Legend of the Forbidden (9 page)

Dani watched the Great Terran Lord and noticed something different about him. He'd always made her nervous, but he also seemed aggressive and cruel. Like there was something else going on behind the scenes that she and Tyson weren't being told. Tyson noticed it too, because he glanced Dani's way with an awful lot of uncertainty. What weren't they being told?

“Shanrea it is then, but as for the ceremony, it will be conducted by one of our priests. It's very important to me that the service be holy and ordained by a man of God. I know in Inero the marriages between the dragons and their brides are not officiated like they are when the humans marry one another. I didn't think you'd mind if we used a Terran wedding as an outline since, well, your people do not have weddings often,” Lord Bolton said, and that was when Dani started to tune him out. She didn't care to listen to him make snide comments about the ways of her country. The Inero weren't perfect, but they weren't heartless either.

They believed in love too.

 

 

“Do I want to marry her, or don't I,” Ethan mumbled to no one. He was outside on the beach, glad to be alone. Not something he usually enjoyed, but he did need a moment to collect his thoughts about everything going on. He especially needed to make sure he had time away from Maya, so he could focus.

Logically speaking, it made sense to marry Maya. He knew her, knew a lot about her, and her family was already familiar with the dragon way, so he wouldn't be ripping her away from her home. But he didn't think he loved her, which was something important he wanted in his marriage. Cared about her but didn't love her. He didn't feel sappy dopey feelings when he was around her. Ethan wanted what his parents had. Every time his dad looked at his mother, he noticed the sparks. When asked about how his dad knew he was in love, Ethan was always told, “I just knew.” Ethan didn't get that vibe with Maya. If anything, he got that feeling from Dani, but that was also stupid of him.

I should say yes to Maya's proposal. Her life depends on it. It all makes sense. I'm sure we'll be able to make everything work out just fine .

But his heart ached thinking about it. Like he was mourning the loss of a loved one, which couldn't be a good sign when thinking about his future bride.

“Ugh, get over yourself.” He shook his head, picked up a rock, and threw it into the water. He pulled out his phone and called home.

“Hi honey,” his mom said, and hearing her voice brought a smile to his face. He missed home.

“Hey Mom, I don't suppose you wanna get Dad on the phone. I wanted to talk with you both about something,” he explained.

“Sure, just a second.” A second later, he could hear his Dad's voice too.

“How's the island?” he asked.

Ethan laughed. “Good, like always. Everything is coming along well. I'm glad I'm here to do what I can, because Tyson isn't being much help. Anyway, I didn't call to catch you up on stuff. I'm calling because I think I figured out what I want to do with my whole finding a mate thing.” He didn't want to call Maya his future bride. He couldn't even think of her as a future wife, not yet.

“Oh?” Darien asked.

Ethan took in a deep breath, and his heart stopped when he noticed Dani not far off in the distance coming toward him. Hopefully she hadn't heard too much. Dragons had exceptional hearing, but he hadn't seen her until just now.

“Yeah, I'm being called in though, and I don't want to talk about it in front of everyone. I have a lot of things I need to think about with the whole thing. You know? But we'll talk more when I get back, which won't be too much longer. I need advice,” Ethan explained. It was the best way for him to go about the whole situation. He wouldn't tell Maya his decision until after he talked with his parents.

“Did you meet someone there?” his mom asked, and Ethan was almost positive he heard his father mumble, "I hope not."

Ethan winced. “Yes and no. Like I said, we'll talk when I get back.”

By now Dani was only ten feet away. She was smiling, but it seemed a bit forced as she mouthed out 'dinnertime' to him.

“Mom, Dad, I gotta go. I'm getting the stink-eye okay? I love you both, and I'll see you in just a couple of weeks.”

“Bye, honey, love you,” his mom said.

After saying his goodbyes, he faced Dani. “I'm coming.”

She put an arm around him, and they walked back to the house. What he loved the most about her touch was the fact that she did it without an agenda. Something that concerned him a lot when it came to Maya.

 

 

Tyson let himself be fitted for a tuxedo with little complaint, though it was not what he would call a pleasant experience. Tuxes were tight and constricting, and so hot on the tropical island of Shanrea. None of his options were light in material.

“This is fancy,” Ethan said as he looked himself over in a mirror nearby.

“It's a grand affair. Of course it is,” Tyson said, and adjusted the jacket.

“So your meeting yesterday was weird? That's what Dani was telling me when I asked her about it.”

“Lord Bolton is weird in general,” Tyson explained. “Dad says the guy has always had a little obscure version of the world. I know he upset her, but he was being a jerk. Even I was insulted by some of the comments he made. And I still don't understand the importance of all this. The way he talks about us, it's like we're tools.”

Ethan shrugged. “You are. You're political tools.”

“What do you think would happen if we decided to not do it?” Tyson asked quietly.

“How much do you think Lord Bolton is capable of?” Ethan asked, glancing at him from the side.

Tyson took off the jacket, now too warm to keep wearing it for much longer. “I don't think he'd do anything crazy. But it's hard to say no to the arrangement when there's no real reason to not go through with it. The way he made the whole thing sound, it was as if…”

“Hmm?” Ethan asked. “As if what?”

“There's something going on that he's not telling Dani and me. When I suggested we wait and cancel the wedding, he got mad. Started talking about how we had to redeem our people, and then said 'among other things'. I know there are parts of the story we haven't heard yet, but I can't help but wonder how essential they are. Shouldn't we be told how much is at stake? Especially if they want us to understand.”

“Maybe he thought he was saving you from stress and pressure?” Ethan said with a shrug.

Tyson chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully. “Perhaps. Whatever it is, I'm ready for all of this to be over and done with.”

