Chapter 2

The moment Elianna stepped back into the carriage, the air changed.

She didn’t notice it at first. Her cat leapt gracefully onto the velvet cushion beside her, curling into a protective ball. Her maid sat quietly across from her, eyes lowered, hands folded neatly on her lap.

But then the whispers started.

Low. Sharp. Hushed… but impossible to ignore.

“Do you smell that?”

“Is it…? It can’t be.”

“A human? Here?”

The voices multiplied as the carriage rolled slowly through the streets of Qombinia. Elianna felt the sound more than she heard it—like a thousand threads of tension pulling tight against her skin.

Her heart gave a nervous thud. The word kept coming up again and again:

Human.

She shifted slightly, her fingers tightening around the edge of her veil. The carriage’s window was cracked open just enough to let in the air—and the voices.

“I haven’t seen one in decades,” someone murmured outside. “Thought they were gone.”

“Or banished,” said another. “What is the Dragon King thinking?”

“She reeks of mortality…”

A cold shiver ran down Elianna’s spine.

Curiosity gnawed at her, despite the dread gathering in her chest. Slowly, carefully, she leaned toward the window, lifting just the edge of the curtain. Through her veil, she could make out the blurred shapes of people—no, not people.

Beings.

Their eyes glowed faintly. Their clothes shimmered with arcane patterns. Some bore strange marks across their faces or necks. One woman had antlers. Another had silver skin. Their gazes all turned toward her carriage like moths drawn to a strange, unwanted flame.

And the expressions…

Not one smile.

Only suspicion, Contempt,anger

She felt her stomach twist.

Her presence wasn’t just unusual—it was offensive. Unwelcome. Dangerous.

She released the curtain and leaned back, heart pounding in her ears. She didn’t need to see more. She already knew.

She wasn’t going to like this place.

Not one bit.

And Qombinia, it seemed… wasn’t going to like her either.

************

The carriage finally rolled to a halt before the grand entrance of the palace. Towering gates loomed ahead, made of obsidian and etched with glowing runes, humming with restrained power. Beyond them stretched a sprawling structure of iridescent stone, glimmering under the sky like a dream. Elianna’s breath caught. She’d never seen anything like it.

Kaelith dismounted first, motioning for her to follow. "Come," he said curtly.

She stepped down with grace, her pet fox at her heels and her maid trailing behind, arms full of luggage. As the palace guards opened the gate, a surge of murmuring reached her ears. Dozens of palace servants and staff lined the walkway, eyes narrowing, noses twitching.

"Is that... a human?"

"She smells mortal."

"There hasn’t been a human here in decades."

"What is the king thinking?"

Elianna’s heartbeat quickened. Her veil offered little protection from the intensity of the stares. She turned slightly, peeking through the sheer fabric, and saw faces twisted in curiosity, disdain, and even amusement. A lump formed in her throat.

She wasn’t going to like this.

Kaelith didn’t wait. He led them around the side of the main palace, to a private garden cloaked in silver moon blossoms. A marble path twisted through lush greenery, dotted with lanterns that flickered blue and gold. The air smelled of spice and starlight.

She couldn’t help but gawk. The garden seemed pulled from a fairy tale. Floating orbs drifted lazily, illuminating stone fountains carved in the shape of dragons and phoenixes. Birds of crystal plumage flitted between trees. Magic thrummed in every leaf, every stone.

"This is the concubine wing," Kaelith said. "All of them reside here."

As they approached the great double doors, they opened with a creak. Inside, over fifty women lounged across opulent furniture. Their eyes turned immediately to Elianna. Witches with glowing eyes, vampires with marble skin, elves with long silver hair, fae dressed in living flowers, werewolves with sharp gazes, even a few female dragons in humanoid forms.

Not a single human among them.

The room fell silent.

Then came the sneers. The whispers.

"She’s the new one?"

"Human? How boring."

"She won’t last a week."

"The king must be experimenting."

Elianna felt her body stiffen. Her cat pressed closer to her legs.

And then one woman stood up.

She was beautiful in a sharp, cruel way. Her red hair glowed like fire, and her black gown shimmered with magic. Her presence silenced the others instantly.

"Welcome," she said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I’m Cassandra. I hope you last long enough to unpack."

Kaelith didn’t pause. "This way."

Elianna followed him through the hall of watching eyes, their glares hot on her back. He led her past ornate doors and silk-draped corridors, finally stopping at the farthest room.

"You’ll stay here," he said. "Keep to yourself. They don’t like outsiders."

She nodded slowly.

"And keep the veil on," he added. "Until it’s time."

Then he left.

The room was grand but cold. A bed draped in violet gauze, a balcony overlooking a silent pond, shelves of untouched books. Elianna sat on the edge of the bed, her maid beginning to unpack. Her cat curled up near the fireplace.

She exhaled. Her hands trembled.

Meanwhile…

In the upper tower of the palace, far from the concubine wing, Kaelith entered a sealed chamber, placing a hand to a rune-marked door. It opened with a deep groan.

*********

Inside, the room was shrouded in heat and shadow. Flames danced across the ceiling, responding to breath.

A man sat on a stone throne at the center, his massive form slouched, bare-chested, dark scales trailing his arms and chest. His black horns curled from his temples. His claws clicked against the stone armrest.

King Drakonios.

His glowing gold eyes opened slowly.

"She has arrived," Kaelith said.

The king's voice was a low growl. "And?"

"She wears the veil. She did not speak. The others are stirred."

Drakonios leaned forward. "The human."

"Yes."

He inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring. His eyes burned brighter. "I can already smell her... even from here."

