The Dragon's unexpected mate

The Dragon's unexpected mate

last updateLast Updated : 2022-11-26
By:  StephCompleted
Language: English
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When Astrid is kidnapped and shipped off as a gift for a king’s coronation, she becomes resentful of her life and resigns herself to death at his hands. Spared by her new captor, she must find a way to navigate the turmoil of harem life. Pitted against the other girls of the harem, and the king's favorite, she must survive attempts on her life, societal upheaval, and, most dangerous of all, a budding romance. Is she just making the good of a bad situation? Or is love truly blooming with her tyrannical owner? "Do you know who you're talking to?" He asks both angry and amused, with a dangerous flame in his golden eyes. "Loras." "Loras is a king, Astrid. A king doesn't give explanations in front of anyone. And if you don't learn that, this palace will kill you." He doesn't sound like he's scolding her, nor does he sound arrogant. He tells it as it is. And Astrid was aware of that. But still, it's not something that her heart could just accept. She didn't realize she was crying until his hand dries her tears. And before realizing it, he pulls her closer. "N..." She tries to oppose it, but it's too late. His lips are pressed on hers and all breath leaves her chest. His lips are soft and full, embracing her mouth entirely. "Open your mouth!" He whispers an order and she can only obey. Her knees are melting so she grabs his neck. He puts his arms around her and lifts her up, pressing her body into the wall, trapping her. And then, suddenly, just when she was starting to get used to the maddening sensation of his touch, he steps back. "Don't you want to finish the conversation about Lysa?" He asks.

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Chapter 1

Slave meets king

The man looks bored. A beauty is trying to whisper something into his ear, but no words could reach him. Because the king is empty on the inside. He has nothing to wish for. Because there is nothing he doesn't have already.

Until his eyes fall on one of the slave girls that were brought to him as a coronation gift. They all look small and pathetic; terrified.

Except for this one. Her eyes don't fall to the ground when he notices her. She does not tremble or turn.

She stares at him. Her eyes holding a fire that burns him inside. Excitement. It's been too long since he felt that.

#One day earlier#

The old ship tilts as the sea attempts to drown the sinners that took refuge on it. Astrid smiles at the thought.

"God, if you hear us. Sink this ship and let the screams of those animals be the last thing I hear!" The beautiful woman prays out loud looking straight at the captain.

One of his loyal monkeys takes a step toward her.

"Let her be. If God would listen to her she wouldn't be here." The captain stops his man with a bored tone in his voice.

Astrid bites her tongue. It is true. If God would be out there, she would be home with her family. Laughing with her brothers as her mother makes dinner while singing their old song. Her father would read his book near the big window and smile from time to time looking at them. Now they are all dead. Only unlucky Astrid is alive.

A solitary tear falls on the wet floor. It gets lost through the many other before it. A lot of women cried here. A slave ship has this curse.

"Astrid... They will kill you if you talk like that!" Lanna whispers, pinching her arm.

"I can only hope they do." Astrid answers with venom in her voice. How can Lanna be quiet now? They both lost their parents in the same way. Murdered by those animals. Now they have to bow to them?

A thunder pulls her out of her dark thoughts. She is terrified by them.

"We are almost there. And just in time. They started the celebration." The captain says looking out of the window.

The girls huddle together to see the outside.

Astrid turns her head in the opposite direction. She wants nothing to do with whatever they're seeing. But the excited screams and whispers make her curious. She takes a peak.

The sky is covered in shining flowers. They appear and disappear with a rumble of loud thunder.

Dragons fly in between them. Dancing in between the colorful flames.

Their beauty is undeniable. But so is the fear they bring. They are creatures of destruction.... and no beauty can hide that.

The dance is over when they arrive in port. It is quite late. The celebrations will continue tomorrow.

They are chained and guided towards a small building close by.

Astrid doesn't fight it. What's the point? They are here. In their land.

A few older women take the girls in to make them presentable. They even act king when they untie their hands. But there is no kindness in their job.

"Look at the state of them! Why don't those savages understand that they need to bring them in good condition?" One of them whispers to another.

"Hush and do your job! It doesn't matter anyway. The king already has enough beautiful women. And with better blood. These will be just servants."

This is Astrid's only hope. To never have to meet the cruel king. Or if she meets him... to have a knife to slit his throat.

