The Dragon King's Blind Mate

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The heavy silence in the bedchamber was broken only by the sound of Xalvador’s ragged breathing. He stared down at Lyra’s trembling form, his mind reeling as the fog of lust completely cleared. The sight of her silent tears felt like a physical blow to his chest. Slowly, almost as if he were afraid his touch would break her entirely, Xalvador pulled his hands away. He slid off the mattress, the ancient bracelet on his wrist catching the golden morning light.

"Mina!" Xalvador roared toward the door, his deep voice carrying a tense, vibrating edge. "Get in here. Now!"

The door flew open almost instantly. Mina hurried into the room, her head bowed low, but she couldn't help the small gasp that escaped her lips when she saw the state of the room. Lyra lay perfectly still under the sheets, her shoulders shaking, while the King stood by the edge of the bed, his dark expression unreadable.

"Get her dressed," Xalvador commanded coldly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And do it quickly."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Mina whispered, rushing to the wardrobe to fetch a fresh gown.

Xalvador didn't leave the room. He stood at a distance, his piercing eyes tracking every small movement as Mina gently helped Lyra sit up and slid a soft, long-sleeved silk dress over her head. As Mina pulled the sleeves down, the fabric caught slightly, exposing Lyra’s inner forearms.

Xalvador’s eyes narrowed. "Stop."

Mina froze, her hands hovering in the air.

"What is that on her arms?" Xalvador stepped closer, his boots clicking heavily against the floorboards. He reached down and gripped Lyra’s wrist, lifting her arm to inspect the skin. The angry, irritated red patches from the previous days were still there, stark against her pale skin. "Why hasn't this healed yet?"

"I applied it last night, and every other night, just as ordered.", Sire," Mina explained quickly, her voice trembling.

Xalvador turned his gaze to Mina, his posture returning to that of the absolute monarch. "See to it that she is comfortable. She should be rewarded with gold as compensation for today’s... disturbance. Ensure the treasury delivers it to her quarters by midday."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Mina bowed.

With one last look at his silent mate, Xalvador turned on his heel and strode out of the chambers, the heavy oak doors slamming shut behind him.

The moment the lock clicked, a terrifying shift occurred. Lyra’s sightless eyes snapped wide open. She didn't cry. Instead, she reached out, her fingers digging violently into the thick silk sheets, clutching the fabric in a white-knuckled rage. Her chest heaved with a volatile, burning fury.

Mina stared at Lyra, her eyes wide with mounting worry. She stepped back a fraction, genuinely wondering why Lyra felt so entirely different. The soft, gentle girl she had been taking care of seemed to have vanished into thin air. "My lady...? Are you alright? The King’s gold will arrive soon, perhaps—"

"Gold?" Lyra spat the word out, her voice dripping with a bitter venom that shocked the maid. "He thinks gold fixes this? He thinks he can buy my silence after treating me like an animal?"

"Lady Lyra, please, keep your voice down," Mina begged, looking toward the door. "The guards outside—"

"I don't care about the guards!" Lyra shouted, her hands tightening even further into the sheets, tearing at the threads. She was angry but most importantly, deep down in her heart, she didn't truly know why she was this angry. The rage felt foreign, heavy, and completely consuming, like a dark entity clawing at her sanity from the inside.

Before Mina could say another word, the heavy doors opened once more.

"Lyra! I came as soon as I heard the King left!"

It was Vivian. She glided into the room, her bright, silk skirts rustling against the floor. But just in a single second, the moment Vivian's footsteps crossed the threshold, Lyra’s angry, contorted face completely changed. The rage vanished from her features, replaced instantly by a warm, beaming smile.

"Vivian!" Lyra called out, her voice perfectly sweet and cheerful. "You're here. Come sit by me."

Mina stared at her mistress, her jaw dropping slightly. She looked at Lyra like the girl was completely losing her mind. The whiplash between the terrifying rage and the sudden, bubbly joy was unnatural.

Vivian walked over to the bed, her dark eyes flicking to Mina, who was still standing there frozen in shock. Vivian’s smile turned sharp and commanding. "Mina, leave us. I want to talk to Lyra alone."

