Patsy, Meryl’s lady in waiting, sneaked away from the dining hall and rushed to find her lady. She opened the door of her room, and immediately took out a small bottle of medicine that she had hidden in her skirt. She lifted Meryl’s head in her lap and made her drink the potion. “Why do you keep doing this, Lady Meryl?” she murmured in annoyance. When Meryl stirred a little, she helped her to lie on the bed. “You poor girl…” Patsy muttered as removed her clothes and applied a cold towel on her body to bring the fever down. She wanted to open the window of the room, but with incessant rains and thunder grumbling, she didn’t take the chances.
Meryl woke up with a jolt when a thunder sounded right outside her window. Images of the last night flashed across her mind and her gaze swiveled down to her body. She found herself tucked in the furs. The room was dark. Not completely, but there was no sunlight on the outside. The fireplace lent its weak light to the room, which cast shadows everywhere. Recalling the pain that had assailed her after eating the soup, she moved her eyes to look for a pitcher. A goblet was on the bedside table. She grabbed it and drank the water greedily. She settled back on the pillow and looked at her arms turning them up and down. Her skin was still blotchy, but less painful.
Whenever Meryl woke up with remnants of so many hives and blotches on her skin, she would rarely recall how they came on her body. She had refused to eat the soup yesterday, so how did she end up with this allergy? She tried to remember, but the memories were hazy. They were always hazy... always blank... It was frustrating not to remember exactly how she ended up eating. Why was it that she didn’t recall gaps of time? She knew that Judith never actually fed her the soup by force. She just demanded it and Meryl refused. Then how? She remembered when this happened for the first time.
She was cold and shivering from being soaked with rains falling on her. Little Meryl had found herself in her bathtub, feeling the pain and fever. Her maid, Patsy, had come running to her to soak her in the water. Eight-year-old Meryl had no idea how this happened. However, as she grew up, she just related it to her stepmother’s angry outbursts.
She took a deep breath and her eyes went to the portrait on the wall in front of her. A wave of fury mixed with heartache and gloom passed through her, looking at her father.
Why did her father, Duke of Windley, bestow the estate to Lady Judith instead of giving it to her? Her father, Duke Charles Hanover, was a kind man. After the death of his wife, he didn’t wish to marry. But three years later when his ship sailed for trade to the east, he returned with Judith and a small baby in her hands. He introduced Judith as her new mother and Viola as her new sister.
When Meryl was seven, her father died, leaving his estate to Judith.
Meryl often lay awake, as she did now, staring into the darkness, as a knot formed in her stomach, wondering if she had ever disappointed her father in some way, especially when he was on his sick bed for the last two months of his life. Had she not come as a caring and fit heir to him?
Her chest burned with anguish when her thoughts went to her people who were starving. Judith had imposed crazy taxes upon them. With so much rain and thundershowers throughout the year, their crops were low and so was the business. She placed her arm over her forehead as she let out a deep exhale, wondering if there was a way to help her people. Her mother was only making all the money disappear, and now… now slowly she was removing the precious items of the house. Their castle was bare, with only a few good pieces of furniture, brass artifacts, old paintings and old rugs.
Meryl was in need of funds… badly. For her people. For her dying estate. She had once overheard her stepmother talking to Viola that she would sell it to someone with money and she better find a rich husband for herself, fast. Meryl knew that once Judith sold the estate, she would leave her alone here to suffer with her people, who were already on the brink of starvation. She had to do something… and very fast.
She had asked for money from some of the neighboring estates, but everyone refused because they all wanted something against the loan they provided. She didn’t have anything to offer as collateral.
Her thoughts went to the conversation she had had with her close friend, Valerie.
“Look Meryl, no one is going to help you like that and give you money with no collateral,” said Valerie and sipped her tea. They were sitting in the parlor of her father’s mansion. Valerie’s father was one of the richest businessmen in the county. He was Duke Hanover’s good friend. Their estate, Pembrook, bordered Windley and was the last human settlement. Surrounded by a dense forest, it was said that the Lore began from here. The forest was a home to many differential planes that led to the various realms.
Meryl sat on the opposite sofa, with her head hung low, looking at the brown lines of pale cream linen gown she wore. She had draped herself with a thick shawl, but realized that Pembrook was too hot. Unfortunately, she couldn’t take her shawl, else it would reveal her threadbare gown. It was better to sweat than show holes in her gown to Valerie.
