But I’ve been blunt with him from the very beginning. He, in return, is blunt with me. He claims, also, that he hasn’t killed anyone. I do wonder why he’s never denied it in the media. But then, he doesn’t make announcements in the media. Apparently, he even suppresses the media.
Using my science brain, and maybe, also a little, my instincts, I decide that I’m going to be as direct with him as he is with me.
“I want my family to be present at our wedding party.”
“Of course they will be. I will include your sister’s fiancé, if you like.”
“I would like,” I say. “I would also like to be very clear that my family is going to be well compensated for all of this. That they’ll always be taken care of.”
“Obviously the family of the queen will not live in penury.”
I scoff. “I wouldn’t say that we do now. We are modest, but we do all right for ourselves.”
“Silly little sparrow. You can’t decide whether you want to have your pride or have a handout.”
I’m offended by that as well. “I don’t want a handout. But I had plans for my life.” My voice catches. “I truly hoped that I was going to help benefit my family.”
“And so you shall,” he says.
“I think that we need more of the citizens of Alabria to come to this wedding. It cannot be something rarefied like you were planning on doing with Princess Emerald.” I ignore the fact that maybe, maybe part of this is because I don’t want the wedding to be exactly the same as the one he set into motion last year.
I don’t know why it should matter to me. I don’t need to be special to a maniacal dictator, after all. Except, I also know he isn’t those things. But he is a puzzle that I can’t quite work out.
“Make me your guest list, sparrow. I will give you whatever you wish.”
“Except for my freedom.”
He inclines his head. “Except for that, I regret.”
The strawberry cake is served then, and I have to make a decision. Between my pride and my stomach. I choose my pride. I stand up from the table in front of the luscious pink piece of cake, and I look at him directly. “I’m going to bed. I find that I am extremely tired of the entire day.”
And with that, I leave him. I half expect the dragon to follow me. But he doesn’t.
There has been no blood spilled. It makes me wonder if this dragon even wants to be satiated at all.
Or if he is living for the game, for playing with his prey.
I, for certain, am his prey.
What the outcome of that will be, I don’t know.
Chapter Six
The Dragon
It never occurredto me that my little sparrow might be useful as a confessional. I have lived with my secrets, my thoughts, for so long. Yes, there are many in the palace who served under my parents who know pieces of truth about me, but no one knows me. When she asks me questions, I find that I want to answer them, however. When she pressed about my sins, I wanted to tell her that they were not quite as numerous as people have claimed.
But more than anything, I want to devour her.
More than anything, I must do something with the need that’s building inside of me. More than I need this marriage, more than I need an heir. She is beautiful in ways I cannot fathom. Like the mysteries of the universe, a glorious, glimmering tangle in front of me. An entire galaxy of loveliness.
Soon she will be my wife. And I can have her in any way I like.
The only question is if I can wait that long.
Not even her defiance does anything to minimize my need for her. It only makes my hunger grow.
And I have never been one to ignore my appetite.
