Chapter 10: The Chosen Bride
Tamara stood in the center of the grand, empty hall, the weight of Zain’s words washing over her like a warm, healing rain.
For her entire life, she had been defined by what she lacked. To her father, she was an economic liability. To Julien, she was a cursed omen. To the world, she was the “ugly twin” who needed to be hidden behind leather and cloth so as not to offend the eyes of the perfect.
But to the most powerful creature in the realm, she was salvation. She was the night sky.
“I don’t belong anywhere, Zain,” Tamara admitted, her voice dropping to a vulnerable whisper, her eyes drifting to the floor. “I’m an outcast in the human kingdom, and I’m a stranger here.”
Zain didn’t hesitate. He knelt down slightly, bringing his face level with hers. He took her hands, his touch warm, steady, and utterly grounding.
“Then stay where you are loved,” Zain said, his molten gold eyes burning with an absolute, unwavering truth. “You don’t need to belong to their world. You belong with me.”
Tamara looked at him, then looked down at the leather mask resting discarded on the black marble floor. She realized with a profound sense of peace that she would never have to put it on again. The humans had rejected her, but the dragon had chosen her exactly as she was.
A soft, brilliant tear slipped down her right cheek, cutting across the dark crescent moon. She smiled, her heart finally feeling light, and nodded.
“Yes, Zain. I’ll stay.”
Zain let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for ten long years. He stood up, wrapping his massive arms around her, lifting her slightly off the ground as he pulled her against his chest. Tamara laughed, a sound that hadn’t echoed from her throat since her childhood in the woods, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
The girl they called cursed… became the only queen the Dragon King ever chose.