They are stripped of anything they came with. They are washed thoroughly. No piece of dirt on their bodies. No trace of home. They are left an entire hour to soak in warm rose water before being covered in fragrant lotions. Their hair is combed in complicated braids and their faces are painted black and red. The colors of the dragons. The colors of death and fire.

"Dress them quickly!" Someone screams as the first ray of sunshine comes through the windows. "He has arrived!"

"But we don't need to present them until noon!" The oldest woman says, looking at the girls and then at the man that just came in. He is dressed in golden clothes and wears a tall hat. the woman bows deeply.

"The king already rejected the first three sets. It took him seconds." The man says not looking too surprised.

"All the beauties from east, west and south?" The woman asks with her voice barely hiding her fear. "But they were... The north is the last..."

"Doesn't matter! The king does as he pleases. And by the look of it. Those will become sacrifices for the dragons too..." He answers looking at the trembling girls in front of him.

"We will die? I thought we are going to become servants?" One of the girls asks and the man answers with a knowing smirk.

"Get them ready. We leave in ten minutes!" He orders as he gets out.

The next few minutes are a mess. the women are screaming at the girls, the girls are crying. No one wants to get dressed to go to their deaths.

Except for Astrid. For the first time in days, she's excited. She will soon join her family.

After being forcefully dressed, they are pushed into carriages. Some cry, some pray, some simply wait in silence. Such a difference in between the slave girls and the people already celebrating their new king in the streets. I guess is fair... They have no reason to fear or hate him. They are just happy they have a reason to drink.

"Astrid..." Lanna calls her while taking her hand. "I am scared."

"Death will free us, Lanna." Astrid answers, comforting her only friend.

"But death will not come quickly. It will come by fire and pain."

The two girls just stare at each other. They can do nothing. Just wait.

Once arrived at the palace, they are given no time to admire the golden halls that will become their coffin. The opulence, the luxury. Breathtaking, but cold as the souls that own it.

They are all rushed in the throne room, right in the middle. They are sorted, the tall ones in the back, the more beautiful ones in the middle. They are ordered to kneel down with their heads on the ground and wait for the king to come.

And in that uncomfortable position, they sit for an hour.

Some servants whisper. The king got bored and left with his favorite woman. The mother of his heir. The most beautiful woman in the empire. But still... just another slave at his mercy.

Astrid sighs. Her father was a priest of the old ways. He thought her that life, whether we want it or not is a gift from God. There is no forgiveness for the ones that end it themselves. She thought at the time that that's beautiful. It has a meaning. Now... She hates it. The idea of betraying her father's faith is the only thing that kept her from taking her own miserable life.

"His Majesty, King Loras!" A guard announces and a deadly silence falls over the room.

Astrid sneaks a peek at the man that takes his seat on the throne. He is tall, with broad shoulders and a strong body. The only way a warrior king can be. But all of that can be expected. What Astrid didn’t expect is his face. Not beautiful in a common way. The lines are not soft, the eyes are not clear. His long hair falls in a wild cascade under the heave crown that rests on his forehead. He looks like... and old god.

Astrid scolds herself. How can she admire such a man? The man that is at fault for her family's death.

Her eyes burn with hate. She disregards all orders and keeps her head straight. She will die anyway, but she won't die with her head down.

But something unbelievable. The king rises his eyes. And looks straight at Astrid. The world stops as they both stare at one another.

The king gets up from his throne and slowly comes down the stairs. Astrid's heart is shaking at each of his steps, but she won't move her eyes.

She prays death will be fast.

But it isn't. Fate doesn't offer her this kindness.

Instead, the king grabs her chin and forces her to get up.

With a smirk on his face, he looks at her up and down. Astrid holds her breath, as everyone else around, it seems.

"You are mine now!" He says and with that seals her fate.

The entire court gasps as they all look at Astrid.

