The Dragon's Embrace

Chapter 3

I woke up lying on a sofa with 3 other women. There were a
All in pale plain blue dresses that looked like 1950s nightgown. I stood out, and I knew I did. It so didn't help that everybody was looking at me. All the girls looked fairly similar except me. I was the odd one out. The girls, who looked like superstars, were all blonde and brown eyed. I looked as plain as a badger in their presence. What if they get chosen and I get killed. What if I can't protect salma? What will happen to her? I fought back my fears and listened on as a elderly, cunning voice swept the room. 'Maria delgato?' I stood and  was chaperoned into a private, tiny room with a mahog9ny desk with two chairs, one being accompanied by mateo. 'Question 1. If I tell you to do something, will you do it?' What should I say. If I slip up, will they hurt me or, worse, salma or my father? ' Have I so far?' Maybe if I answered his question with a question, it might end better. I hoped. He wrote what I assumed was my answer on a piece of paper, then returned to the questioning. 'If you could choose one thing to make this kingdom better, what would it be?' I thought for a while before thinking of my mother, and I answered reflectively. ' i would choose being able to heal anybody or to stop death without there being consequences. Like a life for a life.' He beamed at my answer and continued writing on his page. 'The last question is if you had to fight to save somebody you disliked, would you?' I thought about my enemy from school, and even though I hated her, even if she was dying of corse, I would try and save her. ' it depends. If I just hated them because of a feud, then I would say their lives because they didn't actually do anything wrong. However, if they killed somebody I love or knew, I would find it too difficult to protect them after they couldn't protect my friends or family.' I saw a sense of amenableness in him for less than a second before he wrote my response down. ' That was the end of the quiz. After another three people, the Queen will choose who she thinks is the best for me to marry.' I swallowed. What if she didn't like my answers or if the others had better answers. This could be the end of me because of three stupid questions! He chaperoned me out of the room to settle on a round, modular sofa where another woman was perched waiting for the others. He was gone before the time I was on the chair. The blonde girl that was  called before me smiled at me and waved a hello. 'Hi,' I smiled cheerfully. She giggled at my expression. She seemed really nice. 'What type of questions did the king ask you?' I thought of what I was asked. ' The first question was would I do whatever he asked me, the second was if i could choose one thing that would make this kingdom better, what would it be and the last one was would I fight to save somebody I didn't like.' She nodded with everything I said.'He asked me the same things. How did you answer?' I know I am going to lose this competition and get executed, but I can try and make a friend before that happens. 'I don't think I answered that well, I doubt I will win this with all you amazing girls here'. She shaked her head. 'I bet you will win, or even if you don't, there are another two challenges after this, so it shouldn't matter anyway. Im pretty sure that this is just for the queen's approval.' She tried her hardest to re assure me but as nervous as I felt I wanted to change the subject. 'Thanks, I know you will beat me though, umm, sorry but what is your name? Mine is Maria Delgato.' 'It's Hermione Abalo.' That was the name they called not long before me, but I was too nervous to let it sink in. Soon after, another girl joined called Amora Strong and then a girl called Flora Torrez. With Flora Torres came King Mateo and his mother. Mateo stated properly.'we have decided on a winner of challenge one.' After what felt left an eternity, he gave us an answer. 'Maria Delgato, please stand.' Had I lost? My heart sunk in my chest. My feet touched the floor, and I rose. 'You are the winner of challenge one.' I sighed in relief. 'Thank you.' I replied, my voice slightly shaking with nerves. 'Sit' He ordered, and I did as was compelled. 'Flora Torres, please rise and follow me.' Oh no. If I won, that must have meant she lost. I can only imagine how she must have felt. Once they depart, three girls (one being jauna) entered the hushed room. They led us back to our bedrooms. Juana followed me into mine and once again sealed the door. 'Now it's time for the next challenge. You will need to fight, so please pick something that you will be able to move around in.' I viewed my options in my wardrobe, and all my clothing had been changed. It was no longer extensive gowns but work out outfits. I picked a light lilac crop top and some leggings with a pair of white trainers. I found a bobble on the bedside table and tied my midnight hair up in a ponytail. 'I'm ready,I called out to jauna so she could turn back around. 'That is suitable enough.' She checked the time on her watch ' four minutes until we must depart, so have you got any questions you want to ask me before the challenge. She had mentioned this was going to be a fight, so 'who will I be fighting?' Juana replied rapidly 'one of the other girls to show that you will do anything for the king.' What, no! I can't fight one of the other girls after they have been so nice to me. Suddey, mateo burst through the door. He repeated his movements with jauna like it was a step back in time. He once again grabbed me by the wrist, and before he could do anything, i warned.'There is no need to knock me out this time. I do know how to walk, and if I'm wearing a bindfold the what is the point?' He exhaled like he was exhausted. 'Fine but no running.' I was ready to argue because I didn't think he would listen to reasoning. 'Why, wait, did you say fine?' He nodded, and I my eyes were covered once again. I was not going to fight one of the girls, and it would be better if I made my feelings clear now rather than out on the battlefield. 'What happens if I don't fight the girl I'm faced up against?' 'We will just have to convince you otherwise.' The tone of his voice was petrifying and sent shivers through my spine. ' and if you don't convince me?' Even through the blindfold, I could feel his eyes glaring into mine.' Trust me, we will convince you.' His voice was low and threatening. 