Chapter 11.

"You are not the princess, are you?"

Seraphina couldn't find her voice as Master Valentine asked her the simple yet, the deadlist question.

"Wh-What makes you think that?" She asked and he clasped his hands.

"Human nation doesn't give combat training to the women." He said and Seraphina straightened her back.

"My father allowed me to train in combat." She said, it was the truth though.

Master Valentine raised his eyebrow, somehow the air around him seemed to be getting heavy, Seraphina somehow had a feeling that this old man wasn't something that his outer appearance defined. He was a dragon after all.

"He did, did he?" He mused and Seraphina nodded truthfully.

"Did you by any chance know any of the attackers?" He asked and Seraphina shook her head.

"I don't know, I was interrogating one of those attackers but before he could answer he was killed." She said and Master Valentine's smile disappeared.

"Do you have any suspicions as of who might be behind it?" He asked and Seraphina shrugged her shoulders.

"I have just arrived here, I don't know who would try to attack me and the prince." She said.

"How do you know that the attack wasn't aimed only at you?"

"Because the arrows were aimed right at him- His Highness." She quickly corrected.

"So, you have the inkling of what might be happening." He said and Seraphina resisted the urge to shake her head.

"I don't quite follow what you are trying to say, Master Valentine." Seraphina said and he sighed.

"Please take a seat." He gestured towards the chairs and Seraphina sat down along with him.

"It seems like someone is trying to kill you and prince Demian." His words made her frown slightly.

"I can understand about the attack on me, but why the prince?" She asked.

"That's what makes the matters, worse princess..." He spoke and Seraphina felt her insides tightening, "We don't know why someone would go to the extent of posing any threat to the dragon prince. Whoever it is, he is able to breach the dragon palace walls and also has a killing intent."

"Then, we should tell the first prince about it." She said and Master Valentine shook his head.

"We can't." Master Valentine said making her look at him quizzically.

"Prince Demian has forbade us from doing so, with the marriage being tomorrow we can't disclose this to the first prince until the marriage ceremony is finished." He said and Seraphina clenched her fists hearing of the marriage.

"Does the prince have any enemies?" Seraphina asked and Master Valentine smiled.

"Being dragons we do have a lot of enemies, I currently might be talking to one." The way his eyes landed on her made all the blood in her body turn cold.

"I'm not your enemy." She clarified quickly and he clasped his hands.

"I said, I might be talking to one of our enemies. I never said, you were our enemy." The old man was sly with his words, Seraphina had to be careful while dealing with him.

"I stood by the prince today, and despite my upbringing I engaged in a combat with the guards." She said and Master Valentine smiled at her.

"I am deeply grateful to you for that, princess. Your courage today saved our prince but it still doesn't give me any conviction that you might not be the perpetrator behind today's act." Seraphina's jaw slackened as she heard his words. There was no shred of trust among these dragons for other species!

"Well, I stand my ground. I have no ill intentions towards you or your prince or any of your dragonspeople. I was sent here to marry the prince and to be honest we both know that neither the prince nor I are willing to be in this marriage alliance." She said and Master Valentine gave her a sad smile.

"Yet, you have to be." He said and Seraphina frowned at him.

"Because it is not you whose wishes are considered here, it is the survival of the human nation. If you refuse the marriage we will revoke the treaty and within a few minutes the entire human species will be gone."

Seraphina stood up with her fists clenched and her eyes blazing, "That's what you can do anyways! Kill the weak then may it be women, children or old, you just get rid of everyone in your way without any mercy."

"That is the rule of the world, princess. The strongest survive over the blood of weak."

"Shove your rule up the horse's behind!" Master Valentine's eyebrows quirked up as Seraphina said that.

"Now, that you know very well about us, why don't we have a little discussion about you. We haven't truthfully met, right? May I know who you are and why you are here in stead of the human princess?" He asked with his face having a grim serious expression.

"I am the human princess-" She instisted.

