Chapter 40

MILA

I watched helplessly as Felix left the room with his father. With him gone, there went my strongest ally in the room. Queen Rowena excused herself to read on a sofa in the family area, leaving me alone with my two least favorite members of the Fresonian population.

Sure enough, Charles and Isabella exchanged glances before descending upon me like wolves. They crept towards the couch I was sitting on, boxing me in. I couldn’t leave if I tried.

“So, Mila,” Isabella crooned. “How are you enjoying life as a consort so far?”

“It’s been lovely,” I said, trying to gauge her angle. “Felix is wonderful and I’ve enjoyed getting to know the royal family.”

“And getting your picture in the papers never hurts,” Isabella smirked.

“You seem very smitten,” Charles said, plopping down on my other side. “You have a thing for royalty, Mila? Or is my brother just a very special exception?”

Great. I was surrounded.

“I really like Felix,” I said. “He’s very kind to me.”

The two started snickering. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard. I cringed inwardly.

“That’s so good for you, Mila,” Isabella said. “You know, I’ve been thinking. If I was the prince of a small country, and I’d already slept with all the women in the kingdom, I would absolutely jump at the chance to charm some poor little foreigner into being my girlfriend. After all, who better than to blindly accept everything I say? It doesn’t even matter if I like her or not as long as she’s a good little puppet.”

“Slept with everyone in the kingdom except you, if I recall correctly,” I snapped back. “Isn’t that right, Lady Isabella?”

She frowned and tossed her hair over her shoulder. It was clear that I had gotten under her skin.

Despite my ferocity, I shifted in my seat. She was preying on my worst, deepest insecurities, the fears about Felix I hadn’t even dared to utter out loud.

Isabella’s eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t brag about being just another slut, Mila. Not until I was sure that I actually meant something to the prince and wasn’t just the flavor of the month.”

“Felix cares about me,” I managed. My throat was dry.

“Does he?” Isabella gave me a look of scathing pity. “Or are you just a poor sheep, being sacrificed to a bigger plan? Think about it, Mila. Have you ever thought about why the playboy prince Felix was so into you when you met for the first time?”

“Right. Let’s be honest, you have only known each other for a few days. If he truly wants nothing from you, why would he try to rush everything?” Charles muttered.

“I am not a sheep,” I said firmly.

“If that’s what you need to tell yourself to sleep at night,” Isabella simpered. “You and I both know he’s just using you. A girl like you could never actually attract a prince. What could he possibly want from you, Mila?”

“Felix is extraordinarily kind,” I said.

“Is that so?” Charles raised a singular eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like my brother. The Felix I know would breathe fire on anyone who dared to cross him.”

Okay, now I was getting suspicious. What the hell was going on?

“I would just make sure I knew he was telling me the truth before I jumped into bed with him, that’s all,” Isabella said.

“Felix would never lie to me,” I declared.

“Are you sure?” She didn’t bother hiding the mockery in her tone. “I would do some research if I were you. We’re just looking out for you, sweetheart.”

From across the room, the Queen interrupted our tense conversation.

“Are you alright?” Rowena asked me softly, seeing my face fall.

“I think I have a headache,” I lied. I felt terrible being dishonest with her, but there was no point in expressing my hurt feelings to her.

“You should go lay down in Felix’s chambers if you’re not feeling well,” Charles suggested. “We can let him know that’s where you are.”

Rowena smiled gently. “That sounds like a great idea.”

Charles smirked at me. “I feel like you can really get to know a person by looking at their bookshelves.”

As I passed Isabella on my way out, she hissed under her breath: “Whore.”

My eyes burned with tears. I knew their words would not have cut me so deep if I didn’t have my own doubts about Felix.

I made my way to Felix’s chambers. I lingered outside the large wooden doors–staring at those carvings of dragons. Why had Charles and Isabella emphasized that word so much? Was there more significance to the carvings than I thought?

In Felix’s room by myself, I couldn’t help but hear those cruel words ring in my head. A painting caught my eye–one I hadn’t noticed the last time I was here. It showed a man in shining golden armor riding a large, scaly dragon into battle. The dragon was breathing fire over the crowd of enemy soldiers.

Maybe Charles and Isabella were right, for once. Maybe I should do some research.

I walked over to Felix’s bookshelves. I wasn’t sure if I was filled with surprise or dread upon seeing the titles on the shelves: Anatomy of a Dragon. A Brief History of Dragons. Dragon Battle Tactics.

One book in particular caught my eye: an old, leather-bound volume, entitled Dragon Knights and Their Powers.

Dragon Knights? Something about that phrase stirred something deep within me, as if I’d heard it before.

I flipped to the first page.

Dragon Knights are the rarest and most elite magical beings on earth. They are widely renowned within the magic community for their unique set of skills, mainly centered around their ability to ride and control dragons. Due to their connection with dragons, the most fearsome of mythical creatures, Dragon Knights are mighty warriors who rarely fail in battle, and share a deep bond with their personal dragons. This is a bond even unbreakable through the strongest of magic.

Many Dragon Knights come from noble bloodlines. It is the sacred duty of Dragon Knights to keep their bloodlines as pure as possible, and there are frequent unions between the Knights and other magical beings such as witches and warlocks.

Witches? Something else in my blood roared at that phrasing. I felt drawn to the page, as if by… magic, as stupid as it sounded. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the book.

The secret of the Dragon Knights is one that is held fiercely by every individual. It is the responsibility of the Knights not to reveal their true identity to anyone outside of the bloodline until they are bound through marriage. If a Knight were to utter the secret before marriage, they will be shunned and disowned by their families. Thus lies the conundrum of the Knights: to court their loved ones in a lie, only to reveal the truth when it is too late to leave.

This book was talking about Dragon Knights like they were a real thing, like they were a group of people who actually wandered around, riding dragons and such.

But that wasn’t possible.

Was it?

I kept reading, and the next paragraph knocked the wind out of me.

Although Dragon Knights are mainly found in the forests of Europe, the highest concentration of these magical beings is in the small kingdom of Fresonia. The royal lineage of Dragon Knights dates back centuries to King Felix I–

“Mila?”

Felix was standing in the doorway, a grim look on his face.