Dragon's Bride

Chapter 10

Kai’s POV

The next few days were quiet, at least on the outside. Mia stayed in her room barely leaving. Luke had to clean the whole floor where the library stood, dad sat locked up in his study, angry and not speaking to anybody. I spent most of the time in the corridor by Mia’s room, waiting for her to leave which she only did a couple of times just to go to the bathroom. Each time, she didn’t even utter a word to me. Molly would come and leave food for her by the door. She refused to eat. Everybody, except Luke, was grumpy and quiet. Finally, Molly exploded.

“I cannot take it anymore! The girl will starve in there!”

“She must be used to that. You know, she spent years in the orphanage. I doubt they had banquets there.”, said Luke. Despite working hard in the library, he was clean as always. Not even a drop of sweat on his body.

“Enough! Everybody go upstairs! We’re having tea, together! Mia, get out of there! Now!”, shouted the woman. She looked ridiculous, her red face didn’t face her pink clothes at all! Mia didn’t even make a sound.

“Is she in there?”, asked Luke.

“Yes. I would have known if she even tried to leave.”, I mumbled angry. Molly banged on the door again and begged Mia to come out. No sound. My head was beginning to hurt again from the noise.

“Kai, do something!”, screamed Molly.

“She barricaded the door…”, I said and while rubbing my eyes with my right hand, leaned against the door with my left one. The door budged, or more like, crumbled. I used much more force than I meant to.

“What are you doing?! Are you crazy?! Get out!”, shouted Mia. She was still in her pyjamas. I sighed exhausted by the whole situation. Not seeing her for so long was a nightmare. I walked over the crumbles of the door, pushing away the desk with which she barricaded the door, and without a single word, put the girl over my shoulder and carried her out of the room. She was screaming and kicking. I did as Molly asked and went to the tip floor, put the girl down and laid my head on the table. If she said anything or shouted, nothing reached my mind. My head was killing me. Eventually Molly came in with a tray of food, cups, plates and a teapot. She set the table quickly grabbed a chair and sat with us at the table. I looked up in amazement. She never sat with us for a single meal! She sat next to Mia, on her left side and I… I just next to her on Mia’s right side. We sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity.

“Well, isn’t that nice?”, spoke Molly.

“What are you trying to accomplish, woman?”, asked father. Molly turned red.

“Well, I… I… I’ve had enough of the tension in this house. I want to make things a bit more… pleasant…”

“Or at least bearable”, mumbled Luke. Everyone looked over at him with anger. He just shrugged his shoulders and continued to drink his tea.

“I was thinking… well… Mia, when is your birthday? I don’t think we ever asked.”, said Molly. She was right! We never did! Mia blushed.

“It doesn’t matter.”, she said quietly.

“Nonsense! Tell us!”, demanded Molly.

“I… I… don’t know.”, admitted Mia. We all looked over at her surprised.

“How did they tell your age then?”, asked Luke.

“By counting the years we’ve spent at the orphanage.”

“Impossible! No birthdays?! No presents?! We must mend it at once!”, exclaimed Molly excitedly.

“Really, it’s not a big deal.”, said Mia.

“Nonsense! We must throw you a party! What do you think Corbus?!”, father scratched his beard.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea. Plus we would all do nicely with a little party. We haven’t even celebrated the return of the boys.”, he nodded.

“Please, no.”, whispered Mia.

“That already sounds like a lame party. Two older people, two guys and one girl. Really?”, commented Luke.

“You can’t just go into a club, Luke! Or do you want to be found out? This isn’t Drakonum!”

“I’m just saying…”

“We’ll buy you presents dear…”

“Grow up, boy!...”

“I’m just being realistic!...”

“And I’ll make you a cake and…”

“STOP!”, shouted Mia. Everybody stopped talking. She got up and made her way back to her room. I ran after her.

“Mia, wait, please!”, I begged her. She was already by her shattered doors when she remembered that she cannot close them so she turned around and without paying any attention to me, walked back up the stairs to the bathroom.

“Mia!”

“What are you playing at? Trying to bribe me or something?”, she asked suddenly turning around in the doorway.

“No, I swear! Molly really wants to throw you a birthday party and nothing else. We’re not trying to bribe you or anything.”, I said.

“Well, it looks like it. I’ve seen hundreds of parents, boyfriends, girlfriends throw parties, give presents just to make the other person like them again.”, she said crossing her arms.

“Where did you see that?”, I asked. I was truly surprised by her knowledge of the world outside the orphanage.

“Windows. There was a club just outside the orphanage.”, she said looking down at the floor. I took one step forward.

“Well… don’t you kind of want to be treated like that once in your life?”, I asked shyly.

“Like what? Being bribed?”

“No… that’s not what I mean… like… like you’re the most important person in the world… for the people around you?”, I took another step forward. She didn’t move away.

“I’m not important to anyone.”, she said coldly.

“You are to me… I just… don’t know how to show it.”, I took another step forward and looked straight into her eyes. “But I swear the idea for the party was Molly’s and Molly’s alone.”

“Fine but nothing big.”, she said after looking at the floor in silence for a minute or two. “Anything else you want to say to me?”, she asked looking straight at me.

“No… Yes… Yes… I… I wanted to tell you that you surprise me… every day… you’re not… and don’t get me wrong… you’re not submissive.”

“Is this supposed to make me feel better? Is this what you wanted? A submissive girl?”, she asked not happy with my confession.

“No, I didn’t mean it that way. It’s that… I thought that a girl from an orphanage, a girl who’s been a prisoner all her life… would be… submissive. You’re not. And it’s good! I like it.”, I said brushing my hair with my hand, trying desperately to find the correct words.

“Well, I don’t need you to like it and frankly, I’ve never been submissive. Didn’t you see how I thought for my dignity in the tower?”, I felt my ears turn red. She was right and I, as always, stupid and blind. She walked one step towards me and looked me straight in my eyes. “I’ve been disrespected all my life but don’t think that I’ll let you treat me like trash- ever.”

“I’ll treat you like a queen, just please, let me.”, I begged her.

“I’ll think about it.”, she answered and walked into the bathroom and closed the door right in my face. I was hopeless.