"Don't lie anymore." He spoke sternly and she clenched her jaw, seeing that there was no other way Seraphina plopped back down on the chair.

"You are right, I am not the human princess, but before you draw any conclusions I'll ask you to listen to everything I have to say till the very end and then decide." She said and then started from the very start, from how she was assigned a job of taking down the traffickers in Hakov and then her father's decision of marrying her off. She told him about the seal and with the flow she added her own feelings of being in a helpless state herself but how her friends managed to get her confidence back and how they planned to escape but their plan failed and they had to go along. She told him about the bandit attack where the exchange of brides took place and his eyebrows lifted on the part when she told him about her experience here in the dragon palace.

She elaborated on the attack in the Lotus Garden and Master Valentine heard patiently till she was finally finished and he removed his steepled fingers from before his mouth. His eyes seemed to be distant as if trying to find some lie in whatever story that Seraphina had given him. He stayed quiet for a long time before his eyes shifted from the free space and traveled to meet hers.

"You are a wizard from the Firenation." He regarded and she nodded.

"I'd heard the rumors about the Flame Queen but, I never expected to see her in flesh." He said and Seraphina eyed him, she was sitting on the edge of her seat, waiting.

"I have heard to everything you had to say, and I also consider human nation's innocence in this matter, yet, you being a wizard increases my suspicions all the more about the future." He said making Seraphina frown.

"But I told you I can't use my flames and because of that I won't cause any damage here." She retaliated.

"That isn't the point here." He said, "You being a wizard will cause problems, regardless of you being able to use magic or not. Moreover, with you being here also brings peril to your nation, however you see it, it will be seen as the Firenation's plan to stop the alliance between human nation and the dragons. You will try to shout out your truth before them yet, I doubt they'd believe you." He said and she clenched the armrests.

"But you know it, I've told you everything."

"I'm finding it hard to believe you myself." He said and Seraphina felt like every nerve in her brain would explode.

"What do you want? What do you want me to do? What do I have to do to prove it to you that I pose no harm to you or the prince?" She asked, her eyes straining as blood pounded in her head.

Master Valentine eyed her with his deep set eyes and she waited till the seconds crawled by, just when she felt she would just stand up and rip his mouth open he spoke up.

"Carry out the tasks that I give you." Master Valentine said and Seraphina's eyes widened.

"What tasks?"

"What happened today in Lotus Garden might happen again? Prince Demian at present isn't in the state of defending himself and after what you did today, I'll expect you to do the same everytime any ambush happens." He said and Seraphina scowled at him.

"You want me to be the personal guard of your prince?" She asked.

"It won't be a permanent task. After His Highness turns fourteen he will be matured and then these ambushes will be of naught danger. But only till the time he matures you'll need to protect him." He said and Seraphina thought of considering the deal.

"What happens after he is matured? Will the truth be out and I and Celia be killed?" She asked and Master Valentine smiled shaking his head.

"Not at all. I will see to it that you will be returned to your nation safely and then we will bring the rightful princess here."

"What about the marriage then?" She asked.

"You don't want the marriage, do you?" He asked and she bit her lower lip.

"If I don't marry the prince won't that arouse suspicions?" She asked and he hummed.

"So, will you marry the prince?" He asked.

Seraphina started chewing the inside of her cheek as she thought of every life weighing on her shoulders. She wasn't only responsible for her own nation, she was also responsible for the human nation and if she didn't marry then it would give the message that the human nation was hesitant in accepting the alliance with the dragons. She looked up at Master Valentine who eyed her still waiting with all the cards in his hands.

"I don't have any choice in this, do I?" She said and he smiled.

"No, you don't."

***

Morning arrived and with it arrived the big day. It was today that the Dragons and the Humans would unite and forget the bitter days they all had suffered.

