The Siege Of Drakkon: Book Three Of The Drakkon Series

Chapter Two

Alessandra Drakkon

Queen of the Drakkon Empire

To say Cyrall wasn't pleased about finding out I had been forced into marriage while he had been restricted to the cruiser Falka was an understatement. "This would never have happened if I had been here. I shouldn't have let you go alone. I can't believe your guards allowed this to happen! Why didn't any of you kill the fool?" They had become close on the trip back here, but already the relationship between them, forged by their desire to protect me, was fraying over my choices.

"Because killing him would have started a war, a war between two large empires and while I am sure I would've won, I would've lost people in the process, not to mention that I would still be forced to marry someone from the House of Trennix or forfeit my throne and part of my empire, there was no way to get around this Cyrall, we've done all we can to make this situation the best it can be. Our only choice left is to wait." Wait for Cedric to make a mistake that we can catch him in and end this sham of a marriage. "Now will you get over this or will I have to go to my lunch with the High Nobles without you?"

The nobility were nervous, rightly so considering that while I had threatened them, I had also just married into a powerful empire, securing my position even more, unless they wanted to risk a war, and none of them did, they didn't want to lose the luxuries that peace offered them. There were twelve High Noble families to reflect the twelve primaries of the Drakkon Royal line, any other noble was considered as a Low Noble, still a coveted position but one not nearly so powerful as a High Noble position. I knew that this was only a temporary halt to the rebellion, as soon as Cedric made a mistake and I divorced from him, they would be on me, trying to find any weakness. Luckily, I knew that Taarique would never go through with her coup while I was around her, not unless she was confident it was a sure thing, and I was just too unpredictable for her, maybe after a few thousand years she would try again, but right now she was no match for me.

Lucius on the other hand was a wild card, the nobility did want to rebel, and they wanted someone to support, but Lucius being only sixth primary was an unfavored option, they didn't want to have to get rid of five other royal Drakkons. They knew as well as I did that if half of the royal family mysteriously disappeared or died then the other empires would come in against them, sensing the weakness that came with half of leadership disappearing.

I knew that technically I was the leader of the entire Drakkon Empire, but I also knew that all of my relatives managed a system for me, to kill half of them without proper replacements would throw this empire into chaos and the nobility knew that. They probably hope they could somehow convince Taarique or even Balem to go against me, but I was confident Balem wouldn't make a move against me, not after I had discovered Layla's plot to frame him for assassinating me. The next best choice would be Kraven, I knew he hated me, but I also knew that Narcissa cared for me, and she wouldn't let him go against me, at least for a little while, I had heard both Octavian and Caius make comments of her grip on his leash slipping frequently, so I would have to be cautious.

Lucius was the next choice after that, but I knew it would never get that far, the nobility weren't that desperate yet, and I had until the time Cedric made a mistake and allowed me to divorce him, to convince them I wasn't just the leader they wanted, but the leader they needed.

I stared at myself in the mirror, I looked the part of their elegant Queen, gone was the barbican queen who had emerged from the ship with a monster as her pet, in her place was an elegant lady, but it was all just a costume intended to fool those who weren't smart enough to look closer. My red hair spiraled down my chest in loose curls, contrasting pleasantly with the pale pink gown I was in. I wouldn't have thought it would look nice with my red hair, but the fitted bodice with beautiful gold and dark pink beadwork in the shape flowers and loose layered skirt gave me an elegance that hid the ruthless queen underneath.