The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 70

MIDAS

He should never have agreed to it.

Should have had her taken back into the castle.

He has no idea what they are riding into.

It could be nothing more than a grieving father, heartbroken about losing his only child or it could be that the men of both clans have already begun looping one another's heads off.

So even if it had meant tossing her over his shoulder and carrying her back in himself, he should never have let her convince him to bring her along.

At least if she were in the castle, he could be absolutely sure of her safety.

But this, his riding out with her into an extremely volatile situation is not just foolish, it is reckless.

Two things the dragon king is not.

It had also been entirely selfish.

He wanted her near him.

Craved the stability her presence, her scent gave him and his dragon.

He tells himself that it is because he knows that had he left her behind, she would have kept to her words and made good her threat to ride out after him. And that she was more likely to get hurt that way.

But Midas knows that while that is indeed part of his reason for agreeing to this madness, it is not the entire truth.

From the moment she had first asked to come with him, Midas already knew on some level that he would give in.

Not just because saying 'No' to her is becoming increasingly difficult but because she is too damn stubborn for her own good.

Standing in front of his horse like that, arms outstretched, chin lifted defiantly.

She is everything he works hard not to be; Reckless, extremely impulsive and maybe even slightly foolish.

And yet this, her foolhardy determination is one of the things he lo...does not dislike about her.

He can tell she detests the speed at which they are riding.

Can hear her the way her heart is pounding even over the rustling wind.

But he has no choice.

For all he knows it might be too late.

Adarin's son was dead and the clan chief would be out for blood.

Midas is not entirely sure he will be able to stop him.

Not without applying force.

And the worst part of it all, the only part of it that even really worries him is the way his blood thrums with anticipation. Gods above...

He does not want a war, knows that the consequences will be unpleasant, but his body, the monster in him is craving a fight.

She shifts in the saddle and Midas breaths in the crisp, windblown scent of her hair.

He does not understand it but when he is with her, it is easier...no, not easier, just less difficult to keep his bloodlust in check and he does not know why.

But what he does know is that the last thing on his mind at the moment should be the way her body fits perfectly against him yet he cannot seem to help it

His arms tighten around her middle imperceptibly, fingers splayed at her hips, nudging her and pulling her closer to his chest.

She leans into him and Midas' body hums in response.

He wonders if she knows that she just let out a tiny, little sigh of pleasure and the urge to kiss her is so sudden and intense that his stomach actually clenches. He swallows, his eyes fixed on the changing landscape in front of him.

The sun is not even yet high in the sky.

Good. Fights on a hot day were an absolute travesty.

He does not plan to let her get within so much as an inch of danger but he also knows that a plan is simply a sequence of events that always goes wrong.

And if something happens to her because of this, because he was too selfish to leave her behind, Midas will never be able to forgive himself.

They crest over a small hill and the fire pits and deer skin tents of the encampment of the clan of Rardath come into view.

Structures that appear small and tiny from this far away.

And blessed be Hades, not on fire.

He exchanges a quick glance with his chief Ryder on his left and without needing to say a word, both men spur on their horses, picking up speed and racing faster towards it. They race through the encampment of Rardath without stopping.

The pounding hoofs of the horses raising up rich dark earth and flattening leaves as they ride past pens and stables of braying, noisy animals and the curious, nervous faces of the members of the herder clan. Dragonkin men watch on grimly, the women clutch the hands of their children in fear as the king's procession rides past.

Midas' heart is calm, his breathing level perhaps even slow.

This...this is what he lives for, who he is.

A king...a warrior... a cold blooded killer.

He does not go looking for it.

In fact because of how easy it is for him to slip beneath the red haze of violence and how hard it is for him to come out of it, he prefers to avoid it.

But he is most definitely not afraid of it.

Especially not when it meant protecting his realm or fighting for what he believed in.

Adarin and Rardath were better of listening to him, and coming up with a peaceful, less bloody means of settling this matter.

If they decided to attack each other blindly, the resulting clash could result in a catastrophe and a loss of much more than is necessary.

And Midas could not allow that to happen.

He would much rather kill them both first.

"Midas..."

He keeps silent, pretends not to have heard her.

Just so he can listen to her say his name again.