Demian stood strong in the middle of his chamber as the servants decked him in a doublet of black velvet with golden embroidery, high boots and the sacred sabre of the Dragons. It is said the sabre had made with the first Dragon Sage's bones thus, it had been entrusted to them. However, what Demian had was a mere replica of it for the purpose of showing off their divine protection to their bride. He had never seen the real one and he certainly had no interest in it.

His face had a solemn expression that said he was sickened with the idea of the marriage. He had met the princess, no doubt she was amusing but he didn't want her in that way. He didn't want anything to do with a human.

He recalled of the time when she saved him from those attackers. She fought for him. His fists clenched. That human saved a Dragon and it felt like a slap on his face. Demian wanted to erase the memory.

His door opened with a soft screech and Billard stepped into the room with Master Valentine. They watched as the servants prepared the young Prince. Prince Billard was a bit happy as it revealed on his face that bore an earnest smile. After all the suggestion was his.

Demian's serious eyes moved to Master Valentine as he held a cloak in his hands.

"The Cloak." Billard commanded and the servants immediately took it from Valentine's hands and wrapped it around Demian with silver chains. Now he was finally ready.

"Brother, you surely have grown a lot in these years. It won't be long when you mature to a full grown man," Billard said.

Demian didn't say a word. He wanted the ceremony to end quickly then he shall retire in his chamber to suffer from his pain, alone. It had always been that way and it shall always be. A human could never help him.

"Princess Seraphina is an interesting girl, I must say," Billard went ahead and exited, "if I am to assume, she will find you a cure."

"There are no cures for a curse." Demian followed his brother, Master Valentine behind him trailed at a slow pace to give the brothers personal space.

"Demian, sometimes, a curse is an indirect blessing. We just have to change the way we look at it." Sometimes, Demian thought he never understood how his brother's brain worked. Billard had his own perspective to see things but it was odd enough to make Demian cringe.

Nonetheless, it was time he would do his duty. No matter how much he wanted to blame it on his brother, he could never go against him.

***

A deep breath would have calmed her down but the way time was running out, Seraphina had an urge to chew on her nails. However, Celia would rip her teeth before that happens as she had trimmed them for her and she had scrubbed her in her bathe to death every inch, every hair of her was shining like diamond.

Seraphina was certain her skin must have pulled off by a layers as it glowed reddish-pink. She had to suppress her anger as the last time she burst it out on her, Celia made her day humiliating in front of that brat. The young prince must have enjoyed it.

"I can't breathe." Seraphina complained with her voice raising to Celia who glared at her. She had been preparing her since morning.

"Then stop breathing! It's a corset and you are little too thick for it."

Seraphina growled, "Well, I apologise for being so strong and healthy."

At that Celia tightened the lace on the corset and Sera almost felt a loss of air. She was certain the women here didn't like to breath.

The wedding robe Seraphina wore was long and full and annoying as if she had worn a lot of sheets together. Her sleeves touched the ground and she wished she won't trip to embarrass herself more.

"Just remember everything I've told you and don't act rashly." Celia gave final instructions and Seraphina nodded.

"You remember His Highness's full name, right?" She asked and Seraphina nodded, she had taken some time to memorise Demian's whole name. She didn't understand why the royals had such long names?

After the last night's long discussion with Master Valentine, Seraphina had taken time to explain everything to Celia as best she could and after that she took it in her hands to be even more strict to keep Seraphina reminded of her new duty along with her older ones. Celia had also taken it upon herself to look after all of Seraphina's tasks to be done herself as she feared that the dragon servants wouldn't take long to suspect her.

Seraphina regardless of what conspired between herself and Master Valentine was still pretty angry at Prince Demian's behavior from the other day. She had saved his life and what did he reward her with, a dark gaze and rude words? She clenched her fists but then she realised that up till this point even he would know that she wasn't the human princess, would he marry her regardless?

She remembered what Master Valentine told her about Prince's present condition and then matched it with his posture the other day during the time of the attack. He was leaning against the tree his knees wobbling and body rigid, there was agony on his face. He really wasn't in any state of defending himself, it was his time of being weak-

No. That was why he was angry. He wasn't angry with her. He was ashamed of showing weakness before his human bride.

