Chapter 2

Aubree POV:

My voice rang out across the stone square, making the Dragon-kin guards pushing the heavy iron doors freeze in their tracks.

The palace steward frowned deeply, disgust flashing in his eyes as he stepped forward. "Miss Weeks, His Highness gave strict orders. A Dragonless cold-blood must not disturb the majesty of the Dragon God Altar. You may only use the side entrance."

"I am the Royal Consort wedded by His Majesty's personal decree!" I snapped, cutting him off while digging the silver hairpin deeper into my palm. "Open the main gates, or I will smash my skull against that Dragon Core boundary stone right now and let every noble in the realm see the God of War's honor!"

The steward's face turned livid. Glancing at the gathering crowd of onlookers, he gritted his teeth and waved for the guards to push the heavy gates open a crack.

I lifted my chin and strode over the high threshold. Daisy hurried behind me, only for a Dragon-kin servant by the door to deliberately stick out his leg, tripping her hard onto the flagstones.

"Blind little Dragonless rat," the servant sneered, drawing loud laughter from the guards around him.

I stopped dead in my tracks, spun around, and swung my arm without warning.

Crack!

A sharp slap echoed across the courtyard as my palm struck the servant's face, whipping his head to the side.

Dead silence fell. The tall Dragon-kin servant clutched his reddening cheek, staring in disbelief at the supposedly spineless woman before him.

"My servant is not for a palace mutt to discipline," I said coldly, pulling Daisy up and smoothing my plain cuffs before marching down the main corridor.

We walked through the long stone gallery, where murals inlaid with dark-red Dragonslayer Gold lined the walls—a suffocating reminder of royal dominance.

When we reached the Great Hall, blinding light poured from massive Dragon Crystal chandeliers overhead, illuminating rows of high nobles dressed in red-gold scaled formal attire.

Yet before the sacred Dragon God Altar at the center of the hall, the groom's spot was completely empty. Damien Vaughn wasn't even here.

Instead, tied to the altar pillar with a piece of red string was a large rooster draped in a ridiculous scrap of red silk.

The surrounding nobles burst into roaring laughter that scraped against my eardrums.

"Look at that! The legitimate consort of the War God has to complete the Dragon God Ritual with a barnyard bird!" a Countess in a crimson scaled gown jeered behind her feathered fan.

The steward walked up to me and held out the other end of the red string. "Miss Weeks, His Highness is in the rear court soothing Consort Cora's startled dragon soul. The auspicious hour has arrived. Please bind your oath with this auspicious creature."

I stared at the flapping rooster, my rational training crushing the lingering humiliation of this body's previous owner.

I didn't cry or scream. Without blinking, I reached out and calmly took the red cloth from his hand.

"Wonderful," I murmured, a cold smirk curling my lips. Since you want to play dirty, don't blame me when I burn your royal dignity to ashes.

Under the mocking eyes of the entire court, I walked through the motions of the sham ritual without uttering a single word of sacred Dragon Speech.

The second I dropped the cloth, a servant roughly kicked the rooster aside, sending dusty feathers flying across the polished floor.

"Escort the Consort to the side courtyard woodshed," the steward ordered coldly, denying me even a proper bridal chamber.

Following two stony-faced guards down a dark, winding path away from the heated main palace, I was shoved into a damp, freezing woodshed reeking of rot and mold.

Bang!

The wooden door slammed shut from the outside, followed by the harsh clanking of heavy iron chains locking us in.

Daisy threw herself against the planks, pounding and crying. "Let us out! How dare you treat the Duke's daughter like a prisoner!"

A guard snorted outside the door. "A cold-blooded waste thinks she's nobility? His Highness said to let you rot in here."

I ignored the guard, walked over to a rough wooden plank in the corner, and stripped off my heavy outer robe.

Right then, the leftover Dragonslayer Gold poison in my veins surged back with a vengeance, squeezing my heart like a burning iron fist.

My vision went black, cold sweat soaking my underclothes as I collapsed hard onto the wooden boards.

Before darkness swallowed me whole, the original Aubree's tragic memories merged completely with my soul.

I bit down hard on my lip, swallowing the fresh blood—Damien Vaughn, I will make you pay for tonight with the pride of your entire royal bloodline.