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The King rose slowly from his chair, his fists relaxing as he finally broke his silence. He stood with his back to me, staring off into the distance. The gravity of the moment hung heavily in the air.
He spoke, his voice low and laden with an unusual weight. "To save you, I resorted to forbidden magic—magic that even I wasn't sure would work. Your body was poisoned, close to death, but I cast the resurrection spell. It restored your body… but your soul, your very mind… those were lost. No one has ever come back before. So, I had to make a choice."
He paused, seemingly lost in memory, then continued. "It's dangerous to meddle with the spirit, but I'd already broken one taboo. I decided to go further. Using an ancient summoning ritual, I called for a soul from another realm to complete the body."
I absorbed his words in stunned silence, a chill settling over me. This had gone from unsettling to surreal—a resurrection spell, summoning from another realm. It felt like I'd been thrown into a living legend, something far removed from anything I'd known.
"However," he added, "this ritual wasn't without its limits. Summoning requires precision. It's not as if I could pull any soul out of nowhere. The body needed a compatible soul—a balance of mind and spirit. I poured every ounce of power I had into that ritual, reaching across worlds. And that's how I brought… you."
I held up a hand, trying to process it all. "Wait," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. "How could you even tell I was from another world?"
The King chuckled softly, though he looked slightly embarrassed. "Well… honestly, I thought, 'No one in our world would want to marry her willingly,' so I… set a condition—'someone open to a rather unusual match.'"
That hit me like a slap in the face. "Seriously?" I glared at him. "You made me sound like some… some kind of desperate soul looking for whatever I could get!"
He looked unabashed. "It was your older brother's idea. The second prince."
I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Send him a poisoned goblet on my behalf, will you?"
I clenched my fists, feeling an unwelcome heat of frustration rise in my chest. What did they take me for? Some shameless drifter desperate enough to take whatever partner came along?
"So," the King continued, "you seem like the right man for the task. The kingdom needs you to marry Scarlett."
"Hold on," I interjected, trying to steady myself. "I haven't even met her. There's no way I'm agreeing to marry a stranger."
The King raised a brow, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You will, of course, get to meet her. But let me make this clear—no matter what you see, no matter how you feel, there's no refusing this. For the sake of the kingdom, you must marry her."
The words hit like a ton of bricks. "And after we're married… what then?"
"You'll be free to live as you choose," he said with a casual shrug.
I narrowed my eyes. "So, what—you're saying I can have other… relationships?"
He nodded, as if this were the most normal conversation in the world. "Take concubines, have mistresses, if that's your desire. All I care about is that the kingdom's alliance is secured."
I shook my head. "And no one else has agreed to this? Surely, someone else could be persuaded?"
The King let out a heavy sigh, his eyes darkening slightly. "Not one. Many have seen her, and… all have declined. There's more to this than a simple marriage alliance. She… carries certain rights."
"Rights?" I asked, intrigued but wary.
"An indulgence—she has a permit to kill, to act without consequence in pursuit of her duty," he replied, his voice tinged with resignation. "If she so wished, she could kill even me and face no retribution. She wields that authority."
I stared at him in disbelief. "And… you gave her this?"
"Yes. To protect her from being used by nobles who hunger for power and the wealth that comes from dragon-slaying," he explained, his tone steely. "You see, dragon parts—the scales, blood, bones—are worth fortunes. I issued that permit to stop anyone from trying to control her. But now, it's a blade against our own throats."
"So if she… if she even thought you had wronged her, she could just kill you?"
He nodded solemnly. "She could claim that I obstructed her duties as a dragon slayer, and no one would dare challenge her."
I took a deep, shuddering breath, the full weight of the situation pressing down on me. This wasn't just a marriage—it was a gamble with my life. A bride who could kill without consequence?
"I think… I'd like to decline," I managed, though I knew how absurd that sounded.
The King gave a cold smile. "That's not an option. You'll marry Scarlett, and once she's a part of the royal family, you're free to live—or die—as you please."
"Great. I'll have plenty of time to die slowly."
The King let out a rueful chuckle. "Yes, well, I'm sure you'll find a way to manage. For now, let's focus on the marriage. She'll be yours to handle."
I rubbed my face, trying to steady my nerves, then looked down at my hands, as if they held some answer to all this. It hit me, then—this body. Was this really even mine?
"Do you have a mirror?" I asked, trying to shake off the unease creeping up my spine.
"There's a bronze mirror on the dresser," he replied, waving a hand.
I took a few steps and lifted the polished disc, examining my reflection with a mixture of curiosity and dread.
The face staring back wasn't mine—a strong, Western face with blond hair and deep-set eyes. The kind of face that belonged on the cover of a novel, not on my shoulders. I ran a hand through my hair, noting the new length and color. It felt… wrong.
"What in the world…" I muttered.
The King chuckled. "Ah, yes. Only your soul was summoned. I'm afraid the rest belongs to your… host, shall we say?"
I stared at him, suddenly feeling more like an impostor than ever. "So… this is all that's left of me?"
"Indeed. Quite the handsome stranger, aren't you?"
I wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream. This wasn't what I'd signed up for—if I'd even had a choice in the first place.
The King leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Enough of that. Now, back to Scarlett. You'll meet her shortly, and then we'll discuss the details. I'll arrange the meeting immediately."
With that, he called to the guards outside, a sense of finality in his voice.
I stood there, staring at my reflection, my heart pounding with a mixture of dread, curiosity, and a gnawing feeling that I had no control over what came next.
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