Chapter Nine

The party leads on and believe me when I say that I had grown absolutely bored out of my mind, it seemed like hours since my last dance and yet no one still came to ask again. It was too stiff and too quiet, and I was too much alone. I slipped away from the party, out to the balcony. It was cold, but I preferred out here more than the stuffiness on the inside. "Ah, there you are my daughter." A voice boomed behind me causing me to jump out of my skin. "I have some news for you."

"Erlking." I acknowledged him, bowing to him as quickly as I could. He was walking up to me, the double doors behind him stood wide open and I could see the dancers whirling out on the floor. From the way they were dancing, it seemed as if the party would never end. "What do you have to tell me?"

"I have three lords who have asked for your hand in marriage." He nodded his head, looking up at the sky. I looked up too, the moon which was full seemed much closer to the ground then it did look like back at home and it also seemed much bigger here, too. And yet it was as beautiful and mysterious here as it did back at home. The moon has always been so breathtaking to me.

"I beg your pardon?" I blinked at him checking to see if I heard him right, it was wrong for him to offer my hand in marriage. Right? Many cultures do, and I know it has been done for centuries. And it was possible that this culture took place in arranged marriages, but I wasn't part of this culture. But I knew that if I ever wanted to get home, I had to play along. Maybe one of them could help me if he said yes. Which probably they wouldn't. I wonder how much livestock I would be worth. I coughed to hide my amusement.

"Worry not." He looked at me and made a long sigh. "I turned them down, I have someone else in mind who would be perfect." I looked back at the mountains and trees that surrounded the castle. I didn't want to pressure him into saying anything else. I wonder who it would be, that is perfect. A thought crossed my mind and made me cringe, the Unseelie King. I pushed those thoughts away, handsome as he was, he was just a creep. "So you met him." Erlking mused after a while of silence, my face lost color. Oh god, please tell me we aren't still talking about arranged marriage. Erlking looked back behind him, seeing if anyone else had wandered to the balcony. I looked behind me as well and saw no one behind us. Paranoia. And yet, I too felt like we were being watched.

"Who are you talking about?" I prodded him slowly, even though I had a feeling that I already knew who he was talking about, but I wanted him to say the answer out loud. I thought that maybe he was speaking about the Dragon, or maybe it was just entirely someone else. But Erlking didn't even have the chance to answer my question, because when I looked over my shoulder for the second time, the answer to my question came into the scene. I bit my bottom lip, if I hadn't had a conversation with him hours ago I would probably have a crush on him. Because he was ungodly beautiful. A corner of his lips flew up in a smile, I quickly looked away with my cheeks heating up.

"Ah, there I finally found you, the star of the show. I've been looking and almost couldn't find you." He laughed, and then came to a halt, I looked back at King Rowan. I noticed that his snow-white hair was loose, the ribbon must have come off a while ago. His hair was as long as I thought, and was even beautiful down as it was up. "And look at this, the old fools put here too? Well, I hope you thought over my proposal."

"Hey." I mumbled and gave him a small wave, but he ignored me.

"Forgive me, I will have to think about it some more." The Dragon threw his arms up as he walked in, and laughed. A grin plastered on his face but his eyes weren't smiling. The king swallowed hard, his hands balled in fists and he looked away back out into the distance. Fear flashed through his eyes as he turned to look at the water below us. He too was afraid, I swallowed hard and leveled my gaze with the Dragon.

"Not much to think about, you know that." Erlking and the Dragon were glaring at each other. "It has been Queen Oinone's wish, and as her husband you must uphold her wish." I looked over at Erlking, a pained look flashed his face but quickly disappeared. "She has had it planned for a long time now, all I need is for you to say yes." I was confused, I had no clue what they were talking about. But by the sound of it, it seemed important. I had questions, more than before. I wanted to know why Rowan was called the Dragon, and I wanted to know what it was they were talking about. Although that would most likely be impossible to find out. But now, I wanted to know who Oinone was and where she was; but most importantly why did Erlking look so sad when the Dragon mentioned her. The Dragon's gaze met mine and he just kept staring at me, I looked at the king, breaking me and the Dragons shared stares. Beside me, Erlking mumbled something under his breath. "Pardon me, but what was that you just spoke, your highness?"

"King Rowan, it is good to see you are not dead yet." The king swallowed and didn't dare look back at the Dragon, and yet a cruel smile formed on his lips. I could feel the tension start to build up around us as Rowan drew even closer to us. I could smell his cologne even all the way here, and man did it smell so good.

"King Rowan, I-" I wanted to defuse the tension between the two men, mostly I wanted to ask him a question, but Rowan only pressed his index finger lightly to my lips, he was silencing me. I pushed his fingers away, crossing my arms afterward. How rude was that?! Erlking didn't do anything, merely looked away from the Dragon and I. It made me wonder if Erlking was afraid of him. Tricia mentioned something along the lines that the Dragon was terrifying, but I wouldn't think a king would be afraid of another king.

"Wouldn't you be pleased if I was," the Dragon practically hissed, I could tell that his mood was beginning to sour. Erlking said nothing in reply as the Dragon walked to my side. Standing next to me he rested his arm on the railing and leaning forward, he stood on the opposite side of Erlking, keeping me in between them both. Rowan's breath was no longer sweet as it had once been, but instead, it was replaced with the stench of alcohol that lingered on the air after he spoke his breath. He had been drinking and was drunk. I couldn't help but feel that it was a bad combination. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "So what idle gossip are you saying about me now, Erlking?" His voice was cold and it gave me a shudder.

