TAKEN BY THE DRAGON KING

Kings Burden.

Dracul pov.

My heart was pounding as I stepped out of the room. My hand shook as I sank against the outside wall.

I buried my head in my hands and took a few deep breaths, trying to steady my racing heart.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

My emotions lay in tatters. I had barely been able to get out of the room without letting my emotions show. It had been hard. It had been hard. It had been a close one and I didn’t know how I had managed it.

What have I done?

My hands shook and I couldn’t get them to stop shaking. I needed to talk to Gulliver. I needed to talk to him and ask him if there was an alternative solution. I had to talk to him.

What have I done?

I pushed myself up, my legs threatening to give way from beneath me as I started walking towards his quarters.

I was the king of these lands, but I felt completely out of control. I was admitting a fault, a flaw a mistake.

What was I thinking when I did that?

I’d made love to Elena. And it was the most beautiful and wonderful thing I had ever experienced and everything I had ever dreamed of.

Passionate, rough, perfect. And the way she had held me, the way she had cried out my name… I had never heard anything so perfect or sweet. I had never felt pleasure like that.

I had never felt desire so pure, so perfect, so overwhelming right. She was a perfect fit.

And I doomed my whole life, my kingdom in doing so.

What was one girl in the face of my people? What was one girl in the face of the destruction of my kind?

Why had I given in like that? Why had I been so hell-bent on saving her?

Why did I feel such a conflict of emotions? I still don’t know if I regretted it.

I still don’t know if I truly make the right choice.

All I knew was…. I didn’t want Elena to die. I didn’t want her to die. And if she wasn’t a virgin anymore… if she wasn’t a virgin, then she didn’t have to die.

There was no reason to kill her if she couldn’t further our aims. They were no reason to kill her if she didn’t have to be sacrificed.

I had saved her life. But I had doomed everyone else. I had doomed myself.

Without her, who was there that could take her place?

Without her, how could how kingdom be saved? There was no other way that I had not already tried. And now, I had thrown away our last shot because of a woman I barely knew.

And yet, I was glad I saved her.

I shook my head trying to shrug off the traitorous emotions, the one that pulled qt the back of my mind and left me reeling. The ones that had been following my heart instead of my head.

The part of me that wanted to rush back into the room and hold Elena and make love to her all over again because she was so beautiful and sweet.

Instead, I clenched my jaw and pushed open Gulliver’s double doors, storming into the room.

I was angry. I was angry at him for suggesting this in the first place. I was angry that he didn’t come to me with a better decision.

I was angry that our kingdom was dying and there was nothing I could do about it. I was angry because losing Elena no longer seemed like it was worth it.

I was angry because I had acted rashly and without thinking and now there was no way forward, nothing that we could use to save our people.

“Gulliver, where are you!?” I called out, my voice booming in the small place.

There was no answer and I felt more angry rise up inside of me. I wanted to get rid of this fury that was burning inside of me.

“Gulliver, now!” I said, the roar edging closer to my voice, pulling in every direction.

“Yes, My Lord.” His voice echoed from the chambers, making his presence known.

I turned and waited for him to approach me, watching him through narrowed eyes.

I had no reason to be angry at him, but I wasn’t going to beg for forgiveness from one of my advisors. I wouldn’t show such weakness.

One didn’t become the Lord of the Dragons by showing weakness.

Which I had just done with Elena.

I silenced the voice in my head and started Gulliver down, “We need a new plan.”

Gulliver frowned and I could see the confusion blooming on his features, “But we have a plan. One that will work and restore life to our kingdom.”

I clenched my fists, “A new one.” I started again.

“Did.. did something happen, My Lord?”

He asked, quietly and softly. There was real worry in his voice, instead of fear and I felt a surge of frustration.

“The Princess is no longer…” I paused, “Usable for this.”

I watched him carefully, daring him to say a word, daring him to question me or my authority.

His eyes widened and I watched as the realization dawned across his features. He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, before closing it quickly.

Wise choice.

“Okay.” He said, simply, “We’ll… find another way.” He said slowly.

I nodded, the anger slowly deflating out of me, the reality of the situation starting to sink in. I don’t know if we had another way out of this, “is there…. another way?” I asked.

“I don’t know, My Lord. But I will comb the achieves until I find something of value.” He answered slowly and carefully.

If he didn’t find something soon, we were dead in the water. If the land kept drying, we couldn’t eat. People would revolt, or starve.

If we invaded neighboring lands, we would simply bring the darkness with us, and it would be a cycle until we were all dead and the land was gone.

I didn’t wish to invade innocent kingdoms. Their heroes were dead. Peace reigned and I wished to keep it that way.

“Find another way.” I said with a sigh, my voice heavy and weighted.

“Yes, My Lord.” Gulliver answered softly.

There was a heaviness in the room. I hadn’t exactly given him time to explain things further earlier on. I had left without saying any word, storming out angrier than I had been in a long time.

I hadn’t considered whatever was the rational thing to do. All I had been able to think about was Elena, how I wanted her safe, wanted her to be mine.

And so I had acted. I had acted and, while I didn’t regret it, my kingdom was going to pay the price of my actions, my deeds.

The weight of being the Dragon Lord was heavy, and I was feeling more keenly now than ever.

I left, walking back to the room in silence.

The night was deepening around us as dusk left, fleeing and leaving nothing but the inky blackness. In the surrounding forest, I could hear the stirring sounds of the night.

There would be hurting tonight, as the darkness gathered around us and the cold air started to set in.

It was a good night for hunting and everyone was edgy. There was no doubt in my mind that the forest would be teeming with dragons, young and frustrated, and wanting to take it out on something.

An animal would do, anything that stumbled across their paths.

I signed, heavy with the responsibility I had for them. They were frustrated because of death because everyone could feel it, could sense it happening.

We were in tune with nature. We worked with it. The darkness that was gathering was a sign, with a whimper.

But soon, it would be with a bang.

I rested my hand on bedroom four and steeled my courage.

I didn’t know what I was supposed to do or say to Elena, but I had to come in clean with her. If I didn’t she could get herself into real trouble.

I had to talk to her, but that would mean confessing that I was losing my grip on the kingdom.

She wasn’t a dragon, but I wanted to open up to her. She wasn’t one of us, but I wanted to talk to her.

I took a deep breath. She seemed happy when she woke up, at least. She might be angry that I had left without saying a word, but she had enjoyed it as much as I had.

That put me in a better position to talk to her.

With my courage gathered, I pushed open the door, the handle clicking softly.

“Elena.” I said

I looked around the room and my heart dropped.

Elena was gone.

She was nowhere to be seen..