement alone was enough to make several nobles flinch.

"You forget who you are speaking to." Father said.

"I know exactly who I'm speaking to." I said.

The words left my mouth before I could stop them. I saw the fury flash across his face instantly and for a moment, I thought he might actually strike me.

"Enough." He growled.

"No, it isn't enough. There has to be another solution." I snapped back.

"There isn't." He said.

"There must be." I argued.

"There isn't." He said.

His voice thundered through the chamber. The king who had ruled the kingdom for decades was gone and only a desperate father and defeated ruler remained.

"Our army is destroyed. Our allies have abandoned us, and our enemies surround us. The Dragon King holds every advantage." He said.

"Then find another bargain." I said.

"This is the bargain." He said and the words landed like stones so I stared at him in disbelief.

"You expect me to spend the rest of my life married to a stranger because you failed?" I asked.

The instant the words left my mouth, I knew I had crossed a line. The chamber froze and Aldric's face turned cold. Dangerously cold.

Before he could respond, another voice cut through the tension.

"She's right." Lucien said as every head turned and Lucien pushed away from the table and stood.

My brother rarely challenged our father publicly and judging by the shocked expressions around the room, everyone understood how serious this moment was.

"This marriage is wrong." Lucien said firmly.

Relief flooded through me. At least someone was willing to stand beside me and Lucien faced our father directly.

"You cannot trade Seraphina away like a peace offering." Lucian said.

"I can and I will." Father snapped.

"She deserves better than this." Lucien said.

"She deserves a kingdom that survives." Father said.

The father and son stared at each other. For the first time in my life, I saw open defiance in Lucien's eyes.

"Then send me instead." Lucien said.

The suggestion stunned the room. Even I turned toward him in shock and Lucien continued speaking.

"If Draven wants a royal hostage, then take me." He added as Aldric slammed his hand against the table.

"I said enough." Father yelled.

The crack echoed through the chamber. Nobody spoke or moved. The king's authority settled over the room like a storm cloud.

"This discussion is over. The marriage will happen." He said and Lucien opened his mouth to argue again.

"Leave." Father ordered.

The single command silenced him. My brother's jaw tightened and frustration burned across his face but eventually he stepped back.

The battle was lost. At least for now and I looked at my father one final time before turning toward the doors.

For the first time in my life, I felt completely alone.

The news spread through the castle faster than wildfire.

By the time I returned to my chambers, everyone already knew. Servants whispered in corners. Nobles exchanged rumors in hallways and guards glanced away whenever I approached.

The entire kingdom seemed to know I had been promised to the Dragon King.

As I walked through the corridors, fragments of conversations drifted toward me.

"They say he executes traitors himself." One voice said.

"I heard he burned an entire army alive." Another said.

"They say he never smiles." Another said.

"My cousin saw him once and swore his eyes glowed like fire." Another whisper said.

I quickened my pace but the stories followed me anyway.

"Some people claim he's killed dozens of men with his bare hands." Someone said.

"They say dragons obey him more readily than humans do." Another one said.

"I heard he enjoys watching battles." Someone else said.

Each rumor felt worse than the last. I knew very little about Draven. Most humans did.

The Dragon Kingdom remained distant and mysterious and the stories surrounding its ruler had only grown darker over the years.

Some claimed he was a monster. Others claimed he was barely human at all and the uncertainty terrified me more than certainty ever could.

By the time I reached my chambers my chest felt tight with fear. I closed the door and leaned against it.

The room suddenly seemed unfamiliar and every object around me reminded me of what I was about to lose. My books. My dresses. My paintings. My home. Everything.

A servant quietly entered carrying traveling trunks but I dismissed her immediately. I could not bear company.

The moment she left, I began packing. The task felt unreal. I folded gowns with trembling hands and placed them inside trunks. I gathered jewelry, letters and keepsakes.

Childhood treasures I had not touched in years. Each item felt like a farewell.

Hours passed and the sun climbed higher outside my window. The reality of my situation settled deeper with every passing moment.

Nobody was coming to stop this. Nobody was coming to rescue me. Not my father. Not the nobles. Not the kingdom.

I was truly going.

The thought finally shattered whatever fragile control I had maintained and a tear slid down my cheek. Then another followed.

Soon I was crying openly and I sank onto the edge of my bed while grief overwhelmed me.

Everything I had imagined for my future had vanished in a single day. The husband I might have chosen. The life I might have built. The family I might have had. All of it belonged to someone else now.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts and I quickly wiped my eyes.

"Enter." I said and the door opened.

Lady Evelyn stepped inside and relief immediately washed through me.

Unlike most members of the court, Evelyn had always treated me like a person rather than a political asset. She had been one of my mother's closest friends and after my mother's death she had become one of the few people I trusted completely. Her expression softened when she saw me.

"Oh, my sweet girl." She said.

The words nearly made me cry again. Evelyn crossed the room and wrapped her arms around me.

For several moments neither of us spoke. The comfort alone was enough. Eventually she pulled away and sat beside me.

"This isn't fair." I whispered.

"No. It isn't." She agreed quietly.

"Why is nobody fighting for me?" I asked and a shadow crossed her face.

"Because they are afraid." She said.

The answer hurt because it was true. Fear had always ruled kingdoms far more effectively than love and Evelyn reached into her sleeve.

When her hand emerged, she was holding a small dagger.

The weapon was elegant and sharp and silver markings covered the blade. I stared at it in surprise.

"Evelyn?" I asked.

"Take it." She said.

"I can't." I said.

"You can and you will." She said.

Her voice carried an unusual seriousness. Slowly, I accepted the dagger. The metal felt cool against my skin.

"Why are you giving me this?" I asked.

"Because I need you to remember something." She said and I looked up and Evelyn's eyes locked onto mine.

"Trust no one." She said as a chill ran through me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean exactly what I said." She said as her expression hardened.

"Not the nobles. Not the dragon court. Not even family." She said.

The warning stunned me. Before I could ask what she meant, Evelyn stood.

"I have already stayed too long." She said quickly and she squeezed my shoulder gently before moving toward the door and I watched her leave.

Then silence settled over the room once more. My gaze drifted toward the necklace resting against my chest. It had belonged to my mother.

I touched the familiar pendant absentmindedly while thinking about Evelyn's warning.

Suddenly warmth spread through the metal. For a brief second, a faint silver glow shimmered beneath the surface of the gemstone.

The light flickered once and then vanished and the room returned to normal.

My breathing stopped as I slowly lifted the necklace into my hands. The gemstone sat perfectly still. Dark and ordinary.

Yet my heart continued racing because I knew what I had seen. The necklace had glowed.

And in all the years I had worn it that had never happened before.