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Chapter 146 – Treasure – Ileana's POV
My status as royalty entitled me to live in beautiful palaces and castles all my life, however, none compared to the stunning structure facing me now. The sheer size of it was five times larger than any other castle I had ever seen. Maybe it made sense to have such immeasurable space—dragons did roam the halls.
Effervescence streaks of moonlight sparkled and refracted off of majestic spheres and turrets jutting into the sky, pinnacles of splendor, decadent and breathtaking. I took a moment to let it all sink in.
With elegance belying the expectation such a huge creature would be clumsy or cumbersome, Tavian swept through the air, his form sleek and graceful. He circled around to an exterior landing area on the far side of the castle. Within seconds, he touched down, releasing Loki from his claws at the same time. The big cat scrambled thirty feet away, spun around and glared, deep rumbles of dissatisfaction pouring from his chest.
Killian's wings beat the air one last time before coming to a nimble halt. He set me on my feet. We waited as Talon unwound his limbs from around Raine's body, releasing her from the strangle-hold he seemed to have kept during the flight. Talon slid down the dragon's back, so that he was standing on one powerful, scale-armored thigh of the beast, and reached his hands out toward Raine, beckoning her to him. She crawled to him slowly, her pain still evident in the bite of her lip and grimace of her face. When she reached him, Talon cradled her in his arms and jumped to the ground.
Talon tutted to Loki. The tiger quickly closed the distance between them, ready to be of service once again, but Raine resisted. She placed a hand on Talon's chest. "No, let me walk. I will not meet a king lying on the back of an animal."
Talon's mouth twisted, but he remained silent, setting her gently on her feet.
Once Tavian was unburdened of his cargo, he shifted back into his skin. Without a word, he strode toward two massive double doors guarded by several very large males. They looked at our group curiously, but did not speak, simply swinging the doors open at his approach for us to file through.
Once we were inside, the splendor continued. Every surface seemed to have a honey colored reflective shine, the stairs, moldings on the wall and the thirty foot ceiling, a pattern in the marble floor, even statues. I looked closer, studying the texture and drew in a sharp breath—it couldn't be!
It was all gilded in gold!
I tried not to gawk at the extravagance. Apparently, it was no myth that dragons loved treasure. They plastered it on everything they owned. My internal musings were interrupted by Tavian's voice, smooth and deep, "Wait here."
I pulled my attention away from the resplendence, to find him smirking at me. I flushed with embarrassment. Maybe my wide-eyed stare hadn't been so subtle. Pull yourself together, I chastised myself. I had been a Queen, for heaven's sake. Certainly, a little bit of—okay, maybe a hell of a lot of—grandeur shouldn't turn me into an ogling fool.
Tavian disappeared into a room and shut the door behind him. We stood in the wide hallway, silent, none finding the need to make conversation. After a few minutes, Tavian emerged, fully dressed. I exhaled in relief; I had grown tedious of the effort it took not to look at him.
His chest was smooth and bare. Black leather pants hung low on his waist, revealing the deep 'v' indention where abdomen met hips. Onyx armored plates, with dragons chiseled into the steel, covered his thick thighs and hips, leading down to black boots with more onyx plating.
A gold serpentine band twisted around his bulging bicep, gripping the muscle tightly, highlighting the sinewy corded veins beneath his ebony skin. The band was inlaid with sparkling jewels, the same shades as his eyes—cerulean and emerald. I wondered if there was significance to their coloring. Three additional bands wrapped around the wrist of his other hand.
He led us forward through several passage ways, all elaborately decorated, until we reached two more massive doors. The soldiers-in-waiting pulled them open to allow us through. The room inside was just ridiculous, making everything we had just seen look like a pauper's humble abode, in comparison.
Of course it was huge with nearly a forty foot carved ceiling. Three large thrones were elevated on a platform at the far end of the room. Behind them, a brilliant stained glass window, with a magnificence depiction of dragons in battle, covered almost the entire wall. Gold, diamonds and precious stones in every color, covered every surface imaginable.
I sucked in a deep breath and had to remind my feet to continue walking. Tavian led us directly in front of the thrones, where he stopped. We eased into bows and curtsies, all except for Felaern and Queen Raine. I wondered how she knew not to curtsy. If I had retained my title of Queen, I would have refrained as well. As it was, I was not a queen any longer, and kept my eyes downcast, avoiding direct contact to the King seated in the middle throne.
