Marguerite first encountered dragon-folk when she was nine years old. She remembers looking up at the older dragon with awe. He was more human looking than dragon. He had long talons on the tips of his fingers, and dark emerald scales up his arms. But she was mostly fascinated by his eyes. They were the most prominent yellow with a hostile black slit in between.
"Wow," She whispered softly to herself, completely forgetting all the warnings her father had taught her. Dragon-folk were dangerous, they could eat her if they wanted to. But Marguerite felt a certain majestic aura from them.
"Go on girl, you got no place here," He whisper-yelled and shooed Marguerite away. The dragon knew she was just a child, he knew that she had yet to face the corruption of their world.
She waved as she ran off into the forest and giggled to herself. Her father would be so angry if he knew what she had done that day, so she never told anyone.
Marguerite hated the war, her father always tried to bring hatred into her life. He tried to explain that dragons were just merely foul creatures of the darkest places, but Marguerite didn't believe in such lies. She believed that dragon-folk were misunderstood and maybe some of them were bad, but don't all creatures of this land have some sort of dark side?
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Marguerite awoke slowly, her maid, Cassia, looking as if she was about to vomit.
"What's the matter, Cassi?" She had asked, patting the side of her bed. As soon as the words left her mouth, Cassia threw herself onto the floor, crying in Marguerite's lap.
"Your Highness! It's terrible! The Dragons and His Majesty agreed to stop the war!" She sobbed and Marguerite couldn't find anything bad in that statement.
"What's so bad about peace, Cassi?" She giggled and stroked her maid's hair. Cassia has been a dear friend and caretaker to her all her life.
"It's because… it's because His Majesty's terms are to marry you off to the Dragon King!" Cassia stuttered out and hugged Marguerite tighter.
Marguerite was in utter awe, she felt a deep pang in her chest. Her head fell downwards, she felt as though she was a pawn on a chess board. Her father used her as such in this situation. Her mouth became dry as droplets fell from her iridescent eyes. Marguerite knew her father wasn't the most doting, but this? Without her knowledge?
"Did… Did my father say when the wedding was?" Marguerite whispered, afraid her voice would croak if she spoke any louder.
Cassia gripped her nightgown, "His Majesty said tonight, My Lady," She looked up and soothingly caressed Marguerite's cheek. She saw her princess's face turn dull and Cassia just held back from sobbing.
"I must speak to my father," Marguerite abruptly stood up and grabbed her silk robe, slamming the door shut as she walked swiftly to her father's office.
When she arrived at the office's doors, she flung the doors open and stared coldly at her father.
"I suspect you heard the news of tonight's celebration," Callian, the Elven Ruler, Marguerite's father, stated as he laced his fingers together. He stared back at his daughter, his similar eyes met hers in the crossfire.
"How dare you sell me off! Father, who do you think I am? I am certainly not some pawn in your little game of war! I am not some trophy bride!" Marguerite completely yelled at her father, cold eyes phasing into disgust and disappointment.
"Marguerite, may I remind you that I am still your father, and the King of this Realm, you will show respect," He stated and sipped from his chalice. His voice was unwavering and stoic.
Marguerite huffed and got close to her father, fearless energy surrounding her, "Your Majesty, may I remind you, I am the sole heir to this Realm, I get my attitude from the one who brought me into this world in the first place."
Callian reached and gripped his daughter's face tightly, "You are no longer part of this Realm, your youngest brother, Clyde, will be the next King, you are fiancée to the Dragon King, you are the next Queen of the Dragons," He was displeased with his eldest daughter, she was usually quite subtle and respectful towards him. He couldn't quite understand this new brazen attitude.
"You shall never be apart of the Elven Kingdom again," He just pushed Marguerite away, nonchalantly walking out of his office as she stumbled into the corner of the wall.
Her eyes filled with frustrated tears, her magic completely unstable. She grabbed one of Callian's throw pillows, and screamed into it. As she wailed, her energy flew papers around and sent books flying across the room.
"My lady? I'm terribly sorry to interrupt but, we have to get your preparations done for the wedding," Gabriel, her father's butler, had said a
shakily as Marguerite stepped out with wind-blown, crazy hair and a scarcely calm face.
"That's fine," She spoke, utterly calm and poised. Marguerite started to walk elegantly to her room.
"And Gabriel? Please bring the finest maids to my room," Gabriel instantly obliged and went running towards the maids counters.
If a wedding was going to happen, then Marguerite will be absolutely damned if she wasn't the prettiest one there.
'I'll become the Queen everyone envies, and then, most intelligent being of this world,' Marguerite had a new glint her eyes. She no longer longed for approval of her father. For the first time, Marguerite wished for freedom.
Maybe becoming the Dragon King's bride wasn't so terrible. After all, she has heard that he was devilishly handsome.