Chapter 17

VALKYRIE

My conversations with Dimitri have been far from perfect. His apologies make me squirm. I know he’s sincere, but it’s just awkward.

He shouldn’t be apologizing. This mess is all on me.

Having Prince Cian around is a distraction. He’s always ready to lend a hand. But I know that if I take his help without Dimitri’s blessing, things could spiral out of control. And I’m pretty sure Dimitri won’t be on board.

I decide to take a walk to clear my head, and I bump into Prince Cian. He joins me as I wander. He doesn’t press me for an answer, doesn’t put any pressure on me.

But I can see the anticipation in his eyes. Our walk takes us to the training grounds. Several of the men training there greet me. I’ve made friends here, and that makes me happy.

I’ve never had friends before.

Out of the blue, Lilly shows up as I’m introducing Prince Cian. I knew she was around because Leo warned me about her. I try to avoid her by leaving, but she comes over to me.

“Well, if it isn’t the queen,” Lilly sneers. Her glare is downright lethal.

I won’t lie. She scares me.

“Hi, Lilly,” I respond, keeping it short and sweet as I walk past her with Prince Cian.

“Hold on,” Lilly calls out. “I want to challenge you.”

I turn to face her, my eyebrows knitting together as she grins at me.

“You want a challenge?” I ask.

“Don’t,” Prince Cian interjects, stepping in front of me. “Sorry, but the queen can’t accept your challenge.”

“Who are you?” Lilly snaps at Prince Cian.

“I’m Prince Cian to you,” he retorts. “I suggest you back off.” With that, Prince Cian turns and guides me away, leaving her behind.

“You’re a coward,” Lilly spits out, “A perfect coward. I don’t know what the fuck Dimitri sees in you.”

Her words ignite a fire in me. I won’t let her walk all over me again. I remember Dimitri’s words from our last encounter. He called me useless, and I’m sick of hearing that.

I heard it enough when I was a slave.

I stop in my tracks, clench my fists, and march back to her. I hold my head high and look down at her, even though she towers over me.

“I accept!” I announce, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Are you out of your mind, Valkyrie?” Prince Cian whispers in my ear. “You’re not even fully healed.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” I reply, shaking my head. “I’m doing this for me.”

I pat his chest and move towards one of the platforms.

“Are we doing this?” I challenge her.

Lilly smirks and steps onto the platform.

“We’re doing best two out of three,” Lilly clarifies.

The men around us gather to watch. This fight is happening, and I’m determined to give it my all. Leo has been training me, and I’ve picked up a few tricks.

I can handle Lilly.

“I’ll keep score,” Prince Cian announces as he steps onto the platform. “You know the rules, best two out of three. First two falls win. No killing.”

We both shout a ~yes!~. Prince Cian gives the signal, and the fight begins. Lilly wastes no time in launching her attack. I see her hand coming towards my face and raise my arms to block her.

Her hit is powerful, and I can’t help but groan. She’s strong. Can I match her strength? She’s a dragon, and I’m just a human.

I move quickly around the platform, defending myself. I manage to block every punch and kick Lilly throws at me. I need to find an opening before she does.

But as I glance down to find a gap below her chest, Lilly kicks my legs out from under me. I lose my balance and fall to my knees.

Immediately, she kicks me in the face, sending me sprawling off the platform. Groaning, I look up at her.

I’m about to get up when I hear Damian’s furious voice.

“What the hell, Lilly!” Damian roars, grabbing Lilly by the arm and shoving her. “I thought we settled this last time.”

“Damian,” I call out, but he ignores me.

Prince Cian kneels down and lifts my chin, examining my face.

“You’re bleeding, and your cheek is swelling,” Prince Cian observes.

Damian turns and growls, joining Prince Cian by my side. They both turn their attention to Lilly.

“You’re in deep shit!” Damian hisses just as another familiar voice rises above the murmurs of the crowd.

Dimitri is livid. I turn to look at him. He’s standing there, glaring at me and Lilly.

“What did you do?” Dimitri demands of Lilly.

“Nothing, just having a little fun, right?” Lilly replies, laughing. I roll my eyes. I can’t stand her.

Dimitri walks over, looks at my face, and asks me what happened. Damian and Prince Cian stand in front of us, shielding us from Lilly. Dimitri grabs my arm.

“Let go!” I snap. It frustrates me that Dimitri won’t let me handle my own problems. He always has to get angry and act superior. Can’t he trust me a little?

Trying to explain to Dimitri is pointless.

He snaps at me and starts arguing. I try to explain that it was a misunderstanding, but he snaps back, saying he gets angry because he cares about me.

