by J. E. Taylor
“Yes.”
He pressed his lips together and looked down at the ground. “Were humans our enemy before my father died?” He looked up.
They all traded glances.
“Well... no,” the eldest said.
“Then why must they be our enemy now?”
“Because they killed your father and mother,” he said.
“My father’s death was not premeditated. It was not murder in cold blood, as my mother said. Those were the words of a wife in mourning. My father was killed in a moment of desperation because King Henrick needed more blood than my father could give and survive. He killed my father to save his own wife and child.” He glanced at me. “And it tore my heart apart when I found out Rory was the benefactor of my father’s sacrifice.” He scanned each face. “If my father had not given his life, my soulmate would have never been born. So, you see, I can forgive my father’s death because of this wonderful gift.”
“They killed your mother.”
Zachary shook his head. “She was angry that the king’s daughter survived the curse. She was angry that I chose Rory over her hatred. She was angry that I forgave my father’s death.” He wiped his face. “Her death was a mistake brought on by her own actions. One minute she was threatening to kill us all, and the next she healed us.” He pointed between us. “She lunged forward, and the king’s guards reacted, despite the king telling them to hold.”
They stared at the two of us. “Why were you wounded?”
“Rory saved my life by jumping in front of her father’s sword. So, I saved her life with dragon blood. You know as well as I do, that using our blood while in human form has its limitations.”
They exchanged glances again, all nodding at Zachary’s statement.
“Rory’s father put us in a dungeon. He still thought I had nefarious plans for her, and, well, I didn’t fare all that well for half a night in chains. And the curse still befell her and the entire kingdom. And again, I attempted to save her.”
“If she fell to your mother’s curse, how is she standing here? How is the Kingdom of Light not devastated?” The elder waved a leathery hand in my direction.
He opened his mouth to speak but slowly closed it, and I realized the Dragon Realm had no idea of the gift the fae bestowed on me after the dragon queen fled my parents’ castle.
“My fae guardians bestowed a last gift after your mother uttered her curse and fled. They made it possible for the darkness to be lifted by true love’s kiss.” I glanced at Zachary.
His eyebrows rose. He hadn’t known about the fae’s gift.
“Did you kiss me after the curse took hold?” I asked softly.
His eyes seemed to look through me, as if inspecting his own memories. When he focused again, he nodded. “I did. I thought you were dead. It was my way of saying good-bye.” He let a little laugh escape. “Your father mumbled something about that, but I didn’t pay any attention to him. I was too concerned with my mother’s reaction to everyone waking up.”
“Your kiss saved all of us,” I whispered and squeezed his hand.
He glanced down at our clasped hands and then focused back on the elders. “I may have broken the curse, but we were far from okay. If my mother hadn’t shot a blood bomb at us, we wouldn’t be here,” he finished and met their solemn gazes.
“You have proved that humans are still a menace.” The elder crossed his arms.
“Azdok, you must let go of that notion. They are not a menace,” Zachary said in exasperation. “I wish to marry Rory, with or without your blessing,” he added.
“You will be stripped of your royal status if you do so.”
“That is not how this works.” Zachary’s voice grew cold as his eyes flashed with flame. “I am the son of King James and Queen Magna. The rightful heir to the throne. I have the same magical element surging through my blood that my mother had. The same power that made you quake in your shoes any time she lost her temper. While I have only used it to breach the thicket wall in the past, do not underestimate my power.”
The wind in the room picked up and lightning stretched across the ceiling, crackling dangerously. I had never seen anything like it. Nor had I ever experienced the raw power radiating from Zachary. The crown on his head flashed into blue flame.
The elders huddled closer together, staring at the light show Zachary seemed to be producing.
I put my hand on his arm and he glanced down at me, looking more like a god than a man. Still, I did not cringe away from him. He covered his hand over mine and looked back at the elders.
“Do we have an understanding?” he asked. As if to punctuate his question, a bolt of lightning crashed down in the space between us and the elders, followed by an ominous crack of thunder.
Chapter 16
The doors blasted open, and both Rory and I turned. I reined in the magic and it filled my form, threatening to overtake me before I got control of it again. I blinked at the three fae marching inside the throne room. They were the same ones who had counteracted my mother’s curse. A rotund, gray-haired fae, a tall, dark fae, and an auburn-haired fae all marching as if I were the enemy. Thankfully, they weren’t followed by an army. I wasn’t prepared for war with Rory’s father, and I prayed it would never come down to that.
I glanced at Rory and her face lit up with a smile that warmed my soul. She broke free and ran to them, doling out hugs as if they were her dearest relatives. I guess perhaps they were, considering they raised her. And they did a hell of a job. The woman had the heart of a queen and within the hour, she would be my queen, despite what these old fools said.
Rory drew the fae closer, but with each step along with the whispered chatter, her smile faded. She glanced at me and then at the fae who raised her.
“He does not have me under a spell,” Rory said, loud enough to be heard over the murmurings of both the fae and the elders on opposite sides of the room.
