The Dragon King's Bride

The Wedding Ceremony

Although the wedding had been arranged at the last minute, the courtyard where the ceremony was to take place had been beautifully decorated with thousands of white flowers and long white silk ribbons.

As it would soon be nightfall, hundreds of candles and torches lined the area, including the aisle where Lillian would eventually walk down to meet her future husband.

The warm flames flickered brightly as the sun had already begun to set far off in the distance, behind the massive mountains.

The King had organised for his best musicians to play for the ceremony, their wind instruments prepared and each musician sitting patiently, ready to begin the first song when instructed.

Greggory wanted to keep the music light for the initial ceremony, then a little more ravenous for the remainder of the evening at the great feast he had also organised to follow immediately afterwards.

The castle’s most luxurious chambers had been prepared for the happy couple to spend their first night as man and wife; Greggory had also instructed that red rose petals be scattered across the floor and over the large bed that the two would share.

His best wine sat on ice and the large indoor heated pool had been cleaned beforehand in preparation.

Given the fact that he had very little time to organise all of this, he had done quite well for himself.

Below the great balcony the good people of Rykiss had gathered, torches in hand and waiting to hear the important news their King was scheduled to announce at sundown.

News of a sudden marriage. Rumour had spread throughout the Kingdom of this possible wedding but details of who the groom was were somehow left out and there was much interest in the townsfolk as they stood patiently waiting as the sky faded off into darkness.

An elderly Minister with white hair and a tall cone-shaped white hat stood at the end of the aisle on a large podium, waiting for the happy couple he would join in holy matrimony before the few guests allowed at the last-minute ceremony.

With such a powerful groom being present, the guests had been limited to those he knew and trusted, including Lillian’s parents, of course.

The air suddenly filled with the whimsical sounds of wind instruments as the signal was given for the ceremony to begin.

Several soldiers dressed in black and gold armour marched down the aisle, leading their King down to the podium where he stepped up and stood before the minister, who seemed to cower before such a ferocious looking figure.

King Draxus had apparently made the effort to bathe and dress in a slightly less terrifying outfit than the one he had arrived at Castle Woodsend in, earlier this morning.

Instead he wore a long black armoured suit, laced with gold trimming and his trademark long black smoky-looking cloak flying along behind him as he walked.

Many were mesmerized by the way the long cloak moved about, as if by magic in a way that only thick, black smoke could.

No one had ever seen anything quite like it before.

Draxus no longer wore his frightening helmet, this time choosing to reveal his true appearance to those few guests in attendance that evening.

It was a rare sight to view the Dragon King without his helmet.

He liked to keep his face hidden as much as possible with the threat of assassination always on the table wherever he went, especially when visiting other Kingdoms.

King Draxus had made many enemies over the years during his reign of conquering and preferred to keep his face well-hidden from view.

But tonight was different.

Tonight he would wed the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon.

Tonight he would make Lillian his Queen.

Once Draxus and all of his King’s Guards were settled in place, including his General and the tattooed man with the dirty blonde hair and neon green eyes, all eyes turned to the doorway where their Princess and bride-to-be would soon emerge from.

As the music once again started, the white silk curtains were pulled back revealing King Greggory arm in arm with his beautiful daughter, Princess Lillian.

The guests in attendance all seemed to become silent as soon as she was in sight; her radiance and beauty causing the world to pause for but a moment as she and her father began to make their way down the aisle together, slowly.

Lillian struggled to get a good enough look at the man she would soon call her husband.

She could hardly see anything through her vail and even from such a distance away, there were so many figures standing around him, it was hard to see what this Dragon King looked like.

She wondered if he would be hideous, perhaps scarred terribly and with a face that only a mother could love. Though she certainly hoped that were not the case.

Draxus felt his heart jump as he stood there, taking in all of her beauty and innocence as she continued to walk down the aisle toward him.

He couldn’t help it as his lips began to part and his breathing became much shallower.

His amber eyes were locked onto her, like a predator would watch its prey, and soon she would be his.

A slight smirk curved the corner of his mouth upward as he thought of all the things he would do with her later on tonight, when they were alone as man and wife.

Her gown fit her perfectly, accenting her body’s hourglass figure.

Those voluptuous breasts pinned down beneath mere silk and lace at the top of her gown.

Her long, silky legs which moved so gracefully, delicately even.

Draxus longed to have her legs wrapped around him.

He couldn’t get a good enough look at her face with the vail hiding it from view, but not for much longer.

Soon he would taste those rosy red lips for the first time.

The first of many.

His thoughts paused as he noticed they had finally reached the podium and King Greggory helped Lillian step up to stand before her intended husband and ideally, the most powerful and ruthless man in existence.

With a hesitant nod at Draxus, Greggory then turned to face Lillian and lifted her hand, kissing it gently with a smile.

“I’m so proud of you.” he whispered to her.

Returning his smile, Lillian felt her father leading her across the podium by her hand until she before him; the infamous Dragon King.

Having handed his only child over, King Greggory then turned and moved aside, allowing the ceremony to begin.

