Elowen didn't know what was worse, being held captive by Magnus the Dragon King, or being held captive by Magnus the Dragon King, who was in love with her.
The air in the dungeon was frigid and smelled of musty, wet stone. Goosebumps spread over Elowen's flesh though she resisted the desire to shiver, not wanting to give the dragon king the idea that she was afraid. Instead, she glowered at him through white eyelashes.
"Tea?" Magnus offered, a self-satisfied smile upon his lips.
The wooden table and matching chair the dragon king had dragged into her cell looked out of place, especially because of how small the furniture looked compared to his large, powerful body. The teapot and teacup he held delicately in his clawed fingers looked cartoonishly tiny.
"I can't exactly drink something when my wrists are bound," she scowled. "Besides, you're deranged if you think I would take anything from you."
Magnus' smile faltered, one of his fiery amber eyes twitching. He got up from the table and brought his cup of tea over to her. His form towered over hers, tan skin littered with red scales. His black horns curved backward over his head, sticking out from thick locks of black hair that reached his waist. His reptilian tail lashed behind him as he returned Elowen's glower. He leaned closer to her, mindful of the singular curved horn on her forehead.
"Oh, but it's your favorite~. Rose tea with honey..." he crooned, bringing the teacup close enough for her to smell the rosy fragrance.
Rose tea was her favorite and the fact that he knew this about her made Elowen's skin crawl. She didn't want to know how he got that information. A hint of sickly-sweetness underneath the scent of rose and honey made her recoil, bright blue eyes widening. Did he really believe that she, the unicorn princess and guardian of the sacred forests, didn't know what Aphrodite blossom smelled like?
Elowen turned her head to the side, glaring daggers at the dragon king through locks of her waist length, white hair. "I want nothing from you. That tea is undoubtedly laced," she spat. "And if you intend to force it down my throat then you are even more of a monster than I thought."
Magnus blinked at her and growled. "It is not!" He pulled himself away from her, glaring. "I'll prove it."
Surely, he's not going to drink that...
Elowen's eyes widened as the dragon king tipped his head back and downed the entire cup of laced tea. Her jaw dropped, mind scrambling to make sense of what she'd just seen.
Her gaze drifted to the container of tea on the table. The label that read 'Rose Tea' was peeling away. Behind it was an image of an Aphrodite blossom, which looked similar to a rose, carved into the metal tin with the words 'Aphrodite's Rose Tea'. The words were written in fae... a language Magnus wasn't fluent in.
Whomever had gotten the tea must have been tricked by a sneaky unseelie and purchased the very illegal love potion by accident... Or on purpose in an attempt to be helpful to their king. Regardless, they had mislabeled it and now the dragon king was suffering the consequences.
Elowen's attention snapped back to Magnus as he set the teacup down, stumbling back against the bars of her cell. His brows furrowed as his face flushed a deep red color, eyes blinking as if trying to clear his vision.
When he lifted his gaze, settling it on her, Elowen cringed. A pink glow consumed his eyes but only briefly. When his eyes returned to normal, his haughty features softened into something dreamy and sweet. The way Magnus looked at her now brought a pale flush to her fair skin. No one had ever looked at her like that, least of all her mortal enemy.
He blinked again as he steadied himself, his eyes widening with horror. He charged toward her and Elowen braced herself for pain, expecting to be blamed for what had happened to him. But the pain never came.
"Why are you chained up like this, my love?!"
His love??
Elowen's eyes snapped open, pink lips parting but she couldn't find her words. She could only watch as the dragon king released her, catching her slender form in his arms.
"Your wrists are all red and sore..." He frowned with more remorse than she'd ever seen on him.
She stared as he rubbed her wrists gently before lowering his head to kiss the red marks her shackles had left. She squirmed in his grasp, trying to free herself but to no avail.
"Who has done this to you, my love?" Magnus asked, amber eyes blazing.
"...You did," Elowen murmured, still in shock.
The dragon king furrowed his brows. "I... I did? I don't remember that... Why would I do such a thing to the woman I love?"
Elowen's heart jumped in her chest. The sincerity in his voice making it flutter like the wings of a hummingbird. Was it worth telling him that they had been enemies for years? That he hated her because she stood in his way of conquering the sacred forests?
The softness of his gaze told her it wasn't. She had never seen him like this, so gentle and protective. Maybe it was better not to tell him... This might be her only chance to escape his castle.