Kaelith hesitated. "You’ve been in this form for three days. Shall I prepare the chamber to receive her?"

Drakonios stood, his full height immense. Smoke curled from his lips.

"Not yet," he said. "Let her stay there tonight. Let them watch her. Let her see what kind of world she has stepped into."

Kaelith bowed. "As you wish."

The king turned, walking deeper into the flame-lit chamber. The door closed behind Kaelith.

Back in her room…

---

Elianna laid back on the bed, eyes heavy as the weight of the day sank deep into her bones. The room smelled faintly of lavender and old stone, the silken sheets soft against her skin. Her maid, silent as ever, whispered a soft “Goodnight, my lady,” and slipped away like a shadow.

Now alone, the darkness settled in fully.

She turned to face the ceiling, her hands resting over her stomach, chest rising and falling slowly. Her thoughts were tangled like threads in a broken loom.

Why am I here? she wondered bitterly. Why would a king who already has fifty concubines—witches, vampires, fae, even dragons—need a human?

The very word human seemed like a curse in this place. She could still remember their faces—the other women’s stares, the twisted lips, the disgust, the surprise. It had wrapped around her like smoke.

What could a creature like him want from someone like me?

The King. Just thinking about him made her chest tighten. She hadn’t seen him, not yet—but his presence loomed like a god above them all. She imagined a monster with golden wings, clawed hands, and burning eyes. A being carved from fire and fury.

Elianna shut her eyes tightly.

Dear God, she whispered silently, please let him never lay eyes on me. Please let him never come near me. Let me stay hidden. Let me disappear in this corner of the palace and be forgotten…

But just as she thought it, a deep, guttural roar cracked through the night like thunder splitting the sky.

Her heart leapt.

The bed beneath her creaked, trembling slightly.

Her eyes flew open.

Another roar echoed, closer this time—low, savage, like something ancient awakening from the abyss.

She bolted upright.

Then silence.

Except for the soft hiss of wind and the distant click of claws on marble.

She was very scared. 

King Drakonios pov;

The heavy iron door clanged shut behind him, sealing the vast chamber in near-darkness. Drakonios sat on the cold stone floor, his massive frame curled inward like a wounded beast. His breath came in slow, measured puffs, but beneath that rhythm lay the restless storm of a mind too fierce to calm. Golden eyes, sharp as molten fire, glimmered faintly in the gloom — primal, ancient, yet weary beyond measure.

His muscles twitched with barely restrained power, each heartbeat pounding like thunder through his chest. The weight of centuries pressed down, memories of betrayals and losses that time could never heal. Here, locked away from his kingdom, he surrendered to the beast within. A raw, unyielding force that demanded solitude, silence, and shadow.

The world outside might see him as a king—immortal, invincible—but in moments like this, Drakonios was little more than a wounded predator. His claws scraped the stone as frustration surged. The burden of ruling, the endless games of politics, the loneliness of eternal life—it all threatened to consume him. For three days, he would remain here, shunning all contact, until the storm inside finally spent itself.

Then a memory surfaced—Kaelith’s words from earlier: the girl, the human, her face  in a veil, mysterious and “interesting.” The idea of a human in his palace stirred something dark and sharp inside him. A sneer curled his lips. He despised humans—their fragility, their insolence to think they could walk among immortals.

His gaze hardened. The curiosity to watch the girl unravel was growing. To ruin her.

“Let her come,” he whispered, voice low and fierce. “Let the games begin.”

With a swift gesture, Drakonios extended a hand toward the heavy stone pedestal where a faint, swirling mist hovered. From the shadows emerged a slender figure cloaked in midnight blue—a royal messenger, silent and obedient.

“Take this message,” the king commanded, voice low and commanding, “Tell her… I want to see her.”

The messenger bowed deeply, vanishing as swiftly as she had come, carrying the king’s summons into the labyrinthine halls of the palace.

******

The shadows in the chamber stretched long across the floor, the dying fire casting flickers of gold and crimson against the silk-draped walls. Elianna lay still on the soft bed, heart pounding beneath her ribs like a frightened bird in a cage. She tried to be calm, to breathe evenly, but her thoughts spun wild, darting from one worry to the next.

Who roared? What was that sound?

Is this how I’ll be sleeping every night…?

 Her skin tingled, her breath quickened, as though something ancient inside her had recognized that sound and responded. Her cheeks flushed hot. What in the gods’ names was happening to her?”

She shifted, her fingers gently brushing the veil that concealed her face. Only her eyes were visible—dark, wide, and glistening with unshed tears. She hadn't removed the veil since her arrival. It was her shield, the only barrier between her and this strange, dangerous world. A palace full of witches, vampires, elves, and beings she couldn’t even name. Creatures born of power and legend. And she? Just a human girl—plain, uncertain, unwanted.

She longed for her brother. Her mother’s voice. Her father’s strength. The quiet of home.

I miss them… so much.

Surely, among the countless other concubines, the king would overlook her. Surely, he wouldn’t even notice her presence. That had been her hope—her silent prayer whispered into the silk pillows only moments ago.

But then—

Knock.

A sharp rap against the wooden door shattered the quiet.

Elianna sat up, breath catching in her throat. Her fingers trembled as she pulled the curtains slightly aside.

A soft voice called from the other side. “Princess Elianna.”

The Royal guard's head peeked around the doorway, her expression careful, almost apologetic. “The king… he requests your presence.”

Everything inside Elianna stilled.

The air grew heavier. Her stomach twisted into a knot.

Why is he asking for me?

What does he want?

Another knock, gentler this time, but it echoed through her bones. The room suddenly felt colder. Or maybe it was just her fear catching up.