The Dragon's Mail Order Mate: A Paranormal Menage Romance (20 page)

“Rowan, it won’t always be like this.  Soon you will be king of your own kingdom.  We won’t be battling for our father’s crown.  You will actually be able to breathe, compared to having to train as our father’s secret military weapon.”

“I hope you are right, Merek.  I don’t mind defending what we have, but some of these quests are quite pointless.  I feel as if he is trying to kill me off.”

“I don’t think you are the only one he is trying to kill off.  Look at me!  He wants me to hurry up and get married.  He has to make sure the woman is of royal blood and I am not damned with a dragon child or he will kill it.”

“It is hard to admit, Merek, but sometimes I feel as if I don’t even know who our father is anymore.”

“Who says we knew who he was at all?”

Rowan nodded at this.  “You are probably right.  I don’t recall him ever spending much time with us as children.   Perchance, we never did know who he really was.  It has always been Mother who has been there for us.”

“I can tell you from being the first of King Athalos’s sons, that it isn’t pleasant being the eldest, either.  Father never treated me like the other three of you.

“Mother was determined that I would be a scholar and study, as well as having battle knowledge.  It seems as if that was against his wishes and he brings it up often.”

“Merek, are you scared about ruling your own kingdom?” Rowan asked.

My youngest brother seemed to have a lot on his chest, but he refused to open up.  I just knew he was petrified of living up to our father’s standards.

I laughed.  “I get the freedom that I never tasted here.  I think I can say safely I am overjoyed about moving to my own kingdom.  The only thing I am afraid of is getting married.  I always thought this day would be different. 

“I thought I would already have a beautiful lady in my life that I would greet often with a kiss.  You do realize after I get married that Father will expect the rest of you to get married, right?”

“Don’t remind me!  He has instilled it in each of our minds that we have to get married or the whole world will come to an end.”

“Be thankful for the quests that we can go on at the moment and be able to breathe.  It takes us to different places, but I do believe you trying to kill Maelyss is downright foolish.  You will never succeed.”

“A dragon is only vulnerable in one major place and that is his heart,” Rowan pointed out.

I suddenly felt incredibly ill when he said that.  How could he speak of killing as if it was just a strategic game?  I didn’t understand why anyone would wish to do something like that.  I could only justify any of this if Maelyss came and tormented the town, but he didn’t torment any of us.

“I don’t get why you would even want to kill Maelyss.  Have you not seen that our father has kept you in the dark this whole time?”

“I hate to point this out, Merek, but the fact is, he is keeping us all in the dark.  I am afraid of the fact he is playing us against each other.  Sometimes it is hard to face that he is quite devious in his plan.  I just don’t understand why he would want to do something that would split this family apart and start a bloody battle between his sons.

“I feel if he continues to go down this road, he will not only destroy our kingdoms, but he will also end up killing one of us.  I know it isn’t up to us if Father tells us to kill one another, that would be up to him and we would have to obey his requests.”

I looked out at the view of our kingdom.  I knew he was right and I was at a loss for words.

“I guess, Rowan, that would be a sorrowful day.  I am just hoping that we all would know what is right and what is wrong.  As adults, we will have to make the choice if we could live with killing one another.  I know I wouldn’t be able to.”

*

The town seemed to look at me, horrified, as I began to ride through it.  Most of the time, one of the princes only came down to demand something in one way or another.  I didn’t come to the town often.  I was usually too busy with my studies to even think about it.  I guess this was no different.  I was demanding a bride to marry me.

“What can we do for you today, Prince Merek?  The sons of King Athalos only come around if they want a something,” the bartender mumbled as I walked into the pub.

“You can start with a shot of whiskey.”

The bartender shook his head as I put a couple pieces of gold on the counter.

“You're right, Marvin.  It seems I am in search of something.  I am in search of a bride.  My father gave me thirty days to be wed.  I also must produce a child.”

An older man that I knew to be a farmer started laughing.  “Your father is still in search of a dragon killer to get rid of the dragons?  No, I take that back. He thinks the prophecy will come true where the son of Maelyss will be raised in his kingdom, unknown.  He will take fate into his own hands and out of revenge for the death of Maelyss, will kill King Athalos with a single claw.”

I shook my head.  “I am not familiar with this.  He told me about a prophecy his grandfather told him.  He said that one of the queens would carry a child from a dragon and the first son would kill the king father.”

The old man started laughing harder.  “There is a lot more to the prophecy than just that.  He is so worried about that damn prophecy, but it refuses to change.  For years, the people are undisturbed by the dragons. 

“Even Maelyss himself never bothered us.  Do you know why?  We have no reason for him to bother us.  We don’t go out of our way trying to kill the dragons!”

I let out a groan.  “To be honest, I can see your point.  I would rather be allies with them, compared to the way my father is doing things.”

