“You’re aware that the council is insisting… You attended the meeting. Still, you never offered an objection. Cressida, I don’t want anyone but you and you know it. Why do you resist our bond?”
The king wanted her mother? Candace leaned forward trying to hear more.
“You don’t want me, you never have. All you want is the dragon heir I can give you.” Her mother’s voice sounded hurt.
“That’s not true. What must I do to prove to you that I want my mate?”
“I don’t know, Enfys, but until you do, you will never have me. Besides, the law states the king must mate a virgin. A law you’ve never changed.”
“Fly with me. Let out your dragon; let her decide if I am a proper mate for you. No one could question a mating of our dragons.”
“I can’t. I won’t be a male’s property. I am mistress of my own household!”
“Yes, and as mistress, you are expected to provide a virgin for the dance. Will you sacrifice your daughter?”
“You’ve left me with no choice, have you? You are king. If you wanted to change the laws, you could do so. I won’t be your concubine. I think you should leave. I have things to do.”
“Dammit, Cressida!”
A door slammed and then the sound of the outside door being opened and closed was heard. Zahrah looked at Candace and sighed.
“Your mother is a proud woman. Her father was king before Enfys. When her father died, it was expected that she would marry the new king. She refused and ran away to Earth.”
“So my mother is a princess?” Wow, a princess.
Zahrah nodded. “If only you could change into a dragon, you would be exempt from the Virgin’s Dance.”
Virgin’s Dance, what was that? A rustling of fabric announced her mother’s arrival. Cressida looked lovely in a blue gown of shimmering silk. Just once, Candace wished she could look as nice.
“Ah, there you are. Tonight you will dance with the other virgins for the king,” Cressida lay on the divan in the sitting room, her face pale and her eyes sad.
“Mother,” Candace began. “You know I have a Destined One. I’m not sleeping with the king.”
“Yes, yes, dear. I’m afraid you have no choice. Every household must give up a virgin to the dance. I only have one. You.” Cressida sighed not meeting Candace’s eyes. “Zahrah, prepare my daughter for the Virgin’s Dance and make sure she drinks some suchi juice wine before she goes on stage.” The woman who ran her mother’s household looked worriedly at Candace.
Sighing, Candace rose from her cushion and followed Zahrah out of her mother’s apartment.
“What am I going to do, Zahrah? I have a Destined One on Earth.” They made their way down to the steaming mineral pools below the living chambers.
“There isn’t any way out of it. If the king called for the dance, the law states all households must surrender their virgins of age to be mated.”
“I won’t sleep with him! I’ll tell him about my Destined One.”
Zahrah shuddered. “I fear this will be a disaster. There is also the concern another dragon will try to claim you. I wonder if the king will allow it.” They walked into a cavern room filled with steam. A pool of bubbling water waited. Towels sat stacked near the door.
“Please remove your clothes and bathe,” Zahrah directed. “There is fragrant soap on the lip of the pool. Wash thoroughly, the king will be affronted if you aren’t pure in every way.”
“How does one ‘dance’ for the king?” Candace asked, slipping off the servant’s uniform she had been forced to wear since arriving at Zaltana.
“All the virgins from all the households dance for his pleasure. As daughter of one of the only female dragons, you will be considered a special gem. You must do your mother proud. I will return with your outfit for the dance in an hour. Please enjoy a good soak in the meantime.”
Candace shook her head. “Yeah, sure. A good soak. ”
She entered the pool slowly, letting her skin get used to the elevated temperature. Finally, she sank down on one of the ledges used as a seat. She reached for the soap flakes on the edge of the pool and lathered herself, being careful to wash every part.
Dragons possessed incredibly sensitive noses and she didn’t want to disgust the king. This was a disaster waiting to happen. What should she do?
Zahrah entered a short time later with a tray of cheeses and a goblet of juice. “This will help. Here, drink.”
“What is it?” Candace sipped at the juice cautiously happy to find it sweet and refreshing.
