The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 93

MIDAS

She falls asleep almost immediately after.

Her head starting to droop even before she finishes speaking.

Arydian tells him it is the elixir he gave her to drink.

Midas nods, pulling her closer into the circle of his arms.

He has so many questions, so much he does not understand.

But when he tries to ask, Arydian the Kingmaker merely smiles.

"Soon dragon king. All will be revealed in due time."

Midas bristles.

He is getting tired of all their riddles and games and pointless prophecies.

He detests being kept in the dark like this. Does not understand why all of a sudden there seem to be so many secrets around him.

Secrets are nothing but a form of deceit.

And there is nothing the dragon king hates more than being deceived.

Especially now that it would appear that it is not just the Kingmakers who are hiding things from him.

Er'gan knows much more than it is letting on.

He felt it in the way the way the dragon stirred when Arydian mentioned the Oracle of Daphne.

And when she had mentioned what she saw, the dark cloud with the eyes that seemed to recognize her, the dragon had immediately withdrew.

Refusing to answer Midas' calls to it or his intenal questions about why it was right now feeling anger and fear and in turn making Midas feel the same things. But the real reason he is so annoyed is that he is worried.

And the ruler of the 5th realm does not like being worried.

Yet every time he glances at her tiny frame, watches the rhythmic fall and rise of her chest, he cannot help but feel that way.

Most especially now.

The voice of the Kingmaker brings him back to the present.

"Elian tells me that come morning light, you will be headed to the 4th realm."

"If the Messenger of Lachesis the Future knows so much he should put it to go use by telling me what I do not already know."

But Arydian, who over the years Midas has come to learn is almost incapable of getting offended, merely laughs.

"Do you think the Fairy Queen will give to you what it is that you desire?"

Midas stares at a point on one of the very overloaded shelves all around the room, his arm subconsciously stroking the hair of his queen, still and asleep in his arms.

The Fae and Elves who call the fourth realm home are the most secretive of all the other realms.

Perhaps that is why the gods chose them to be the custodians of magical knowledge and of potions and spells and the intricate wonders of the natural world.

He speaks without turning to look at the withered old man by his side.

"Perhaps. She is not entirely unreasonable. As long as I remember not to mention her traitor of a sister locked up in the cellars of my castle."

For many years, even before the time of Midas, like two gifted siblings, the dragon realm and the realm of Fae and Elves have coexisted in quiet rivarly and unspoken alliances.

In sharp irony to all the knowledge they possessed, the creatures of the 4th realm were fun loving people.

So much so that to the hard weathered, serious, war orientated, dragonkin, the Fae and Elves were nothing but wild, unserious creatures who the inhabitants of the dragon realm secretly thought should not be in possession of all the knowledge they had. It has been for eons past and will continue for eons to come to be the source of silent contention between the two realms.

But as is the way of siblings, Irrespective of Midas' hard hearted, non-negotiable warnings for all other realms to keep out of his borders and the Fairy queen's refusal to share the knowledge of their magic,

The dragonkin of the 5th realm and the Elves and Fae of the 4th realm know that should trouble come, they could always turn to the other.

The only issue is they could both be highly competitive.

The dragonkin with their pride, the elves and fae with their extreme selfishness and belief that nothing should be done free.

It has been many years since Midas has set his eyes on her, many years since the day he killed the king of Giants and sent for all the rulers of the other realms to come and witness what would happen to them should they ever think of invading his kingdom. But he hopes the queen of the 4th realm will be prepared to listen to reason and give him the antidote to Wolfsbane without any of her theatrics.

He hopes he will not have to take it by force.

Because should it come to that, Midas will not hesitate.

Not with the lives of his entire army and the many other Ryders of his realm at stake.

But if he does not leave Arydian now and attempt to at least get some form of respite before the sun rises tomorrow, he would be too worn out to ride out not to mention wrestling information from the queen of the Fae and Elves. Arydian as if sensing the King's desire to leave, gets up spryly from his stool.

His eyes changing from grey to bright green the moment he pushes off the chair.

He lefts up the pendant he has been working on and offers it to Midas who in turn eyes it warily.

"I know you do not believe that the gods are on your side Midas but they actually are. On both your sides. The one locked away in the darkness he has seen her, she needs to be protected. So for her sake, take it."

Midas reaches out and takes the locket into which Arydian had placed the powder he had been grinding.

"Are you going to tell me who is behind all this?"

Arydian is silent for a long time.

He even looks like he might be considering it.

"It is not my place..."

"Gods be damned Arydian, how can I protect her from an enemy I do not even know?"

As if sensing his frustration Arydian finally relents.

Reaching out he places a small hand on the King's arm, his skin weathered and wrinkled beside the smooth cotton of the King's shirt.

"The answers you seek are on this journey Midas. Go and the Gods be with you."

Midas lifts her up in his arms, the dragonkin man following them up the stairs and to the entrance.

"Dragon King"

Midas turns around at the door his wings already out, one foot out in the biting chill of the early hours of the morning.

"The dark elvin queen locked up in your castle, ensure that no one gets too close to her. The lure of her magic, the whispers of darkness with their promises and temptations can be quite...seductive."

And knowing he will get no more from him, Midas nods one last time in thanks and hoisting her up properly, flies them both back to the castle without so much as a backwards glance.