The Dragon's Oath: A Dark Fantasy Romance Adventure Read online

  Dorian tilted his head, shadows covering his eyes, “Draft a letter to your people, asking why some are entering Uboria. I will have General Strum inspect it before having it delivered to the designated statue.”

  Jyda bowed, “As you will my lord.”

  The corner of Dorian’s lip curved as he internally fought with himself, “I did not want you to see what transpired.”

  The shadow elf gave a kind smile, “I have seen my father take the heads of those who break the law since I was very young. You are the lord of these lands. What you did was just.”

  Dorian’s gaze lowered. He wanted to speak further but the words would not form. Giving a slight bow, the lord turned and walked to the stair well. A glance back showed Jyda turning and walking away, head bowed and hood on once again. The gray robe dragged along the stone floor as she made her way down the corridor without a sound. The young lord looked away and began climbing the stairs.

  The climb was quick as the lord’s mind drifted. Images of Nypha quickened his steps until he reached the top. Walking past the guards and the main doors, they shut behind him and the weight of the day began to ebb from his tense shoulders. Removing his lordships cloak and Splitter, the lord made his way to his bedroom. Placing the sheathed sword on the wall hooks by his bed; he turned and flung his cloak onto a nearby chair.

  The lord moved to a large mirror and checked himself over, fixing his collar. The same excitement he felt every time before seeing Nypha was there and he savored it. The young lord turned and marched out the bedroom chamber doors and walked to the private library. Hand taking hold of the metal handle, he pulled it open and stepped inside.

  Nypha looked up from her seat, wine already poured into glasses and the game board set up. Little tower figures stood at attention, ready to be moved. The green haired half dragon stood up but Dorian quickly motioned for her to sit down, a small smile blooming.

  “I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” Dorian asked as he stepped closer and took the seat across from her.

  “Not at all,” Nypha smiled. “I was enjoying the bed in my chamber. The bedding here never fails to relax me. I have half a mind to steal the furs and silks to add to my already full bed in the mountain.”

  Dorian lifted up a wine glass, “Could you fly with the bedding in your arms? I would assume it would be very heavy.”

  Nypha lifted up her glass, “It would be worth the clumsy flight just to sleep soundly.”

  The lord and dragon toasted by clinking their glasses together before each took a deep sip. Dorian wanted to down the entire glass but refrained as Nypha pulled her glass from her lips and set it down. A thick silence filled the room before the dragon shifted in her seat.

  “About that storm….” Nypha trailed off.

  Dorian gave her his full attention, “You know you have my support. What is troubling you?”

  Nypha looked to the handsome lord before her lips parted, “I’m happy to know that. I don’t wish to dance around the subject any longer and simply must put it on the table. My family is searching for me.”

  Dorian’s brow went up, “You’re family is looking for you? To what end?”

  Nypha shifted in her seat again, “My mother knows I have not provided any grandchildren and has expressed her displeasure at my continued defiance.”

  Dorian lifted up the wine glass, taking a deep sip as Nypha continued.

  “Her letters have grown in number and the last one indicated she was going to visit so we could discuss further.”

  The wine sent a warm vibration up Dorian’s neck before a smile appeared and soon a laugh. Nypha eyed the lord as he sat back and let out a hearty chuckle, hand on his stomach. The dragon blinked until the lord’s laughter calmed down and he looked to her with kind eyes.

  “I thought you were in danger. I imagined monsters hunting you or invading your cavern. But family, that is a different kind of storm,” Dorian grinned.

  Nypha tried to return the smile but it came off as an odd lip wrinkle, “The danger is real. My mother is a force of nature and when she sets her mind to something, nothing will stand in her way.”

  Dorian’s smile weakened slightly, “Then my lady, how may I help you? Your mountain is not far from here. I believe she knows you visit the kingdom from time to time. Will she not simply look for you here?”

