The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 1

"I want the princess"

The whole court fell silent for a split second then suddenly erupted in uproar.

Dragon king or not, what he asked for was unacceptable.

The king with his face blanched white looking like it's been drained of blood sat stock still on his throne almost like he'd been frozen in place but the queen's reaction was more violent. She jumped from her throne, shaking head to toe with rage "How dare you?"

But the man at whom her venom was directed doesn't even glance at her. "Those are my terms."

She pointed at him, finger shaking and spit flying from her mouth as she yelled. "You can take you terms and...."

"Alena!"

It was the king's voice that silenced her and she turned on him, eyes wide.

"You hear what this monster says, he asks for our daughter..." her voice cracked as she hit her chest, tears threatening to fall "...my only child to be bargained off.... like, like cattle or wool in the fleece market!"

"And is her life more important than all the others in your kingdom?"

She whirled on him, the amour cloaked king standing in the middle of their throne room.

"Don't you dare talk to me about the importance of life. You and your Ryders have taken everything from us. You have razed down our villages and killed our livestock, our people are in constant mourning and now...now you wish to take the only bright light left in the kingdom? I would rather die"

"ALENA!!" The king was the one shaking with anger now. "Watch your tongue, you forget your place."

He turned to his guest, whose face he had never seen. "Dragon king..."

"Your highness." The man replies with a hint of mockery in his tone.

"Would you not reconsider? She is our only daughter; to take her is to leave Averia without an heir to the throne"

The Dragon king placed his gauntlet covered hand on his sword, his tone cold and dark.

"My demands are simple your grace and the ball is in your court but come sunrise tomorrow my army will march. And it will either be with your daughter as my bride and out of Averia for good or it will be without the princess and into the heart of your kingdom where my Ryders and our dragons will maim...and plunder...and kill until there is not a single Averian left standing. Your precious daughter included."

No one in the court even dared to breathe.

The king sighed, clutching his scepter in both hands even as the queen by his side shook her head violently from side to side.

"No....No...don't do this"

"You will have what you desire"

"NO!"

The King of Averia ignored her. "But on one condition"

The Dragon king shrugged. "I'm in a giving mood"

"When you and your army march out of Averia and back to your realm, you will perform the sealing ritual and close the portal between our worlds forever"

"A hundred years"

"One thousand"

"You have my word. Now if your highness will excuse me, my army and I must begin to see about arrangements to return home and I believe...you have a wedding to prepare for."

And without a backward glance, he strode tall and proud out of the King's court, his silver glided amour glistening and red cloak trailing behind him

The sorrow on the king's face and the queen violent tears, the only evidence he had ever been there.

"Mother tell me this is a lie, tell me what father says is some sort of cruel jest at my expense" "Daughter..."

But the princess would not be consoled.

To be given out to the most feared tyrant in all the 7 realms was nothing short of a curse.

One she could not bear to shoulder, fate of the kingdom hanging in the balance or not.

The queen who had been uncharacteristically silent this whole time stepped forward. "Your highness, if I may...I have come up with a plan"

"No..." the king began

"Your highness if you would just listen"

"No! I will not listen" the king insisted, shaking his head

The queen moved closer to her husband, placing a beseeching hand on his arm.

"But my love, what if there's another way, how can we fold our hands and let that brute be married to our only daughter?"

"But if the Dragon King replaces out we tried to trick him..."

"He won't. My love, do you trust me...do you trust me do what's best for our kingdom, for our daughter?"

"You know I do."

"Then let me take care of this." She began, her voice dipping lower with every word.

"He will not replace out and by the time he does...the portal will be sealed. We will be saved our daughter with us and Averia will be rid of the Dragon King for good." The princess ceased her weeping.

.

She could see her father beginning to give in

Maybe all hope wasn't lost after all.

The king looked at his wife and distraught daughter. "Okay, do what you must."

The ceremonial bells a top the cathedral in the palace grounds of Averia rang out 12 times, as was the custom of the people.

The streets were packed, the citizens of Averia scarcely able to believe that today, the Ryders from the Dragon realm that have since plagued their city were even now marching out, to the hill of Moria. The location of the portal connecting the two worlds.

