Unlike the last time, when she had been lead to the dungeon for her 'gift', this time around, they walked quite a distance around the castle, down to an open field.
While they had been walking, the King had involved Belladonna in small talks and the more he spoke, the more she could relate him with the person she had known from all those comments in the book she was reading and the more she felt even more comfortable with him.
Till they finally got to the open field where Belladonna had thought the dragon would be but it wasn't.
At that moment, the King pressed on a small red gem, carved into a ring that was around his left middle finger. Only the gem of the ring could be seen, the rest of his ring was buried into his leather black hand glove.
It was glowing like one of the gems in the so called forbidden room.
A flash of something like lighting went through the ring, not long after that, she felt the floor vibrating for a while before the dragon busted out from a opened place in the ground, landing firmly on it ground, it's action kicking up dust, while giving the King what seemed like a scowl.
Or was she just overthinking it? Could a dragon even do that?
He laughed, stepping forward.
"She hates to be disturbed during her beauty sleep."
"She?" Belladonna asked from where she was standing, which she considered to be, at least, safe.
She hadn't particularly taken her time to guess what gender it would be before, but somehow she had expected that it would be a male.
She didn't know why she expected that though.
"Yes, her name is Pamela." He brushed his hand around the dragon and a deep sound rumbled from her chest, as she followed the King around with her gaze. "Some day we will have to find a male for her to mate with and eventually lay eggs."
The dragon snarled again.
Was that even safe? To have such a grumpy fire-breathing, winged and mighty beast nearby?
Pamela doesn't seem very friendly this afternoon. The dragon seemed even angrier than the last time she had seen her and that was during the Choosing Ritual.
"Why are you standing over there? You would have to come here and appreciate the beauty."
"I--"
"Please don't tell me that you are afraid. My Bride, you have me to protect you come what may."
His voice sounded so convincing but the sight of the dragon still made her afraid.
"I don't want a 'come what may', I can't risk anything."
"It hurts me that you don't trust in my abilities to protect you."
Belladonna shrugged.
Could she be blamed?
The dragon was being grumpy, and in size, the dragon could just easily squash him with one of her feet.
It was a wonder that he could be so calm near a death threat like that.
Although, she had convinced herself to some extent that he wasn't human, she didn't know what he was, and if what he was could protect them both properly from a dragon.
She could understand the dragon though, she would kill anyone that disturbed her sleep, since she hardly even got any. Then again, that was always what happened back at home.
Home? No, hell!
"Fear not, the dragon is mine and completely under my control." He raised his left hand, bringing it down slowly for her to see. The dragon at the same time bowed her head stiffly to the ground, before he dropped his hand and she raised her head once again.
Control. Power.
Then he went to her, extended his hand and she took it. She followed him to where the dragon was.
When the dragon gruffed, she staggered back, slamming into him, just in time for his hands to hold her arms firmly, while he whispered to her.
"Fear not, my Bride. I am here."
She nodded lightly.
His words somehow gave her comfort.
Then slowly she took a step forward and he let her go. She walked up to the dragon, then around her, accessing her.
The beast lowered her head, observing her too.
Belladonna was in awe of this magnificent beast. She had two colors. One side, a slivery white and the other, blood red. It was far massive than it was when she was some steps away. She didn't touch her, she wasn't brave enough to take that leap yet.
Finally she stood in front her and the dragon lowered her head, looking straight at her.
Then she saw her eyes and she immediately felt like she was under a spell just by looking at them.
They were beautiful, yet terrifying.
It was a confusing feeling.
Her pupils were like long deep blue lines, while red lines like lightening stretched out of them to the rest of her eyes.
The dragon rumbled once again and she felt the vibration cross through her.
She had seen those colours before, she just couldn't remember where.
Where had she seen them before?
Where could it be?
Where--?
Out of no where, the dragon took a threatening step forward, growling lowly at her.
Before she could step back, the king was already pulling her behind him.
How did he get here so fast?
It didn't matter!
The growls increased and the dragon bared her teeth.
The King raised his ring just like he had done before, flashing of lightening danced on the surface on his gem.
"Submit." He commanded, lowering his hand to the ground like he was using some unseen forces to bring the dragon's head down.
She struggled, swaying her head to the left and right like there was something invisible forcefully pulling her down.
Then finally, she landed with the thud, her head on the ground with a cry and something that looked like snarl on her lips.
"Return." He commanded once again.
The dragon raised her head, shrieked into the air, before flying right back into where she had come from.
Belladonna could feel the vibration underneath her, till the dragon had flown too far into the ground.
The King turned to her, asking if she was alright.
But all she could think about were those eyes.
They bothered her somehow, she had seen something similar before.
Then it clicked.
It was the gem!
The one in the forbidden room!