The Dragon Maiden

Chapter Thirty-Six

Valora

Over the next couple of days, I was able to resume my duties, though I still tried to keep a distance between myself and Dracul, much to his obvious chagrin. I kept busy with the other Maidens, helping prepare for the victory banquet, and that luckily kept me away from the High Dragon Lord for most of the day. All the dragons I came across bowed to me, the sudden change was so jarring that I always checked behind myself to ensure there was not someone more important that they actually bowed to. I asked Alonsa about it, but if she knew the reason, she did not tell me.

The night before the banquet, Dracul managed to corner me alone after everyone had trailed off to bed after finishing preparations for the festivities. I had insisted on staying awake to prepare the final touches on each of the tables.

“Lora, we need to talk,” he said, using my nickname now that no one was around.

I said nothing as I continued to arrange the centerpieces—vases filled with navy and teal flowers to represent Dracul and Fangburn.

“Valora, please stop and look at me.”

I stopped and stood still, looking at his face, which was filled with sadness. His human face showed more emotion than his dragon face did, and right now, I wished he was in his latter form so I would not feel the prickles of guilt.

“What happened?” he asked. “When I left, we were so close and now… I don’t understand what’s going on.”

I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat. I could hear the pain in his voice and knowing that I was the cause was not easy. Once more, turmoil filled me at the feelings I felt for Dracul. I should not be feeling these things towards someone whose actions orchestrated the death of my parents and my suffering.

I bit my lip, trying to will away the tears that threatened to fall.

“Did Borthen do something to you?” he asked, taking a step closer to me. “You can tell me whatever is bothering you. You’re just so… far away these days. Like you’re purposefully distancing yourself.”

“And if I am?” I asked, my voice choked with tears.

“I want to know why, Lora,” he said, holding his hands out towards me, pleading with me. “I want you to tell me what happened or what I did wrong so I can try and fix it. But if you leave me in the dark, there’s nothing I can do.”

I shook my head at his words.

“I told you before that I would wait until you’re ready to tell me,” he said.

Tears began to pour down my cheeks as he reminded me of how sweet he had been all those months ago. Before any of this had been brought to light.

“And I will wait for you again.” His voice broke slightly as he wiped away a tear. “I just want you to look at me the way you did before.”

“How do I look at you now?” I asked.

“You avoid me,” he said quietly. “If I enter a room, you practically flee. And if you do happen to glance my way, your eyes are cold. Never before have I felt this distance, this coldness from you. Even when you were first brought here, your anger was red hot.”

I hugged myself, trying to ignore the agony ripping through my chest. “I can’t talk about it,” I said. “Not now, maybe not ever.”

“Just promise me that if you are ready to talk about, you won’t hesitate to come to me,” he begged.

I nodded before leaving the room, no longer able to hold in my emotions and unable to see him in such pain. I ran to the Dragon Maiden cavern and threw myself on my bed, sobbing into my pillow. After a couple moments, I felt someone rubbing my back, whispering words of comfort.

“This will pass,” Alonsa said, rubbing circles on my back. “Everything will be fine, you’ll see.”

That night as I fell asleep, I recalled Kessland’s prophecy to me, that the road would be difficult, but I should like the ending. I wondered now if this was what they had meant, that this discovery would be difficult to process, but that eventually, I would be able to forgive Dracul. The thought gave me a little comfort, enough for me to fall asleep without much issue.

* * *

At the banquet the next day, everyone was in good spirits. I sat a few tables away from Dracul with the other Maidens. He had Lord Fangburn and the other Lords sitting at his side instead. I was not sure if he did not want me to sit next to him or if he was giving me the space that I had obviously been wanting. Either way, I still noticed his subtle glances at me, his gaze setting me ablaze.

When the banquet was well underway, Dracul stood, lifting his goblet for a toast. Everyone quieted, waiting to hear what he had to say. “I thank you all for attending,” he said. “In light of recent events, I think it is only fair that we drink in tribute to our fallen comrades. They were brave and honorable, everything a dragon should be.” He took a sip from his chalice, and everyone else followed. Then he lifted it again. “And I would like to toast to our victory against the Starfire clan. They were worthy opponents. For the part that he played in helping us defeat Borthen, I would like to place the Starfire clan under Lord Fangburn’s responsibility.”

There was shocked silence at the announcement before cheers rang out throughout the hall.

“That is unexpected,” Alonsa said quietly, loud enough for me to hear.

“Why?” I asked, turning to her.

“With both the Starfire and Twisturn clans under his control, Lord Fangburn has control over a majority of the dragon population,” she said.

