The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 84

MINTH

A crash, loud and jarring echoes through the tiny room.

Glass sprays in all directions and the girl barely manages to protect her head.

A strangled cry of distress is scarcely able to leave her throat before she has to once more dive out of the way of another well aimed, potentially lethal object. "How f*****g dare she!!!"

One after the other, tiny vials made of precious colored glass, bounce against the stone walls... the bed frame...the mirror above the amorie.

Each one of them shattering into tiny fragments, all over the chambers of the King's Mistress.

"How dare she take what does not belong to her? I should be sitting in the throne room beside the king. Me!!! Me!!! Not some godsforsaken human w***e!" Brushes, jewelry, even a sandal flies through the air in rapid succession.

The scents from the fragmented containers that had once held rare and precious oils and perfumes fill the air even as oily liquids seeps into the rich rug in the centre of the room, Leaving in their wake wide wet stains that would never come out.

But she does not care.

The steam of her rage and wrath mixing in with the smell of fear that oozes out of the maid cowering in the corner.

The one who had brought her the news.

Minth looks at her and a deep sense of loathing fills her.

Weak, sniveling, pathetic slave girl.

Everything Fate had wanted her to be.

Everything she had clawed her out of.

And now, this human b***h, hades take her, thought she could just come from nowhere and take it No..no....

She turned back to the girl.

"Cease that disgusting sniveling at once or I shall be forced to give you a real reason to cry."

The maid wipes hurriedly at her sloppy nose. "Y...yes my Lady."

"You say he let her sit with him in the throne room?"

The girl shakes quietly as if afraid to repeat the words.

"You will speak or I will beat the words out of you."

"I saw them go in together your Grace."

"And the Kingmakers are around?"

"Y...yes...m...my Lady"

Not even the members of the King's personal council were allowed into the throne room when the King makers were around, much less when they requested an urgent audience with the King. The dragon king trusted only one man, his stoic, emotionless chief Ryder who Minth had since given up trying to slide her way to.

And yet he has allowed this human to sit with them.

As if she is now qualified to rule over them simply because he married her.

Over Minth's dead body.

Was it not enough that ever since the wench had gotten married to the dragon king he had not once, not one single time after their damn binding ceremony, bothered to look at Minth. He did not even spare her a glance when she walked into a room.

He does not just ignore her, it is almost like she has become invisible to him.

Like he has forgotten about her existence.

It was the most insulting of slights.

However, on the night before the King's departure a fortnight ago, Minth had devised a plan to fix that little problem.

One that she knew could have gone of either one of two ways.

It could have ended with her being driven from the Castle for disobeying the King's instructions to never come to him unless he sent for her.

Or, and this is the one Minth is convinced would have happened, it would have ended up with her in the King's bed.

So she had dressed in a sheer, red dress that had more cutouts than it had material.

Excitement and nervousness had pooled in her belly even as she massaged oils into her skin until it gleamed and shone, combed her hair until it fell in luxuriant dark curtains on either side of her face. Ever since he stopped looking at her, Minth had realized how much she wanted him.

And not simply for the fact that having him would give her the crown.

But because somewhere along the line, in her head, this whole thing had become a competition.

Not only for the dragon throne, but for the King's affection.

She had not thought that the dragon King still had a heart left, but she sees the way he looks at her, the princess he brought from Averia.

The way his eyes light up when she walks into a room or when she lays her tiny human hand on his arm like touching the king of the 5th realm was the most natural thing in the world. And Minth hates it.

He had never looked at her like that.

So now, she was determined to win not just the crown, but whatever little heart Midas has left.

So she had pinched color into her cheeks, pushed up her breasts until they threatened to spill out of their confines and set out to the King's room in the west tower.

And Minth is convinced that everything would have gone to plan.

He would have opened that door, taken one look at her and that would have been it.

Unable to resist, he would have made love to her and she would have been back in.

But no, the shameless harlot had beaten her to it.

And Minth could hear her cries of pleasure before she had even fully made it to his doors.

It had nearly driven her insane.

And now even worse, the servants who were supposed to be on Minth's side, who were supposed to help her drive out the imposter were instead warming up to her. They seem to have all of a sudden forgotten the reason they even hated her in the first place.

Forgotten that it was her realm the former King and queen had journyed to and never returned from.

Now they invite her to sit in on court meetings, their once glaring gazes becoming tentative smiles and helpful answers.

Castle duties, decisions about day to day activities that had once been Minth's have now somehow been handed over to the Queen...

Just thinking about it makes her want to spit.

A witch.

That is what she is.

An inspid, little human witch.

She must have bewitched them.

Yes, she had to have brought some disgusting human spell with her and had now placed a hex over everyone in this castle.

The more she thinks about it, the surer Minth becomes that this is indeed what is happening.

The human princess must have them all under a spell.

She doubtlessly laughs about it in her room. Thinking them all fools wrapped around her tiny, feeble fingers.

Well, she may think she has everyone fooled.

But not Minth.

Never Minth.

The King's mistress can see through her games and fake innocence.

And since everyone else in the castle is blind to it, to the danger this human thing brings, Minth is determined to help them.