“Suchi fruit wine. Finish the whole goblet. It will help relieve some of your anxiety.”
The wine reminded her of mangos with something else mixed in. She nibbled on the cheese and sipped at the wine, and for the first time since coming to her mother’s world, relaxed.
“Next you will have a massage to loosen the muscles and prepare you for the dance,” Zahrah said. The masseuse was female. Candace sighed in relief.
She removed her towel and lay on the bench. The woman kneaded Candace’s back, and she moaned in pleasure. Maybe getting ready to dance for the king wasn’t a bad thing after all. The woman continued to massage Candace from head to toe and front to back before finally coating her with a sweet smelling oil.
“Please rise, miss. We must apply the gold dust.”
Candace looked over her shoulder to see three of her mother’s servants patiently waiting by the door. Candace felt so relaxed, she feared rising would be a problem. She managed to get off the bench without too much trouble, and didn’t even flinch at standing naked before the three women.
The masseuse slipped away as the three women gathered close and began the process of dusting her skin with gold dust. Candace hardly felt the light brushing of the bristles against her skin as they coated her until she sparkled. Her hair, still tied up with a towel on her head, was then lowered and braided with gold beads throughout. Finally they brought forward an outfit of sheerest silk, red with gold threads running through the fabric. They draped the fabric so it crossed over her breasts before attaching a skirt of red and orange silk scarves around her waist. One move would part the see through scarves and show off her gold coated flesh.
Gold jewelry came next, earrings, bracelets and cuffs, with the final piece being an anklet of gold bells. Her gold dragon scale necklace coordinated nicely with the other pieces. Then makeup was added to her eyes and lips. Candace looked across the room into the mirror and didn’t recognize herself. She looked like someone from ancient Egypt, a dancing girl for the king. Instead of freaking out, Candace felt strangely calm, somehow distanced from her emotions. She blinked. Zahrah suddenly stood before her with another glass of wine.
“You will drink,” Zahrah directed, holding the cup to Candace’s lips.
Candace meekly did as she was told. A small part of her seemed to scream a warning, but she didn’t have the energy to worry about it. Zahrah handed the empty goblet to one of the other servants and motioned Candace to follow.
They made their way up toward the dining hall and into the center where a small platform had been set up. The closer they came to the center, the more girls entered from the different hallways. Zahrah stopped and motioned Candace to get in line behind another bedecked beauty. The golden woman with raven black hair hissed at Candace when she came up.
“You may be daughter of Cressida, but don’t even think you will catch the king’s eye. I will be his companion this evening, not some half breed from Earth.”
“Silent, virgin, or I will have you removed from the dance,” Zahrah threatened. The girl sneered and turned away.
Candace knew she should feel something about the girl’s reaction to her, but couldn’t find any emotions to grab onto. Trapped in her own mind, aware but disconnected from her body. What did they put in the wine?
A sudden hush warned that something was about to happen. Candace glanced up. Dragons filled all the ledges above the stage. The many colors of their skin sparkled in the tor
chlight. Her mother easily recognizable as the only gold dragon.
The king arrived and settled his huge black form on the ledge. The flames from the torches sparkled off his iridescent scales. A bass drum began to sound. Deep in the earth, moving through Candace’s body like a heartbeat. Zahrah handed her a tambourine.
“Good luck,” she whispered and melted into the crowd forming around the stage.
A Djembe drum added another layer to the beat, as Candace followed the other girls onto the platform and took her place in the circle around the edge. The beat of the drums reverberated through her body and something wild and animalistic inside her lifted its head. A Doumbek drum and chime, added to the mixture of sound. Suddenly, Candace wanted to move, to own the music, to let the tones wash through her as her body brought them to life.
She began to dance, her body an instrument of beauty. Her feet found a rhythm she recognized in her soul and swept her away. She twirled, and dipped, her hips swayed, and her stomach undulated. She was the music. It lived inside her, vibrating through her bones. She became the rhythm, each pulse a movement of muscle, of limb. The bells on her ankle added another layer of harmony, which echoed in the space.
