The Dragon King (24 page)

Sophia

I’d seen Madeline twice since returning to Chattanooga with Aaron, and it turned out we’re better friends now, when we have a choice in the matter, than we were when my father forced us together.

Bran, the vampire she lived with, had provided her with a designer dress and shoes, and they were beyond beautiful. I’d been uncomfortable with the fact she gave him sex and blood for money, but she was happy and didn’t seem to be coerced. She was getting a good education, had money in the bank, and looked forward to finding her own happy ending one day. For now, she was having grand adventures and living quite the party life in Bran’s mansion.

She and I got ready for the ball together, giggling as adults in a way we were never allowed as children. When we went to the living room, Aaron was sitting with Abbott and Bran, and my mate was dressed as a Fairy King. His outfit consisted of tight breeches, a military looking shirt jacket with a high neck and jeweled epaulets, and he’d managed a haircut while we were upstairs. I wasn’t sure, but it was possible he was wearing eyeliner, too.

I stopped and stared, as did Madeline. “Oh, my God,” she said. “He’s
magnificent
.”

“Yeah,” I breathed. “And he’s mine. How did this happen?”

“The two of you are beautiful,” Aaron said as he stepped to us.

“You’ll keep her safe?” Bran asked.

“We’ll do our best, but I laid out the risks to you,” I reminded him.

“You did, but she’s walking into Faerie, where I’m forbidden, and she’s
mine
. I just need to check again that you’ll do everything in your power to see no harm comes to her.”

I was uncomfortable with the whole ‘mine’ thing, but Madeline put her hand on my arm and said, “When he claims me, it’s more about protecting me than owning me, Sophia.”

I nodded, thankful for the reminder. “I’m grateful you ended up with a kind man.”

Abbott and Aaron’s chuckle reminded me of the reason Bran had bought Madeline, but I didn’t want to go there. Whatever they did in the bedroom was none of my business.
None
.

I shook my head at them and told Aaron, “We should be going.” I looked at Abbott and Bran. “Thanks for sticking around and making sure no one messes with the place while they know we’re gone.”

Bran lifted his glass of wine towards me and said, “This way I’ll be here to take my girl home. We’ll be fine. Abbott assures me he’ll provide entertainment. We may even have more fun than you.”

His smile made me uncomfortable, but Madeline went to him and leaned in to say, “Make sure you’re primed for me. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Aaron had explained that she’d taste better to a vampire after spending time in Faerie, and apparently the two of them would be spending the night at Abbott’s tonight. Again, I
really
didn’t want to know what was going to happen. I would never willingly allow a vampire to suck my blood, but Madeline said she enjoyed it. I was happy for her, but…
no
. Not me.

Titania had transferred the waterfall gate in the cave to send us to a room off my bedroom in the Swan Palace, so within minutes we had ladies’ maids waiting on us, touching up our makeup and pretending to fix our hair, though we’d both already done so.

I sent someone to bring Jonathan, and someone else to be sure neither the Winter nor Summer Queen were in the main ballroom. The entire room would be required to kneel when I entered, and I wasn’t the least interested in forcing them to do so.

Fifteen minutes later, I had Jonathan and both queens in my bedroom. Madeline had been thrilled with the hottie Aaron had paired her with for the evening, and the two of them were already downstairs. Titania had brought a handsome man she introduced as the Rabbit King. I hadn’t known there were rabbit shapeshifters, but I offered my hand for him to kiss, as was the custom when meeting other royalty.

Aaron, however, had other ideas and he pulled me away and said, “A non-physical greeting might be more appropriate with this gentleman, My Queen.”

Mabel snickered, and I looked at Aaron in question but he didn’t appear to be interested in explaining. I looked at the Winter Queen to see if she’d let me in on whatever it was I didn’t understand, and she said, “Have you ever heard the term ‘
fucks like a rabbit
’?”

I had not, but I suddenly understood this was Titania’s way of saving face with Aaron. They were recently broken up, and he was here with the new Swan Queen, as the Swan king. She needed to do her best to one-up him. Judging by the fact Aaron didn’t want me touching the Rabbit King, it seemed Titania had scored a point. I smiled at her, hugged her, and kissed her cheek.