Mina hesitated, her loyalty keeping her rooted to the spot. "But Lady Vivian, the King ordered me to stay by her side and ensure—"

"Out."

The single word cut through the room like a shard of ice. It didn't come from Vivian. It came from Lyra.

Mina gasped softly, looking down at Lyra. The blind girl was still smiling sweetly, but her head was tilted toward the maid, her posture demanding absolute obedience. Mina’s heart raced. She quickly bowed her head, backing away toward the exit. "Yes, my lady. I will be just outside."

The door shut softly, leaving the two women alone.

Vivian sat on the edge of the mattress, taking Lyra’s hand into her own. "Oh, you poor thing. I saw Xalvador leaving. He looked absolutely furious. Did he hurt you?"

"He was... intense," Lyra said softly, her smile faltering just a bit before returning. "But tell me about something else, Vivian. Please. Tell me about the mortal world today. I need to hear about something normal."

"Of course, sweet girl," Vivian chuckled, a light, melodic sound. "The mortal world is so different from this dreary court. The sun actually shines there, you know? The fields are green, and the people aren't constantly hiding in the shadows of a monarch. They have festivals, and music, and markets filled with beautiful silks. It's a place where you can actually breathe."

Lyra listened intently, her chest aching with a profound sense of longing. "It sounds beautiful. I wish I could see it."

Vivian’s eyes darkened with a cold, calculating light as she stared at Lyra’s face. She leaned in a little closer, her voice dropping to a smooth, curious purr. "Speaking of seeing... I’ve been meaning to ask you, Lyra. Your eyes. Were you always unable to see, or did something happen to you?"

"I was born with it," Lyra answered simply, her fingers tracing the hem of her blanket. "I've never known anything else but the dark. My mother told me the gods simply chose a different path for my senses."

"Born with it," Vivian repeated, a strange, knowing smile stretching across her face. "How tragic. To live your whole life in the dark, only to end up in a place like this." She squeezed Lyra’s hand one last time before standing up. "Well, I should leave you to rest. The day is getting late, and you need your strength."

"Thank you for coming, Vivian," Lyra said warmly. "You're the only peace I have here."

"I know," Vivian whispered, her voice carrying a chilling secondary echo as she glided out of the room. "Sleep well, Lyra."

---

Soon, the long hours passed, and the heavy mantle of night fell over the Court of Shadows once again. The castle was deathly quiet when Mina returned to the chambers, holding a fresh nightgown and a basin of water to prepare Lyra for bed.

Lyra stood silently by the vanity, her arms held out as Mina carefully unbuttoned the back of her day dress.

As Mina slid the sleeves down Lyra's arms to swap the gowns, the maid suddenly froze. She dropped the nightgown onto the chair, her eyes widening in sheer horror as she stared at Lyra’s inner forearms.

The angry red patches from the morning were no longer red. They had rapidly darkened, turning a deep, bruised, and almost pitch-black color beneath the skin. The dark lines looked remarkably similar to the corrupted veins that flared in Xalvador’s eyes.

"My lady..." Mina breathed, her voice shaking violently as she reached out to touch the edge of the discoloration. "Your arms. The red... it's darkening. It looks almost black. We need to call the royal healers back immediately. This isn't a normal rash."

Lyra abruptly yanked her arms away from Mina’s grasp, pulling her sleeves back down to cover the black marks. Her expression hardened into a cold, defensive mask as she brushed it off carelessly. "It’s nothing, Mina. It’s just the medicine drying out the skin. Leave it alone."

"But my lady, it’s not just dry!" Mina insisted, tears of anxiety welling in her eyes as she stepped forward, reaching for Lyra’s hands again.

"I said leave it alone!" Lyra shouted, her voice booming through the quiet room.

Mina recoiled as if she had been slapped, her breath catching in her throat. She stared at the blind girl in absolute silence. Lyra had never raised her voice before—not once since she had arrived at the palace. She had always been patient, soft-spoken, and infinitely kind.

Lyra stood panting in the center of the room, her sightless eyes glaring into the empty space, her chest heaving with that same dark, unexplainable fury.

"Just finish dressing me," Lyra commanded, her voice dropping back to a dangerously low, freezing whisper. "And do not speak of this again."