  Nypha’s gaze cast downward as she spoke, “My mother detests all the non-dragon races. I believe she may not attempt a visit here. Even if she takes form of one of your people, she will not be able to enter the private areas of the castle. I may only be here for a fortnight.”

  Dorian’s heart pumped in his chest as he gazed upon Nypha’s concerned expression. It wasn’t unheard of for her to spend time here on royal matters but she often kept busy and would never stay more than a night before flying off to her cavern at the top of the mountain. Now she was going to stay for an extended period of time and the lord found it difficult to contain his excitement.

  Lifting up his glass, he motioned to Nypha to do the same. The dragon woman took her glass and lifted it up.

  “To your stay here, may it be as relaxing as your cavern and three times as safe,” Dorian toasted with a glint in his eye.

  Nypha gave a polite smile as she nodded in agreement. The lord and dragon clinked their glasses once more before the dark red wine spilled down their throats and the air grew thicker with hazy warmth.

  Five

  The evening spun on. The game before the lord and dragon lay untouched for an hour as the private library was filled with laughter. Dorian reached for another bottle of red wine from the open crate underneath the main table. Bringing it up, Nypha nodded and held out her glass. The lord stabbed a cork screw and began twisting until the cork made a “Pop”, red wine spilling into glasses.

  Dorian tried to keep his hand steady as wine spilled like a serpent sliding down a tree. Nypha’s cheeks glowed but she was able to keep the glass underneath, not spilling a drop. The tower game pieces continued to stand, the game mostly in Nypha’s favor but the lord lost interest as the evening wore on.

  Nypha gazed at the lord as he looked to her with bright eyes and a kind grin. The dragon studied him as he swayed slightly; clearly happy at the notion she was staying for a while. Conflicted thoughts ran along her addled nerves as she tried to keep her own body from swaying. Human wine was one thing dragons were susceptible too and she had second thoughts as it uncurled her senses. Ignoring her sensibilities, she thought one glass would be enough to calm her frayed nerves but fell into the trap of enjoying the moment. Letting herself go only seemed to ignite the evening and the lord was more than happy to have good conversation over playing a game.

  “We should do this more often,” Dorian said with a slight slur and pink cheeks.

  Nypha felt her body sway for a moment, “I doubt the kingdom would approve.”

  Dorian shook his head, “The kingdom would be fine, and besides, what is it to them? Do you still feel like an outsider? You’re practically family.”

  Nypha took in a deep breath, relaxing herself, “I know your people are grateful to me but I….”

  Lord Lockwood’s back stiffened as he looked to Nypha, “You saved my life and perhaps the lives of many others by foiling their attempts. You are always welcome here…..especially by me.”

  Dorian slumped back, arms over the arm rests and an almost empty wine glass in his hand, “I remember when you used to visit, the servants would talk with fear, thinking you were going to burn the castle down and then turn on the kingdom. So many advisors were against your visits but father would hear none of it.”

  Nypha felt her guard weaken and leaned forward, a small smile on her lips, “I remember a young prince who would steal drinks from the servants and bring them to me himself. Your father never said otherwise and often grinned privately as you bowed and poured.”

  Dorian’s grin took on a warm hue, “You have always been our honored guest. I felt it was my duty to serve such a beautiful crea
ture gracing our home.”

  Nypha smiled, “I felt honored that such a handsome prince would bring me a drink when he should have been asleep.”

  “I couldn’t sleep, knowing you were here. While the kingdom worried; I knew you were as kind as you are beautiful,” Dorian’s eyes wandering to Nypha’s smooth neck.

  The dragon woman’s cheeks flushed before steering the conversation, “Speaking of the kingdom, have you considered which princess you wish to court?”

  Dorian’s smile melted away, “No, I haven’t. Must we speak of such affairs? I’m having such a splendid time without the weight of courtship and politics.”

  “A lord needs a lady. I have read much on human royalty, and a marriage of families only strengthens the kingdoms,” Nypha said with a neutral tone.

  Dorian eyed the beautiful dragon, “Would you see me married off?”