Lord Fangburn stood and the cheers quieted down. “I would like all of my warriors to approach,” he said, coming to stand in front of the head table. When everyone was assembled, he bowed before Dracul and his fighters followed suit. “I, Lord Fangburn, of the Twisturn and Starfire clans, pledge my fealty and service to High Lord Dracul of the Shadowvale clan,” he said, bowing his head in submission. The dragons behind him repeated the same oath.

“Your Lord hears your oath and accepts it,” Dracul said, smiling. “Let us consecrate the pact in fire.”

Lord Fangburn stood and approached Dracul. They grasped each other’s arms and breathed fire at their joined fists. The flames turned a bright red, and cheers once again sounded around the room. It seemed as if their pact had been sealed. The other dragons approached Dracul and completed the same act, the red flame appearing each time.

“What does that mean?” I whispered to Alonsa as I watched what happened.

“If any of them goes against his oath, his life will be forfeit. He will die,” she said. “Something in the draconic magic makes this binding.”

“Now we have one more piece of business to attend to,” Dracul said. He gestured to someone in the back of the room. “We have a traitor in our midst who must be punished.”

Silence filled the room as Vimery was dragged to the front. The other Maidens gasped in horror. The fallen Dragon Maiden looked ghastly. She had not been treated well this past month. Her face and hair were dirty, her clothes ripped and stained. She looked at the floor as she was brought before the Dragon Lords.

“Vimery Cottonthrall,” Dracul said, his voice filling the room. “You have been found guilty of leaking Shadowvale secrets to our known enemy. You have betrayed the clan, your fellow Maidens, and most importantly, your Lord. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

From my vantage point, I could see that Vimery trembled, tears falling down her face, leaving tracks in the dirt that had gathered there. She looked at the ground and silently shook her head.

“Since you forfeit that right, your Lord will now deal with you,” Dracul said, sitting down and motioning for Lord Firenze.

Lord Firenze stood to his full height and walked to stand in front of Vimery. He leaned close and whispered a few words to her. She began to sob, her cries echoing throughout the cavern. A quick glance at the other Maidens and I could see tears in their eyes. She spoke a few quiet words to him, but not loud enough for anyone to hear.

With a nod, Lord Firenze took a step away from her. “Your punishment is death,” he said.

Alonsa gasped, holding her hands to her mouth in horror.

In one quick breath, Lord Firenze let out a blast of fire, and I flinched at the heat. Vimery opened her mouth in a quiet scream before falling to the ground. It seemed that as a final act of mercy, Lord Firenze had made her death as quick and painless as possible. When she was reduced to a pile of ash, he stopped before bowing his head and walking back to the table.

A couple servants came forward and took Vimery’s remains away. Gwen and Hyacinth were trying to hold back sobs, and I made eye contact with Dracul. He stared at me, a stony expression on his face. From the look in his eyes, I could tell that he had wanted her to suffer a more painful death, but accepted Lord Firenze’s way of ending things.

“I thought a Maiden couldn’t be harmed by her Lord’s fire?” I asked Alonsa, handing her a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

Gratefully, she took it and dabbed at her face. “Unless she has betrayed her Lord, then that is the case,” she said. “But once Lord Firenze declared her a traitor, he had the power to kill her with fire. It is also better for the Lord if he’s the one to kill his Maiden. The pain he feels is significantly lessened.”

I sat back in my seat, nodding slowly. The stipulation made sense—if a Maiden betrayed her Lord, that was unforgivable. To my surprise, I felt a twinge of sadness for Vimery, that she had been driven by her hatred of me to betray the clan and Lord Firenze. From what Borthen had said and what Dracul had revealed after her interrogation, she had spilled Shadowvale clan secrets and helped orchestrate my capture to get me out of the way. She had not even cared if she endangered Dracul in the process.

The room slowly returned to its usual buzz of conversation. Music and laughter filled the air, but the other Maidens and I stayed in our seats, a somber air around our table. At least the dragons seemed to be enjoying themselves. Unlike the last banquet, the Lords did not approach us for dancing, knowing how devastated the other Maidens were at Vimery’s loss. A few times, Dracul and I made eye contact, but every time, I was the one to break it first.

* * *

After an hour or so, I noticed five odd figures on the outskirts of the crowd, slowly making their way towards our table. They wore cloaks and covered their faces so it was impossible to see if they were dragon or human. When they were mere feet away, all drew swords, aiming them at us. Once more, immediate silence descended on the hall. In my peripheral vision, I could see Bethany clutching to Alonsa, beginning to sob softly. Gwen and Hyacinth looked pale, but remained still. I waited, too, examining what I could of the figures. One of them had a familiar air about them.

