The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 101

MIDAS

The dragonkin have a saying.

Those who are too foolish to take heed to the whispers of the past, ensure that history repeats itself in the loudest of manners.

And Midas has never, not for a single moment in his entire life as king, felt as foolish as he feels right now.

Standing on the other side of the dreaded hall of mirrors, he should be satisfied that he and his dragon had passed the elves' annoying tests and would now get the antidote to save their people. But instead all he can think about is all the ways he had thrown caution to the wind.

And how just thinking about the fact that she might not always be who he thinks she is, is so painful a thought it makes him want to rip something apart. Preferably his heart.

"Welcome back dragon king!!"

Midas focuses his attention on the tiny gathering in front of him.

The Fairy queen and her council surrounded by their entourage of guards.

He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had not even noticed them waiting outside for him when he stepped out of the...

He turns around and frowns.

Rather than a door or a door way, the wall behind him is nothing but smooth, rose colored stone.

Whatever opening he had come through has now completely disappeared.

The Fairy queen walks towards him.

Her steps so short and graceful, she appears to be floating.

"From the snarl on your face Midas, I take it the mirrors must have revealed something you did not particularly like."

Midas turns back to her. "I have catered to your whims long enough Moria..."

"They are not whims."

"Whatever they are, I grow weary of them and am no long in the mood to be patient. Give me what I seek."

She smirks. "For a moment there I was beginning to think that you had lost your bite. But I see your that without your little human tamer you are just as brash and ferocious as ever."

His eyes flash red at the disrespect to the woman who rules beside him and resisting the urge to bare his teeth at the Fairy queen is one of the hardest things he has done all day and while she still laughs and titters like she always does, she is not stupid enough to come closer. He glances around.

"Where are the others?"

"You are the first of your company to make it out."

He turns back towards the smooth stone wall. "And they will all come this way?"

"If they are worthy yes."

Midas'jaw works and he clenches his fist, all efforts to still his racing heart and keep his worry from showing on his face.

By f*****g Hades things were so much easier when he just did not care.

Easier...or unhappy?

Both. But at least I knew how how to deal with it.

If fighting everything that breathes could be considered dealing with it.

If she makes it out dragon king that would mean He has not manged to get to her.

Yet. He has not managed to get to her yet.

He feels the dragon sigh within him but it says nothing more.

He can tell that Er'gan is unhappy about the seeds of distrust that have begun to grow in the King's heart but Midas cannot seem to help it.

The prophecy.

He had been warned.

Told to be careful.

Yet the dragon king had gone right ahead and given his heart to the one who would in all likelihood be responsible for destroying his realm.

He had told himself, even as he fell deeper and deeper into the complex web of emotions that was the madness of the tether bond, that maybe the Kingmakers had been mistaken.

They had said she would be at the center of a storm that would shake the seven realms.

And rather than stay away from her while he found out exactly what the prophecy meant, what had Midas done?

He had let himself fall hopelessly and stupidly in lo...

The wall in front of them begins to glow from underneath.

A space between the wall and the floor suddenly now there were the once was none.

The dragon king replaces himself holding his breath without even knowing it.

Praying one of his rare, once in a troublesome moment prayers to the gods.

Asking that it is her who comes through.

As they watch, the light extends upwards in two straight lines.

Both lines arch above to form the full outline of a door and the space bounded by them dissolves into a patch of luminescence. Gods let it be her.

But it is not and as Midas'watches, his chief Ryder steps out of the ring of light looking pale and worse for wear.

The door way disappears in a puff of light behind him leaving behind cold stone and no trace of it's existence. "Welcome..."

Midas steps sides her and cuts her off.

Leo straightens when he sees his king and attempts to right his expression. "Your Majesty"

"I take it yours was not a journey of cakes and rainbows either."

"Somehow you manage to make that sound more horrifying."

When Midas does not throw back a retort at the chief Ryder's quip, the dragonkin warrior frowns.

"What is the matter...where is Her...the queen?"

"She still walks the hall."

"But..."

"I must speak to you at once."

Leo frowns but he nods.

"Oh don't worry about us Midas, we'll be here to welcome your precious bride if she makes it out."

This time Midas does sneer at her.

He does not lead them very far but around a corner he sees a set of wide doors leading out into a balcony and he covers the distance in long strides, pushing the doors violently open. "You are troubled."

He is slowly beginning to understand why the dragonkin habit of stating the obvious annoys her.

"Yes Leo I am."

Leaning against the railing, Leo folds his arm and cross his ankles.

Chief Ryder and friend wrapped up in one, ready to listen as both.

So Midas tells him everything.

About Er'gan's past and the link to the prophecy and the potential that the woman closest to his heart might betray them.

Leo is silent for a long time.

A very long time.

When he finally speaks, the dragon king is surprised to hear traces of barely concealed anger in his voice.

"So you mean to tell me that you think she has somehow been corrupted by Azarath?"

"Er'gan said..."

"I am not asking you what Er'gan said your grace. I am asking you what you believe. What your heart is telling you."

Ha had baan warnad.

Told to ba caraful.

Yat tha dragon king had gona right ahaad and givan his haart to tha ona who would in all likalihood ba rasponsibla for dastroying his raalm.

