The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 39

HERA

"I Hera, once daughter of Lord and Lady Edwards of Averia and now wife to King Midas the immortal hereby solemnly swear that I will never ever again set one foot outside of this chamber."

"Your highness!"

"Never, ever... neither in this life nor in the life to come."

"Surely you do not mean that!"

"Oh on the contrary my dear Henette I most certainly mean every word. I shall never leave this room ever again."

"My queen, please do not say things like that. What in all the 7 realms is prompting this radical decision?"

I turn beet red again and proceed to promptly bury my head further into my pillow, dragging the covers over my head to hide my shame.

For there are no other words to describe how I am feeling.

I mumble sorrowfully and incoherently into the feather filled pillow.

"I am sorry your highness I cannot hear you."

"I did not intend for you to."

"At least tell me what it is that ails you so, maybe I can be of help."

Unless being a chamber maid comes with the power to reverse time or erase a person's memories I very much doubt it.

Henette has been attempting to get me out of bed for at least the past hour but I refuse to be convinced to do anything more than lie here and wallow in self-pity.

She tugs on the blanket I am holding over my head. "Oh come on Hera, whatever it is surely it cannot be that bad."

"You are only saying that because you do not know what I have done."

"Then tell me."

"Oh but I can't. "I peek at her from under the blanket. "You know this is partly your fault anyway."

She drops the blanket as if shocked and steps back, mouth falling open like I had just accused her sneaking behind my back and sleeping with Averia's pope. "My fault?"

I sit up. "If you had come to wake me earlier you might have stopped me before I could...do what I did."

"But...but your highness it was you who said you did not require me to wake you and instructed that I sleep more and knock at seven bells instead of six."

I narrow my eyes. "So did you sleep longer?"

She looks away and I smirk. "Ah, so you see, you could have knocked earlier."

"But I was only following your instructions!"

"Well stop listening to me. If this morning's events are anything to go by I should not be trusted to make any decisions for myself."

She sniffs. "My apologies your grace, you have my word it will never happen again."

I glance at her. "Knocking at the 7th bell or listening to me?"

"I shall use my discretion."

You would never guess she is being sarcastic from her bowed head and joined hands were it not for her dry, slightly miffed tone.

I almost laugh.

Sarcasm from Henette. Who would have thought it possible?

"Be that as it may, I am still never leaving this room again."

She moves towards the door. "Shall I fetch the king then, maybe he can...?"

My eyes widen in sheer panic and I nearly leap at the poor girl. "Oh gods no...anything but that."

"Then I do not know what you want me to do Hera."

Great now I've managed to upset Henette as well.

I hold unto her arm. "Oh Henette you don't understand."

She sighs. "No my queen I do not, because you have given me absolutely nothing to go on." Her hand covers mine gripping her arm. "You can trust me my queen, you know that." I let go of her and sit back on the bed, hands in my laps. "Oh it was horrible..."

Lies.

It had been the most wonderful, exhilarating experience of my altogether meager existence.

"...I shalln't be able to look him in the eyes ever again."

This however is very much true.

Henette drifts towards me.

"Whatever it is your highness I am sure it is not as bad as you think."

I think back to when my eyes had opened to see him standing there.

I do not even know how long he had been there, eyes dark, watching my hands tease my body to a climax.

And the look on his face, almost as if he was in pain, chest heaving gently with deep, drawn breaths of what I am certain was anger because what else could it be?

And to make matters worse I had said his name as I came, over and over again.

I do not even dare to think about how he must see me now.

Now I am not only the human girl lying to an entire realm and pretending to be someone I am not, I just had to go and throw in wanton seductress into the mix. "Your highness?"

Henette calls out to me. I have been silent or a while

I sigh and move to get up.

Well, what's done is done. Done and thoroughly enjoyed.

No use bothering over it now.

I am simply going to have to avoid him for the rest of my mortal life.

How hard can it be?

No sooner have I finished the thought that there is a knock on the door.

Oh dear Zeus...

I jump slightly, my heart instantly starting to race until I realize that the dragon king would not knock, he would simply enter.

