The village of Ashvale sat at the edge of the world—or so Elara had always believed.

Surrounded by endless forests and towering mountains, it was a quiet place where nothing exciting ever happened. The villagers spent their days farming, fishing, and praying that the Dragon King would never remember they existed.

Every child in Ashvale grew up hearing stories about him.

Some said he was a monster with scales black as midnight and eyes that burned like molten gold.

Others claimed he was immortal, cursed to rule alone for eternity.

No one knew the truth.

No one had seen him in centuries.

At least, that was what everyone believed.

Elara tightened the scarf around her neck as she carried a basket of herbs toward the marketplace. The cold morning air nipped at her cheeks.

"Elara!"

She turned to find her best friend, Mira, running toward her.

"You won't believe what's happening in the square," Mira said breathlessly.

Elara frowned. "What now?"

"The royal messengers are here."

Her steps halted.

Royal messengers?

That was impossible.

The Dragon Kingdom had ignored Ashvale for decades.

"You're joking."

"I'm not!" Mira grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. "Come on!"

Curiosity got the better of her.

By the time they reached the village square, nearly every resident had gathered there.

Men, women, and children stood silently around a raised platform.

Three riders dressed in silver armor sat atop enormous horses.

At the center stood an elderly man holding a scroll sealed with golden wax.

The village chief looked pale.

Very pale.

Elara suddenly felt uneasy.

The old messenger cleared his throat.

"By decree of His Majesty, the Dragon King, ruler of the Eastern Realms and protector of the Sacred Flame..."

The crowd fell silent.

Even the wind seemed to stop.

The messenger continued.

"The time has come for the Choosing."

A gasp swept through the villagers.

Elara's stomach tightened.

The Choosing.

It was an ancient tradition.

One human bride selected every hundred years.

A woman taken to the Dragon King's palace.

A woman who never returned.

The stories rushed through Elara's mind.

Most people believed the tradition had ended centuries ago.

Apparently, they had been wrong.

"The chosen bride will leave within three days," the messenger announced.

Fear spread across the crowd.

Mothers clutched their daughters.

Fathers lowered their heads.

The messenger unrolled the scroll completely.

"The name selected by the Sacred Flame is..."

Elara held her breath.

Surely it would be someone else.

Someone important.

Someone noble.

Not a poor herb gatherer from the edge of the kingdom.

"...Elara Winters."

The world stopped.

For a moment, she thought she had imagined it.

The crowd turned toward her.

Hundreds of eyes stared.

Mira's grip on her arm tightened painfully.

"No," Elara whispered.

The messenger looked directly at her.

"There stands the chosen bride."

A murmur spread through the villagers.

Some looked sympathetic.

Others looked relieved.

Because it wasn't their daughter.

Their sister.

Their friend.

It was her.

"No," Elara repeated, shaking her head. "There has to be a mistake."

"There are no mistakes in the Choosing," the messenger replied calmly.

The chief stepped forward.

"Child..."

His voice trembled.

And that frightened her more than anything.

Even he believed it.

Even he couldn't stop it.

Panic surged through her chest.

"I'm not going," she said.

The square erupted into whispers.

The messenger's expression remained unchanged.

"The Sacred Flame has spoken."

"I don't care."

A shocked silence followed.

No one spoke to royal messengers that way.

But Elara barely noticed.

Her heart pounded wildly.

She couldn't leave.

This village was her home.

Her parents were buried here.

Everything she had ever known was here.

The messenger folded the scroll.

"You will depart in three days."

Then he turned and walked away.

As if her life had already been decided.

As if her opinion meant nothing.

Tears burned behind her eyes.

Mira wrapped her arms around her.

"It's going to be okay."

But neither of them believed it.

That night, sleep refused to come.

Elara sat beside her small window, staring at the moonlit forest.

Three days.

In three days she would be taken across the kingdom to marry a man she had never met.

A king whispered about in nightmares.

A creature many believed wasn't even human.

She clenched her fists.

There had to be another way.

She could run.

Hide in the mountains.

Disappear into the forest.

Surely they wouldn't find her.

A sudden gust of wind rattled the window.

Elara looked outside.

And froze.

At the edge of the forest stood a massive shadow.

Watching her.

Its shape was too large to be human.

Too still to be an animal.

Golden eyes glowed in the darkness.

Ancient.

Powerful.

Terrifying.

Her breath caught.

The figure stared at her for only a second.

Then enormous black wings unfolded against the moonlit sky.

The creature launched into the air.

A heartbeat later, it vanished into the clouds.

Elara stumbled backward.

Her pulse thundered in her ears.

There was only one being in the world large enough to possess wings like those.

The Dragon King.

And somehow...

He had been watching her.

Elara didn't sleep.

How could she?

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw those golden eyes staring at her from the darkness.

The Dragon King.

The thought alone sent chills down her spine.

She had spent years hearing stories about him.

Stories of a merciless ruler who commanded dragons and fire.