He struggled to keep his emotions at bay as the Minister opened his book.

By now Lillian’s heart was thumping loudly in her chest, so loudly that she thought her future husband may hear it for sure!

Even standing right before him, she could not force herself to look him in the eye, fear having enveloped her as she fought to stop her legs from visibly trembling.

His strange scent circled around her, entering her nostrils and causing her to feel slightly dizzy with something she had not yet felt before.

His scent was utterly intoxicating.

Her heart suddenly stopped entirely as he held out his hand for her to take.

She stood staring at it for a few seconds, then turning to her side and handing the bouquet of lilies to one of her handmaidens.

With a gulp she reached her hand out and hesitantly rested it inside of his. She felt as his long, warm fingers wrapped around her hand easily as the two then turned to face the elderly Minister for the ceremony to officially commence.

The Minister began his speech and the room fell silent.

“Kings, Queens, Ladies and Noblemen, special guests. We are gathered here this evening to take part in a truly auspicious event; the merging of two Kingdoms and of two great families, by joining King Draxus Rhys Krillian and Princess Lillian Rose Grace in the bonds of holy matrimony. Now... If anyone can think of a reason these two should not be joined by the bonds of holy matrimony, will they speak now, or for all eternity hold their peace...”

King Greggory already stood on the podium, off to one side with his Queen up there next to him.

The two held hands as Katherine suddenly squeezed his hand tightly, silently signalling her unease and need to say something to stop this.

He responded with a firm squeeze, as if to silently assure her that everything will be alright while the Minister proceeded with the speech.

Lillian seemed to drift off while the elderly man in front of her spoke formally to the guests gathered in the room with them.

Her thoughts were only of the man she was holding hands with, the man that seemed to tower over her in height and appearance.

Lillian's eyes darted sideways to take quick glances of him as she stood there beside him.

He was well-dressed, smelled magnificent and had a warm touch.

So far so good... right?

Perhaps she had been worried all this time for nothing.

Suddenly her mind was pulled back to the present as Draxus released his grip on her right hand and turned to face her.

She did the same, facing him as well.

Lillian watched as he reached out and grasped her left hand, then turning slightly to take something from a white silken pillow that was being held out towards him.

Peering through her vail, she tried to look up into his eyes but could not see them clearly enough as she heard him speaking for the very first time.

Surprisingly his voice was quite captivating, deep and huskier than she thought it would be, almost rumbling with each word spoken.

“I, King Draxus Rhys Krillian, first of my name and ruler of the Kingdom of Westoria take thee, Princess Lillian Rose Grace to be my wife and Queen. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, until death parts us.”

His head lowered as he carefully slid a delicate golden ring onto her ring finger.

Lillian watched as he did so; she couldn’t see the ring’s precise detail but from what she could see, it was made of gold with a fiery red ruby in the middle of it which glistened in the flame’s light.

It seemed fitting enough, having come from the Dragon King.

He continued to hold her hand afterwards.

“Princess, it’s now your turn.” the Minister said turning to focus on her.

This was the most terrifying moment she had ever experienced, but Lillian had been trained in grace and poise for many years and knew how to speak to an audience.

She had made many speeches in her time and forced her fear aside for the moment as she opened her mouth and spoke from beneath her vail.

“I... Princess Lillian Rose Grace... sole heir to the Kingdom of Rykiss take thee...”

She paused for a moment, causing a stir from everyone witnessing the event.

Her heart was thudding and she felt as if she may faint as her breathing increased.

This was quite possibly the worst time to have a panic attack.

Just as she was about to fall into her panicked state, a gentle squeeze came from the warm hand holding onto hers and she looked up through the vail to meet his gaze.

Was he trying to comfort her just now?

No, that wasn’t possible.

He was a ruthless tyrant; everyone knew that.

The gesture seemed enough to assist her with refocusing and she shook her nerves away to finish her statement aloud.

“I... Princess Lillian Rose Grace... sole heir to the Kingdom of Rykiss take thee, King Draxus Rhys Krillian... to be my husband and my King. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, until death parts us.”

Once she had finished a second pillow was moved up beside her and she turned, sighting the single ring sitting in the middle of it.

Reaching out she grasped it between her fingers and turned to face Draxus who was still standing patiently before her.

His amber eyes were now narrow as he watched her, as if waiting to see what she did next.

With a great breath to calm herself Lillian reached forward and grabbed his left hand, pulling it up quite harshly and forcing the ring onto his long ring finger, then releasing his hand and looking down in embarrassment.

Draxus gave a slight chuckle at this clear act of rebelliousness she had displayed; a brief sign of what was to come for sure.

“Excellent.” the Minister announced with a pleased smile as he clapped the book he held together.

“Now with your rings and your vows spoken, you have made the sacred promise to one another to remain by your partner’s side, throughout all endeavours life may throw at you. And so, in the name of our creator...”

He paused and Lillian watched as the Minister slowly pulled out a long white silk cloth with golden embroidery all over it.

She gasped in fright as Draxus suddenly took her by the left hand and the pair turned to face the crowd gathered before them, to be joined as a couple officially.

