by Sara Fields
“Time for you to see what makes us Draegiran royalty,” Bruddis said with serious look. The next moment, he threw his arms out to the sides and a brilliant white light flashed, growing in size with each passing second until it was the scope of a large building. When the brightness finally faded, Jada nearly screamed at what she saw.
It was a dragon. A massive, scaly, horned dragon.
She squeezed her eyes shut, convinced she was dreaming.
She heard the loud footsteps of the giant beast move toward her and she squeaked in alarm, opening one eye to see the dragon’s face mere feet from hers. Taking a deep breath, she opened the other, feeling Draego’s presence behind her in support, his hands tight on her shoulders, not allowing her escape.
Holy shit, he was big.
His body was the color of rust, eyes glowing red as he stared down at her. Long, ivory canines lined his mouth, so large that he could easily tear her in two with a single bite. His lengthy snout moved closer, sniffing the air around her and she shivered with fear. Scales like iron encased his entire body from his back to his belly, while giant crested spikes lined his spine. Two great thick horns segmented with even more spikes curved out from either side of his forehead, giving him the look of a formidable mythical beast. His wings stretched wide, so much so that she had to turn her head to see the entire span of them. Long talons the size of her legs dug into the dirt, his four limbs shifting before them. His tail curled around his massive frame, flicking back and forth as he cocked his head, the red glow of his eyes studying her tiny frame.
Growling softly, Bruddis flapped his wings and her hair flew back at the force of the gust he created. He huffed and a tendril of smoke rose into the sky. Then, with almost a sort of growly chuckle, he threw his head upward and a stream of flame climbed high above, the heat scalding as close as she was. After a long moment, he gnashed his teeth together, cutting off the flames in an instant.
He brought his snout level with hers, bathing her in the scent of burnt smoke.
The ground seemed to shake beneath them as they studied each other.
“How is this even possible?” she whispered, hardly aware that she had spoken out loud.
“My brother and I are shifters. At will, we can shift into our dragon forms. Our royal blood burns hot and everyone under our rule are genetically programmed to defer to our alpha nature. Our father’s blood has sensed our rise in power over the years and has succumbed to the combined influence that myself and my brother have. The force of it will eventually cause him to pass,” Draego explained.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“We’ve come to expect this would happen eventually, although once he fell ill, it has progressed much quicker than we imagined. In normal circumstances, we would have had time to find a bride from Draegira, plan royal balls, perform interviews, but that proved to not be the case. So, we looked outward, and purchased you from the Earthen station for human brides.”
“Why do you need to marry so quickly?”
Bruddis growled quietly and sat down on his haunches.
“Had we not performed the ritual mating with our bride together, our blood would have eventually forced a rivalry between us and wouldn’t allow us to stop until only one alpha survived. This had happened a few times in the past, and the devastation brought on by the fighting was terrible. It’s imperative we prevent this genetic trigger and share a wife between the two of us. Because of that reason, you’ll become our bride within the next few days once everything is in place, thus completing the ritual circle of the royal mating.”
Bruddis watched her intently, a soft rumble emanating from him that shook her to the very core. He growled softly and laid his head down on the ground before her. The sound of his breathing echoed quietly, reverberating around the valley and vibrating her to what felt like the very tips of her toes.
Her initial shock had faded some and she tried to shrug away her fear, pulling her fur mantle closed almost as though it was a shield meant to protect her.
She reached her arm out and knelt before him, placing her palm flush against the heat of his snout. He nuzzled her hand gently, and her courage gradually grew as more time passed. He lifted his head and she held the end of his snout in both hands, staring up into his glowing red eyes.
They felt like they called to her, magnets that dove deep down into the depths of her soul. Her body was calling for him.
“Can I see you fly?” she asked in wonder as her fear evaporated into nothingness. She could feel him, touch him. He was real. Dragons were real.
Behind her, she felt the air shift and she turned, only to find that Draego was no longer in his human form either.
Charcoal gray scales covered his body and he stared back at her with glowing icy blue eyes. He was slightly broader than Bruddis and the two spiked horns emerging from his forehead were connected with webbed flesh. He breathed softly and white steam rose from his nostrils. He turned his head and breathed an icy stream of blue-colored fire, freezing the ground solid and creating a small patch of snowy tundra before them.
Fire and ice. Brothers equally matched with a power that the other was weak against. She had no doubt that if they did fight each other for the power of the alpha, that the damage they could wreak would be immense.
Bruddis gently stood up and leaned his head down next to her.
“Climb up and I’ll take you flying, little human. You deserve to see Draegira like we do, from high above,” his voice sounded in her head.
With as much courage as she could muster, she climbed onto his limb, up and over his elbow, and onto his neck. Situating herself in front of his crests, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Comfortable, she held on tight as his wings flapped behind her, forcing the grass beneath them to lie flat from the winds of his movements.
Slowly they lifted off the ground and up into the air and her fingers tensed against the burgundy scales of Bruddis’ throat. In no time at all, they were several stories up into the air and the trees on the ground looked tiny below. Soaring through the sky, she felt his muscles tense and relax beneath her as he rose up even higher so that she could look at the city down far below.
