Chapter XVI: Memories
As the king and Isabella twirled gracefully across the ballroom floor, he leaned in close, his voice barely above a whisper as he spoke. "Does this moment feel familiar to you, princess?" he asked, his gaze intense as it bore into hers.
Isabella's brow furrowed in confusion at his words. "What do you mean? Familiar?" she replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
The king's lips curled into a wistful smile as he continued to lead her in the dance. "Eight years ago, during Alduramend at the court of Allendor," he explained, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia. "I danced with you, just as I am dancing with you now. You were only ten. You already had this defiant stance, the same emerald eyes, the same fiery hair…" He said, his eyes capturing her features as he spoke. He then laid his eyes on her breasts. “But I think I prefer how you look now.”
Isabella's eyes widened in realization as the memories flooded back, her mind transported to that long-ago festival where she had danced without a care in the world. Back then, he had been King Alaric, a name synonymous with nobility and power, not yet tarnished by the bloodshed and conquest that would follow. She danced with many noblemen at that festival, but she was too young for courtship, so she didn’t care, she was just having fun. She never stopped to think that the Dragon King himself was among those men that night. But she remembered. His charming and captivating icy blue eyes.
But now, as she looked into his eyes, she saw not the charming monarch of her memories, but the Dragon King, a man whose very presence cast a shadow of fear and terror over the realm. And yet, there they were, dancing together once again, caught in the tangled web of fate and destiny.
The realization weighed heavily on Isabella's heart, the juxtaposition of past and present threatening to overwhelm her. How could she reconcile the joyous memories of their previous encounter with the harsh reality of their current situation? And yet, as they moved together in perfect harmony, she couldn't deny the pull she felt towards him, even in the face of everything that had happened between them.
The king's voice broke the silence, drawing her attention back to the present. "Have you ever seen dragons, Isabella?" he inquired, his tone softer now, tinged with a hint of curiosity.
Isabella's jaw tightened as she recalled the horrors of the invasion, the flames consuming her home, the screams of her people. "Yes," she replied tersely, her gaze unwavering. "I saw them when your troops razed Allendor to the ground."
There was a flicker of something in the king's eyes—regret, perhaps, or even remorse—but it was gone in an instant, replaced by a steely resolve. "And have you ever seen one up close?" he pressed, his voice low and measured.
Isabella shook her head, her voice barely more than a whisper. "No," she admitted, "only from afar, your Majesty."
With a silent nod, the king beckoned her forward, and Isabella followed, her steps hesitant yet determined. In the courtyard, Isabella could not believe her eyes when she saw the two giant winged creatures chained to the ground.
At the king's urging, Isabella approached the dragons tentatively, her heart pounding in her chest with each step. The creatures regarded her with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, their massive forms casting long shadows across the floor. As she drew nearer, the enormity of the dragons overwhelmed her, their presence looming large in her mind like ancient titans of myth. Instinctively, she sought solace in the king's proximity, her hand reaching out to grasp his arm for support as she stood behind him.
Isabella didn’t know why, but she felt an urge to touch the dragon, as if to make sure the creature was real. As her hand hovered before the dragon, a hush fell over the gathered crowd, their murmurs giving way to a tense anticipation. Even the king watched with bated breath, his gaze fixed on the unlikely scene unfolding before him.
With trembling fingers, Isabella reached out, her hand inching closer to the dragon's massive snout. The creature regarded her with a solemn intensity, its eyes reflecting the moonlight like pools of liquid silver. For a fleeting moment, fear threatened to overwhelm her, but she forced herself to stand her ground, to meet the dragon's gaze with unwavering determination.
As her fingertips made contact with the dragon's scaled skin, a surge of electricity seemed to pass between them, a palpable connection that transcended the boundaries of fear and uncertainty. Isabella felt a strange sense of calm wash over her, as if she had found a kindred spirit in this magnificent beast.
The king's brow furrowed in astonishment as he watched the scene unfold before him. Thanatos, his most fearsome and fiercely loyal companion, was known for his disdain for strangers. Yet here he stood, allowing the allendorian princess to approach him with an ease that defied all logic.
Isabella couldn't explain the bond that had formed between her and the dragon, nor did she dare to question it.
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