MARRIED TO THE DRAGON LORD

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ••••••

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•••••• AMELIA POV I stepped into the room and my breath caught in my throat. It was magnificent. The hall itself was huge, a room that would have easily doubled as a ballroom if necessary. Unlike the rest of the castle, the curtains were drawn, and the light was spilling into the room, across the finer silverware and linens that were set on the large table in the middle. But it wasn’t the table that caught my breath in my throat. It wasn’t the look of the room and the spread of food that made me rethink this castle. It was Dracul. He sat at the head of the table and I got my first look at him in the soft morning light. The glow in his face was nothing like the shadow of torches and the dim light of an abandoned room at the far end of the castle. Now, I could see him clearly and I couldn’t look away. I stood there for a moment just staring. Dracul was wearing an elegant suit, one that cut across his chest in the best possible way.

He wasn’t wearing a tie and the top button of his shirt was undone. He was wearing deep navy and blue and it’s suited him beautifully. Befitting of a Lord, he was dressed in what looked like the finest silk blend. And he wore it all. His hair, in the light, was a rich deep brown. It was a little bit long, brushing his collar as he leaned back to the chair with ease becoming a ruler. His skin wasn’t as pale as I had thought. I didn’t think he was getting that much sun, but there was a healthy glow to it that highlighted his angled cheekbones and strong jawline. In the light, his eyes were the same beautiful gold. They looked less dangerous in the light, but I had seen how they sparkled in the darkness and I could never forget it. I shivered, feeling a tingling of desire more through my body. I pushed it inside. “Good morning, Princess Samantha. ” He said. He was smirking like he knew exactly what I was thinking. I blushed and looked away, refusing to meet his eyes as I took a seat, sitting as far away from him as possible. “Good morning,” I answered shortly. Dracula was just smiling when I glanced up again, “How did you find your first night in the castle ?” Despite his smile, I could sense something else behind his eyes, something that looked like a concern. He was concerned about me, at least a little. I ignored the way that tugged on my heartstrings. “Fine.”I answered slowly, “It was…. much to take in.” I didn’t want to say anything to give my position away, but I didn’t want to throw away what had happened between last night. I didn’t know if I was quite ready to freeze him out yet. Not when he looked so good this morning. He nodded slowly and there was something in his expression that I didn’t understand. He was confident, cocky almost. But there was something else there, a worry, a concern. Something else. Something more. But unless he spoke up, I wouldn’t know. We were alone in the room, but someone, I felt like the whole world could hear us. This wasn’t the time or the place to talk about deep and meaningful moments. This wasn’t the place to push him for answers or tell him what was in my mind. I had a feeling that this wasn’t as private as I wanted it to be. May Dracul was used to this feeling in the castle, but I was used to the measure of privacy, even the princess, and I didn’t feel like I was getting it here. “Help yourself,” Dracul said after a moment, gesturing to the spread breakfast as he lifted his own plate. I nodded gratefully as I started to look over to the food. My stomach was twisting with nerve and I wasn’t really hungry, but I had to keep my strength up. Besides, this is really look like an amazing spread of food, and I couldn’t insult the servants that worked here. I helped myself to a pastry and small fruit, staying away from the heavier meat and eggs. I glanced at Dracul’s plate and I noticed he did the opposite. I guessed that makes sense. He is a dragon I couldn’t expect him to be surviving on grain and fruit alone. I set my plate in front of me. Taking a small sip of water, I started eating once Dracul started. For a moment, we sat in silence, nothing passing between us as we are. It was strange. It was almost normal, almost like eating breakfast with my father. Except for the silent air, and the fact that I was eating with the King of the dragons. I shivered at the thought. There was so much unsaid between us. There was so much I didn’t know about him. I didn’t know about his past, his real past. I didn’t know what made him tick, or why he had kissed me yesterday. I didn’t know why he invited me to breakfast, and why he wanted me here in the first place. If it was just to be intimate, he had his chance yesterday. I had a feeling that I was so much more than that. I had a feeling that it was something I hadn’t planned on. And I wanted to know more. I cleared my throat, summoning my courage, “Why…. did you call me this morning ?” I started small. I wanted to ask more but I didn’t want to risk angering him. Sure, he had handled it well yesterday, but he might not be so forgiving this morning. “I wanted to see how you were .” He answered after a long, lingering moment. “See how you were settling in.” It was infuriating how normal he had made it sound. Like it was voluntary, or a vacation. I bit my lip and I held back a retort. I wouldn’t find an answer by getting angry at him constantly. He was avoiding my gaze, looking away when he spoke to me. I didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t seem to want to answer my questions honestly. There was something on his mind. He didn’t strike me as shy, so if he was avoiding talking about something, it must be important. Or embarrassing. Or intimate. Like last night. I swallowed and turned back to my food, eating in silence for a long moment. Maybe that was it. Maybe he was uncomfortable about last night. He was so confident, that I couldn’t imagine it but maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was being overly hopeful. Maybe it was just my imagination. “Prepare your things.”He said suddenly, “I am traveling today, and I would like you to accompany me.” It was so sudden, so out of the blue, that I was caught completely off guard. “What?” I said. “I’m traveling. I have to see some members of my court for… advisory purposes. I needed you to accompany me.” “Why?” I said. What did I have to do to the matter of his court? “I’ll explain more once we are there. Or perhaps on our way .” He said, settling down his knife and fork to look at me. “We will leave soon after breakfast.” I opened my mouth to protest but shit it up quickly. What else was I going to do with my day? How else was I going to feel my time? At least, if I was with him, I might learn something. I might get the answer that I carved. And maybe, just maybe, I could take to him in private. Maybe this was my chance to tell him what I had last night. Maybe it was the chances that I had been hoping for. Still, I didn’t appreciate how he asked me. He did need to be so pushy about it. If I had willingly kissed him yesterday, why was he worried about me refusing a trip? And how could I refuse anyway? “You did not need to order me around .” I said, a frost entering my voice, “if you had just asked, I would have gladly accepted anyway.” He frowned, but there was a flash of surprise in his eyes, and uncertainty. It didn’t last long, and he shrugged, a rolling, casual movement, “That’s good to hear. Be ready in an hour .” He pushed himself on his feet and smirked, “Don’t be late .” Then he left, striding out of the room like nothing was worrying him. I couldn’t keep up with him! Shoving down my anger, I began planning my next move. A trip with the Dragon Lord. That was everything that I had hoped for. Time alone, Now, I just had to make it count. Now, I just had to focus on the task ahead. And keep my emotions in check. I had a feeling that was easier said than done. T. B. C