Shared By The Dragon Clan: Part One (5 page)

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

There were about fifty or so people
gathered to eat in the banquet hall. Two long tables extended opposite each
other on the left and right sides of the room. There was a third table in the
centre that seemed to be reserved for more prominent folk and a fourth, very
small table at the end for the King and a few others. Kitchen staff were
hauling large trays full of food around the food and being instructed by each
member how much they wanted of which portion. Some of the plates were already
stacked high filled with greasy meats and gravy, with hungry consumers tucking
in. Zane walked out into the centre of the room towards the King’s table, and
Stacey sheepishly followed.

“Your
Highness,” Zane declared, “this is Miss Stacey Caversham.”

The King
barely looked up as she approached.

But Stacey
looked at him.

He was bald.
His scalp didn’t have a thread of hair. He had a dark goatee and moustache, and
similarly dark eyebrows. He was heavy set, middle-aged, and intimidating. He
also wore a ring with a purple stone on his left ring finger.

“Your
Highness…” Stacey said meekly. On a whim, she curtseyed.

The King
reluctantly put down his food and eyed her.

“That’s a
lovely dress you’re wearing, dear,” he complimented her.

“Ugh – thank
you –” Stacey stammered.

“Why don’t
you show me what’s underneath?”

“What – here
–?” She looked to Zane for help.

“Is that
really necessary?” he interjected.

“What?” the
King said, sounding annoyed.

“I thought
she might be allowed to eat with us.”

“She’s not
about to die of a lack of food,” the King remarked. “So why waste it on her?”

Zane put out
his hand. “Permission to approach.”

The King
shrugged.

Zane moved
round the side of the table so as he was close enough to speak into the King’s
ear. Stacey couldn’t hear what he was saying.

The King’s
eyes twinkled a moment, before his face filled with twisted amusement.

“Are you
finished? Are you done?”

Zane bowed
his head and returned to his place beside Stacey.

“Do we have a
deal?” he asked.

“Alright,”
the King purred. “Alright…”

He then leapt
from his chair and jumped up on table.

The entire
room shook with silence.

“Thank you
for your attention,” he shouted so that everyone would hear. “I have something
of an announcement to make. From tomorrow morning all Dragon Knights are to
report to the southern stronghold. There, your trusted leader, Zane, will
prepare you for a battle to take place on the main land. Yes – you heard me –
we are going to WAR with the humans!”

The King’s
voice echoed throughout the hall, leaving nothing but the sound of scurrying
mice beyond it.

“Can I have
some applause?” he then asked.

At once, the
entire room lit up with clapping and cheering for the King’s declaration. He
let it go on for a couple of minutes, smiling inwardly, before waving his hand
to quiet them down.

“In exchange
for his cooperation with this, your leader Zane, requested but one favor. He
has asked me to spare the human standing next to him. That she should not wed
one of you, nor he nor I. That she should be set free. This is what has been
agreed to…”

Stacey turned
to Zane. She mouthed
thank you
.

“However, as
King, it is my right to do as I wish, and Zane’s cooperation, along with any of
yours, is not something I need to make deals to obtain because I already own
it.”

The King’s
angry eyes flashed in Stacey’s direction.

“Now – do as
I say human, before you are beheaded. Take off those Goddess clothes and show
my men your naked slave body.”

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN

Stacey had begun to feel dizzy.
Suddenly the distance between her and Zane seemed far away. As though there
were walls and barriers separating where they were. Like, two people stranded.
On opposite sides of a maze’s dead end.

Her feet were
moving backwards towards the centre of the room, as the King egged her on. She
could hardly hear his voice though. It was drowned out by all the excitement of
the others. There she was, surrounded by fifty handsome men, each of them
lusting after her soon to be exposed body, thinking sexualized thoughts. She
was out of breath. She could hardly stand. In a moment her hands would be
reaching for the base of the gown, and then a few moments later it would be
pulled away from her and she’d be helpless and alone.

Her only chance
was Zane. If there was some other way. If he was prepared to turn his back on
his clan for her. But was Stacey really worth that much to him? Could he not
just as easily fall for the next girl who came here?

