Elara's eyes snapped wide open as she felt someone violently shaking her awake. Serena's face swam into focus above her., pale and frightened.
"Elara. Wake up. Now."
The urgency in her voice cut through Elara's fog of sleep forcing her to sit up quickly.
"What's wrong?" She whispered back, glancing around the dormitory. The other servants were still asleep, their breaths soft and steady in the darkness.
"Everything." Serena quickly grabbed her arm, hauling her out of bed and into the corridor.
She thrusted a piece of parchment at Elara with shaking hands.
"This arrived last night, from him."
Elara's stomach dropped as she recognized it. Black wax stamped with a dragon in flight, the Royal Seal. With hesitation, she opened it.
Each word written felt like a nail in the coffin.
Permanently assigned to my personal service.
Attend to me each morning at dawn.
Moved to the chamber adjacent to my own.
The parchment slipped from her fingers, fluttering to the ground.
"No," she whispered. "This can't be..."
"And it gets worse." Serena grimly added.
"Mistress Calloway is absolutely furious. She stormed right through the Kitchens last night like a possessed woman, ranting about how she was rudely woken by royal messengers and had to rearrange everything. If you're late for even a second today she'll skin you alive."
Elara's mind raced as panic clawed her chest. Moved to the chamber next to his? Dawn attendance? This wasn't just a punishment for running...it was a trap. He had made it absolutely impossible for her to escape now. To hide.
"How much time do I have left?"
Serena glanced towards the window where the barest hint of grey was beginning to lighten the sky. "Probably less than an hour, the sun rises early this time of the year, remember?"
Less than an hour left until she had to face the dragon who'd made it very clear he wanted to devour her whole.
"I can't do this, I can't go back there."
"Did he hurt you?" Serena's voice dropped, her face full of concern.
"No, he didn't, but he wants something from me, something I can't give him."
"Then you need to be careful. But you still have to go." Serena stared at her with sympathy. "A royal decree can't be ignored, unless you're planning to flee from the palace entirely. You know what happens to servants who defy direct orders, Elara.
Public humiliation. Execution. Being made an example of in the Town square. Or worse, given to the dragon as entertainment.
Elara's mind raced through impossible scenarios. Could she run, leave the palace to the countryside?
But she didn't have enough money, no family, no friends, nowhere to go. And even if she did manage to escape, he said it himself...he could find her anywhere.
She was completely and utterly trapped.
"Help me," she said, hating how her voice sounded so small. "Please, Serena. I can't do this alone."
"I can't, you know I can't. I'm a kitchen maid, Elara, just like you. If the king finds out I helped you escape, do you know what will become of me?
"Why don't you give it sometime, El." She used the nickname she usually called her. "Working under him can't be that bad, can it? If you ever want to escape I promise to help you out. But just give this a chance."
Elara looked conflicted. But she agreed because Serena was right. They were just kitchen maids and she didn't want to put her friend in a tough spot. "Okay, I will buy I'm not going to give in to him."
Serena's expression softened. "Come on, let's make you presentable."
*Thirty minutes later*
Elara stood outside those massive onyx doors once again, her heart hammering so loud she was certain the whole palace could hear her.
She was as presentable as Serena's frantic efforts could make her. Clean, sharply pressed uniform and silver hair braided into a crown, because Serena insisted it looked more regal on her.
The same guards from yesterday stood flanking the doors. They looked at her with something akin to pity.
"The king is expecting you." One quietly said as he opened the door without waiting for her to knock.
Elara forced her stubborn feet to move.
The chamber was dimly lit only by the dying embers in the fireplace and the dawn light filtering through the balcony doors.
Then she saw him.
He stood at the window with his back to her, completely still. He wore only leather pants that hung sinfully low on his narrow hips and his entire upper body bare.
He didn't turn around.
"You're late," he said softly.
Her throat went completely dry.
"I....the sun hasn't risen yet, Your Majesty. I was told dawn..."
"That was seven minutes ago." he turned, her breath caught.
His golden eyes were visible in the dark, pupils dilated into thin slits. His hair was loose, falling past his shoulders in dark waves. And his expression....
He looked like a predator who'd been waiting all night for his prey to wander into his reach.
"Lock the door." He commanded.
Her heart beat wildly in her chest at that sentence. "Your M..Majesty, I don't think..."
"Lock. The. Door," dragon compulsion threaded through his every word, making it impossible to resist.
Her hand moved of its own accord, sliding the heavy bolt into place.
She was alone with the King now, completely alone. No guards who might interrupt and no council meetings to save her this time.
Just her and the man who'd made it very clear what he wanted.
"Come here."
"B..but...." Elara's feet simply refused to move as she stood frozen with her back pressed to the door hoping she could somehow melt into it and vanish.
"Don't make me repeat myself, Elara."
"I...n..no.." she stuttered miserably.
"No?" Draeven's lips curved into a humorless smile.
"You defy me once again?"
Draeven moved toward her with that same unhurried grace, each step measured.
He stopped directly in front of her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his skin. She could smell.that intoxicating scent of smoke and musk that always clung to him.
"You ran from me yesterday," he said, his voice deceptively calm. "You defied my direct order to stay and now you're refusing to come when called," his head slightly tilted, golden eyes gazing at her like that of a predator.
"I'm s..sorry." her voice trembled.
"Do you know why you're here?" He asked quietly.
"To serve you, Your Majesty."
"Mmm. And do you know what happened after you ran yesterday?"
She shook her head.
"I spent three good hours in a council meeting, so fucking hard I could barely sit still, think about you in my arms." His fingers trailed along her jaw with gentleness.
"Thinking about the way you felt pressed against me, the way you gasped when you felt my cock and the way your nipples hardened the moment you touched me."
Her face was flooded with heat. "Your M..."
"And when I finally returned to my chambers," his thumb brushed across her bottom lip, "do you know what I did?"
"I touched myself," he leaned in so his lips were barely an inch from her ear, "thinking about you. About your hands on my skin, the little sounds you made when I had you in the water."
His brazen confession sent shock and something darker through her system. It created a dirty image in her head she immediately berated herself for even picturing.