She nods furiously like one on the verge of insanity, mumbling to herself, her voice low and incomprehensible.

The echoes of a plan have begun in her head once again.

A plan that had to be acted on immediately.

She just has to replace someone first.

So Minth walks up to her mirror to make sure there is no evidence of her near breakdown still etched on her face.

A thousand heart shaped cherubic faces, framed by midnight hair and possessing bewitching green eyes stare back at her from the shattered fragments of her broken mirror.

She smoothens back her hair, speaking without glancing at the maid still in the room.

"Are they still in the throne room?"

"I...I am uncertain my Lady but they were there when I left."

"And the queen's guards, the one I believe they call Garwith, is he with her?"

The maid frowns slightly, confusion in her voice. "I...I believe the queen...

"Don't you dare call her that in my presence!"

"I believe....she... has been with the King all day. He might be out in the courtyard or at the steps leading up to her tower."

Minth's tilts her chin, this way...that way, then wipes at a red stain on her cheekbone just underneath her eye.

Blood.

A stray piece of glass must have flown back at her and cut her and she did not even notice.

She laughs before sticking the finger into her mouth, walking towards her door.

"When I return, this place had better be returned back to the way it was. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y...yes my Lady."

"And stop stuttering, least I become inclined to cut off a piece of your tongue"

And with that she sets off towards the tower where the queen sleeps.

She replaces the guard easily.

The Ryder standing tall and alert even though his charge is nowhere close by.

"Oh you poor thing."

Garwith inclines his head respectfully. "My...Lady"

He is not wearing his helmet and the confusion on his face is evident. "What brings you here?"

"Oh I was just walking the castle grounds and I happened to spot you, working so tirelessly even though your charge is not here."

"It is my duty my Lady"

She lays a gentle hand on his arm and bats her eyelashes up at him.

A blush snakes it's way up his neck and Minth smiles.

"I almost cannot believe she did not even bother to instruct you to rest as ease. How heartless of her"

The dragon Ryder frowns and shifts uncomfortably.

Looking at Minth in way that makes her for the first time begin to question the details of her intended plan. But she forges ahead anyway.

She winks at him. "Come sit with me for a while and rest your feet. I promise won't tell"

"I...I couldn't..."

But when she stirs him towards the steps, her chest pressed against his arm, he does not put up much of a fight.

"You look so strong and diligent. It is a shame you have to be punished like this"

A frown. "Punished...I am not being punished."

"Oh forgive me. I thought you were. I mean, what Ryder worth anything, a member of the Royal army nonetheless would be assigned to spend his hours guarding a member of the castle. I mean Isn't that work for the lesser guards who work for the king?" "I don't think..."

"Or maybe you're just not good enough to be an active part of the King's force?"

"My Lady!"

"Or... perhaps you did something wrong? I mean was it not on your watch that...the queen escaped?"

The blubbering i***t stops.

She can see the gears turning in his head and she smirks to herself before looking at him with compassion and pity

. "Ah so it is her fault you are stuck down here."

"I mean...it is not so bad anymore. She can be a handful but she is kind and generous and....

Minth resists the urge to roll her eyes and swallows the bile that rises in her throat before she can spit on the man.

And instead she pats his arms again, her voice sweet and comforting. "Oh I just feel so sorry for you."

"Why?"

"Because I can only imagine how your fellow Ryders mock you. Laughing behind your back when you aren't around. It can't be easy."

She had taken a gamble and the silence that follows tell her that she is right.

It is almost too easy.

She leans in "I am certain you miss being out in the field. Actually doing something useful for the king, for your realm. Why should you have to stay inside watching some human princess, someone who isn't one of us?"

"1."

"Do you deny that you miss being an actual soilder?"

"No but..."

"I mean personally I would hate myself if I were reduced from a high ranking member of the Royal army to a mere guard who watches a woman sleep at night..."

Minth leans in, letting her chest push against his arm, close enough that her scent can ivade his sense.

The guard pulls on the neck of his shirt, sweating even though the weather is cool.

"Relax Garwith, I promise your secret is safe with me. You see I completely understand, in fact...I would even understand if you wished she were gone."

He stiffens beneath her arm but he neither denies it nor pulls away and Minth cannot resist the urge to smile to herself.

She had him.

Then suddenly he gets up.

"I believe it is time the Lady left. The queen will be back soon and I do not think she would appreciate your presence here." Minth looks up at him, the expression on her face like one who has just been slapped.

She covers it quickly with a laugh as she gets up. "Garwith...I mean no harm."

"Good then you won't mind leaving."

"You don't understand. I can help you...

"Not another word my Lady please, or I shall be forced to report this conversation to the King and queen."

By all the gods she almost slaps him then.

But she controls herself and with a tight smile, walks away from him.

So the witch has gotten to him too.

Fine...

Let the miserable, stupid man play guard dog all he liked.

Admittedly should any... unforseen circumstances arise, it would have been easier to put the blame solely on him.

But Minth does not need him. Not really

Already she knows what she must do now.

Besides, like her mother would always say, if you want something done right.

You do it your own f*****g self.

Screw a competition.

This is now a fight to the death.

And since Minth had no intention of dying, the human b***h was just going to have to go.