  “I would see you happy,” Nypha’s gaze took on a glassy shine.

  Lord Lockwood kept his gaze, studying the dragon across from him. All the years of knowing one another, he could tell she was hiding behind a serene mask. Heart pounding in his chest, he wanted nothing more than to stand up and make his intentions clear. Why couldn’t he, the lord thought. No one in the kingdom would oppose such a union. The kingdoms along the tower’s edge would disapprove but they wouldn’t dare declare war. With time, their protests would settle down and then the lord and dragon would know paradise on Navarr.

  The childish thoughts swirled as dark tendrils crawled into Dorian’s mind. The tales of dragons and men were the legends of Vala. The goddess of love and lust encouraged all unions among all races, until the time of Rage. Love was replaced by fear, and lust was whipped into domination. The goddess was soon outlawed and, for the longest time, became legend.

  Dorian’s thoughts contained a glimmer of hope when he heard the stories over recent years of a high priestess of Vala that had been chosen, her ways gradually returning to Navarr. Other’s had flocked to Vala’s teachings once again but many others were slain or tortured for their renewed beliefs. Even in these times, to worship Vala was a risk. Dorian cared not for what any person or creature believed. He firmly believed that the heart desires what it desires. Now, he sat across from a dragon that he dreamed of nightly since his youth. Yet he sat, unable to stand up and take her to his bed, showing the beautiful dragon woman what love truly meant.

  Nypha sipped her wine but the warmth had turned into a heated internal storm. The library was silent but Nypha could see the song in Dorian’s eyes as he gazed at her. Surface thoughts spoke of returning to the game but her inner core pulsed with taboo notions. Dorian would turn nineteen tomorrow. Being human, he was not even a drop in the span of a dragon’s time and space. His life would turn to dust quickly, even if he reached old age. The life of a human lord was dangerous, and from the tales, legends and histories of their culture, it would only be a matter of time before an attempt was made. Staying at his side as a protector improved his chances but the darker side of that coin was her natural desire for the lord of a kingdom.

  Nypha shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with her own thoughts. She was two hundred years old, young by her kind’s standards but far older then the handsome lord sitting across from her. Time pressed on as she was reaching her time to mate and produce children. Was that the reason why Dorian glowed in her mind? Was it her natural time to create offspring mixing with a lord she had protected for the last six years? She hadn’t seen or spoken to another dragon in decades, except for family and that was only through letters. Was she simply lonely or was there no need for anyone else due to her duties to Lord Lockwood and keeping to her promise?

  The silence had grown deafening. Dorian shook his head slightly, trying to clear out the fog filling his mind. A wanting pressed on his heart and the lord thought he would test the waters.

  “I have heard reports of a Shrine to Vala being built in the capitol of the empire. It could be finished before winter.”

  Nypha nodded, “The world is embracing Vala’s values once again. This is truly a wondrous time.”

  Dorian leaned forward, elbows on the table, “How do you feel about Vala’s return? Her teachings were outlawed but it seems some have come to accept her again.”

  Nypha’s mind drifted to the small statue of Vala back in her cavern, “If it will bring people of all races together, then I approve.”

  “That means the taboos we all grew up with would slowly fade away. We could love who we want to love,” Dorian said with an innocent tone.

  Nypha’s heart beat brightly as her mind took on a hardness, “Dorian…there is something I should tell you.”

  The lord looked to the dragon as she shifted in her seat once again, shadows touching her eyes.

  “Your race has amused me for a long time. I liked studying your people and recording what I have learned. Your father was a treasure trove of insight and knowledge. We used to sit like this, playing Towers, drinking wine and talking for hours. One night, he asked me to take an oath to watch over you should the unexpected happen to him.”

  “I know. You told me this the first night after his death,” Dorian said with an innocence touching his eyes.

  Nypha’s heart clenched, “What I didn’t tell you was that my oath will end on your 19th birth celebration. Your father thought by then, you would be strong enough to rule the kingdom and not have the fear of a dragon looming over the lands.”

