I woke up sore, but blissful. My throat was a bit angry again, so I rolled to Gael to request more of that tea. But instead of the hunky, furnace-warm Prince, there was only empty bed. I sat up in concern, and tried to call for him, but I found my voice had returned to its raspy state. I could barely eek out above a whisper.
Wrapping myself in the clearly expensive sheeting, I peeked my head out of the door to see an unfamiliar, empty hall. Curious, I padded out onto the stone floor until I found the staircase that I recognized as the naturally carved staircase that I had seen on my first visit. I was in the Prince’s cave-set home, just on the second floor.
I rasped for him again, and I heard a clatter from the kitchen and the sound of dashing footsteps. He appeared at the bottom of the steps, face flushed and smiling like a husband after a wedding night. Wow, he made me feel like the most magical, desirable woman in…however many universes there were. I honestly wasn’t sure at this point.
“You’re awake!” he said. “How are you feeling? Are you alright?”
I nodded, but gestured to my throat.
“Oh, of course! I’ll make more tea. I made you breakfast as well.”
Before I could even move, he bounded up the stairs until he was beside me. Offering me his arm, he practically glowed as he beamed at me. “When I woke this morning, I almost expected you to have disappeared like a dream. But you were still there, like some goddess that I could only ever dream of.”
“Wow, you really know how to talk to a girl, don’t you?”
He shrugged as we descended. “I just think it is silly to act as if I do not feel the way I do. I am drawn to you. Why hide that? If you are using me, then so be it, that is something only time will tell.”
“Well, it’s refreshing. And fyi, I’m not planning any sort of dramatic betrayals currently.”
“Currently?”
“You never know,” I said with a mischievous wink.
He laughed as he deposited me at the same table we had first eaten together, then busied himself once more. It was soothing to watch the giant of a man be so entrenched in taking care of me. I certainly was no virgin, but I had never had a partner who seemed so enraptured with just the idea of me. Gael was clearly not a one night stand kind of man.
And yet, he wasn’t coming on too strong. I felt like I could say I wasn’t interested and had fallen madly in love with his rival, and he would bow and escort me to him without an objection. That wasn’t to say he was some sort of whipped, lovesick puppy. He wouldn’t let me just betray his people, or try to harm anyone, but he didn’t seem to have the same ideas of possessing a woman as property as everyone else did—even the Queen.
He turned to me, setting a block of thin wood in front of me that was piled with food—only some of which I recognized. It was far too much for me to eat in one sitting, so I pushed it to the center, figuring we would share. That was, until the Prince set another small wooden square at his own seat that had easily twice as much savory fare.
Subtly, I pulled my own plank back to me and started to dig in. I briefly had the worry that maybe some of this dragon food wouldn’t be digestible to me, but I doubted the Prince would make such an error and quickly dismissed it.
“I sent a hawk to the tailor again this morning. No doubt she will be pleased at how full her purse is this moon. I’m taking you to the Queen again on the morrow.”
I looked up, my mouth embarrassingly full of some sort of mushroom looking thing. It took me several seconds to chew and swallow, but the Prince waited patiently. “Why? Isn’t she going to be pissed that you went against her orders and took me out of the pens?”
“I saved your life. She will surely understand.” His large hand reached forward to wrap around my own. It was so tender, I didn’t quite know how to react. This was so different than relationships in my time, where everyone was trying not to get hurt or end up the idiot. Somehow this Champion could be so honest and open, and still in a position of great power. “After Cyphus, it is clear you are a valuable addition to our people. I will be requesting you to be adopted by her, to be an honorary child of the Mountain.”
Okay, now I set the fork down. “Wait, you can do that?”
He nodded. “You need a sponsor, but with me backing you and you already saving us from total distinction, I do not foresee there being much objection.”
I had a hard time believing that these proud—and somewhat racist—people would let me in just like that. “Has that ever happened before? A non-dragon being adopted? Like, is this a thing, or some obscure loophole that you’re trying to exploit?”
“There have been a handful of other instances. Long ago, there was a dwarf who risked her life to ferry a stolen egg from a foreign land all the way back to its home. An Elf who cured the scale rot that was plaguing the mountain. A nymph whose forest was felled by humans, and came to my ancestors, begging for asylum. In the end, she is the one who helped them create the impressive gardens you see sprawling through all our territory. In fact, the whole meadow was her work.”
“That’s impressive,” I admitted. But gone was the afterglow of a great night’s romp, and my mind was already spinning with political intrigue. “But never a human?”
“No. Never a human.”
“So, what is your plan if they refuse?”
“They will not.”
I sent him a quizzical look to see if he thought he was being funny, but he just seemed surprised that I would even question my acceptance into his people. A bit odd considering that his royal had basically sentenced me to be breeding stock.
