Chosen Bride of the Seven Dark Princes

"I—I didn't know his name." Gwendolyn blinked in confusion.

"You never asked him?"

Gwendolyn shook her head.

"Every time I met him, it was always a great panic flight away from somewhere dangerous. I never got a chance to say anything to him."

"Well, his name is Erden. Maybe you can talk to him a bit the next time you meet him."

Gwendolyn nodded. "I will. I need to thank him for all three times that he's rescued me."

"Three times?"

"Yes. Once at our palace. Once after we landed on Avalia, right after you and Süren's fiancée fought, and of course, this last time when I was imprisoned in our bed chambers."

Lyra gave her mother a meaningful look.

"Don't treat him like a servant or a bodyguard, Mother. He is neither of those."

Gwendolyn gave Lyra a sharp look. What was this girl telling her?

"I will treat him with utmost respect. Do not worry."

Lyra nodded.

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

By dinnertime, Süren had recovered enough to join them in their private quarters.

Although the meal and table setting was basic without all the usual floral and music accompaniment, to Lyra, this was so exciting she could barely contain herself.

Having grown up in the lap of luxury, for Lyra, the best of the best was banal and boring.

This…this was edgy and exciting! She was flying out in the middle of a far-flung deep space and she was doing things which were so much more fun than dressing up as a princess and preening at the world every day of her life.

For the first time, Lyra truly felt alive!

Süren, on the other hand, was barely able to contain his anger and embarrassment at what had happened to his precious girl and her mother.

He was sitting at the bare metal dinning table next to his great uncle Erden, with Lyra and her mother across from them, trying to calm the queasiness that was churning in his stomach.

The nausea had nothing to do with the military rations that they were being served, although the hot dogs and beans looked so unappetizing that he was ashamed to offer them to Lyra and Lady Gwendolyn.

He was feeling sick to his stomach as a residual after-effect of all the drugs that had been used to subdue him.

Süren was a massive dragon with legendary stamina and endurance. It would take a large amount of drugs to affect him to the point where he passed out and could barely move.

Süren sighed and tried to eat a bite of the hot dogs and beans. He was host and if he didn't eat at least a little, his guests would not feel comfortable.

The nausea hit him right in the solar plexus and he had to put down his fork as he fought the urge to gag. He had to maintain his stoic face so he wouldn't cause his Lyra to be worried. Lord knows she had been frightened enough lately.

Süren had known that his father was despotic and dictatorial, but to go to the extent of drugging and tying Süren up and imprisoning royal members of the Erenveil kingdom, that went beyond tolerable.

It was completely unacceptable.

Things were definitely going to change from this point out. He had to rise to power and take over before his father caused an intergalactic war between the Reptilians and the rest of the galaxy.

Süren was so busy trying to look as if he was not sick that he did not realize Lyra had taken his food away.

"You're barely well enough to sit here with us. This is not the kind of food you should be eating."

She waved a hand to the attendant who was standing behind her.

"Do you have any tea?"

"Yes, Milady."

"Bring me a pot. Make it weak but warm."

Süren gave her a grateful look and heaved a sigh of contentment. She was already acting like his wife by simply paying attention and quickly taking care of his needs with minimal fuss.

The simple act of removing the offending plate of food actually made him feel much better because it was not right under his nose and he didn't have to smell it. Nor did he have to stress about needing to eat any of it.

Süren made a note to surround her with the best of everything as soon as he could get to one of his own high-end warships.

"Süren, is it possible for me to contact my son to let him know we are well?" Lady Gwendolyn asked.

Süren nodded. He gave a gesture and one of his attendants placed a visuals call to the Prime Warrior of Erenveil.

It took a few minutes to locate Slate, but eventually, his warm familiar face appeared on the large virtual monitor in front of them.

"Mother! Lyra!" He smiled with joy at seeing them. Then he turned to Süren.

"It is good to meet you, Crown Prince Lkhagvasüren."

Süren nodded. "Please call me Süren."

Slate smiled. "Süren it is. Thank you for taking care of my mother and sister for the past few days."

"It is my pleasure, Prime Warrior." Süren smiled.

With the pleasantries out of the way, Slate turned back to his mother.

"Dante told me the two of you have gone away on an extended vacation. I knew you were going to leave the Royal Palace. I didn't think you would go all the way to Avalia!"

"We didn't have much choice." Gwendolyn retorted. "Prince Süren was called back by his father and we took off with him when the explosions hit."

"You should have reached Avalia by now. Why are you still onboard a warship?" Slate looked at the bare metal walls behind them.

Gwendolyn looked at Süren, inviting him to speak up at this point.

Süren leveled an even gaze at Slate.

"There has been a situation that developed suddenly within the dragon kingdom."

He paused to take a sip of the warm tea that Lyra had placed in front of him.

"It is no longer safe for me or Lyra and your mother to remain there."

"Oh? Do you need support? Where are you heading now?"

"Thank you, but at the moment, we are able to defend ourselves. My ships will be rendezvousing soon with the pirate ships that accompanied us through deep space wilds."

"And afterwards?"

Süren sighed. "For the moment, it is safest to assume a low profile among them until I can figure out the best way to deal with my father."

"What's going on with King Batsaikhan?" Slate's eyes narrowed.

Süren stared straight at him, unflinching.

"My father made plans with the Grand Duke Julian Abberbie to combine their forces and strike at Erenveil's forces while the iron is hot."

"Are they aiding and abetting the Avian forces?"

Süren shook his head. "No. They don't care what happens to the birds. They are simply striking at your forces while you are otherwise engaged elsewhere in an attempt to overrun the Empire."

Slate barred his fangs.

"So your father thinks he now has an overwhelming dragon military ready to challenge the Imperial forces while we are busy trying to maintain and stabilize the galaxy." Slate concluded.

"Yes." Süren admitted baldly. "The plans included a marriage between me and the Grand Duke's daughter to permanently merge the east and west areas of dragon space. That would have merged the military forces as well as meld all the fractured relationships."

He turned to Lyra with tender loving eyes. "Lyra saved me.. I owe her the rest of my life in lieu of payment."