by Sarah Hawke
“As you say, mistress.”
Lysandre turned and studied me for a moment, her expression unreadable. “If there’s nothing else, other matters require my attention. In the meantime, our husband wishes you to return to your chambers and await his visit.”
My breath caught in my throat. “Now?”
“Now…and likely the rest of the night.” Lysandre’s almost imperceptible smile returned. “As I said, he wishes to reward you for your loyal service.”
A tingle of anticipation rippled across my skin. I hadn’t felt the master’s touch in almost a month now, and I had feared he wouldn’t want to see me again after my failure in Last Hope. That thought more than any other had left me broken and weary on the long ride home.
Lysandre leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. “Go now and please him,” she said. “We will speak again in the morning, sister.”
“Of course, mistress,” I replied. “I live to serve the Emperor.”
I offered her a final bow before I turned and strode towards the palace. This pier was cordoned off from the rest of the castle by thirty-foot high walls and numerous magical defenses, and only Dragon Brides could enter the hidden door. The normally invisible glyphs in the pristine white stone flared to life in my presence, and the tattoos along my arm began glowing in unison. Placing my palm flat against the intricate symbols, I waited for the loud clink of the locks sliding open before I stepped inside.
The palace was mostly empty at this time of day aside from a handful of Wyrmguard and a smattering of other servants. The Council of Wives would have stopped taking petitioners hours ago, and the other lords and ladies of the court had likely retired to their own estates by now. I didn’t even see many of my sister-wives on the way to my chambers; they must have still been on duty elsewhere in the city.
While the palace was the largest building in Thalamar, my actual quarters were quite modest. There was only enough space for a bed, an armoire, and a few other necessities. I didn’t even have my own wash room; only His Majesty’s Wives enjoyed anything more than basic amenities. I was tempted to visit the communal basin and bathe, but I didn’t want to keep the master waiting. Besides, I knew how much he enjoyed seeing me in my armor.
I locked the door behind me before I unfastened my scabbard and propped my sword against the wall. After setting my mask down upon the armoire, I stared at myself in the mirror like I was looking upon a stranger. Even here in the palace, I was forbidden to show my true features to anyone besides my master and my sister-wives. There were times I wondered if my might eventually forget my own face.
You have your father’s turquoise eyes and your mother’s lustrous black hair, Lysandre had told me all those years ago during one of her few moments of genuine warmth. They would be very proud of you, Asha. Your sacrifice will guarantee your family’s freedom and prosperity for generations to come.
I had to take her word for all of it, of course. Like most of my sisters, I had almost no memory of my parents. All I knew for certain was that they had been given land and gold in exchange for their five year-old daughter. Considering how difficult life could be in Narthil, they had probably been ecstatic when the Wives had come knocking on their door.
Blinking away the reverie, I untied my ponytail and let my dark hair spill down across my shoulders. The master could visit at any moment, and I wanted to be certain I was ready for—
“Welcome home, my beloved bride. The palace echoes with tales of your deeds in the north.”
I let out a long, slow breath and resisted the urge to glance behind me. No one, not even his most revered Wives, had the authority to look upon the Dragon God without his express permission.
“My lord honors me with his presence,” I said, taking a step away from the armoire and lowering my hands to my sides. “I humbly apologize for my failure and beg for your forgiveness.”
I heard the faintest rustle of movement behind me, and once again my tattoos flared to life. The door remained locked—mere wood and stone were no obstacle for a dragon. When he shifted into his human form, he could move anywhere he wanted inside the palace with a flick of his finger.
“There is nothing to forgive, my dear.” His voice was like a dark, velvet whisper from the shadows. “You have served me well.”
“I…thank you, my lord,” I replied. “I only wish I could have—”
“Drell and his followers will face justice soon enough,” he interrupted. “What matters is that none of your sister-wives were willing to leave the safety of Narthil, but you saw an opportunity and pursued it. I commend your intuition and your zeal.”
