Kiss of the Dragon

by Christina James

  “You are being too hard on the young hopefuls. I know of at least one young lord who went so far as to come to me, asking what he could do to gain a quiet moment with you. I fear I had to disillusion him as to that improper assignation, but it is encouraging to know that there is always such as he who would not care how short his bride’s hair was. It might be to your advantage to at least speak to the man.” As Heloise spoke, she had been going through a pile of gowns that her maid had brought in. The maid had laid them across the bed and departed discreetly at a signal from her mistress.

  “Take my advice, Bianca, stay away from the kind of man who takes what he wants from a woman without a promise of marriage to come. We may not always have seen eye to eye, but as an older woman, I know the ways of men much better than you do.” She paused to drink from her cup as she waited for Bianca to do the same before smiling and continuing.

  “Choose a man whose intentions are above reproach and forget the one who would use you and then leave you with nothing but empty promises to move on to the next woman when he tires of you.”

  “I will consider your advice, Heloise. Thank you.”

  “Of course, what is a stepmother for if not to help her stepdaughter through these confusing times? I consider it my duty to see to your future.”

  With an ambiguous smile, Heloise turned her attention back to choosing a gown for Bianca to wear. Something to complement her new coiffure while Bianca sat finishing her drink. The little twit had no notion of what the evening held for her.

  * * * * *

  Spirited away from her Knight by a stranger.

  Destiny unknown but fraught with imminent danger,

  Was the only sure thing that the Maid could foresee.

  Her Knight retained by his duty to the monarchy

  Left her alone to shed her silent tears,

  Of the loneliness, year after year.

  But the brave Knight did not let the Maid go that simply,

  For she made his heart soar with love never-ending.

  Chapter Twenty

  The Great Hall was ablaze with lights and filled to nearly overflowing with people representing every station in society. From the highest of noblemen to the lowliest of servants, who were there to make sure the duke’s guests were all taken care of. An air of excitement filled the room as the guests found their places at the trestle tables and began to partake of the bounty provided for them by their host.

  Only a small thought of sympathy went to the absent nobleman who provided this feast and the entertainment to follow. The Duke de Neige was reported to be bedridden with a case of indigestion and would be unable to attend the evening’s festivities. It was unfortunate to say the least as the entertainment tonight was to be the final performance of the gypsy troupe before they moved on to another estate. By morning, they would be gone, as was their nomadic way.

  “Are you feeling well this evening, my lady?” Galen asked Bianca when she went past him as she made her way down the corridor.

  “Yea, I am. Thank you for asking,” she answered politely before moving on. It irritated her that, since she left her chambers, everyone she knew as friend asked her the same question. Modesta had even gone so far as to place her hand on Bianca’s forehead to see if she had a fever. Leia, whom she had met on the stairs, had stared hard at her, taking in every aspect of her appearance from head to toe and then shook her head and continued on her way. It was evident that Heloise had not done her a favor in helping her to dress for this evening. Bianca realized that she had been a fool to believe that her stepmother had changed in her feelings for her stepdaughter. Obviously not, if the looks she kept getting from everyone she knew were anything to go by.

  By the time Bianca made it into the hall, the tables were already filling. As soon as everyone was seated, the servants would begin to bring in the first course. Across the room, standing before the head table she saw Draco. He was in deep conversation with Lord Charles. He looked so serious that she hesitated to rush to his side.

  “Good evening, my lady. How are you?”

  Bianca turned to find herself looking up into the concerned faces of her two favorite knights, Sir Dominic and Sir Gregory. Apparently, they had been awaiting her arrival. Sir Gregory’s voice was loud enough to draw the attention of the guests closest to the doorway. Bianca felt every eye turn to her as she stepped beneath the archway and in that moment she experienced something that she never expected.

  Self-consciousness.

  In her entire life Bianca had taken for granted the attention she gleaned as her due as a member of the aristocracy, as was her right. But at that moment, she no longer wanted that attention. At the moment, she wanted complete anonymity as she stood before this sea of inquisitive stares.

  “I believe they are looking at me.” The warm, deep voice reverberated through her, quickly soothing her already frazzled nerves. Bianca turned to confront the gallant who dared to speak to her without a formal introduction, only to find herself smiling up at a very handsome man with the nicest eyes.

  “You are presumptuous, my lord. And I appreciate your chivalry. I would hate to think there was something about the way I look that would have an entire crowd stopping in their tracks to stare.” She offered her hand and he carried it to his lips to kiss it slowly as his eyes moved over her face. Bianca saw before her an overconfident, sleekly attired golden giant whose warm, piercing gray eyes both soothed her and disturbed her inner peace. His knowing smile told her plainly enough that he knew what he did to her and a gasp escaped her lovely lips as she snatched back her hand.

  “I do not believe we have been properly introduced, beautiful lady.” His voice did the same silky dance around her, his accent truly mysterious and mesmerizing.

  Bianca racked her brain, trying to remember if she had met this man before, but was certain she had not. “I am Lady Bianca de Neige.” She started to offer her hand again out of habit, but then thought better of it. She did not want to encourage this man. A new suitor was not what she needed or wanted at the moment. He grinned as she put her hands behind her back in a defensive gesture.

