Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71403 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71403 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
The adder went still, finally recognizing his mistake. “My… apologies, majesty. No insult intended to you or your consort. I will inform my emperor of this development, and he will, I am sure, send his congratulations.” He pivoted on his booted heel and stalked from the room. No one spoke as the door slammed shut behind him.
Others came in and came out, presenting their reasons for arriving at court, most often a dispute with another kraken. At some point, Sebastian had a bowl of cherries delivered to me.
I tried not to moon over him as I ate.
As the petitions wound down, a pattern emerged too deliberate to ignore. Sebastian never rushed judgment, nor did he indulge theatrics. He listened. He weighed. He cut away excess until only consequence remained, much to the dismay of the accusers.
More than once, he chose solutions that pleased no one, but stabilized everything long-term. Burdens shared instead of prizes awarded. Obligations imposed where undeserved power had been sought. When necessary, he briefly reminded the entire room what else his crown commanded. Power held by brutal force.
And yet, his people adored him. Respected him. Oh, they might grumble about his decisions today, but they trusted him with their tomorrows.
I’d never seen anyone trim pride or redirect greed so efficiently.
Case by case, chaos starved. By the time he settled the last matter, even the dome above us felt steadier. Quieter. And so did I, my understanding of him deeper. His strength wasn’t merely in his physical power, but the mind driving his actions. He ruled like the sea itself: unyielding and patient, constantly reshaping the world.
I’d thought, once, he would make a wonderful friend. Watching him now, I understood how foolishly small-minded such a belief had been. He was a king shaped by pressure and patience, by restraint rather than mercy. And seated at his side, I felt something in me crack wide open.
No more questioning. No more wavering. I wanted this man. Badly. I wanted every part of him. He was everything I could desire in a mate.
Protective, powerful, and adoring. And mine. My firebrand.
I’d known since the traveling stones, I’d simply refused to sign my name to it. Watching him rule, I put down the pen and sighed. The truth settled into me like a coin dropping into a hoard: mine, kept, permanent. I didn’t just want this man. I wanted forever.
He was the man I’d yearned for my entire existence. The soulmate I’d dreamed of. The partner I’d sought.
The man I could trust with my life.
Did he still view love as a weakness? Ja. But I could change his mind. And I would, because I must. More than that, I would help him take down the primordial—without risking everything.
Ladies, places please, as my first dance instructor would have said.
Winning him would take effort. I’d known that, but I could do it. I could help him save his realm and fight for his heart at the same time.
“What thoughts are rolling around in your mind to put such a look on your face?” he asked, at the edge of dazed.
I struggled to rein in my delighted determination and smiled at him. “You have your secrets, and I have mine.”
He tsked, stood and offered me his hand. “Four hours until the ball. Rather than grill you, I will be kind and let you rest before preparations begin.”
I peered up, drinking him in, and my determination only got stronger. With a slow smile, I slid my fingers into his. “Take me to the gardens, Sebastian. Please.”
Chapter
Sixteen
The sea always collects. And so do kraken.
–An Incomplete Guide to Kraken Survival
My plan to help Sebastian see me as a strength solidified as he escorted me from the throne room. The blood in my veins bubbled like life-giving champagne. He might be methodical, but I was diabolical.
“That smile is frightening,” he said, eyeing me. “Why the garden, and why such feral delight?”
I nestled closer into his side. “I have something fun for us to do.” He’d blamed “forgetting the circumstances” for the horrors that had occurred during our date. But everyone, even kings—especially kings—required times of merriment to recharge. Otherwise, they burned out.
My plan? Prove that laughter could make a man stronger without ending in tragedy. Joy wasn’t a hindrance. Happiness wasn’t a liability. Rather, they were sources of great power. And he’d been denied both for far too long. Ever since he was forced to take the throne. The man had spent his youth battling a primordial when he should have been... well, doing whatever carefree teenagers in Krakenströnd did.
“After everything that’s happened and everything soon to happen, I crave a moment to just… be.” The truth as well as the scheme. Wise as a dragon; harmless as a ballerina.
“And how does a dragon princess just be, hmm?”
“You’ll see,” I sang.