Dragon's Quest (Dragon Princes Book 1)

by Cyci Cade

  She practiced a little and sat down on the mattress, gripped the vase and smelled the lilies; the aroma of the flowers invaded her nostrils. “You are a gentleman, Liu, a loving, handsome man,” she whispered, her nose feeling the touch of the soft petals.

  Why did he want her to fall in love with him if later he would replace her for another woman, for a beautiful Chinese princess? That was so unfair because she had already fallen in love with him; a Chinese cursed prince. Fairy tales didn´t exist; sooner or later she would face the reality.

  A knock on the door brought her thoughts back. “Come in.” She got up holding the vase. Liu entered wearing a stunning yellow and white suit, his wet hair tied back. As he approached her, his patchouli scent arrived first.

  He grinned. “You are lovely.” Liu held her hand and kissed its back.

  “Thank you for the dress and the flowers.” Kate pressed her lips briefly on his.

  “Do you know lilies meaning?” His glance became deeper, his eyes locked on hers.

  Her body shivered. “No.” She held her breath and her heart pounded in an unfamiliar rhythm.

  He came near, his hand still holding hers, their chests almost touching. “Lilies are the flowers of spirituality…” he whispered in her ear and released her hand for a brief moment, just to take the vase from her hand and leave it on the bedside table. He held both her hands. His lips continued to move next to her ear; as he spoke, she sensed his breathing on her neck. “The totem flowers of mothers, especially new ones, fertility and nurturing. They are appropriate to present during a wedding once they are symbols of unions, partnerships, and long lasting relationship. Give lilies to new mothers and brides-to-be share the symbolism of these beautiful blossoms with them and watch their faces light up with delight.”

  He released her hands and approached her a little closer; his hands glided on the fabric and traveled from her waist to her back. He crushed her body against his muscular chest; his lips hit hers with passion, fury, and desire. It scared her. He had never kissed her in that way, but it was so good.

  She tried to control the situation, keep things in slow motion. Why would she relent so easily to a love that had its days numbered? Why should she give herself to a man fated to another woman? Because she loved him despite of her fears and everything else.

  Kate´s nails slid across his back, electric sparks ran through her body when he lifted her from the floor and moved his lips intensely. She could feel his body heating hers, the same heat used to keep her warm during the trip. She melted, enfolded by those strong arms; it was impossible to stop so huge a fervor and desire. When she thought they had found the climax, the kiss became more passionate; he requested more from her. Was she ready for this?

  What did he mean with bride-to-be? Was it a kind of proposal? Did he wish her as his wife and mother of his sons? Or it was just a way to conquest her and satisfy his desires?

  Whatever it had been, it was working. What would happen if she gave him permission to go ahead? He wouldn´t ask permission, no, he just took what he wished.

  Liu let her body slide against his and reach the floor. He shivered, nibbled her lips, moaned and whispered, “They are waiting for us. I´d like to stay here with you and never leave this room, but we need to go.” He pushed her away; the magical moment had been broken. He smiled, held her hand, and led her out of the room.

  No! You cannot stop now! Come back immediately! Kate protested mentally while she tried to keep her balance on those high heels, align her hair, and massage her swollen lips.

  When they reached the dining room, Wei and Mr. Fu Chow looked at them. Kate lowered her eyes embarrassed, feeling her swollen lips throbbing as if her face showed what she had been doing and still wanted to do. They sat in silence. Wei continually glanced at her.

  Wei scowled at them. “Finally!” he complained and started to eat.

  Kate glimpsed at Wei, who now paid attention to his plate, Mr. Fu Chow, and Liu. She grabbed the chopsticks and examined the pieces of wood, uncertain how to use them. She looked at the others; Wei and Fu Chow arranged the food on them and ate fast. The chopsticks moved under their fingers command, grasped rice, chicken, salad and so on. Kate tried to figure out their movements, but it was impossible; her fingers didn´t have coordination to manage those instruments.

