THE DRAGON KING AND HIS OMEGA

Chapter 5

Belle was enchanted with the golden dinning table. So was Anne. They had never seen so much wealth in one thing. They were captivated. Not to talk about the fruits that decorated the table and the golden giant doors. She wondered if everything was golden in this palace.

Belle carefully touched the golden table with their slender fingers. She loved the feel. Just then, the golden doors opened by the footmen and the King strode in proudly. He walked calculating, as if he was watching his prey, with a mix of calmness and dark aura.

Both Anna and Belle stood up now, their heads bowed. Belle felt her heart racing, beating violently in her little chest. Even her breaths became laboured. She was shy, of the man. Not only because of their scandalous acts that night, but because she could feel herself become eager, for his gaze and his touch.

Even though the table was big, the king asked them to be seated close to his crown chair. She was close to the king, whether she liked it or not.

Thomas gazed at Belle adoringly. Nothing passed him by, not even the rapid flow of breaths in her chest. His extraordinary eyes could see very much more than that. He could hear her loud beating heart. He was glad she was also affected by him, not only he to her.

"Please, be seated." The king waved his hand, gesturing them to take their seats. Anna hardly spoke, since morning. She was sad. She knew what was going to happen and the worst part was she didn't know what to do! Not in the slightest!

Thomas clicked his hands. Belle wondered what that was for. Immediately, the doors opened and maids came in, their hands full of large delicious dishes. The maids arranged the dishes before going to a dark corner in the dinninghall, hiding away.

"Please, do eat."

Even his voice was quiet. It calmed her heart. She wanted to tell him to keep talking but he was the cause of this all to begin with. After a battle with her heart, Belle decided to look up at him. She watched his sharp jaw and straight nose. His hair was all over the place, in a way that warmed her insides. She liked it, just like that.

Suddenly, he looked up at her. His eyes were golden today. She wondered how many shades of colours his eyes could turn to. She noticed the end of his lips, tugging into a small smile.

Thomas had heard her thoughts, but she knew none of that. She looked breathtakingly beautiful in her blue cotton gown. He noticed that she made no effort to dress up, even after he made sure Lockhart delivered the red dresses to her. She intentionally didn't wear it, he observed. But he was still happy, she came.

Belle lowered her gaze and picked up her cutlery, ready to serve herself when a maid appeared like a flash beside her, immediately helping her to a choice of baked potatoes and a drum stick of the roasted chicken. Anna did thesame, putting some strawberries on the side of her plate. If the king was going to steal her daughter away from her, she had better comforted her heart to a healthy food, for once.

Belle was embarrassed by how mama was eating. She was hungry herself but she couldn't show it, at all. She took small bites at a time.

The king hardly ate. He just took sips of ale, watching them. Belle was deeply uncomfortable by his gaze. She didn't like the fact that she was trying to fill her stomach while he watched.

Just then, a knock sounded before the doors opened revealing Mr. Lockhart.

"Apologies, sire. I have come to deliver the said item."

Item? Belle looked up to see what it was, so did Anna. But they couldn't know. Thomas nodded at Lockhart who gently placed a rectangular box on the table. The box had markings and designs on it. When the king made no move to open it, they went back to their meal.

Thomas allowed them to fill up their stomach appropriately. He wanted them to take his news well. Like it was known, even as of that time, food did make people happy. After they ate their last morsel, the king cleared his throat.

"Anna, is it?" The kings cold gaze looked at Belle's mother. Not because he was cold or wicked, because he couldn't make himself look at another with warm eyes, only Belle.

"Yes, sire." Anna bowed her head.

The king lowered his eyes at her before speaking in a calm way. "I wish to take your daughter as my queen, tomorrow night."

Even though Anna expected it, the words pierced her veins and heart. She was deeply wounded. Belle didn't know how she felt about this but she was ashamed to admit to herself that her heart fluttered at the thought of being with the king.

"My lord.."

The king cut her short. "She'll rule beside me and grow my whelps. "

Anna became enraged now. The thought of the king making her daughter pregnant tore her to pieces. " I beg your pardon my lord! My daughter is young, too small to be a wife and a mother. "

Belle was scared now. She didn't know what to do. She was more scared that her mother spoke that way to the dangerous king. What made it more dangerous was the fact that he was calm and serene about it.

Anna pushed her chair back and gestured for her daughter to do thesame. "I am sorry, but I can't agree to this marriage."

The king said nothing. He was strangely quiet, looking away at a distance. But immediately Belle stood, the king violently bought down his hand on the golden table. A force of wind gushed by, the golden doors opened,so did the windows, the dishes rattled, some crashed on the floor.

So it was true? Anna thought. He had unimaginable powers, blessings of the Mother Dragoness? Was he really her child?

