Page 5 of Dragon King’s Duty Bride

He stopped.

Sia waited with her eyes forward and her pulse hammering.

“It doesn’t have to be cruel,” he finished instead, quieter.

She almost laughed.

Almost.

She did not look at him when she replied. “It already is.”

The tension between them sharpened and became more strained. He inhaled slowly, as if debating how to proceed. She felt his gaze on her, heavy and searching.

For what? Forgiveness? Understanding?

She had none to spare and she wasn’t sure he did either.

The doors closed behind them and muted the celebration to a distant roar. Silence rushed in both thick and uncomfortable.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

They stood side by side bound by law and loss, both strangers carrying the same grief in different ways.

Sia stiffened her shoulders and kept her face carefully blank.

She would survive this marriage and protect her nieces.

And whatever was left of her heart, whatever cold, aching thing remained, she would keep it locked away where no king, no crown, and no memory of her sister could reach it.

Chapter 3

Lucas

The reception was loud with celebration, but yet Lucas had never felt more alone.

Music swelled through the hall, cheerful and relentless. It was the kind chosen to convince everyone that happiness was happening whether it truly existed or not. Glasses clinked. Laughter burst out in bright, careless waves.

Everywhere he looked, faces beamed back at him and Sia as though they had witnessed the union of the happiest couple in the Iskara Northlands. Lucas smiled because it was expected of him. He suspected that his new bride did as well.

His hand rested lightly at Sia’s back. It was more formal than friendly, but no one could tell just by a glance. She played her part well. Her chin was up and her lips curved just enough to pass for joy. To anyone watching, they were newlyweds basking in the glow of holy matrimony. Only he could feel the tension in her posture and the way her body angled just slightly away from his as if instinct refused the lie even while manners upheld it.

Their families were ecstatic. Even the ones who knew that the entire thing was a farce were still overjoyed. His parents moved through the room with pride written into every gesture and introduced Sia as though she were a long-cherished answer to a prayer. Her family accepted congratulations with tearful smiles and voices thick with relief and hope.

This marriage, to them, was safety and stability. A way back into the royal graces after the death of their older daughter. He couldn’t help but wonder how much grief Sia had given them about the arrangement. The thought almost made him smirk.

Lucas nodded through conversations, murmured polite replies and accepted backslaps and knowing looks. You’ll be happy again, those looks said. Time fixes everything.

If only grief obeyed such rules.

Across the room, his daughters sat at the proverbial kids’ table meant for celebration. Their small figures were swallowed by tulle and taffeta and the centerpieces almost hid them from view. They wore dresses chosen with care with hair that was neatly styled. Their faces were solemn in a way that cut straight through him. They smiled when spoken to, but their eyes searched the room often until they found him.

They didn’t laugh. Not really.

They had loved Dian fiercely and so completely in the way only children can. If this wedding wasn’t confusing to them, it was because they didn’t really understand what a wedding was. It was confusing because they couldn’t figure out what Aunt Sia was doing with him. They watched the festivities like guests at someone else’s party, unsure of the rules and uncertain where joy was supposed to fit now.

And now they would have to learn to accept their aunt as their stepmother. Lucas felt the weight of their confusion settle deep in his chest.

When it came time for the traditional first dance, their ruse took on another level of hell.