She looked on in wonder, seeing the fields fly by and the mountains rise up around them. People walked along the street and they seemed small as ants, going about their business as she watched from above.
Bruddis soared lazily around, keeping her safely on his back while Draego dove and turned, flying in tight circles and pirouettes that probably would have thrown her clean off his back. Bruddis flew up higher in the air and paused, flapping his wings and holding his position.
“Want to try a dive?” he murmured softly, an eager enthusiasm clear in his tone.
Nervously, she nodded into his throat and suddenly they were falling together toward the ground, the grass rushing toward them faster than she could have ever imagined. Exhilaration raced through her and she screamed with excitement and terror. Just when she thought they were going to crash into the dirt, his massive form lifted back up as his wings flapped hard and her stomach dropped to her toes. When they pulled up, he stilled in the air and she giggled with joy, happy to be alive.
“Hold on tight, little human,” he said as he flew up in the sky higher than before.
They dove a few more times and she screamed with delight with each one. When the sun finally began to descend below the horizon, the brothers soared down to the ground and helped her to climb off. In no time at all, the loud rumbles of dragons were no more and Draego and Bruddis were once again in their human forms.
“That was remarkable,” she mused out loud and both men smirked back at her.
“Our dragon forms certainly have their perks,” Draego responded. He sighed then, studying the remaining light from the setting sun. “Come now. We must get you washed and ready for the trials. Now that we have the king’s approval, it’s time to put you to the test to find out if you’re worthy to be our queen.”
“What do you me
an, put to the test?” she asked softly, her uncertainty growing by the second.
Both men looked at her and shook their heads.
“We can’t say anything more. It’s a sacred tradition on our planet for the queen-to-be, something she must go through. If she passes, then there is a wedding to be had. If she doesn’t, well… We’ll need to find a new bride,” Draego explained.
Even though she hardly knew these men, the thought of failing, of being sent away forever worried her immensely. She studied the two of them and dropped her eyes to the ground.
Did she want this? Even though it had been such a short time, she felt like she belonged with them, that they were hers, and that she was theirs. Her heart faltered at the thought of losing them, at being replaced by another, of another woman in their arms when it should be her.
Was it wrong to fall for complete strangers so quickly?
She didn’t know and instead allowed them to lead her back to the castle, hurrying down the streets at a pace she found difficult to keep up with until Draego picked her up and carried her on his back as though she didn’t weigh anything at all.
When they returned to the castle, the brothers guided her into what looked like a Roman bathhouse, with hot tubs full of heated water with steam rising up into the air. She was quickly divested of her dress and helped into the baths, despite her protests that she could bathe herself.
She still blushed under their ever-watchful eyes, even though she knew they’d seen her naked body earlier already. Her bottom still felt sore from her prior punishment and as she stepped into the hot water and sat down on the tile seat, she hissed at the residual sting.
Bruddis and Draego quietly joined her, rubbing soap over her skin and shampoo into her hair. She sighed with pleasure at their unexpected kindness and tried her best to comply with their wishes, despite only knowing them for a short time.
It seemed as though their serious natures had returned, that their fun and carefree attitudes in their dragon forms had disappeared along with their talons. They were once again princes ready to lead their planet together.
Bruddis seemed more serious than ever, although every once in a while, he would catch her eyes and wink at her. Draego would simply frown and shake his head with disapproval. She felt Draego’s fingers tighten in her hair and she bit her lip, feeling her body begin to pulse with desire once again at the slight twinge of pain.
A short time later, the brothers brought her to a team of women, leaving her with them to prepare her for the event that night. They quickly whipped away her towel, leaving her standing naked before them in the cool air. Her nipples peaked and she moved to cover them, but the older women attending to her knocked her hands away. She could tell they were native Draegirans by the soft red glow of their skin. She had yet to see a human in this world. With a sigh, she wondered if she was the only one.
Her hair was brushed and styled in long waves and a bit of rouge was applied to her cheeks and color to her lips. A small amount of mascara was applied to her eyes before they helped her step into a soft green velvet dress that dipped low in the front, revealing her ample cleavage. A simple sash was tied around her waist. Her toes were threaded into soft leather ballet slippers and an emerald necklace was clasped around her throat.
She felt like a princess when they finally finished with her. It had seemed like hours, but she was finally returned to the brothers’ bedroom and told to wait for them there. Nervously, she sat back down on the bed, wondering what they would expect from her and what her duties as queen would entail.
Would it be like the fairy tales she read as a child? Would she find her happily ever after in the arms of two men rather than one?
When the door finally swung open, she smiled softly upon seeing both of them enter in black cloth pants and a royal doublet with a dragon insignia embroidered on the back. She felt herself studying them, unsure about how she felt about either one. Her body craved them, yet her mind fought the match. In one moment, they seemed cruel and unyielding, yet in others, they were easy and natural to be around.