  A darkness coiled around Dorian’s expression, “Then after tomorrow, you will no longer be my advisor? You will leave when it is safe to do so?”

  Nypha hesitated before nodding her head, “I made the oath because your father sent beautiful gems to my home. I thought six years would be enough to study more of your kind before I continue on with my life. Watching over you has been a privilege that I will never forget but like all things, it will come to an end.”

  “My father paid you to watch over me…..” Dorian trailed off.

  Nypha’s almond shaped eyes widened a hair, “He sent me gems as gifts. They did open my mind to the possibilities of returning his kindness. When he asked me to watch over you, I thought it would have been rude to ignore his request.”

  Dorian’s eyes fell to the game board before him, a pain stabbing into his heart, “I see. Is it a relief that you do not have to watch over me any longer?”

  Nypha leaned in, an urgency in her voice, “Dorian, over the years, you have become special to me. I don’t wish to say these things but they needed to be said. It’s important that we….”

  Dorian cut her off, “I’m feeling rather tired. Please excuse me while I retire for the evening.”

  The lord stood up, turned and walked to the library entrance without giving Nypha a second glance. The dragon watched him go, a hand trembling, fighting the urge to stand up and go after him. She wanted nothing more than to hold him and smother him in a warm embrace like she used to do when he was younger. Memories floated on with his thin arms wrapping around her waist and pressing his face into her chest. She adored his enthusiasm and held him with a comforting strength. What she thought was nothing more than a passing phase turned into a closeness she couldn’t push away. The young lord loved her, and she became increasingly unable to put into words how she felt. Instead, she stayed seated, watching him move to his bedroom chamber and closing the door behind him.

  Dorian leaned his back against the door, nerves coiled in a seething anger. Mind working, he wondered what other things were kept from him for his supposed protection. His father was a man of wisdom but sometimes it spilled into riddles. He was equal amounts kind and cruel when he needed to be. The young lord knew his father was meticulous with his planning and strategies, and it didn’t stop with his own son.

  Reality fell into focus as the lord stepped further into his enormous bed chamber. Dorian pictured his father climbing the mountain, not to confront a dragon but to win her over so he could use her power later on. He planned the whole thing, playing on Nypha’s curiosity an
d using it to his advantage. With a dragon befriended to the royal family, no lord or lady would dare raise up arms against Uboria. The seat of power would be maintained for many years and if Nypha had children, the longer that protection would extend.

  Dorian’s fingers curled until his hands had become tight fists. The urge to strike something, anything, fueled his muscles until they vibrated with power. Images of Nypha filled his mind’s eye. The trembling stopped and sadness struck his spirit like drowning in a cold lake.

  A shadow melted from the corner of the vast bed chamber, darkness slipping away and revealing a cloaked figure. Dorian felt the presence and his shoulders relaxed. The cloaked figure stepped closer but kept a healthy distance from the lord as she stood, the storm he felt turning into warm embers along his soul.

  “My lord….I hear Nypha will be staying with us for a time,” the figure said, a melodic whisper filling the space between them.

  “She will,” Dorian said plainly.

  The high elf sorceress nodded her cloaked head, “Since she is here, do you require your needs to be satisfied?”

  Dorian was still for a long moment. A secret perversion filled his body as his pulse grew. Try as he might, he could not deny what his heart and body wanted. While most rulers might simply take what they want, the lord found a different path. Not wanting personal frustrations to affect his ruling, he allowed the sorceress to use another measure to quiet his demons. Each visit from Nypha set him on fire. Xoli noticed the wild urges filling the lord and offered a solution. At first it was exciting but now it turned into a habit he knew too well.

  Dorian wished he could say no but his head nodded in agreement. The cloaked elf reached into one of her many pockets and pulled out a vial. The young lord turned away as Xoli lifted the vial to her lips and drank, not wanting to see the sorceress as she performed the ritual. A dreamy state touched the lord, hearing a haunting moan fill the area around them.