by Ivy Clyde
I heard the maids come in to clean and start arranging the table for breakfast.
Deciding to greet them, I headed out of my bedchamber. To my astonishment, Adal was already present there. He was dressed in his royal blue robes, looking breathtakingly handsome.
The maids went about their chores and discreetly stole glances at him while he remained buried in a book. Adal was ignorant about the effect his beauty had on other women. He always thought he was unnoticed. If he only knew the truth…
“Let’s eat,” said Adal once the maids filed out of the room.
“Should I call Norvin?”
He shook his head. “Let him rest.”
I gave a nod and sat down on one of the chairs. Adal served me meat buns, delicate date and walnut pastries and slices of cut fruit. He had an easy smile on his face. Seeing it helped to calm the tension in my body.
“You know, Daria,” he said in a light voice as he poured me tea. “I am nervous too but since you will be my side, I am being brave.”
I looked up at him, meeting his stunning blue eyes. “Cain told you how it goes?”
“Yes. He said the first shift will hurt like hell.”
The image of Cain thrashing around with agony flashed in my mind. We’d just had sex and as amazing as it had been, everything was wiped from my mind when he started shifting. The pain had brought him to his knees and the vast underground chambers were ringing with his shrieks.
“He endured it,” I said in a soft voice. “I am sure you will too.”
Starting to eat, I noticed he hadn’t filled a plate for himself. Putting down my chopsticks, I loaded a plate with food and pushed it towards him.
“We can be nervous together,” I said with a smile. “We should both eat something to build our strengths to face the challenges to come.”
He chuckled, pulling the plate closer. “I wish it was more romantic,” he said, drinking deeply from his cup of tea.
“We’ll make it romantic.” I placed a hand on his. At once, warmth shot through me. Merely touching him brought out the aching need within me.
When breakfast was over, Adal wrote a note for Norvin. We both decided to let him rest for now. Gesturing forward, Adal led me out of the parlor and into the corridor outside his quarters. Since it was still early in the morning, the palace was empty except for the maids and servants busy with their chores.
“I am glad we’re able to slip without anyone noticing,” said Adal as we walked down a path towards the stables. “Zane is sure to make people spy on me.”
“I wish I could kill him,” I muttered.
“Not yet, Daria.”
I sighed. “Fine, but if he comes onto me again, he will lose at least one of his fingers,” I said darkly. “The man was determined to claim me from you and take me back to Drakhaven.”
Adal’s hand closed around my wrist. I almost stumbled forward as he came to a sudden halt. Pulling me against him, he brought his lips close to my ear. “I’ll never allow him to take you away, Daria. That’s a promise despite the consequences.”
His husky voice was so intense it left my heart pounding. His warm breath fanned the stray strands of hair against my neck, making me yearn for his touch. Just as suddenly as he’d caught me, Adal released me.
The Baledonian sun shone on him, making his blond curls burn like gold. He looked utterly beautiful in his royal robes. The dark indigo brought out the intensity of his sapphire-blue eyes.
“No woman can ever match your beauty,” I whispered, staring at him transfixed.
An easy chuckle escaped him. “You’re more beautiful, Daria,” he replied, leaning down to kiss my cheek. The spot where his lips touched my skin burned hot. “Come along! I can barely wait to get to the sacred chambers now.”
And just like that, all our anxieties vanished.
Reaching the stable, Adal chose a well-bred horse with snow-white fur. It was a pretty creature with large brown eyes and a calm temper.
Adal helped me mount the horse before seating himself behind me. Taking the reins, he made the horse trot forward. Instead of taking the front gates of the palace, Adal rode towards the woods stretching behind the palace. The guards stationed there bowed as he passed but no one stopped us. My heart thumped hard. It felt like Mekhi or Zane’s men would attack us at any moment.
To our luck, no one stopped us as we followed the pathway through the woods.
