by Anna Santos
THE
DRAGON
PRINCE
THE ENCHANTED
KINGDOMS CHRONICLES
ANNA SANTOS
Copyright © 2019 ANNA SANTOS
All rights reserved.
Inquiries about additional permissions should be directed to: [email protected]
Cover Design by Seventhstar Book Covers
Edited by
2º Edition
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is unintentional.
DEDICATION
To everybody who still believes in Magic and finds comfort in reading fairy tales.
SYNOPSIS
In the Diamond Kingdom lives a cursed prince whose mood swings influence the weather. The endless winter makes living there almost unbearable. Yet, no one can leave since they are all as cursed as their prince.
Each year a maiden is chosen to be sent to the Diamond Palace. Her task—to seduce the prince and make him fall in love so that the curse that plagues their kingdom and afflicts the royals is lifted.
This year, it’s Claire’s turn to participate in the selection. She’d rather eat ice than be chosen. Not that a commoner would have a chance among all the noblewomen who dreamed of being the queen. Especially against the beautiful daughter of the regent.
When a surprising choice is made, Claire’s fate is sealed. However, the cold and beautiful prince presents himself a bigger challenge than she expected. He refuses to acknowledge her existence. At the palace, Claire’s only solace is the fairy godmothers who tend to everybody’s needs.
Everybody will freeze to death if Claire can’t bring some joy to the prince’s heart. Yet the prince’s attention might be a death sentence to her once the one who cursed him comes to terrorize their lives and destroy all that the prince treasures.
Will Claire survive long enough to melt the prince’s cold heart with a true love’s kiss, or will she die trying?
PROLOGUE
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom where the days barely existed, and the nights lasted for months. The kingdom was ruled by a regent while the prince searched for his fiancée—the love of his life who would unfreeze his heart and stop the endless winter that had fallen upon them.
To achieve that goal, every year, a maiden was chosen to be sent to the palace where she would live for several months. She would have to win the prince’s heart or fall under a spell if they kissed, and his heart would remain frozen. Sometimes, the girl returned after a few months. Other times, they were never seen again. No one knew what happened to them.
Even with the terrible fate and responsibility, a party occurred annually, and every maiden of marrying age had to appear before the regent, who would choose the new bride for the prince. In spite of the dangerous fate, all the recently turned eighteen maidens would be excited. Each one believing they were fit to be queen, and the prince would fall in love once he laid eyes on them.
Chapter 1
“Claire! You need to hurry up. Did you see the new dress I made for you? It’s on your bed.’’
“Yes, Mother,” she replied as she inspected the dress her mother had sewn for the worst day of any eligible female in her village.
The beautifully embroidered outfit was a feast for the eyes, but the occasion lodged a pit in her stomach. If only she was not eighteen and had one more year. There were wealthier and prettier girls, though. She was confident that she wouldn’t be chosen. Nevertheless, she still resented being groomed as a lamb for the slaughter.
“Do you like it?” Mother startled Claire by entering the room. She let out a happy sigh upon seeing Claire holding the dress up in front of the mirror. No doubt loving the moment of seeing her daughter in an attire so stunning. One they couldn’t afford to buy.
“You should be in bed,” Claire reproached. Even if her mother looked content, Claire couldn’t rejoice.
The fact that no one else in the kingdom felt the way she did about the selection that took place every year baffled her.
Claire turned around to face her mother. She loved her, but she struggled to understand why a poor and hard-working woman like her would spend their money on buying expensive fabric and exhausting her strength by creating a dress. The illness had been wreaking havoc on the matriarch’s body. Claire and her father were the only ones in the family capable of doing most of the chores and work to keep them all afloat.
“Is this dress fit for a princess or not?” Mother asked, folding her hands against her chest.
Claire nodded and hugged the dress. Her hands pressed on the silky fabric, and her mind wandered for a while, dreaming of balls and happy people celebrating.
Shaking her head and sighing, she added, “It’s beautiful. You’ve outdone yourself.”
Mother clapped her hands while grinning. “This ceremony is a chance for a better life. I want you to look your best. You’re beautiful and deserve to shine like the noble maidens.”
“What’s the point?” She looked down at the embroidered flowers with nostalgia. “There’s more to life than being beautiful and dressing nicely.”
“Maybe, but the prince is cursed and needs a fiancée. You might be the one who melts his icy heart.”
“I’m sure every mother says that to their daughters on this occasion.”
“You’re more than beautiful, Claire. You’re kind and put other people’s happiness above yours. You have all the traits of a good queen, my child.”
“Who will take care of you if I’m gone?”
Her mother’s smile dissipated. Narrowing the distance between them, she put her hands on Claire’s shoulders. “We are poor, and I’m sick. You are right about that. Still, you need to remember that we aren’t the only ones struggling to make a living. Other people are also falling sick or have no food. The winter will end if you can melt the prince’s heart. The snow will be gone for a while if you manage to make him happy. Even if it’s just for a few months, that’s all we need to grow the crops and get better from the lung disease that affects many of us.”
