MATED TO THE DRAGON KING

MATED TO THE DRAGON KING CHAPTER ONE: THE GIRL WHO DIDN'T BELONG The night the Dragon King came for me, I was wearing a borrowed dress, hiding a stolen piece of bread in my pocket, and wishing I had never been born. It was supposed to be the happiest night of the year. The Moon Festival filled the streets of Aetheria with music, golden lanterns, and the sweet smell of honey cakes. Nobles danced beneath crystal chandeliers, merchants sold enchanted jewelry, and young women whispered excitedly about the possibility of finding their true mates beneath the full moon. I wanted none of it. Mates were a privilege for people who mattered. And I had never mattered to anyone. "Elara!" I turned just in time to see Lady Celestine, the daughter of the royal advisor, marching toward me with two girls following behind her. Her silver gown glittered beneath the lanterns. Diamonds adorned her hair, and a necklace of moonstones rested against her pale throat. She looked like a princess. I looked like someone who had borrowed a princess's cleaning cloth and tried to turn it into a dress. "What are you doing here?" Celestine demanded. "Enjoying the festival." She glanced at my dress and laughed. "Enjoying it? You look like you came here to clean the floor." Her companions giggled. I forced a smile. "Then I suppose the floor is lucky I arrived." Their laughter stopped. Celestine's eyes narrowed. "Careful, orphan. People like you should remember their place." People like me. The words followed me everywhere. I had been found eighteen years ago outside the gates of the abandoned Moon Temple, wrapped in a blanket embroidered with a strange silver symbol. Nobody knew who my parents were. Nobody knew where I came from. The royal orphanage had taken me in, but taking me in was not the same as loving me. I grew up learning that kindness was temporary, promises were easily broken, and survival depended on asking for as little as possible. The only thing I had inherited from my unknown parents was a strange mark beneath my left collarbone. It resembled a small dragon curled around a crescent moon. The orphanage matron had called it ugly. I had called it mine. "Enjoy your evening," I told Celestine, stepping around her. She grabbed my wrist. "Did I give you permission to leave?" I looked down at her fingers. "Let go." "Or what?" Before I could answer, a horn sounded from the palace balcony. Three long notes. Every conversation died. The king had arrived. Not our king, King Aldric of Aetheria. Someone far more dangerous. The Dragon King. My stomach tightened as the enormous palace gates opened. Soldiers in black armor marched into the courtyard, their weapons glowing with ancient magic. Then the sky darkened. At first, I thought a storm cloud had swallowed the moon. Then the cloud moved. Two enormous wings spread across the stars, blotting out the moonlight. A dragon descended toward the palace, its scales black as midnight and its eyes burning gold. People screamed and fell to their knees. The dragon landed in the center of the courtyard. The stone beneath its claws cracked. A man stepped down from its back. He was tall, dressed in black, with silver embroidery running along the sleeves of his coat. His dark hair brushed his forehead, and a thin scar crossed his left eyebrow. But it was his eyes that frightened me. They were golden. Not brown. Not hazel. Gold. The eyes of a creature that had never needed to ask permission for anything. King Kael Draven. The immortal ruler of the Seven Dragon Realms. The man who had burned an invading army without losing a single soldier. The man who had executed three rebellious lords in one night. The man whose name mothers used to frighten disobedient children. He walked through the courtyard without acknowledging the nobles bowing before him. Even King Aldric descended from his throne to greet him. "Your Majesty," Aldric said, bowing his head. "Aetheria welcomes you." Kael ignored the greeting. His gaze traveled across the courtyard. One face after another. Then it stopped. On me. The world changed. I cannot explain what happened next. The music disappeared. The lanterns seemed to freeze in the air. Something warm and powerful stirred beneath my skin. The mark beneath my collarbone burned. I gasped and stumbled backward. Kael stopped walking. For the first time since he had arrived, the Dragon King looked shocked. His golden eyes widened. "No," he whispered. The word was so quiet that only those closest to him could hear it. Then he started walking toward me. Every step felt like a countdown. I tried to move, but my feet refused to cooperate. He stopped in front of me. Up close, he was even more intimidating. His face was striking, but there was nothing gentle about it. He