"Why did you come here?" Erlking suddenly declared him, it surprised me with his sudden outburst. But I was curious, from the way Tricia talked this afternoon Rowan never comes to these gatherings, and yet no one seemed to pay him any mind today. But no one wanted to dance with him, even though he was quite good at dancing. I glanced up at the Dragon, hoping that he could answer. Something flashed across his face. Humor? Or pleasure?

"You must not be serious, your highness." He chuckled darkly, The Dragon gave Erlking a cold sideways glance, and Rowan wasn't smiling this time. "I received an invitation, so naturally I came. Is that not what an invitation is used for? Why invite someone if you wished they wouldn't come?"

"We have sent you several proposals in the past, to many occasions but you never appear. Why now do you come?" Erlking explained. I felt the need as if I should step away, and leave the two of them to their conversation in peace, but both the king and the Dragon's bodies pressed tightly against me, keeping me in place. So instead I nervously looked down at my hands.

"This is out of pure curiosity, my fellow king ." The Dragon gripped my elbow tightly, causing me to gasp aloud. He was steering me back towards the party. "Come now, my pet, shall we twirl in the moonlight once more?" He cooed, but it was more of an order for he was pulling me back to the double glass doors behind us.

"Alright, but I have some questions that I must ask you." He let go of my elbow and offered his arm to me. I shouldn't dance with him, he's drunk.

"Oh? And what questions can I possibly answer?" I have many questions, questions that I asked others, and they turn me away. But most importantly I want to know why everyone is afraid of him, why my head tells me to run from him, and yet my body doesn't follow.

"King Rowan, perhaps you may like to dance with the princess in a little while. My daughter and I were talking before you appeared." Erlking gripped my other elbow this caused Rowan to snatch my elbow back up, now I feel like that toy that kindergartners fight over.

"I don't mind dancing, I had fun the last time." Between the parts when he was creeping me out. I added in my head. It wasn't a lie I had some fun, but he made me nervous. No one really wanted to dance with me the entire night, and I had been so excited to dance, too. Even though Erling said I had three men ask for my hand in marriage, no one asked me to dance except for the Dragon, and well so did Easton for a little while. But in mind, since the Dragon danced with me when no man would, he couldn't be all that bad. Right? And besides, I would rather be in a pit full of spiders then be in Erlkings company much longer. But of course the two kings ignored and continued to banter among themselves.

"Daughter?" Rowan laughed loudly, loud enough that the people standing nearest the balcony looked at us. Embarrassed by my companions, my cheeks redden. "She was raised as a lowly human girl, only for you to claim when you need her to do your dirty work." Erlkings face drained of color. "She is not your child, the human girl is hers. She gave her life to have the girl raised by mortals. But certainly, you realize that the girl is not yours, all traces of who she could have once been, are gone now. She is practically human trash now. Such a claim is an insult to your own kind."

"Hey, thats quite rude!" I never wanted to smack someone so much before I met this man. But he is right, I don't belong here.

"Perhaps that may be the truth, we were talking in the quiet prior to your sudden appearance. Alone." He restated and Erlking's grip tightened, his nails digging into my skin causing me to bleed.

"About me I presume." The Dragon raised his eyebrows. The tension in the air was thick, you could slice it with a butter knife.

"Um." They glanced down at me, two towering figures glanced at me as if I was a cockroach on a dinner platter. "I don't feel so well, perhaps I should return back in." I mumbled, but they paid no attention to me. It was a half-lie. I rather leave this godforsaken place, I prefer home.

"Dancing would fix that, my little pet." Or so I thought they didn't hear me. The Dragon gently pulled on my arm, but Erlking squeezed my other arm tighter.

"Ow!" I jerked my arm away from Erlking, causing me to tumble into the chest of the Dragon. He stabilized me, gripping my shoulders so I wouldn't stumble again. The Dragon clicked his tongue and Erlking gaped at my injured arm, his eyes narrowed. "Would you please stop! You're giving me a headache. Let's go." I started walking back inside.

"It appears that I have won this little rivalry of ours." The Dragon purred.

"For now. Forgive me, daughter," Erlking muttered a half-hearted apology.

"Dance once more with me?" The Dragon proposed, holding his hand out to me. I grimaced at my arm, rubbing away the little droplets of blood. Like that would help me.

"Fine, your highness," I groaned accepting his hand. He sent an evil smile at Erlking before looking down at me. I followed the Dragon to the dance floor once more. He is starting to piss me off a smidge, but it wasn't just him. They all are every single last one of them. I absolutely despised this place. I missed home, I wished that this was just one messed up dream. But the reality of the situation was staring me at the face.

The Dragon tugged me closer to him when we started to dance. He muttered in my ear, a low intense whisper. He made my heartthrob and my face turn bright pink when his lips caressed my earlobe as he mumbled slowly.

"Say that you belong to me, pet."

I came to a halt and glared at his perfect face. A sleepy smile crossed his face. "I think our dance is done." I bowed to him, my face was still red. "Good night, my liege."