The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 106

HERA

"Leo..."

When I opened my mouth, I did not know what I was going to say.

Even when I say his name, I still am sure about the words that will follow.

My head feels like it has been held under a bucket of melted lard and then popped into the baker's stove to slow bake until golden brown.

I shift my weight from one feet to another, unable to look him directly in the face.

Yet somehow his eyes still replace mine.

Piercing steel that holds me in place until my cheeks start to turn red.

The longer I stare up at his hard, handsome face, the harder it becomes for my brain to remember how to make complete sentences and all I can do is open and close my mouth. Gulping stupidly like some very red fish put of water.

"Leo.............why are you smirking at me like that?"

"Just wondering how many times it is you intend to stammer the word "I" before you realize that you do not need to say anything."

Somehow his quip gives me the strength to remember how to move my limbs.

I pull away from him, not understanding how he can laugh and look at me like he did not just utter words that could not only get him killed, but could potentially alter our lives forever. Unless... My eyes narrow into slits and I raise my head to meet his gaze. "Where you...Jesting?"

"No your grace. I meant every word."

"Then how in all the realms do you expect me not to say anything?" I throw my hands up in the air, at the nonchalance on his face, exasperation clouding my tone.

He raises the eyebrow with the scar like he always does. "You are upset. I should not have told you."

"Yes, you should bloody well have not! Why did you?"

He is quiet for a moment and I realize he is thinking about his answer.

Weighing the words before he says them.

Something the dragon king and I definitely need to learn to do.

He finally raises his hard to look at me again. "Because for the first time in my life...I wanted to be selfish." "Well how is that working out for you?"

"Not very well I must admit."

I scoff but then his hand closes gently around my wrist and pulls me towards him again.

"But I also did it because you deserve so much better than what he just did to you."

I swallow around the lump that seems to have suddenly reappeared in my throat.

Then I pull my hand as gently as I can from his grasp.

And when I speak this time, my voice is soft and a sigh escapes my lips but I do not stutter. "Leo, I love him."

He does not say anything, just looks at me with that gentle, yet stoic expression of his.

I sigh even harder.

"Yes, I realize that it may sound stupid especially given what he has done in the past, what he just did...and gods above help me, what he most likely will still do in the future I..."

I wring my hands, pacing a short distance and back.

The words coming out without my even thinking about them.

"All my life, I have believed myself to be one who would do everything... anything to survive, yet when it comes to him, my common sense and my desire for self-preservation goes flying out the window and it is a scary...scary way to feel and yet..." I stop, my head bowed. "...yet I cannot imagine anything more amazing than how I feel when I am with him."

He tilts my chin up so that I am looking at him once again. "For what it is worth your grace, you are right, it does sound stupid... maybe a bit mad too.".

He drops his hand. "But...I fell in love with the King's wife, I doubt that any level of madness is touching that. You do not have to justify your feelings to me."

I stare up at him and he smiles softly.

A smirk replaces it's way to my lips. "You do realize that saying things like that could get you killed?"

He smirks back. "I do. That is why I am banking on the fact that you will not tell him anything we discussed here."

I feign shock, my hand flying to my chest.

"You would have me lie to my husband?"

"I believe your grace, that there is a secret of yours I am holding unto. Think of this as... returning the favor."

"This is blackmail."

"I prefer the terms 'emotional motivation". "

I laugh and he grins.

And just like, all the tension in the air starts to decipate, like wisps of smoke before an open window.

"Fret not. The king and I are not exactly on speaking terms at the moment so you have nothing to worry about. The way things stand, he probably would not even believe a word I say anyway." The chief Ryder sighs but says nothing more.

I step away from him, smoothening out the non-existent wrinkles in my dress and he straightens.

"We should get going, before the king starts to suspect that I have run away with his wife."

I scoff. "He believes I am conspiring with some faceless shadow god to overthrow his Kingdom, I doubt that he would even mind."

"Your highness he..."

I raise my hand and shake my head. "No Leo, do not make excuses for him... not this time."

"As you wish your grace."

I had thought we were headed out, towards the front doors but instead, Leo leads us out two wide, swinging glass doors and into a balcony overlooking the valleys and mountains of the Fairy realm. He turns around before we even step through the doors.

Even across the distance I can see the pain in his eyes.

But as much as I want to go him, I am unready to speak to him.

Or to forgive him.

Thankfully Leo steps between us, blocking me from his view.

"My King."

Midas turns to him.

"The Fairy queen had fufilled her promise and I now possess the antidote. We must leave at once."

"Certainly your highness."

Midas' wings shoot out. Black and regal and stretching across the entire length of the balcony.

Massive even in his human form.

"Leo, you may change into your dragon form. I shall take the queen with me ..."

"No."

"No?"

I step out from behind Leo, my chin raised. "I do not wish to go with you."

He sighs and looks at me.

"You wish to stay behind?"

"I wish not to be in close quarters with the person who thinks I am about to betray him."

I see his jaw work, watch him struggle and give up. "Very well then. So how do you presume to leave?"

"You are not only one who can fly are you?"