“Yeah…” Ethan said with a nod.

“I think we're set here.” He paused. “Do you think it could be possible? To say no? Put my foot down and change it?”

“It's not like anyone can force you to say 'I do', let alone consummate your marriage with her. Still, you guys are lucky. Since you know each other and all. Maybe it's not strange to you, but for her it's probably confusing. So are you sure you want to throw this whole thing away? What do you think will happen to you both? I mean, your people have one way of doing things, and hers another. How do you think she'll find another spouse?”

Tyson scowled. It was just like Ethan to think logically about everything, and not from his heart. What would happen to Dani? There were no Elite men for Dani to pick from. What would happen to her was his biggest concern. She was the only female dragon. How many dragon men would try to take advantage of that? Tyson and Dani had gotten to know each other normally and naturally, just like the way of the Terran. All of the things Tyson would have done with a human girl, he was doing with Dani. Except for one thing: the kiss.

When a Terran man proposed to a Terran girl, he did it through a kiss. It was the only way for a man to know for sure if they should go through with the whole thing. If the woman wanted to be with him, she would accept the kiss and wedding plans would begin. If she rejected him, it generally meant she did not think him worthy of marriage, and he was too flawed.

“I keep looking at it from the wrong angle,” Tyson said. “I see her like I imagine I would a sister. She lacks something. The sex appeal maybe, I'm not sure. It's so hard to say.”

“You don't think she's attractive?” Ethan raised an eyebrow, and Tyson got the sneaking suspicion that Ethan thought he was crazy.

Tyson could only shrug. “She's beautiful. But she doesn't make me want to be with her. I don't think about her the same way I do…” He stopped, not wanting to say Maya's name. He wasn't sure how Ethan would handle the thought of Tyson looking at another woman. If he already felt guilty enough for doing it, then that was probably a good sign.

For a moment, Ethan only watched his friend. “You're curious, and you can't help wondering, but be careful how much wandering you do while you get your head together.”

“Yes, I know. I can't go and bed anyone or anything.” Tyson knew that. Every dragon man knew that.

“Have you even tried to want Dani like… that?”

“No, I haven't. I guess I should give it a shot, huh?” Tyson glanced at Ethan.

The young man nodded, slowly. “Yes,” he whispered. “Kiss her, and tell me what it's like.”

Tyson let out a heavy sigh.
No wonder he thinks I'm so lucky. He's in denial, but he loves her back.

 

 

Maya watched as Dani tried on several different wedding dresses. So far the count was at ten, and it'd been about three hours. One dress Dani absolutely loved, and the others were all her mother's suggestion. For the most part, Maya felt out of place despite Dani's efforts to try and include her.

“Do you think this is a little much for a beach wedding?” Dani asked as she swirled in a strapless dress that had a rather long train and a poofy bottom with a lot of bustling. She had to hold the dress up against her chest since she didn't quite have the curves to keep it secure on her body, which caused Maya to hold back a laugh.

“For a beach wedding, I think it is, yes. You'll drag it through the sand too much. I think you should do the first one you tried out,” Maya said in an attempt to help her sort-of friend. After all, it was Dani's wedding, not her mother's, and if she was happy about the dress, then maybe she'd be happy about the whole thing.

Dani faced her mother and folded her arms in front of her, still squeezing the dress against her. “See? That's exactly what I was thinking.”

“But how do you know you'll be getting married on a beach?” her mother protested. “It's so pretty, Danielle, think about it.”

“I'm getting married on the beach. That's something I'm not bending on.”

“Let's ask your dad what he thinks.”

Dani sighed and stepped out of the dressing room to show her father, who was waiting in the hallway. “Mom likes this one.”

“And you don't?” Maya heard her father ask. “Let go so I can get a better look.”

“I think it'll fall off if I do.”

“Then you can't get it. Something tells me it's not going to be appropriate.”

Her mother rolled her eyes and peeked her head out the door. “It'll be altered to fit!”

“Mom, no!” Dani said, and walked back into the room.

The whole exchange made Maya think about home. She'd never been away for so long. Her mother had always been more like a best friend, so it made her miss her terribly. What would shopping for her wedding dress be like? Would they do it together? Or maybe her mother had a dress of her own to pass down? From what she understood of her parents' wedding, there weren't a lot of formalities. The whole thing had been a whirlwind romance of sorts. Her parents had run off to elope as quickly as possible.
Maybe Ethan's mom has a wedding dress to pass down.

Dani's father called out through the door, “Let her get the dress she likes, honey.”

With a sigh, her mother handed the first dress
back
. “Okay, we'll look at this one again.”

“Thank you,” Dani said, and started to take off the strapless dress with a great deal of enthusiasm. “Once this is done, we can get dresses for you guys.”

“Hmm?” Maya raised her eyebrows. “You guys?”

“Yeah, you and Mom.” Dani glanced over her shoulder at Maya and smiled. “I figured you could be in the wedding. It's normal to have another girl be a part of the Terran wedding to witness the whole thing. You're kind of the only girl my age I know. Unless you don't want to, of course.”

Maya smiled a little, but felt a bit guilty given her brief moment of stupidity with Tyson. “I would love to, but can we talk? Just the two of us, quick?” She glanced over at Dani's mother, not wanting to confess the whole thing in front of her too. Maya was already scared enough of Dani's reaction.

Her mother shrugged and kissed Dani's forehead. “I'll be waiting with your dad. Maybe seeing it from a new perspective will sell me too.”

Once the woman was out the door, Maya took in a deep breath to collect her nerve. “So I told you I would do some research when it came to Tyson. I've concluded he likes aggressive women. I'm pretty sure he's into you too, but he's waiting for you to make a move.”