The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 61

HERA

I hum quietly to myself.

It is something I do when I need to act or at least attempt to convince myself that everything is normal, that my heart is not pounding and my hands are not shaking.

I mean, would I be humming if I was absolutely terrified about trying desperately to break out of my room for a second time in such a short while?

Of course not.

It had initially started as a song but it has since dissolved into some meaningless tune I do no recognize.

But I keep humming it, because meaningless or not, it is helping me calm my nerves and focus my hands.

If somehow he could see me now, he would not see a terrified, human girl, cowering in the corner and waiting for him to appear.

I am cool, collected and most definitely, not scared witless.

Although, if in fact he can see me, I would be in big trouble and feigning calmness would be the least of my worries.

When you live on the harsh, unforgiving streets of Averia's capital, waking up in the morning, cold and filthy and having no idea if you will even get a chance to eat anything for the rest of the day, you tend to pick up a few, less than savory skills. And if your first meal in two days is sitting behind a locked door, you learnt very quickly that the lack of keys was merely a pesky inconvenience, a blip in your quest for survival and that every locked door, can be pried opened.

I have never been good at picking locks.

Somehow it was like the doors could sense my hesitance and fear and would refuse to open to me.

My brother on the other hand, barely even nine at the time, had been a natural.

There were no doors beyond the mastery of my younger brother's little hands and sometimes, the other people who shared our wonderful gift of homelessness would give him measly sums to pick open doors and pry apart stolen money chests. He had tried to teach me but I seemed doomed to be unable to learn it properly and on the few times I did manage to get one open, it took so long that we were almost caught.

I hum my meaningless tune a little louder.

Today would have to be the day I finally learned to do it right.

I have no choice.

If I could figure out how to open the door, then it did not matter if he came to me and let me out or not.

He would think he was keeping me here, locked up and at his mercy but I would be able to do as I pleased without needing to reveal anything.

When midnight comes around and the castle has fallen asleep, I intend to sneak out.

Even though I have only been there once, I know where his study is, and assuming he does not sleep sitting up at his desk, I plan on getting inside.

All those books and documents and scrolls; there has to be something in there.

Something that can give me the answers I seek.

Something that can aid me in my quest to destroy the dragon king for good.

I am not afraid of running into him.

Not really.

Minth had made it painfully clear how the she and the king spent their nights.

Tiring each other out.

I replace myself scowling without even realizing it and I quickly force my face to go back to normal.

She can have him for all I care.

Besides, I have wasted too much time.

Time I could have used to uncover information was spent doubting myself, wondering if perhaps I was wrong about him.

Time spent in his arms, kissing him, touching him and...and...

Skies above...stop it Hera!

Has today not proven what I have already always known?

There should no longer be any doubts in my mind.

The dragon king is a man who cares only for himself and his kind.

Some human slave like me means nothing to him but an unnecessary inconvenience he has to deal with.

Besides I owe it to my people, to my family to make them pay for what they did to us.

If I keep that in mind, I shall be able to push away any inappropriate thoughts about him from my mind.

I am certain of it.

Absolutely certain.

Certain beyond a shadow of doubt.

I have spent quite some time, hunched over and squatting by the door knob but now my knees and back are starting to hurt.

The lock is hard and my hands are shaky and sweaty.

Oh and as I mentioned earlier, I am quite terrible at this.

It does not help my situation that the tools available at my disposal are not exactly making things any easier.

Back home, we used pick lock keys.

Pick lock keys were skeleton keys that could fit into locks and essentially trick the door into opening.

We had been lucky to replace one abandoned in one of the numerous sheds that served as our home but before that, we would use any two pieces of thin bendable iron.

And considering how the dragon king has not been considerate enough to leave a set of pick lock keys lying around somewhere in my room...I checked...I have had to resort a more tedious means.

I had emptied the contents of my surprisingly large jewel box, upending the thing and dumping its innards quite unceremoniously unto the table.

A longer than necessary search through sapphires and necklaces of gold and shiny emeralds, had finally given me what I was looking for.

Hair pins.

They were hard to bend and even harder to work with but they would have to do.

There is sweat running down my back and dripping into my eyes making them sting and burn.

But I am not about to give up. To let him win.