The women moved around the stage in a circle. The crowd below the platform stomped and clapped in time to the beat. The Earth rumbled with each pound. The dragons on the ledges hissed their approval. The Dragon King leaned down his huge triangular head. His eyes swirled with color showing deep emotion.
All of it secondary to the music running through Candace’s soul. Her body moved instinctively, turning first left, and then right, her arms waving gracefully as she thumped the tambourine. Her heart beat with each sounding of the drum.
Heat engulfed her and she embraced it, adding the sensual pull of the tune to her dance. Her skin glistened as she whirled, giving everything to the music. Thoughts didn’t exist, only feelings and the beat. With a final crescendo, the drums stopped, and she collapsed to the floor, her head down, her lungs trying to pull in enough air to support her thumping heart.
The crowd erupted into cheers and whistles, and still Candace remained where she was. The spectators hushed as the king changed to his human form and jumped down to the platform. A servant ran up with a loincloth and headpiece, and the king quickly dressed in majestic finery.
“This dance is closed. Leave the hall,” the king ordered. Candace thought she heard growls and groans as the male dragons made their way from the room.
Candace kept her face down, not wanting to garner attention. Her thoughts slowly came back to her. Embarrassed and terrified, what did she just do?
The male servant went from girl to girl, dismissing them from the stage, until Candace and the girl who had sneered at her remained. He approached Candace.
“Get up, girl. The king will make his choice,” he hissed at her.
Candace slowly got to her feet, but kept her head down. The king approached and lifted her face with his finger under her chin. He smiled at her and she trembled. Powerful magic emanated from him.
“What a gem you are. Lovely. You have nothing to fear, Cressida’s daughter, but I see the panic in your eyes. Do you not desire to join with me?” he asked softly.
His black eyes swirled with rainbow colors even in his human form. He towered over her and his broad shoulders blocked out everything behind him. He was beautiful, a masculine work of art, but she never forgot he was also a predator. She gulped.
“I have a Destined One, Your Majesty.” Her voice came out barely a whisper.
“I see. Is your mother aware of this?” the king asked, looking sad.
He glanced up at the ledge where Cressida remained even after the order to clear the hall. Her mother took human form and one of the servants rushed forward to drape her in silk. She stood tall and proud, her fiery red hair falling around her in waves.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Candace said. “I’m afraid she doesn’t take stock in destined pairs.”
“Unfortunate for you, my dear, in more ways than one.”
Candace quivered, her heart beat fast, and she looked around for an exit. Deep down, she knew never to show fear.
The king moved to the next girl, and spoke softly to her, and then motioned the servant to take the girl from the platform. He returned to stand in front of Candace and looked up to the ledge where her mother stood.
“Cressida, you have tried to entice me with one who belongs to another. Destined Pairs are rare indeed, especially to us, the dragon kind. Would you have me break the Destined One Laws that I myself put into place?”
A huge gasp came from the servants and Candace feared for her life and that of her mother. Would the king harm her mother?
“I’ve given you all the freedom I am willing to give, Cressida. You will come to me now, and be glad that I don’t take your daughter’s life. Guards, take Cressida to my chambers and keep her there until I come for her.”
The king turned and looked at Candace. She kept her face lowered and tried not to tremble beneath his gaze. A servant ran up and whispered in his ear.
“Bring him, immediately.” The king once more lifted her head. The servant ran off.
“Am I so frightening that you cannot look at me?” he asked softly.
“No, Your Majesty, I just feel safer not looking at you.” The king chuckled, and then laughed out loud. “Your mother owes me much, but you, I believe are an innocent in this matter, and I am not such a tyrant that I make war upon the innocent. Your mother received a caller here a few days ago. It seems that a young man from Earth came looking for his Destined One. She put him in the dungeons.”