Claire stepped back from her mother’s hold and circled her, placing the dress on the bed. “You’re forgetting that no matter how I dress, I’m not nobility.” She brushed her fingers along the fabric and sighed. “The chances of a poor girl like myself being chosen are slim. You shouldn’t—” Frowning, she looked back. “Where did you get the money to buy the silk and lace?”
Mother averted her eyes. “Your father sold the cow to pay our debt at the fabric store in town. We got two ducks and ten gold coins.”
“You sold Libba?” Claire’s eyes widened in shock. “She was like family to us. How could you do that?”
Mother shook her head and folded her arms. “It was just a cow, Claire. Don’t overreact.”
“What if I’m not chosen? What will we do then?”
Mother waved in dismissal. “I’ll make modifications to the dress, and we can sell it.”
Claire blinked fast and scratched the back of her ear. “You always have a solution to every problem. How can you be this optimistic?”
Mother smiled. “I might not have much, but I have a kind and beautiful daughter who overworks herself and is ready to sacrifice her youth for me. That’s a blessing.”
Puckering her lips, Claire mumbled, “I’ll miss Libba. Her milk was essential to our diet.”
“The ducks will give us eggs. I bought extra fabric, and we’ll have beautiful handkerchiefs and gloves to sell at the fair this week. We’ll be fine. Plus, if you are chosen, the regent will take care of your father and me while you are gone. The reward mon
ey will be enough to improve our lives.”
Claire nodded. “You’re right. The reward money would be useful for our family. We could even help our neighbors. They are also struggling.”
“Will you wear the dress to the selection night?” Mother asked, stepping closer and stroking Claire’s blonde hair. “Will you make your parents happy?”
“I’ll wear it since you’ve put so much work into it.”
“I’m glad. You need to remember, being chosen is an honor, and you should feel privileged to be old enough to vie for the prince’s affections. It’s not his fault that a curse has put all of us in this predicament.”
Claire pursed her lips. “The prince lives a life of privilege in his icy castle while we starve down here.”
Her mother patted her shoulder. “Calm down. I know how strongly you feel about that.”
“Then, don’t try to find excuses.”
“Not excuses. Just facts, my child. The selection is necessary to free us all.”
“It’s a pointless party. Shouldn’t he be the one choosing his bride? He never attends. All the previous maidens haven’t made him happy.”
“Some did. For a short time.” Mother’s hand trembled as she placed Claire’s hair behind her ear. “You shouldn’t resent the prince if you are chosen to meet him.”
“He’s heartless, right? How can one melt his heart? Is he even a victim? You know there are all sorts of stories about him.”
“Those stories are made up by the ones he rejected.” Mother grabbed Claire’s hand and patted it between hers. “You shouldn’t believe the stories told by scorned women.”
Claire frowned. “And the ones who don’t come back? What happened to them? Did he kill them? I have no wish to attend the party and be chosen to die at the hands of the prince.”
Mother grabbed Claire’s arms. “Never say that again! Those words are blasphemy. Stay home, and the regent will have you arrested for breaking the law. There’s no choice. So, you might as well look your best and take your chances at the party.” She rubbed Claire’s arms and produced a friendlier smile. “Would it be so bad to get chosen to live a life of luxury? Why can’t you be like the other girls and see the potential instead of the peril?”
“The regent is a terrible man for forcing us to attend. Attending should be an option, not an obligation.” Claire huffed.
“The Regent is doing his best.”
Claire heaved a sigh and removed her mother’s hands from her arms. “He’s the reason why the poor are starving. The heavy taxes only hurt the underprivileged. What’s the point if the crown keeps wasting money on the extravagant annual selection party?”
“It boosts the economy and brings people from the other kingdoms to attend.”
“It’s female slavery.”
“There are worse fates than being chosen to entertain a handsome prince and having the chance of becoming his wife. Trust me.”
“No bird likes to be trapped in a cage no matter how beautiful the cage is,” Claire retorted. “I’d rather die poor and happy than live in cursed luxury with a monster.”
“The prince isn’t a monster. He’s handsome, and everybody loved him before he was cursed.”
Claire arched an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”
“I’m older than you, child. You probably don’t remember, but you saw him once when you were two. The following year, that awful witch cursed him, and the war killed many of us, including our beloved king and queen.” Mother sighed. “The regent is doing the best he can to save us.”
“How so? By sacrificing innocent girls to that heartless prince? For all we know, they might suffer terrible abuse,” she voiced her thoughts.
“That is an awful thing to say,” Mother chided. “All the gossip and conspiracy theories are filling your head with lies. We have to believe that someone will be able to melt his heart. We need hope to keep living.”
Claire breathed deeply. She couldn’t understand how so many people just accepted being stuck in a kingdom where their lives were considered less than nothing, and they were likely to die from the cold or starvation. Everybody was waiting for the curse to break, and the horrid winter to end. No one revolted or questioned the regent’s decisions. What if the prince was a sorcerer, keeping everyone under his thumb? Who knew the truth anymore?