  “Ah, the rich little heiress everyone seeks to wed.”

  “But not you?”

  He smiled a bit sardonically. “I must confess, that was my intent for being here.”

  Bianca could not help but smile. She truly liked this huge man. He seemed too honest to be a phony like so many of the others who had come before him.

  “Well, now you can go back home with the knowledge that, although I find you most attractive and somewhat honest, I have already chosen the man of my dreams, therefore I am not free to be courted.”

  “The man of your dreams, Cherie, but not of your reality. From what I have discerned from the usual gossip, the Black Dragon is not the choice your stepmother had in mind. I should warn you, the duchess has her own plans for your future.”

  “Do not worry on my account, my lord. My future is mine to decide, trust me.”

  “I believe you. But now that we have managed to ensnare the attention of every personage around us, let us stir up a bit of gossip. Allow me to escort you to dinner.”

  “Thank you…” Bianca realized then he had not yet introduced himself.

  “Prince Anatolli Mikailov of Galicia.” He bowed stiffly over her hand.

  “Russia? We have already had the pleasure of entertaining royalty from your country.” Her voice chilled at the remembrance of the man whose intentions were unscrupulous at the best.

  “From the tone of your voice, it would seem that I must apologize for something that this personage has done, something very offensive by the look on your face. I am sorry that you have had to deal with a nobleman of such little character. But I assure you that I and, indeed most of my fellow countrymen are honorable men.”

  “Yes, I am certain they are. You are,” she added graciously and then placed her hand on the arm he offered. They moved through the crowd toward the dais where Draco watched them like a hawk who had
spotted its prey and was ready to swoop.

  Many curious eyes perused the beautiful couple as they moved forward toward the head table. The multitude of guests parted, letting them pass by.

  The Russian prince paused beside a distraught maiden who had gotten her heel caught in the hem of her gown and could not move out of the way. He glanced at Bianca, shrugged his shoulders and let her move on before turning to help the young woman.

  Bianca was relieved to have his attention turned elsewhere. She did not want to be the buffer between Draco and Prince Anatolli and, from the look on Draco’s face, the great man was a hair’s breadth away from physically separating her from the handsome Russian. She smiled at her great knight.

  “Who was that?” Draco asked as soon as Bianca arrived at his side.

  “He is just one more Russian prince.”

  “I hope he proves to be less enthusiastic in his pursuit of your hand in marriage than his counterpart.” Draco thoughts went to the other Russian prince he had cornered in Bianca’s chambers. He had not noticed that particular one present among the other guests this evening and it was just as well.

  Draco had not gotten much satisfaction in just dropping the man to the ground in an abrupt manner. The rogue deserved a thrashing at the very least. It would give him great pleasure to run the man through with his great sword. The only reason Draco had let the scoundrel go was because he wanted no scandal finding its way to Bianca’s door.

  “I do not think he is anything like Prince Evgenii.”

  He glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to hear the conversation. “Good. I do not relish the thought of having to throw another overzealous suitor out of your bedchamber.” Bianca took a step closer, brushing his arm with her hand. It was an intimate gesture, one that would be obvious to anyone who happened to be paying close attention.

  “Then you do plan to return?” she whispered breathlessly, not believing her own audacity at bringing up such an intimate subject in the crowded hall.

  His dark gaze nearly set her afire and affirmed her hope that he would indeed be paying her a visit, soon. Draco took her hand and lifted it to his lips.

  “Yea,” he breathed against her skin as he gazed deeply into her eyes. His mouth descended to cover the tender flesh of her inner wrist and his tongue flicked out and swirled over her sensitive flesh. Chills of anticipation covered her body.

  When Draco lifted his head, it was to gaze at something over her shoulder and his complete demeanor changed abruptly. Bianca, puzzled about what could have brought about the change, turned just as a shout of welcome swept through the crowd. Her gaze flew to the entryway to find that the evening’s entertainment had arrived, effectively dousing their mild flirtation. The arrival of the jubilant dancers and performers from the gypsy camp brought them back to the reality of where they were.

  Draco found that he could not concentrate on the meal as his thoughts were distracted by the events of the last few days. He ate without tasting the food set before him. He answered automatically at the appropriate times, giving appropriate answers but not really listening to the conversation around him. But his mind was elsewhere.

  Tonight he hoped to receive the communication, which Jabulani promised to deliver to him. As soon as he had what he needed, he would put an end to the threat that hung over Bianca like an ominous black cloud. When Draco was completely convinced that everything had been settled to his satisfaction, then and only then would he ask her to become his wife. It stunned him momentarily that he had come to that decision so quickly after his vow to himself to never marry. But after spending so many hours in the company of this beautiful young woman, he could not turn and run. It would be impossible to do so, now.

  Earlier that day, as Draco stood on the top of the bluff overlooking the river, it had hit him that he would give his all just to possess such a woman as his beautiful Bianca. And she was his for the taking. She had been trying to tell him that in so many ways these past few days and he had been blind to it all. Until he had stood there watching this small maiden give her all for a stranger who happened to be related to him. He had seen her love then, shining so bright that he could no longer ignore it. Even if his birth were not legitimate, he would make up for that divergence somehow. After all, he had already worked long and hard to make a name for himself. He was accepted at court and had the king’s blessing to pick a bride of his own choosing. His reputation, along with the lands and titles he had earned, were hers for the taking. And above all else, he would give her his promise to love and protect her for the rest of his life.