“But what if they do? You always need to have a backup plan in mind. I don’t know enough of your laws, your customs or anything really to defend myself, so I can only rely on you and the dreams. Please, you have to be more reliable than my dreams.” Because I was running out of insider knowledge I could impress them with. The book I had read had only been the first of a series from an alternate timeline. How much longer would I be able to rely on its accuracy for my ‘prophecies’?
“Lady Mercedes, you need not worry. I have sworn myself to your protection, and I will not let you leave my side again.”
“Even if your Queen directly forbids it?”
At that he paused, and I saw a struggle play over his features. It must be difficult to be so loyal and just, but knowing that the Queen you served was making terrible decisions. “I will find a way.”
That was probably as much as I was going to get out of him for now, so I let it go. “Thank you, Gael. I trust you, it’s just the others I’m not so sure of.”
He let out a hum of agreement. “After your exposure of Cyphus, I am troubled with the thought that he might not be alone in his betrayal. Surely he had to have someone to conspire with?”
I realized he was looking to me expectantly, and I shrugged. “I will try to request an answer from the dreamscape, but I have only seen what I have already told you.”
I felt kind of bad lying to the Prince like this, but I still wasn’t ready to explain everything. Despite our tryst, and his utter trust of me, I knew revealing that I was secretly a woman from another, more modern dimension was going to be a bit much.
“I see. You have my utter gratitude for everything you have done already. Perhaps someday I can take you to the Vannin hatching grounds? They are truly beautiful.”
I smiled. “I would like that, once everything is settled.” I let silence fall for a few seconds before moving onto the subject I needed to address. “But I need you to promise something to me.”
He looked up from his plate, expression so trusting and happy. Boy, was I about to break that mood. “If I’m going to be saving your people, I need you to save mine.”
“What do you mean?”
“The breeding pens are evil. And you know it. If I’m going to be risking my life to make sure your people survive the threat of the royals, I need you to stop the breeding program.”
“That is a very difficult thing you ask.”
“I’m well aware. I know what your Queen ordered, and I know she only ordered it because refusing might cause revolt.” It was difficult to hold my ground, but I had a duty. Even if some of my fellow humans had tried to strangle me to death. “I’m not asking you to stride in tomorrow and demand their freedom. I’m asking you to stall at first, maybe insist that they need to be checked for diseases, and fertility. Anything that will buy me time to ingratiate myself to your Queen and get her to reverse her decision. There will be no more Ashlynnes.”
He didn’t answer for several moments, and I was a bit concerned that I had pushed too far. When he finally spoke, I was relieved to hear the conviction in his voice. “I swear that I will do all that I can to ensure the future safety of your people.”
“Thank you. I know the weight that carries, and believe me I am appreciative.” I dug into the food again, feeling like I was on much sturdier ground than I had been yesterday…or whatever day it was when I had been attacked. I really needed to get better about keeping track of the time. What if bills were due back in my home world? Was Abuela’s house going to become derelict? Did my friends think I was dead?
It was probably silly to be so concerned with such mundane things when literal extinction was on the line, but that was where my mind went. Maybe it was my subconscious trying to hold onto some shred of normalcy when my new reality consisted of sleeping with princes and navigating the political machinations of mythological creatures.
“So, why didn’t you guys just go in your two-legged form to some villages, pay some humans to be your surrogates, then go about your merry way? Like, a couple of golden scales, or protection, lots of food, or even gems? Surrogacy is very common and respected from where I come from. I’m sure you could find at least a dozen or so willing participants.”
He stopped mid-chew, his fork halfway down to the table. “We…we never thought of that.”
“Really? You guys are ageless, powerful beings who are struggling against the current greed of humankind didn’t use said greed to pay for the services of humans who would be willing to have a child to help you?”
“No.”
“Huh, that’s a bit eye opening.”
“This must be why you were sent to us. In our desperation, it’s clear that we became too similar to the very people destroying us. It will take time, but I am sure that you will be able to turn the tides.”
“Huh, no pressure, right?”
“It is certainly a heavy load. But as long as we move forward carefully, I believe we can right this wrong and rebound against the humans.”
“Good, because right now it’s a bit difficult to identify who the good guys are in this situation. You want to end up on the right part of history? Then act like it.”
He nodded gravely, not trying to argue with me, or excuse their actions. It was definitely refreshing. I had an ally in the white-haired Prince, no matter what happened with whatever it was going on between us.
“Well, I think that’s enough political intrigue for now,” I said with a nervous laugh. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself.”
“Of course, what would you want to know?”
“I dunno,” I murmured. “Surprise me.”
We sank into conversation, waiting for the tailor to arrive. And as I learned of the Prince’s past, I learned of the dragons as well. I was one step closer to saving my people, and the dragons.