Elowen put on her best, hurt and terrified look, whimpering as she spoke. "I-I don't know why you did it. I don't know what I did wrong." Crocodile tears welled up in her eyes.
Magnus' eyes widened and he clutched her tighter against his chest like she was a doll he regretted breaking. "I'm so sorry, my love." He nuzzled his face against her cheek. "I don't know how this happened but it won't happen again, I promise. Please, tell me how I can fix this. I'll do anything!"
Elowen blinked at him, forgetting her facade for a moment. His amber eyes were wide, begging her for forgiveness. It made her heart flip-flop in her chest before she regained her damsel-in-distress act.
"I-I just want to go home. Please let me go home."
"No!" Magnus sounded anxious and desperate, his roar making her flinch. The sight immediately softened him. "No, I can't do that. I have to make this up to you first," he whined.
Before she could answer, he carried her off, out of the dungeon, up to the castle proper and straight to his bedroom. What was he going to do?! Elowen tried to squirm free again but the dragon king held on tight, not letting go until they arrived and he set her down on his massive, nest-like bed.
"I know, I'll run you a nice warm bath. That's a good place to start."
She could only stare as he shuffled off into his bathroom. She could run off now... but a bath did sound nice. That dungeon had been frigid, she could sneak away afterward.
Oh how wrong she was.
After the bath came a lavish dinner. He'd given her dresses of the finest silks to wear and the food was irresistible. It was all her favorites and she was so hungry. One meal couldn't hurt, right?
She lost her chance after dinner as well, too sleepy and comfortable to resist being carried back to his bed again. The night was spent clutched in his arms like a favored teddy bear. His touch never strayed, his face buried between her shoulder blades while his tail curled around her. He purred the whole night through. It was sweet, actually. Maybe she could sneak away tomorrow.
Nope. Magnus spent weeks pampering her, never letting her out of his sight for longer than a bath. Every time she thought about escaping, her plan was foiled by some sweet gesture of his and Elowen hated to admit that she was beginning to enjoy herself. She shouldn't, he was her mortal enemy after all, but it didn't feel that way now, not when he spent every night snuggling her and purring like an giant cat.
All his doting almost distracted her from the fact that he was like this because of a love potion, almost. Why hadn't the Aphrodite blossom worn off yet? She'd never known it to last this long. It typically lasted a day, depending on the dosage. Long term effects were only achieved by repeated use. Something wasn't right...
That night, several weeks after her capture, Elowen excused herself for a bath but instead of taking one, she stood in the bathroom, listening. She heard Magnus leave the bedroom and when the door closed, she snuck out to follow him. She used a bit of her magic to make herself invisible, her quiet steps hidden by the sound of his, loud and booming. Elowen followed him down to the kitchen, slipping through the door behind him before it could close. A nervous looking servant awaited him.
"Is my tea ready?" Magnus asked, his voice coming out in the grumbling growl she was familiar with.
"Y-Yes, milord but..." the servant swallowed thickly.
"But what?" Magnus' tone sharpened as he raised a brow at the quivering servant.
"It's just... regular rose tea."
"What?! Where is my special tea?"
The servant flinched, bowing their head in an apologetic fashion. "Y-You've drank it all, sire. We haven't been able to get more due to it being outlawed."
"But... But I need it!" the dragon king bellowed in dismay, sitting down in a chair.
The servant tentatively approached their king and patted his shoulder gently. "Forgive me sire but why can you not simply tell the unicorn princess how you feel?"
"The last time I tried that, she mistook my words as a declaration of war," he grumbled. "That's what I get for trusting a poet..."
Elowen's heart pounded in her chest, bright blue eyes staring at the woeful looking dragon king from her spot by the door. That letter declaring a claim upon her and everything she held dear was a love letter?? Is that why Magnus always looked so excited when they battled each other? She'd always thought it was because he reveled in the possibility of beating her and conquering the lands she protected.
The servant sighed. "I understand... but you cannot keep dosing yourself with a love potion. It's not good for you and may lead the unicorn princess to believe that your affections are fake."
Magnus groaned, putting his face in his hands. "I knowww... but I can't do anything without it. It makes it so much easier to express myself."
Well, that explained all his pampering and purring. Warmth gathered in Elowen's heart, melting it into a gooey mess in her ribcage. Magnus didn't want to conquer her home, he wanted her heart... and it worked. She sighed and let her invisibility spell drop, startling the servant.