She does, pronouncing it in that crisp human tongue of hers.

"Midas..."

He does not think he will ever get used to tiny jolt he gets every time she does it.

"Yes?"

She hesitates. "Killing...killing them will not solve anything."

Midas frowns, feeling his body stiffen.

How in all the realms did she know to say that?

But she does not answer when he asks and he regrets not being able to see her face and gauge her reaction.

When they returned to the castle after this situation ended, one way or the other, Midas intends to make sure he gets to the root of her abilities.

Especially if Er'gan is right and that her ability to see things before they happened could put her in danger.

He just has to make sure they both make it back home in one piece.

As they draw closer to the clan of Adarin, he wonders vaguely what danger she had seen that made her so desperate to stop his departure.

He wonders if she will be the only one to return to the castle.

Adarin's people, unlike their neighbors who provided the bulk of the capital's supply of meat, were predominantly simple farmers and their settlement consisted of mud and wooden structures covered in thatch rafters.

As expected the captain of the band of Ryders is waiting for him at the heart of the clan of Adarin where the Chief's group of huts would be.

Midas brings his horse to a halt with a brisk yank of the reins a few paces away from where everyone is gathered.

One look at the red faced, absolutely livid chief pacing angrily from one end to another, his sword drawn, tells Midas that he had almost been too late.

If anyone is wondering why the human queen is here he does not see it.

He dismounts first but when she reaches out for him to help her down, he refuses.

"Hera, I want you to listen to me."

She shakes her head, looking down at him, eyes big and so very blue and he replaces himself wanting to brush the strands of hair from her face, to cup her cheek in his hand.

But he does neither. "I want you to stay here."

"But..."

"No buts Hera. I let you come because I knew it was important to you but I will not be able to concentrate if you are in danger."

"Yet you wish for me to sit here and watch you walk yourself straight into the same danger you are trying to keep me away from?"

He smiles, an attempt to put her at ease. "I am immortal remember?"

It does not work.

"Stop...saying that. You are immortal not invincible."

"I have to do this Hera."

She nods but he can see the protests in her features.

Leo appears by his side and he turns to him.

"Do not let her get off this horse"

"Yes my king."

Then in his mind so she does not hear, he adds.

"And if you see that things are getting out of hand, the tiniest edge of a drawn sword, get her out of here immediately."

As expected the chief Ryder stiffens. "You are asking me to leave you behind."

"I am asking...no, I am commanding you to protect the queen."

"As you wish your grace."

Leo does not sound pleased but the king leaves him no choice.

And without a second's hesitation he strides away from her and towards whatever chaos awaits him.

Everyone bows as he approaches.

"You may rise."

The captain of the Ryder's immediately attempts to speak to to him but he ignores the soldier and walks up to the father who has just lost his son, laying a heavy hand on Adarin's shoulder. No words are needed.

The chief understands that this is his king's way of offering his condolences and the large bearded man nods, his mouth a grim line beneath the tufts of white hair.

Midas straightens. That part was easy.

Now is when the real trouble begins.

"How did he die?"

"Rardath killed him."

"And you know this how?"

"Is it not obvious? They were not satisfied with taking his fingers and putting him in a sick bed for months, they had to do away with him as well." The chief is so angry he is practically roaring. "And for what, silly accusations that were and still are entirely untrue!"

Midas does not bat a lid, allowing the man's disrespect of yelling in his face to slide. "Do you trust me Adarin?"

"You are my King."

"That is not the question I asked."

The dragonkin man stops. He is breathing so hard, his belly rises and falls with each burst.

He thinks for a moment, truly considering the question and then he finally looks up. "Yes I do."

Midas nods. "Then do not attack Rardath."

The chief bristles.

"Talk to me when you have lost a child dragon king."

This time around it is Midas' eyes that flash red.

The man notices and immediately bows his head.

"I mean no disrespect my king but you wish for me to let my son's death go unpunished and I, Adarin the IV cannot do that."

"I am not asking you to do that."

"Then you agree with me that the killers must be punished."

"Yes."

The man frowns for a second but then he exhales and rises to his full height.

"Rardath must pay for their crimes with blood. A life for a life is not enough. My son is...was worth everything to me and they took him. And in return, I shall take everything away from them as well."