The Cursed Queen (Dragon’s Curse #1)

Sera

It'd been three days since dragon riders attacked Ryu and me. The flight back to the den was thankfully uneventful. Andriel insisted I ride with Virgil on his back to give Ryu a break. He and Drayce took to the rear to guard the four dragons we rescued while Andriel and Ladon flew side by side. I barely had any energy to move when we finally returned. The shifters gathered upon our return with Lord Igneel waiting for us. Ryu and I explained what happened as best as we could.

I wasn't sure what was going to happen now. Verania lost four of her dragon riders, and I didn't think she'd be reckless enough to send more after us. At least not right now. Since we left no survivors from the enemy side, there was no way for Verania to know of our location. That didn't mean she wouldn't raise suspicions about the area where the dragon riders were last reported. For now, we had to wait and plan for the next attack to come.

As for the shifters we rescued, they shifted back to their human skin so Lord Igneel could properly welcome them back. One girl and three boys. Unsurprisingly, they wept at finally returning home after who knew how long they'd been kept in cages and forced to submit to the Zeffari Kingdom. A part of me wanted to look away. To not listen to the horrors they endured while under the kingdom, but I forced myself to remain where I stood.

It helped serve as a reminder of why I was here. Why I wanted to fight against the Zeffari Kingdom. To further cement how cruel Verania had been, knowing full well what she was doing when she would hunt these shifters down and keeping them captive.

If not for the adrenaline draining me completely, I didn't think I'd have been able to sleep. I managed to, but not peacefully. I was plagued by nightmares, imagining all the torment those poor shifters had to endure. Unsure if they would ever escape. If they would ever return to their den. The more my mind raced with thoughts and images, the more guilt I felt threatening to cut off my airways. I'd never understand how I spent twenty-one years in the Zeffari Kingdom and did not know what was happening to them.

How could I have looked at the dragon riders, and the dragons they'd brainwashed, and thought that was what I wanted to do with my life? Was I that blind? Had I really believed there was nothing wrong with it? It took everything in me not to curl up in a ball and cry my eyes out.

That wouldn't solve anything. Instead of weeping like a child, I could continue my training, and making sure I put an end to Verania and the entire dragon rider battalion.

I spent the next two days working with my mates. After deliberating, it was agreed that Ryu would work with me on my magic, Drayce would train me in combat, and Andriel would help my connection with my dragon. Andriel also explained that he would help Virgil get stronger, too. Each of my mates were strict mentors with my training, but I welcomed it. It was also giving us the chance to bond.

All except for Ladon.

Ladon wasn't training me, nor did he want to talk to me. I already knew why before Andriel explained it to me. I couldn't say I blamed him for not wanting to interact with the former druid princess, but the rejection stung, nonetheless. What puzzled me were his actions. Ladon stated he didn't want me as a mate, yet he still came to my rescue when Ryu and I were attacked. He risked his life to save us. To save me.

I decided not to push for Ladon to talk to me, at least not right now. I wouldn't give up on him, but with so much on my plate, it was best to focus on what I could do first.

Waking up the next morning, I made my way to the courtyard as planned. A few of the shifters were still giving me dirty looks, but I also noticed that some had eased their tension about me after saving those four shifters the other day. Not a lot of change, but progress was still progress.

Stepping out into the blaring sun, I looked ahead to find Drayce waiting for me. I didn't have the chance to really take him in since arriving on Dragon's Peak Mountain, but now that he was training me, I allowed my eyes to roam up and down his form. He was layered with muscles similar to Andriel. His dark skin glistening in the sun's harsh rays, and his topaz-colored eyes glowed as if they were miniature versions of the sun. He had a firm presence to him, one that made him look ready to do battle at any moment. I could see why Lord Igneel deemed him the one to teach me to fight.

Sensing my presence, Drayce looked up to meet my gaze. He frowned but gestured for me to come hither. He seemed bothered by me. I guess I could understand seeing as how we were fated mates, and yet I was still deemed an enemy. But unlike Ladon, Drayce wasn't shutting me out. He seemed open to the idea, but was unsure of me. I'd take that. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do about my mates, but with some time, hopefully, I'd find a solution.

For now, I slowly approached Drayce, trying not to let my apprehension show on my face.

"Hello," I said casually.

He dipped his head. "Princess."

"I'm not a princess anymore."

Drayce looked around for a second to make sure we had no eavesdroppers. "You're Lord Igneel's daughter, are you not?"

I nodded.

"Then you're still a princess. Maybe not to the Zeffari Kingdom, but you are a princess of dragons."