'Well, I'm not going to fight, no matter what you say.' He snickered 'sure'. Not long after. We were in a large field with poppies only a couple cm away from each other. Mateo took off my blindfold and lined me up with the two remaining girls. I gazed around, and there were two bulky men bringing salma into the field! They chucked her on her knees in front of Mateo. ' I did tell you we would find a way to convince you, Miss Delgato.' His low voice growled while his golden eyes stared into mine. 'Let her go, you monsters.' I went to pounce, but he caught me before I could land a punch. 'Easy there, you can save that until round three if you last that long.' He taunted. 'We will let your dear sister go after you fight.' My hands balled into fists. 'Oh, I'll fight somebody, but it won't be the girls.' The guards at his side tensed, but mateos  grin just extended 'Easy there, threatening your king can get you thrown in the palace dungeons'. He gave the guards a sign to stand down. 'Now line up, miss Delgato before i make you.' I stared at him insolently. 'Stand in line' my body started moving, and I had no control. I was back in line with the girl, and I couldn't move. My legs were firmly in place. Salma was still on the floor, tears in her eyes. She was staring at me  with her eyes as black as pitch. 'Hermione Abalo, you will be fighting Maria Delgato. Whoever wins will face Amora Strong in the final challenge.' No no no no. I can't fight hermoine. She has been the nicest in the palace so far. but if I don't, they will hurt salma, and I can't let them do that. There were two white circles on the field section where we were meant to stand. Hermoine was on the left side of the field, and I was the right. The king counted down ' three, two ,one ,fight!' We darted for one another at the same time. She gave me a blow to the face, but I tripped her up, and she fell flat face to the rigid soil. I booted her in the stomach, and she coughed up blood. 'I am so so sorry.' I cried and stopped immediately. 'The match is over.' Came mateo's booming voice. I kneeled down to Hermoine. 'Hermoine, hermoine, please say you're okay. I'm sorry.' She let out a small fragile sentence. 'I'm okay, don't worry.' I screamed at Mateo.'Well, don't just stand there. Help her!' He didn't make a movement until she coughed up another pile of blood, then he called his guards to help her, and they took her away. I stared at the king. 'Now, let my sister go!' He looked down at her then at me. 'You are getting really bossy. That is not how things work around here.' He grabbed salma by the scruff of her neck. 'Noooo!!' I exclaimed. 'You promised you would let her go.' I could see the feat in salma and her getting paler by the second. 'I don't recall promising anything.' He snarled. 'You hurt her, and you will die an excruciating death.' I rambled. His grip became sharper, and I saw salma flinch under his grasp. 'Please, just let her go.' Pleading was my last hope. His hands realised, and I sprinted for her and cloaked her in an enormous caress. 'Are you okay?' I felt her nod and a weight lifted of my shoulders. When we released one another,  I strolled up to mateo. 'Let her go home ,please, she doesn't need to be here.' His eyebrow raised. 'Manners, I didn't think you had them. Maybe I was wrong. At least you have learnt your lesson now. You are to do what is commanded by your king, and you must know your place.' He waved at his remaining guards, and they pulled salma away. 'Now it's time for the final challenge, and we will see which one of you has the strongest attack method when fighting me in a battle.' Finally, this is going to be fun. 'Maria Delgato, please line up on the left circle.' I listened to him and placed myself in a fighting stance. 'Three, two, one, fight,' He called, and I raced towards him, getting ready to attack. As I came towards him, I looked ready to punch, but just as I got close, I slid under his legs and punched him where it hurts. 'Low blow, princess, that doesn't hurt me though, your punches are weak.' Just as I came up behind him, he sweated my legs from under me, and I caught him the same time. I landed on the floor on my tender back, and he landed with his hands stopping himself from falling on top of me. Whilst I saw his face this close, I noticed hints of freckles on his olive skin. 'Your cornered, princess.' Hearing that nickname made my heart jump. 'Am I, now?' I slid through his arms like a piece of a puzzle sliping into place, and i tried to tackle him down. He cunningly switched the positions, and I was back under him. 'If this is what you wanted, you could have asked.' His coy smile was back. This time, there was no way of getting out of his grip. I kneed him in his stomach, but he didn't flinch. He gazed at me like I was an experiment he wanted to figure out. 'Why don't you just surrender, princess? It would be a lot easier for you.' I shook my head refusingly. This guy who just held my sister captive wasn't going to beat me. I glanced around, studying for something to help me. He was watching my every move. There was nothing here. The field was blank other than poppies. I dug my fingers into the earth and pulled out a handful of poppies, and chucked them in his face. His hands went in the air to get them off, and I made my escape. I rolled out from under him and then dived on his back, thinking he would fall from the pressure, but  he just grabbed onto my back. It looked like I was a kid about to have a piggyride off my dad. Then he went backwards, slamming my spine into the ground. 'Ah,' I cried. My back was excruciating, but I couldn't give up. Not yet, not with him having no symptoms of messing with me. Just as he was trying to rise, I swept his leg once more, and he fell to the ground beside me. 'Clever ,princess.' For once, I was the one with the confident smile. 'If you think this is clever, then every day I'm ingenious.' His dark eyebrows raised. 'The competition is over'. He lifted, then his hand out to help me up. Considering he was the king, I took it. It definitely wasn't because he was smoking hot. No, that was definitely not the reason. 'Amora Strong, your next.' The fight between them was over in a matter of minutes with mateo being the winner. Neither of us girls were terribly hurt during the battles. Whilst they were fighting, the guards returned without anybody, and then they took Amora away abruptly. 'Come with me,' Mateos' eyes stared persistently into mine. I strolled over, and he blindfolded me again!