AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How can you be this confident when you’ve never heard of this happening? What if she never comes? What will I do if that happens?”
“We will cross that path if we ever get to it.”
“Ugh, you have no idea what I am going through! Nobody does!”
“No, I don’t.” Dracul let out an audible sigh. “However, I do have some news for you. Some good news.”
“You found someone who can help me get my dragon to come out?” She practically screamed with excitement.
Dracul frowned but quickly recovered. “No. Better. Prince Enzo has requested an audience with you.”
Kaida’s jaw dropped.Prince Enzo is the most powerful Storm Dragon in the kingdom! Not to mention the hottest. And he wants an audience with me?!
“An audience with me? What for?” Her voice became a shriek so high in pitch that Dracul winced from pain.
“Well, not really, just with you. He has requested an audience with all the daughters who are of age in the kingdom. That means Malinda Silverstone, Ada Youngblood, Chusi Dinja, Kaliyah Drystan, and you.”
Oh, wonderful. All four of them are literally the prettiest and most powerful girls in the kingdom next to me.
“Why would he be asking to have an audience with us?”
“Prince Enzo will be crowned king soon. He must find himself a Queen to marry and rule with him, especially since he has not found his mate yet, but we leave in the morning to travel to the capital. You need to pack your bags. Make sure you have enough for a few days’ stay. I am sure he will have to spend time with each of you before he makes his decision. Who knows how long his courting and decision process will take.”
“What do we say if they ask about my dragon?” Kaida's shoulders slumped, “Or my lack of dragon?”
Dracul hesitated for a moment. She saw his face and excitement dull for a moment as he was thinking of a response. It made her think he had forgotten about that part. There was no way that the Styrmirs would not request to see everyone’s dragons. Prince Enzo was looking for his Queen, after all, someone he could reign with and, in time, create heirs with. No Queen has ever not had a dragon.
“We won’t say anything about your dragon unless they ask to see it. If they do, tell them she is temperamental, and it would not be a good idea to shift into her at this time as it could result in death, damages, or anything you can think of on the spot, as long as it is bad.”
Kaida wasn’t sure what to say, but her father didn’t give her much of a chance to say anything in response. He immediately strolled out of her room and quickly closed the door behind him.
Well, I guess I better get to packing.
* * *
Kaida was not solely focused on her lack of dragon status for the first time since her name day. Her stomach wasn’t in knots, and her mind wasn’t constantly focused on reasons why she was a terrible person. She woke up the next morning ready to travel to the capital to meet Prince Enzo. Her bag was packed to the brim with many different outfits and dresses for any occasion. She ended up needing a second one just for her shoes and makeup. When she looked into the mirror before leaving her room, her black hair with pinkish-purple highlights was the longest it had ever been as it fell underneath her breasts. She rolled on some deep pink lipstick to draw attention to her mouth after seeing dark circles underneath her gold eyes.
“The last thing I need is for the prince to see me looking awful,” she said to herself as she applied concealer to the patches of dark skin.
Her parents called for her to get to the carriage. Kaida did not think she looked perfect yet, but it was the best she could do before her mother started blowing smoke about being late.
“Things will only get better from today. You will go to that castle, meet the prince, and sweep him off his feet. You will be the Queen of Dragaal and the entire kingdom, so it would help to bring the confidence of somebody who already knows they have that power.”
The only way she knew to exuberate confidence was to tell herself over and over again what she wanted to portray. She was the daughter of Dracul and Audra Hilmir, after all. The Hilmirs were always second in power after the Styrmirs in the kingdom. Though she had kept herself locked away for the past month, it didn’t mean anything. Dragons were known to not be easy to get along with all the time. Many have kept themselves away from others because of their dragon not listening to their human half and being a danger to others. If that is something she would have to say to keep the prince from finding out she was dragonless, she would.
Temperamental dragons are essentially a stereotype; it’s not a lie as my dragon very well COULD be temperamental, and I just don’t know it yet.
In the carriage, a deafening silence hung in the air. Dracul and Audra weren’t really sure of what to say to their daughter. Kaida wasn’t sure either. Over the last month, there had been no talking since Kaida hid in her room. The previous day when Dracul spoke with Kaida was the first time they had spoken since her party. Now that they were all together, the tension was so strong it could have been cut with a knife.
Audra loudly cleared her throat for Kaida to look at her. She had been staring out the window so she wouldn’t have to look at her parents. When Kaida glanced over at her mother, Audra was wearing a warm smile.
“We are so excited that Prince Enzo has considered courting you to be his mate. He did not necessarily have to ask each of the five families to send a daughter. He could have only chosen who he intended to marry through a matchmaker.”
“This is true. That is how Gemar chose Nande as his mate. He simply asked a matchmaker to find him a mate. He gave the criteria he wanted, and she was the one that fit most of it.”
Kaida furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Wait, King Gemar and Queen Nande are not Fated Mates?”
“No,” her parents said in unison.
