I think of the sword I left lying on the ground at the North Dakota kingdom house. How close I came to taking the mind of the male who murdered my father. My ultimate revenge…it would be mine now if not for her.
Yes, my unceasing desire for her has pulled me down a rabbit hole. And if I am not careful I will never find my way back to my original plan.
This I remind myself is nothing more than a temporary fantasy I have chosen to indulge. I will allow her this small triumph and tomorrow’s celebration. But after that it’s back to my previous plan.
No more lingering in this fantasy with Ola. The morning after the celebration I will exact my final revenge upon her fathers and the Betrayer King. And this time I won’t allow her to stop me with the wild fantasies that crazed pretender put in her head.
For those reasons and more, I do as I should have done before she baited me with her demand for a reverent good-bye. I turn and put as much distance between her and me as I can.
Chapter Twenty-One
OLA
I should have felt triumphant when he rushed out of there like I was some kind of dangerous, not him. But when he left me alone in the overly grand bathroom, all I felt was bereft.
The thing was, I meant what I said. I want us to be a happily ever after. So bad. I think of the promises I made Other Damianos right before he disappeared.
I’ve been trying to make good on those vows ever since I found this Damianos in the gatehouse basement. And I can envision our future so clearly. Liking each other more and more every day until suddenly it’s love. For both of us. Just like with Other Him.
But that vision won’t work if only one of us is willing to open ourselves up.
I huff over to the touchscreen catalog inside the large walk-in closet right off the bathroom. I had pulled a pair of my new pajamas earlier, but now I swipe past all the other nightwear choices in search of the one purchase I couldn’t keep myself from making. Hopefully, it was on the easily replicated list, not the custom one.
It was!
“Yes,” I whisper when one of the long nightgowns I wore exclusively at the North Dakota gatekeeper’s house pops up on the screen.
A few moments later, my heart sighs with a strange sort of relief when I slip it over my head. Sighs then sinks.
The nightgown reminds me of Other Damianos. I miss him so much. And even though I think I might have just won tonight’s battle, it feels like I’ve lost—
Wait a minute, is that my hair?
All those sad thoughts about missing Other Damianos take a hike when I see the rows of layered crown braids leading to a bun in the back. I ask the room to take a 360 picture and layer the dress and jewelry I picked out for the big day on top.
Daaammmmn, Triple D! I think as I turn my avatar this way and that. I love how the style makes me look like someone out of one of those choose your own adventure regency romances yet goes perfectly with my heavy metal Viking ensembo.
Talk about mixed messages, though.
My dragon king acts all cold one moment. Then he goes out of his way to create the best hairstyle ever just because I asked.
If I was watching me look for love on one of those reality holos, I’d definitely be like “Run, girl, that bachelor ain’t nothing but a fuck boi.”
But in real life…I sigh and call up one of the silk blouses I ordered. It’s intricately patterned and probably cost a good four figures in credits. And after carefully slipping its neck over my new do, I twist it around and tuck it under like the towel turbans I use at home.
Cute new shirt ruined but I’m not letting anything mess up my new braids. I climb into bed, somewhat proud of myself for jerry-rigging the world’s most expensive sleep cap…until I try to fall asleep.
Have I mentioned my body is still throbbing? Still wanting something it can’t have.
Well, it is. But instead of getting myself off, I lie in bed with my mind spinning. I know I’m right about the sensitive dragon I fell in love with being trapped inside of Damianos.
But how to get him to come out already?
I have no idea.
“Queen Drákon, Queen Drákon, it’s time to get up.”
I wake up to find Agda above me holding a tray of food, her face bright and excited.
“What’s this now?” I mumble, feeling less than ready for all the morning sunshine flooding into the room as I sit up on my elbows. She must have opened the drapes.