"M-My lady! How long have you been here?" the servant cried, causing Magnus' head to snap up. He stared at her with wide eyes.
"Long enough," Elowen replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "...so the dragon king is in love with me?"
Her teasing tone and playful smile made Magnus' face turn almost as red as his scales. "Y-Yes..."
The servant slipped out of the kitchen to give them some privacy as Elowen approached the sheepish dragon king.
"And that declaration of war was just a poorly written love letter?"
Magnus nodded, fidgeting in his seat and averting his gaze.
Elowen ran her fingers along his jawline, lifting his chin so he would meet her gaze. "And you've been dosing yourself with a love potion just to woo me?"
The dragon king melted under her touch, looking at her with adoring eyes. "Yes... I-I didn't know what else to do."
Her gaze softened and she cupped his face in her hands, melting him further. His large clawed hands curled delicately around her wrists. "Why didn't you say something when I misunderstood your declaration?"
"I tried at our first battle but I couldn't get the words out," he sighed. "And then I was captivated by your strength in battle... I-I fell even harder and began using our battles as an excuse to see you."
Elowen laughed softly and sighed. "I can't believe I didn't notice it sooner. You're just a hopeless romantic, aren't you?"
He nodded again, still sheepish and blushing a dark red. "Does... Does this mean you aren't mad? A-About being held here and everything else I've done? I pretended to forget about my past transgressions..."
"I was mad but honestly being here has been lovely. You're rather sweet when you want to be but your servant is right. A love potion isn't good for you... so if you promise not to use it anymore I will let you continue to court me."
"I promise!" Magnus cried, pulling her into his arms. "I'll do anything to win your heart, my love."
Elowen laughed again, leaning closer. "You already have it, you silly dragon," she said, kissing him softly. How could she resist loving someone so sweet?
Magnus let out a low rumbling purr, his tail wagging as he returned her soft kiss. When it broke, he looked at her like she'd hung the stars, pulling her even closer. "Does this mean you'll marry me? I don't want to fight any more."
"In time. I want to see how sweet you can he without a poorly labeled love potion. Let's start with a peace treaty first, okay?"
"Of course, my love. Anything for you."
Elowen smiled and kissed him again.
Maybe being held captive by Magnus the dragon king, who was in love with her, wasn't so bad.
♡♡♡♡
The air in the dungeon was frigid and smelled of musty, wet stone. Goosebumps spread over Elowen's flesh though she resisted the desire to shiver, not wanting to give the dragon king the idea that she was afraid. Instead, she glowered at him through white eyelashes.
"Tea?" Magnus offered, a self-satisfied smile upon his lips.
The wooden table and matching chair the dragon king had dragged into her cell looked out of place, especially because of how small the furniture looked compared to his large, powerful body. The teapot and teacup he held delicately in his clawed fingers looked cartoonishly tiny.
"I can't exactly drink something when my wrists are bound," she scowled. "Besides, you're deranged if you think I would take anything from you."
Magnus' smile faltered, one of his fiery amber eyes twitching. He got up from the table and brought his cup of tea over to her. His form towered over hers, tan skin littered with red scales. His black horns curved backward over his head, sticking out from thick locks of black hair that reached his waist. His reptilian tail lashed behind him as he returned Elowen's glower. He leaned closer to her, mindful of the singular curved horn on her forehead.
"Oh, but it's your favorite~. Rose tea with honey..." he crooned, bringing the teacup close enough for her to smell the rosy fragrance.
Rose tea was her favorite and the fact that he knew this about her made Elowen's skin crawl. She didn't want to know how he got that information. A hint of sickly-sweetness underneath the scent of rose and honey made her recoil, bright blue eyes widening. Did he really believe that she, the unicorn princess and guardian of the sacred forests, didn't know what Aphrodite blossom smelled like?
Elowen turned her head to the side, glaring daggers at the dragon king through locks of her waist length, white hair. "I want nothing from you. That tea is undoubtedly laced," she spat. "And if you intend to force it down my throat then you are even more of a monster than I thought."
Magnus blinked at her and growled. "It is not!" He pulled himself away from her, glaring. "I'll prove it."
Surely, he's not going to drink that...
Elowen's eyes widened as the dragon king tipped his head back and downed the entire cup of laced tea. Her jaw dropped, mind scrambling to make sense of what she'd just seen.
