The Dragon King's Bride

Chapter 20 : Forgiveness

Garison hurried up the stairs, in search of the king. His feet carried him all the way out of the study, into the hallways where Draegon stood with Juniper. 

"Is she still feeling ill?" Draegon asked Juniper who gave a shrug. 

"I'm not sure, your highness, I saw her and Garison wandering the halls. I am sure that she must be somewhat better - but she was burning up this morning. I said I would wait for you, to hear if we need to get a doctor." Juniper explained. Garison cleared his throat, but neither of them acknowledged him. 

"Get the doctor anyway, I will check on her now." Draegon said. Garison cleared his throat louder. 

"I'll have him be here by morning." Juniper agreed before she hurried off. 

"Your highness." He said in a hurry. Draegon's face fell when he saw Garison and the fact that Zofia was not by his side. 

"Is she alright?" Draegon hurried. 

"No, well. I suppose she is -" Garison stopped when Draegon hurried past him, into the queen's bedroom. 

"Zofia?" Draegon yelled. 

"Your highness. She's in the dungeon of the castle, she's engulfed in flames." Garison finally blurted out. Draegon's eyes widened.

"Show me the way!" He ordered. Garison started running, leading the way for the king. He hurried through the hallways and slid on the wooden floors before he reached the study. He grabbed on to the door's frame and righted himself before he carried on. Draegon stared at the open bookshelf, frowning. He followed Garison in despite his confusion. Draegon briefly wondered how this could be a trap, how he could be lured into anything at the mention of Zofia being in danger.  He could smell the flames and burning clothes as he slid down the stairs. 

"Zofia!" Draegon panicked as he reached the last step. Zofia still clung to herself. He sunk to the floor beside her and wrapped his arms around her. "Look at me. I'm here."

"No, no, no." She said slowly, shaking her head. Draegon cupped her cheeks and made her look at him. She had thought that he was angry at her, but the look in his eyes comforted her more than anything ever could.

"I'm right here." He assured her. The flames subsided, leaving Zofia naked. "Get the queen's robe." He told Garison, who ran to follow the order. Zofia stared at Draegon before she averted her eyes. His smile faltered too.

"Zofia." He started, pulling her into his lap. "I need to tell you. It only happened once. I promise. It wasn't even worth a second try. It was long ago, long before you were eve born." He blurted out. Zofia looked at him and stuck her fingers into his beard.

"Really?" She asked, hopeful.

"Really. She tried, while you were gone, but I refused her. I promise, Zofia. I love you and only you. I will never share my bed with anyone but you - and, between that and meeting you, there hasn't been anyone else." He bit his lip. Zofia remembered what she had looked like after the first time.

"It explains why you had been so... hungry for me." She said with a chuckle.

"So, you forgive me?" He asked his own pressing question.

"Only if you forgive me for snooping around down here." She bit her lip nervously. Draegon looked up and around him for the first time. Garison finally came over with the robe, which Zofia pulled over her shoulders. She got up with Draegon, then eagerly took his hand and pulled him over to the armor. "We found this. It's for dragons." She told him, then pointed to the shackles too. "It's like a whole room full of your ancestry." Zofia mused. Draegon was quiet. He let go of Zofia's hand and wordlessly looked around on his own. Zofia bit her nail as she looked at Garison. He was his stiff self again, as if he too was worried that Draegon was in fact angry. Draegon finally pointed to something.

"Garison, help me?" He requested as he grabbed some chains of his own. Garison hurried over and grabbed on to them as well. The chains hung from the ceiling and connected to the floor, the two men standing a few feet apart, tugging and tugging. At first, nothing happened, but then dust fell from above. The two men kept tugging, and finally Zofia saw what they were working towards. The roof opened, lowering into their basement to create a ramp. Zofia noticed that it was big enough for a dragon to fit through. She clapped her hands together and ran up the grass-clad ramp to the outside. Draegon and Garison followed.

"It leads out here." Zofia mused. It was right by their lake, in a dip that the landscape followed.

"We need to keep this between us three, a secret that no one else must hear." Draegon urged. Zofia nodded. 

"Your highness, you fear that we have a traitor?" Garison asked. 

"We do indeed. It was Zofia who told me of the possibility." Draegon looked at his bride. She blushed at his praises. 

"Then I will protect this secret with my life." Garison vowed. The three stepped inside again and closed the hole in the ground up. Draegon took Zofia's hand and led her up the stairs, her books clutched under her arm. Garison closed the shelf up as Zofia pushed a few books back into their places. Draegon took Zofia's hand once more, leading her to his bedroom. She frowned up at him as he felt her forehead. 

"You really are very warm. Are you feeling alright?" He asked her. She took his hand off her forehead and nodded. 

"I just feel, nauseous, almost like I ate something like a rock that's stuck in my stomach." She explained to him. "It's like it's making me feel heavy, tired." Zofia explained. Draegon pulled her into his arms and held her tight. 

"Is this better?" he asked her. 

Zofia hummed. "Definitely." She said to his ear. 

"I don't want to sleep without you again, Zofia. No matter what, I can not let you leave my bed." He pleaded. Zofia bit her lip. 

"If there anything I should know that would make me not want to be in bed with you?" Zofia asked as she clasped handfuls of his clothing. 

"Perhaps there is something." He breathed. Zofia stiffened and frowned at Draegon. She nodded, as if she was ready for the blow. "You need to know that I will never let you sleep without me holding you, that I love you, Zofia."

Zofia had heard it before, in the dungeon, but it hadn't fully registered with her. She nodded, smiling happily. He loved her and she loved him back. She wouldn't have returned to him if she didn't. Draegon started to worry, his eyes searching Zofia's when she didn't say it back to him. 

"Draegon..." Zofia complained his name as she bit her lip. He loosened his arms around him, thinking he was squeezing her a bit too tightly. "I thought that I would never love a man like you. You snatched me from my family, from my sister. If I was there with her then she wouldn't have been killed. I wanted to blame you for taking me away from her, but I couldn't. I don't know how but I don't blame a man who I can't live without. I would have been miserable without you, if I leave you now I would be so miserable that I would want to die. I love you too, Draegon, no matter what. If we were here, in a castle living a comfortable life - or dirt poor, living an equally comfortable life." She told him, snuggling closer. Draegon squeezed Zofia again, hugging her close. 

"That makes me so happy." Draegon expressed, grinning at his mate. He leaned in and kissed her soft lips. Zofia pressed into him and stuck her fingers into his hair. "And I'm sorry, Zofia. I'm so, so terribly sorry that I ruined your life. If I was then who I am now, I wouldn't have allowed it. I wish I could take it all back." He complained. 

"I forgive you, Draegon. I miss my sister, but that is all in the past. I have you and I never want to lose you." Zofia whispered. She leaned up, needing more of his kisses. 

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