The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

MIRA

Gasps fill the room and for once I know I am not the only one disgusted with the system here.

Lady Cecilia, however, raises her chin high and continues, “I understand that these are challenging times for ALL of us. But we must go on with our lives. Now more than ever.”

“How do you imagine that after what we all just saw?!”, I hear one of the girls saying, “Fawn was one of us!”

“It’s tragic what happened to that poor soul,” lady Cecilia admits, “But that doesn’t mean…”

“Do you know what happened exactly?”, another girl asks.

“We only know that she took her own life”, the older woman sighs, “You see, she got rejected the night before by the new Crown Prince and, understandingly, got depressed about that…”

My b***d boils. How dare she say all that when we haven’t even found out the truth yet?!

“The Crown Prince?”, I recognize Isidore’s voice. Now she is interested!

“Yes, ladies”, Cecilia smiles weakly, “That’s another news. Duke Ryden Dargen has just been appointed the Crown Prince of the Empire. He doesn’t have a favourite at the Selection anymore, so the stakes are higher than usual! Just imagine – one of you could become a Crown Princess and the future empress!”

Another wave of gasps. Excited this time. And I roll my eyes. It hasn’t even been a minute since they all were shaken with Fawn’s death!This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

I look at my friends, Morgan and Desirae shake their heads disapprovingly while Xia crossed her arms on her chest, clearly unhappy as well. I am glad that at least the three of them are grieving in their own ways. At least a little bit.

“So,” lady Cecilia clasps her hands to draw attention, “We have to postpone the talent show obviously, but it’s only one day, ladies. Use this to practice more and surely…”

“Just one day?”, I raise my brow and the room goes silent, “Is that how much our life is worth to you?”

“Every life is priceless, lady Freyn”, our mentor says, “But we need to take care of the ones that are still here! Time is pressing and the talent show is an important part of the Selection. What happens next to each of you depends on it. So, who wants to be first to demonstrate what you have prepared?”

She then asks one of the girls to go to the center of the class and to show off that damn talent of hers. I sit and watch this for some time. Until I realize that I just cannot do this anymore.

Without asking for permission, I stand up and walk to the door.

“Miradora! What do you think you are doing?”, lady Cecilia looks appalled.

“Leaving”, I shrug my shoulders.

“You haven’t even shown us what you are going to do at the talent show!”, she says sounding desperate.

“I’ll explode something,” I roll my eyes, “The gerdians would be thrilled!”

And with that – I leave.

I am in the middle of a long corridor when dark flames surround me and transport me to my chambers.

“Where have you been?!”, Derrien pulls me into his strong arms and I feel a soft k**s on the tip of my head. Gods, tell me that what Dargen has told me is a lie. Tell me this man really cares about me.

I don’t even notice how I start crying, burying my face in his chest. And he just holds me, patting my back and placing small k****s on my hair from time to time.

“Mira,” he sighs when I finally distance myself from him, “If I knew you were this upset, I would have come sooner…”

“But work comes first, doesn’t it?” I ask calmly and he looks at me, puzzled.

“Not always”, he doesn’t give any reaction to my words which only makes me angrier.

“Speaking of which”, I say calmly, “Are you here to investigate the murders?”

“Yes, but you already know that,” he takes a step in my direction but I step back.

“No, Derrien, you don’t understand my question,” I shake my head, trying to focus, “Are you here ONLY to investigate the murders?”

He is silent and that’s how I know it’s true…

“You aren’t here to look for a wife, are you?”, a tear rolls down my cheek and I wipe it away quickly, “You aren’t a part of the Selection!”

“No, Mira, I am not”, he presses his lips firmly, “But does it really change anything?”

“It changes everything!” I snap at him, “You lied to me! You tricked me into thinking…”

“You said that you never wanted to marry,” he says and my heart breaks into million tiny pieces. Shattered, completely shattered. “I thought that this is what you want…”

“To be used?! To be lied to?!”, I almost scream.

“I never lied to you,” his words cut through my soul and I walk to the window, “It just never came to discussing any of that…”

“Oh, gods, help me”, I whisper and turn back to face him, “And what about the dreams?”

He looks surprised once more, “What is that what you really want to ask, little mage?”

“Don’t call me that!” I yell, closing my eyes, “Have you been sending all those dreams to my mind?! Have you?!”

“That’s not something I can always control,” he admits.

“And yet sometimes you can?”, I need to get to the bottom of this, “How does it work? Did you exchange b***d with me?! When?! I certainly don’t remember it!”

“In the very beginning,” he says way too calmly, “We kissed and I bit you. And you bit me back. And even a drop is enough for the bonding.”

“The bonding?”, I sit helplessly in the armchair and Derrien comes closer, kneeling in front of me.

“That’s how we call it,” he informs me, “Our genetics works in a way that may help us connect to other minds if we wish to and if a signal is strong enough. With you it was easy. Sometimes you even saw more than I wanted you to see…”

Easy… That was easy for him…

“You are despicable”, I feel tears in my eyes again.

“Mira,” he smiles softly, “If you changed your mind and want to become my wife, I can…”

A slap echoes through the room and he turns back to look at me with a red cheek and eyes full of dark magic.

“Don’t you dare finish this sentence!”, I yell and jump to my feet, “I don’t want your pity proposal! And I don’t want to ever see or hear from you again! You…you…” I can’t find the right words… But I don’t need words to make my point – I tear the pendant he gave me off my neck and throw it to his feet.

“Mira!” he grabs me by my hand, pulling me closer, “Stop this now! You know you are mine already!”

“Your toy, maybe!” I retort and turn my face away, “But this is over! Get out! Get out of here! I hate you!”

“Mira!”, he growls and shakes me in his hands.

“I think the lady was clear about her desires! Step. Away.”