Seeing her discomfiture, Valerie continued, “But I pulled some strings and came to know that there is someone, who can help you.”
Meryl’s eyes shot to Valerie with a gleam. “Who?”
“Duke of Napane, Alburn.”
“What is it?” Brishor said, his face drained of color. He looked at Chezzal who was looking as ghastly as the past several hours. He had to give it to Chezzal that he had more strength than him in such situations. “Oh! Another head is forming!” The healer informed her. “Push, Meryl!” Meryl pushed again with whatever energy she was left with. “We got another boy!” The healer announced. Cendyt rushed back and was now going crazy! “I got two grandsons!” she cried out of pleasure. Brishor came to stand right beside Meryl on her right. “My queen,” he whispered as he held her hand and squeezed it softly. “You’ve made us so proud.” A teardrop fell on Meryl’s hand.
Meryl had had a long chat with Cendyt about heats. Cendyt had told her the implications of it. She had said that it had been hundreds of years since Galdere has seen the face of a royal child. The reason why she was interested in marrying and putting up with Tere’s bullshit was that she wanted a baby, an heir for Galdere. Tere was ready to marry Angus, but Brishor wanted to find his third mate. In case Brishor never married or never found his mate, Angus’s child would have been the heir to the throne.Cendyt had made it amply clear to Meryl that she wanted grandchildren and wanted them fast. She also said that female dragons came in heat once a year, but she didn’t know what was the case with her, because she was turned. Meryl thought it was better to watch and wait. Maybe, she was going to exhibit the same traits as any other dragon female.
Chezzal thought that he had got inside her too fast. What about her pleasure? He thrust inside her lazily and kissed her lips. He nibbled at her bottom lip and whispered, “I want to go down and lick you.”His dirty words aroused her as hell. She bucked her hips into his to show what she wanted. He chuckled. “You are wicked.”He pulled out and started kissing her. He left a trail of kissed all the way from her lips to the hollow of her neck, her breasts, belly and then to her sex. Once there, he licked off her juices with his tongue until she started groaning needily.“Ah! I can't take it anymore,” she hissed. Brishor turned his face over her chest and began suckling them lazily.Chezzal lifted his head up to see
Brishor set Meryl on her feet. There was so much brightness around her that it blinded her for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself surrounded by huge mountains and snow all around interrupted by tall firs and pines. The snow was fresh and glistening on the mountain slopes as the sun shone brilliantly over them.“Where are we?” she asked, when Brishor took her hand and tugged her to a log cabin that stood on a ledge of a slope, surrounded by a thicket of pines, just a few meters away. The cabin looked… dark and lonely. It was as if there was no one around it. With snow crunching under their boots, and her sandals, they stepped ahead. But seeing that her sandals had become immediately wet, Brishor picked her up. Cold wind blew and fluttered her veil. She wondered how cold this place would be at night. Chezzal came from behind and lifted her veil.
Meryl climbed the dais, her gaze locked with his through the veil. Brishor couldn’t wait to touch her, so he took her hand and helped her climb the steps of the dais. When she came to stand beside him, Brishor couldn’t help thinking that he was the luckiest man in the Lore. His gaze was fixed on her as her maids helped her with the train of her dress. When she was settled, Brishor took her hand to his lips and kissed it as he stared through her veil into her eyes. He just couldn’t help it. “You look beautiful,” he breathed. Meryl’s face heated up and her heartbeat accelerated. Brishor would have continued to look at his mate had the priest not coughed up. “Your Highness, should we start with the ceremony?” Meryl chuckled and Brishor had to leave her hand. They turned to look at the audience and the priest began to chant ancient liturgy. As soon as
Brishor was nervous like a boy who was going to get his first kiss from his girlfriend, or from any girl for that matter. His mother had taken Meryl from their room saying that she needed to be dressed properly because the girl was about to become the queen of Galdere. That’s why Brishor was left alone with Chezzal and Ludwig.Ludwig was making a huge commotion. He blamed Brishor for delaying and because of him, he wasn’t able to meet Penny. It had been close to two hours and the men in the room had become edgy. The servants were supposed to be happy because their king was getting married, instead they were scared when the three mighty men may burst with anger.“You are looking gorgeous!” Ludwig grated. “I am sure you look better than Meryl even. Now will you just walk out of here and get married?”