Bride of th Dragon King -Now published through Lulu.com. Sample only!!!

Chapter Twenty One: The Price Of Love

Elisabeth was in total disbelief. Did he actually just tell her she was pregnant? She looked at him in fear. Even more tears began to steam down her face.

"How! How could you!", she cried, "You just went ahead, and impregnated me!? How dare you! The abdominal pain wasn't a blocked intestine, was it? What almost killed me!?"

"When I first brought you here, I asked Elaga to go through your things.", he replied, "I wanted to make sure you weren't taking some kind of an oral contraceptive. Sometimes I forget just how removed form the world Elaga, and my daughters, truly are. The reason why Elaga didn't find them, was because she didn't know to look for a compact. She only found your vitamins. If I had known that you were taking a contraceptive, I would have waited until you had finished your monthly supply. I put a potion in the wine, at the picnic. It was the same one I gave to Elsbeth when we decided to conceive. It strengthens a human egg. Elsbeth carried her eggs for three months. Unless put into stasis, an egg is then left in a rookery for about four months. Then the egg will hatch. If either of you carried a dragon, in the womb, it would have killed you and the hatchling. Even a dragon hybrid would have been dangerous. That's why neither one of you could carry a hatchling. Instead of the egg dissolving, like in normal human reproduction, the womb would form around the egg. Since you took a contraceptive, it made your body fight the egg. Your body was trying to reject it, but the egg itself was too strong. It was as if your body, and the egg were at war. If I hadn't taken you to the cave that night, Your body would have been ripped apart. So, I chanted a spell to negate the effects of the contraceptive. I also took the opportunity to bless you with my immortality. After you woke up, I decided to pleasure you. Then you fell back to sleep, and you woke up in the cottage. You just assumed it was all a dream."

"My God!",cried Elisabeth, "Ovum, that's why you were chanting the word ovum! Why!? I don't understand! Why would you impregnate me without my consent?! You brag about not ever mistreating women. You act like you were better that Francis, or Addrick. But it's a lot easier for you, isn't it? You don't have to used physical violence. You use manipulation, and sex. If they had your power, would they have been as violent? Would Elaga or Elsbeth still been beaten as they had been?"

"Elisabeth.", Constantine began, "Maybe they wouldn't have been beaten as much, but they still would've been beaten. If they had been perfect, or did as they were told, it wouldn't have mattered. Those true demons would have looked for any excuse. Both were angry men who needed an outlet for their aggression. Both liked the power they had over their supposed loved ones. It gave them a since of euphoria. How pathetic it is to have an addiction to violence. As for impregnating you, without your consent, I'm sorry, but we need to start procreating. You are now one month pregnant, in two months you will give birth to an egg. We need twenty males. That mean you will be impregnated every three months. Don't worry, birthing an egg is a lot easier than birthing a baby."

"So, so what?", she asked, "You're just going to turn me into a living incubator? I'm a person, I'm not a factory. Is that all I am to you? Do you even love me, or do you love who you want me to be!? Why is it so damn important to you to start immediately procreating!?"  Tears began to well up in Constantine eyes.

"Elisabeth!", he proclaimed, "You have to know that's not true!  Please, tell me you know that's not true!"

"I don't know what to believe.", she told him, "I thought you loved me, it's Elsbeth that you love. I know that I was her in a previous life, but I'm not her anymore. My name is Elizabeth, it's not Elsbeth. Not only that, but you lied to me. You made up a festival, why?  So you could dress me up as a doll, and have your little dream wedding."

"No.", said Constantine, "I did it for you. I wanted you to have a beautiful wedding.  One that only you deserve. The one that you had been planning, it's not going to happen. Josh denied you of that. I wanted to give it to you. Maybe I tricked you, but I am still the man you fell in love with. If I had told you the truth, you would have just seen me a beast. As you said I am beautiful, but as a work of art, as a lover. Elisabeth, if I wanted to, I could erase you memories of who you are. You would only have Elsbeth's memories, and Elisabeth would ceased to exist. But, I won't do that. I love you.  Yes I loved Elsbeth, but I love you as well. Please, be my wife."

"No.", cried Elisabeth, "If you love me, you'll let me go. Please just let Josh, and I go."  He looked at her with sadness.