Dracul stood, his chair scraping against the ground. I glanced at him briefly, but his eyes were trained on the interloper closest to me. “Who are you? What do you want?” he growled, starting to move closer to us.

“I received an interesting message about your newest Maiden,” the one closest to me said, the clear leader of the group. “And I needed to investigate.” He removed his hood, and I cried out in recognition. “Hello, Valora,” he said, looking at me, lowering his sword. Ronan now had a new scar across his cheek and his black hair was shorn short. The biggest change was within his brown eyes—rather than the smiling, kind Ronan I once knew, this one was calloused.

“Ronan!” I rushed towards him, enveloping him in a hug. I could hear murmurs in the background, but paid them no mind. “I haven’t seen you in so long. So much has happened.”

“That’s what it sounds like,” he said, his arms tightening around me. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect you from being taken by these monsters.” I could hear the hatred filling his voice.

I pulled away from him. He needed to know about what happened. “Becoming a Dragon Maiden isn’t all that happened,” I said hesitantly. “There’s so much I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” His dark brows furrowed in concern, his eyes darting to glare at Dracul.

“A year after you left, men came,” I explained, my voice shaking. “They ransacked the house and… and killed Mother and Father. They’re gone, Ronan.”

He nodded silently, seemingly unsurprised.

My blood ran cold. “Wait. Did… did you know about this?”

“I did,” he confirmed.

A gasp escaped me, and I stepped away from him, my mouth open in horror.

“But there was nothing to be done. By the time I had heard what happened, it was too late.”

“And you didn’t think to come looking for me?” I whispered, betrayal creeping into my voice.

In my peripheral vision, I could see Dracul shifting. It seemed the visitors were quickly beginning to wear out their short stay.

“I looked everywhere for you. I was following you.”

“It was too dangerous,” Ronan explained. “I couldn’t come back.”

His eyes showed the pain he felt, but he looked very different from the brother I used to know. With a chill, I realized I did not know him at all. The past years had changed both of us drastically. Anger filled me. His actions had had consequences.

“You don’t understand—”

I slapped him, the sound ringing through the cavern, interrupting his excuses.

He held his reddening cheek in shock.

“I know very well what you did,” I hissed. “Borthen told me everything .”

His mouth dropped open in shock, and I could sense Dracul moving.

“But the consequences of your actions were a price you didn’t even consider. You stayed with him. You knew how he was! How he would punish you for your crimes! Our parents were killed because of you ,” I spat out.

He took a step back from me, away from my anger.

“I was forced to watch, and then they turned on me, Ronan! Do you understand that? They cut me and cut me and cut me until they grew tired and left me for dead. I was left in the house with our dead parents, slowly bleeding to death while they set the house on fire.” I pulled up my sleeves to reveal the scars, my voice rising in both volume and pitch. “And you weren’t there! You promised you would always be there to protect me, Ronan, and you weren’t.” A tear slipped down my cheek.

“I’m sorry, I truly am,” he said, taking a step towards me.

I backed away, shaking my head. “Your apology means nothing,” I said. “I thought I wanted to see you to get answers and have you rescue me. But everything you’ve done has turned you into a complete stranger, a monster. The Ronan I knew would never have betrayed his family like this.”

Ronan let out a hollow laugh. “You don’t think they are the monsters?” he asked, pointing at Dracul, whose eyes had grown wide. “ He’s the one who commissioned me to steal the ring in the first place! And when I found out that you would be attacked, I rushed to him asking for help, but he refused, he sent me away! So I ask you, dear sister, who is the monster now?”

Dracul stepped forward. “I think we should take this discussion somewhere private,” he said, glancing around the room.

At this point, I realized that the entire banquet hall had heard everything, their eyes glued to Ronan and I. My face flushed as I brushed past my brother, leaving the hall. Footsteps sounded after me and I knew Dracul and Ronan had followed. The banquet room remained quiet for several moments before the chatter of whispers began to rise.

I led the way to Dracul’s cavern and sat on the couch, crossing my arms as the men came to stand in front of me. They both stared at me, refusing to look at each other, trying to judge my current emotions.

“Well?” I asked after several moments when neither said anything. “What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Both flinched at my venom.

“You don’t seem shocked to know that Lord Dracul hired me,” Ronan said, tilting his head at the unspoken question.

“Borthen told me that,” I said in a clipped tone.

Dracul’s face paled and his eyes widened. “Is that why you’ve been so distant?” he asked, his gaze clearing as if everything made sense now.