We held the positions, displaying honor and respect toward the monarch, while Tavian introduced us, "My King, we have guests from the Human and Fae Dimensions."
Even with my head toward the marble floor, I could see Tavian continue forward, climb the steps up the platform, and relax into one of the thrones. He sat at the King's left hand. I held back a cringe. He was royalty! I had just been feeling up one of their three Sovereigns. Shit, shit, shit. Of course, that was just my luck.
The King acknowledged us, his voice reverberating with power. "Welcome."
It was our cue. We straightened.
"I am King Morenth, of the Dragon Realm. And you are?"
King Morenth had tan skin, short dark hair and piercing amethyst eyes. I hadn't seen a color quite like them, maybe closer to tanzanite. His chiseled chin was lightly bearded, like he hadn't shaved in the past few days, and similarly to Tavian, his chest was bare. I was fascinated with the complex inked designs covering his pecs and down one of his arms. The tattoos were beautiful and horrible depictions of devastating battles.
Intricately-carved, black armored plates crested the ridge of his exposed breast bone, leading to jagged spikes along his shoulders, and a deep pomegranate cloak hung down his back. The color symbolic of both his royalty and amaranthine existence, he was immortal.
Felaern took point in the conversation. He gave a small bow, more like a nod really, and spoke confidently, his voice carrying in the open space, "I am King Felaern of the Fae Kingdom."
King Morenth nodded in return.
Felaern continued, "This is Queen Raine, Royal from birthright, a Bloodline Vampire, and Sovereign of the Tremidael Empire."
Queen Raine curtsied low at Felaern's introduction and straightened again, assuming the posture of her elevated station, head held high, shoulders back. King Morenth nodded to her, before his attention fell back to Felaern.
"We come, seeking passage through your kingdom. We are searching for the Queen's mate. I believe he is located about fifty miles north. I have seen visions—blue swirling water."
The king's brow raised just a hair at Felaern's words and he studied Raine again. She held his gaze confidently, never looking away. King Morenth murmured quietly, "The Pools of Morenth." I wasn't sure if he was speaking to Felaern or himself.
"Yes. Tav..." Felaern hesitated, unsure of Tavian's proper title.
Morenth supplied, "My brother is a Dragon Lord, Third in Line for the Crown."
"Indeed," Felaern nodded and gave Tavian a reluctant nod of acknowledgement. He continued his previous sentence, "Yes. Lord Tavian indicated the same thing. Will you allow us passage through your kingdom?"
King Morenth ignored his question. Instead, his penetrating gaze landed on me and stayed there! His pupils dilated and his nostrils flared. He purred, "Please introduce me to your other companion."
I had seen enough men lust over me. I knew the signs. There was no disguising his interest. Adrenaline rushed through my system. I tried not to squirm under his intense stare.
What in the hell was happening?
Did these dragons have no females of their own? Is that why they were so interested in me?! But if that were the case, why were they not showing equal interest in Brialle? She was certainly a much better catch. I had known that for years. I had never been able to keep a male's attention with her in the same room.
Felaern looked over his shoulder, following the king's line of sight. Understanding lit his expression. If he was surprised at the king's interest, he didn't reveal it, answering easily, "My Lord, she is Ileana, servant to Queen Raine."
I tried not to cringe at the title. How far had I fallen?—from a queen to an indentured servant. No matter, I was happy and I was free from Armand. Those were the only two things that mattered.
Tavian stared at the King, his eyes surprised, and mouth pursed into a frown. If the king noticed Tavian's foul expression, he ignored it. King Morenth's lips curled into a wicked smile. He maintained his unbreakable gaze with me, but he addressed Felaern, purring, "And does she speak?"
What the hell?
What an ass-hat.
I narrowed my eyes. Before Felaern could respond, I replied coldly, "Yes, she does speak. Does the king have a question he would like to ask?" I tried to keep the sneer from my voice, but alas...
In the next second, anxiety rose in me, I was never very successful at controlling my tongue. I braced myself for his anger, but he confused me when his grin widened at my petulant response.
What was wrong with these males?!
He nodded, almost as if I had assured him of something based on my response, and then readdressed Felaern with a new gleam in his eye, "What payment are you prepared to give in return?"