looked like a man who had buried every soft part of himself long ago. He studied my face as though I were a ghost returned from the dead. "What is your name?" he asked. My throat was dry. "Elara." His jaw tightened. "Your full name." "Elara Vale." Something dark flickered across his expression. "Who gave you that name?" "I did." A murmur passed through the crowd. Kael's eyes dropped to my collarbone. My hand flew to cover it. Too late. The golden light in his eyes intensified. He reached toward me, then stopped before touching my shoulder. His fingers curled into a fist. For a moment, he looked almost afraid. Then the expression vanished. He turned toward the entire court. "Everyone will leave this courtyard." Nobody moved. King Aldric frowned. "Your Majesty, the festival—" "NOW." The windows rattled. A gust of wind swept through the courtyard, extinguishing half the lanterns. People hurried toward the doors. Celestine stared at me with open hatred. I barely noticed. The Dragon King was still looking at me. When the courtyard had emptied, he spoke again. "Do you know what you are?" I swallowed. "An orphan." "No." His voice was low and terrible. "You are the one person in this world I was never supposed to find." Before I could ask what he meant, he extended his hand. "Come with me." I stared at it. "Where?" "To my kingdom." "And if I refuse?" For the first time, something resembling a smile touched his face. It was not a kind smile. "Then you will spend the rest of your life running from every person who wants you dead." I lifted my chin. "That sounds like a threat." "It is a warning." "I don't know you." "That makes two of us." I should have run. I should have screamed for the guards. Instead, I looked into his golden eyes and felt something deep inside me answer a question I had never known how to ask. A voice whispered through my mind. Found you. I stumbled. Kael caught my arm before I fell. The moment his fingers touched my skin, golden light exploded between us. The dragon behind him roared. And somewhere beneath the palace, something ancient awakened. Kael released me as if my touch had burned him. "No," he said again. This time, the word sounded like a prayer. I looked at him. "What is happening to me?" He stared at the glowing mark beneath my collarbone. Then he spoke the words that would destroy everything I believed about my life. "You are my mate, Elara Vale." He paused. "And if the ancient laws are correct, you are also the last Dragon Queen." The ground trembled. Far beyond the palace walls, something answered the dragon's roar. Something much larger. Something that had been sleeping for a thousand years. And it had just learned that I was alive. --- CHAPTER TWO: THE KING'S UNWANTED MATE "I am not going anywhere with you." The words escaped my mouth before fear could stop them. Kael stared at me. Behind him, the black dragon lowered its enormous head. Its golden eyes studied me with an intelligence that made my skin prickle. "You misunderstand your situation," the king said. "No. I understand perfectly. A strange man arrives at a festival, announces that I belong to him, and expects me to follow him into a kingdom I've never seen." His expression hardened. "I did not say you belong to me." "You called me your mate." "There is a difference." "Explain it." He said nothing. I folded my arms. "That's what I thought." For one dangerous second, I believed he might lose his temper. The air around him grew warm, and a faint golden glow appeared beneath the skin of his hands. Then he closed his eyes and took a slow breath. When he opened them again, the glow had disappeared. "You will come to the Dragon Kingdom because your life is in danger. You will be given a room, protection, and the freedom to ask questions. I will not force you to accept a bond you do not understand." I had expected arrogance. I had not expected that. "Why would anyone want to kill me?" "Because of what you are." "And what exactly am I?" His gaze shifted to the mark beneath my collarbone. "Someone the world believed was dead." My heart began to pound. "Who?" He looked away. "Not here." I hated those two words. Not here. Not now. Not yet. Everyone had always known something about my life that they refused to tell me. The matron knew why I had been abandoned. She had never explained it. The royal physician had examined my birthmark when I was twelve, then ordered me never to remove the pendant I wore over it. Even the old priest who visited the orphanage every winter had looked at me as though I reminded him of a tragedy. And now the most powerful king in the world was doing the same thing. "Tell me the truth," I said. Kael looked at me for a long moment. "Your parents were not ordinary people." My breath caught. "You knew