“Have you ever wondered why he does what he does?  He hates Maelyss altogether.  He isn’t after all the dragons, but he is after the dragon king himself.”

“I guess that is why he is sending Rowan to kill Maelyss.”

“The boy will never come back.  He might get as far as the rocky mountain ridge, but he will never enter the dragon’s lair.  It is hard for anyone to enter or exit.  The dragons are in their natural calling in the mountains.  Your father can never understand that.  He thinks a sword can kill a dragon.”

“Why is it my father hates dragons so much?  Is it the prophecy or is there something a bit more personal?”

“Prince Merek, you are a smart boy.  What do you think the reason is since his sons were born, that he was destined to kill dragons?  Of course it is personal between Maelyss and King Athalos.  Why wouldn’t it be personal?  If it wasn’t for your grandfather, your mother would have never married King Athalos.”

“You knew my mother before she became Queen Bethany?”

“I did, she would venture off on her own trying to find herself.  She even stayed with my wife and me for a while.  It was hard to believe that such a free-spirited woman with a soul was a prisoner in the kingdom. 

“She even tried to figure out a way to move and become common folk, like us.  There was no way royal blood could ever change who they were, though.”

Marvin flipped me a card.  “I know you are tight on a timeline given to you from your loving father.”

“What’s this?”

“It is an agency for mail order brides.”

“Do you not think I am capable of finding a regular bride to be my wife?” I asked, looking at Marvin.

“I don’t think you will be getting one in that short of time, to be honest.  Your father has quite a distinctive guideline to follow.  She must be beautiful but also of royal blood. 

“He knows all of the people around the kingdom as well as the other kingdoms around the coastline.  He will never know where a mail order bride came from.  At least that is the plan.  You can tell him that she came from anywhere you desire. 

“It wouldn’t matter where she came from as long as she went along with the fact she was really a lady or princess.  Most of them don’t speak a lot from our language, so that is even better.  She could think that princess or lady meant your wife,” Marvin pointed out.

Although I hated the idea, it was worth a shot.

I looked up at Marvin and shook my head.  “Don’t you think King Athalos would ask questions about her and her thick accent?”

“Of course he will ask questions, but it will be perfect.  At least think about this option, Merek.  It is your gateway to freedom.  Your father wouldn’t suspect anything and he would finally get off your back.”

“You forget that my father runs the kingdom, though.  He will find out.  If there is any way to cause someone pain in their life, my father is apt to do it.”

“He is right, you know!” the old farmer added.

“Prince Merek, I am trying to get you out of a bind.  Out of all the princes, we know you are for us.  You don’t treat as simple servants.  If your father kills you, we surely will suffer,” Marvin replied.

“I guess I can always sleep on the idea.  Perhaps I can rent a room for the night.”

“Your father won’t send his men to find you?” Marvin asked.

I shook my head.  “Why would he?  I am not to return home until I find a bride.”

Marvin laughed and showed me upstairs to a room above the pub. 

“At least think about what I said.  It might be your only hope of getting your freedom as well as freeing the people from the tyrant that your father has become.”

I nodded in understanding.  I was going to think of the option, just not at the moment.  I was thinking about Maelyss and Rowan.  Both were my family, but it was going to come to the point of a bloody war.

“I hope you don’t mind, but Marvin said this is the only room upstairs that has two beds,” a muscular man said.

The man wore a hooded coat that covered most of his body and he seemed to be very clean. I was certain he was some sort of an aristocrat since his style wasn’t of the commoners.  He stayed in the shadows of the room so I only saw his shadowy figure climb into the bed.

I nodded and motioned to the bed across the room. 

“What brings you to these parts?” the traveler asked.

I could have killed Marvin with my own bare hands.  I didn’t want to share my room with someone who was going to keep me up all night, let alone a stranger.

“I must find myself a bride.  What brings you here?”

The man laughed.  “I am seeing my son.”

“Your son must be very lucky to have someone care enough to see him.”

Neither one of us spoke after that. 

When I woke up, I realized that Marvin was right, I was going to have to contact the mail order bride agency.  It was the only way I was going to get myself out of this mess.

The mysterious man seemed to have gone on his way and even made the bed.  I got up and did the same.  Oddly, it felt as if the man was just a dream, but I knew he had been there.  I remembered him walking through the door. 

The dining area was empty as I came down for breakfast.  Marvin looked at me and shook his head. 

“You are far from getting up early like you thought you were going to do.”

I shook my head.  “I guess I did have a good night sleep.  I wasn’t impressed that you set me up with a stranger, though.  I’m sure that this has been one of the busiest nights that you have seen in a long time.”

Marvin started laughing.  “Every single room was booked last night.  We didn’t have a free bed at all.  I guess everyone came out of the woodwork to see if the prince was actually staying with us.”

I shot Marvin a look and started laughing.