by Tia Siren
“Hello there. I’m Hilda,” she said. She couldn’t believe how attractive this man was. She agreed to come here to meet the son of a king because their family was going to help her out. Hilda needed all the help he could get. Of course, he did turn her off in a way since he hadn’t even smiled at her.
“Hi. Name’s Asch. Remember it I guess,” he said.
“Now Asch, don’t be rude,” his father chided.
“Whatever dad. It’s not like I wanted to do this or anything. I’m so sick of being told what to do all the damn time,” he said to him.
Hilda paused. Even though she didn’t really want to do this either, she did want to tell him about it.
“Well, it’s not like I’m going to do anything bad to you or something of that sort. I just wanted to meet the man I’m supposed to marry. No need to get your boxers in a bunch,” she said.
Asch stood up, glaring at her with a fixed gaze.
“I already can’t stand you. You’re not of the same class as me, you have a mouth so you’re going to talk back, and I can’t stand that you’re just waltzing in here and declaring that you’re getting married to me,” he said to her.
At this point, his father had left, leaving the two of them alone.
“Well, it’s not like you have to be rude about it either. I know this is hard on both of us, but maybe if you stopped acting like an immature little bitch your future would improve,” she spat back.
“Me? I’m not the one in here so desperate for something that she has to sell herself off to a kingdom. What a pathetic ordeal,” he said.
She was fuming at this point. She couldn’t believe that he was treating her in this fashion. Hilda wanted to hit him, to give him a piece of her mind, but she had to hold herself back.
“Gosh, I already can’t stand you. I was expecting a friendly welcome from the prince of a kingdom, but I guess I’m in for a rude awakening,” she replied. She felt hurt in all honesty. Was it because of how she looked? Was it because she was of a different social class? All of these disturbing thoughts clouded her and she felt insecure. However, she didn’t want him to know that, for if he did, he wouldn’t let her live it down.
“Well, it’s not like I agreed to this either. I’m just doing this because my stupid father wanted to,” he told her.
Suddenly, Hilda grew frustrated. She imagined she would be meeting a handsome prince, someone who wasn’t such a douchebag. Of course, that was too much to ask for, and already she was regretting this wholeheartedly. She stomped out, not caring about anything else at the moment besides the anger that she felt from this man.
The door slammed behind her, and Asch sighed, retiring to his room. This was already getting off to a very rocky start, and he didn’t like her. Of course, things were about to get harder from here, because he didn’t know how she would react to his secret, or if the two of them could go for a few minutes without fighting with one another. He would have to wait and see.
Chapter Two
Hilda ran out of there, feeling annoyed by everything. She did glance around at the place, and it was obvious that Asch and his family had money. The halls were gilded, and the audience chamber had designs flanking the ceiling. There were also wide, sweeping windows, so it was almost like she wasn’t even inside. The halls also had that luxurious texture to it as well, with giant bay windows on each side. Least they would have a lot of natural light in here.
She went to the guest room that was delineated to her by one of the maids she initially met. There was a giant king-sized bed, with a canopy over it, a dresser for her to put all of her clothes in, and an entertainment system that cost more than what she would probably make in a year. Of course, what bothered her wasn’t the money, nor the splendor, what bothered her was the predicament she was in.
She was doing this to help her mother. That was really her sole reason for going through this torture. She was going to become a mail-order bride to marry a rich man. Asch’s family had a lot of money, and the perks of being royalty would certainly help her mother. She tried to provide the medical care for her through working two jobs, but it was obvious that it wouldn’t be enough. The bills were coming in, and she planned to use this chance of marrying a filthy rich man to her advantage so that she could help support her mother. She wasn’t expecting him to be an asshole, though.
She didn’t want to marry Asch, even though she needed to in order to help her mother. He was rude to her, and he didn’t see her as an equal for whatever reason. She didn’t want to marry someone who didn’t see her as a person, but rather as another stepping stone or a person he could take advantage of. That wasn’t the reason she married, and she knew that he probably didn’t see her as anything more than just another person from a different social class who didn’t matter to him. It bothered her, but maybe she would get used to it. She didn’t want to get used to a bastard like him.
A couple hours had passed, and Hilda thought he would’ve finally cooled down. It had been a while since everything had transpired, so maybe he finally got his head out of his ass and would talk to her like a person. Maybe it was best to speak with him now. It was evening time after all.
She went over to his room, asking for directions from a couple of the servants. The servants looked like they were treated well, which was shocking considering Asch probably treated them like shit. Maybe it was because his father was still the head of the castle. Would Asch change everything though once he ascended the throne? She really didn’t know, and she didn’t want to think about that.
She went to his room, knocking for a moment. However, nobody was at the door, and Hilda was frustrated. Was he giving her the silent treatment? That’s messed up, and she hoped that it wasn’t the case. She tried once again, but for whatever reason he didn’t answer the door. She thought about it, wondering how wrong it would be to just barge in there.
It was probably not what she should be doing, but at this point she didn’t care. She stepped in, opening the door, but when she looked at the sight in front of her, she immediately had to hold back a scream.
