“How was I? I barely remember a thing…”

General Vakgar is looking at me through half-opened eyes. His body is sticky with the wine he spilled all over himself, his clothes bunched up in the corner of the room.

I had to take them off while he was sleeping, because I have to sell this next part as best I can.

“Amazing,” I say, leaning over the bed. “I never knew Qroq men were so… gifted.”

“Yes,” he grunts, “yes, as expected.”

“In fact, I’m still sore. Your package is way too large for me!”

Am I laying it on too thick? Can he see right through me?

“Hm. Yes. Yes, I am big. The biggest!”

“Yes, you are,” I say.

I can’t believe he’s buying this. He’s smiling smugly to himself… this is my chance.

“I’ll need a whole day to recover,” I continue. “I was wondering if I can assist the other women with plucking berries?” I rub my stomach. “That way, I’ll be ready for more tonight.”

The Qroq general scratches his belly.

“That’s lowly work, for the servants. Not for breeders!”

“Please, sir,” I say, putting on my sultriest voice. “I won’t be of any use to you today, and I am dying to see the beautiful countryside…”

Please buy it you green oaf.

“Fine,” he grunts as he rolls over. “You can watch them, but no working”

“Yes, sir.”

Oh thank god. That’s one hurdle out of the way.

* * *

The vineyard is an hour’s march away from the Fortress. The countryside is in fact rather beautiful here. We travel across a lush green meadow, a far cry from the desert plain I first saw when I arrived in this world.

Though, I have to admit I find it hard to focus with my heart beating like a war drum.

“What’s the plan?” I ask Sera with a whisper.

She’s the only friendly face in the long line of Thalanil women — the rest look at me like I’m not there.

And after what Sera told me, I can’t blame them. If all goes well, I’ll be free of the Qroq oppression, while they have to return to the Fortress.

“You’ll see,” she answers.

The long line of women is flanked on either side by a dragon rider, while a handful of Qroq guards make up the front and back of the pack.

“I thought you said there would be no dragons?”

“Normally there aren’t,” she answers. “I guess it’s because you’re here with us.”

Oh crap.

A horn sounds in the distance, the low sound echoing off the mountainside, and suddenly all hell breaks loose.

It all happens so fast I barely know where to look.

A turquoise dragon sweeps down from the mountain, his wings spread wide, his mouth open.

It’s a fearsome sight.

Sera grabs the hem of my robe and pulls me down towards the ground.

“Come here, idiot,” she bites. “Get down!”

There is pandemonium all around me, yet I’m staring at the impressive dragon like a tourist.

I still can’t believe that that dragon is Tau. My ‘melethril’. My mate.

A giant freaking fire breathing dragon.

The Thalanil women around me throw their robes to the ground, and draw blades I didn’t know they were hiding. The Qroq guards are too busy with the dragon to realize the danger until their throats have been slit.

A well-placed cone of fire, coming from my mate’s mouth, ends the life of one of the dragon riders. He falls off his red beast, and it kicks off and flies away.

The other dragon rider doesn’t let himself be taken that easily. He pulls the reigns, and to my horror, his dragon lashes out and snaps one of the Thalanil women up between its jaws. A sickening crunch later, her broken body falls to the ground.

I bury my face in the grass, covering my ears with my hands.

This can’t be happening.

That girl didn’t just die trying to get me rescued.

“Get up!” Sera says, tugging at my arms. “You’ve got to run!”

I look up.

The blue-green dragon is waiting for me, impatiently pawing the ground with its massive claws. The other dragon-rider is nowhere to be found; killed, most likely.

“Run!” Sera says again. “Now!”

“What about you?” I ask. “Can’t you all escape?”

She shakes her head. “More dragon-riders are coming. If we run, they’ll just hunt us down and punish us for it. Now hurry up and go!”

Right.

Run towards that giant, menacing dragon.

Okay.

I take a deep breath, ball my fists and sprint towards the massive beast. Or Tau. I don’t know. When I approach he lowers his back, and I climb on as best I can. I barely have time to grab his horns before he kicks off, flapping his massive wings as we take to the air.

In the distance I see the specks of dragon-riders coming towards us, the ominous Fortress of Bones in the background.

The Thalanil women quickly become as small as ants as we rise higher and higher, before we disappear into the clouds. They risked their lives — and some were killed — trying to rescue me.

I was just a nobody.

Now, I’m alien royalty.