You know, you don't have to accept all your matches’ bites,” my brother Bashard says.

I groan. Bashard has already said that countless times on the ride over from the arena. He lands the speeder in front of a palace on the coast of the Sea of Light near the city of Borai.

Silas opens the exit hatch for me, and I walk out of the ship. Looking up at my new home, my mouth drops in awe. The building is stunning and seems to glow in the afternoon sunlight. My palace is three stories high and built of shimmering white marble. Huge windows look out onto the sea. I shake my head, unable to believe this is my new home.

The palace was provided for me by the people of Arcadia, the game judges, and my mates. Accommodations were arranged quickly after the tournament, since all involved agreed that going back to my student chambers would not be appropriate for a woman in my position.

My position…

Everyone insists on calling me the White Queen…all the time. Most young females are given silly nicknames during the tournament, but none of them stick for long. Mine won’t go away. Apparently, having five mates is a big deal. People think it means something. All I can think is, I’m a scientist, not royalty. I'm certainly not the queen of anything.

As I gaze up at my new home, it begins to sink in that other dragons will now look to me as an authority. Bashard and Silas start to the entrance of my new home as servants file out from the front door. A butler dressed in red velvet bows before me, his hand behind his back.

“Greetings White Queen, Joon D’fray,” he says standing. “I am Quintin, your butler. Your contribution to our race is a blessing, and I am deeply honored to be in service to our new Queen.”

“Thank you,” I croak out.

As one of the few females left of the Draxos, I am used to a certain kind of deference. However, now that I have been mated with five males, the reverence the other dragons show me now seems boundless. I’m not sure how to respond to this strange new sensation.

I follow my butler Quintin into the palace, flanked by my brothers, my mentor Taylon behind us. We walk into a marble entrance hall. Yellow lights sparkle from the high ceiling, warming the bright white marble. It is open and airy inside, making me feel at ease. Quintin escorts us into a sitting room with large windows and a balcony that looks over the sea.

“I am sure you are tired from your journey, My Queen. Please rest and I will bring you and your guests refreshments.”

I nod and thank him before he bows and leaves the room. I am seated on a white fur-covered couch and I gaze out the window. Silas opens the double doors to let the cool ocean breeze into the room. The sheer white curtains ruffle in the breeze, and I take a deep breath, filling my lungs. I let it out, my dragon’s inner ice blowing into the room. She is restless and hungry. In more ways than one.

I still wear the beautiful white dress my beauticians fabricated for me. My brothers stand, one near the balcony, the other near the fireplace. Their ice dragon physiques, light blue skin and stark white hair, remind me of our father. Taylon sits across from me on a chair, giving me sympathetic glances between glances at my brothers.

Quintin returns with a tray of cold wasp honey mead and a plate of salted gow cheese biscuits. He sets it on the table in front of us, fills a golden goblet, and hands it to me.

“I have something else for you, My Queen,” Quintin says. “It just arrived a few minutes ago.”

He leaves and comes back, holding a puffkin carrier.

“Gigi!” I scream, darting to my feet and clapping my hands.

I open the case and extract my little pet puffkin. She licks my face as she bounces in my grasp, trying desperately to get another lick in. I sit and place the little round ball of fur in my lap.

“Who’s a good girl?” I gush. “Gigi want a biscuit?”

I hold a biscuit over her head. She bounces a full measure off my lap and snatches the biscuit out of my hand. Gigi lands triumphantly on my lap and promptly bounces off to devour her prize in secrecy. I giggle and cover my mouth, heat rising in my cheeks as I remember my guests.

“It’s good to see you smile, Joon,” Taylon says. “I was worried about you.”

“Getting five mates worries me,” I say with a laugh.

“You don’t have to mate with them all,” Bashard says.

“Thank you, brother, for your one thousandth reminder of that fact.”