Still I tell Henette to answer the door just in case, so should the need arise I can easily pretend to be asleep.

She shakes her head at me and goes to the door.

Whoever it is does not come in.

I strain my ears to make out the words from the whispered exchange between them and Henette but I get nothing.

She returns but a few moments later, dragging a heavy chest with her.

I raise my brows. "What is that?"

"A wooden chest my queen."

I sigh. "I see that Henette. I am asking you about what is in it."

She grunts, the sound of the heavy wooden box dragging on the floor punctuating every word. "New...clothes...for her highness."

I sit up straighter. "What new clothes?"

"From the castle seamstress at the request of the king."

My eyes go wide. "Impossible, how could she possibly have made them so fast?"

Especially given the stunt I pulled.

Henette exhales loudly as she finally pushes the box into place at the foot of my bed.

"That is why she is the royal seamstress your grace and not I. As for how she managed to accomplish such a feat, you will have to ask her yourself. I shall have the maids bring up water for your bath...oh and she asked that I ready you for your fitting before breakfast."

I frown. "What Fitting? Whatever for?"

But Henette is already out the door.

She returns soon, the other maids in tow and I take my bath as quickly as possible because given my recent behavior I do not trust myself or my hands to behave.

I dress simply in my chemise and undergarments and manage to convince Henette to let me eat breakfast before I am subjected to whatever it is the seamstress has in mind for me.

Despite all my vows never to leave my room, I try to tell her I would much rather go to the woman than have her come here because at least then, should the need arise, I can escape again.

But Henette insists that there is no need for me to wear my clothes if I was simply going to take it off immediately after for my fitting.

Again I am unable to ask her exactly what is so important about this 'fitting' business that would have warranted my being denied breakfast.

Whatever it is, as long as it does not involve me having to see the king then it is perfectly fine by me.

She offers to bring my food up to my room and I jump at it with both hands.

I am not ready to run the risk of colliding with him in the dining hall.

Besides, seeing me would probably ruin his appetite anyway or remind him to punish me.

So I sit down in solitude to my delicious meal of honey-mustard eggs and freshly baked white bread served with a bowl of whipped butter and a tankard of spiced wine.

I am scarcely done eating when the seamstress comes knocking.

Henette lets her in and she floats in with her spectacles and loud laugh on a cloud of powdery perfume, her two assistants behind her nearly invisible behind bundles and bundles of laces and silk and cotton.

Good heavens, what in all the realms is going on?

She glances disapprovingly at my empty plates and because I cannot help it I start to apologize.

"Oh never mind that your grace, shall we begin?"

I nod even though I am not entirely certain what is even going on.

After all I put her through yesterday, the very least I can do is suffer her poking and prodding in silence.

Besides she can't possibly be here the entire day.

Many bells later and it turns out she actually can.

My skin is red from the needle pricks that I am no longer sure are accidental, my feet are about to give out beneath me and so help me Zeus if I have to answer one more question about a silk ribbon or lace hem, I am going to lose my mind.

"My apologizes your grace but we must have everything ready in time for your binding ceremony tomorrow."

I frown. "My what?"

"Your binding ceremony. It is tomorrow. Surely you must know about this."

She glances from me to Henette who bows her head and wrings her hands worriedly.

"I was going to inform you this morning my queen, but then you started talking about doing horrible things with the king and never leaving your room and I just..."

I glance at the seamstress who is beginning to look at me funny and quickly cut Henette off before she can embarrass me any further.

"Yes, Henette. I believe I remember well enough. So this...binding ceremony...what is it?"

"I believe your people call it a wedding my queen."

I frown even more, my brows drawing in confusion. "But Mi... the king and I are already wed."

"In Averia perhaps but not here, not before the dragon gods."

"So I am to be married...twice?"

It is the seamstress who responds this time.

"The binding ceremony is more than just your wedding my queen. It is your coronation as well. If all goes as it should, it would mean the Fire gods have deemed you worthy and the dragonkin of the 5th realm willingly or not will have to accept your reign and your place besides the king."

I resist the urge to chew on my lip.

"And if it does not, what then?"

The women glance at each other and say nothing.

They do not need to.