Ha had told himsalf, avan as ha fall daapar and daapar into tha complax wab of amotions that was tha madnass of tha tathar bond, that mayba tha Kingmakars had baan mistakan. Thay had said sha would ba at tha cantar of a storm that would shaka tha savan raalms.

And rathar than stay away from har whila ha found out axactly what tha prophacy maant, what had Midas dona?

Ha had lat himsalf fall hopalassly and stupidly in lo...

Tha wall in front of tham bagins to glow from undarnaath.

A spaca batwaan tha wall and tha floor suddanly now thara wara tha onca was nona.

Tha dragon king replaces himsalf holding his braath without avan knowing it.

Praying ona of his rara, onca in a troublasoma momant prayars to tha gods.

Asking that it is har who comas through.

As thay watch, tha light axtands upwards in two straight linas.

Both linas arch abova to form tha full outlina of a door and tha spaca boundad by tham dissolvas into a patch of luminascanca. Gods lat it ba har.

But it is not and as Midas'watchas, his chiaf Rydar staps out of tha ring of light looking pala and worsa for waar.

Tha door way disappaars in a puff of light bahind him laaving bahind cold stona and no traca of it's axistanca. "Walcoma..."

Midas staps sidas har and cuts har off.

Lao straightans whan ha saas his king and attampts to right his axprassion. "Your Majasty"

"I taka it yours was not a journay of cakas and rainbows aithar."

"Somahow you managa to maka that sound mora horrifying."

Whan Midas doas not throw back a ratort at tha chiaf Rydar's quip, tha dragonkin warrior frowns.

"What is tha mattar...whara is Har...tha quaan?"

"Sha still walks tha hall."

"But..."

"I must spaak to you at onca."

Lao frowns but ha nods.

"Oh don't worry about us Midas, wa'll ba hara to walcoma your pracious brida if sha makas it out."

This tima Midas doas snaar at har.

Ha doas not laad tham vary far but around a cornar ha saas a sat of wida doors laading out into a balcony and ha covars tha distanca in long stridas, pushing tha doors violantly opan. "You ara troublad."

Ha is slowly baginning to undarstand why tha dragonkin habit of stating tha obvious annoys har.

"Yas Lao I am."

Laaning against tha railing, Lao folds his arm and cross his anklas.

Chiaf Rydar and friand wrappad up in ona, raady to listan as both.

So Midas talls him avarything.

About Er'gan's past and tha link to tha prophacy and tha potantial that tha woman closast to his haart might batray tham.

Lao is silant for a long tima.

A vary long tima.

Whan ha finally spaaks, tha dragon king is surprisad to haar tracas of baraly concaalad angar in his voica.

"So you maan to tall ma that you think sha has somahow baan corruptad by Azarath?"

"Er'gan said..."

"I am not asking you what Er'gan said your graca. I am asking you what you baliava. What your haart is talling you."

"Of what use is it listening to my heart Leo? Look where it has gotten me."

"Happier than you have ever been and I have known you almost all your life."

"Of what use is my happiness if it destroys the kingdom?"

"So what do you intend to do?"

Midas stares out into the blinding vastness of the glittering fairy realm. "I want to trust her but I cannot bring myself to do so knowing what I know now. Doing that would be akin to..." Leo scoffs. "Akin to what Midas?"

The dragon king turns, frowning.

His chief Ryder almost never calls him by his name even though he has told him many times that he may do so but that is not what has the dragon king's brows drawing together in confusion. It is the way he had said the words.

Angry and bitter.

"You hold the heart of one of the most beautiful people to ever walk the seven realms and you want to throw it all away because of something that happened in the past?"

"Do you understand Leo that she is the reincarnation of the same person who once betrayed all of the seven realms by joining hands with darkness?"

"And so what Midas? So she has the same powers, so she stands now as the Oracle of Daphne, why does knowing all that suddenly make her different in your eyes?"

"I cannot deliberately put my realm in danger on the off chance that she might be different."

"Is your throne really all that matters to you?"

Midas gawks at his friend in disbelief. "That is untrue and unfair and you know it."

"Do I? Because you seem too eager, too willingly, to throw away the most precious thing in your life to keep it "

"I have a duty to my people before all else and if she is a threat to that..."

"You would rid yourself of her without a moments hesitation."

"You make it sound like I am just itching to get rid of her."

"Because that dragon king is exactly how you sound."

Leo shakes his head, his jaw clenched. "If she were mine..."

"Well she is not."

That is the closest Midas as come to raising his voice and both men stare at each other.

Grey steel against gold fire

Leo steps back. "No...she isn't."

Midas sighs. "I just want to do the right thing Leo."

The gentle breeze and the peaceful sqwaking of birds a sharp contrast to the turmoil of emotions and tense atmosphere on the balcony.

"Do you love her?"

Midas closes his eyes, his heart beating out the answer even without him saying the words.

"I owe it to the dragon realm..."

"Do you...love. her?"

The dragon king is silent until the words leave his lips.

Perfect and whole in their utter certainty.

"More than my own life."

"Then if you love her, trust her."

"But what if keeping her by my side means trouble for everyone else?"

Leo takes out his helmet from where he had been holding it under his arm and fits it unto his head, the metal rattling loudly.

"I think the question you should be asking yourself your highness, is if you even deserve to have her by your side in the first place."