Chapter 3 CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER 3

CHARLOTTE’S P.O.V

I swallowed hard on my saliva, and I noticed Mabel doing the same. She stepped out of the carriage and held out her hand; a gesture for me to come down. I took her hands and steped down the carriage, and I huffed sharply, reminding myself of the rituals that shall follow suit.

Two maidens appeared out of the blue and began raining down red roses as I walked down the spread out mammoth skin carpet. A certain rose petal landed on my cheeks, and the feel of the rose so close to my face almost brought me to sneezing. I immediately brushed it off my face, my focus fixated on my father who was speaking with another person whom I despise just as much as I did him: my brother.

Just like the dragon men of our universe, what displeased me about my brother is his pompous attitude as a royal, and his shallow mind that believes a female dragon man is only meant to serve a male dragon man food and sex her entire life. I came to a halt before my father and bored my head. I didn’t know why, but I felt myself fuming doing that.

“Rise, my Princess.“ his irritating deep-mouthed voice boomed, making my ears ring.

I rose my head, my eyes greeting his facial features. I didn’t care about his crimson red eyes that explains years of undiluted and fierce ruling over the entire universe, or his lips and the multiple scars distributed across his pockmarked face. The only thing I took notice of were the few strands of grey hair on his brows and head.

He might still be the same, but he was definitely growing old.

A smile crept up his lips.

“Let’s go in, daughter.“ he gestured towards the palace doors.

I nodded and followed suit, Mabel sticking behind me. I noticed my brother waving his hands towards me, but I ignored the gesture.

*******

The awkward silence at the grand dining hall was enough to make me puke. All I wished for at this moment was to be relieved from eating this Godforsaken pie, relieve my eyes from the royals who were also seated and just go to bed. But that can’t happen, not when my Dad was seated.

My father suddenly cleared his throat and breaks the awkward silence.

“I believe my daughter over here,“ he gestured towards me, “has something to say about her experience being a hunter for two sun cycles.“ he boomed.

“A hunter? You must be kidding.“ a royal commented.

“Were you able to hunt down a beast?“,

“How’s that possible when she obviously can’t hunt down a chicken?“ another commented and the whole room erupted with laughter.

I kept my eyes scanning the faces of my father and brother. They were both laughing too. Laughing at me. I remembered handing over my back pack to Mabel, and I turned to see she’s been standing behind me ever since. I retrieved the bag, and I could hear murmurs behind me questioning themselves what I was trying to do. I took out a bow and a dragon scaled arrow. I reached for an apple on the grand table and haded it over to Mabel.

I kicked off the seat I was sitting on moments ago and took a few steps backwards.

“Mabel,“ I gestured towards the royal who questioned my abilities to kill a mere chicken, “throw the apple at him.“ I noticed Mabel beginning to shake, so I went further, “and yes, that’s an order.“

Reluctantly, she lunged the apple at the royal, everyone gasping in shock. This was unlike the hunting grounds, so I didn’t see the need to chant the ’accurate attack’ spell. I released the arrow from the boar and watched it soar towards the other end of the table where the royal sat. The royal cowered in fear and raised his hands in defense. The arrow intercepted the apple, shooting upwards like a projectile before marking its halting point on the center of the grand table.

As expected, gasps and looks of shock erupted across the room, but nothing bested the look of disbelief on my father’s face. The royal slowly removed his hands off his face, his eyes peering to confirm if the arrow was still shooting towards his direction. He jerked right up from his seat when he sees the arrow resting on the table, the apple pinned to the table alongside the arrow.

He points at me, his cheeks shaking, “you better don’t try this with me next time. You better don’t!“ he barked.

He lost his balance almost immediately, and another wave of laughter erupted from the hall. The royal got back up and scurried out of shame.

I turned to face my father, a svirn dominating my expression, “Can I go to bed now?“

Still fazed by what her just witnessed, he shook his head before responding, “Y-Yes, you can.“ he said.

