The Dragon King’s Baby

“Why is Thomas here?” Addie asked abruptly. She looked at Thomas apologetically. “I’m sorry, Thomas.”

“No offense, Addie,” Thomas said with a small, almost uncomfortable smile. “You’re not used to such formal meetings.”

“No, which makes me wonder what this is about,” Addie said, looking back to her father with an eyebrow raised.

“Addie, how old are you?”

Addie’s eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips. Her father knew the answer to that question. “I’m twenty-seven.”

“Twenty-seven. Perfect,” George murmured, nodding at Thomas.

“Father, pardon my language, but what the hell is going on? You know how old I am,” Addie said, glaring at her father.

George’s smile broadened, and he looked absolutely delighted by her question. “I’ve made a wonderful arrangement for you.”

“Arrangement?” The word frightened her. “What kind of arrangement?”

George took a deep breath, a sign that he wasn’t expecting this to go well once he made his announcement, but he was pretending he thought she’d be happy. “You are getting married.”

Silence permeated the room. Addie’s breath had stopped, her pulse hammered, and she felt a little faint. After several moments, she found her voice again. “Excuse me? I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

George and Thomas exchanged a glance. George sat forward and reached for Addie’s hand, but she pulled it away before he could touch her. Again, the men looked at each other, and George sighed heavily, his false happiness evaporating. “Addie, I’ve promised that you will marry the dragon king.”

The king wished for the silence of earlier. Addie leapt to her feet and yelled, “Are you kidding me? The dragon king? You promised me to someone without even asking for my opinion in the matter?”

“Addie, unfortunately, your opinion holds no sway in matters of foreign policy.” Addie’s eyes jerked to Thomas, who cleared his throat before continuing. “An alliance with the dragon king and his kingdom is required for our safety and theirs. The best alliance is a marriage.” Thomas finished his explanation by lifting his hands in a gesture filled with helpless resignation.

“An alliance?” Addie looked at her father. “Let me get this straight. Are you selling me to the dragon king so that he’ll be on your side should a war break out? Am I a wh*re you are pimping out?”

“Adelaide!” her father bellowed, rising to his feet as well. “Do not use that language when speaking to the king!”

Addie bowed sarcastically. “My apologies, your Royal Highness. I thought I was having a conversation with my father.”

George breathed in. “All right. We need to calm down.” He returned to his seat and gestured for his daughter to do the same. “Please, sit down.”

Addie lowered herself onto the edge of the chair, her back straight and prepared to fight against this decision. In a calmer voice filled with suppressed fury, she stated, “Father, I do not want to marry anyone, let alone a man I’ve never met, especially a man who is of a different species. That’s never been done before.”

“You’re right, Addie. It’s never been done before by our family or the dragon king’s family. But many commoners of all species are married to a person of a different species. And even have children.”

Addie’s lip curled in derision. “Is that a not-so-subtle hint, Father? Am I supposed to get knocked up as soon as possible? Eager for grandchildren, are you?”

“It’s the only way to solidify the alliance.” Thomas spoke but did not meet her eyes.

“Well, God forbid love have anything to do with it,” Addie replied sarcastically, her eyes shooting daggers at Thomas, then her father. “I will not marry. I will not bear the child of a man I do not know nor love.”

George sat up. His demeanor changed to that of a king rather than the man who had thrown her into the air as a child. “Adelaide, you will marry. You will marry the dragon king, you will move to Wyvern, and you will produce an heir within the year.”

“I have to move to the dragon kingdom?!? Leave behind everything I know, my family, my friends, my life! Father, this is absurd, backwards, and completely unfair!” Addie was close to tears, her voice hitching by the end of her sentence. She blinked once; the tears were gone, replace by anger once again.

George softened as he watched his daughter’s display of strength. “I’m sorry, Addie, but this is the way of things when you are a member of the royal family. The wizards have wed into the were royal line and created an alliance. They are stronger than us now. We have no choice.”

Addie rose. “You mean I have no choice but to submit to this absolutely preposterous marriage.”

“If that’s the way you choose to see it, then yes, I suppose so.” Her father rose again and handed her some papers. “The wedding will take place a week from tomorrow.” He ignored his daughter’s gasp of indignation. “Your mother is aware of this and has already begun preparing. I suggest you join her.”

“Have you met the dragon king?” Addie asked.

George would not meet her eyes. “No.”

Addie was silent, her fury filling the room with each passing second. The papers in her hand were crumpled in her fury. “But I’m supposed to marry him,” Addie hissed. She shook her head. “And when do I have to move?” she asked scathingly.

“The day after the wedding,” George said. Addie stared at him, hatred plain on her face.

Thomas cleared his throat. Gently, he said, “Addie, the papers you’re holding are a contract. I’ll need you to sign that before you leave the office.”

Her eyes didn’t leave her father’s as she said, “Of course. I’ll sign my freedom away and bind myself to a man I’ve never laid eyes on. A man my father has never met. I’ll give myself to this man who may or may not be a mean son-of-a-bi*ch.”

Addie jerked the proffered pen out of Thomas’ hand and signed the line he pointed at with a flourish. She slammed the pen on the table and lifted her eyes to her father’s.

“I will never forgive you for this. And any child of mine will never visit this kingdom. I will never return to this kingdom. Next week will be the last time you will lay eyes on me.”

*****

She refused to look at Ginger as she marched out of the office. She’d wanted to slam the door, but she was unable because of the stopper. She pushed the elevator button with such anger she hurt her finger. Ginger watched her but did not speak; the pain Addie felt was plain on her face and in her stance.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, she broke down, sobbing so hard her body put itself into the fetal position. She braced herself in the corner of the elevator and let the tears rack her body. She’d chosen the floor that would open into her mother’s private rooms, and she was standing there, waiting for her daughter with Jeanne as well as Addie’s best friend, Poppy.

“Addie,” her mother gushed. She rushed into the elevator and helped her daughter back to her feet. With her arm around her, she guided her to the couch closest to the window, where her daughter had always liked to sit. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry for the suddenness of this.”

“The suddenness?” Addie sobbed, looking at her mother, her words garbled by tears. “This is positively the most appalling thing that’s ever happened to me!”

“I know, baby, I know,” Claire murmured, soothing her daughter’s hair as her friends circled around her.