But yet there was no celebration or joy to be seen on anyone's face because while the land would finally be free, the freedom came at a steep price Averia would rather not pay.

The atmosphere in the palace was even more subdued.

A wedding was about to take place but there will be no celebration or livery, no eating or drinking.

Not yet at least.

There were servants afoot, running back and forth, carrying trays laden with jewels and ribbons of cloth, rich, gold embroided attires passing from hand to hand all to adorn the princess of the Land. And sitting in the middle of all the chaos, was the woman who at the end of the day would leave Averia, the wife of the dreaded Dragon king.

The girl struggled to maintain her composure even as the queen came into the room.

The servants all stopped, bowing low below the waist.

The queen walked up the girl, clothed in the finest silk and jewels of the land.

"Princess, are you ready?"

When she failed to answer, the queen took her chin and lifted it gently so the girl's tear filled eyes were staring back at her.

She ignored the tugs of her own heart; this was for the greater good.

Like the Dragon King said, what was one life in exchange for thousands of others?

"Do not be so distraught my dear, even in the years to come all of Averia will sing your name, your bravery will forever be remembered"

"You make it seem like I have a choice."

The hatred burning in the girl's eyes was so fierce, the queen found herself looking away.

"You are right, there is no real choice, not for anyone of us."

Then to the servants she said. "Veil her, and bring her to the court room. He who would claim her is here already" And with that hurried from the room When the girl was led into the room on the arm of the king, the heavy silk veil draped over her head, everyone but the Dragon king rose.

He was still dressed in the same silver amour, the heavy helmet covering his face the only way anyone from Averia had ever seen him.

If anyone found it strange th at two people about to pledge their life to each other had never seen the other's face, no one voiced it.

Averia's brides were always covered till the night of consummation and the Dragon king...well, no one really knew why he kept his face hidden. There were rumors of course but he didn't care to correct or confirm them.

The more people feared him, the less likely they were to rebel.

The dragon king barely glanced at his bride who stands at his side, noting the deference in her small stature and bowed head, just like it should be.

He felt her struggle not to tremble when her hand was placed in his and was mildly surprised to replace himself curious as to what lay beneath the veil. Would she tremble when he touched her that night too, when he pinned her to the sheets and truly claimed her for his.

The thought filled him with unexpected want and a curiosity he was unused to.

The marriage rites passed like a dream, and when their joined hands are tied loosely together, they might has well have been chains.

The second the wedding ends, signaled by the royal bells, the Dragon king known to his court as Midas strides from the throne room without so much as a word. He climbed into his chariot, drawing his sword and placing it across his lap.

"My lord, the army is ready."

He nodded and gave the signal to march. Finally, it was time to go home, victorious once more.

"Dragon King, it is time to keep your side of the agreement."

He doesn't even bother to look at the King and his officials that have accompanied his army out of the kingdom.

"Do not tell me what to do King of Averia. I am not a very pleasant man when people do that."

He dragged his quiet bride roughly from the chariot, which seconds later was driven into the portal by the chief Ryder, leaving him behind clutching her hand.

He pulled her with him to where the edge of the rip touches the crest of the mountain and with a movement so fast it was a blur, whipped out a small obsidian dagger.

He took her hand in his, forcing her palm open.

Her eyes went wide behind the veil when she saw what he was about to do and she struggled against his grip but it was no use and in one quick motion, he sliced open a gash in her palm. But rather than cry out she let out a soft gasp that had him throbbing pleasantly in all the wrong places.

He repeated the motion on himself and then intertwined their fingers, pressing their bloody palms together.

A tingling sensation of pleasure and pain ran down the length of his arm and he suppressed a groan as the magic of the blood bond coursed through his body.

"By this blood oath, I Dragon king, Midas the immortal, Lord of the 5th realm and master of The dragon's fire hereby seal the portal between this two worlds for a thousand years..."

A fierce blue light began to envelope them both, the power rushing through his veins and into her and they both slowly began to lift off the ground.

"This is an oath bound by blood and it cannot be undone."

Un-used to the feel of magic, the newlywed bride cried out in pain and ecstasy as pleasure beyond anything she had ever known rushes through her very being, threatening to rip her apart.

