A Dragon's Mate

6

  "Ana," I call out tentatively entering her chambers through the partially open doorway. She pauses, hands atop a pile of clothes she had been stuffing haphazardly into a trunk on her bed.

"It's only for a little while," I cross the room and pull her into an embrace. She cries quietly for half an hour before she pulls back sniffling.

"Common," I offer stepping back, "lets fix that trunk of yours. I know how much you hate a wrinkled dress." She nods and smiles, although it doesn't reach her eyes. I help her finish packing and collect my ball gown to be sent down to my carriage in its protective cloth garment bag. We say our teary-eyed goodbyes as I climb into the carriage.

The normally short carriage ride seems to take hours as I watch the blonde princess shrink from view. The sky is dreary and even the castle's brilliant white walls seem duller as if the castle itself is dreading her departure. The knock on the carriage door when we arrive makes me jump.

"ya ready miz," the door opens to reveal a boy of merely 10 as my footman. A cute little blonde thing, slightly grubby, but one I've never seen before. I take the offered hand, although if I did slip I doubt he would be much help, and step out. He runs around the carriage and returns with the garment bag that holds my dress. I thank him laying the bag over my forearm as he climbs back onto the carriage and wave as they drive away. I pull my key from its hiding place under a loose brick in the walkway. I unlock the door only to be greeted by an unfamiliar scent and an extremely familiar pair of green eyes.
  "What are you doing in my house?" I practically growl at the man sitting far to comfortably in my chair. His far too soft looking black curls brush the pristine white military officer's uniform that nearly glows when the sunlight hits him. Long, gloved fingers sit entwined over his crossed legs. Knee high leather boots shining like they'd just been polished finish off the intense look.

"I have a proposition for you Miss Mayhem," He announces flashing a pair of dimples that would have turned my knees to jelly had I not been so pissed, "I hear your father has had a pretty bad cough for about a month now." My anger quadruples and a tinge of fear sets in.

"Who are you?" I ask through gritted teeth suppressing the fear. I take a small, hopefully unnoticed, step towards the window sill where I have a metal bar hidden for just this occasion. I don't know who this man is but I am no fearful child for him to take advantage of.

"My name is Audric, General Audric Fowlstorm, if you feel the need to be formal about it," he says uncrossing his legs and leaning forward elbows on his knees. Step.

"Oh, I've heard of you," I add a slight mocking tone to my voice, "The bastard son of River Fowlstorm, younger sister to the king who so generously took you in and raised you alongside Nathaniel and Marriana. You grew up to become the pride of the Woolsey army." Step

"What else have you heard," He asks raising a single black eyebrow.

"I also heard you killed someone a long time ago," I started and he winched my last step brining me within arm's length of the bar in the window sil, "Someone you fought in the illegal underground arena when you were a boy of twelve. The whole thing was swept under the rug and that's when you were sent away to train in Mahika. Yet, when Nathaniel arrived a year later you were nowhere to be found."

"I see," he begins standing, "You have heard very much about me Miss Mayhem, Now about my proposition. I  your father's life in exchange for your hand" My jaw hits the floor and my vision turns red.

"What?" I hiss wrapping my hands around the bar behind me.

"I want you to become my wife," he states plainly, "and if you do ill have the best doctors from Aegle sent to take care of him." He takes a step closer and I can feel my knuckles turning white around the bar.

"You have one week to make up your mind Miss Mayhem," He says crossing the room to the door, "and that metal bar wouldn't do much good." He closes the door but I don't move for a solid ten minutes after he is gone. The adrenaline pumping though my veins makes it hard the breath or move. My knees give out and I slide down the wall.

//A/N: Pleaseexcuse my absence and the shortness of this "chapter". The next one should beup much faster. I love you all and hope you enjoy. comment and vote.