That wasn’t Asch. That was a dragon. It was a red dragon, scaled on all sides with a swooping tail. He had large teeth as well, and it looked like he was talking to someone outside. What in the world was going on?
She let out a small squeak but then tried to cover her mouth. However, it was too late. Asch turned around, letting out a faint roar before changing back into his human form. Hilda didn’t know what to do, her curvy body shaking with fright. Asch scoffed, looking at her but also feeling self-conscious.
“What are you doing here?” he asked her.
“I just wanted to check up on you. What in the world is going on?” She didn’t sign up for this. She wasn’t supposed to marry a big, scary dragon. Just what was she getting into?
“It’s not what you think it is Hilda! I’ll explain, I swear,” he said to her. That façade he had earlier was gone, and now he was shocked. She wasn’t supposed to see him like this. What in the world was going on? Why did she barge in?
“No. I can’t do this. I just can’t,” she muttered. She was scared, unsure of what to say. She didn’t know that he was a shifter, and it was worrisome. She thought he was a freak, not someone who would be worth spending her life with.
“But I can explain—“
“No. I can’t marry a freak like you,” she cried out.
She ran off before Asch could say anything else. He sighed in annoyance. Great, now she assumed that he was a freak. This was going to totally end well. Asch looked outside, staring at the figure he was talking to earlier.
“We’ll discuss everything later. I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s okay, Sir. I totally understand. I know that you’ve been thrown into chaotic circumstances, but I hope they work out,” the other person replied.
Asch scoffed. There was no way in hell this was going to be working out. He already was ruining the day, he would have to take her as a bride. He didn’t want to, and he
didn’t think this would work out. He needed to see his father regarding this. There is just no way in hell that this was going to end well.
Asch walked out of his room, trying to avoid any eye contact with the maids. They probably saw Hilda run away. What a stupid girl. If she actually took the time to get to know him, then this might be better. Of course, he didn’t think that the commoner was worth his time either, so it made life harder on him.
He went to his father’s study, another large and expansive room. There were bookcases lined all along the walls, a small fire crackling in the distance, with some armchairs on the sides of the fireplace. His father, however, was in the sprawling oak desk, working on his laptop as he looked at his son.
“Hello there Asch. How are you?” he asked him.
“Been better, Dad. We have an issue. I don’t think things with Hilda are going to work out. She just found out I am a shifter. Before I could explain anything to her, she ran off.”
His father paused, staring off into space in a thoughtful manner before speaking.
“Well, that’s quite the problem,” he said.
“Yeah, no shit, Dad. I don’t know what to do. I can’t go through with this,” Asch replied. He wasn’t going to be able to, especially now that she knew his secret and wasn’t willing to accept it.
His father sighed, looking at Asch directly in the eyes. “You can’t back out now. She should be here for about three days, though, and that should give you time to make the appropriate arrangements with her. We do need to go over that, and I hope you can help her understand. Remember, she is a human so she might be scared of something different. But you do need to work everything out before you get married. I’m sorry, but that’s my final say,” his father replied.
Asch was pissed. This stupid woman wouldn’t understand it at all! He didn’t want to do this, especially since she already thought that she was a freak.
“Dad, there’s no way I can do that! She thinks I’m a freak,” he cried out.
“Then prove to her that you’re not. Prove that you’re not a freak, and show her what you are. You were going to have to do this eventually. Besides, she does interest you, right?” his father said with a piqued glance.
Asch nodded. She did interest her, but that didn’t mean he was happy with the resolution. He didn’t want to think about the worst case scenario. He hoped Hilda would at least be cool with it eventually.
“Fine, I’ll go talk to her,” he replied.
“Good. You don’t have to do it immediately, but you should before the three days are up,” his father replied.
Asch nodded, still angry over the fact that his father didn’t seem to give a rat’s ass about how he felt. He just wanted his son to take over the throne and rule the kingdom. It was bothersome, however, and he knew that he would have to discuss things with the old man later, but for now, he should go see Hilda and talk with her. He stepped out, both pissed off but also curious about what to do next.
Chapter Three
He waited a day before heading to Hilda’s room. She avoided him at all costs, which didn’t help in his case, but he did want to talk to her about it all. He finally got the courage to head up to her room, and after trying to fight back the urge to just turn around and leave, he rapped at the door.
There was a pause, and Asch flushed. He didn’t know what to do right now. He wondered if maybe, just maybe she would ignore him. A part of him wanted her to, but at the same time she did have an interesting way of thinking, so he wanted to discuss things with her. He wanted to get to know her, but at the same time, he was scared.
She opened the door, looking at Asch with frightened, beady eyes.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked him.
“Relax, will you? I’m here to talk. Is that a crime?” he asked her with a sarcastic smile.
“No. But please be quick,” she said.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Hilda. In fact, I’m here to talk to you. I think there was a misunderstanding, and we both need to understand what’s going on with the other. I think we started off on the wrong foot too, which only made everything worse,” Asch explained.
Hilda nodded, unsure of how to feel about this. “True. But why? Why are you like that?” she asked.
“Well, I think you were a bit too judgmental at the onset. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner, or in the most fitting way, but I know that I would have to eventually. I’m sorry about judging you as well. I mean, it’s hard not to, but I’m not used to people like you. My father chose you for a reason. I don’t know what the reason was, but I do trust my dad’s judgment, so it’s only fitting that I trust you,” he told her.