Only about a billion more to go.
*
For the second time in less than a week, I found myself strolling to the Court of Champions, arm in arm with the Prince. Now, even more people were stopping to stare, but this time I looked each of them in the face. On the long walk to the meeting place, I counted less than one hundred citizens total. I was sure I was missing a few, but all in all, the dragon’s head count was abysmally low.
We would need drastic action if we were going to bring them back from the edge. At this rate, the loss of even one dragon was practically a full percentage loss of their whole population. That kind of day-to-day pressure had to be insane. No wonder the Queen had made the decisions she did. She was wrong, but I understood why.
“Another meeting called in less than a moon?” A smooth, familiar voice sounded from just above us. I looked up, and Myrik was perched on a ledge, eating what looked like a pale blue apple. Because he needed more of a way to look like an asshole, apparently. “Subtlety has never been your specialty, has it?”
“Myrik,” the Prince said flatly. “Perhaps some of us just prefer to state our intentions outright instead of sneaking about in the shadows.”
“And some of us prefer to actually achieve our goals. But each to our own.” He dropped down beside us, not even a hair out of place. He paused for a moment, then wrinkled his nose. “If you’re going to be so obvious about your attachment to this human, you could at least wash your scent from all over her.”
I blushed vibrantly, unsure if he was bluffing or not. Idly, the Advisor reached out and dragged his nail down my arm.
“Ow! What the hell,” I yelped, whipping the limb away as a thin line of blood welled up.
The Prince growled loudly, and yanked me away from the darker haired man. “Myrik, you go too far!”
But he just looked past the Prince, locking eyes with me. “Rub that along your arms, under your sleeves. That should help cover the scent and keep the Court from noticing too easily. Keep your distance if you can.” He turned to walk ahead of us, but paused and gave me the cockiest smile. “And if you do sit, try to keep your thighs together, okay?”
“Only if you promise to keep your lips shut just as tightly,” I snapped back with my own overly bright smile.
That sparked a bark of laughter from him, and once more he turned to go ahead.
The Prince was obviously bristling as we continued on himself, but I busied myself with doing as Myrik had advised. I wasn’t ashamed of sleeping with the royal, but I didn’t want the other dragons to misconstrue either of our intentions.
We reached the ornate meeting place and took the same places as we had previously. This time we did not greet any others, but I noticed that half of the Court seemed to be eying the Prince with admiration, and the other half were glowering at me like I was the next plague to beset their people. I tried not to let it get to me. Soon I was going to be one of them, fingers crossed.
Also unlike last time, there was silence as we waited for the Queen to arrive. There was a thick tension that wasn’t at the previous meeting, and it was a bit soul crushing to know that was one hundred percent due to me.
“My Champions,” she began yet again. “Our last meeting did not conclude as is tradition. I apologize to all of you for allowing such a weak brother into our fold, and I pray that you forgive me for my transgression.”
Well, that was not at all what I was expecting. The monarchy of the dragons was very different from the human one, that was for sure. She was almost like an elected official, but instead of getting impeached, she would be overthrown. I would have to need to investigate more what exactly that would entail, but it sounded a lot like death. “But, due to the betrayal and information revealed by Cyphus, a meeting has been called again by Prince Gael. I ask you all to join me in keeping our minds open to his new plea.”
About half the Court nodded, and the other half remained completely still. This was not going to be an easy crowd to win.
“Your Majesty,” the Prince said, standing to his full height on his podium.
“My child,” she answered. “I see you have custody of the human woman, and have had her in your residence for at least two nights. This goes against the previous orders I gave, no matter how our previous court ended. Please, explain why you violated my word.”
“Actually, Myrik made sure your decree was followed to the letter. He returned the woman to the pens. It was only the next day, when I went to check on her well-being, when I barely arrived in time to save her from a certain death.”
“Oh? Death. There is a story to tell.”
“Yes. Unfortunately, the humans thought she was a traitor to them due to her exposure of Cyphus. I found them beating her in the meadow, their hands wrapped around her throat.” He looked to me. “Show her Majesty.”
I stepped forward to the center of the court yet again, the whole scene playing itself out like some freaky de ja vu. Carefully, I removed the delicate fabric tied about my throat, showing off the now yellow and brown bruises that dappled my skin. The Queen’s face remained mostly impassive, but her white brows did come together to form a concerned knit.
“I see. Thank you, Gael, for securing the interest of our people. And you, Lady Mercedes, I apologize for the danger you were put into. That is not how we should repay you for saving an entire generation.”
“No, it isn’t,” the Prince continued. “The only reason any of us have children to look forward to, or a reason to live, is because of this woman standing before us. She did not need to tell us of Cyphus’ collusion with the humans. In fact, it most likely would have behooved her not to. And yet she put everything on the line to protect us. Surely that proves her loyalty more than anything else she could do.”