Stories of a beast disguised as a man.

Stories of a king who took human brides and never returned them.

Now she knew one thing for certain.

He was real.

And he had been watching her.

The first rays of dawn spilled through her window, but they did little to calm her racing thoughts.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Elara?"

Mira.

Elara quickly stood and opened the door.

The moment Mira saw her face, she frowned.

"You look terrible."

"I didn't sleep."

"I figured."

Mira stepped inside carrying a basket of fresh bread.

The familiar smell normally would have made Elara smile.

Today, it didn't.

"You keep thinking about yesterday?"

Elara laughed bitterly.

"How am I supposed to think about anything else?"

Mira remained silent.

Because there was no answer.

The Choosing had changed everything.

In two days, Elara would leave Ashvale forever.

The realization made her chest ache.

Suddenly, loud shouting echoed outside.

The girls exchanged worried glances.

"What now?" Mira muttered.

They rushed outside.

The entire village seemed to be gathering near the northern fields.

Fear prickled along Elara's skin.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The moment they arrived, she understood why.

A dragon was circling above the village.

Gasps and screams erupted from the crowd.

Children cried.

Farmers dropped their tools.

The enormous creature glided through the sky, its dark scales reflecting sunlight.

It was larger than any building in Ashvale.

Far larger.

Its wings stretched across the heavens like storm clouds.

Elara's heart nearly stopped.

The dragon released a powerful roar.

The sound shook the ground beneath their feet.

People scattered in panic.

Some fell to their knees praying.

Others ran for cover.

But the dragon wasn't attacking.

It simply descended.

Slowly.

Gracefully.

Until it landed in the center of the field.

The earth trembled beneath its weight.

Silence followed.

No one dared move.

Then something impossible happened.

The dragon's body began to glow.

Golden light covered its massive form.

The crowd gasped.

The creature's wings folded inward.

Its enormous shape shrank.

Scales melted into shadows.

Within seconds, the dragon was gone.

A man stood where it had been.

Tall.

Powerful.

Terrifyingly handsome.

His black hair moved gently in the wind.

A dark coat draped over broad shoulders.

Ancient golden eyes scanned the crowd.

The same eyes Elara had seen last night.

A sharp breath escaped her lips.

Him.

The Dragon King.

The villagers immediately bowed.

No one needed an introduction.

His presence alone demanded obedience.

Everyone lowered their heads.

Everyone except Elara.

For some reason, she couldn't look away.

The king's gaze swept across the crowd.

Then stopped.

On her.

The world seemed to disappear.

His eyes locked onto hers.

And stayed there.

Elara's pulse pounded violently.

Why was he looking at her?

The silence stretched.

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them spoke.

Then the king finally walked forward.

The crowd parted instantly.

No one dared stand in his path.

Each step carried an overwhelming authority.

By the time he reached her, Elara could barely breathe.

He was taller than she had imagined.

Far more intimidating.

And strangely beautiful.

Which only made him more dangerous.

"You are Elara Winters."

It wasn't a question.

It was a statement.

His deep voice sent an unexpected shiver through her.

She swallowed.

"Yes."

The king studied her carefully.

As if searching for something.

As if trying to solve a mystery.

His expression remained unreadable.

Finally, he spoke.

"You are smaller than I expected."

The crowd collectively stopped breathing.

Elara blinked.

Of all the things he could have said—

That was not what she expected.

A spark of irritation pushed aside her fear.

"You're ruder than I expected."

Several villagers gasped.

Mira nearly fainted.

Nobody spoke to the Dragon King like that.

Nobody.

Yet a strange expression crossed his face.

Not anger.

Not outrage.

Amusement.

For the briefest moment, the corner of his mouth lifted.

The sight shocked everyone.

Including him.

The smile vanished instantly.

His golden eyes darkened.

"Interesting."

Elara wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or a warning.

Before she could decide, the king turned toward the village chief.

"The preparations are complete."

The chief nodded nervously.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The king looked back at Elara.

"You leave tomorrow."

Her stomach dropped.

Tomorrow?

Not in two days?

Tomorrow?

"No."

The word escaped before she could stop it.

The king raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"I don't want to go."

The crowd froze.

Again.

The king stared at her silently.

Seconds passed.

Then he stepped closer.

Close enough for only her to hear.

His voice became low.

Dangerously low.

"You believe this is your choice?"

Fear crawled down her spine.

But she refused to look away.

"No."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Good."

Then he straightened.

Without another word, black wings erupted from his back.

The villagers screamed.

Wind exploded across the field.

The Dragon King launched himself into the sky.

Within moments, he disappeared beyond the clouds.

Leaving stunned silence behind.

Elara stood frozen.

Her heart racing.

Her mind spinning.

Tomorrow.

She was leaving tomorrow.

And for the first time, she wasn't sure what frightened her more.

The Dragon King himself.

Or the strange feeling that, beneath those cold golden eyes...

He was hiding a secret.