Her gaze drifted to the container of tea on the table. The label that read 'Rose Tea' was peeling away. Behind it was an image of an Aphrodite blossom, which looked similar to a rose, carved into the metal tin with the words 'Aphrodite's Rose Tea'. The words were written in fae... a language Magnus wasn't fluent in.
Whomever had gotten the tea must have been tricked by a sneaky unseelie and purchased the very illegal love potion by accident... Or on purpose in an attempt to be helpful to their king. Regardless, they had mislabeled it and now the dragon king was suffering the consequences.
Elowen's attention snapped back to Magnus as he set the teacup down, stumbling back against the bars of her cell. His brows furrowed as his face flushed a deep red color, eyes blinking as if trying to clear his vision.
When he lifted his gaze, settling it on her, Elowen cringed. A pink glow consumed his eyes but only briefly. When his eyes returned to normal, his haughty features softened into something dreamy and sweet. The way Magnus looked at her now brought a pale flush to her fair skin. No one had ever looked at her like that, least of all her mortal enemy.
He blinked again as he steadied himself, his eyes widening with horror. He charged toward her and Elowen braced herself for pain, expecting to be blamed for what had happened to him. But the pain never came.
"Why are you chained up like this, my love?!"
His love??
Elowen's eyes snapped open, pink lips parting but she couldn't find her words. She could only watch as the dragon king released her, catching her slender form in his arms.
"Your wrists are all red and sore..." He frowned with more remorse than she'd ever seen on him.
She stared as he rubbed her wrists gently before lowering his head to kiss the red marks her shackles had left. She squirmed in his grasp, trying to free herself but to no avail.
"Who has done this to you, my love?" Magnus asked, amber eyes blazing.
"...You did," Elowen murmured, still in shock.
The dragon king furrowed his brows. "I... I did? I don't remember that... Why would I do such a thing to the woman I love?"
Elowen's heart jumped in her chest. The sincerity in his voice making it flutter like the wings of a hummingbird. Was it worth telling him that they had been enemies for years? That he hated her because she stood in his way of conquering the sacred forests?
The softness of his gaze told her it wasn't. She had never seen him like this, so gentle and protective. Maybe it was better not to tell him... This might be her only chance to escape his castle.
Elowen put on her best, hurt and terrified look, whimpering as she spoke. "I-I don't know why you did it. I don't know what I did wrong." Crocodile tears welled up in her eyes.
Magnus' eyes widened and he clutched her tighter against his chest like she was a doll he regretted breaking. "I'm so sorry, my love." He nuzzled his face against her cheek. "I don't know how this happened but it won't happen again, I promise. Please, tell me how I can fix this. I'll do anything!"
Elowen blinked at him, forgetting her facade for a moment. His amber eyes were wide, begging her for forgiveness. It made her heart flip-flop in her chest before she regained her damsel-in-distress act.
"I-I just want to go home. Please let me go home."
"No!" Magnus sounded anxious and desperate, his roar making her flinch. The sight immediately softened him. "No, I can't do that. I have to make this up to you first," he whined.
Before she could answer, he carried her off, out of the dungeon, up to the castle proper and straight to his bedroom. What was he going to do?! Elowen tried to squirm free again but the dragon king held on tight, not letting go until they arrived and he set her down on his massive, nest-like bed.
"I know, I'll run you a nice warm bath. That's a good place to start."
She could only stare as he shuffled off into his bathroom. She could run off now... but a bath did sound nice. That dungeon had been frigid, she could sneak away afterward.
Oh how wrong she was.
After the bath came a lavish dinner. He'd given her dresses of the finest silks to wear and the food was irresistible. It was all her favorites and she was so hungry. One meal couldn't hurt, right?
She lost her chance after dinner as well, too sleepy and comfortable to resist being carried back to his bed again. The night was spent clutched in his arms like a favored teddy bear. His touch never strayed, his face buried between her shoulder blades while his tail curled around her. He purred the whole night through. It was sweet, actually. Maybe she could sneak away tomorrow.
Nope. Magnus spent weeks pampering her, never letting her out of his sight for longer than a bath. Every time she thought about escaping, her plan was foiled by some sweet gesture of his and Elowen hated to admit that she was beginning to enjoy herself. She shouldn't, he was her mortal enemy after all, but it didn't feel that way now, not when he spent every night snuggling her and purring like an giant cat.
All his doting almost distracted her from the fact that he was like this because of a love potion, almost. Why hadn't the Aphrodite blossom worn off yet? She'd never known it to last this long. It typically lasted a day, depending on the dosage. Long term effects were only achieved by repeated use. Something wasn't right...