them?" "No." "Then how do you know?" "Because I watched their kingdom fall." His voice changed on the last word. For the first time, I heard grief beneath his coldness. Before I could question him further, the palace doors burst open. A young man hurried into the courtyard, his brown hair disheveled and his face pale. "Elara!" My heart leaped. "Rowan!" He ran toward me, grabbed my shoulders, and looked me over as if checking for injuries. "What happened? Everyone is saying the Dragon King has chosen you." Rowan Ashford had been my closest friend since childhood. He had been the only person at the orphanage who shared his bread with me when I was hungry. When other children mocked my birthmark, he told them it was beautiful. When I cried because nobody had come to adopt me, he promised that one day we would leave Aetheria together and build a life where nobody could look down on us. He was the closest thing I had to family. "I don't understand what's happening," I whispered. His gaze shifted to Kael. Something strange passed across his face. Fear. Not the ordinary fear everyone felt in the presence of the Dragon King. Something deeper. Something personal. Kael noticed it. "You know this man?" the king asked me. "He's my friend." Rowan stepped between us. "She isn't going anywhere with you." The courtyard became silent. Kael looked at Rowan as if he had just noticed an insect crawling across his sleeve. "You are speaking to the ruler of the Seven Realms." "And you're speaking about a person, not a possession." I almost reached for Rowan's arm to pull him away. Nobody challenged Kael Draven. Nobody. The king's expression did not change. "Your loyalty is admirable." "Then let her stay." "I cannot." "Or you won't?" Kael took one step forward. Rowan did not retreat. For a moment, I thought they might fight. Then the dragon growled. A low, terrifying sound rolled through the courtyard. Rowan went pale. Kael's eyes narrowed. "Interesting." "What?" I demanded. The king ignored me. He studied Rowan for several seconds, then turned to the guards standing near the gates. "Prepare three horses." "Three?" I asked. "You, your friend, and myself." I blinked. "You are going to ride a horse?" Kael looked genuinely offended. "I own a dragon." "Then why do we need horses?" "Because your friend appears to be terrified of flying." Rowan opened his mouth. Closed it. I almost laughed. Almost. It was the first moment that evening in which Kael had seemed remotely human. Then his expression changed again. "However," he said, looking directly at Rowan, "if you intend to accompany us, you will follow every order I give. If I discover that you have lied to me, I will personally discover why." Rowan's hand tightened around mine. "I have nothing to hide." The king's gaze lingered on our joined hands. Something cold passed through his eyes. "Everyone has something to hide." He turned and walked toward the gates. Neither Rowan nor I spoke until he was out of earshot. Then Rowan leaned close. "Elara, listen to me carefully." His voice trembled. "You cannot trust that man." I stared at him. "Why?" Rowan looked toward the king's retreating figure. For one brief second, his expression was unfamiliar. Not fear. Not anger. Hatred. "Because," he whispered, "the Dragon King is the reason your parents died." --- CHAPTER THREE: THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE FORBIDDEN FOREST I did not speak to Rowan again until we were beyond the walls of Aetheria. His words had followed me through the palace gates, through the stables, and into the dark forest beyond the royal road. The Dragon King had killed my parents. The thought was so enormous that my mind refused to hold it. If it were true, why had Kael looked at me as though he had seen a ghost? Why had he called me the last Dragon Queen? And why had the mark beneath my collarbone reacted to his touch? I rode behind Rowan while Kael traveled ahead of us on a black horse that looked almost as intimidating as its owner. The king had changed into a long dark cloak, but nothing could disguise his presence. Even the forest seemed to bend away from him. Branches moved before he reached them. Animals fled from the road. Once, a pair of enormous wolves appeared between the trees. They lowered their heads when Kael passed, then disappeared into the undergrowth. I watched him suspiciously. "Is he always like this?" I whispered. Rowan glanced at me. "Like what?" "Like the entire world is afraid of disappointing him." "He's a king." "So was King Aldric, but at least he occasionally smiles." "Kings don't need to smile." "That sounds like something a miserable person would say." Rowan gave a faint laugh. For a few minutes, the tension eased. Then the forest grew silent. Not peaceful. Silent. The birds