Chosen Bride of the Seven Dark Princes

The monarch of the Reptilian race, King Batsaikhan stared down at his son with deadly intent. His son needed to be taught one last lesson on how to be an effective ruler.

He had to learn how to put aside his own wants and needs over the wants and needs of his own species if dragonkind were to survive against all other human races in the galaxy.

Süren began to laugh. As he laughed, tears began streaming from his eyes.

"You can't force me to have children with her."

King Batsaikhan shook his head.

"I don't have to force you. You and she will have a normal married life, and during that life, children will come."

Süren shook his head in horror. This could not be happening to him.

"You consider being drugged and tied up to be normal married life? I will not be forced into this farce!"

King Batsaikhan shook his head.

"It's all very real son. In ten days, you and she will be married and once that happens, you will not throw away your life for a girl who can no longer be yours."

"Watch me. You think pushing me into a corner is going to get you what you want? I will kill myself before I break my vow with Lyra."

"Son," King Batsaikhan lowered his face to stare into Süren's eyes. "Do you think throwing away your life is going to bring that Princess back to you? She's permanently out of your reach. Just accept it and move on."

"Never. I will never accept it. I will tell Lyra that I was completely drugged for days."

"And then what?"

"She will understand."

King Batsaikhan nodded. "I have met that girl in person. She most probably will understand."

He bared his fangs. "But do you think the Emperor of Erenveil and his Consort will allow a married man to take their precious Princess as a Consort?"

"Father. Please don't do this to me. I beg you. Don't destroy my life." Süren's eyes filled with tears.

His guts were torn to pieces and his heart was slashed to ribbons. The worst thing about this was that it was his own father who was doing this to him.

"Son." King Batsaikhan sighed. "Far from destroying your life, I am actually placing into your hands, the entire Dragon Kingdom sprawled across one-third of the galaxy along with military forces from the royal side as well as from Grand Duke Abberbie's side."

His eyes grew fierce.

"This is the first time we dragons will have a united military force. Dragonkind will never be looked upon as weak and fractured ever again, and you will be the King of it all."

Süren's face was sullen. "You can have it all. I don't want it."

"You don't have a choice. You are the future Dragon King. You have to lead our species through the rough currents and take us to calm seas ahead."

============

Lyra flew around for a bit until even her bat fur wasn't warm enough to keep her aloft.

The blizzard was truly blowing through in heavy gusts and ice was starting to form on her wings, causing her to become unstable.

She needed to seek shelter or she would succumb to frostbite.

"Aaaaaaaaaakkkk!!!" A squawk sounded above her.

Lyra looked up.

A familiar male dragon was circling above her. He was giving her whistles and hand signals for her to follow him.

It was the slightly burned dragon who had taken Mother away from the Royal Palace the day of the attack.

Lyra's heart began to lift. He was one of Süren's men.

Lyra breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't stay out here for much longer. She had to trust someone and it might as well be one of Süren's men.

She raised her hand and gave him a signal, indicating that she had seen him.

He nodded and gave a final gesture for her to follow him. Then, without waiting to see if she would follow, he took off towards the distant mountains to the east.

Lyra flew off behind him, hopeful that whatever happened next, she would at least be able to reconnect with Süren.

He flew ahead of her for about twenty or thirty minutes until they reached a cave high above the cliffs to the east of the ocean.

It was hidden from direct view by all the gnarled oaks that were clinging cliffside and was not easily visible until she got close enough to see the cave's mouth.

Without hesitation, he flew into the cave, with Lyra following immediately behind.

Once they landed on the lip of the cave, they retracted their wings and he gestured for her to follow him inside.

A cursory glance showed only a small area in the front that was barely large enough to fit two people, but that was just a false front.

Once they moved past a rock panel, the second chamber opened up into a large cavity with a ceiling that had to be at least twenty feet high.

The cave was dimly lit by numerous clumps of glowing mushrooms from small strawberry-sized ones to those that were towering tubes the size of large trees. There were pale blues and yellows and oranges, mixed in with greens and lavenders and pinks.

The stalactites and stalagmites were also covered in some sort of glowing white lichen which also added to the general illumination of the place.

"Wow." Lyra looked around. "This place is beautiful!"

"Only if it remains hidden from the general population." The dragon guard with burned feathers responded. "It takes decades to grow these illuminating fungi, and mere seconds to kill them."

"My name is Lyra. What is your name?" She asked as she followed behind him.

He stopped suddenly, causing Lyra to slam into his back.

"Ouch!" She gasped, rubbing her nose.

"My apologies, Your Royal Highness." He said without turning around.

She rubbed her nose, trying to alleviate the pain.

"No, no. It's my fault. There were so many men surrounding Süren that I never caught all your names."

She took a deep breath. The pain in her nose was starting to go away. She tried again.

"I have been meaning to talk to you actually. I wanted to thank you for saving my mother from the burning attack at our home earlier." She bit her lip. "I know you got burned…"

He shrugged. "It was a minor singe. It didn't affect my flying much. Those feathers will grow back."

He paused. "My name is Erden."

And with that, he continued striding forward without even looking back to see if she was following him.

"Erden. Are you taking me to Süren?"

"Eventually. We need to regroup first. I, along with the rest of his men are within this cave, awaiting the perfect timing for our next move."

"What's going on, Erden? Did something happen to Süren?"

Erden continued moving forward without responding.

A little ways in, they reached a large outcropping of stalagmites. He reached out and touched one of the mounds and several stalagmites dropped into the ground revealing a passageway.

"Welcome to our lair." He strode in and held out his hand.

She reached out and took hold of his hand and was hauled within. The stalagmites closed up and they were suddenly in the dark.

Guided by nothing but his hand, she continued to walk alongside him for another five minutes until they reached a dimly lit aisle.

Erden reached out and pushed another button and they walked out onto a darkened hallway.

"Wow." She whispered.

It was an opulent hallway, with tiled slate floors and smooth walls painted a muted cream color.

"Where—"

"We are underneath the Dragon Royal Palace, in one of the hallways that connect the store rooms to the rest of the palace." Erden replied. "It was once used by royalties in times of danger."

"Hahaha." Lyra laughed. "I'm royalty but we are running in the opposite direction."

He gave her a grim smile. "That is true."

She looked around the hallway they were walking through.

"Why are we here?"

"To save your husband."