I tried to swallow, but my throat had gone so dry I was surprised I could speak. Compliments from the First Wife were rare enough, but compliments from the master were practically unheard of. My heart began pounding inside my chest. Was this even real? Was this all some kind of strange trick?
I felt his presence approach from behind me, and I closed my eyes when he ran his fingers though my long hair. He kissed the back of my neck, triggering a rash of goosebumps all the way down my spine. His lips were like lightning on my skin. I could feel the currents of his power coursing from his flesh into mine.
“Do not allow the envy of your sisters to distract you,” he said as his breath tickled my earlobe. “Many have grown complacent. Others are more concerned with their personal comfort and status than serving their lord and master.”
A soft moan escaped my lips, and it took all my self-control not to melt into a quivering mass on the floor. His touch was intoxicating; the days directly following one of his visits were always excruciating, like coming down from a lotus-induced euphoria. I wasn’t sure if it was related to our sorcerous bond or not, but he obviously wanted all his wives to crave his touch and yearn for his return.
And so we did. Each and every one of us.
“Time and again, you have demonstrated your loyalty and your skill,” the king continued after a brief pause. While his left hand remained on my shoulder, his right traced down my side until it settled upon my bare stomach. “You alone seem to recognize the gravity of the Vin Aetheri threat.”
I forced myself to swallow and rediscover my voice. “I fear that their numbers are growing, my lord, despite the official reports from the east. The Conduit’s lies have begun to take hold all across the Reach and the Fold. I suspect they’ve even gained the support of some Deadlander tribes.”
“Do you know why?”
I took a deep breath and reminded myself that this wasn’t a trap. If he doubted my loyalty for any reason, I would already be dead. “In some cases, the people believe that we don’t care about them. They think we’ve abandoned them to the monsters and savages of the Deadlands. Others have been seduced by the lies of our enemies and their operatives. I almost pity them.”
“You pity those who would turn against their master?”
“Sometimes,” I admitted, hoping desperately that I hadn’t angered him. “Their lives are difficult—especially on the frontier—and our enemies are cunning and resourceful.”
“You believe we should forgive them, then?”
“No, my lord,” I said, shaking my head. “Whatever their reasons, they are traitors. I would gladly execute them all in your name.”
He chuckled softly in my ear. “I know you would.”
His lips returned to my neck, but this time I felt them part until his fangs pierced my flesh. A searing hot stream of blood trickled down my throat, and when I glanced down I watched it flow down between my breasts and beneath my armor. The master was no vampire, obviously, but the ritual that had bonded me as his bride had also given me the strength of his dragon blood. It made me stronger, faster, and more durable than a normal human.
The “feast” was merely his way of claiming me, of reminding me that I was forever bonded to his power. After the first few seconds, it didn’t even hurt—on the contrary, the pleasure was so intense I had to slump back into his arms to keep from collapsing altogether. I could
n’t believe how much I craved him, how much I needed him. He had visited me three nights in a row before my journey north, and I had sustained myself for weeks with the memory of his touch. But suddenly it wasn’t enough.
“I am yours, my lord, body and soul,” I breathed.
“Show me.”
Nodding obediently, I began to unbuckle the straps of my armor. I had been trained to don my equipment in less than a minute even while blindfolded, and I was confident I could remove it in half the time. But in this case, I wasn’t in any hurry. I slowly and seductively stripped one piece at a time, starting with my gauntlets and moving on to my knee-high boots and cropped breastplate. Once I was fully nude, I tilted my head and examined myself in the full-length mirror on the wall. Other than a single glowstone on a sconce above my bed, my glowing tattoos were the only source of light in the room. My master was little more than a blur of shadows looming over her shoulder.
“So young,” he cooed, brushing my hair again. “So beautiful.”
His hands burrowed beneath my arms until they gently cupped my breasts, and for the first time I felt his swollen member press against my back. I wanted nothing more than to whirl around and take him into my mouth; I wanted to feel his power throb inside me until his gratitude spilled down my throat. But I didn’t dare act without his permission, and so instead I moaned softly and allowed myself to melt into his arms.