The dragon temple of Baledonia rose up in the sky, higher than the trees surrounding it. The top of the pagoda-style structure was mounted by a gigantic sculpture of a roaring dragon. It wasn’t as lifelike as the one in Iorna but still appeared imposing with its mouth open in an enraged snarl.
Moving through the winding pathway, we came before a tall archway. Pillars of white marble, with dragons snaking their way to the top, supported the massive archway that proclaimed it as the gateway to the Baledonian dragon temple.
“Come,” said Adal, giving a gentle tug to my hand to break me out of my enchantment.
I stumbled after him, walking on an uphill path leading towards the temple. Through the gaps in the foliage, I caught glimpses of the structure but not fully.
When we finally reached the grounds, I felt my breath leave in a hush.
Up close, the temple rose so high I had to arch my head backward to see its peak. Adal tied the reins of the horse to a nearby tree while I took my time to survey the area. It was similar to the dragon temple of Iorna in terms of location. Both sites were away from town and concealed in a wooded area.
“It is majestic,” said Adal, coming to stand beside me and looking up at the dragon statue mounted on the roof.
“Do the priests come in the morning and evening?”
“Just morning. They come very early to clean up the place and make it ready for worshipping. After that, they return the next morning.” He turned away to the left corner of the courtyard. Following his gaze, I spotted a wide, circular basin mounted on a stone pedestal.
I followed after Adal as he walked towards it.
Reaching it, I found the basin filled to the brim with clean water. The clear blue sky was reflected on its glassy surface.
“We purify ourselves first,” said Adal, bending down to take a wooden ladle with a long rod resting by the pedestal. He dipped it in the water, filling it up. “Extend your hands.”
I did as he instructed, putting forth my hands, palm-side up.
Adal poured the water over my hands and I quickly rinsed them.
“One more time,” said Adal, going back to scoop more water. “This time, rinse your mouth.”
Once again, I followed his instruction.
“The last thing,” he said, smiling gently. “Remove your shoes and place them to the side.” When I did, Adal poured a scoop of cool water over my feet. “Now you’re ready.”
“Should I help you out too?” I asked.
“That’s all right. I can manage,” he said, performing the whole process quickly.
We walked the rest of the way to the temple’s unguarded doorway on our bare feet. As the sole of my feet touched the marble tiles of the courtyard, I could feel wisps of earth magic infusing within me. It was oddly pleasant as it fused with my inner energies in a positive way, strengthening my inner powers.
The cool and dark interiors of the temple soon came in view. The main chamber was built completely in white marble, from the ceilings to the floors. A golden statue of four dragons, coiled around each other, was mounted against the furthest wall. The replica was much smaller than the one in Iorna but the fact it was made of pure gold took one’s breath away.
An altar of dark mahogany was set before it. From the offering bowls to the candlesticks, everything was made of pure gold. Under the glow of the hanging lamps, the whole shrine seemed to glow with a golden radiance.
“This place is amazing,” I whispered, simply staring at the magnificent sight before me.
“Nothing much has changed since my ancestors built it a few thousand ye
ars ago,” said Adal, standing beside me and gazing up at the altar before us.
“Why isn’t this place guarded?” I asked, my voice echoing around the quiet space.
“The statue is rooted deep in the earth,” said Adal in a low voice. “If someone wanted to steal it, they would have to go through a lot of trouble. The disturbance would be enough to alert people as far as the town. It’s been this way for hundreds of years now. The temple is open to the public on certain festival days, but they are wary to make any mistake. Damaging or disrespecting the ancestors will cost them their lives.”
He slowly walked around the statue. “Back in the days when true dragons ruled the kingdoms, the punishment would involve being burned to death by the ruling dragon. It was enough to keep any sane person from even thinking about stealing or damaging the temple pieces.”
I swallowed, noting the information in the back of my mind.
“This way, Daria,” he called, walking away through a doorway. I followed him into a spacious but empty room. “This is used as a prayer hall,” he said, moving across it to reach another doorway. A wooden staircase came into view. Gesturing towards it, he climbed the stairs.
