Page 58 of Courting the Dragon Prince
They’d not spoken since Luther had stridden off after the blow job in the garden, leaving Onyx feeling alone and wretched. Onyx imagined he would likely feel alone and wretched throughout the rest of their marriage.
Two monks stood on both sides of the grand monk, making five in total. They were all dressed in robes of beige. They wore chains made of copper, marking their positions and roles within the monastery.
The grand monk turned towards another door opposite to where Onyx and his mother had entered.
The door opened, revealing Luther.
Despite everything, Onyx’s breath caught.
Luther dressed in a fitted dark-green shirt with burnt-umber trousers. Over the shirt, he wore a decorative gold breastplate fashioned to look like dragon wings curling around his torso. A robe hung over his right shoulder, made from green dragon scales that glistened in the sunlight.
Were these Luther’s scales? He knew dragons shed their scales, and these matched Luther’s dragon’s colouring perfectly.
A golden circlet, glittering with green emeralds, rested on his dark hair, which had been slicked down and back. His eyes had been lined with kohl. Gold painted his lips.
He truly was the most beautiful man Onyx had ever seen. Too bad his personality did not match.
“Prince Luther Drachen,” the grand monk announced. “Accompanying him are King Alaric Drachen and Queen Consort Adelina Drachen of Draconia. They are presenting Prince Luther Drachen, recognising that he is acting as a representative of the Royal House and the Kingdom of Draconia. His marriage will act as one of the marriages that will seal the peace treaty.”
Prince Luther stepped into the room. He walked towards the dais. The king and queen consort followed, without being told to. They stopped several steps behind Luther.
Luther wouldn’t even look at Onyx.
It’s our wedding day. And Luther won’t even look at me.
Onyx tried to hold on to some calm, to some sense of peace. He tried to push away the feelings of despair and loneliness that threatened to overwhelm him.
He remembered picturing his wedding day in his youth, back when he’d hoped he might marry someone he actually loved. He’d imagined his sister and mother by his side, smiling and happy for him.
Onyx’s throat constricted. This was so different from what Onyx had imagined. This was not what he’d dreamed of or hoped for.
He wished he could turn and leave. He wished he could return to the Grey Mountains. He wished he could turn back time and be at the Mystic Mountain Temple with his sister.
But none of that was an option.
This was his life now. And this man was his future.
His sister was dead, his mother a shadow of who she’d once been, and Onyx would be marrying a man who hated him.
From his robes, the grand monk withdrew a long golden needle. “For this ceremony, I will need a drop of each of your blood. Please hold out your hands.”
“What?” Luther frowned.
Onyx clenched his teeth. He held out his hand to the grand monk. “The grand monk explained this to us the other day,” he said softly, trying to keep his voice even.
The four other monks began a chant in Lorentath. Onyx did not understand a word. The grand monk took Onyx’s hand and pressed the tip of the needle into his pointer finger. It stung but only for a second. The monk guided Onyx’s finger over the bowl of ink. A drop of Onyx’s blood dripped into the dark ink before the monk released his hand.
The grand monk turned towards Luther with an ever-patient smile.
Luther shoved his hand out in front of him. The grand monk repeated the same actions with Luther. When Luther’s blood dripped into the ink, it immediately began to swirl.
The grand monk gestured to the both of them. “Onyx Obsidian and Luther Drachen.” He met each of their gazes. “Today, you sign your names in blood, binding yourselves in unity for the rest of your lives. This cannot be undone. This cannot be reversed. This is not something to be entering into lightly.”
The grand monk looked to Onyx. “Do you understand, Onyx Obsidian? And do you consent to enter into this irreversible contract written out onto this scroll?”
Onyx wanted to scream no. He wanted to yell that he didn’t want this. He wanted to run. He wanted to flee and never set eyes upon Luther again.
But instead, he opened his mouth and simply said, “I understand and consent, Grand Monk.”
