Kaelen's POV
My dragon was screaming.
It clawed beneath my skin, roaring warnings as I dragged my so-called bride through the frozen passageways. Every gut told me something was wrong. Terribly, dangerously wrong.
I spun her around in an empty hallway, frost exploding from my fingers. "You're not Princess Vivienne."
The girl stumbled backward, her silver-blonde hair catching the moonlight. Those strange eyes—hidden partly by that ridiculous eye patch—went wide with pure terror.
"I-I am! I promise—"
"DON'T LIE TO ME!"
My voice came out as a dragon's roar. Ice spread across the walls. The girl fell to her knees, shaking so hard I could hear her teeth chattering.
I forced myself to breathe. To think like a king instead of an angry beast. " I met Princess Vivienne two years ago at the peace conference. She walked into talks like she owned the world. Demanded our best wine. Called my general a 'scaled savage' when she thought I couldn't hear."
The girl on the floor looked nothing like that spoiled princess. She was trembling like a rabbit caught by dogs.
"Vivienne smelled of roses and ambition," I continued coldly. "You smell of flowers and fear. Your pulse is running so fast I can hear it from here. So I'll ask one more time—" I crouched down, letting my dragon eyes glow silver. "Who are you, and which kingdom sent you to murder me?"
"Please," she whispered. "Please don't kill me."
Her fear was real. I could smell it, taste it in the air. But that didn't mean she wasn't a killer. My three dead wives showed that crying girls could be the most dangerous weapons.
"Talk," I ordered. "Now."
"I'm... I'm her twin," the girl stammered. "Princess Vivienne's twin. We were separated at birth. She got sick before the wedding, so they sent me instead. I swear I'm not here to hurt you!"
My dragon bellowed. The lie was so clear it was almost insulting. Twins split at birth? That was the best story she could create?
But there was something else. Something in her smell that made my dragon pause its rage. Something that smelled like... home.
Impossible.
"You're lying," I said flatly. "But you're smart about it. Just enough truth mixed in to confuse my senses." I grabbed her chin, causing her to look at me. "Here's what's going to happen. The marriage contract says we have one year before either of us can claim breach. You're going to live that year without poisoning me, little liar. If you do, I'll consider letting you leave with your head still attached."
"But I'm not—"
"Stop." I released her head. "Every word from your mouth is a lie wrapped in desperation. I don't know what game you're playing, but I've survived three assassination attempts disguised as women. I'll survive you too."
I stood, looking down at her crushed form. She looked so small. So breakable. Nothing like the warrior brides who'd tried to kill me before.
Which made her more dangerous, not less.
"Get up," I ordered. "We have appearances to keep. The court thinks you're Princess Vivienne, and they're watching to see if I'll kill another bride. So we'll play pretend. You'll smile. You'll try to be happy. And I'll say I don't know you're a fraud."
She struggled to her feet, wiping tears I refused to feel pity for. "What if I told you the truth?"
"The truth?" I laughed, cold and bitter. "You wouldn't know truth if it froze you solid. But fine. Entertain me. What's the real story?"
For a moment, she looked like she might actually tell me. Her mouth opened. Her hands twisted together nervously.
Then she looked at the floor. "You wouldn't believe me anyway."
"Try me."
"My sister sent me." The words came out barely louder than a whisper. "She drugged me. Stole my papers. Dressed me in her clothes and shipped me north like goods. She said if I didn't pretend to be her, they'd kill my mother."
My dragon went perfectly still.
That... that had the taste of truth. Horrible, twisted truth.
"Your sister," I repeated slowly. "Princess Vivienne drugged you and sent you here to die in her place?"
The girl nodded, still not looking at me. "She's pregnant with another man's child. She needed to hide it. And I'm just... I'm nobody. The bastard daughter they keep in the kitchens. Nobody would miss me if your curse killed me like the others."
Something in my chest cracked. Just a little.
I'd been nobody once. Centuries ago, before I became king. I remembered what it felt like to be unseen. Unwanted.
"Look at me," I ordered softly.
She raised her head. And for the first time, I really looked at her.
She wasn't beautiful like Vivienne. Not in that smooth, perfect way. But there was something about her face—the way fear and anger mixed in her expression, the stubborn set of her jaw even while tears streaked her cheeks.
"What's your real name?" I asked.
"Mira. Mira Castellan."
"Well, Mira Castellan." I turned away before I could do something stupid like comfort her. "You just became the most interesting problem I've had in two centuries. Welcome to the North. Try not to die."
I started walking. Behind me, I heard her scrambling to follow.
"That's it?" she called. "You're just... going to let me stay?"
"I'm going to figure out who sent you and why," I amended. "Whether your story is true or another pretty lie. Until then, you're more useful alive than dead."
"And if my story is true? If I really am just a bastard sent to die?"
I stopped walking. My dragon was doing something strange—something it hadn't done in twenty years. It was purring. Actually purring at this girl's company.
Which meant she was either my mate... Or the most dangerous killer I'd ever faced.
"Then we'll deal with that when we know for sure," I said. "But Mira?" I looked back at her over my shoulder. "If you try to kill me, I won't throw you to the frost devils. I'll do something much worse."
"What?"
"I'll make you watch me ruin everyone you've ever loved. Starting with that mother you mentioned."
Her face went pale. Good. Let her be afraid. Let her understand exactly who she was dealing with.
But as I walked away, my dragon whispered something that made my blood run cold: She's not here to kill us. She's here to save us.
And then, from the dark ahead, I heard a sound that shouldn't be possible.
Someone was laughing.
A woman's voice, sweet and mocking. "Oh, Dragon King. You have no idea what you just married, do you?"
I spun around, ice bursting from my hands.
But the hallway was empty.
Just me, Mira, and the echo of laughter that guaranteed something terrible was about to begin.