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Comments

user avatar
Dreamx
Started yesterday and so far it's really good. I wish you had more views. How is the update schedule dear author?
2022-09-08 22:57:40
2
user avatar
Akat
Good plot. Keep updating......
2022-09-03 20:46:12
2
101 Chapters
Slave meets king
The man looks bored. A beauty is trying to whisper something into his ear, but no words could reach him. Because the king is empty on the inside. He has nothing to wish for. Because there is nothing he doesn't have already.Until his eyes fall on one of the slave girls that were brought to him as a coronation gift. They all look small and pathetic; terrified.Except for this one. Her eyes don't fall to the ground when he notices her. She does not tremble or turn.She stares at him. Her eyes holding a fire that burns him inside. Excitement. It's been too long since he felt that.#One day earlier#The old ship tilts as the sea attempts to drown the sinners that took refuge on it. Astrid smiles at the thought."God, if you hear us. Sink this ship and let the screams of those animals be the last thing I hear!" The beautiful woman prays out loud looking straight at the captain.One of his loyal monkeys takes a step toward her."Let her be. If God would listen to her she wouldn't be here."
last updateLast Updated : 2022-08-05
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A slave in the princess' service
"Get in line! Come on, stop moving around!" The chaperone says clapping her hands. A few eunuchs shove the girls together. "You are not kids anymore. Your life from before is gone. You are now the property of King Loras. You are his concubines. His women. You have to act accordingly."Astrid feels nauseous. How on earth did this happen?On a balcony, above the shared bedroom of the new girls, the favorites are staring down, laughing, and pointing at the skinny slaves. No competition for them, only maids to help around. After all, they are legendary beauties from the southern tribes. Those girls are nothing but northern savages."Is that the one?" A caramel-skinned woman, dressed all in gold asks the chaperone from above."Your Grace! Is...this is the... girl." The chaperone answers with a trembling voice.The woman approaches Astrid slowly, her steps so light and inaudible that she seems to be floating. Once face to face, the two women look at each other."How dare you, girl? Bow your
last updateLast Updated : 2022-08-05
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A slave in the harem
Astrid wakes up in the morning. She enjoys how the soft silk brushes over her naked body for a moment.Naked body?She jumps out of bed, looking around. She doesn't recognize the room and as the memories of previous night come back, she is frozen in terror. What happened after she fell from the balcony? She is obviously alive... So she didn't dream about the dragon. But if she didn't dream about that how did she end up here? More than that. Why did she end up wearing nothing...She takes a deep breath and starts looking for her clothes, but they aren't anywhere in sight. She wants to open the cabinets, but she doesn't know whose room is this and she doesn't want to steal clothes.She sighs. She wraps the silk sheet over her chest and slowly opens the door. She takes a sneak peek outside, but it's just another empty room.She looks around here too, hoping she can find her dress.Focused on that, she doesn't notice when the door opens."Astrid?"Astrid jumps out of her skin."Tamara?"T
last updateLast Updated : 2022-08-05
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Slaves dancing for the king
"A dance party?" Lanna asks and Astrid signals her to shush."Tam... Lady Tamara said that the Governor of the Private Chambers asked The Lady Chaperone to choose some girls to dance for the king and his family. They will probably choose favorites, but we get to help around and join the feast!" Astrid says, excited. She was in the kitchen earlier preparing to bring breakfast for the princess and she managed to catch a glimpse of the delicious food the cooks were preparing."Governor of the Private Chambers?" Lanna asks, amused.Astrid laughs."I know. It sounds made up. I thought Tamara was joking, but they do have that position. It's important too, apparently.""These people are so pompous. It's insane."The girls laugh until The Lady Chaperone enters the big room where they all relax. She looks around and seems mad."Staying around all day. You understood nothing of what I told you!" She hits the ground with her cane and all the girls rush to form a line and bow their heads.They've
last updateLast Updated : 2022-08-05
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A slave's chance
Astrid can't seem to find her sleep tonight. The events from earlier still play through her mind over and over again.She sighs, opening her eyes. It's pointless to try and fall asleep now, the sun will be up in an hour or two anyway. She makes her way to the balcony, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders.The cold air cleans her mind, at least a little bit.Why was she so bothered anyway? She told herself that it’s because she was worried about something bad happening to Lanna, but she knows that's a lie. And Lanna was so happy. She even smiled at Astrid once the party was over and she was rushed to be prepared. She will become a favorite, doing nothing but making sure she looks pretty all day.And Astrid is happy for her friend. Astrid should be happy for her friend. But earlier, when the king locked eyes with her from across the room, she felt something.She shakes her head. Everyone telling her she was somehow special to the king must have gotten into her head. And she didn't
