A Pet for the Dragons

163.

ARIKA

We anxiously awaited outside Mavie's chamber. It had taken us a lot longer to get to her because we had to argue with one of her attendees to get an audience with her.

Still, I didn't miss how the Cardinal Guards eyed us, ready to throw us out any second. I clenched my legs together and pressed my back against the wall.

I wouldn't leave this place until I got what I wanted — an audience with Mavie. I was going to talk to her today at any fucking cost.

I eyed the door, hoping someone would either go inside or leave the room so I could steal a peek inside to check if Mavie was here at all or not. All the efforts of convincing the attendee would go to waste if it turned out that Mavie wasn't here in the first place.

No. She was here. She had to be here so I could talk to her and sort this out. And even if she weren't here, I wouldn't move until she came to see me—

"There you are,"

I wasn't expecting the door to the chamber to open so abruptly, and none other than Mavie to walk out of there. The guards moved around, following protocols for her, but Mavie's eyes were set on me eerily, and she gave me an unsettling smile.

"I was going to send one of them to fetch you," she said closing the distance between us. I froze in my place, suddenly forgetting how to move or breathe.

Mavie looked so surreal and... dangerous. Her presence overpowered me, and the way she skimmed her eyes over me made my skin tingle with distress. It was as if she were seeing through me, within me, and going through my deepest and darkest secrets.

I shuddered.

It took me a second to notice Ivret behind her. He looked cold and distant at first. I almost didn't recognise him. He always seemed so different while attending official matters at court, but as soon as our eyes met, his features softened as if it assured me somehow. But that wasn't enough for me because he instantly returned to being stone cold.

"So nice to see you. Come, we've got a lot to talk about," Mavie told me, turning back to her chamber. I eyed Ivret, searching him for any clue. He was here to convince Mavie not to send the brothers to the frontline. I wondered if he had succeeded, but something told me that he hadn't.

It made me more anxious. I followed Mavie inside her chamber hesitantly. Ivret followed close behind.

"Can I bring Zorge and Radrox too?" I asked her, unsure.

"No," Mavie answered crisply before the door shut, sealing us inside her chamber. She sat on her grand resting settee that was bedazzled with jewels. If I weren't here to negotiate, I would've been thinking of ways I could steal that thing.

"How are you?" Mavie asked, skimming me from head to toe as if she was searching for something. I didn't miss how her eyes lingered on my abdomen for a second longer. I felt Ivret behind me, cold and silent. I hated it.

"I'm fine," I told her, not sure why she asked me the question.

"Are you sure?" She pressed. "You don't look fine to me. You look sickly. Aren't your masters taking care of you—"

"She's fine. It was just the feve—" Ivret tried to intervene but Mavie cut him.

"I'll have my healer look at you. He'll be here any moment now," She said with a forceful smile. I shuffled on my feet, unsure what to do in this situation.

"That wouldn't be necessary. I can look at her for your ressu—"

"No,"

I heard Ivret grinding his teeth, but he shut up after this. The air in the room buzzed with tension, and for some reason, it was getting harder for me to breathe.

"Our last meeting was short, but I hope you remember it," Mavie said with a smile.

"What meeting?" Ivret asked, but he went completely ignored by Mavie as she continued.

"Remember what we talked about, Arika. Your co-operation is vital for us,"

"I... I don't..." I tried to find my words, feeling completely lost.

"Hmm... you don't remember?" Mavie asked with a disappointed tone. "It must be the brain fog from the heat. It's common. You'll remember it soon once my healer sees you. Ah! He's already here,"

"Your Majesty, how may I serve you today?" The healer asked as soon as he entered the chamber. It was an older dragon with platinum hair. Oddly, the dragon didn't have any eyes. In the place of his eye-sockets there was nothing. I tried not to stare at such odd features.

I glanced at Ivret, who looked visibly tense. Although he was generally good at controlling his emotions, he looked like he was about to snap at Mavie at that moment.

"Samhorg, the healer, see to this human. She has been in heat lately. I'm afraid, her masters aren't taking care of her well,"

"Mavie—" Ivret tried but he was ignored again.

"Of course, your Majesty," The dragon bowed before it moved towards me. I took a step back, but the dragon was much taller than me and he quickly covered the distance between us.

"Give me your hand," Samhorg, the healer demanded. He almost snatched my hand when I didn't follow his instructions. I felt a strange jittery sensation course through me at his touch.

I'd felt the same whenever Ivret was treating me, but unlike Ivret, it felt deeply invasive and overwhelming. I didn't want to do anything with him. I tried to pull my hand back but his hold was much firmer, not letting me budge.

Ivret gave a warning growl, injecting the air with more tension. A lump slowly built in my throat, making it harder for me to breathe. All of a sudden, I could hear my heart like war drums, and my stomach churned, making me feel sick.

Whatever Samhorg was doing to me was making me sick. When I thought I couldn't take it anymore, he finally let my hand go and turned towards the Empress. I felt lightheaded and was about to collapse, but Ivret caught me on time.

"It's a peculiar situation but not uncommon. It usually happens when the female has released multiple eggs,"

"What is it?" Mavie asked. Suddenly, black dots appeared in my vision and my breaths grew shallow. It felt like my lungs refused to take in more oxygen.

"She's with a child yet she's in heat. There must be more eggs waiting to be fertilised,"

"Samhorg—" Ivret growled, clutching me. I tried to blink away the black dots from my vision but they overpowered me.

"What's the gender of the child?" Mavie asked, sounding almost breathless. I heard the desperation in her voice. Her urgency to know the gender of my child stripped away all the filters from her voice. I heard her real voice for the first time.

She sounded like a mad-woman.

"It's a Girl," That was all I heard before there was a loud bang and Ivret collapsed beside me. As my eyes fluttered shut, I saw him lying beside me, his half-lidded eyes staring at me almost lifelessly while his blood started to pool around the two of us. 

~

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