stopped singing. The horses began to toss their heads, and a strange mist crept between the trees. Kael immediately pulled his horse to a stop. "Nobody moves." His voice carried through the forest. Rowan reached for the dagger at his belt. "What is it?" I asked. Kael dismounted. "Something is wrong." A branch snapped behind us. Then another. I turned. Two figures emerged from the mist, dressed in gray cloaks. Their faces were hidden, and silver masks covered their eyes. The first raised a hand. A bolt of blue light shot through the air. Kael moved faster than I could follow. He shoved me from the saddle just before the bolt struck the horse. The animal reared and fled, while Rowan leaped to the ground beside me. The king lifted one hand. Fire exploded across the path. The attackers scattered. "Stay behind me!" he commanded. I scrambled to my feet. One masked figure darted toward Rowan. Rowan drew his dagger and blocked the attack, but the force threw him against a tree. "Rowan!" I ran toward him. The second attacker turned. A blade flashed in the mist. I felt a sharp sting across my palm as I raised my hand instinctively. Then everything stopped. The attacker froze. The blade hovered inches from my face. A strange golden light spread from my wounded palm, spiraling through the air like living threads. The masked figure stared at me. "No," he whispered. His voice was filled with terror. "The First Flame." I had no idea what he meant. The light grew brighter. A shock wave burst from my hand, throwing the attacker backward. The forest erupted into sound. Branches shattered. The ground split beneath the fallen figure, and a circle of golden symbols appeared around my feet. Kael stared at me. Not with surprise this time. With recognition. He looked as though he had just watched a nightmare become real. The remaining attacker scrambled away. Before Kael could stop him, the stranger threw a small silver object into the air. It exploded into black smoke. When the smoke cleared, both attackers were gone. Silence returned. I looked down at my palm. The cut had disappeared. Only a faint golden symbol remained. "Elara," Rowan said weakly. I rushed to his side. "Are you hurt?" "I'm fine." He was not fine. His sleeve was torn, and blood darkened the fabric near his shoulder. Kael approached us. "Let me see." Rowan moved away from him. "I said I'm fine." The king's expression hardened. "Your stubbornness is becoming tiresome." "And your presence is becoming a problem." "Enough!" I shouted. Both men fell silent. I stared at Kael. "What just happened to me?" He looked at the golden symbol on my palm. "You used dragonfire." I shook my head. "That is impossible." "Not for you." "Humans cannot control dragonfire." "Correct." "Then what am I?" Kael's gaze met mine. For a moment, the forest seemed to disappear around us. "You are not entirely human." I stepped backward. "No." "Elara—" "No! I don't want to hear it." My voice broke. I had spent eighteen years trying to understand why I was different. I had imagined a hundred possible explanations for my birthmark, my strange dreams, and the dreams in which a woman with silver hair called me by a name I could never remember upon waking. But this? Dragonfire? A lost queen? A king who might have murdered my parents? It was too much. Kael took a step toward me, then stopped when I raised my hand. "Don't touch me." Something in his expression shifted. He lowered his hand. "Very well." His voice was quieter now. "But you must understand something. Those men were not ordinary assassins. They knew who you were. They came prepared to kill you." "Who sent them?" "I don't know." "You expect me to believe that?" "No. I expect you to remain alive long enough to discover the truth." I looked at Rowan. He had gone strangely quiet. "Rowan?" He blinked. "What?" "Do you know anything about this?" For one long moment, he said nothing. Then he shook his head. "No, Elara. I swear." I wanted to believe him. I needed to believe him. He was the only person I had left. Kael mounted his horse. "We leave now. The forest will not remain safe for long." I climbed onto the horse Kael had brought for me, my hands shaking. As we continued toward the Dragon Kingdom, I glanced back at the place where the attackers had vanished. I did not see the small silver object lying beneath the leaves. I did not see the symbol engraved on its surface. A crescent moon surrounded by seven stars. The royal seal of the Dragon Queen. And I did not hear the whisper that traveled through the mist long after we had gone. "The heir has awakened." --- CHAPTER FOUR: THE PALACE OF SHADOWS We reached the Dragon Kingdom shortly before dawn. I had expected a land of fire, destruction, and blackened mountains. Instead, I found a kingdom