The Ripple Effect
—Ten Years Earlier—
Caspian was waiting outside when Lucian flew in, materializing into his natural form as he descended. Suspicion plagued him, however, upon seeing that Lucian had returned alone.
“Where is she?! Where’s Visenya?!” Caspian interrogated.
Lucian ignored Caspian’s question, glaring at him as he walked past. Caspian grabbed Lucian’s arm, but Lucian aggressively shrugged him off, slamming Caspian into the wall so hard it cracked on impact.
“Why don’t you go look for her? I’m sure she’s just dying for some alone time with you.” Lucian snapped grudgingly.
“Where is she, you bastard?!” Caspian pushed Lucian off of him and glanced in the direction of Tarragon Mountain. Without a second thought, he shifted into his wolf and raced off as fast as he could in search of her.
Visenya climbed down the mountain as carefully as she could. It was dark, eerie, and she had no wolf senses yet to guide her. She couldn’t even mind-link to anyone for help. She did as well as she could to push away the unwelcome thoughts about what dangers could be lurking out there.
As she took another step down, she lost her footing and slipped on a loose patch of gravel. She tumbled downhill a bit and acquired a nasty cut on her leg. She wiped the blood away with the bottom of her dress and worried about there being any vampires nearby. If they smelled her blood, she would be a goner for sure.
It was too dark, and she was so far up the mountain that she was completely unaware of how much further she had until she reached the bottom. She was scared, cold, and had already been climbing down for nearly an hour. She curled up on the ground, tears streaming down her face as a feeling of hopelessness settled in the pit of her stomach.
Then suddenly, the sound of footsteps caused her to jump, and she quickly huddled into the darkest corner she could find. She held her hand firmly over her mouth to prevent any noise from escaping. She trembled uncontrollably when it was apparent that the animal was sniffing her out. As it closed in on her, all she could do was shut her eyes and pray that it was a quick death.
“Visenya?” A voice called out.
Visenya’s eyes sprung open, and she saw Caspian crouched down beside her.
“Caspian?!” She exclaimed, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. “Is it really you?!”
“Shhh… it’s okay, Vee. I’m here.”
“I’m so sorry, Cas. I should have listened to you,” she sobbed. “I’m so sorry…”
“It’s alright,” he said soothingly, trying desperately to console her.
Lucian sat brooding in his lair, the events of recent hours playing on a relentless loop in his mind. The weight of guilt pressed heavily upon him, an unrelenting burden for abandoning Visenya on the mountain. Pride had held him back from going back for her, a regret that now gnawed at his conscience.
He couldn’t shake the image of Caspian swooping in like a knight in shining armor, he the hero and Lucian the villain. In his frustration, he hurled a glass against the wall, watching it explode into shards.
Abruptly, Cheyenne barged into the room, a smug grin adorning her face. “Impressive display, cousin,” she applauded. “Initially, I questioned your sanity in offering that dog a ride on your back. But when I found out that you took her all the way up there just to abandon her… Damn, cousin! You’ve truly outdone yourself.”
Lucian shut his eyes tightly, grappling with the bitter truth of his actions. “Get lost, Cheyenne.”
"Well, somebody's grumpy!" Cheyenne exclaimed. "I just came here to inform you that your father demands your presence in the Common Room right away. The mutt's parents are pissed, so good luck with that," Cheyenne said before leaving, slamming the heavy metal door behind her.
Lucian realized that maybe, just maybe, he had messed up... really bad. He let his anger overrule his better judgment, and now he would have to face the consequences. How could Visenya even want to be anywhere near him after the stunt he pulled? Perhaps, he should start by swallowing his pride and apologizing to her. Apologizing was a huge deal for a self-righteous Dragon Lord like Lucian Damaris.
When he entered the Common Room, however, the fragile balance between reason and irrationality became blurred once again when he caught sight of Visenya nestled in Caspian's arms. His fists clenched at his side as he took in every detail: her head resting against Caspian's chest, as he gently stroked her hair.
His possessiveness over Visenya was growing by the millisecond, and he couldn't bear the thought of any man so much as laying a finger on her. However, as she lifted her head and cast a piercing glare at Lucian, his delicate ego suffered yet another blow. Her dress was dirty and torn at the hem, her hair slightly disheveled, and her eyes were red and swollen, a clear indication that she had been crying.
"How dare you leave my daughter up on that mountain!" King Ezra roared with fury in his eyes.
"Ezra, I said I would handle this!" Emperor Caden interjected. "Lucian, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"I had to teach her a lesson," Lucian replied.
"A lesson?! She could have been attacked by Goddess knows what up there! She doesn't have a wolf, and you left her there vulnerable!" Sarai ranted.
"There isn't anything that could have attacked her! Vampires know better than to hunt on Dragon soil, and wild animals don't come within a hundred-mile radius of us!" Lucian exclaimed.