"Not sure I'm worthy of that," I said somberly, knowing how much resentment the den had of Virgil and me being here. They didn't even know I was Daenerys yet, so how would they react when they found out? What would happen to Lord Igneel?

"It matters not if you deserve it or not. You were born Princess Daenerys; therefore, you are our princess. Even if nobody knows it."

That did nothing to reassure me, but it was the truth. I was born a princess, but I had yet to earn it. I was never worthy of being the Zeffari Kingdom's princess, which was why it always felt wrong to me, and I still wasn't worthy of being the princess of dragons. Was it something I wanted to earn? Did I want to be a worthy princess? Maybe it was a conversation I needed to have with Lord Igneel.

"Fair enough," I said with a sigh. "Well, shall we get this over with?"

Drayce's eyes narrowed at my less-than-enthusiastic statement. "What, do you prefer Andriel or Ryu training you?"

"Huh?" I tilted my head in confusion.

"You don't seem like you want to be here with me."

"I could say the same about you," I fired back. "You're the one who looked at me like I was an inconvenience the second you spotted me."

"It's not that," Drayce muttered, avoiding my eyes.

"Then what is it?" I asked as I moved in closer and lightly shoved his shoulder.

Drayce shot a glare my way and let out a low growl. "Don't push me, little girl."

His threatening look should've scared me. It should've had me backing away and apologizing profusely, but it didn't. Quite the opposite, really. I wasn't sure why, but I felt the overcoming need to fight back. To challenge this resistance he had over me.

I shoved him again, harder this time, and lifted my head up to meet those feral eyes of his. "Or you'll do what, mate ?"

I added emphasis on the word mate to see what it would do to him. He moved closer. So close that I could feel his hot breath tickling my skin. His chest pressed against my mine. Desire flooded my senses. The nearness of him. I had to fight against the urge to wrap my arms around his neck and lift myself up to my toes to kiss him. To find out how much he was willing to hold back before whatever wall he built around himself would crumble into a pile of sand.

I could see the interest threatening to breakthrough his facade, but Drayce was doing an excellent job of reining it in. What would've happened if he let himself go?

Our eyes remained locked with each other for what felt like centuries before he finally turned his head. He cleared his throat and took two steps back. And just like that, the spell was over.

"Come on, we have work to do. From what I gathered the other day, you didn't do a great job defending yourself against that knight. If you want to stand a better chance in hand combat, then you'll need proper training."

I was mildly offended. Sure, my technique could've been better, but I didn't think I did such a terrible job. Though if not for dragon scales along my chest, that slash I took from the druid knight's sword would've killed me.

With that in mind, I kept my mouth shut and accepted his words. Drayce worked with me for the next several hours. He assisted me in finding a good stance to match my form, and then revealed the key areas to target when fighting a druid knight. He then had me throw repeated blows at him to see if I could land a hit. None of them did. Drayce blocked all my hits without so much as breaking a sweat.

After unsuccessfully landing one punch or scratch, the roles were reversed, and now it was Drayce who was throwing hits at me. Unlike me, all of them hit, and my face planted on the ground so many times, I was surprised there wasn't an outline of my body cracked into the stone. Thankfully, my heightened healing repaired every injury, but the stiffness and phantom pains remained.

By the time Drayce finally called it a night, the sky had darkened with only a thin trace of gold remaining as the sun went down.

"Well, that could've gotten better," Drayce mused while I struggled to pull myself back up.

I winced as I stood up on wobbly legs and spit out the blood pooling in my mouth. Was that punch to the face necessary?

"Easy for you to say. Did you have to go all out against me?"

"Who says I went all out?" Drayce asked with a smirk.

I froze. "Wait, you were going easy on me?"

He didn't respond in words, but judging from the wicked gleam in his expression, that was precisely what he did. That only soured my mood even further. A part of me wanted to throw a fireball at him, but he'd only dodge it without blinking. Smug bastard.

"Well, rest up. We'll try again next time, and maybe I'll show you some tricks that'll help surprise your enemies and give you the opening you need to go for the kill."

I muttered my thanks and waved him off as I stumbled towards the corridor that would lead me inside the mountain.

"phina," Drayce called out to me.

I stopped and turned to face him.

Drayce seemed hesitant to speak his mind. A part of me wondered if it had anything to do with us being fated mates. We went through the entire day without him bringing it up, but now it seemed as if he wanted to say something. I didn't push him. Instead, I waited patiently for him to see if he would bring up the subject.

"I, uh... thank you," Drayce finally said.

"For what?" I asked in confusion.

"For protecting Ryu. He told me what happened. How you helped him avoid the dragon riders, and even block a surprise attack from hitting him. I'm glad you were there with him."