more beautiful than anything I had ever imagined. Silver towers rose above a vast city built into the sides of enormous mountains. Rivers of glowing blue water wound between marble bridges. Floating lanterns drifted through the streets, and dragons of every color circled the distant peaks. At the center stood a palace carved into a mountain of black crystal. Its towers pierced the clouds. Golden banners fluttered from its walls, each bearing the image of a dragon with outstretched wings. I stared in disbelief. "This is your kingdom?" Kael glanced at me. "You sound disappointed." "I expected something more frightening." "Give it time." I looked at him. "Was that a joke?" "No." "You're terrible at being friendly." "I have never claimed otherwise." Despite myself, I smiled. It disappeared the moment the palace gates opened. Hundreds of servants stood in two long rows. Soldiers in black armor bowed as Kael entered, and a woman wearing a silver crown hurried down the steps. She was beautiful in a way that made the entire palace seem dull around her. Her silver hair fell to her waist, and her violet eyes glittered with intelligence. "Kael," she said, embracing him. He stiffened slightly before returning the gesture. "Seraphine." Her eyes moved to me. The warmth vanished from her face. "Who is this?" Kael's answer was immediate. "Elara Vale." Seraphine's fingers tightened around the edge of her gown. For a moment, she looked as though she had seen someone rise from the grave. Then she smiled. It was a perfect smile. A practiced smile. "Welcome to the Dragon Palace, Elara." I returned it cautiously. "Thank you." Seraphine stepped closer. Her gaze fell to my collarbone, where my birthmark had begun to glow faintly beneath the fabric. She went pale. "Kael," she whispered, "we need to speak." "Later." "Now." The king's expression turned cold. "I said later." Seraphine looked between us. Something passed silently between them. Something old. Something dangerous. Then she bowed her head. "As you wish, Your Majesty." She turned to a waiting servant. "Prepare the eastern chambers for our guest." "No," Kael said. Everyone froze. "The eastern chambers are too close to the outer walls. Give her the Moon Tower." Seraphine stared at him. "The Moon Tower has been sealed for centuries." "Then unseal it." "Kael, that tower—" "Is where she will stay." His voice left no room for argument. Seraphine lowered her eyes. "Of course." A servant led me through the palace. We passed galleries filled with portraits of dead kings, rooms lined with ancient weapons, and corridors where the walls glowed with moving symbols. Everywhere I went, people stared. Some bowed. Others whispered. One elderly servant dropped a tray when she saw me. "Your Majesty," she murmured. I turned. "Please, I'm not—" She was already kneeling. "Forgive us, Your Majesty. We thought you were gone forever." I looked at the guard beside me. "What does she mean?" He avoided my eyes. "People here remember the old queen." "Who was she?" The guard's face became unreadable. "You should ask the king." Everyone seemed determined to tell me nothing. The Moon Tower stood apart from the main palace, connected by a narrow bridge of silver stone. Its windows overlooked a lake so dark that it reflected no stars. Inside, I found a bedroom larger than the entire orphanage dormitory. A massive bed stood beneath a canopy of white silk. Books lined the walls, and a balcony overlooked the distant mountains. On a table rested a silver dress and a small box. The servant bowed. "The king requests that you rest. He will meet you at breakfast." "Wait." She paused. "Why does everyone keep calling me Your Majesty?" The woman looked toward the door. Then she leaned closer. "Because, my lady, the last woman who wore that mark was the only queen this kingdom ever truly loved." Before I could ask another question, she hurried away. I opened the silver box. Inside lay a necklace with a crescent moon pendant. The moment I touched it, a woman's voice whispered through the room. My little star. I dropped the necklace. The voice came again. When the fire returns, trust the one who remembers your first breath. Then the room went dark. For a single heartbeat, I saw another place. A woman with silver hair stood before a burning throne. A baby cried in her arms. A man in black armor knelt before her, his face hidden behind a mask. And behind them, a dragon made of golden fire opened its wings. The vision shattered. I fell to my knees, gasping. When the light returned, the necklace lay on the floor. But the pendant was no longer silver. It had turned gold. And engraved on its surface were four words. THE KING MUST DIE. --- CHAPTER FIVE: A BREAKFAST WITH THE DEVIL I decided three things before breakfast. First, I