"Lucian, you better have a damn good explanation for why you left her there," the Emperor warned, his tone laced with authority.
Lucian shot a furious glance in Visenya's direction, his eyes blazing with displeasure. "She disrespected me."
Visenya was completely appalled, her shock evident in her voice. "I disrespected you?!" She exclaimed, her words laced with incredulity.
"What happened, Visenya?" Sarai's troubled expression cast a worried gaze upon her daughter. "Why is your dress torn and dirty? Did he hurt you?"
"No, I tripped and fell." Visenya replied.
"Don't lie to me, Visenya," Sarai said, as she began sniffing Visenya from head to toe, specifically focusing on her private area.
Visenya instinctively pulled away from Sarai's intrusive inspection. "He didn't violate me, if that's what you're suggesting! We simply got into an argument because he was being a complete prick!"
Lucian scowled at Visenya's remark, and she met his gaze with equal defiance.
"The kids were just being kids. Your daughter is fine, and this is something that they'll have to work out on their own," Emperor Caden concluded.
"Are you seriously going to let him off as if this is just some innocent childish prank?!" King Ezra fumed. "My daughter is traumatized, and she could have been seriously hurt!"
"If my son said that your daughter disrespected him, then I'm going to have to side with him. We are the supreme rulers here, and as the future Lycan Queen, it would benefit your daughter to learn some respect for her future Emperor." Emperor Caden explained, his tone firm.
“He’s no Emperor of mine! I’ll be long dead by the time it’s his turn to rule, thank Goddess!” Visenya snapped.
“Perfect example of your daughter’s insolence right there, I can see why Lucian left her now.” The Emperor remarked.
“How dare you!” Ezra shouted, his face turning red with fury. “It’s no wonder your son walks around like he’s some kind of deity. He gets it from you!”
“You better be very careful how you speak to me, Ezra," warned Caden.
“I’m not afraid of you! All of you dragons are the same, abusing the power that the Gods have gifted you, expecting the rest of us to be subservient!" Ezra exclaimed angrily.
“Ezra, let’s just go," pleaded Sarai.
“The Gods gifted us with supremacy for a reason! The rest of you were killing each other and living like complete barbarians before we came along! We brought order into your lives, you should be grateful!" Emperor Caden boasted arrogantly.
"Us, barbarians?! Is that why your humans live in cages?! Is that why your own mate killed herself because she'd rather die than spend another day bound to you?!" King Ezra blurted.
The room fell into an eerie silence, tension thick in the air. The Emperor's gaze fixed upon the Lycan King, his eyes filled with a cold intensity as if he was plotting a thousand ways to end his life.
"I hereby declare that all Dragon and Lycan relations are terminated from this day forward. You're on your own from now on, Ezra! Don't you come crying to me when you have a vampire problem because it will be your burden to bear! By dawn, you and your guards better be off my land, or I'll personally reduce you all to ashes!"
“Don’t worry, we already planned on never coming back here again,” declared Ezra, guiding his family towards the exit.
Outside, the guards awaited as they boarded the carriage one by one. Before climbing in, Visenya glanced back at the castle and locked eyes with Lucian, both exchanging condemning glares, each blaming the other for the severance of their kingdoms.
Lucian remained unfazed, confident that the Lycan King would realize his mistake and come groveling soon enough. As for Visenya, he would just have to pay her a visit after the next full moon. He was certain that when she discovers who they are to one another, she will conform like a love-sick puppy. And if she gets unruly again, then it’s a dragon-guarded tower for her.
———
—Two Months Earlier—
Visenya jolted awake as a splash of ice-cold water drenched her. Lucian loomed over her, his eyes vacant and dark. After collaring her, he confined her to a desolate cell. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her from the long, arduous journey and the torrent of tears she had shed, causing her to quickly drift into a deep sleep on the frigid, unforgiving ground.
"Get up," he commanded.
Visenya rose to her feet, her body drenched and shivering, as Lucian proceeded to bind her wrists. He led her out of the cell, pulling her along by the short chain attached to her collar. As long as she matched Lucian's pace, she could avoid the painful jolts of the sharp spikes that accompanied each tug.
Stepping outside, Visenya realized that darkness had descended. The castle's dim lighting and black-painted walls created an eternal night-like atmosphere within its confines.
Lucian abruptly halted, his gaze piercing as he turned to face her. "Listen to me, and listen good. Every action you take from this point forward will have dire consequences for those you love and care about. I will not tolerate even an ounce of disobedience from you. You be a good little slave, and your people might just make it out alive."
Visenya's brows knitted together in confusion. "I don't understand. You gave me your word that they wouldn't be harmed!"
Lucian tightened his grip on the chain, forcefully pulling her closer to him. "That depends entirely on you."
Without any further hindrance, Lucian took his dragon form and wrapped Visenya up in his tail. With a sudden burst of speed, he soared into the sky, causing Visenya to let out a piercing scream of terror as she was jolted by the force of their takeoff.