The Minister continued as he carefully wrapped the cloth around both of their wrists and loosely knotted it in the middle, joining them visually for all to see as he continued.

“...and by the powers vested in me as Holy Minister of the Crown, I name thee man and wife. King and Queen of Westoria. King Draxus, you may now kiss your bride.”

Lillian gasped, turning to face the minister quickly and then glancing up at her new husband as he appeared to grin while reaching down to grasp both sides of the vail covering her face.

She stood silently as he quickly lifted it up and threw it over the back of her head, the couple finally revealing their true appearances to one another; seeing each other for the first time up so close.

Her breath ceased for a moment as she looked up into those amber eyes of his, completely taken aback at how alluring they were to her.

He had a single scar across his left eyebrow but it actually made his look somewhat more intriguing to her.

In truth, Draxus hadn’t looked anything like she thought he would.

No sign of horrific scars, no spikes or scales, nothing but the dark and captivating expression of pure lust he carried for her.

He had long black hair which came down to just below his massive shoulders and a slight goatee of stubble coating his chin and upper lip.

At the same time Draxus stood in awe of just how radiant his new bride looked up close.

Now being able to see her face from underneath the vail his eyes moved from her bright green eyes down to those plump, moist lips of hers.

Draxus wasted little time obeying the Minister’s command, his hand quickly grabbing the back of her head and pulling her in towards him.

Their lips crashed together and Draxus instantly began devouring her as she stood with her eyes closed and in complete and utter shock.

After a second or two of their kiss, she seemed to loosen up a little more and her lips unintentionally parted, giving his tongue granted access to dive deep inside of her mouth.

Just when she was beginning to enjoy it and crave more, he pulled away and the kiss ceased, as if he had meant to tease her intentionally just now.

With red and raw lips she frowned at him as Draxus turned them to face the crowd, their arms still bound together by the ceremonial silk cloth.

“Come,” announced the Minister.

“Let us share this great news with the people of Rykiss!”

With those words the elderly man led the bound couple down from the podium and across an overarching corridor leading out onto the main balcony, where just below hundreds of people stood waiting patiently to hear the announcement they had been promised.

King Greggory was the first to appear on the balcony and the people clapped and cheered for their King; their saviour.

With a great smile, he waved his hands and nodded his head until the applause and cheering began to subside, allowing him to make his announcement.

“People of Rykiss. Our Kingdom has long lived with the threat of war upon our very doorstep. Too long have we lived in fear of the world outside our walls. As your King, I can proudly say that this will no longer be the case. I have exciting news to share with you regarding your beloved Princess, my daughter...”

He paused and turned with an outstretched arm, gesturing for the couple to step forward and reveal themselves to the crowd of onlookers below.

Upon realizing what he would have to do next, Draxus immediately turned toward his General, who quickly stepped up beside his King, bowing his head and then lifting Draxus’ great helmet up for him to take.

Although confused as to why Draxus felt the need to wear a helmet for their presentation as King and Queen, Lillian watched as he accepted the helmet and slid it up over his head with the one hand.

He then adjusted it so he could see out of the two dark holes at the front.

Then with a firm nod toward King Greggory, he and Lillian stepped up to the edge of the balcony and revealed themselves to the patient crowd of people.

As they came into view, Greggory continued his speech.

“I now present to you the very future of Rykiss; King Draxus and his wife, Queen Lillian. Three cheers for the happy couple!”

“HURRAH! HURRAH! HURRAH!” the crowd below roared.

Draxus lifted Lillian’s bound hand up with his into the air between them and the courtyard below suddenly filled with yet another thunderous roar of both cheering and clapping as their audience happily celebrated their former Princess’ union with King Draxus, now his loyal and faithful Queen.

Although she had been dead-set against this union to begin with, she had to admit there was some kind of appeal she held for him; something that continued to lure her in for more.

Yes he was by far extremely handsome in a dark and sensual way, but why was she having these strange feelings for a man she had only just met?

As excited as she was, she could still see the look on many of the faces down below as they spotted the frightening helmet Draxus wore and she knew that expression all too well; it was fear.

They feared him.

Her people actually feared her new husband.

Her thoughts were washed aside as a sudden and deafening shriek filled the air and all eyes turned to watch as the gigantic black creature swooped down, suddenly emerging from the thick grey clouds that were until now, shielding the mysterious creature from their view high up in the night sky.

It was a dragon!

A real live dragon!

The sound of its massive wings beating down against the air as it flew in large circles around the castle was all that could be heard as the entire crowd instantly went silent, stunned by the sighting of this majestic creature.

Absolutely terrified, Lillian gasped as she stepped back and unintentionally moved right into Draxus’ firm chest as she watched the incredible creature moving high above them.

Draxus’ free hand moved to rest casually on her hip as he too stood proudly watching his dragon soaring gracefully through the thick clouds in the night sky.

As she stood in a state of mixed fear and intrigue Lillian wondered to herself, what other surprises did her new husband have in store for her?

Little did she know, she would soon find out.