  “They are called kuàizi in Chinese,” Liu explained how to manage those small pieces of wood. “Put the first one so that the thicker part rests at the base of your thumb and the thinner part rests on the lower side of your middle fingertip. Bring your thumb forward so that it traps the stick firmly in place.” He showed her how to use them and waited for Kate to go try. “Now, position the other one so that it is held against the side of your index finger by the end of your thumb. Press the ends of both sticks on the plate while holding them at a slight angle to the table. Place a little pressure on the top, the tip of the top will move toward the tip of the bottom. Hold those tips together firmly enough to grasp a piece of food and lift it off the plate, place delicately into your mouth.” Liu gripped a piece of chicken and demonstrated how to do so.

  Kate held the chopsticks with trembling hand as Liu had said, but she couldn´t coordinate them, her body was still under the effect of his touch and she needed at least thirty minutes to recover her coordination. That was so embarrassing.

  Liu grasped her hand tightly, grinned, and touched his lips on her ear. “I couldn´t imagine that I cause this effect on you.”

  He called the servant and ordered something, even if Liu had ordered in her language she wouldn´t have understood a word so nervous was she. She wanted to run away from that place, but she didn´t try because her legs became useless, shaky, unstable, and numb like her mind.

  Kate giggled, feeling her cheeks on fire. The servant put a knife and fork down beside her plate. She thanked the woman, took deep breaths, and tried to swallow the food under Mr. Fu Chow and Wei´s curious glances. She wondered what they had in their minds watching that embarrassing scene. Kate couldn´t control herself being next to Liu, it was so clear and undeniable.

  Liu and Fu Chow talked; they planned the next days. None of them knew what to do; how to start their mission to break the curse, and sometimes they talked about things, things that she didn´t have any idea of. Like her, Wei kept quiet, without memory he didn´t have anything to add to that conversation.

  Kate glimpsed at Wei. Why had he avoided her since that day at the fire? Had she said something wrong? Should she ask him what happened? She glimpsed at Liu. Should she tell him what occurred in that cave with Wei? How would he react to the knowledge that she kissed his brother? His reaction was very bad when he suspected she dated Phillip. Kissing his brother would certainly create a bad reaction.

  Chapter 22

  Samantha

  Samantha danced and sang while she skipped happily through the corridor. Her feet touched the floor with no rhythm and her body moved in an awkward way, it didn´t bother her. She untied her ponytail, her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders and then she pulled it to one side. She tiptoed as if she wore high heels. She never wore high heels, but from now on she´d wear high heels every day. She opened her arms and spun in the middle of the corridor; her hair followed the movement and covered her face when she stopped. A freedom sensation occupied the space filled before with fear and repression. She felt alive for the first time since arriving there.

  She took another corridor. Her arms waved in the air and her legs moved her body up, down and to the sides. Everything was perfect until she encountered Mary. The woman frowned, she was ready to admonish Samantha, but Sam spoke first. “Mr. Jin Quan has some announcements to make.”

  Mary put her hands on her hips. “Why are you strolling in the corridor? You didn´t finish your tasks.” The old woman started to criticize her. “Are you out of your mind as usual?”

  Samantha mimicked her. “I am going to my room. I have a lot of things to do, and I need a shower before lunchtime. It is too hot today, and I
am sweaty.” It sounded good to Sam, mainly because the woman changed her face’s color from red to purple, she might explode at any moment.

  The woman closed the space between them. Sam kept position, lifted her jaw and gazed at her. Mary held Samantha´s petulant gaze and spoke. “Are you insane to challenge me in this way? Do you imagine what I can do to you? Insolent!” Mary threatened Sam through clenched teeth.

  “I´m not that little girl you used to frighten with your threats.” Samantha approached Mary, stayed nose to nose with her enemy, and smelled the bad odor exhaled from Mary´s mouth. “I don´t fear you anymore.” She stepped aside. “You should rush.” Samantha clapped. “What Mr. Jin Quan has to tell you is urgent, some things should be solved soon and you don´t want to skip dinner, do you?” Samantha grinned, tapped Mary´s shoulder and walked away while Mary cursed her.