“Let’s just be happy today. You have a beautiful dress for the selection, I’ve hardly coughed these past few days, and we have boiled eggs and soup for supper. If things keep up, maybe I’ll become healthy like I was before.”
Claire nodded and forced a smile. She noticed the bags under the weak woman’s eyes and her slow gait. Her mother had been overworking, and Claire felt guilty for not being able to do more. With the cold temperatures outside, pneumonia could kill her sickly parent. Being mean to her mother wouldn’t help her get better.
She decided to change the subject. “Dad’s still working in the mines, and you need to go lie down. I’ll finish cooking and feed the animals. We don’t need you falling ill and getting any worse.”
“Aren’t you going to try on the dress? I want to see you in it,” Mother insisted with longing in her eyes.
Claire sighed, knowing her mother was not letting up. “I will wear it for dinner. Now, I’m going to make you some tea if you promise to stay in bed until then. I want to finish the soup without worrying about you.”
“You are so kind and lovely, dear. I hope you become queen. The citizens would be lucky to have such a wonderful young lady as royalty,” Mother said as she headed for bed.
“Nice people don’t become rulers,” Claire commented. “Only awful men rule and prey on the lives of the poor people.”
“Well, I believe it is possible to have a caring ruler once again. Perhaps you, with your kind heart and sharp wit, will melt the prince’s heart, and our kingdom will return to its former glory,” Mother teased.
Claire had no idea where her mother got such a wild imagination from, especially in those trying times. Maybe her mother’s lung disease was messing with her head. “Sorry, Mother, but royalty is not in my future. My best bet is becoming a seamstress like you. I’m not complaining either since it’s an honorable trade.”
Chapter 2
The Regent paced in his office, his mind a million miles away. The fireplace illuminated a room filled with class and history. Paintings of former royal members lined the walls, elegant furniture decorated the space, and tall wall-to-wall bookshelves were overflowing with massive leather tomes of knowledge. None of which could help this worried man with his current predicament. Things were getting worse, and little hope remained in him and the rest of the inhabitants of the Diamond Kingdom as the temperatures kept dropping.
A knock on the door caught his attention.
“Come in,” he ordered.
A fellow nobleman, the Minister of the Treasury, entered. He was dressed in his finery, including a golden necklace with the kingdom’s emblem engraved on a medallion. “Everything is ready for the party tomorrow, but I also bring some troubling news. The noble families are furious.”
“Great, what are their current grievances, Sir Layton? Not as if we have more pressing matters with picking a new bride for the prince. At least, the arrangements for the party are completed.”
Sir Layton sighed and waved his hands in exasperation. “They are unhappy with having to sacrifice their daughters every year to a cursed prince. Their daughters keep being sent to him, and nothing has changed. Not just that, a few have never returned home. The prince has rejected the prettiest of maidens. Those who have returned are spreading gossip about all kinds of unfounded horrors at the palace. The population is terrified. How long before there’s a full uproar?”
The Regent pulled at his collar. “Well, the nobles, at least, will be happy to know their daughters will be safe this year. A commoner’s daughter will be chosen as the prince’s bride instead. Hopefully, that will soothe their foul moods.”
The minister pursed his lips.
“A lower-class bride would satisfy the nobles, but will it be enough for our highbrow prince?”
“He doesn’t need to know that the girl is a commoner. I’ll choose a pretty one.”
Sir Layton narrowed his eyes. “This new bride will have to keep the prince occupied for a while. Last year, we barely survived without crops. We need him to be happy if we hope for even a few months of spring. Buying from foreign kingdoms to keep ourselves fed will bankrupt us soon. They keep hiking up the prices every year without fail.”
“Don’t worry about that. We have more than enough diamonds and gold to trade, so bankruptcy is far way off.” The Regent put to rest his minister’s concern. “The mines are a great source of income for the kingdom, and we have many workers digging out the precious minerals to keep everything afloat for now.”
The minister nodded. “We are wealthy. No one can argue that. Still, there are other concerns.”
“Such as?” The Regent folded his arms.
“Even you have to admit that living under a curse in this wretched cold has become a never-ending nightmare. Noble or commoner, our people are sick of this kind of life.”
“Until the curse is lifted, there is nothing we can do. Our hardships have made us into strong people. I am confident we will be a prosperous, happy kingdom once again.”
“Many are dying from lung diseases, and this does not help the gloom and depression settling over our kingdom. The young ones want to leave for warmer climates and better opportunities. The older ones will, eventually, become too scared to work in the mines, and the death toll is eating away at our workers.” Sir Layton was focused on issues still at hand.
The Regent just shook his head. He was not sure why his minister was pushing the issue. “No one can leave the kingdom no matter their desire or determination. It isn’t just our prince who is cursed.” Clenching his jaw, he added, “Everyone needs to focus on what we can do for now. This year, I’ll find the perfect bride for the prince. Breaking the curse is our only route to freedom and happiness.”
