The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon
Chapter 62

MIRA

I am knocking on Xia’s door, all ready for my first ever task. Who knew that it would happen here at the Dark Selection of all the places. I imagined this moment many times and never… NEVER in mind have I thought that my first task would be going to random girls’ rooms and begging them for jewellery.

But still. It’s a task. And as a female battle mage, I guess, I could have been asked for worse things. Oh, well…

“Mira!”, Xia is startled when she sees me, “I did not expect you! Did anything happened?”

“Uhm, well”, I sigh, “You know how the Crown Prince ordered me to dance completely ruining everything I have planned for the Talent Show?”

“Oh, Mira,” she snorts, “Everybody knows that! It is quite the talk of the day!”

“Well, that wasn’t the end of it,” I roll my eyes, “There is an outfit to wear as well… And none of my jewellery matches it… So, I thought, maybe I’ll ask around and someone will have something appropriate…”

“Gods, Mira, I have to teach you everything!” the southerner giggles and pulls me into her room, “You need to ask the prince for an audience and then flap your lashes and mention that no jewellery is good enough for the dress he has chosen for you! Silly girl!”

“I don’t really want to ask him anything,” I shake my shoulders, feeling the cold metal of Derrien’s locket on my skin. To avoid questions, I placed it under my dress this time.

“He is a prince for God’s sake! He can afford a few jewellery pieces!” Xia laughs, “Don’t be shy!”

“Maybe that’s how she attracted him in the first place,” Xia’s roommate walks out of the bathroom, wearing a robe, “Not everyone is throwing themselves at the men and asking for their attention and gifts. My name is Erica, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you”, I smile, “Mira.”

“You can have a look in my jewellery box,” she points a finger to her bedside table, on top of which I see a medium-sized wooden box, “I don’t have much with me, but if anything is suitable, you can borrow it for the Talent Show.”

“Thanks!” I light up and hurry to open the box, looking through everything that is there. Sadly admitting that there are no artifacts made by Aspen. At least not the ones that I am looking for. “If I can do anything for you,” I start the traditional polite reply when she interrupts me the same second.

“Actually there is something!” Erica blurts out, “Ask lord Derwood to dance with me!”

“What?’ I almost drop the box to the floor. I did not expect that!

“Gods,” Xia pushes her roommate away and sits next to me on her bed, offering me her own box, “And you call me calculating, Erica? Here you go, Mira. Take a peek in mine. Absolutely free of charge!”

“Uhm, thanks”, I open Xia’s box and very quickly realize that what I am looking for is not there as well.

“And what’s wrong with that?” Erica crosses her hands on her chest, “She has the Crown Prince now! And lord Derwood is the number two desirable bachelor now! He is available and she is the only one who can speak to him at the ball. That’s a little favour. A good deed. Why not help fellow brides?”

I close Xia’s box and hand it to her, “You don’t know what you ask for. Good night, ladies…”

In the next room everything goes a little bit better, girls show me their jewels and only imply that if I want to take something, I may owe them a favour. But since I don’t take anything, I just leave their room.

But the surprise awaits in the third room.

“We know what you want”, a blonde with a beautiful name Callista says. I always liked that name. Well, not anymore. “If you want to look at our jewellery, promise to ask Derwood for a dance with us both.”

“What, all at once?” I raise my brow, “I don’t think he is a fan of threesomes… ”

“Bye then”, she starts closing the door to my face and I give up.

“Alright!” I put my foot in the door gap, “But I can’t promise you that he’ll agree or that he’ll be nice. He is…complicated.”

“That’s a deal”, Callista grins and lets me in. She and her roommate Bianca show me everything they’ve got and make sure that they don’t have the artifacts – I leave.

Strangely enough, the situation repeats again and again. All the girls are asking me for that same “favour” – a dance or an introduction to Derrien. The next event we’ll have after the talent show – is a Ball of Portals. I guess, someone is going to be busy on that day.

I feel angry agreeing again and again to that same thing. I do not want anywhere near him. Then, on the other hand, I am pretty sure he would hate it all. And so be it.

I miss two rooms that are occupied with the commoner girls. It would be strange if I ask them for jewellery. I’ll have to think of something else for them…However, Derrien and I have come to a conclusion before that t’s a very slim chance that it may be a commoner. Aspen’s artifacts are crazy expensive…

And that leaves Isidore’s and Alexandra’s room.

“Come with me!” I hear Isidore’s pitchy voice even before I reach her door, “Look no more! No one here has a better fine jewellery collection than I!”

I turn and see her with Alexandra and Ariadna. I just left Ariadna’s chambers minutes ago and she already ran to her “master” to tell everything.

“Are you seriously offering me your help?” I snort, “Are you alright? Sure that you are not sick?”

“It will not be free,” the blonde smirks, “The same deal as for everyone else. Just a bit sweeter! Because you can keep whatever you choose! I wouldn’t want to wear anything after you anyway. So, what do you think?”

I think I want to spit into her face. But I was brought up better than that.

“I wouldn’t want to keep your jewellery,” I raise my chin, “Just dispose of it later. That’s if you have anything worthy anyway.”

“Follow me!” Isidore gestures to her door, smiling as if she has just won the lottery and not got insulted by one of her most hated enemies.

Unlike everyone else, Isidore leads me to a chest, not just a box. Opening the lid, I see dozens of compartments. She did not lie. She has quite the collection here. Enough to buy a few luxurious houses in the capital.

I have to almost kneel to have a look at everything. Everything is so shiny and blinking that I am afraid that it would hurt my eyesight. And pride. Isidore was right, my collection is not nearly as good or expensive as hers.

Sadly, there are no artifacts. But then I notice a little piece of ribbon on the very bottom. I look at both girls and they are talking excitedly about their turns at the ball, Alexandra holding her own box in her hands. Using the moment they don’t look at me, I pull the ribbon and open the lowest compartment in the chest. And immediately recognize a necklace. It is definitely from the same set with the brooch that was attached to the carriage we used to get to the Silver Chain mountains! The brooch was the tracker and this necklace, according to Aspen, is used to see the location of the brooch. So, that means that Isidore was the girl who bought the artifacts. The pieces of the puzzle fit together. She is blonde, just as Aspen described, she is filthy rich, which means she can afford high prices and on the night of Bella’s murder they had a fight. Or at least I think they did. I don’t know what she couldn’t share with Fawn, though… But I can replace out later. Right now I need to get back to Derrien.

I close the compartment before anyone sees me and quickly stand up.

“Well, nothing here would match the outfit,” I fake-sigh and meet Isidore’s arrogant gaze.

“Are you kidding me?” she steps forward, “There are pieces with every precious gem in the world! Any colour!”

“Well, it’s more about the style for me,” I shake my shoulders.

“The deal is still on!” she snorts, “An introduction and a dance!”

“Sure”, I nod, “But no promises on his behaviour. Just saying.”

“Check mine!” Alexandra pushes her box into my hands and I open it and look inside briefly. Nothing as expected.

“Also not what I am looking for, but thanks!” I smile, “It’s time for me to go.”

I hurry to the exit, when Isidore’s cold voice catches up with me, “Not so fast!”