“ I’m the one asking questions here,” I said, giving him a scathing look. He at least had the decency to look ashamed. “Now, I know the ring gives you the power of a Lord who has a Maiden without actually having one. Was staying alone this whole time really worth everything that has come after?”

Dracul looked at me, his eyes pleading with me to understand. “I was unable to take the title of High Dragon Lord without a Maiden,” he said. “Lying and saying I had the ring was the best way to move forward. Any delay in the process and Borthen could have easily gained support for becoming High Dragon Lord himself. And then when I found out he actually had found the ring, I knew there was no time to waste. I needed to have it in my possession.”

“Then what was the point of appointing me as your Dragon Maiden?” I asked.

He came and knelt in front of me, reminding me of that time so long ago when he consoled my worries about the Dragon Maiden ceremony. “You mean so much to me, Valora, more than words can express,” he said softly.

My breath caught in my throat. The tenderness in his expression and the heat from his eyes weakened my resolve, and I could feel myself leaning towards him.

Gently, he took my hands in his. “Ever since you came here, I’ve felt a connection to you, something I never even hoped to experience. I hope you know me well enough by now to know that I keep my word and that when I say that I never meant to hurt you, I mean it.”

“I… I…” I wanted to say I did not believe him, the words were on the tip of my tongue, but they just would not come out.

Dracul’s expression turned intense, heat rolling off him. In a fluid movement, he leaned forward, capturing my lips with his. There was an urgency yet softness to his kiss as he gently pulled me towards him, his arms circling my waist. After the initial shock, I could feel my body yielding to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. The heat that I felt so often around him flared up into a blaze. Now my feelings were staring me in the face and I could no longer ignore them. I had fallen in love with the High Dragon Lord and it seemed he harbored the same feelings for me. The thought made me giddy and lightheaded.

After a few moments, he pulled away, his chest rising and falling rapidly. It seemed the kiss affected him as much as it did me. I could tell my cheeks were flushed.

“I’m sorry,” he said, putting a hand to his head.

Mischievousness rose up within me. “Why?” I asked. “Because you stopped?”

His eyes darkened with lust as he tried to hold back a grin. “For getting carried away,” he said. “Now was not the right moment.” From his uncertain expression, I could tell he was nervous about how I interpreted his actions.

I grabbed the lapel of his robes, pulling him towards me, crushing our lips together. I could feel him stiffen in surprise before his body loosened and he dragged a hand through my hair. The feeling was exquisite.

Eventually, I pulled away, my eyes searching his face. “Well?” I asked when it did not seem like he would say anything.

Dracul rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. “I wasn’t expecting that,” he admitted. “Though I am doing my best to hold back right now, I don’t think your brother appreciates the display. Not to mention, we still have topics to discuss.”

I looked to Ronan, having completely forgotten about him, a stricken expression on my face.

He stared at both of us in shock before shaking his head. “I suppose if you can forgive him enough to kiss him, then I guess I don’t have much to say,” he said at last.

“Really?” I asked, sensing that right now, this was as close to getting his blessing as I could get.

He shrugged. “I guess so.”

My questions from earlier came flooding back. “I have more questions for you,” I said, and Ronan’s expression dropped. “Why did you leave all those years ago? I heard part of the fight that day. I know that’s part of the reason. But I just don’t understand why.”

He visibly swallowed and I could see that it was hard for him to tell me what happened. “Father and I fought and we both said things that we shouldn’t have. He basically said that it would be best if I left. It was hard for me to leave, but I knew he was right, that I should set off on my own. I was getting tired of being cooped up and never being allowed to go anywhere. After I left, I got mixed in with bad people. The only way to leave was to join a group that worked for Lord Dracul. He sent us to retrieve the ring and we infiltrated as Borthen’s servants. When we disappeared right after it was stolen, it wasn’t hard to figure out that it was us. In retaliation, they sent people after our families. The other guys have no one left now. By the time I found out, it was too late, there was nothing I could do.” His eyes took on a tortured look and I went to him, giving him a hug. “I never meant for it all to happen,” he whispered. “But it did, and I have no one to blame but myself.”

“Ronan, I…” I took a deep breath, trying to wrap my mind around everything. “When you left, I could not understand why, and when the men came, I blamed you for a long time. I searched for you, trying to dredge up every ounce of information I could about where you were, to find you and ask what happened. It was difficult, having to live on my own, figure out everything by myself.” I pulled away from him, unable to meet his eyes. “I could only get Father’s book of stories and Mother’s brooch out. I had to leave everything else behind.” Tears spilled as the memories I thought I had conquered came rushing forward.

“I’m sorry.”