would not wear the silver dress. Second, I would not touch the mysterious necklace again. Third, if the Dragon King expected me to behave like a frightened little girl, he was about to be disappointed. I chose a simple black gown from the wardrobe and braided my hair over one shoulder. The palace servants seemed horrified by my choice. "Your Majesty, the royal breakfast is a formal occasion," one protested. "Then the royal breakfast will have to survive a black dress." I left before she could argue. The dining hall was enormous, with a ceiling painted to resemble the night sky. A long table stretched between marble pillars, and enchanted candles floated above silver plates. Kael sat at the head of the table. Seraphine sat to his right. A man with white hair and a face full of scars occupied the seat to his left. He wore a black uniform decorated with silver medals. When I entered, every conversation stopped. Kael rose. I hated that I noticed how handsome he looked in the morning light. His dark hair was tied at the back of his neck, and his black shirt was open at the collar. A faint golden mark rested at the base of his throat. The same mark that had appeared on my palm. "Good morning," he said. "Is it?" His mouth twitched. "That depends on whether you intend to argue with me before or after breakfast." "Before, obviously." The scarred man coughed into his hand. Seraphine looked as if she might faint. Kael pulled out the chair beside him. "Sit." "I can choose my own chair." "Of course." He returned to his seat. I sat at the opposite end of the table. For several seconds, nobody spoke. Then the scarred man leaned forward. "So this is the girl who woke the First Flame." I looked at him. "And you are?" "Lord Darius Vane. Commander of the royal guard." "Do you always speak about people as though they aren't in the room?" His eyebrows rose. Kael lowered his gaze to his plate, hiding what might have been amusement. Darius looked offended. "I was merely stating a fact." "Then perhaps you should learn to state facts politely." Seraphine made a small choking sound. Kael finally looked up. "Elara." "What?" "Eat your breakfast." I picked up a piece of bread. "Gladly." For a few minutes, the meal continued peacefully. Then Darius spoke again. "The council has requested an explanation for your presence here." "I am sure the council has many hobbies." "Elara," Kael warned. I took a sip of water. Darius's expression darkened. "The council believes your arrival may threaten the stability of the kingdom." "Then the council should try being less dramatic." "They also question whether you are truly the Dragon King's mate." The words landed heavily. I looked at Kael. He had become perfectly still. Seraphine placed her cup on the table. "Darius, perhaps this discussion should wait." "Why? If the girl is truly the lost queen, the kingdom deserves to know." I felt the mark beneath my collarbone grow warm. "The lost queen?" I repeated. Nobody answered. I turned to Kael. "What exactly happened to the previous queen?" His expression became unreadable. "She died." "How?" "That is enough." "No, it isn't." His golden eyes met mine. For a moment, I saw something terrible behind them. Pain. Regret. And a guilt so deep that it frightened me more than his anger ever could. "She died because I failed her," he said quietly. The entire room fell silent. Then Seraphine stood. "Your Majesty, the council is waiting." Kael did not look at her. "Let them wait." Darius rose instead. "As you command." He bowed and left. Seraphine followed, but not before giving me a look I could not understand. When the doors closed, Kael leaned back in his chair. "You ask too many questions." "And you answer too few." "You are not ready for the truth." "That is what everyone keeps saying." "Because the truth will change everything." I placed my hands on the table. "My parents are dead. Strange people are trying to kill me. I can apparently create dragonfire with my bare hands. Everyone in this palace believes I am a queen, and a necklace in my bedroom says you must die." Kael stopped breathing. I watched his expression carefully. "You knew about the necklace." He stood so quickly that his chair scraped across the floor. "Where is it?" "In my room." "What did it show you?" I stared at him. "You knew it would show me something?" He moved toward the door. "Do not touch it again." "Kael!" He stopped. I had never used his name before. Slowly, he turned. "Did you kill the previous queen?" I asked. For a long moment, he did not answer. Then he said, "No." I searched his face. "Are you lying?" His expression hardened. "I have lied about many things, Elara. That is not one of them." He left before I could ask another question. I remained at the table, staring at table