My heart starts to race. His words send a warm flush through me.

I try to respond, but when I look up, Dimitri is walking away.

He didn’t even give me a chance to say anything. With a sigh, I let the argument go because Damian is seething. The last thing I need is for this to turn into a full-blown beast brawl.

“Come on,” Prince Cian urges, tugging me toward a nearby tree. “Sit down.”

I do as he instructs, waiting patiently for his next move. He sighs, his hand brushing my cheek. A soothing chill spreads across my face. His touch is comforting, and my eyelids grow heavy.

“You two are both so stubborn,” Prince Cian mutters, pulling his hand away. “Go get cleaned up.” With that, he stands and leaves me alone.

I watch him dash back inside. I bet he’s off to find Dimitri.

“You’re looking better,” Damian comments, sighing. “What did I tell you?”

“To take care of myself?” I respond, meeting his red gaze.

“Exactly. And are you doing that?” Damian frowns.

“No?” I admit, looking down at my hands.

“So why are you so damn stubborn, Valkyrie?” Damian snaps, making me flinch. “Can’t you just do what we ask? Don’t you see how Dimitri reacts?

“If you don’t want him to get mad at you all the time, stop being so stubborn and just do what we ask for once.”

Feeling guilty, I nod and stand, excusing myself. I’ve caused trouble again. Dejected, I head back to my chambers to bathe.

When I enter my chambers, I find them empty. Mia’s not here, and I’m alone. I sigh and head to the bathroom, starting to undress. After a quick bath, I head to the library.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reading some of the books they have. Damian told me I could learn about their history from the library books.

As the supposed queen, I’m free to wander the palace whenever I want, except for four rooms: the throne room, the treasure cells, the dungeons, and Dimitri’s room.

Damian warned me to stay away from that room. I have no idea what’s inside, and I don’t want to find out.

Once I’m clean, I change into a white dress. Leaving my wet hair loose, I head to the library.

The library is on the second floor. It’s big enough to fit at least eighty people. It’s one of my favorite places.

Damian was surprised that I could read. As a slave, I shouldn’t be able to, but I can, thanks to my time locked in the cages.

Sometimes I could get my hands on scraps of paper with words on them. Learning was hard, but somehow, I managed.

Walking in quietly, I head toward the back where the fireplace is. It’s a cozy spot.

I quickly grab a book about the queen’s duties from the shelf, then, smiling, I settle down on the pillows and start reading. It’s so relaxing that I lose track of time.

Suddenly, I feel someone watching me. I stand and look around. I know I’m not alone, which is a little creepy. I have a hunch about who it might be.

I walk over to a shelf where a shadow is moving.

I stand quietly, waiting for the person to reveal themselves. And, surprise, surprise, it’s Dimitri. I want to laugh at his shocked expression. He clearly didn’t expect me to find him.

It’s odd because I feel this pull toward him. I give him a small invitation, and he seems unsure of what to do. Pretending not to notice, I sit back down and continue reading.

Dimitri does the same, sitting next to me. I smile to myself, hoping I won’t give myself away.

Dimitri’s gaze lingers on me from time to time. I ignore him and keep reading until I drift off without realizing it. Being next to Dimitri makes me sleepy. Have I missed being close to him?

Time passes, and when I open my eyes, I find Dimitri next to me. He’s lost in thought until he notices me. I smile at him because he looks so innocently cute.

His calm expression is refreshing, and I find it quite attractive. As his eyes meet mine, I feel a warmth spreading in my chest. It worries me because I don’t know if this is a good thing.

Suddenly, Dimitri whispers, “I’m sorry.”

I frown at him, curious. Is he still apologizing for what happened?

Honestly, I’m not mad at him. I never blamed him. I blame myself. He keeps repeating his apology over and over, so much so that I stop teasing him and decide to be honest.

Dimitri is pleading, begging. Finally, I can’t hold it in and I start laughing.

“I forgive you,” I mumble, smiling.

It’s so funny to see him so flustered; I want to tease him more. His eyes are wide with disbelief. I’ve already forgiven him, but I say it again because his words earlier made me happy.

Dimitri’s eyes widen again, but he composes himself. I giggle and smile at him. Suddenly, Dimitri lunges forward and kisses me.

His happiness is infectious, but it leaves me speechless. His lips feel so good that I lean in and kiss him back. The sensation of wanting more makes me impulsive.

My mind is blank; all I can see is Dimitri. I crave his touch, his kisses.

Dimitri still looks troubled, skeptical about what’s happening, and I understand. He asks for permission to kiss me and I feel a fluttering inside.