That is, until I hear a key fitting into the lock on the other side.

My heart nearly stops.

I had been so absorbed in my nefarious task that I did not even hear the footsteps of whoever was now seconds away from opening the door and catching me red handed.

I dash across the room.

But it isn't until I am sitting in my bed, panting and sweating, while trying to pretend to stare out my window, that I realize that my jewelry and everything is still poured out, scattered all over the table like someone had tried to rob me. But even worse...

Oh dear Zeus...

Even worse, is the bent hair pin, my make shift lock pick, lying smack down in the center of room for all to see.

One glance at it and anyone would know exactly what I have been up to.

I do not believe I have ever made to fly across a room so fast in my life.

Just as well because the door the opens at the exact same moment.

And all would have been fine if my leg had not gotten tangled up in the sheets, causing me to fall face first towards the floor, arms outstretched, one leg hanging off the bed.

Skies, what a ridiculous sight I must make.

"Your highness! Are you okay?!"

I right myself quickly, my cheeks burning with shame but then I see who it is and I temporarily forget my embarrassment.

A smile breaks out on my face and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank the gods Henette. You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

She carries in the tray of food and places it on the table beside my bed not saying a single word.

I frown. "Henette? Is something wrong?"

She ignores me and does not look me in the eye.

"Henette..."

But the only thing I get in response is a curtsy and then she immediately turns towards the door.

I reach for her, grabbing her by the arm. "Henette...please talk to me. Are you mad at me, have I done something wrong?"

She turns around and pulls gently away.

"Henette why won't you speak to me?"

Her eyes finally meet mine, big and wide and sadder than usual. She opens her mouth but before she can anything, the chief Ryder steps in behind her.

"She is not allowed to speak to you."

I scowl at him, resisting the urge to glance at the evidence of my crimes still lying on the floor.

In the few weeks I have spent in the dragon castle, apart from Henette, Leo is the only one I do not hate quite so much.

He can be annoying and sarcastic and amazingly tight lipped when it comes to anything involving the king but somehow, in his own way, he has tried to make me feel less like a captive. But not right now.

I see him and I automatically think about Midas and I do not want to be thinking about Midas.

"Poppycock. What do you mean she isn't allowed to speak to me? Henette..."

"You may leave now Henette." He says, cutting me off.

And I watch my only friend turn her back on me and leave without another word.

Another thing he has taken away from me.

Leo bows. "Your highness."

"How dare you order my maid around?"

I pretend to stalk up to him but stop in the middle of the room, my feet planted firmly on the lock pick I had accidentally dropped.

It is a miracle he has not seen yet.

As always his gaze sweeps across the room and then he frowns. "Why is all your jewelry poured out in that manner?"

Skies, nothing got past this man.

I swallow and fold my arms across my chest, taking care to keep my face neutral and annoyed. "It is none of your business. And why are you allowed to speak to me if she can't?" "Because the king knows you will not be able to convince me to help you escape."

I scoff. "How wise of him."

His eyes finally come to rest on me, slowly raking up my body before meeting my eyes and once again, it feels almost like he is capable of seeing through me.

I resist the urge to look away guiltily. "What do you want Chief Ryder?"

"The King has sent me to ask if you are ready to tell him the truth."

"I have told him the truth."

"He knew you would say that. As a result, has also asked me to issue one finally warning."

I tilt up my chin and glare at him. "You tell your king that he can keep his warnings to himself. I have nothing more to say to him."

"Do you perhaps wish to rephrase that?"

"No."

Leo sighs. "As you wish. I shall deliver your message."

He bows one more time and turns towards the door.

He reaches for the door knob and then he stops. His hand hovering mid air.

My mouth instantly goes dry.

He does not turn to look at me but he tilts his head slightly as if considering something.

I can feel myself starting to sweat again. "Is...is something wrong Chief Ryder?"

His answer comes, much to slow for comfort. "No. Nothing at all your grace."

Then he pulls open the door only to stop again.

I almost groan in frustration.

He turns to look at me. "Eat your food Hera and for Hades sake, stop fighting him. You are making him miserable."

And then he slams the door in my face.

I am so shocked by his last words that I do not even realize that this is the first time he has ever called me by my name.