“STOP.”

His hand was
out and pointed in her direction.

The King
jumped off the table and landed right next to him.

“I’m not sure
I heard that,” the King said. “Could you repeat it please?”

Zane directed
his hand at the King. “I challenge you to a duel.”

“WHAT?” the
King cried.

“A duel. By
sword or fire. Your choice. The winner takes the throne.”

The King’s
head went back and he roared with laughter. “What sort of preposterous nonsense
–”

“A challenge
is a challenge. Do you accept it? Or will you just behave cowardly as always.”

The King’s
laughter stopped. His face shriveled with menacing rage. “You miserable fool,
Zane. How dare you challenge me. For all we have fought for and this – this
bleeding puke of a creature is our downfall? What spell has she cast on you?”

Zane turned his
back to the King and walked into the middle of the hall to stand with Stacey. He
leant down to her ear and whispered, “As soon as you can escape, do so.”

Stacey nodded
slightly and was then nudged to one side as Zane unsheathed his sword.

“By sword or
fire.”

The King
unsheathed his own sword. “By sword it shall be.”

He advanced
slowly towards Zane.

Zane took a
step back, circling.

Stacey could
hardly watch. She was frightened, not for herself, but for him.

Before she
could blink the two swords had connected with each other. There was a flash of
light from both of them – Zane’s sword flashed green, and the King’s sword
flashed red. Electricity sparked. Then the swords were connecting with one
another with ferocious precision.

The men at
the tables, cheered for the King. But for Stacey, there was no enthusiasm
behind it. The applause didn’t sound genuine.

Of the two
fighters, it was clear immediately that the King was stronger. His slices
through the air carried more weight, and a number of times Zane seemed as
though he would lose his footing underneath their power.

But Zane was
more agile. He moved faster and was actually in more of an attack stance than
the King. For the first minute or so of the battle, the contest seemed
reasonably even. Stacey couldn’t tell who was going to win.

“Come on!”
she cried, trying to make her voice louder than the crowd’s. “Come on Zane! You
can beat him!”

There was no
certainty of that though. Already it appeared Zane was getting tired. Defending
himself from the King’s blows was really taking it out of him. Soon he’d make a
mistake and then it would all be over.

Stacey bit
her lip. She made eye contact with Zane and she saw the desperation in his
eyes. She realized he couldn’t hold the King much longer. He wanted her to run.
To escape. If he were to die now, then his sacrifice would have been for
nothing. Stacey looked to the entrance to see if it was being guarded, but the
coast was clear. She could slip out now. It was what Zane wanted.

But something
made her stay. She wanted figure out if there was some other way.

If she could
think of something that would make them stop fighting…

CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN

Too late. Defeated, Zane had fallen
to his knees; his chest bloodied with scars. His sword was already out of
reach, but the King now kicked it across the floor so that there was no chance
of it being retrieved at all. Zane had lost the duel.

Still there,
Stacey had tears pouring out of her eyes as she watched the King advance behind
him. Zane’s head was bowed, so the King would be able to cut it clean off.

“It really is
such a shame,” the King mused. “You’re my best fighter. What a terrible end
that a woman come between us at this horrendous time.”

The King
poised his sword, ready for the execution.

“Spare him,”
Stacey suddenly cried. “Spare him and he will do as you wish.”

“No,” the
King said. “He’ll still be after what he wants.”

“Maybe
there’s a way for you to both have what you want.”

“Stop it,
Stacey,” Zane pleaded. “There’s no way out of this.”

“What if
everyone gets what they want. The King gets his war. You fight for him. And
I’ll just be both of yours. You can share me. My freedom, is not something I
deserve.”

The King
breathed in sharply. “I don’t believe this. The utter ignorance of this girl.”

“What?”
Stacey whispered. “It could work.”

“Zane won’t
share. Zane’s incapable –”

“No,” Zane
said. “I can do that.”

“But how
would it work? What if I want her for more than just the sex?”