“Okay. But why are you like that?” she asked him.
“It’s a long story. But I’m sorry for judging you so fast. We should talk about each other, get to know one another. I am aware that randomly running off and marrying a stranger is a bit scary, and we’re both not used to it, but I did want to spend a bit of time talking with you in order to iron out the kinks. I think this is something that will benefit the both of us,” he explained to her.
Hilda paused. As much as she wanted to be a hateful person, at the same time it wouldn’t get her anywhere. She didn’t wish to think about all of the bad things that could happen with him, but at the same time, she didn’t know what it would be like to marry a dragon, and that’s what worried her.
“I’m still a bit scared of how things will pan out, to be honest,” she told him.
“Well then let’s get to know one another. We started off on the wrong foot, so let’s at least try to get on the right foot with one another,” Asch said.
Hilda thought about it. Holding back all of that hatred is not what they should do to one another. It will only create bad things. Hilda nodded, looking at him with a smile.
“Fine. Tell me about yourself. I realize I did judge you too fast. I mean, if we are going to make this work, we should try to at least work together. This isn’t fun for both of us, so we should at least try to do something about it,” she said to him.
He nodded. “I’m glad. And I’m sorry too. I do want to talk about things. It’s an element that is important to both of us,” he said to her.
She nodded. “Well, I’m Hilda Thompson. I’m 23 years old, and I live with my mother. A while ago, my mother got cancer, and she’s had it for a while. I’ve been working to pay for her treatments, but it’s starting to become a financial strain on me. I was able to take three jobs and do some freelance art on the side, but now it’s getting out of hand. It’s the primary reason why I chose to be a mail-order bride. I know that it’s not the best idea out there, and I normally am not into forced marriages, but I did want to save my mother for as long as I can. She’s the only family I have, and she’s the most important family I’ve got,” she told him.
Asch listened to this, immediately regretting his initial treatment of her. She was just trying to help her mom, and he judged way too harshly. Of course, he didn’t understand the struggle that was going on, and it hurt to think about.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Its fine, you didn’t know. I mean, I’m not entirely comfortable with telling people about my mom, but I do feel like you should know. I mean, the two of us are going to get married eventually, so you should know what is happening with me,” she told him.
Asch nodded. “Well, I’ll work as hard as I can to help your mother. What jobs did you work?” he asked her.
“Well, I was an accountant for a long time, but then I messed up and got fired. I then worked as a server, and that’s mainly what I did. It was hard work, the pay pretty much ass, and I also worked in a warehouse as well. I was losing my sanity, unsure of what to do, but the only solution at this point was to become a mail-order bride. I hate it, but I know for sure that it’s something that I’m going to have to do. I’ll make the sacrifices necessary, and if I find out that the one that I marry does love me back, I’ll be even happier,” Hi
lda said.
Hearing that made Asch realize that he did judge her way to freaking quick. He should’ve been smarter about that, but the truth is, he didn’t know what to do about everything. It hurt him to think that she was suffering this whole time, but he knew the best thing to do would be to accept her for who she was.
“Well thank you for telling me Hilda. I’m glad that you came clean with it all. But I’m not going to judge you,” he told her.
“Thank you,” Hilda replied.
“Well, for me, I’m the son of Gaius the Dragon King. He’s also a dragon shifter, and he’s a very powerful man. He was married to my mother, but she died in childbirth, even with the latest and greatest medical technology. It sucks because I feel like my father would’ve been better with her, but I’m glad my dad is doing okay. But with me, I’m just the son of the dragon king, and I’m also a fighter in the army. We both fought in battles that happen, and we both have suffered, but we’ve kept the kingdom going. My father wants to retire, especially since he wants to hopefully find another partner. I told him when I was younger that whatever happens with that, I would assume the throne. I never expected it to be this soon, though, I thought it would at least be in 10 years. I’m only 25, and already I’m taking on such a massive position. I’m still scared about how it’s all going to fare, especially with the way things are now,” he told her.
“Damn. That’s crazy. I never would’ve thought you were the battling type,” she mused.
“Yeah, well when you need to do it, you have to. I mean, it’s not like I enjoy fighting, but I do it to save the kingdom,” he explained to Hilda.
Hilda nodded in understanding. So he really did like protecting the people. That explained a lot, and maybe that accounted for why he was such an ass at first. Of course, she still felt like she could get to know him even better.
“So what about the dragon shifting thing. What’s up with that?” she asked.
“Well, I’m a dragon shifter. I’ve been that all my life, and I was born a shifter. Gaius helped me understand what I was, and I was soon able to harness my power. It was scary, that’s for sure, and I didn’t know what to do about it. Of course, after a little bit of time, I got used to it, and soon I was able to shift at will. When I was young, a lot of times it happened not on my own volition, so I didn’t know how to go about fixing this. Of course, it was definitely something that I needed to control in order to do well, so I made sure that I harnessed it. Now I mainly use it for battle and to communicate with other dragons, since it’s a faster mode of conversation,” he explained to her.