The Dragon's Silly Captive

Sylph Cromwell is forced to take her sister Isabella's place as the bride sacrificed to Astur, the Beast King. Her father Oswald and mother Beatrice choose her because she failed her magic awakening and has no magic; Isabella awakened earth magic and is engaged to Prince Julian Aurelius. Martha Moss is sent along to spy on Astur's palace and pass secrets to Julian.

At the palace, a giant python is sent to terrify the offering. Sylph pets it and decides it must taste good grilled. Astur, crippled and poisoned, finds her interesting. Martha and the coachman are exposed as spies, and Martha tries to frame Sylph as Julian's fiancée. Astur orders both fed to the little snake. His love toxin flares, and he goes to the wedding chamber intending to use Sylph to suppress it, then let the beasts tear her apart.

In the chamber, Astur notices the scars on her hands and questions her identity. Sylph thanks him as her husband and asks for one more piece of cake. Her scent calms his boiling poison blood. He has her cleaned and brought to his room.

There, Sylph marvels at the warm blankets and refuses to take off the cloak because it is the warmest thing she has worn. Astur sees the scars on her back and learns her father, mother, sister, and Martha gave them to her, telling her it was a game. She eats one meal a day and offers to live on leftovers. Astur lets her eat. Sylph calls him a good person. He changes his mind about executing her.

Astur leaves to get medicine for her injuries. Reyn Barker, his aide, releases the beasts as originally planned. Sylph shields Astur from the beast and is struck. Astur cancels the plan and calls for a physician, who finds her uninjured, only unconscious from shock.

Sylph wakes calling out for her husband. Astur's love toxin flares again. Sylph asks to consummate