He pulled her against him, a second before they wink out of existence.

Disappearing from her world and crash landing in his.

She lay limp in his arms, the journey between the realms too much of a strain on her fragile body.

The veil had gotten lost somewhere along the way and Dragon King Midas stared for the first time at the face of his wife lying in his arm.

The chief Ryder appeared as if from thin air and attempted to take her "Let me my Lord."

But Midas strides past him, still holding her in his arms. "Attempt to touch my queen again Leo and Chief Ryder or not, I will have your head."

And it is unconscious that the new queen of the Dragon realm first enters her chambers.

As he lay her down on the bed, she stirred gently, her lips parting in a way that had the blood rushing away from his head.

He took off his armour, suppressing the sigh of relief at the freedom from the weight.

As he untied the strings of his shirt, he watched the gently heaving form of the woman on his sheets, her hair an unusual colour of red spread out on his pillow and the gentle stirrings of l**t he had felt earlier rose with a sudden intensity that surprises him. He took off the shirt and walkef up to the bed, sitting down beside her still form.

Without even thinking about it he brushed his thumb against her bottom lip, dragging the pad of his finger against the plump fullness of it, vaguely wondering what she would taste like.

The king of the 5th realm took whatever he wanted, and right now, he wanted her.

His hand slipped from her mouth and wrapped it's fingers around her slender neck. He leaned over her, lips brushing against her ear. "I know you're awake

"

She stiffened and he laughed, her fear making him throb with desire. "Open your eyes".

When she didn't obey, he squeezed hard, and her eyes flew open in panic.

He had never seen eyes so blue.

Taking his hand from off her neck, he straightened. "Take off your clothes"

"M...my...Lord, can we...do this tomorrow?"

Her voice was lower than he expected, a sultry candence that his body physically reacts to.

His voice was gruff when he grabbed her chin roughly, fingers digging into her cheeks, breaking the skin and drawing blood.

"That will be the last and only time I will tolerate disobedience."

"Am I clear?"

She didn't respond only nodded, tears he does not understand rolling down her cheeks.

"I said am.... .... clear?"

She raised her head and looked at him, chin lifted in silent defiance, her light blue eyes meeting his liquid gold.

He isn't't aware of when he pulls her against him, her softness pressing against the hardness of his bare chest but when he crushed his lips against hers, his want became need.

She tasted like wine, intoxicating and heady, the more he took, the more he wanted until his desire was at a feverish crescendo beyond even his control.

When he took her bottom lip between his teeth, she shivered against him and suddenly kissing her was not enough.

He ripped off her clothes, tearing away the sheer, flimsy material and she gasped loudly against his mouth.

He could taste her fear and it only made his need grow.

He lifted her up and tossed her onto the bed, eyes trailing over her form, Gently curved, sensual and totally devoid of a birthmark on her right shoulder. Anger so fierce he could feel his dragon form beginning to stir started to rise in him.

His golden eyes took on the color of molten magma.

All royal members of the royal family of Averia had a birth mark, a half moon crescent on their right shoulder

Whoever this woman was, staring at him with wide blue eyes filled with fear, she was not the princess of Averia.

They had dared to tricked him...him.

"Who are you?"

He asked getting angrier by the second, the pupils of his eyes dilating as his dragon struggled to rise to the surface in response to his rage.

She struggled to replace her voice backing away from him.

"My...lord. I'm your wife, Princess of Averia"

His grabbef her throat again but this time he fully intended to kill her, crushing her wind pipe so she can't breathe.

"Lie to me again..." he growled "...and I will take out your tongue. Do you understand?"

For the first time since she was forced into this accursed arrangement, Hera looked up into the face of the man she now belonged to and tears rolled down her cheeks.

She clutched desperately at his fingers unforgivingly wrapped around her neck and struggled to take in air.

He didn't care. "Good. Now for the last time, who... are... you?"

"I am Hera my lord, orphaned slave of Averia, now wife to Dragon King Midas of the 5th realm."

His rage was a wave that rushed over his head, consuming all in it's path.

And then, all hell broke loose.