“It was horrible,” I choked out, needing to tell him. “The smoke grew so thick that I couldn’t breathe, but I managed to get out through the back door. They had left right after setting the house on fire, thinking I was too injured to move. They wanted me to suffocate and burn to death—they laughed after they left.”

Dracul came up behind me, wrapping me in his arms. I leaned into his embrace and closed my eyes, trying to ground myself in this moment.

“I’m sorry, Lora,” Dracul murmured. “I should have sent people to protect you. But at the time, I didn’t see the point in…” He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

“In protecting a useless human family that you didn’t know?” I, on the other hand, had no such qualms. “I understand your reasoning. You had gotten what you wanted. We didn’t matter.”

He buried his face in the crook of my neck, breathing deeply. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice muffled. “I would do anything to go back and redo that moment.”

“Even if it meant we never would have met?” I asked softly.

Dracul let out a snort. “I don’t know if I would go that far,” he said. He turned me to face him, his expression solemn. “Although there is one thing I need to tell you, Valora.”

My heart stopped at how serious he seemed. He’d used my full name. “Another secret to share?” I asked.

“I wish there was a better way to tell you. I had a whole plan, but the timing just hasn’t lined up,” he said, shifting slightly from foot to foot. “But my feelings for you? You’re my dragaria .”

Ronan gasped at his words, and I nodded, having felt it deep within me. Since returning, Borthen’s explanation had stuck with me and I realized that I had been most afraid of being wrong, that I was not Dracul’s dragaria and that my feelings were one-sided. But now, knowing that he felt the same way for me, it was impossible to ignore.

“Do you know what a dragaria is?” Dracul asked.

“Borthen said that it means I’m your mate,” I said.

“And… how do you feel about that?” Dracul was hesitant. I could tell he was nervous about my answer.

“Well, how much of our feelings has to do with that bond rather than our own true feelings?” I asked.

A smile slowly crossed over his face when he heard my question. “‘Our’ feelings?” he asked. “You feel the same way?”

“Even if my arrival here wasn’t what I wanted at the time,” I said, “you have shown me such kindness. It would have been so difficult not to fall in love with you, Dracul. I’ve felt this pull to you, this connection, and I’ve tried to fight it.” My voice dropped. “I’ve tried to fight it for so long.”

“And why is that?” Dracul asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

“Because you’re the High Dragon Lord,” I whispered. “And I’m a human. I didn’t think something like that was allowed. I thought it was a foolish hope to have.”

“Valora, listen to me.” He put his hands on either side of my face, his eyes molten silver. “A dragaria is the most sacred bond in our society. To refuse or reject your dragaria is seen as a grave sin. While you being human may have… difficulties, once others find out you’re my dragaria , they’ll have no choice but to accept you. This isn’t something I take lightly, I want you to know that.”

“But how do I know you really care for me and not just because of this dragaria bond?” I asked.

Dracul came forward and kissed my head. “Lora, I think even without the bond, I would have fallen for you,” he said. “You are so full of spirit and somehow always manage to surprise me.”

Tears filled my eyes as I embraced him, holding him tightly to me. I could hear the rhythmic thumping of his heart, and my chest felt like it would burst. His arms wrapped around my upper body and he patted my head, smoothing my hair.

“So what happens next?” I ask.

“Next, we officially introduce you to the clans as my dragaria ,” he said. “Although those who fought alongside me against Borthen all know.”

“What?” I pulled back from him, my voice rising in pitch. “What do you mean?”

Dracul rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I might have accidentally let it slip rather loudly when Lord Fangburn said that you being captured wasn’t a big deal. I pummeled him pretty good.”

“And he wasn’t mad?” I asked.

“I told you, a dragaria is one of our most sacred bonds,” he said. “More than anything, everyone was happy that I found my mate.”

Something finally clicked in my mind. “Is that why everyone has been bowing to me since we returned?” I asked.

He let out a chuckle. “Yes, I would imagine that would be why,” he said.

“If you are Lord Dracul’s dragaria ,” Ronan said, “then I guess I have no choice but to give you my blessing. That’s a lifelong bond.”

“But Dracul’s still going to outlive me,” I pointed out. “Being a Dragon Maiden elongates my life, but nowhere near the lifespan of a dragon.”

“Lord Hiram has been doing research,” Dracul said. “He has found in cases where a dragon has had an exceptionally long life, their dragaria has lived a similar lifespan as well. I don’t know how it works, but I would assume it may work the same for you.” He pulled me to him. “In any case,” he said, resting his head on top of mine, “that is not something we need to worry about for a long, long time.”