Irritation spurned a rawness in my blood. Another hurdle that almost had me throwing my arms up in defeat. I drew a deep breath and turned my back on the elders, crossing to Rory’s side.
If it wasn’t for the fiery-haired fae, I would have been killed by the blades in the collar when I shifted. “I owe you a debt of thanks for saving me and then protecting my mother’s body while we cleaned up,” I said loud enough for the elders to hear. All I needed was for them to declare these fae as the enemy. I bowed my head in respect. Their combined magic radiated from them, and I recognized the ancient power that I had been too preoccupied to notice back at King Henrick’s castle.
“Prince Zachary have you put a spell on Aurora?” the dark fae said. Her eyes narrowed as if she looked straight through to my soul.
“Felicity.” Rory sighed in annoyance.
The dark fae glanced at her. “I need to be sure this is not some ruse manufactured by the son of the dragon queen.” She waved at me.
Rory glanced at me with wide eyes. “He didn’t even know who I was,” she said, defending me.
“Rory is right. I did not know she was King Henrick’s daughter when I saved her from the acid lake,” I said. “Her scent caught my attention years ago, and her beauty stole my heart.”
The older fae put her hand over her heart, as if I had reached in and touched her with my words. But the one with the flaming hair rolled her eyes. Rory joined her, but at least she had a smirk.
“I opened the thorn wall for her to leave our land,” I added, and their smiles faded. “I do possess the magic to do as you suggest, but I have never used it to manipulate her mind. That is low, even for me.”
The redhead crossed her arms, as did the raven-haired fae. The one with gray hair seemed to be just as enamored with me as Rory, and I shifted, turning my attention back to the skeptics.
“He was ready to forsake the crown to marry me,” Rory said.
If I truly walked away from the crown, our lands would fall into anarchy. War would rain death on both our kingdoms. No, I was not willing to forsake my crown fo
r her, as much as that pained my heart. But I was hellbent on having both the crown and Rory. There was no other way to bring peace to the region.
“I’m not willing to walk away from the crown or you,” I said, making my intentions clear. “I have asked her to be my queen for more than just the practicality of a union between our kingdoms. She gives me hope and a sense of happiness that I have never felt in my entire life. If anything, she has enchanted me.”
The one Rory called Felicity asked, “May I see your hand?”
I reached my hand out to her, and she took it and turned it over. She followed the lines on my palm with her finger, studying it as one would study a flower. Her brow creased and she tilted her head, jerking her gaze up to mine. Her eyes widened and she stepped back, exchanging an awed expression with the other two fae.
“Prince Zachary is Rory’s fated mate,” she gasped.
“It’s actually King Zachary now,” I corrected and stared at my palm, looking for exactly what Felicity had seen. Only skin with lines etched into it appeared. I dropped my hand and met her gaze. “Fated or not, I want Rory by my side, but I need to convince the elders to let go of the hate my mother poisoned them with.”
The three fae exchanged glances and then said something in a different language sending a roll of sparkling magic toward the elders. I watched as it circled around the dragons and then all at once charged into them. Light filled their forms and they gasped, arching their backs as black smoke bled from their skin, chased out by the light.
It was liberating to see my mother’s poison squeezed out of the elders. They all blinked and looked down at their hands and arms, as if seeing themselves for the first time in ages.
“Do you think you could do that for the entire kingdom?” I asked them with a voice that held the awe I felt.
They blushed and shook their head. “We can only do that in small doses or in cases like this where your mother’s evil has such a tight grip that your wisdom can’t penetrate.”
The elders glanced around the room until their gaze fell on me and they all bent a knee, as if it had been me who released them from the darkness.
Little did they know, it was Rory who truly would release us all from the chains my mother put around us. I knew that with every fiber of my being.
“Azdok, will you please do me the honor of officiating my wedding?” I asked as they rose.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said, without the nasty tone he had been using before.
Magic bloomed on the air, and I glanced at Rory. Her dress transformed into a beautiful wedding gown. One that was fit for a queen. I looked down to find my threads had changed as well. Rory was a vision in white, and I had my family’s royal crest on my chest, along with the traditional marriage tunic of the Dragon Realm. I glanced at the fae with a nod and turned toward the vestibule to the side of the throne pedestal.
Azdok took his place in front of the altar. He picked up the sword from the mantel behind him and faced us.
“Swear you now, on this sacred blade, that there is no reason known to you that this union should not proceed.” Azdok held out my father’s sword, one hand on the ornate handle and the other holding the blade carefully.
Rory and I ran our index fingers along the edge of the blade, breaking the skin before we pressed our hands together, mingling our blood in sacred union.
“I do so swear,” we said in unison.
“Heavenly Father, creator of all things both in heaven and Earth, we humbly ask thee to bless this union. May these thy servants seek goodness all the days of their lives, may they be strong in defense of what is right, may they be united as one even as thou art with God. May they be numbered amongst thy sheep. We humbly pray in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Rory and I and the fae and other elders that gathered around us said, “Amen.”