  Ah Mary, you’ll have a great surprise. That was only the beginning of Sam´s vengeance. While she enjoyed her revengeful thoughts, a scrap of fear settled down in Samantha´s mind and grew quickly. Would Mary be able to change Jin Quan´s mind? What if she told him a lot of lies about Sam? Would he cancel the wedding? She needed to keep Mary far away from him.

  Samantha entered her room still looking for a way to keep Mary far from Jin Quan. She grasped a towel and went to the bathroom, lots of ideas passed through her mind, none of them seemed good enough; even the cold water didn´t help her to make an adequate plan to delete Mary from her life. That woman might haunt Sam for a long time.

  Without wasting time, Samantha packed her stuff. She had only a few clothes and personal objects like her comb, toothbrush, and underwear. All her life and belongings fit inside a backpack. She wasn´t sure why she packed her clothes, certainly Mr. Jin Quan would buy new garments because she couldn´t wear those servant clothes after the wedding, but she packed everything just in case.

  At lunchtime, she went to the dining hall. Girls elbowed themselves in the line to take lunch. Samantha waited. When the line lessened she took a plate with rice, steamed meat, mashed potatoes, a glass of juice, and sat hidden at the last table near the corner. She didn´t want to explain what was going on to her friends for now, she´d do that later, when she moved to her new room, to her new life, and then she´d make some changes that might benefit all of them. She waited, lunchtime ended, no sign of Mary. Where was that woman? What kind of traps would she be preparing for Sam?

  The girls left the dining hall. Samantha followed them, but not to her job; instead, she walked every place known and allowed. Some girls looked at her and babbled some words that she wasn´t able to hear. Maybe they wondered why Sam wasn´t working in the middle of the afternoon, however, it didn´t matter. In time everybody would know the reason.

  Mary was gone. She had turned into smog and flown far away. Where are you, Mary? Samantha wondered on the way to her room. Had something bad happened? Samantha lay down on her bed and rested for the rest of the day. Nobody appeared to advise her that her new room was prepared, and that weak, thin little root called insecurity gained strength and possessed her thoughts. Would Jin Quan give up their engagement? Why was it so long? After all, she should just gather her belongings and move to another place, it shouldn´t take all day.

  Flashes of her childhood in the village shone strongly in her memory. Hannah had taught her what was right and wrong. She had a heart of gold; she was always ready to help anyone, more than that, she used to look for those who needed help, even though she was so young. Now, she had become a vindictive person waiting for the right moment to make Mary pay for everything she had done to her.

  Samantha searched through her memories, looked for where, when, the exact moment she had become that mean person and realized that it was a progressive process since she arrived in that place until now. Everything contributed to build who she was, but something she did must have been right because Jin Quan proposed to her instead of another woman.

  A knock on the door surprised Sam. No one did that before, what kind of joke was that? “Come in!” Samantha yelled without moving a muscle from her bed.

  Mary opened the door and stepped inside. “Your room is prepared, madam.” She stood there, body erect, eyes on the horizon, hands crossed in front of her body.

  Samantha laughed loud in front of that scene. “Mr. Jin Quan instructed you very well.” She got up, walked around the woman, and mumbled, “I like that, take my backpack and let´s go.”

  Mary collected Sam´s backpack and moved upstairs quietly. Samantha followed the woman, her heart beat in her mouth. She´d like to dart across the corridor, but she kept her poise, that girl´s behavior didn´t match with her new position. She was the future Mrs. Jin Quan. She laughed drawing an image where an elegant woman wore fancy clothes, gave orders to her servants, and stepped through the corridors wearing high heels.

  They passed by Jin Quan´s door and strode many feet ahead. Mary stopped in front of another door and unlocked it. Sam entered first and marveled the moment her eyes saw the room and her brain processed the information. She couldn´t believe what she saw.

  “A princess´ room as I have always dreamed.” She touched the furniture, the decorated items and jumped on the bed; the mattress made wave movements and stopped.

  She ran her eyes through the room identifying her temporary objects, yes temporary because soon she´d move to Jin Quan´s room. Sam noticed that Mary remained standing there, she sat up and ordered, “Bring my dinner here.”