At the top, we came upon an open balcony, overlooking the whole valley of Huadu. Beyond the woods surrounding the temple, we could see the shimmering palace walls in the distance. A cool breeze blew by, buffeting the long sleeves of my dress.
“It is so peaceful here.”
“We should come here another time,” said Adal, clasping my hand. “I’d like to watch this view the whole day with you by my side.”
Closing my eyes, I exhaled a sigh.
Next moment, I felt Adal’s lips gently kissing my eyelids and cheeks. I smiled, opening my eyes.
“This place is different from the temple in Iorna,” I said as he began trailing kisses down the side of my neck. A moan escaped me as he hit a particular spot.
“The sacred chambers are enclosed here too,” he whispered, his breath hot against my skin. “The whole structure is built over it.”
“Show me the way,” I said, my voice ragged. His sudden closeness was shooting fire through me, making my whole body throb with need. I needed him inside me that instant!
He chuckled, stepping away. Tightening his hold on my wrist, he walked down the corridor, pulling me in his wake. A sudden haste had come over him too as he strode inside an adjoining room.
The place was empty except for a canvas painting of an autumnal wood, large enough to cover an entire wall.
Walking forward, he pulled it away, revealing several Baledonian alphabets sticking out in thick gold letters filling the surface of the wall.
Moving closer, I realized they were in order of the actual alphabets, repeated over and over until the whole wall was covered with them. Adal lifted his hand, hitting the letters in a particular sequence. The gold pieces touched by his hand sunk into the wall.
Before I could ask what he did, a straight crack appeared in the wall. With low groans, a doorway opened up as the two parts slid further apart.
“Fire of the heart,” said Adal in a low voice. He took a step forward to stand at the threshold of the doorway. “It’s the code to open the sacred chambers. Come along now.”
I followed Adal down a stone staircase. His hand flared up in large, leaping flames, enveloping us both in an orb of light and warmth as we walked down the pitch black cavern. The doorway behind us shut closed just as we descended down a few steps. The way to the sacred chambers of the Baledonian temple was exactly the same as Iorna’s.
It was several minutes before we reached the end of the staircase. Adal moved forward, lighting the torches lining the wall. As the cavernous chamber came into view, I noticed a gateway before us. Dragons were coiled around the tall pillars, their eyes of onyx reflecting the flames of the torches. They glared at us in silent snarls as we walked past them.
The floor was completely covered in grass!
After walking over the rough stones of the staircase, the soles of my feet were sore. The soft grass underneath my roughened feet felt good at once.
“How is it possible?” I whispered in awe.
“It’s one of the strange miracles here,” said Adal.
As soon as I took a few steps, I felt stronger earth magic infusing through my feet. It was the reason the grass grew in that dark cave without any sunlight, water or fresh air.
I followed after Adal, looking all around the cavernous passageway. Statues of dragons and goddesses in various poses lined the tunnel.
“Do you know the way to the mating chamber?” I asked after a while.
“We are headed that way.” Just as he said the words, the low ceilinged corridor suddenly opened up. A vast chamber lay before us, the ceiling so high it was invisible in the darkness. A dragon could easily move around there without feeling constrained.
“You are nervous again,” said Adal.
A rough chuckle escaped me. “It feels strange to be doing this out of necessity. I’m wondering how the women in the older days felt about it. The king would marry a blessed woman from the Fire Clan just for the sake of shifting into their true forms. They were just using them for their own gain.”
“It’s not like that, Daria,” said Adal, turning me around to face him. “These women would be queen, they would hold the highest positions in the kingdom next to the king. They were protected and respected.”
“But they weren’t always loved.”
“You have no control over your heart,” said Adal in a soft voice. “It’s not easy being a king. Can you imagine the weight of responsibilities on a single person? He must always put the interest of his people before him. For that sake, he would have to shift into his true form just so he can protect them. Even if it meant marrying someone else, he would do it. The queens are never kind to the concubines the king married.”