Maybe it is the words or the way I say them but I see it in it his eyes when they replace their mark. "Hera..."

I look away from him, surprised to realize that I replace no joy in seeing him hurt.

Even when he deserves it.

But I still do not want to talk to him so I turn to the chief Ryder and lay a hand on his arm.

"I shall ride with Leo instead."

Leo starts, glancing at the king, then once at me and then back at the king.

"Your highness I do not think..."

"Fine."

Leo's head spins around so fast it is a wonder he does not break his neck. "My King?"

But the dragon knig does not hear him.

If he did, he does not show it.

His eyes are on me.

Locked, holding.

"If that is what you wish..."

I tilt up my chin. "It is."

"Then so be it. I shall meet you both at the portal opening on the mountain top from whence we came."

And with one last look at me, he takes off.

His powerful wings flap only once and I watch him, watch him fly away.

"I do not believe he just did that."

I swallow, my eye still fixed on the sky. "I can."

"You do not understand your grace. We, Dragonkin are incredibly possessive by nature. We do not know how to share. For you to ask to ride another dragon...and for him to agree without another word..."

I glance at the chief Ryder. "Well, perhaps his time alone will give him ample reflection, enough to start learning how apologies work."

Leo smiles shaking his head. "You are... something."

I shrug. "I just do not want to be too close to him just yet."

"Because you are worried you will forgive him too easily."

"Anyone ever tell you Chief Ryder that you are much too insightful."

He smirks. "It is what I was made for your Grace."

He starts to take off his shirt and I look away.

Because no matter how mad I am at Midas, I do not wish to hurt him...much.

The light shines and when next I turn around the chief Ryder is gone and in his place is the large slate grey dragon I am starting to get used to.

I walk slowly towards him and brush my hand across his large, heavy snout.

Warm and smooth beneath my hand.

"You deserve all the the love in the 7 realms Leo. I am almost sorry I am not the one who gets to give it to you."

He nudges my hand and I laugh.

But even while laughing, a tiny part of me wonders why it could not have been him I fell in love with instead.

I hear the thunder and see the flash of lighting in the distance and by the time we reach the mountain top on which we arrived into the 4th realm, the portal already stands open

I slide down from Leo's back and walk up to him, to where the dragon king stands unmoving in front of the rippling, simmering in the very fabric of space.

"Do you think that everything is the way we left it?"

I still do not wish to speak to him.

But for the first time, I can hear uncertainty in his voice.

Can see it in the way his hand stay in clenched fists by his sides.

The dragon king is worried.

Worried and afraid.

And he is letting me see it.

I sigh once...twice...then a third time.

Then I cover his large hand with my smaller one.

Holding it until I feel his fingers release, until they wrap around mine.

"I cannot say. But what I do know Midas is that you are a good King and that no matter what it is that we meet, as long as they have you, I think your realm will be just fine." He looks at me then.

His beautiful eyes roaming every inch of my face.

"I do not deserve you."

"I know."

"You are still angry at me aren't you?"

"I am."

"I am sorry."

I nod. "I know. But sorry isn't going to fix it. Not this time."

"I shall fix it. All of it."

I raise my hand to his cheek and he closes his eyes and leans his face into my hand.

"Fixing is hard Midas. It will be best if you learn how not break it in the first place."

The passage through the portal is not so bad this time.

Wait, I am mistaken.

The nausea hits me like a physical punch in the gut and I am forced to hunch over, to dry heave and nearly cough up my lungs.

Midas holds up my hair and rubs circles across my back.

He knows I have not yet forgiven him.

But he also knows that I do not hate him.

It is already dark here.

The rocks and stones and hard lines a stark, drab contrast to the glittering brightness of the Fairy realm.

And yet, it still feels like coming home.

Leo comes in behind us, back in his human form and dressed up once more.

I finally stop coughing and manage to stand up straight, But when Midas tries to hold me, I shake my head.

Too soon.

He says nothing but I can see how hard it is for him to take that step back and away from me. Yet he does it.

I look around.

At the stars glittering in the velvet blue sky and the sparse landscape of the rocky region.

"Where are the horses?"

No sooner have I asked the question that they come, troting towards us, their skin glistening in the wane light of the moon. Midas glances at me.

I do not want to ride with him.

If I have to sit pressed up against him, his fingers long and warm and firm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer...

I do not know how much longer I will be able to remain angry.

But it would not do for the King and queen to ride into the Castle on seperate steads.

Everyone would know something was wrong.

And just the look of satisfaction on Minth's face is enough to make me decided to let go, just for the ride back home.

I feel it the moment I take the first step towards the horse.

That familiar pressure.

Except this time it is worse.

So much worse.

Oh Gods above...what now?

I am aware of my surroundings, aware of the chill in the air and the hardness beneath my feet.

Yet the force with which the pressure invades my being is so much that I can no longer see, or think.

I reach out...hand flailing blinding in his direction.

"Hera!"

I feel him reach for me, but I am already being pulled under.

Already drowning.

Somehow I know, that whatever I am about to see will be bad. Very bad.

And with that realization, everything fades.