That only furthered my confusion. He was glad I was there for Ryu? Thinking back on it, Drayce did seem to fuss over Ryu as soon as we arrived back in the den that day. Maybe he and Ryu were close.

"Well, Ryu is one of my mates, so of course I'd help protect your friend," I said.

Drayce shook his head. "Actually, he's not my friend."

"Oh?" I arched a brow.

"He's... Ryu and I, we're... lovers."

I blinked several times, unsure if I had heard properly. "Lovers. You and Ryu? As in, you guys are fucking?"

Drayce coughed into his fist at that comment. "We are."

Oh shit, I was fated to two men who were already in a relationship with each other. Of all the things Drayce could've said, him and Ryu being lovers were far from what I was expecting. Why hadn't Ryu told me the other day? And why was I fated to them both if they already found love in each other? My mind wandered, imagining what it would look like to see the two men together. Drayce seemed more on the dominant side, so he'd likely be the one to overpower Ryu. Fucking him. Ryu underneath him, quivering and begging for more.

Heat began pooling beneath my legs, and I felt ashamed. I shouldn't want to see it play out in person. That should've been a private, intimate moment solely for Drayce and Ryu. I could never intrude on their moment.

"I see," I said when I realized I'd been silent for too long.

"Does that change how you see us?" Drayce asked.

I furrowed my brow, then shook my head. "No, of course not. Honestly, I think it's beautiful. You two together, I mean. But—" I paused, unsure how to ask what it meant for our fated mate bond.

"You're curious about what it means now that Ryu and I are your fated mates," Drayce rightfully guessed.

"I don't want to come between you guys," I said truthfully. "It wouldn't be fair. I don't want to be the reason the two of you can't be together."

I thought about my birth parents. Lady Calida and King Alphonse couldn't be together because Calida was fated to Lord Igneel, and the decision pained them both. Their separation ultimately led to my father taking Verania as his queen, while Lady Calida mated with Lord Igneel. If I chose one of them to be my mate, what would it mean for their relationship? Would they be crushed?

I couldn't do that to them. They deserved the chance to be in love with each other. To live their life together in a way my parents never got the chance.

At my words, Drayce's expression softened. I assumed he too was worried about what us being fated would mean for his relationship with Ryu. "You're too kind, Princess."

I wish I could tell him about my parents, but Drayce and my other mates believed Lord Igneel sired me.

"Let's just say I know what it means to not want to be apart from someone you love. You and Ryu clearly have something special together, and I never want to tamper with it. No fated bond is worth it."

Drayce stepped closer to me, then pinched my chin and lifted my head to meet his softened gaze. The setting sun gave the tall, dark man a golden aura surrounding his form. He looked ethereal in that moment. Beautiful. His lips looked plump and kissable, and the urge to find out was flourishing. I wanted to back away before I made it happen. Kissing him would go against what I just said about wanting Drayce and Ryu to stay together.

"I'm starting to see what Ryu sees in you," Drayce said in a lower octave tone. His breath tickling my face.

"What do you mean?"

"Ryu insists that we still try to build a connection with you, and after the other day, he feels he understands why he's fated to you. You're both hybrids who've been outcasted from your own home. Despite how poorly you've been treated back in your old kingdom, and here in the den, you still try to find the good in people. You have a pure and open heart, ."

His words had me blushing profusely. I didn't think I was doing anything special. I was merely doing what I felt was right. Ryu didn't deserve to be looked at differently for being a hybrid, and that druid knight deserved a chance to change his ways and hopefully do the right thing. Though the latter had failed, I at least knew I tried to reason with him.

But if Ryu was happy with Drayce, he was he wanting to explore our fated connection? Surely, he'd want to continue being with Drayce, didn't he?

"Why does it matter if Ryu and I are fated and hybrids? You and he belong together," I said.

"I agree with you, but Ryu wants us both to have a fair chance of getting to know you and explore this bond between us. Whatever or whoever you choose, at least we know we'd given it a chance, and you chose what is right for you."

Now I did back away from his hold. "Absolutely not. I refuse to impede yours and Ryu's love. It wouldn't be right."

Though my words continued to say no, my body's response to the memory of his touches repeated yes in my head. I needed to give myself distance, both from him and Ryu. As much as I enjoyed Ryu's company, and though the strength of our bond seemed robust, I decided I wouldn't be the dividing force between them.

"I must go," I got out, before turning and running back inside. The brief interaction with Drayce already had me missing his presence, which was how I knew that distance was needed. But I feared we wouldn't be separated for too long. After all, he and Ryu were both my instructors. Which meant that I'd be facing them again real soon.

What was I going to do?