It was at the moment, I realized Adal’s mother was a concubine. Had she suffered under the previous queen?
“It’s not like that with us, Daria,” said Adal, bringing my focus back to him. “We are lucky. We really are in love with you and you, with us.”
A weight seemed to lift away from my chest. Raising my arms, I wrapped them around his neck. His hands closed around my waist, drawing me against him. “I’m so glad it’s me who can do this for you,” I whispered. “I don’t think I could’ve tolerated another woman.”
Adal’s luscious lips curved into a smile. Leaning down, he took my lips in a kiss. It was slow and gentle, beginning with the lightest touch of our tongues. However, one taste of his honeyed lips and I wanted more. Heat radiated out from the spots his hands touched. Moaning into his mouth, I pressed against him.
Along with the fire flowing through my veins, I could feel wisps of magic wrapping their tendrils around both Adal and me. As Adal’s mouth skimmed down the side of my neck, I lost all train of thought, only being aware of the way my core throbbed like a second heart in my body.
It was hard to tell who was more desperate between us. We kissed deeply while our hands clawed at each other’s clothes. Each time we separated to make the process easier, we’d get attracted like two pieces of magnet, eager for a kiss, a taste, touch.
Adal tore off my under robe in one strong, sudden pull. A yelp escaped me as I felt the cloth snap off, stinging my soft skin. Completely bare before him, my knees threatened to give way. He must have realized it too because the next moment, he lifted me up, two strong arms effortlessly taking the weight of my slim frame as I put my arms around his neck.
I felt his manhood teasing my folds, the head parting through their wetness, threatening to penetrate me. “Adal,” I moaned, arching backward as he kissed the column of my throat. “I want you right now.” My voice was ragged with need.
He slowly lowered me down onto him, impaling me inch by exquisite inch.
I moaned with pleasure as he slipped in, stretching me wide and filling me completely. Just when I thought he was fully inside me, he withdrew and then
thrust back in, hitting me deeper than before. “Ohh!” I gasped out, tightening my hold around his neck.
Adal was taking over me completely, delivering thrust after hard thrust into my soaked pussy as I hung onto his neck. We only paused to kiss, but even that was intermittent as I was unable to control the constant moans of pleasure escaping me.
When a few seconds passed and I didn’t feel him moving in, I became aware of my surroundings. Adal was walking towards the bed in the far side of the vast chamber, holding my body with no more effort than if I were a rag doll. He was still embedded inside me, his cock pulsating against my tightening core.
Reaching the bed, he lowered me onto the mattress. He positioned himself over me, his cock never leaving me. Our eyes met for one instant before he slammed into me. I gasped out, closing my eyes as he started thrusting inside me.
“You feel so incredible, Daria,” he groaned in a husky voice. His lips teased the shell of my ear as his breath tickled my sensitive skin. “I feel so addicted to your body. Can I ever have enough?”
Before I could respond, he held onto my body and rolled onto his back, taking me with him. I cried out with surprise, finding myself mounted over him.
Lowering my head, I kissed him.
Adal’s beautiful face was strained as he groaned with pleasure. I lowered a hard nipple into his waiting mouth. He sucked it into his mouth immediately, flicking the tip with his tongue. It sent shivers of pleasure coursing through me, making my body throb harder.
Pulling away, I straightened my back.
Laying my hands on Adal’s chest, I ran delicate fingers over his hard muscles and rolled my hips around his length, effectively riding him. As my pleasure rose higher than ever before, I raised my hands to my head and pulled out the pins and clips binding my hair in a bun. With them gone, the long length of my dark tresses rippled down my shoulders.
“You’re beautiful, Daria,” whispered Adal as he stared up at me.
My hair fell onto his chest and as I leaned down to kiss him, they curtained us with their long, flowing length. Within seconds, Adal renewed his hard thrusts and I felt myself at the edge of pleasure. My juices flowed down his shaft and I knew I was close.