“Sharing
means I’ll spend equal amounts of time with you. So when I’m with Zane he’ll do
what he wants with me, and when I’m with you, likewise. And then the two of you
can be at peace with each other. Everyone wins.”

“So you agree
with this, Zane?” the King asked.

“I agree.”

“Alright,”
the King said, raising his voice. “But you are never able to challenge me to a
duel again. You have revoked your right for that. The duel has been played and
you have lost. If I should be stabbed in the back by him, the men must put you
to do death. They must swear to the Dragon Spirits, that they shall do this. Does
everyone understand?”

There was a
sweeping fusion of agreement around the room.

“Good,” the
King said. “You can stand up now.”

Zane stood
up.

“Everyone get
back to your feast.”

Stacey moved
to stand beside Zane whilst the King went back to his table.

“Why did you
do that?” Zane asked.

“What?”
Stacey mumbled.

“Why did you
figure out a way to save me and not yourself?”

“Because I
love you,” Stacey said.

She took his
hand and he held hers back.

CHAPTER
NINETEEN

The palace banquet continued on into
the late hours of the night. Everyone was behaving with ease again, talking
merrily, drinking and eating their full. Stacey was no longer challenged or
threatened with humiliation from the King and his mood seemed to improve
greatly as the festivities carried on. Zane on the other hand was very tense.
The arrangement she now had with the King was sure to be eating away at him.
Stacey hoped that he understood that no matter what happened between her and
the King, it was Zane who had her heart.

Eventually it
was time for the people to retire to their homes and quarters. The King was
also sleepy by his own admission, and he was to return to his chambers with
Stacey that night. While Zane had been at first angered by the suggestion that
Stacey have intercourse with the King so soon, he agreed to it on the condition
that he would be allowed in the room to watch it take place. As far as Stacey
understood, his reasoning for this was that he wanted to make sure the King
didn’t treat her badly, at least not tonight. And while this might prevent
Stacey being hurt, it wouldn’t prevent Zane’s own hurt.

Inside the
King’s chambers, Zane took a seat in the shadowed corner whilst the King sat
naked on the edge of his bed, with Stacey standing in front of him.

“I said a lot
of nasty things about you out there,” the King said, running his hand across
her dress. “But you really are beautiful for a human.”

“Thank you,”
Stacey replied nervously.

“Now, please,
take off your clothes.”

She looked
over her shoulder, as she did so, in Zane’s direction. Wanting to connect with
him. Wanting him to know that she didn’t blame him for this.

The dress
fell to Stacey’s feet. The King pulled off her panties and bra and began moving
his hands all over her. He then pulled her down as to kiss her mouth, and
Stacey saw a brilliant flash of red in his eyes as he did so. She kissed the
King back and then climbed onto the bed naked with him.

Zane in the
corner meanwhile, had remained completely silent.

The only
sound in the room was the kissing. Stacey felt herself becoming turned on by
all this, which was confusing as it was scary.  The King was guiding her hips
to meet with his, and she knew this would be followed by penetration. The
saliva in the King’s mouth was thick and sticky. She could feel it in her own
mouth. She could feel him entering her…

But no.

It was not to
be.

Zane had
suddenly reacted and had pulled Stacey off the King with one arm, dragging her
into his chest. With the other he wielded his green sword, and before the King
could even sit up, he had sliced his head clean off.

Stacey
uttered a scream, but Zane clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle it.

“What did you
do?” Stacey said, breaking away from him. “I thought you agreed you were going
to share.”

“I couldn’t
go through with it,” Zane said somberly. “I care too much for you.”

Stacey moved
forward and wrapped her arms around him.

He stared
down at her, almost in disbelief. Then he said: “I have changed so much about
who I am for you. I changed the destiny of this clan.”

“What will
happen now?” Stacey asked.

“You and I
must leave the Island tonight. We must go somewhere where the clan will never
find us. It’s the only way we be together. It’s the only way we can survive.”

“I’m ready,”
Stacey said. “Let’s do it.”

“Wait a
second first,” Zane said.

“What is it?”

He picked up
her discarded dress from the floor and handed it to her.

“Put it on
for me,” Zane said.