THE DRAGON KING AND HIS OMEGA

Chapter 1

"Mama, is it true?" Belle asked her mother ,Anna, who was at the stove, preparing lunch. Anna turned, slowly assessing her eighteen year old daughter. Her bright blue eyes in contrast with her champagne blonde hair. Her hair strands were scattered, all over her face. The French braid Anna braided for her was gone. Her neat light blue cotton gown was stained with mud. Anna sighed.

"What is true?"

Anna's eyes brightened in curiosity and excitement. "Danny said she heard from someone who also heard from someone that King Thomas is...immortal."

At this, the knife that Anna held suddenly clattered on the floor. Many thoughts ran through her head. Who was the sick person that told little ladies these?

"So, it's true then?" Belle asked.

Belle could be stubborn and nosy, but she was also smart, very smart. She could put two and two together easily. Anna scratched her grey strands, pretending to be okay about it while she was secretly fuming with anger.

"Stop spewing nonsense young lady. "

"It's true, Mama! You know it too. Why haven't we ever seen him? Why don't his subjects know how he looks like? Danny said he's a dragon too."

That was the last straw. Anna lost it. She shouted at her daughter. " You stupid girl, I sent you out to get bread for tomorrow and you come back with nonsense. Go up to your room!'

Anna hoped secretly that her daughter will be angry and sad her mother shouted at her. Anything to get rid of the excitement on her face. But she was wrong. That just confirmed her daughters suspicion.

Belle gaped, using her hand to cover her surprise. "It is true."

A second went by before she continued. "Is it also true that he is cursed by the gods? Danny said he is to marry a human."

This was what Anna was scared of. She was not happy. This was exactly why she locked her daughter up in the house all the time. She was protecting her daughter. Just in case she was the human who had to spend the rest of her life with that monster.

Anna closed her eyes and counted up to ten. Somedays, she was happy she had a smart daughter, other days, she was annoyed her daughter could catch up fast on her and other things. She realised, that to protect her daughter, she had to tell her the truth. Only the truth will set her free. She pulled out one of the wooden chairs from their sorry excuse of a dinning table and sat down. Belle sat down after her too.

"Listen, my daughter. You're all i have left. We are each other's family. That's why I have to protect you. " Anna patted her daughters hand.

But instead of Belle to start being realistic, she got more excited. "Yes, I know mama. Tell me the good news now. Is this true."

Anna ignored her daughter for a minute, thinking about their lives momentarily. " Yes, it is true. He is a dragon lord, he is also cursed by the leading family of dragons. Yes, he's to marry a human to lift the curse. "

Anna took a deep breath through her teeth and continued. "He has lived for centuries. To be exact, he's a hundred and thirty years old, Belle."

At this, Belle scrunched up her nose in disgust. "So he's old and crumpled then? That's why he hides away from his subjects? I wonder which unfortunate human will marry him."

Anna shook her head. Her daughter was indeed clueless, but she wasn't going to tell her that. Let her think of whatever will make her dislike the king.

"And he's to live for two more centuries. "

Belle's eyes popped out. "Two more centuries? Will he be bed ridden then?" Belle thought out loud, her forefinger gently tapping against her chin.

"So, you should stay away from him, okay?"

Belle slumped her shoulders. "Okay mama."

Anna nodded her head, pleased at the outcome of events. "Good, now, go wash up for lunch."

Belle padded away, her hips moving swiftly. Anna smiled. Her daughter was blessed. She is indeed a beauty, that was why Anna was scared. Her blue eyes, blonde hair, straight nose, full lips all in the right proportion. One would think she took her sweet time to mould herself. Her figure was spectacular. Her hour glass figure, too developed for a smallish eighteen year old lady.

Anna stirred up the broth and set the table, putting the rubber spoons beside the two rubber plates. After minutes, Belle came down, her hair in a messy bomun wearing a red cotton gown. Anna smiled. Her daughter could look beautiful in anything. This gown was just a mere cotton gown, sewn for the commoners, people like them with little wages.

They ate in silence, each wrapped in their own thoughts. Anna more worried about leaving this kingdom, Belle, trying her best to erase the king from her mind. But for some reason, her mind kept thinking about the King. She kept imagining how he'll look like, how his voice will sound like. She sighed. This was terrible. She should probably go and see Danny again. Talk about the King, she thought. It would be nice.

...,okay?"

"What?" Belle asked. She really was not paying attention to her mother right now. She couldn't help but think that her mother was hiding something from her.

"I said I'll be going to the market right now. We need money, my dear. I'll see if I can sell some vegetables again today. The cabbages are fresh, right?"

They had a small garden in their backyard. They grew cabbages, oranges, red pepper, tomatoes and moringa leaves.

"Okay mama. Sell today, I'll sell tomorrow while you rest. "

Belle is compassionate, hardworking and thoughtful. That was what Anna liked best about her daughter. She is growing into someone she'll be proud of.