“I am glad my body pleases you, my lord,” I said. “It is yours, however you wish to have it.”
“Then kneel before your master.”
His hands never left my breasts even as I slowly sank down to my knees and then leaned forward on my palms. He crouched over me, his breath tickling my neck and his cock throbbing against my quim. I was so slick he could have slipped inside me with the smallest twitch of his pelvis.
“I shall reward you for your service,” he whispered into my ear, “but first, you must prove your loyalty to me once again. You must show me that you are still worthy of my power.”
“My body is your weapon and your sanctuary,” I said, reciting my oath. “I will enforce your will and submit to your desires. I am your loyal priestess. I am your humble servant. I am your Dragon Bride.”
He nudged the tip of his cock into my quim. I had to bite my lip and dig my fingernails into the carpet to keep myself from crying out. This was a test, not of loyalty but of restraint. For whatever reason, he wanted to see how well I could control myself. I refused to disappoint him.
“I have many wives who are eager and willing to please me,” he said. “What do you offer that they cannot?”
I licked at my dry lips and looked down at my reflection in the small pool of blood gathered in the floor. The flesh on my neck had already regenerated shut, but a few remaining droplets trickled from my throat and breasts.
“I offer you obedience, my lord,” I said. “I will follow your orders without question.”
“And if I order you into battle?”
“Then I will fight.”
“And if I order you to die?”
“Then I will die whispering your name into eternity.”
“Good…but not good enough,” he said, withdrawing his cockhead. My quim burned when I could no longer feel him, and it took every ounce of willpower I could muster not to plead for him to fuck me. “Words are too easy, my dear. I need something more…tangible.”
I swallowed and forced myself to concentrate. My years in the academy had taught me a great deal more than just swordplay and magic. Dragon Brides were also expected to master the arts of seduction, both to please our master and our sister-wives. I didn’t understand why he was testing my skills now, but ultimately it didn’t matter. I needed to offer him something new, something special…
“I offer you my life, master,” I said. “Right here, right now.”
He paused in anticipation. “How?”
Lifting my right hand, I stretched out with my magic and telekinetically plucked one of my many toys from the shelf. An iron collar flipped into my hand.
“If my body cannot please you, then I am not worthy of your power,” I said, clasping the metal around my neck. “And without your power, I am nothing.”
I smiled when I felt his cock throb in approval. He couldn’t hide his own excitement from me—I knew he wanted to take me, to claim me, to remind me that I belonged to him and no one else. Once the collar was locked into place, he tugged the leash hard enough that the barbs pinched into my throat.
“I am yours, my lord,” I rasped. “Always and forever.”
He plunged into me. I gasped in delight with the last puff of air in my lungs, and the cascade of euphoria nearly caused me to black out entirely. Even without the collar, I doubted I would have been able to breathe.
He took me roughly, mercilessly, more like he was conquering an enemy than rejoining with a lost lover. The collar became a vise, tightening its grip on my throat with every thrust. I didn’t try to break free even when my eyes filled with black spots. I had meant every word I’d said.
If my body could not please him, then I was not worthy of his power.
Just when my vision finally started to go black, his lips kissed the back of my ears. “When the forces of this world turn against you, it is my power will sustain you in this life and the next,” he breathed. “Remember this, my bride, and be reborn.”
I had no idea what he meant, but just before I lost consciousness and slipped into oblivion I realized I could see the glowing outline of my tattoos even when everything else had gone dark. I focused on their power and let it envelop me…
And then suddenly, inexplicably, my vision returned. The collar had sealed off my throat and deprived my lungs of air, but I belatedly realized that I didn’t even need it—I didn’t anything at all besides my master’s touch.
