MARRIED TO THE CRUEL DRAGON KING 18+ (ROYAL DARKNESS)

CHAPTER THREE



I violently slammed the wooden door behind me, causing a loud thud to echo throughout the small room. The sudden noise startled my crow, Corvus, who immediately took flight through the tiny window, only fit for creatures of its size. "Sure, leave me and just fly off, Corvus!" I shouted after it, my voice reverberating off the walls.

In my dark environment, I often relied on Corvus to see when he was near me. Yet, I had already mastered navigating my surroundings before Corvus entered my life, so its absence didn't bother me much. I knew it would come back in a few hours, maybe even the next morning..

My mind wandered back to the time before Corvus, when I was forced to rely on my instincts and sense of touch to find my way. It was a difficult existence, but one that had taught me how to survive in a world that was often unforgiving.

The sound of my own breathing filled the air, and I took a deep inhale, allowing the familiar smells of my surroundings to wash over me.

The musty scent of damp earth mixed with the tang of smoke from the fire pit outside. It was a smell that I had grown accustomed to, and one that I found oddly comforting.

With careful, measured steps, I made my way to bed, tapping the objects in the dark to guide my way. As I lay down, my eyes squeezed shut, my hands balled into fists, trying to quell the anger that burned within me. Had I been too harsh on my godmother? What could she be hiding from me? Despite the hurtful words that had flown out of my mouth in a fit of rage, I knew deep down that I loved her just as much as I would have loved my own mother, had she still been alive.

My mind wandered back to the wall with the strange elvish letters inscribed on it. The moment my fingers brushed the surface, the letters had glowed with an otherworldly light, sending a jolt of anticipation through my veins. I longed to ask my godmother what it meant, but she had always been secretive about such things, a master of secrets and riddles.

As I lay there in bed, I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more to the mysterious wall and the glowing letters. My mind raced with questions, but for now, all I could do was lay there, lost in my own thoughts, waiting for the answers that may never come.

"I know you're there, godmother. Just come in," I called out, my voice echoing in the stillness of the night. I lay in bed, my eyes blind, but my other senses sharp, very aware of every sound around me. The door slowly creaked open, and I heard her footsteps as she entered the room. Even though I was blind, my ears could pick up on the slightest sounds, like the soft gurgling of the nearby river and the rustling of leaves outside the window.

As my godmother settled down beside me, the bed sank under her weight, and I sat up straight, ready to face her. "Where is Corvus?" she asked, her voice gentle and soothing.

"He flew away," I replied coldly, my frustration at her words simmering just beneath the surface.

"I suppose you startled him again," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice. I sighed, not bothering to reply, and turned away from her, feeling the warmth of her presence beside me.

"Look, Jamari," she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "I know how badly you want to leave here, but you can't, not yet. This is for your own good." I could sense the concern in her voice, and for a moment, I softened towards her. But then, the memories of all the secrets and half-truths she had kept from me came flooding back, and my resolve hardened once again.

"I'll leave when I'm ready," I said firmly, my voice betraying none of the turmoil inside me. "Until then, don't try to stop me."

"No jamari, you can't"

"Please, can you give me a reason why I'm not allowed to go outside?" I asked, my tone pleading.

"Because your kind is not welcome there," my godmother replied, her voice carrying an edge of sorrow.

I was confused. "What do you mean, my kind? I'm human, just like you."

"No, Jamari," she said gently, taking my hand in hers. "You are gifted. You possess powers that go beyond that of regular humans. You can see through the eyes of an animal, communicate with them, and have the power of healing. You can even hear the tiniest sound and sense things that others cannot. You are different from other humans, Jamari."

My heart sank. I knew what she was referring to. I was blind, and my godmother was the only one who truly understood my unique abilities. But why was that a reason to keep me locked up inside?

"But godmother," I protested, "you can do much more than I am capable of. How come you are welcomed in the outside world, and I am not?"

My godmother's grip on my hand softened as she stood up and moved closer to me. "Jamari, my dear," she began, "it's not that I am more accepted than you. It's that people fear what they don't understand. They fear your gifts and abilities because they don't understand them."

I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. "But I don't want to be locked up forever," I said softly. "I want to explore the world and use my gifts to help others."

"Tomorrow, when I depart, my absence will last three days," she spoke in a somber tone.

"Don't change the topic, godmother," I replied, trying to bring her back to the matter at hand.

"Please, Jamari, I just want to leave on good terms," she implored, taking a deep breath before continuing, "This might be the last time I see you, and we never know what fate has in store."

Her words struck me with a sense of foreboding, and I couldn't help but inquire, "What do you mean?"

"The Dragon King himself, Reagan, is set to visit our kingdom," she divulged.

"Who is he?" I asked, suddenly very curious.

"He is the ruler of the mighty kingdom of Drakonia, a land known for its powerful sorcerers and sorceresses. Their king, Reagan, is feared across the lands, revered for his intimidating presence and incredible strength."

I leaned forward, eager to hear more. "What makes him so intimidating?" I prodded.

Godmother spoke in a strange tone, as if she was calling the names of ancient gods. "His dragon's, Necrodraxis the Undying Terror and the lord of all beasts, Zarathus the Eternal Flame."

I could hardly believe my ears. "Both of them are dragons?" I asked, trying to wrap my mind around the enormity of it all.

"Not just any dragons, Jamari," Godmother replied, her voice strained with anxiety. "These are two of the most powerful dragons to ever walk this earth. Necrodraxis makes him very powerful, and if Zarathus was by his side, Reagan would be unstoppable."

The very thought of such a powerful duo sent shivers down my spine. "What happened to Zarathus?" I asked, curious.

"No one knows," Godmother replied with a sigh. "He disappeared over twenty years ago, and nobody has seen him since. As for Reagan, nobody knows how he gained the power to control these beasts. But one thing is certain - he's coming to Konica for reasons unknown, and we can only pray that this kingdom survives his visit."

My mind was racing with questions. What did Reagan want from Konica? I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding, as if some great disaster was looming on the horizon but at the same time, I also had a feeling that he was not here with the aim of destruction.

"God mother, I do not believe he is here to destroy the kingdom. At least, that is not the sense I get."

Her sharp gaze bore into my skin, her expression dubious as she asked, "What do you mean, my child?"

I struggled to find the words to explain my intuition, but I knew it was true. "I cannot explain it, but I have a feeling that he is searching for something else. Something important that we do not know."

A moment of uneasy silence lingered in the air before God mother responded, "We can only pray that your intuition is right."

My heart sank at the thought of the consequences if I was wrong as I spoke , "And if it is not?"

Her voice was urgent, a desperate plea for me to understand the gravity of the situation. "He destroys us all," she said, her tone filled with fear. "If I die, the barrier around the house will be broken, and you can find your way out." Without waiting for a response, she hurriedly left the room. I wasn't worried because I knew god mother wasn't going to die, not anytime soon.

Confused and scared, I couldn't fathom who this Reagan person was, and how powerful he must be for even god mother to be afraid of him. Despite my unease, a nagging feeling in the back of my mind told me that he wasn't here to destroy us. There was something deeper at play, something that we couldn't yet comprehend.

As I sar alone on the bed in my empty room, I couldn't help but feel a strange feeling. The creaking floorboards and the rustling of leaves outside only added to the unnerving atmosphere. My heart racing, I knew that I had to find a way out before it was too late.