Turning to Mabel, I said, “Sheltered twenty-five year old virgin, remember? Hadn’t heard it, but I appreciate the explanation.” I hugged and kissed her as well, and then our small group walked down the hidden stairwell that would bring us just outside the main ballroom. We would all enter together, and then I’d walk Mabel out to the garden and stay outside a while. All of this had been carefully choreographed — it was what happened
after
the pre-planned stuff I was worried about.

The Court Herald announced the three Queens all at once as, “Their Highnesses, The Winter, Summer, and Swan Queens.” Mabel came first, as she was the reigning Queen of Faerie. We walked in together, with me in the middle holding both of their hands. The entire room gasped in shock at both Queens coming in with me, hand-in-hand.

The Court Herald announced the Dragon and Rabbit Kings next, and they came to Titania and me. We all walked to the steps of the dais, and four very handsome men surrounded Mabel. She hadn’t brought a date, she’d brought a harem, apparently. I hugged Titania and then Aaron, and I walked with Mabel and her men out to the gardens, beautifully covered with snow and yet comfortably warm.

We took our seats on the thrones situated side by side. Our seats were the same height, but the back of hers was a few inches taller than mine. We greeted guests for a while, but every nerve in my body went on alert when the outside Herald announced my father. I looked out, saw Aaron speaking with guests not too far away. Jonathan was just a little closer, talking with a few people, but his glance my way let me know he was watching without being obvious. I took a breath, remembered I also had the Winter Queen at my side, the most powerful person in Faerie, and I convinced my body to relax.

I’m pretty sure my father only smelled joy and happiness from me, no nerves at all, by the time he made his way to us.

Protocol said I could stand and hug a loved one, but I chose to remain seated. He bowed deep for Mabel, and tipped his head at me. I was considering my response when Mabel stood, her anger so palpable I could almost see the storm clouds gathering around her.

“You dare to disrespect your Queen? To her face? In front of
me
?”

He wasn’t the least bit flustered as he bowed to her again, the exact correct amount of depth required for an angered monarch, and said, “No disrespect intended. She’s my daughter and I haven’t seen her in some time. I had hoped for a hug.”

“And I’d hoped for a father who wouldn’t condone his best friend trying to assassinate me,” I said. Once again, the crowd gasped around me, but I kept my eyes on my father with a pleasant look on my face.

This time, he bowed to me correctly, and stayed down as he said, “I still believe it to have been a misunderstanding, Daughter of Mine.” I couldn’t help my small half-grin at his use of our relationship so he wouldn’t have to call me his queen. However, I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. “I showed respect and publicly acknowledged you as King of the Swans in the human world when we last met, will you not give me the respect of the title in Faerie?”

I needed two-thirds of the Swans to give their loyalty to me. This was about me creating gossip, making him look petty. When the Swans present went home and talked to their friends, I wanted the conversations to go my way.

“What do you know of being a Queen?” my father asked. “You’ve been raised to support the King, not to lead.”

I stood, focused my energy, and levitated. I’d been working with both Titania and Mabel every chance I had to find and develop whatever powers Faerie had gifted me. My father had never allowed it, and I’d stumbled upon my ability to teleport and then practiced in secret.

When I was forty feet over his head, I burst into a dragon and made several passes overhead before morphing into a swan. I again made a few passes in the air, and when I landed I was nearly as tall as my father, still in swan form. I turned back to human and stood before him stark naked and proud.

“I have powers you can’t possibly understand, Father. I’ve also gone through intensive training to catch up on the education you should’ve given me, but didn’t.” I altered my voice, keeping it loud enough to be heard, but more affectionate. “As I told you a few days ago, it’s my hope we can find a way to resolve this so you can walk me down the aisle at my wedding. You’re my father and it pains me to be at odds with you. However, your best friend, the Eagle King, has tried to assassinate me twice, now. He had his hands around my throat and I’d blacked out from lack of oxygen when my second rescue team arrived. I could’ve fought him alone, but he came with a contingent of Eagles and Owls and I was vastly outnumbered.”