I turned to face Mabel, my back facing my father and sighed heavily. I turned to start heading out of the dining hall when my father called me back.

“Mabel,“he called out to me, “Do not forget to wake up early tomorrow. Remember, it’s the ’Rût’ festival, and you cannot be absent. You have to choose a mate, since you’ve refused to have one ever since you turned 14.“

I didn’t know when I started gritting my teeth in anger, and I felt my blood boiling. I was running a high temperature, and I didn’t care. I wanted to transform real bad and lash out all I had in me, but the decision has already been made.

Tomorrow’s the ’Rût’ festival, and I had no other choice but to select a dragon man as my mate. How do I wriggle myself out of this situation?

SOMEWHERE IN THE HUMAN WORLD...

KELVIN’S P.O.V

Just as Bert had requested, I stopped by the Old Town Bay’s bar, and it’s been over sixty-five minutes of waiting and Bert is nowhere to be found. I gulped down furiously on the glass of alcohol. I beckoned on my bodyguard to get me another glass, but I noticed the reluctancy in his movements.

“Sir, this is your sixth glass.“,

“And?“,

“I just feel that it might get you a bit… intoxicated, sir.“ I raised my head to face him, placing one of my legs on the other.

“And…?“, I gave him a death glares, and he immediately went to fetch another glass of alcohol.

Just then, Bert walks in. There were two ladies by his side, but that didn’t seem to bother me. Bert had mentioned he had business-related issues to discuss with me, and here he is, wearing a polo and… shorts?

“Kevin,“ we clasped our hands in a specific style, “How’re you doing, man?“,

“I’m doing great. Can we start talking now?“ I asked impatiently, taking note of the girls walking towards the bartender’s counter table.

“Alright. First things first, we aren’t here to discuss business—“,

I didn’t let him finish before getting up from the chair I sat on, my fury at its MAX level.

“Hey hey hey, whoa whoa whoa… calm down, man.“ my friend shook in fear, raising his hands in submission.

I retreated and slumped back onto the chair, hiking down the entire glass of alcohol and gesturing for my bodyguard to go get another.

“You see,“ he pointed at the glass my bodyi collected from me, “that is one of the reasons I have come here today.“,

“What do you mean by that, man?“,

“Oh, please. You can’t tell me you do not know. You can’t tell me you don’t know how you’re deteriorating your health. You are the literal definition of a workaholic. Not only do you work your ass out like you’re gonna be out of money tomorrow if you don’t, and you drink booze without reasoning. Almost everyday! It’s now a culture.“ he paused, snatching the glass of alcohol from my bodyguard the moment my bodyguard stretched forth the glass to me.

I tried sounding frank and angry to him, but he wouldn’t budge. He took a sip of the alcohol before dropping the glass on the small wooden circular table in between us.

“For some reasons,“ he beckoned on the ladies who accompanied him, “you seclude yourself from feeling happy. It’s hard to tell people that the domineering CEO of Kelvin’s Automobiles is actually my friend.“,

“Now what do you mean? Of course you aren’t friend.“ I retorted.

“I hear you.“ he rolled his eyes, taking another sip of the alcohol.

I noticed a touch on my shoulders running all the way to my chest. Before I could protest, I felt another. Then another. The girls who accompanied him began to caress me seductively. I rolled my eyes to stare back at him.

“Bert?“,

“Hmm?“,

“What in the world is this?“ I asked calmly, yet venom was spreadt on every single word I uttered.

Bert laughed, clutching his chest, “They are yours for tonight. I don’t care how much you resent women, but let these two treat you well for the night.“ he said and got up.

I narrowed my brows in confusion, forced to ask, “Leaving so soon?“,

“Of course!“ he replied.

I heaved a sigh of relief, and it seemed like Bert read my mind.

“They’re staying with you for the night!“ he yelled as he went through the exit.

I gritted my teeth in frustration, staring at the annoying creatures before me wiggle their body effortlessly.