Chapter 152: Unexpected Turn of Events

LYRIANNE

I follow the king and his warriors even deeper into the cave, where we're taken to a sort of meeting room with a massive stone table right at the center. Lanterns line the wall, lighting up the entire place to the point where it's almost hard to believe there isn't any electricity down here.

But that's not what I'm worried about.

The king gestures for me to sit down, which I do, and then he sits across from me. We're alone because the warriors all vacate the room.

"I see you went to see the werewolf without explicit permission," he claims, getting straight to the point. "I want you to understand one thing—until you fulfill your duties to my son, that wolf will remain a prisoner and a condemned one at that. I won't show him mercy unless you do what you vowed to do."

My heart shatters into a million tiny pieces. It hurts so much that I can't even breathe.

"I'll do what I have to do. Please, just don't hurt him. Please."

"I'm a man of my word," he simply says. "The last time I spoke to your father, he told me that you seemed determined to save Eron, so I made my plans accordingly."

"He never told me that I would have to marry anyone! He told me you wanted to meet me!"

"And that's the case, yes. We did want to meet you, triblood. You're one of us. You're living proof that all these wars between our kinds were meaningless. You're a beacon of hope for us dragons, who fear extinction more than we fear anything else. But we can't help you save your people unless you're one of us. It's as simple as that."

This situation is so impossible. If I knew that this would happen, I would never have agreed to come here.

The king must see this written all over my face because he tells me, "Would you have deserted your kind if you knew that this would be the price?"

"Yes," I say without hesitating.

He doesn't look surprised. "Well, then, maybe this isn't as important to you as you thought, but in any case, you're already here and you can't go back on your word, no matter what you think now. Such is life. To us, a promise is everything. So, let's talk about arrangements now. I want this done as quickly as possible, if that's convenient to you."

He looks at me and waits for a beat like he's expecting an answer, but I have nothing to say to him.

"Good. I'm assuming you have no protests. So, the wedding will be tomorrow."

"What!?" I burst out, standing. "Tomorrow?"

"Why not?" he questions, standing, too. "There's no reason for sitting around and waiting for a perfect date. You both know what you have to do. This is a business deal, nothing more and nothing less. You better get used to it. This is how we run things around here. After your ceremony, your mate will be released and he will be sent back to the human world. I don't need a vengeful wolf prowling around, trying to attack more dragons."

My heart is breaking to the point where I can't say anything. He leaves me all alone, and all I can do is think about Lorcan and how this is the end of us. I'm filled to the brim with regret. If I had known where I'd end up, I would never have done this.

Eron doesn't deserve this sacrifice from my side. But at the same time, how can I let so many innocent people die? I'm not saying all of this is my fault because I didn't start this, but I'm in a position to help.

Goddess, what now?

Give me strength to see this through. Because I have no idea how to continue.

I turn to leave and see four dragon guards behind me. Bitterness swallows me whole. I guess he doesn't want to give me a single chance to escape.

Where would I even go?

I head in their direction and I'm told by one of them to follow them to my room. I walk numbly. I can't even feel the ground beneath my feet. At this point, I might as well be floating. Once I'm in the room, there's a woman with the weirdest hairstyle I've ever seen in all my life waiting for me, but what's waiting for me on the bed is what makes my heart skip yet another beat.

A wedding gown.

It's white and almost iridescent. My mouth dries up as I approach. They exchange a few words in their native tongues, and then the woman says to me in a clipped accent, "You try this now. Tomorrow, big day."

I shake my head and screw my eyes shut while she patiently waits for me to get my emotions under control. I know I don't have a choice, but it's all happening too quickly and I don't think I'm ready for anything.

The dress is too big for me. She pinches the material here and there and mumbles things to herself in her native tongue that I don't bother trying to pick up on, and then she tells me to take it off. "Tomorrow, it will be ready."

With that, she leaves, and the door is locked behind her, so I know that there's no more venturing out there for me. Tears gather in my eyes when it suddenly hits me that I won't be able to see Lorcan again.

I'll be stuck here, married to someone I barely know.

I allow myself to cry because at this point, there's nothing else that I can do. I have never felt more helpless in all my life. Who would've guessed that, after everything we've been through, this is how it would end?

I lie on my side on the bed and after some time, I eventually drift off to sleep. I know this because when I wake up, it's to the feel of someone shaking me awake gently.

"Lyria?"

My eyes snap open, and I'm not sure why, but I was fully expecting to see Lorcan sitting right in front of me, but it's actually Zorah. She smiles at me sympathetically and says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you there."

"It's okay. What... How did you get in here?

"The guards let me in. I wanted to see how you were doing."

"What do you think?" I ask groggily before sitting up. My eyes are burning like crazy. "I'll have to get married to that dragon prince tomorrow. I just can't believe this is happening to me, Zorah. It doesn't feel real. If I had known... and what am I supposed to do about Lorcan? How can I—"

"Whoa, calm down," Zorah says quickly. "I actually came here to talk to you about that. You can rest assured, Lyria, because you're not going to be getting married to anyone."

I frown as I stare back at her. "What... What do you mean by that? What does that mean?"

"It means what it means. You won't be getting married to him. I have a plan. Ready to hear it?"

My eyebrows literally touch my hairline when she tells me what it is.