  Bianca became aware of Draco’s restlessness, watching him closely as his eyes strayed constantly around the room as if looking for something or someone. It was obvious he paid no attention to the conversation going on around him. She felt momentarily stung by his remissness because she had been looking forward to seeing him again after his declaration this afternoon.

  She glanced up at him surreptitiously as she reached for the wine cup they shared. Her fingers brushed the back of his hand to get his attention and in response he turned his hand over and clasped her hand in his and lifted it to his firm warm lips placing a quick kiss in the middle of her palm. It was a sweet, tender moment and she blushed under his dark, knowing look. Then he shocked her when, instead of returning her hand, he lowered their joined hands to his lap. There he pressed her open palm over that part of him that bulged at the junction of his thighs. Bianca’s eyes widened and she gasped and blushed red.

  “Did you think I was unaware of you, my love?” he murmured against her ear as he leaned into her, reaching beyond her plate to retrieve a jug of wine. The movement was a caress of his body against hers and the scent of him surrounded her, warmed her. A heated blush crept up her cheeks as her gaze dropped down to hide her excitement. The blush deepened as Draco pressed her hand over his arousal.

  “I do not know to what you are referring, my lord.” Her breathless denial brought a quiver to his lips and she concentrated on her plate even as her hand began to move with boldness over his crotch. It was a brazen thing to do. She quickly glanced around to see if anyone noticed what the two lovers did in such a public place. It was not something that Bianca would have thought she would ever have dared but since Draco had started the little game, she would give him his due. She was just thankful that the cloth covering the table hid them well. Her boldness was rewarded by a harsh hiss, which escaped his lips as she cupped the whole of him, caressing him.

  “I think that you do, minx. But I think that maybe it would be prudent to save this conversation for a later time.” He deftly removed her hand to her lap and straightened in his chair, putting some distance between them.

  “Temptation of that kind is hard to resist, my love.” His gaze dropped to her breasts. The cut of the gown she wore this night left little to the imagination. “Do not wear that gown again, Bianca. I do not like sharing your obvious charms with the rest of the male guests.”

  Feeling as if she had been slapped, Bianca murmured an excuse and left the table. It took effort to hold back the tears but she managed to until she made it to the shadows of the corridor leading to the kitchen. There she stopped in a shadowy alcove and let the tears flow freely.

  What had happened out there? One moment Draco was acting like an impatient lover and then the next moment, he ridiculed the way she looked in her new gown. What was wrong with the man? Bianca wiped tears away with the back of her hands, her lips quivering with emotion. Had she been a fool to think that he might care for her? He had said as much, but had he lied like so many others to get to her inheritance?

  Bianca placed a hand to her temple as her head began to ache. She needed some time to herself to think. With that thought in mind, she made her way through the kitchen and out the back door.

  The dark gardens welcomed her with their shadows and a cool evening breeze carrying the fragrances of the herbs and flowers. Moving slowly among the cultivated rows of vegetables, Bianca made her way t
o the bench that she knew sat near the back garden wall. It was as she approached it that she realized that it was already occupied. An old woman sat among the rows of squash and greens that grew so well there due to the morning sunlight. It was her grandmother.

  “This is an odd place to be on this night of festival and revelry,” Veryalda remarked in greeting as she watched her granddaughter approach. “You should be inside enjoying yourself, Bianca.”

  “I was enjoying myself, for a while that is. I found that I needed a breath of fresh air and a few moments to think.” She paused before continuing, sitting on the bench next to her grandmother. “I am pleased to find you here, grandmother. I thought you would be in there watching the entertainment.”

  “I have seen enough dancing for a while, child. These days I find that I prefer a little solitude to the noise of revelry. I guess I am getting too old.”

  “Not you, grandmother. You will never get too old. You will live forever. I wish it.” That absurd statement brought a chuckle from Veryalda. Bianca smiled in return. It was a lovely evening there in the garden with the night sky bright with millions of stars. “I looked for you in the hall earlier. I am glad I have finally found you.” She glanced around at the muted colors of the vines and vegetables surrounding them and an absurd thought came to her. “Are pumpkins better company than people?”

  “For a certainty, my child. At least you know what you get with a pumpkin.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yea. Think on it like this. Pumpkins have a rich color and smooth exterior, which may or may not hide the rot on the inside. But unlike a handsome man or a beautiful woman who are naught but rot on the inside, when you crack open the pumpkin and find it bad you have only to throw it away. No harm done. Unfortunately by the time you find out a person is rotten to the core, you have already been hurt.”

  Bianca stood up and moved out of the shadow of the garden wall into the bright moonlight. It was then that Veryalda got a good look at her.

  “Good God, child, what have you done to yourself?” Veryalda stood and closed the distance between them. As Bianca stood perfectly still, her grandmother walked around her staring at her as if she could not believe her eyes.