In that moment, his cock erupted inside me. His triumphant cries filled my ears, and I clawed into the carpet as another wave of ecstasy shuddered through me. By the time I recovered he had already unlatched the collar and let it fall to the floor. Air flooded back into my lungs, and when I glanced back down at my arm I watched as the glow in my tattoos slowly faded.
“My precious, loyal bride,” he breathed as he slowly withdrew his cock from inside me. “You have served your king well.”
“My lord is most kind,” I replied, surprised that my voice even worked.
“Soon you will serve me again. Your hunt is not yet over.”
My brow furrowed. “My lord?”
“All across Narthil, my enemies gather in the darkness,” he said. “For many years they have whispered their heresies from the safety of the Deadlands, but the echoes of their sedition have finally reached the walls of my palace. I hear them plotting against me, and now more than ever I must rely upon the strength of my loyal Wives.”
I licked at my dry lips. “The Vin Aetheri…you believe they are here in Thalamar?”
“I know they are here. Their lies have reached many ears, the army, the Wyrmguard, even some of your sister-wives. Our people have lost faith in their master.”
“But that seems impossible,” I breathed. “My sisters would never betray you.”
“If only that were true,” he whispered. “Despite their best efforts, the Council of Wives has been unable to purge this infestation. They have grown complacent. A new generation—a new perspective—is needed to destroy these rebels and restore the sanctity of the Onyx Throne. That is why I have chosen you, my young Dragon Bride. You will the harbinger of my will. You will be the herald of my glory. You will find those who dare stand against me, and you will destroy them in my name.”
“Of course, my lord,” I said. “I live to serve you.”
“And you will, in more ways than one,” he said, his hand curling around my waist until it settled upon my belly. “You are strong and ripe, my dear. Carry out my will, and I shall plant the seed of Narthil’s future inside you.”
My mouth hung open. I didn’t even know how to respond. As far as I k
new, only Lysandre had ever borne the king a child, Crown Prince Jorel. The idea that the master would bless me, one of his meager Brides, with such responsibility…
“I-I don’t know what to say, my lord,” I stammered.
“You don’t need to say anything,” he assured me as he ran his fingers through my hair. “All you need to do is obey.”
When I felt his cock stiffening against my leg, I promptly lowered my face to the floor, tucked my wrists behind my back, and presented my sodden quim to him. “I am yours, my lord.”
The tip of his cock nudged back inside me, but before he buried himself all the way he abruptly withdrew and pressed into my nether entrance instead. I whimpered in anticipation as he eased himself into my bowels.
“Yes, you are,” he whispered. “Always and forever.”
Chapter Three
I awakened sore and groggy but more rejuvenated than I’d been in months. The master had left me sometime after I had fallen asleep in his warm embrace. The visible wounds he’d inflicted on me over the course of the night—the bite and claw marks, the whip lashes—had all regenerated thanks to the power coursing through my tattoos.
Unfortunately, the pain of withdrawal didn’t heal nearly as easily.
Dawn hadn’t yet cracked the horizon, but I didn’t bother activating a glowstone or weaving a spell and summoning a globe of light. Instead I there in the darkness, my chin slumped against my chest, as I struggled to fight off the phantom ache shuddering through my body. My withdrawal hadn’t been anywhere near this brutal after the last time the master had shared my bed. Then again, I hadn’t spent nearly as long pleasuring him then, either. When I closed my eyes, I could still feel his hands squeezing my waist, his lips nibbling at my neck, his cock thrusting into my quim…
This is even worse than a lotus high. When Charisse finally gets back, she’s going to find all of this bizarre and hilarious.
I had no idea how long it took to pull myself together, but by the time I reopened my eyes the first rays of sunlight were splintering in through the window. Taking a deep breath, I stood and lumbered into the washroom. It was immediately clear from the reactions of my sisters that they all knew our husband had shared my bed last night. It was equally clear that someone—probably Lysandre—had informed them of my failure to apprehend Soren Drell. Their bitter glares and mocking whispers just reminded me how much I had enjoyed the last few weeks on the road.