That night, several weeks after her capture, Elowen excused herself for a bath but instead of taking one, she stood in the bathroom, listening. She heard Magnus leave the bedroom and when the door closed, she snuck out to follow him. She used a bit of her magic to make herself invisible, her quiet steps hidden by the sound of his, loud and booming. Elowen followed him down to the kitchen, slipping through the door behind him before it could close. A nervous looking servant awaited him.
"Is my tea ready?" Magnus asked, his voice coming out in the grumbling growl she was familiar with.
"Y-Yes, milord but..." the servant swallowed thickly.
"But what?" Magnus' tone sharpened as he raised a brow at the quivering servant.
"It's just... regular rose tea."
"What?! Where is my special tea?"
The servant flinched, bowing their head in an apologetic fashion. "Y-You've drank it all, sire. We haven't been able to get more due to it being outlawed."
"But... But I need it!" the dragon king bellowed in dismay, sitting down in a chair.
The servant tentatively approached their king and patted his shoulder gently. "Forgive me sire but why can you not simply tell the unicorn princess how you feel?"
"The last time I tried that, she mistook my words as a declaration of war," he grumbled. "That's what I get for trusting a poet..."
Elowen's heart pounded in her chest, bright blue eyes staring at the woeful looking dragon king from her spot by the door. That letter declaring a claim upon her and everything she held dear was a love letter?? Is that why Magnus always looked so excited when they battled each other? She'd always thought it was because he reveled in the possibility of beating her and conquering the lands she protected.
The servant sighed. "I understand... but you cannot keep dosing yourself with a love potion. It's not good for you and may lead the unicorn princess to believe that your affections are fake."
Magnus groaned, putting his face in his hands. "I knowww... but I can't do anything without it. It makes it so much easier to express myself."
Well, that explained all his pampering and purring. Warmth gathered in Elowen's heart, melting it into a gooey mess in her ribcage. Magnus didn't want to conquer her home, he wanted her heart... and it worked. She sighed and let her invisibility spell drop, startling the servant.
"M-My lady! How long have you been here?" the servant cried, causing Magnus' head to snap up. He stared at her with wide eyes.
"Long enough," Elowen replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "...so the dragon king is in love with me?"
Her teasing tone and playful smile made Magnus' face turn almost as red as his scales. "Y-Yes..."
The servant slipped out of the kitchen to give them some privacy as Elowen approached the sheepish dragon king.
"And that declaration of war was just a poorly written love letter?"
Magnus nodded, fidgeting in his seat and averting his gaze.
Elowen ran her fingers along his jawline, lifting his chin so he would meet her gaze. "And you've been dosing yourself with a love potion just to woo me?"
The dragon king melted under her touch, looking at her with adoring eyes. "Yes... I-I didn't know what else to do."
Her gaze softened and she cupped his face in her hands, melting him further. His large clawed hands curled delicately around her wrists. "Why didn't you say something when I misunderstood your declaration?"
"I tried at our first battle but I couldn't get the words out," he sighed. "And then I was captivated by your strength in battle... I-I fell even harder and began using our battles as an excuse to see you."
Elowen laughed softly and sighed. "I can't believe I didn't notice it sooner. You're just a hopeless romantic, aren't you?"
He nodded again, still sheepish and blushing a dark red. "Does... Does this mean you aren't mad? A-About being held here and everything else I've done? I pretended to forget about my past transgressions..."
"I was mad but honestly being here has been lovely. You're rather sweet when you want to be but your servant is right. A love potion isn't good for you... so if you promise not to use it anymore I will let you continue to court me."
"I promise!" Magnus cried, pulling her into his arms. "I'll do anything to win your heart, my love."
Elowen laughed again, leaning closer. "You already have it, you silly dragon," she said, kissing him softly. How could she resist loving someone so sweet?
Magnus let out a low rumbling purr, his tail wagging as he returned her soft kiss. When it broke, he looked at her like she'd hung the stars, pulling her even closer. "Does this mean you'll marry me? I don't want to fight any more."
"In time. I want to see how sweet you can he without a poorly labeled love potion. Let's start with a peace treaty first, okay?"
"Of course, my love. Anything for you."
Elowen smiled and kissed him again.
♡♡♡♡
Maybe being held captive by Magnus the dragon king, who was in love with her, wasn't so bad.