last updateLast Updated : 2022-08-05
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A slave's doubts
Astrid didn't expect a royal dinner to be this... casual. They laugh, they drink and they tell stories from their past. Tamara didn't exaggerate at all, they do seem very close to one another. And to her surprise, Astrid didn't feel like the third wheel to the cart, their comfort around each other extended to her and she was able to join their conversations in a way that felt natural. She told stories from her childhood, laughed, and joked like she was around her own family. The king listened to her, laughed and shared his stories too. As the night continued, they seemed so engaged in their own conversation that they didn't even notice Tamara going to the balcony. And it was not like Astrid imagined. He wasn't seductive, not in an aggressive way, he was charming and open. He made Astrid feel like...home. When about an hour passed and they realized Tamara was gone, the king went to check on her on the balcony and Astrid was left behind to take a look around the huge room. "Astrid,
last updateLast Updated : 2022-08-07
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A slave on the Golden Path
A knock on the door snaps Astrid back to reality. She feels her face wet and almost laughs. Such a weird feeling to not realize you're crying. "Lady Astrid?" A eunuch comes in, even though she didn't answer. But she got used to them. They are the shadows of the harem, coming and going as they please. "Does Lady Tamara need anything?" Astrid asks. She didn't tell Tamara what happened, she just lied and said she was not feeling well. It's not that she wanted to lie to her, it's just that Tamara would try and defend her actions and she doesn't want that now. She wants the blame and the shame to drown her. "No. The king sent me." The eunuch answers and hands her a golden handkerchief. "I am not feeling well." Astrid answers and tries to give it back. "My lady, the king may had taken an interest in you, but that doesn't make you better than us. We all obey his word in this harem. I was ordered to give you this. You are ordered to go tonight. Please don't make this harder for me. If yo
last updateLast Updated : 2022-08-09
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A sacred night for the slave
"Can't I just stay with Tamara?" Astrid asks in the morning as they eat breakfast. "You want to stay in my sister's service instead of living on the favorite's floor?" Loras asks while pushing a weird-looking pastry, covered with something red into Astrid's mouth. "No way. It looks disgusting!" She protests, but he doesn't move. "Try." She relunctly opens her mouth and her eyes lighten up. "Amazing!" She tries to say with her mouth full. He chuckles. He was born a prince and he grew up to be a king. Not even his sister was so care-free around him. The protocol was always followed and no one left their guard down. But this one... This little slave from the barbaric tribes of the north. She looks him straight in the eyes. Like no one did before. "And yes," She continues, not aware that he has been staring at her. "I like spending time with Tamara. It's not like she gives me a lot to do. Enough not to get bored. I hate sitting around all day." "Then you can go to the garden. Take w
last updateLast Updated : 2022-08-12
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A slave finds purpose
The heavy doors open and in the silence of the night, their sound feels like a lonely heartbeat. Astrid takes a few steps inside the room before they close behind her, sealing her fate."Your Majesty..." She says, kneeling down, but her tone is cold and distant, nothing of the nervousness of last night."Come closer, Astrid. Let me see how beautiful you are in the moonlight." He says and his honey-covered voice almost makes her lose her determination.She takes his hand and they walk on the balcony. The full moon is shining brightly over the sea."Why is the full moon night sacred?" She asks, not wanting to open the subject directly."Shh. Listen carefully."She does as he asks and hears the dragon. His growls are not scary tonight, they sound like a melody. A song filled with melancholy and sadness."He is the last of his kind. When the moon was full, dragons mated. Now, he can only sing, hoping a mate would come. It's a sacred night because a dragon child conceived in this night wil
last updateLast Updated : 2022-08-12
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An attempt on a slave's life
Now that she took this decision, Astrid has to talk with her friend. If they are to compete for the heart of the same man, she wants to do it openly, not behind Lanna's back. She owes her at least that much.She wants to go to Lanna's room directly, but her appearance is still a little messy since that... kiss. Her heart beats like a drum when she thinks about that. How lost she was in the moment. How amazing his touch felt. How soft and sweet his mouth was.She shakes her head. A bath will clear her mind and as it's still quite early in the morning, no other favorite is awake, so the bathhouse is empty.As she lets the water pour over her body, Astrid hears steps behind her. She doesn't bother to check as she thinks it's probably a maid, here to take an early bath before the work begins.She doesn't really have time to react when someone grabs her by the hair and smashes her head on the wall. The adrenaline hits and Astrid turns around and pushes the person off her."Who are you?" Sh
last updateLast Updated : 2022-08-16
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