Anna was shaken now. She had clearly underestimated him. The king's golden eyes, slowly turned a deep yellow, staring at Anna with so much intensity. It was still windy and now, the wind was getting colder.

Goosebumps decorated their skins. Anna could feel the cold, deep within her bones. Belle could, too. The maids in the room weren't affected much by it. Was it because they were dragons too? The king, the cause of all these was sitting down on his chair, proudly, as if everything was fine.

Belle looked at her mother's face, a mix of fear and sadness. She was hurt to see her mother that way. Even though Belle could feel the cold air, she wasn't afraid like her mother clearly was. Could the king really end her mother's life? Belle didn't know what happened, one minute she was thinking about her mother and the next minute, she was screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Stop!' She screamed.

Belle had never shouted that loud in her life before. Deep down, she was scared, for the both of them. Unknown to Belle, Thomas wouldn't really hurt anyone that meant something to her.

The wind died down immediately, so did the King's Eye turn to golden itself. The king turned his attention at his mate, looking at her closely, watching through her expression, feeling every bit of feeling she had. He frowned slightly, at the thoughts she had. Did she really think he'll hurt them?

He had done it again. He had lost his temper when he promised he wouldn't. He couldn't bring himself to utter words to her. So, he just watched her.

Belle, as if realising she shouted at the King, bowed her head down in apology.

"My apologies, my lord. I.."

Belle couldn't continue her statement. He cut her short. Looking directly at Anna, he gave his order.

"I wasn't asking permission. I am giving an order. Your daughter is mine. Her heart, body and soul. She will marry me by tomorrow night or I shall bed her without honour and have my whelps with her. Your choice."

Anna shuddered, thinking about her daughter. How her daughters life will be, all alone in the Palace, with the cursed king.

The king gently stood up, making his way out when he heard his mate's voice.

"I'm not yours. I won't wed with you and I certainly shall not give you any whelps!"

It was more like a whisper, but he heard it. No word could pass him by, especially a word from her.

He stopped in his tracks and turned, slowly assessing her. Belle wasn't wavered, she stood her ground. She promised herself, she won't let him scare her. And strangely enough, Belle wasn't scared. She allowed her sharp gaze to connect with his golden ones.

Thomas smiled. He loved it! The crease in her eyebrows and the scrunching up of her long nose, she looked very appealing. He wished he could touch her now, but he couldn't. He wanted to honour her, and he will.

"You won't?" He asked as he came closer to her. He could see Anna shaking her head at her daughter. She was obviously scared of what the king would do to her. The king waved it off, smiling at Belle.

"I won't. Look for another queen." Belle spoke courageously.

Thomas nodded, still approaching her slowly.

"But I can't. You're the one i want. The one..my ..dragon wants."

That kept Belle mute. His dragon, he had said.

"It's been written, Mirabella. You can't deny it."

He was close to her now. Belle could feel the heat radiating off his body. He was really a dragon, she decided. She watched the slow rise and fall of his chest.

Belle shook her head. She wanted him to move away from her. He clearly wasn't going to move so she took a step back, and another.

But there was no denying it, she knew she moved back from him because of the effect he was having on her. But every step she took back, he took one closer.

"Even when I do this?" The king slower ran his forefinger from her right face down to her jaw. Belle trembled. Heat flowed from her face down to every part of her body. She wanted the king to stop, but the king had other ideas.

"And this?" He trailed his lips, down her throat. Belle almost gave in, almost agreed. The remembrance that her mother was at the other corner of the dinning Hall had her coming back to reality. She pushed the king away from her, or she thought she pushed the king. She didn't have the strength to push a king of a hundred years. She couldn't. When she realised she couldn't, she quickly slipped past him and ran to her mother's side.

"We shall take our leave now, sire." Belle said.

Anna still didn't utter a word. She was still not yet over her shock. She didn't even look up at the king again. Her eyes were downcast.

The king smiled. "I await your response, my future queen. Your space has been empty, for too long. "

Belle didn't answer him, she just looked at him. The more she looked at him, the more she felt her heart flutter.

"Remember, I await your response. Whatever it is, I will marry you Mirabella, in my Castle tomorrow by noon. "

Belle's breathing quickened. She didn't bother replying. She put an arm over her mother's shoulders and led them outside the dinning Hall. The footmen eyes looked so big, she was afraid it would fall right out. They were surprised they left before the king. It was clear, no one ever left before the king.

Anna was still quiet, even after they left the Palace gates with the carriage, the King had arranged for them. Anna was afraid, the king would somehow hear their conversations.

When they reached home, Belle spoke up.

"Mama are you okay? We'll be fine." She tried to comfort her.

Anna nodded. "Prepare Belle."

Belle was confused. "Prepare for what mama?"

"To leave Gravenhurst before dawn tomorrow. Pack light."