“What?” Candace gasped.
Had Haytham come looking for her? Why would her mother betray her in such a way?
§
Haytham sat in his cell, his head in his hands. What should he do? His friend hadn’t been able to get him out of the dungeon, but he did make sure Haytham was comfortable. As comfortable as someone could be sleeping in a cold dank cell.
The Earth around him thumped with a deep beat and his heart fell. They must be having the Virgin Dance Andras told him about last night. What if the king chose Candace? How would he rescue her, let alone escape himself? Was his uncle right? Was he going to fail miserably at claiming his Destined One?
The sound of keys rattling announced a visitor and the door at the far end opened. Haytham looked up to see Andras standing in front of the bars of his cell. He smiled.
“The king has closed the dance and even now summons you to the hall.”
“Candace?”
“Was a sight to behold. You are a lucky man. Here.” Andras held out his hand. “I’ve brought your flute and dragon scale pin. I’m sorry, I can’t return your sword. It disappeared from the armory. Come, the king awaits.”
“Does this mean I’m free?” Hay asked, hope filling his chest. Something in Andras’s face warned him. “Tell me.” Hay tucked the items into his pocket. Andras placed the key in the lock and opened the cell door.
“I tried to get my father to agree to free you and send you home to Earth. He said he would consider it, but I’m not sure he will release you. At this moment, let’s be glad he is letting you claim your Destined One.”
Hay looked down at his grimy clothes. He never got to clean up before Cressida threw him in the dungeon.
“I look a fright. Not exactly the way I planned to woo my Destined One.” He followed Andras down the hall.
Andras chuckled. “Women often see below the surface. Candace will be glad to see you, I’m sure. Zahrah said she spoke of you often.”
“Did she? What of you? Has your dragon tattoo taken on color?”
“Yes, and I showed my father, but we mustn’t speak of it. Derog is trying to ban all witches from the realm. He says they’re too dangerous, though there are rumors that Derog practices dark magic. The tattoo is considered a mark of the witch.”
“In your case, a mark of power. You are half dragon, so it makes sense that you would wear
the Fire House tattoo.”
“Hush now, or you endanger us both with your talk.”
He opened the door to the dungeon and ushered Haytham up the many stairs he had counted on his way down. A guard waited at every ten-step interval. Once they reached the main floor of the palace, Andras turned them down a long hallway that ended in a set of double doors. Guards stood along the wall at attention. If their chests hadn’t moved with each breath, Haytham might have thought them to be statues.
Two men argued furiously at the entrance.
“I demand to be admitted! I am heir to the throne. The Virgin Dance wasn’t supposed to be held until I returned from my journey.” Haytham studied the man with the brown hair and horns, his dusty clothes almost the same color. This was the heir to the throne? What did Andras say his cousin’s name was? Ah, yes, Derog.
“I’m sorry, sir, his majesty has closed the dance. As king it is his prerogative to do so.” The servant wrung his hands. “I will send servants to prepare your bath. I have to follow my orders.”
Derog turned, the look on his face deadly. He stared at Andras and Haytham and then marched down the hallway.
“He seems an unpleasant fellow,” Haytham said, quietly.
“You have no idea,” Andras whispered.
He nodded at the servant and the door opened for them to enter. Haytham followed Andras into the great hall. Several stories high with ledges near the top, a huge platform sat in the middle. Haytham gasped.
“Candace…”
She stood next to a large man with long black horns on his head. From his regal bearing, Haytham assumed this was the king. Candace wore a costume of sheerest silk, her hair braided with gold beads. He could see her skin beneath glowing and sparkling with gold. His body hardened. His gaze locked. A part of him he didn’t know existed didn’t like her proximity to the king. She was a fantasy come to life. His Destined One. His.
§
The king waved his hand to motion the men forward. Candace’s heart almost jumped from her chest. It was Haytham. He looked ragged, his clothes dark and dirty, but he walked with dignity to the king, and bowed.
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