And there it was. Dragons never did anything for free. I guess they had to pay for their gold fetish somehow. I smirked. I wondered what Felaern had up his sleeve. Queen Raine was quite wealthy, but I didn't think she and Felaern discussed potential payment ahead of time. I was surprised when he didn't mention her funds, just his own. Felaern's features took on the arrogance of negotiation, "I can reward you handsomely... You are well aware of my wealth."
Hmm...was he making a presumption, or did King Morenth know who he was and what he was capable of paying? I also noticed he made no specific offer, instead leaving it in the king's hands to set a price.
King Morenth's smile widened, revealing brilliant white teeth. His eyes took on a predatory glint. "I have no need for currency. The treasure I am interested in is worth far more than silver and gold," he purred and then looked directly back at me!
Oh, no, no, no!
The smirk fell from my face, replaced with a pit of dread in my stomach.
He couldn't mean what I thought he meant.
But somehow, I knew he did.
Abruptly, Raine interjected. "No! I will not give her to you, for you and your Dragon Lords to use as their whore!" She spat, her eyes flashed with violence, glowing blue. Her hands were clenched and her entire body vibrated with fury.
Loki's chest rumbled. He felt her anxiety. Talon felt it as well. He naturally repositioned himself slightly in front of her.
I wanted to cry. I was used to being thought of as a whore. But never had anyone stood up for me. Never had anyone had my back, protected me. And yet, she always did. I didn't know what to do with these feelings, with the lump in my throat and the tears glistening in my eyes.
The king's eyes darkened dangerously, his own anger near the surface. A muscle in his jaw twitched. "I, nor any of my Dragon Lords, have need to coerce a woman into our beds. Trust me, when I say, they are quite willing—and eager—all on their own."
I was taken aback by his response. He was genuinely insulted. But if he didn't want me as his whore, what did he want?
"Then clarify your offer," she snapped, refusing to apologize for her presumption.
The king was silent for a beat. I wondered how hard it was for him to keep his anger in check. His attention turned back to me and his expression softened. "I simply want the pleasure of her company. We treat our females exceptionally well."
I searched his face for deception, but found only truth. How was that possible? No man, vampire or otherwise, had ever wanted me for anything other than what he could use me for. There had to be some sort of catch.
But even if there was, this was my opportunity....
Maybe my only opportunity to truly give back something that mattered to her, as much as what she had given to me. A lifetime of my saying 'thank you' didn't mean anything. But this...This mattered. This was the last hurdle before she was reunited with her soulmate.
I stepped up behind her and reached out, taking her fingers in my hand. Her head snapped down to our hands and then swiveled around to my face. She hissed, "I will not allow you to be used."
I squeezed her hand tighter, working to keep my voice from cracking, "You have already done enough for me. You know that. I could never repay you, not in a million years—but now I can. Would you take that gift away from me? Would you deny me the chance to make a sacrifice equal to the one you readily took for me?"
Her shoulders fell, her resolve crumbling.
"Please..." I pleaded, my voice barely above a whisper.
She turned back to Morenth. "Do you agree that she will not be physically harmed and never taken by force?"
He replied, "Those terms are easily accomplished."
Raine looked back at me, defeat in her eyes. "The choice is now yours."
I looked up at Morenth, infusing strength in my tone. I refused to show him any weakness. "I have one last condition. I only ask that when you are done and ready to discard me, that you allow me safe passage back to my queen."
"Discard you?" He frowned. "Why would you think in such a manner? I want you. That will not change."
I couldn't figure him out. He looked convinced of his own words. His genuine sincerity pulled at my resolve to stay cold and indifferent. I couldn't speak above a whisper, if I did, my voice would crack and reveal more than I wanted him to see. "You say that now. Let's see what you say in a few months or a year from now."
His lips pursed, his frown deepening. His eyes were way too knowledgeable as he studied me. His tone was soft and gentle, "Who hurt you?"
His question was like an arrow to my heart. I couldn't let him in. Not there. I replied, "If I gave you that answer, you might very well ask me to leave right now."
Brialle had the decency to flinch.
He seemed to sense my resolve and replied with increased steadfastness of his own, "I will not change my mind. And you will tell me."
That wasn't happening. I would agree to his deal. I would stay, but that was it. I answered coldly, "My past is my own. Our negotiation is for my future. I will tell you nothing."
The bite of my words didn't affect him. His reply was confident, not a single doubt, "We shall see..."
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