The Dragon King's Breeder

Chapter 2: The Breeder

Chapter 2: The Breeder

My father’s voice booms through the entry hall. “You will go to your room and pack at once. An escort from the king’s guard will be here this afternoon. Wear your ceremony dress. Make sure you’re presentable. You will not disappoint us again.”

There’s no room for argument. There never is.

I turn and walk up the stairs, feeling Ravessa’s triumphant stare burning into my back. My hands shake as I reach my room, but Jessa is already inside, waiting like she knew I’d need her.

“I can’t believe we’re going to the castle,” she says, her voice hushed with awe.

I grab her arm, needing something solid to hold onto. “At least I’ll have you with me.”

She nods, her eyes soft. She doesn’t say she’s scared. She doesn’t say she’s worried. She just stays close, the way she always has.

We begin packing my things. Dresses, shoes, hair ribbons, the few books I’m allowed to keep. Jessa folds everything carefully, smoothing each piece like she’s trying to calm me through the fabric. I change into my ceremony dress, the one I was supposed to wear for a future that no longer exists.

My heart pounds with every movement. The king’s guard. The castle. The role my father has forced on me. The life I never chose.

Jessa brushes my hair until it shines, her hands gentle. “You’ll look perfect,” she says quietly.

I don’t feel perfect. I feel like I’m being marched toward a fate I can’t escape.

But I keep packing. I keep moving. Because the king has chosen me.

And there’s no turning back.

I wait with Jessa at the front steps, our belongings stacked neatly beside us. The air feels heavy, thick with the scent of dust and carriage oil. Ten carriages roll up in a perfect line, their wheels grinding against the stone path. The guards wear the king’s crest—black dragons coiled around a golden crown.

I keep my eyes down. I behave. I don’t look up.

My father steps forward, his posture proud, his voice carrying easily across the courtyard. “My name is Lord Dareth Veylan,” he says, introducing himself with the confidence of someone who believes he’s just secured his family’s future. “This is my daughter

Ravessa, who is promised to the lord’s son here in our clan.”

It’s strange that he would tell the king’s guard that—irrelevant, almost desperate to remind them of his connections.

He gestures toward me next. “And this is my daughter Valestra, our eldest, whom we have graciously promised to the king.”

The words hang in the air like a sentence. I feel Jessa’s hand tighten around mine. The guards bow slightly, their expressions unreadable behind polished armor.

“We need to get going,” the guard says, his voice deep and steady. “We have a long road ahead.” He steps closer, his armor catching the morning light. “I’m Captain Thane Corren, commander of the king’s escort.” His eyes meet mine for a moment, not unkind, but unreadable. “Say your goodbyes.”

I turn toward my parents, hoping for something—anything—to hold onto. My father just waves me away. “We already said goodbye inside.”

Captain Corren nods once. “Then we shall leave.”

He opens the carriage door for me. I step inside, my hands trembling as I gather my skirts. Jessa follows, clutching the small satchel of our belongings. The door closes behind us with a heavy thud, final and absolute.

The sound feels like the end of my life.