“Do you Zachary, King of the Dragon Realm take unto thyself, Aurora, Princess of the Kingdom of Light, as your lawful wife, and pledge unto her before God and these witnesses to be her protector, defender, and sure resort, to honor and sustain her, in sickness and in health, in fair and in foul, with all thy worldly powers, to cherish and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?”
Rory grinned up at me, and I nearly forgot there were other people in the room. When she lifted her eyebrow, I chuckled and nodded. “I will.”
“Do you Aurora, Princess of the Kingdom of Light, take unto thyself King Zachary as your lawful husband and pledge unto him before God and these witnesses to honor and cherish him, to cleave unto him, in sickness and in health, in fair and in foul, be his one true and lasting counselor and solace, and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”
“I will,” Rory said clear enough for the entire room to hear.
Azdok leaned close. “Do you have rings?”
I reached into my pocket, praying that the fae’s magic had not made my parents’ rings disappear. I had slid them into my pocket before we were shuttled to the coronation room for my induction to the throne. My fingers closed on them, and I smiled and nodded, handing them over to Azdok.
“Heavenly Father, bless these rings which King Zachary and Princess Aurora have set apart to be visible signs of the inward and spiritual bond which unites their hearts. As they give and receive these rings, may they testify to the world of the covenant made between them.”
Azdok gave me my mother’s ring, and I faced Rory.
“Rory, wear this ring as a symbol of my trust, my respect, and my love for you.” I slid the ornate band on her finger, and to my surprise it fit.
Azdok handed Rory my father’s ring, and I held my left hand out for her.
“Zach, wear this ring as a symbol of my trust, my respect, and my love for you.” Rory slid the ring on my finger.
“This circle will now seal the vows of this marriage and will symbolize the purity and endlessness of their love.”
He glanced at both of us solemnly. “Thou hast pledged troth of thy own free will and sworn upon the Sword and exchanged rings as symbol of your binding love. May it be granted that what is done before God be not undone by man.
“Before I proclaim you joined, thou must kiss three times on cue.”
I was ready for this part, and I pulled Rory against me, grinning down at her sparkling eyes.
“Once for luck.”
I pecked her lips.
“Twice for love.”
This time, my kiss lasted a little longer.
“Thrice for long life.”
I’m not sure what I expected with the third kiss, but Rory held me tight, forcing me to twirl tongues and lose most of my mind in that single moment.
“By the power vested in me by the Dragon Realm, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
We were still kissing when Azdok announced us husband and wife, and the only reason I stopped was the whooping of the fae.
Chapter 17
I picked Rory up, walked out of the throne room, and headed to my chambers. Although I had made love to her back in her quarters in King Henrick’s castle, I wanted to seal this marriage in my own bed. I wanted to see Rory’s face as she peaked and called out my name. I wanted her writhing under me.
But when I closed the door and put her on her feet, I never expected her to push me against the door. She kissed me with such fervor that I forgot to breathe. Before I knew it, my shirt was being ripped from my body.
Her mouth moved from mine, down my chin to my throat. Warmth followed like a trail of lava as she moved lower. My brain stalled as her hands undid my pants and yanked them down far enough to reveal my rock-hard member standing at attention.
Her sexy smile nearly undid me, but when her mouth covered the tip of my cock, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. This couldn’t be real. My wife, on her knees in her beautiful wedding dress, looking like the hottest thing on earth.
I couldn’t form words as she slowly stroke
d me with both her hands and her mouth. I threaded my hands in her hair and guided her as I leaned against the door for support, wondering what I did to deserve this.
Heat pooled in my belly, pulling from every last cell. If she continued, I wouldn’t be able to stop my eruption.
“Rory,” I whispered gruffly.
She glanced up at me with worry lines creasing her forehead. “Am I not doing this right?”
I laughed in the face of such innocence. “You are doing it right. I just...”
She didn’t let me finish speaking. She went back to sucking my cock. All it took was a few more strokes of her mouth before I lost it and held her head in place as I pushed my length into her mouth and exploded with a groan.
And the beauty at my feet swallowed every last drop. When I pulled away, she gasped for breath and stared up at me with wide eyes and drops of my cum still glistening on her lips.
I leaned against the door and kicked off my pants. I scooped her up and carried her to my bed, pushing the fabric of her dress up almost until it reached her chin. Fabric swirled around her as I dove between her legs with only one thing on my mind: making Rory scream my name. And Lord help me, I nearly came again when she did. She writhed under me, and I kept going, bringing her to the brink again and again until her thighs were thick with her own juices. I tore the dress off her as violently as she had undressed me, but she pushed me onto my back and mounted me.
Rory rode me with abandon. Her body glistened with sweat, making the entire room enhanced with her sweet scent. Every muscle contracted with the strength of my next orgasm, and I nearly bucked her off. As soon as my tremors stopped, Rory fell over on top of me with a gasp. She laid with her head on my chest, her breath heaving just as strongly as mine.
I held her tightly to me and glanced over at the floor where our shredded clothing lay.
“I’m sorry about your wedding dress.”
“It’s just a dress,” she said softly, her voice tickling my chest hairs. She rolled and snuggled into my side.