Someone came from behind me and put a robe over my shoulders. I allowed them to belt it closed before I levitated back to my throne. “Here’s my offer, Father. In one week’s time, if I haven’t gathered two-thirds support then I challenge you to a fight to the death in Swan form, on the islands just outside of Harrison Bay, on the Tennessee River.”

Aaron was going to be pissed, but it was my belief my father couldn’t kill me.

I smelled terror coming off my father and knew I’d been right. He wasn’t worried about my killing him, but about his being forced to kill me.

“I don’t accept the challenge.”

I let my eyebrows rise dramatically, and gave the crowd several seconds to quiet before I responded, “Your only choice is to cede the crown or fight me, once the challenge has been made.”

He shook his head. “A challenge can only be made by a male, Sophia. You can’t challenge me.”

I leaned back, crossed one leg over another, and eyed my beautiful pedicure of pearl and diamond dust in a clear base. I looked back up to him and casually said, “You might want to check with your advisors on that. Or, on second thought…” I snapped my fingers and grabbed a sheet of paper out of the air and read, “Challenge can be made from any male over the age of fifteen, or any member of the royal family over the age of twelve.”

I handed him the paper and said, “You are dismissed.”

He read the paper, looked up in shock, and his mouth formed the word, “No.”

I looked to Mabel and she waved her hand to freeze time. Jonathan and Aaron stepped to us, and I stepped down from my dais. “We have a moment to talk, Father. Do you have something to say?”

“We can’t fight, Sophia. You’re my daughter. I’d rather die than be forced to kill you.”

“Then cede the crown to me. I’ll try to make it as easy on you as I can. I’ll install you as an advisor, and hire you to manage some of the things you’ve managed as King in the past. I
will
be marrying Aaron. You can bless our marriage and give me away, or refuse to acknowledge it. However, the former will allow you and me to begin forming a new relationship — one based on mutual respect rather than on an all-powerful man and a powerless woman.”

I moved back to my dais and Aaron went back to the person he’d been talking to as I finished with, “I expect a proper bow before you take your leave, Father.”

Mabel put the world back into motion, and my father swept into a low, formal bow. He rose and said, “Good evening, Queen Sophia.”

Technically, he should have said, “My Queen,” but I was through with the drama. I spoke to another thirty or forty people in line before making my way inside to sit with Titania a while.

I’d been inside perhaps thirty minutes when I heard a commotion outside. Jonathan and Aaron made it to me in seconds, and I teleported all three of us to the melee.

The Eagle King hadn’t been invited, but he’d managed to get himself onto the property as the date of one of my cousins. I’d allowed their invitations to merely say ‘plus one’, instead of their having to tell us their guest’s name for the invitation, as everyone else had been required. I’d deal with my cousin later, find out if she’d been coerced or if she was working against me.

My Palace Guard had him surrounded, but he had his sword in one hand, his other hand a talon, and everyone knew he could wreak some scary magic with that claw when in Faerie.

I put Power into my voice. It was another of those things Mabel had taught me, and I could tell it shocked the crowd as well as my intended audience as I intoned, “Vincent Avila, Eagle King. You dare come to my palace, and my party? State your intentions!”

It was an order, and one only the strongest could keep from answering. I hoped he’d answer because he wanted me to know why he was here, and the audience would have to wonder if he answered because I’d compelled him, or because he wanted to.

He ignored my Palace Guards as he straightened to his most regal bearing and looked at me with disdain. “You’re a child playing at being a Princess, Sophia. Give it up and let the men handle things.”

Aaron had topped my energy levels up as we’d walked from place to place, hand-in-hand. I’d been in public since transforming. I’d even let my ladies’ maid drop another fancy dress over my head in public, so everyone would assume I hadn’t taken the opportunity to top up my energy levels after making three transformations and levitating several times. Now, I’d teleported myself and two other people, also.

I lifted a delicate, perfectly manicured finger, spun it in a small circle, and gracefully aimed it at my foe.

White energy shot out of my fingertip and wrapped around him. His talon turned into a hand, and the crowd once again gasped.