Seraphina released a sigh. She was naive and she didn't get the hint. Suddenly, she felt ashamed of her anger, her stubbornness. If she had to marry him, she had to be a good wife. She had to feel what he was feeling, she had to see what he was watching. She swore, at least, as an exchange wife, she could be more considered to him and she wouldn't tell anyone about his frail body tumbling before her.

She was led to the ground in a carriage where the marriage would take place. The path was decorated with wild trees as their leaves had fallen as if brown jewels on green velvet. She concentrated on her steps, one foot before another, slowly and cautiously so she would not fall. At least, for the young prince of Dragons, she shall take pride in her and show off to them that she was a graceful bride who would not make his head bury in humiliation.

Celia and two Knights of them followed her as she went ahead, soon reached where a large tree stood with pride in its full bloom and its think brunches spread across the sky as if to protect them who were entrusted to it.

Guests had appeared probably their allies and families who were in expensive, jewels adorned clothes to show off their wealth while the crown prince and his wife stood on the stone steps that led to the tree.

The wind was warm and soothing as her eyes fell on the lean figure of Demian. He stood with his chin high in a black cloak bordered with golden crossworks and stones. A sabre hung from his belt and his hand rested on its sheath. He hadn't seen her coming. His eyes were still on their sacred tree and his face was devoid of emotions.

As she appeared, the whispers and conversations halted and every eye turned at her. She tugged her gown but didn't let her nervousness take control of her face. She straightened her back and with small steps she started to walk.

As if Demian felt the unusual silence, he tilted his head to her and their eyes met. She caught her breath and heat slapped on her cheeks.

Just for a moment, she paused as Demian's eyes went big and a small gap parted his lips but as soon as it appeared, it disappeared as well. His gaze lingered on her for a while to scrutinise from head to toe and then he turned his head where the septon stood with a blank face as if his breakfast didn't went well.

Seraphina followed the steps and reached beside her groom who was waiting and the ceremony started in a haze.

She didn't remember what the septon was mumbling or when the prayers took place but she did what was required.

As the vows came to an end, her heart thumped loudly as she recalled her father's face and her guildmembers. She wanted to see Merlene and Asilax. She had to bite her lip to stop them from trembling.

The septon chanted in a language she quite didn't recognize and then he instructed the young prince something she did not get. Her mind was going numb and she was afraid she would end up embarrassing him.

The Prince turned to her, his deep blue eyes stayed at her as he unchained his cloak. Seraphina's eyes darted between his eyes and his fingers where he was fastening the clasps. She blinked. What was he doing? She wanted to ask but held her tongue. It would look so stupid if she opened her mouth.

Then she realised he was going to cloak her but he was still a foot shorter. As the clasps were undone he swept his cloak away from him and held it in his hands and paused. If she didn't bent it would make him hard to wrap the cloak around her. She looked at the ground and took a step down where their heads were at the same height.

Demian's brows ceased a little. It was hard to read but with the closeness she was certain he was angry again. Albeit, she had to praise him for mastering a straight face even if he disliked it.

He wrapped his cloak of protection of The Dragons around her swiftly and leaned forward as his lips brushed against her lips.

"With this kiss, I pledge my oath to take Princess Seraphina Isabel Dominica de Campbell as my wife."

Seraphina stood there with her eyes turning round and her heart leaping in rounds in her chest. Demian's brows twitched slightly and she realised she was to take her vows and not to make a fool of herself in front of the Dragons.

She took a sharp breath and composed herself, "With this kiss, I take Prince Demian Von Oskar Satonas Salamander as my husband."

The septon announced them husband and wife and they were given two cups. The sacred wine to seal the bond between them.

As she gulped it down, she felt a bit lightheaded and a warmth spread across her body. Her eyes secretly glanced over her husband and he was already watching her.