He seems like a different person. His behavior is surprising.

I let him know I agree, and Dimitri kisses me. His lips sync so perfectly with mine that they feel like one.

His kisses are not only passionate, but needy. It makes my vision blur, and my body calls out for him.

Somehow, he ends up on top of me. His warm body makes me shiver. He’s so assertive that I want more.

There’s no fear, only desire, and it makes me wonder what I’m feeling. But I push those thoughts aside as I focus on his lips.

His trail of kisses drives me wild, and his hard cock is making me wet. I want more. My body craves more, and I would give it to him, but he suddenly stops.

Breathless, I wait for him to explain what happened. He looks angry again. Without a word, I wait.

After he gives me a quick kiss and a hurried apology, he rushes off, leaving me hot and wanting more.

My face is flushed and I’m sweating as I make my way back to my room. The sun is setting and my stomach is growling.

“Valkyrie?” Mia’s voice echoes as she rounds the corner. I stop and turn to face her.

“You okay? Your face is all red. Are you feeling sick?” Mia fires off questions at me.

“No!” I blurt out, turning away from her probing gaze. “I’m just tired and hungry.”

My excuses sound weak, even to my own ears, and I know Mia can see right through me.

“Okay, I’ll get some food,” Mia says, flagging down a passing servant. I quickly step inside my room, needing to cool down.

I step out onto the balcony for some fresh air and hear Mia ask if I’m going to take a bath.

“No, I bathed earlier,” I call back.

Leaning against the stone railing, I take in the horizon. The sun is setting, painting the sky in breathtaking hues of orange, red, and pink. I’m grateful for the view from my room.

As I look down at the trees, I spot some dragons flying nearby. I squint, trying to make out who they are. One of them looks familiar.

It’s Leo’s brown dragon form, soaring over the forest. They seem to be searching for something, but what?

“Food’s here, Valkyrie,” Mia calls, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Coming,” I mumble.

***

After eating, I ask Mia to leave. I’m tired and need some rest. It’s still early, but I don’t care. The day’s events have left me mentally and physically drained.

According to Michael, I’m still healing, even though Prince Cian helped me. I close my eyes, thinking back to Prince Cian’s offer.

He said he could delve into my mind and see if I have any blocked memories. The idea intrigued me. Did I have hidden memories?

Prince Cian also said he could help me understand my powers. That’s something I need to know, but I’m worried about what it could do to him.

I showed him my powers and he seemed as intrigued as Michael. But if I want to go through with this, I’ll have to talk to Dimitri, and I know that won’t be easy.

Dimitri will likely object, but it’s my decision. I decide it’s best to talk to him tomorrow and start to drift off to sleep.

Just as I’m about to fall asleep, a loud growl jolts me awake. What was that?

I hear it again and bolt outside. I lean over the railing, trying to see where it’s coming from. Dimitri’s black dragon form is growling at something in the forest.

He’s not alone. Damian’s dragon form is there too.

I rush out of my room and down the stairs, careful not to trip. But as I round a corner, someone yanks my hair, causing me to yelp and fall backward, bruising my arm.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Lilly hisses.

I whip my head around to face her.

“What’s your problem?” I snap back. She looks taken aback by my outburst. I ignore her, standing up and straightening my dress.

“I asked you a question,” Lilly growls.

“And I’m telling you to back off,” I retort, pushing past her. I don’t have time for this.

Lilly yanks my hair again, causing me to scream in pain. She’s practically dragging me. I twist around and grab her arm, digging my nails in. She hisses and I take the opportunity to punch her in the stomach.

I don’t know if it was the right thing to do, but I need her to let go. Lilly gasps for air. I don’t stop there, I kick her in the face.

“When I tell you to back off, you back off!” I yell at her. “Consider this a warning. Are we clear?”

Lilly is doubled over, glaring at me.

“You little bitch!” Lilly spits out, gritting her teeth.

“You little what?” I challenge. “Say it again, I dare you!”

I’m acting differently, but maybe I’m just tired of her. Right now, I don’t care what I’ve done.

“You think this makes you a queen?” Lilly scoffs. “What a joke. You’re just a fucking whore who’s good for a fuck.”

That’s the last straw. I slap her. Lilly’s mouth drops open in shock.

“I’m no fucking whore,” I snap back, “and you will not disrespect me again! That’s a fucking order.”

I scoff and leave Lilly on the ground. I’m so angry that a single slap doesn’t feel like enough.

I reach the bottom of the stairs and take a deep breath before running towards the cave entrance.

I don’t know what’s happening, but I have a bad feeling.