Oszin

“And it did end up taking us about a year. I headed the election commission but to ensure fairness, we had a team with different types of dragons from all over the country and two humans to collect and count the votes. It’s been a huge undertaking but I think I did a pretty good job in getting everyone informed and counted. Just teaching people what an election is wasn’t easy.”

I was talking a lot.

I hadn’t seen my parents in over two years. And in that time, I had gone from Himika’s guard to sharing her bed with three ruling dragons. Plus Ora and Sorek called me “Touta” which was Kamiri for “Dad.”

No wonder I had just given them a tour of the village and talked for an hour about election procedures.

“I am so proud of you,” my mother said. “I’ll even forgive you for not becoming a beekeeper.”

“Your grandfather must be dancing with your other ancestors,” my dad agreed. “To think that our boy would be responsible for ending a monarchy!”

“Well, let’s not put it like that when we get to the palace. And it wasn’t really me. Aurekdel and Seron have always been open to new ideas.”

“And what about your lady, hm?” Mom asked. “She was the most beautiful princess, but I still can’t imagine any lady of the House of Kai giving up her title.”

“She won’t be giving it up,” I said. “Unless everyone writes in someone besides Aurekdel or Seron. Which I can’t imagine would happen. But please don’t say anything like that in her presence.”

“We definitely will not.” Dad crossed his arms. “Look at those dragon children. They play just like humans, don’t they.”

“It’s not too strange here,” Mom said. “You said it would be very strange.”

“It is pretty strange. But I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I thought you might be overwhelmed.”

“I’ll never be overwhelmed by anything again after all that money you sent,” Dad said. “Everything that happens, I just float along like seaweed on the waves. Did we tell you we bought a big house and ten goats?”

“It has a bathtub and it has a toilet,” Mom said. “Only kings used to have toilets.”

“Now we have one,” Dad said.

“Yeah, I gathered that, from what Mom said.”

Inside the palace, Himika was waiting with Ora and Sorek’s hands in hers. Ezeru, Peri, and Ijaru were with them too. The two mist dragon women wore embroidered dresses from Rungenold and the kids had colorful dolls from there, so I could guess they’d all been talking of their travels, although the kids looked nervous.

“You don’t remember Grandma Peri?” Himika asked the children.

“No…”

“You don’t remember her? She was here last year! She talks with her hands.”

“Okay!” Sorek said. He made the sign for ‘cat’ at Ora and she made the sign back and soon their signs and the dolls were having a battle. Ezeru grabbed Ora to put an end to the chaos.

“This is your Grandma Remia and Grandfather Zakha. I’m so glad you made it all the way here. I didn’t know if you would ever want to make the attempt!”

“Grandma?” my mother said, looking at me. “Is that right?”

Sorek ran to my leg and I swept him up in my arms. “Yeah…um…I didn’t know how to explain it in a letter, but in this world, being the queen’s champion also means being her mate. And Ora and Sorek call all of us their parents.”

“Beard,” Sorek said, reaching for my father’s face with interest.

“It might seem a little unconventional,” Himika said. “But…the kids don’t know the difference. And when they play with their cousins, it’s the same for them, since my brother become a guardian to the priestess.”

“I still don’t know how to explain it in person,” I said. “Ezeru, Seron, Aurekdel, Himika and I all considered ourselves a family.”

I was hoping all the money was enough to butter up this news. My mother looked at Ezeru with an expression that clearly said, Does the queen really need any other man besides him?

“Oszin, kid, you should’ve warned us,” Dad said, but he was grinning. Oh yeah, the money worked with Dad. “It’s our honor that you find our son worthy, Your Majesty.”

“More than worthy. Sometimes I need someone from home more than anything,” Himika said, taking their hands in hers as I felt relieved at how well this was going, except that Sorek suddenly tried to yank my father’s face off.

The election was marked by a party; in the dragon kingdom there was nothing that wasn’t marked by a party, anyway. We had guests from far and wide, not just Peri but also Niko and Gilbert.

“Just the two of you?” Himika asked. “I guess it’s too soon for Phoebe to travel.”

“Yeah, she’s doing fine but it’s a long trip. And Forrest is way too excited to leave her,” Niko said. Phoebe had just had her second daughter that looked just like Forrest’s sisters, according to everyone in his family. “Abel and Rin are just tied up with too much business.”

“I understand, although Rin better come visit me soon.”

“I wish he’d come. He would have kept this one busy.”

“Oh, shut up. I don’t need to be kept busy. You won’t see me again now that we’re here.” Gilbert and Niko kept up a constant bickering but I noticed that they hung out together a lot as the night went on anyway.

“Himika! Hara!” Raia was glowing, with Merrick close by. “And is that Sorek? Wow, the kids are growing up so fast.”

“No one has ever said ‘the kids are growing up so slow’,” I said.

Himika snorted. “How are things going with you? Where is Emi? You don’t write many letters.”

“We found the other human guardian,” Merrick said. “She’s back home with him and my family. She doesn’t feel ready to see the dragon kingdom yet. She’s had bad claustrophobia ever since.”

“I understand,” Himika said.

“Merrick is still working for Abel and I’ve been training our first human female palace guards!” Raia said. “We’re going to start with having handmaidens who also have defensive skills, just like we do here, to give Phoebe extra protection without having a bunch of dudes around all the time.”

“Well, enjoy the food; if you’re a human, be wary of anything that looks like an eyeball, and…we’ll see what happens tonight,” Himika said. She seemed a little nervous underneath all the festivities.

The last to vote were the inner court of the palace and then the royal family; we cast our votes in a private booth and as we were queuing, Seron said, “Aurek, I’m making one last decree as the king by blood.”

“Oh?”

“Let’s have a consolation prize. Whoever wins doesn’t touch Himika tonight, but serves the wine for the rest of us.”

“Seron, that is so naughty for you,” Aurek said. “Okay, I like it.”

“Hey, don’t I get any say in this?” Himika said.

“No,” they both said.

“You’re the queen either way,” Seron said. “This is how we’ll make up for any lingering jealousy.”

“Oh, all right. I guess I have no way of losing. But I have a decree as well. We won’t talk about who we voted for. None of us.”

“Fine by me,” Seron said.

“Your Majesties.” The woman running the proceedings bowed, and one by one we stepped behind the curtain to write down a name. Where the fate of my people was once in the hands of the king, today the fate of the king was in the hands of the people.