blinked as the full force of the sleepless night came over her. Her body ached worse from Zoran’s denied touch. She shivered, swaying on her feet.
The Queen looked at the King, who just shrugged his shoulders and motioned for her to continue.
"Welcome to the family of Draig, Lady Pia. I hope you will enjoy your new home," the Queen stated weakly.
Pia nodded at her the best she could. Suddenly, her head couldn’t control itself as it spun into circles. With a weak moan, she blacked out. Zoran caught her up in his arms and held her by his side.
"She says thank you, Queen," Zoran said with a grin. "Now, if you would excuse us?"
"Certainly," Queen Mede said, still shaking her head at her wayward son. Out of all her boys, Zoran was the most stubborn. But he also had a lot to prove. Being the leader of the soldiers, he couldn’t have his honor or his position called into question--especially not by a woman.
With little effort, Zoran picked up his bride into his arms and took her from the platform. Her eyes were closed and her bound wrists bounced limply on her chest as he walked. He nodded to the crowd. They nodded back, smiling at their leader and his audacious cunning. Zoran carried the motionless Pia to the front gate in the side of the mountain palace and into his wing of the castle home.
Chapter Five
Pia’s eyes popped open with a start, her fists automatically balling in outrage. She swung at the air, causing a great laugh of delight to echo over the bedroom. Her chest heaving with her unspent anger, she pushed herself up on the soft mattress. Her hands were no longer tied and the gag was out of her mouth.
"Where...?" she began, glancing around the bedroom.
There were white, paper thin sliding doors with decorative wooden boxes over the sides. It looked heavily influenced with the Japanese style of ancient Earth. Light shone through from the other room. The bed was low to the ground, covered in fur. There were potted plants on either side of a long dresser. Through a cracked sliding door to her side, Pia saw a walk-in closet. A large dome overhead let the sunlight in, though it was tinted to give the room a soft, comfortable haze. Two swords hung on the wall as decoration, dragons emblazoned on the hilts.
On the bed was a black dragon head emblem on a sea of deep red material. Its color was as dark as blood. The fierce creature stared at her for a moment. She shivered. Then, hearing the laughter lessen to a chuckle, she turned.
Her eyes met with a gaze she didn’t readily recognize. The woman’s movements followed her startled ones. It was her reflection staring back at her through a circular mirror atop the dresser.
"You’re in our home," came the belated answer to her question.
Zoran had been watching her beautiful confusion as she blinked herself awake. At the sound of his voice, her eyes narrowed in on him and she tried to jump up. The gown tangled her feet and she fell back on the bed, kicking and fighting the long skirt as she tried to be free of them.
"It’s only a dress, Pia," Zoran mused wryly, unable to help egging her on. "It’s not attacking you."
"As soon ... as I get ... out ... of ... this...," she threatened, fighting all the harder. With a huff, she finally managed to work her way off the bed. Her chest heaving, she opened her mouth to finish. He held up his hands to stop her.
"I know, you will behead me, skewer me ... yeah, yeah, yeah." Zoran yawned, though he was nowhere near bored with her. He loved her fire, her passionate anger. It was a good complement to his title as a warrior leader. It would serve his honor well to have a fiery woman at his side--so long as he alone could tame her.
"You keep it up," she warned, her voice growing.
"So much talk, so little action." He shook his head.
"Ah," Pia gasped in open-mouthed outrage. Instantly, she lunged at him. The skirts tangled her feet and she tripped. Zoran caught her up in his embrace, subduing her
The Queen looked at the King, who just shrugged his shoulders and motioned for her to continue.
"Welcome to the family of Draig, Lady Pia. I hope you will enjoy your new home," the Queen stated weakly.
Pia nodded at her the best she could. Suddenly, her head couldn’t control itself as it spun into circles. With a weak moan, she blacked out. Zoran caught her up in his arms and held her by his side.
"She says thank you, Queen," Zoran said with a grin. "Now, if you would excuse us?"
"Certainly," Queen Mede said, still shaking her head at her wayward son. Out of all her boys, Zoran was the most stubborn. But he also had a lot to prove. Being the leader of the soldiers, he couldn’t have his honor or his position called into question--especially not by a woman.
With little effort, Zoran picked up his bride into his arms and took her from the platform. Her eyes were closed and her bound wrists bounced limply on her chest as he walked. He nodded to the crowd. They nodded back, smiling at their leader and his audacious cunning. Zoran carried the motionless Pia to the front gate in the side of the mountain palace and into his wing of the castle home.
Chapter Five
Pia’s eyes popped open with a start, her fists automatically balling in outrage. She swung at the air, causing a great laugh of delight to echo over the bedroom. Her chest heaving with her unspent anger, she pushed herself up on the soft mattress. Her hands were no longer tied and the gag was out of her mouth.
"Where...?" she began, glancing around the bedroom.
There were white, paper thin sliding doors with decorative wooden boxes over the sides. It looked heavily influenced with the Japanese style of ancient Earth. Light shone through from the other room. The bed was low to the ground, covered in fur. There were potted plants on either side of a long dresser. Through a cracked sliding door to her side, Pia saw a walk-in closet. A large dome overhead let the sunlight in, though it was tinted to give the room a soft, comfortable haze. Two swords hung on the wall as decoration, dragons emblazoned on the hilts.
On the bed was a black dragon head emblem on a sea of deep red material. Its color was as dark as blood. The fierce creature stared at her for a moment. She shivered. Then, hearing the laughter lessen to a chuckle, she turned.
Her eyes met with a gaze she didn’t readily recognize. The woman’s movements followed her startled ones. It was her reflection staring back at her through a circular mirror atop the dresser.
"You’re in our home," came the belated answer to her question.
Zoran had been watching her beautiful confusion as she blinked herself awake. At the sound of his voice, her eyes narrowed in on him and she tried to jump up. The gown tangled her feet and she fell back on the bed, kicking and fighting the long skirt as she tried to be free of them.
"It’s only a dress, Pia," Zoran mused wryly, unable to help egging her on. "It’s not attacking you."
"As soon ... as I get ... out ... of ... this...," she threatened, fighting all the harder. With a huff, she finally managed to work her way off the bed. Her chest heaving, she opened her mouth to finish. He held up his hands to stop her.
"I know, you will behead me, skewer me ... yeah, yeah, yeah." Zoran yawned, though he was nowhere near bored with her. He loved her fire, her passionate anger. It was a good complement to his title as a warrior leader. It would serve his honor well to have a fiery woman at his side--so long as he alone could tame her.
"You keep it up," she warned, her voice growing.
"So much talk, so little action." He shook his head.
"Ah," Pia gasped in open-mouthed outrage. Instantly, she lunged at him. The skirts tangled her feet and she tripped. Zoran caught her up in his embrace, subduing her
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