DIANA
“Leave,” Draven said.
He turned his back to me, his cape swirling around his ankles as he stared through the window.
His dismissive tone was like a slap to my face.
I stood there, stunned.
“What?”
“You heard me.” His voice was calm again.
Whatever had shaken him seconds ago was now buried.
I stared at him in disbelief as a wave of frustration washed over me.
He had summoned me here, given me a strict thirty minutes deadline and made me walk through this freezing palace terrified out of my mind just to tell me to leave the second I walked through the door?
“Why?” I demanded, the word slipping out before I could stop it.
I froze immediately after.
Did I really just say that?
Draven looked back at me as surprise crossed his face.
Clearly, he wasn’t used to anyone, let alone a human girl, questioning his commands.
My heart pounded so hard as I was sure I had just made a terrible mistake.
His eyes narrowed, flashing red again as he stared at me.
“You traveled through the night,” he said finally.
“You should rest.”
I stared at him confused because that was clearly not why he had called me here.
Something had happened the moment he looked at me, something that had clearly thrown him off balance.
I swallowed.
“Your Highness…”
“Leave, Diana.”
The way he said my name sent an odd shiver through me.
It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm either.
Deciding not to push my luck any further with this dangerous dragon prince, I reluctantly nodded.
“As you wish.”
I turned towards the doors.
“Diana.”
I stopped before turning back.
He still stood near the windows, now hidden by shadows.
Those terrifying white eyes finally lifted to mine again and something almost conflicted flashed across his face, then it vanished.
“Do not wander through Volkar alone.” His voice had gone cold again.
“Not at night.”
A chill crawled slowly down my spine but before I could ask why, he turned away from me.
He was obviously done with the conversation.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” I murmured.
As if on cue, the guards outside opened the doors and I stepped outside.
The moment the doors shut behind me, I released the breath I had been holding.
My heart was racing wildly.
I didn’t understand what had just happened in there.
As I followed the waiting servant back to my wing, my mind was spinning with questions over my strange and unpredictable husband.
I tightened my fingers around the skirt of my dress as the servant finally stopped outside my chambers.
The doors opened and immediately, Sarah and Mina rushed to me.
“Princess!”
“What happened?”
“Are you alright?”
“Did he hurt you?”
The questions came all at once.
“I’m fine,” I muttered.
The girls looked unconvinced.
Mina shut the doors quickly behind me before hurrying closer.
“What did the Prince say?”
I released a long breath and answered, “Not much.”
A line appeared on Sarah’s forehead.
“Not much?”
“He called me there…” I trailed, still trying to understand it myself.
“Then he looked at me strangely for a while and told me to leave.”
Both girls stared blankly.
“That’s all?” Mina asked.
I nodded.
“He said I traveled through the night and should rest.”
The girls exchanged confused looks.
Then suddenly Sarah grabbed my arm.
“Wait.” Her eyes widened.
“Are his eyes truly white?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
Both girls gasped, Mina even covered her mouth.
“Creator.”
Sarah looked horrified and fascinated all at once.
“You actually saw them?”
“Yes.”
“You looked directly into them?” Mina asked nervously
“Of course.”
Another louder gasp escaped both of them.
“Princess!” Sarah shouted.
“People say no one can look into the Dark Prince’s eyes without trembling.”
I frowned a little.
Really?
Mina took a step closer to me.
“Did you feel it?”
“Feel what?”
“The shivers,” she whispered dramatically.
“The fear. The curse.”
I opened my mouth to answer, then paused because strangely enough…I didn’t.
I thought back to those haunting white eyes staring directly into mine.
Fear should have been the first thing I felt but it wasn’t.
I finally replied.
“No.”
Their eyes widened so much so that I feared they might fall off.
“What?” Sarah blinked.
“I didn’t feel afraid looking into them.”
That wasn’t completely true.
I was afraid of him, but not because of his eyes.
“They were…beautiful.” I whispered.
Sarah and Mina stared at me like I had totally lost my mind.
“Beautiful?” Mina repeated weakly.
I nodded.
“Very beautiful.”
I sighed deeply before reaching for the laces at the back of the corset dress.
“Please get me out of this cursed thing before I lose my mind.”
That earned a small laugh from Sarah.
The tension eased as the girls moved to help me.
The moment the tight fabric loosened, I finally breathed properly again.
“Creator,” I muttered as Mina pulled the dress down my arms.
“How do dragon women survive wearing these?”
“Maybe they don’t breathe,” Sarah said seriously.
I snorted despite everything that had happened.
A few minutes later, I stood in only my undergarments while the girls folded the dress nearby.
The room felt colder without the dress, but somehow, not unbearably so.
I frowned at that strange realization again before pushing the thought away.
I was too exhausted to think right now.
Without another word, I climbed the bed and sank into the thick fur blankets.
My body ached emotionally more than physically.
“I need sleep before I go insane,” I mumbled into the pillows.
Sarah smiled softly.
“You are not insane, Princess.”
“Not yet,” Mina muttered.
I let out another tired laugh.
Sarah dimmed the lamps while Mina pulled the curtains closed.
The room darkened.
…
DRAVEN
The study was quiet after she left.
I stood by the window overlooking the training grounds below, staring at nothing and everything.
The room still smelled like her.
A scent of fresh pine and vanilla that didn’t belong to the fortress.
My jaw clenched.
I should never have called her here.
I’d be caught that scent since last night, and the moment she walked into the room, Karl nearly lost control.
‘Mine.’
He still echoed the word repeatedly in my head.
A faint change in the air pulled me from my thoughts.
“What are you doing here?” I asked without turning around.