"I can't.", he told her, "I let Elsbeth go to save Katherine. I loved Elsbeth enough to do that for her. I've already made that sacrifice. I'm sorry, that you have to keep a promise that you didn't make. When we all went into stasis, Elaga didn't even realize that she slept for five hundred years. It just felt like a good night sleep to her. The hatchlings didn't dream at all. Father Francis started his penance. It was hell on him, but he deserved it. Dragons, however, dream in real time. Not only that, but we are aware of the world, and what happens in it. Not including deep sleep, I was aware for two and fifty years, and I waited patiently for you. I'm not letting you go. You can't leave anyway. No one can enter, or leave this village unless I allow it."

"You said the same thing about the cave.", said Elisabeth, "But Francis got in without your help." 

"Trust me, that would be impossible now.", he replied, "Even if it were possible, I'm sure you wouldn't want to get out that way."  Elisabeth looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?", she asked. Constantine then turned to Father Francis.

"Go ahead,Francis.", said Constantine, "Tell her how you got in the cave by yourself."  Father Francis closed his eyes. Elisabeth could tell that he was ashamed of something.

"One night, I saw the dragon fly into the mountain." said Father Francis, I wanted revenge. Revenge for killing Addrick, for permanently scaring me, and for killing my daughter. I lied to everyone, including the Queen. I said that I was on a diplomatic mission. I didn't want anyone to know the truth. I actually met with a dark mage. He gave me temporary power to enter the cave on my own. But there was a hefty price, I sold my soul to the devil.  If my soul was to be Damned for all eternity, then so be it. I just wanted the dragon, the last dragon, dead.  Except when I got there, I didn't find the dragon. I found my dead daughter alive, carrying the dragon's child. I had condemned my soul for no reason. I didn't see her as a daughter. I felt as though she was the one who sold my soul. So out of anger, I killed what I thought was a whore, and a traitor. But I was wrong!  EVERY NIGHT I SEE MYSELF STAB HER!  AND EVERY NIGHT I FEEL THE PHYSICAL, AND MENTAL ANGUISH THAT I CAUSED HER!  That I caused you. After we awoke, from our five hundred year stasis, Constantine took me to a seminary. He explained to the priests what happened. They couldn't guarantee that it will work, but they said I could join the priesthood. Maybe, my faith could  render the dark agreement null and void."

"Even if I wanted to let you go.", Constantine began, "I can't. I don't want the outside world to know of all of our existence. I don't want my family hurt.  Elsbeth resisted at first, It took her a year to not hate me. Then it took her another year to fall on love with me. You already love me. You will soon realize that you are my beautiful angel, my Elisabeth, and my love. And soon, the mother of my son."  Elisabeth looked at him in rage.

"I HATE YOU!"she cried, "I hate you for deceiving me, raping me, and impregnating me!  Come on!  You say you won't hurt a woman!  LET'S SEE IF I CAN FIND YOUR BREAKING POINT!"  With that, full of rage, she began pounding her fists into him. She was screaming, and crying at him. But he refused to hurt her. Finally she began to tire, from her furious rampage towards him. As her punches began slowing down, he gently wrapped his arms around her. As he held her, she was began to stop hitting him. She stopped fight him, and returned the embrace.  While holding her, he began rubbing her back.  Still crying, she was desperate for comfort. She then laid her head against his chest, and continued to cry.

"Shh...", he whispered, "It's okay, I'm here. I will always love you. Even times that you hate me, it won't matter. I will love you unconditionally Besides, sometimes hate is just misunderstood passion. Right now you hate me, because you love me. The hate you feel is because you feel betrayed by the one you love. I will never harm you like Addrick did to Elsbeth. Also, I will Always be faithful, unlike Josh. I will not share my bed with another woman, only you Elisabeth. Only you."

She looked up at him, she didn't know what to think. She was scared, but he was right. The only reason she hated him, was because she loved him. She looked into his deep blue eyes. They were hypnotic, as usual. He smiled at her, and gently caressed her cheek.   It was at that moment that she heard a small child's voice in her head.

"It's me Mommy!" he said, "I love you Mommy! Please love me, please be my Mommy!"

"Who are You?", cried Elisabeth.
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