"You should rest too, okay? Seeing you were up in the morning , doing chores. Don't forget to fold the clothes if they dry up. I may not be back home early, my child till I sell almost everything."

Belle nodded her head. This is their routine, everyday. That's where they got the money for their daily bread from.

She helped her mother pack the fruits in the basket before seeing her off. She smiled to herself. She always thanked God her mother was hardworking. Her mother is her role model after all. She wanted to be like her. At the age of forty, her mother still looked beautiful, except for the wrinkles that decorated her face here and there. This was as a result of being stressed all the time.

Her mother had to be stressed. Especially when she had a child to take care of. Belle never met her father. Her mother hardly ever mentioned him. Belle believes she is still hurt, still learning how to survive without him.

She washed the dishes and decided to go up to her room to rest her eyes. Her room only had a creaking bed. It has survived for a long time, Belle thought. She would have ask Mama for a better bed, but they had no money, neither did Mama have a better bed.

She laid down, closed her eyes, allowing sleep to engulf her in the darkness.

Belle awoke at dark. She realised she had slept for too long. Was Mama home? She went down to check, but the house was empty. She decided to prepare supper. She checked for grains and wheat, but found none. Not again, she thought. They were all out. Mama needed to come home fast.

Belle waited for another hour, but Mama still wasn't back. She was scared to walk out the door, into the night, but she was worried about Mama. She carefully closed the door and walked. She didn't even carry a cape, she was in no mood for that.

The branches twitched under her wooden shoes as she walked. She kept praying with each step she took. She prayed for protection against the werewolves and dragons in this city.

As she walked on the main road, she saw people hurrying home, from the market square. She looked at the people, hoping to see her mother, but she couldn't.

"Belle?"

Her head whipped around to the sound of the voice. It was Danny's mother, Nadia.

"My child, why are you out here? "

"Hello Mrs. Nadia." Belle greeted. "I came to look for Mama. She isn't home yet. I was getting worried."

Nadia frowned. "She left a while ago. You didn't meet her on your way here?"

Belle shook her head.

Nadia smiled to reduce Belle's worry. "I'm sure she's okay. She is probably home by now. Hurry home child. You know what lies in the dark."

Belle understood Nadia's words. Werewolves and dragons was what she meant. Belle nodded and rushed back home. She decided to take the shortcut. Maybe mama took this way, she thought.

The minor road was secluded and dark. Her heart started beating faster. She was beginning to regret taking this route home. The farther she walked, the darker it became. Belle stood for a moment, her blonde hair shining in the moonlight, contemplating whether she should go back or just continue her journey.

Just then, she heard a loud howl followed by a growl somewhere very close to her. She picked up her skirts and started running. She ran as fast as she could. But no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't run faster than a wolf. A werewolf was hot on her trail, following her, looking for flesh to sink his teeth in and blood, to quench his need to kill. Belle felt the werewolf's hot breath on her neck, it was a big wolf then. The wolf got nearer and nearer. Just when she thought she was going to be caught by the wolf's merciless teeth, a hand reached out and snatched her away from the ground and helped her into a high stead. It took sometime for Belle to understand what just happened. She realised she was safe, on a horse with a protective arm around her. Her heart started to calm down. She was okay, for now.

Her brain caught up quickly. Someone just saved her from a werewolf. The horse whipped around, staring at the werewolf in front of the horse. Her eyes widened at the size and wrath, emanating from the wolf. It was clearly angry,it's teeth grinded against each other, chewing out the anger he felt.

She felt a growl from behind her. She looked down at the muscular hand that was still secure against her stomach. She turned, slightly to see her saviour. Her eyes clashed with yellow ones, bright yellow ones.

Any other human would have been frightened, but Belle wasn't afraid of this person. She didn't know what it was or rather, who it was. Her eyes sweeped down his features. His sharp jaw with a week beards grow, his red thin lips, his straight long nose and yellow big eyes. His hair was messy, in a beautiful way. Belle admired this man privately in her own heart.

She turned just in time to see the werewolf cowering away. The werewolf slowly bowed before running off. What was that? What just happened?

The man moved the horse, continuing along the path till he reached the main road again, with populated people. He stopped his horse there and removed his arm from her waist.

Belle looked at him, in question.

"Thank you." She finally said, when she understood what he meant. He wanted her to get off. The man just stared at her. Was he deaf and dumb? Belle wondered.

He slowly helped her get off the horse, his yellow eyes, slowly turning back to a golden colour. Belle still wondered who he was. She decided to ask him.

"Who are you?"

The man kept mute, looking at her. She looked at him confidently, waiting for an answer.

"Belle? Is that you?" Anna asked from a distance.

Belle turned, looking at her mother holding an empty basket. She smiled, momentarily forgetting about the stranger that saved her. She was relieved that her mother was safe.

She looked back at him, but he had already started to gallop. She watched as he disappeared into the dark route he saved her from.

Who was he?