Upon seeing her smile, both of them grinned back at her and offered their arms for her to take.
“Remember, human, you are to obey our every word and submit when we command it. Do you understand?” Bruddis said softly, his tone deadly serious. She shivered at his warning.
“I understand,” she whispered, as her bottom clenched imagining Draego taking her in hand once again. She shivered when she also remembered how Bruddis had spanked her pussy and she had no trouble coming to the realization that a paddling over their knees was one of their tamer punishments.
Draego took her chin in his fingers, his touch gentle but his expression full of dark warning.
“The correct answer is, ‘Yes, Masters,’” he corrected.
She widened her eyes slightly and breathed deeply in indignation.
“Do I need to remind you who exactly is in charge here?” he asked, his icy gaze narrowing as his grip tightened.
“No, Masters,” she finally whispered, feeling as though her tongue was a ball of cotton. Gritting her teeth, she held his gaze for a moment longer before he begrudgingly let her go.
“Come, the sun is beginning to set. It is time to meet the fire shaman and to let the trials begin,” Bruddis murmured.
She shivered.
Was it a happy ever after that awaited her? Or was it her doom?
Chapter Four
Draego and Bruddis took her deep into the caves. They strode purposefully through corridors of rock, the dank moist air chilling her to the bone. Both Bruddis and Draego carried crude, fire-lit torches and she absentmindedly wondered why they hadn’t brought something more modern. Neither of them said a single word to her and the only thing she could hear was her heart beating thunderously loud in her chest. Her mind ran wild with what-ifs. Clutching her fingers to her stomach, she bit her lip, incredibly nervous for the events to come.
After a longer journey than she expected, they eventually walked into a massive cave, so immense that darkness overcame the small power of the torches they carried with them. In silence, they stood still, taking her arm and gently maneuvering her to stand in front of the two of them.
“Fire Shaman, we are here to put our potential bride on trial. We bring fire, an offering for you, your wisdom and for your power,” Draego said softly and respectfully. He took the two torches in his hands and tossed one, and then another into the darkness. The fire burned bright in the shadow.
She watched the flames lick the floor and all was silent for a single breath.
The blaze grew brighter and brighter and all at once, the fire spread across the floor and up into the air, turning from two small burning torches into a bonfire fit for a king’s feast. A woman’s form emerged in the flames, walking forth from a portal surrounded by fire. Her form darkened as she came forth, her eyes red hot as she stared in their direction.
Around her hips was tiered belt of gold coins, layered over top of a tattered brown leather skirt. She wore a bustier of coins and leather. The woman slinked forward, gold bracelets on her wrists clinking with her movements. She held in her hands two metal fans that burned with fire. Finally, she stood in front of them, a smirk turning up the corner of her lips.
“Who is it that summons me?” she asked, her voice a soft purr that echoed in the caves around them.
“Prince Draego.”
“Prince Bruddis.”
“And the female? What is your name, child?” the magical being asked, as she turned her attention to Jada. Bright orange glittery eyes met hers and Jada quivered, the enchanted fire goddess like something she’d never seen.
“Jada Rivers,” she answered hesitantly.
The fire shaman moved closer to her, her hips swaying back and forth, her blazing eyes studying her closely.
“You bring me a warrior then?”
“Yes. She’s seen death before in her past. She isn’t afraid of it,” Bruddis confirmed and Jada ground her teeth
. She stared into the fire, feeling the heat of the flames warm her skin. She reminded herself that it didn’t matter whether or not the princes believed her.
The shaman’s eyes narrowed as she studied her, and she smiled then.
“Your bride is strong. I think there’s more to her than meets the eye,” the shaman murmured, a strange excitement crossing her features. Her chest rose and fell and she lifted her chin, her attention focused on Jada. All around her, the flames picked up, reaching higher and higher into the air, surrounding them.
“I can’t wait to test her,” the shaman purred. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to have such fun.”
Suddenly, the woman lifted her arms, holding out the metal burning fans and swirled them wide and over her head. She began to dance with the fire and Jada watched, mesmerized, momentarily forgetting her fears of what was to come.
The intricate designs of the swirling flames were beautiful, enchanting even. Gradually, the burning blaze turned from red, to orange, to a brilliant white. The woman continued to dance, moving faster and faster until she threw her arms overhead in one single quick motion and the fire shot upward, a stream of flames that reached high into the air until it reached the ceiling of the rock cave, bathing them in a brilliant light as bright as the sun.
The flames crawled down the sides of the rock, raining down to the floor and Jada watched in wonder.
Three shapes emerged in front of them, bright flames in the shape of doors forming as the magic spread around them.
“Your trials have been summoned. Enter the first door and begin,” the shaman murmured softly. “I’ll be watching so that I may provide the final judgement.” Her ensuing laughs echoed off the rocky walls.
The fire around them reduced to a smolder, leaving them a single clear path to the first blazing door.
She raised her arm and pointed.
“Go now.”
Jada shivered and the princes gently pushed her forward. In no time at all, they reached the door of fire, and she stood before it, not knowing what to do.