The corner of the Queen’s mouth raised the tiniest of hairs. I got the distinct feeling that she was very much on the Prince’s side, but had to remain impartial as their ruler. “It is certainly a very grand gesture.”
“It is. And that is why I would offer myself as her sponsor, to join our people as a child of the Mountain.”
At that an uproar broke out. A few clapped, a few just stared in shock, but mostly there were cries of objection. I heard everything from slurs, to shouts of honor and tradition, but I kept my eyes forward and on the Queen. She returned my gaze in kind, unstirred by the chaos, and in those depths, I glimpsed boundless wisdom and patience. This monarch may have been incredibly old, but she was in no way senile. I had no doubt that without the pressure of her people, she never would have chosen the breeding pens as a last resort.
She let the yelling go on for a full minute, never letting her gaze stray from mine, until she held up a hand. Just like before, they all cut themselves off, and the silence was almost just as deafening.
“A bold suggestion. And you are willing to tie all of your wealth, your reputation, even your title to a stranger who happened to be kidnapped by a brother of the Court?”
I barely resisted my mouth dropping open at that. I had no idea the Prince was putting all that on the line for me. “Yes. I am. I trust Lady Mercedes more than I would some of my fellow dragons.”
There was a ripple or discontent at that, but both ignored it.
“Then I have no choice but to accept—”
“I claim the right of Dragonfire!”
I looked to the voice to see a dragon I didn’t know the name of. I was surprised to realize the call was a woman, as I hadn’t noticed any the previous time. Her skin was even lighter than the Prince’s almost completely devoid of any color. Her eyes were a light pink, and everything else was just as washed out as her skin. I was fairly certain she was an albino, but I didn’t know if that was something that could affect dragons, or her unusual coloring was just considered a natural variation.
“Dwyllverys,” the Queen murmured. “It pleases me to see that you have returned to our home, but I must ask you why you contest the Prince’s sponsorship.”
“I don’t,” the woman murmured. Her voice was much quieter than I expected. Wispy, like a sigh that was half finished, or a breeze caught amongst too many leaves. “But I know what it is like to be different in a circle full of men who are too used to power belonging only to them. She is a woman, and a human. No matter what she does, there are those among this Court who will fight her, tooth and nail, costing us precious time and resources. Should she pass the dragon fire, no one could question her ability, or loyalty.”
“An interesting gamble,” Myrik said, his first words since the meeting started. “She could die, and then all would be lost.”
“I have faith that she will not. Otherwise, the Prince never would have sponsored her.”
“Such faith in a man less than two centuries old.”
“Quiet children.” The Queen sat to her full height, and not for the first time I was reminded of what a massive humanoid she was. “Dwyllverys, I fully appreciate your call, but at this time I do not think it is necessary to risk the life of a possible see—”
“I second the call to Dragonfire.”
“As do I!”
“As do I!”
A chorus of shouts rose among the ranks and for the first time I saw the Queen cut herself off. She sat, listening for several more moments, and in those breaths of reflection I saw that she had such little power after all. She could no more say no to these calling Champions than I could have fought off all the humans in the pens. She was playing a game, one she had been at for quite a long time.
Unlike every other time, she let the voices run their course, waiting for them to spend themselves. More than anything I wanted to look back to the Prince, but I was also afraid of what I would see there. Would he be boundlessly confident? Afraid? Angered?
It would help if I knew what this goddamned Dragonfire was beyond some test that was possibly lethal.
Finally, a calm settled amongst the Court again, and the Queen spoke. “At the next moon, the human seer will face the right of Dragonfire. Upon her passing, no one will question the Prince’s sponsorship on her path to become a child of the Mountain. These are my words; may they guide you on the path. You have my blessings, and with such I send you from my sights.”
There were bows, and murmurs of thanks, and the Champions began to slowly leave the circle. I was afraid to move, until a warm hand alighted on my shoulder and I heard the Prince’s deep rumble.
“Come, Lady Mercedes. We have much to do.”
I nodded, and finally turned to face him. His face was a careful mask, and honestly that scared me more than anything. There were many things I thought Gael was, but withheld was not one of them. I quickly morphed my expression into a clone of his, and we walked once more back to his home.
It wasn’t until we were safely inside, and the doors were closed, that he turned and crushed me to him in a powerful embrace. Melting into the gesture, I let him hold me for as long as he wanted. He was warm, and strong, and my rock in a situation that seemed like it was very quickly speeding away from me.
“That did not go as planned,” he murmured into my hair.
“Not at all,” I mused softly. “So tell me, what’s a Dragonfire?”