  “Mr. Jin Quan is waiting for you for dinner, madam.” Mary maintained the same formal stance.

  Samantha gesticulated at her to go away and darted to the walk in closet. Electricity ran through her body when she found clothes, shoes, sandals, and jewelry. “That´s why Mary skipped lunch and spent all day to prepare my room.”

  She trailed the fingers through the fabrics, felt their softness and imagined such delicate dresses against her skin. He prepared everything, how could he buy so many garments in a few hours? And those jewels, where did he find them?

  Samantha chose the satin red dress embroidered with silver petals and a silver high heel sandal. The fabric glided on her body when she slipped into it; the dress wasn´t tight but outlined and showed her curves. Sam looked in the mirror and beamed. It was difficult to stop looking at her, though she had to.

  On the dressing table she found a hairbrush, hairclips, makeup, and perfume. She smelled the perfume; it had a soft woody scent. She sprayed a little on her neck and turned her attention to the other items imagining that Jin Quan liked a woman with makeup and hair styled. Probably all Empresses of the world wore these kind of things, and she needed to get used to this too.

  Sam wrestled with the hairbrush and hairclips to put her hair into what should be a bun with some strands of hair loose over her face. Then, she examined the makeup, uncertain how to use it, she chose some colors that she thought would match the dress she put on. To finish, gloss on the lips, the result was good, for a first time and then she decided on the white gold with diamonds necklace and earring set. She put the sandals on, looked in the mirror again and went to her first date.

  Jin Quan´s door was open. Samantha entered the empty room. “Hello.” Unsure what to do, she stood next to the window and waited.

  A breeze caused goose bumps and carried a very good scent. A smooth sound arrived in her ears. “Did you like the gifts?”

  He was there, near, closing the gap between them. She felt his scent coming close and enveloping her. His lips touched her bare neck, his hands glided on her waist twisting her to face him.

  “I loved them, thank you.” She sustained eye contact. There was no reason to fear that man. She repeated mentally while her legs shook and her knees hit against each other.

  He grinned, stroked her cheek, held her hand, and pulled her to the dinner table. “I want to make a toast to our future.” He handed her a glass of wine and lifted his.

  “To us.” She did the same. She relished the liquid, it tasted good and then she drank it.
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  They ate. Jin Quan kept his eyes on her during dinner. He seemed to read her thoughts and uncover her desires. Samantha ate just a little and drank a lot, liquid was easier to swallow than food. Many times she had desired the food which smelled and tasted wonderful, and now she barely enjoyed the meal.

  After the chocolate cake dessert, Jin Quan left the table for seconds; when he came back he helped her to get up, grasped her waist, pulled her closer, raised her left hand, slid a big diamond ring on her finger, and kissed it. “Your engagement ring.”

  The gesture that lasted a split second might change her life. Tears blurred her vision. “It is beautiful. Why didn´t you tell me that it was our engagement dinner?” She lowered her head. “I don´t have a gift for you.”

  He lifted her chin; with a bright smile, he said, “You are the best gift I can receive.”

  His fingers trailed her chest, neck, reached the bun, and loosened her hair. He seized her hair and yanked her head back; his lips encountered her collarbone, traced her neck and reached her lips; his mouth moved fast while his hands pulled her closer.

  She felt a strange sensation when he touched her over that dress; it was as if his hands were touching her bare skin and not the fabric. As she corresponded to the kisses, they became urgent, avid, and ardent, her mouth melted against his, her body shivered enfolded by his arms. All her fears were gone and gave space to passion, desire, and delight. He knew how to conquer a girl, and she was ready to be seduced. She was attracted to him; the man she hated and thought was repulsive. And, at that moment, she wished those hands and lips would never more leave her body.

  Chapter 23

  Wei

  On the other side of the world

  Wei observed Liu and Kate walking to the pagoda. Every night was the same, after dinner they went to that place and stayed there for hours. He wished that a storm would destroy that pagoda. He lowered and shook his head. It didn´t matter because they´d find another place and even if Wei spat fire and burned the whole empire they´d always find a place.