Chapter 65: The Art of Royal Extortion

Chapter 65: The Art of Royal Extortion

Well, the royal audience chamber was supposed to be a place of silence, but currently, it sounded like a crowded nursery.

Pip was perched on top of Neria’s head, his stubby purple wings flapped with enthusiasm as he chewed vigorously on a loose strand of her brown hair.

Every few seconds, he let out a joyful squeak that sounded suspiciously like a wet hiccup.

Sebastian sat on his velvet throne, his face looked very much frozen in an expression of pure horror. His knuckles were entirely transparent where he gripped his scepter.

"Get it off you," Sebastian spoke in a hushed voice. "Neria, get that... that monstrosity off your head before I have my guards incinerate it."

"Excuse me?" Neria crossed her arms, ignoring the way Pip’s tail was currently tickling her left ear. "You will do no such thing, Your Highness. This is the great primordial deity of the prophecy. He is a majestic creature of infinite power. Pip, tell the scary man he has a bad attitude."

Pip chose that exact moment to let out a loud burp, releasing a small bubble of purple smoke that floated across the room and popped directly on Sebastian’s nose.

"It imprinted on you," Sebastian hissed, wiping his face with a silk handkerchief.

The crown prince looked as if he wanted to tear his hair out.

"The ancient weapon of the royal bloodline. The beast that is meant to burn down empires. It hatched because of some ridiculous accident in your cellar, and it thinks you are its mother."

"Technically, I am his mother, his manager, and his legal representation," Neria offered a bright, utterly shameless smile.

“Manager?”

"He doesn't like anyone else, Sebastian. Alistair tried to feed him a bit of dried beef earlier, and Pip nearly took off his thumb. He only takes food from me. If you kill me, your big legendary weapon dies of starvation. It is a package deal."

Sebastian stood up from his throne, his dark cloak billowed behind him as he walked down the steps.

The guards at the door flinched uncomfortably, but Neria stood her ground, even as Pip let out a tiny, defensive hiss from her scalp.

"You think you are very clever, don't you?" Sebastian murmured, stopping a mere inch away from her.

The familiar, dark heat radiated off him, instantly making the grand room feel entirely too small. "You steal my key, you force me into an alliance, and now you parade around with the kingdom's greatest secret sitting on your skull like a cheap hat."

"It is a very expensive hat, actually," Neria purred, tilting her chin up to look into his intense blue eyes. "And you promised me your protection, remember? No harming the viper in your bed."

Sebastian’s gaze darkened, his eyes dropped to her lips before flicking back up to her face. "My protection extends to you, Neria. It does not extend to a purple lizard that ruins my tapestries. Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Neria asked as he suddenly grabbed her wrist, his hand felt warm and possessive. "If you are taking me to a dungeon, I should warn you that Pip is not potty trained yet."

"We are going to the dragon pits," Sebastian said, pulling her toward a hidden door behind the throne.

"If this creature truly belongs to you now, it needs to see its own kind. And I need to see if it can actually do anything besides look remarkably foolish."

The hidden corridor led deep beneath the palace, far past the steam rooms where Neria had previously met her demise.

The energy turned hot, and suffocating. Massive iron cages lined the cavern walls, containing enormous, snoring drakes covered in heavy green and red scales.

As soon as they entered, the giant dragons opened their yellow eyes, letting out low, rumbling growls that shook the ground.

Pip immediately panicked. He dove down from Neria’s head, scrambling wildly into the front of her dress and hiding completely inside her bodice, leaving only his tiny purple tail sticking out between her emerald necklaces.

"Oh, brilliant," Neria muttered, looking down at her jingling chest. "Now I have a dragon in my blouse. This is a massive downgrade from the velvet dress timeline."

Sebastian stopped in a secluded, shadow-drenched corner of the caverns, far away from the guards.

He turned Neria around, pinning her back against the warm stone wall with a sudden, forceful movement.

His hands rested on the rock on either side of her head, trapping her completely.

"He is distracting us," Sebastian whispered, his breath felt hot against her neck. "The beast is small. But you... you are the real problem here."

"Sebastian," Neria gasped, her heart doing that familiar, frantic dance. "We are in a cave full of giant reptiles. This is highly inappropriate."

"I do not care about the reptiles," Sebastian murmured roughly, growling that made Neria’s knees feel entirely weak. "I cannot think straight when you are near me, Neria. I spend my hours trying to figure out your secrets, yet all I want to do is tear this cloak off you."

"Is that a threat or an invitation?" Neria teased, though her breathing was growing ragged.

"It is a promise," Sebastian hissed.

He leaned down and captured her lips with a fierce, possessive hunger that completely eclipsed their previous encounter in the woods.

This wasn't a distraction; it was a reclamation. Sebastian’s hands slid from the stone wall down to her waist, pulling her flush against his leather armor.

Neria groaned into the kiss, her fingers instantly found their way back into his soft silver hair.

The absolute madness of the situation wasn't lost on her, she was making out with a literal prince in a dragon stable while a primordial deity was currently shivering in her bra.

But the heat of his mouth was intoxicating, erasing the cold memories of her previous deaths.

Sebastian kissed her harder, his tongue tracing her lips, claiming her as if she were a piece of territory he had finally conquered. He tasted of mint and dark magic. His hands moved up her back, pressing her so tightly against him that she could feel the rapid, desperate thudding of his heart.

"You belong to me," Sebastian breathed against her lips, breaking the kiss for a split second before biting gently on her lower lip. "Say it, Neria. Tell me you are not going to vanish into the river again."

"I am right here, you lunatic," Neria whispered back, her eyes heavy with desire as she pulled him down for another deep, chaotic kiss. "I am not going anywhere. I have too much money invested in this life."

Sebastian let out a low growl of satisfaction, his lips moved down her jawline to press hot, lingering kisses against her neck.

Neria moved her head back, letting out a soft sigh as his fingers tangled in her hair.

Suddenly, a tiny, furious hiss erupted from Neria’s bodice.

Pip poked his small purple head out from between her emeralds, looking thoroughly annoyed by the sudden compression.

He nipped Sebastian sharply on the chin.

"Ow!" Sebastian pulled back instantly, glaring down at her chest. "The beast just bit me again!"

Neria burst into a fit of breathless, hysterical laughter, adjusting her cloak as she leaned against the stone wall.

"Well, Your Highness, it seems my chaperone approves of your technique, but disapproves of the lack of boundaries. Round three goes to the lizard."

Sebastian rubbed his chin, and a smile finally returned to his face as he looked at her flushed cheeks.

"Enjoy your victory while it lasts, Lady Neria. We still have a banquet to attend, and I expect you to be much more cooperative when the sun goes down."