Chapter Seven – Edan

"So make your decision quickly, Isobel. Stay or let Edan pursue another. For his sake and the sake of the kingdom."

What the hell was he doing? Edan's fires reared so high that a single flame licked his lips. This was inexcusable. He had been trying to make sure that Isobel knew he wasn't going to force her to do anything. Yeah, he wanted her and he thought she wanted him too, but he wasn't going to emotionally blackmail her into anything.

It seemed that Clint had other ideas. Ideas he had no right to. Edan's fists clenched. Maybe the fate of the kingdom was resting on him, but did that mean he had no right to his own life?

Yes, a voice whispered in the back of his mind, but he shoved it away.

He stormed through the plants to the edge of the balcony and narrowed his eyes at his brother. If Clint was surprised to see him, he made no indication of it. Isobel, however, jumped.

"Mind your own business, Clint."

"What you and this young human do together affect the kingdom. It is my business." Clint's voice was, as usual, calm and even. "Isobel needs to know the stakes."

Edan swallowed his flames back down, though he longed to unleash them. He wasn't certain what part of what Clint said was making him so angry – he just knew it was. It was wrong for Clint, even though he was king, to make Isobel feel like she had no choice in the matter. But did either of them really have any choice?

Of course they did.

"She already knows the stakes and I bet she doesn't appreciate us talking like she isn't here."

Isobel snorted. "You realize you just did the same thing, right?"

Edan grimaced briefly before narrowing his eyes at Clint again. "I can take care of this myself."

"See that you do – and quickly."

Edan didn't even bother to answer that. Letting out a deep huff, he turned to where Isobel sat on the couch. What had she been doing getting up and walking all over the place anyway?

"You're injured," he said gruffly. "You need to be in bed, recovering. Come here."

He picked her up, tucking her close to his heart. She grabbed the IV tower and dragged it with them as he headed back to her hospital room. His fires still roared at the crap Clint had pulled with her, but having her close calmed them somewhat. By the time they reached her room, they had returned to normal and he released a breath of smoke.

"I could have walked," Isobel said as he placed her in her bed and tucked the blankets around her.

Edan paused a moment, then tucked a stray golden tendril away from her face. "If you wanted to walk, you could have said something earlier."

The human scowled, her nose wrinkling in such an adorable manner that it made him want to kiss it. She pulled the blankets to her armpits and shrugged.

"I am sorry for talking over you," he continued. "I was mad at my brother for ambushing you."

"One, he didn't ambush me. Two . . . he said some things that I needed to hear. So you should apologize to him, too."

Edan nodded slowly before taking her hand in his. "I don't want you to feel pressured."

"Kinda hard not to when everything is riding on this thing between us." Isobel shuddered. "But then again, I guess that is how you feel, isn't it? You have to get married and have a kid right off the bat... But why you don't just announce what Brant did and let the world know he's not in line for the throne—?"

"Dragons don't work that way. To have such a division would invite the other kingdoms to back Brant and challenge Clint. He'd die if that happened. But you don't have to think that it’s either marry me or destroy the kingdom. I will face Brant if I need to. I will fight him for the kingdom."

"And you would be okay with that? Fighting your brother? Possibly killing him?"

Edan couldn't stop himself from flinching. Isobel leaned back, her face clouding. He wasn't sure what to say now. She was giving him a studious look that seemed to pierce into his soul. After a moment, she shook her head.

"I don't think you could. He is your brother and you still love him. You still hold out hope for him." Her hand turned over and pressed into his palm. "I don't want you to have to fight him. So tell me, my prince, what would marriage to you entail?"

Hadn't he already told her that? "You would have everything you want. Every penny in my name would belong to you as well. You would never want for anything."

Isobel rolled her eyes. "I know that. But what would marriage to you, not the prince, entail?"

"I am the prince. Marriage to me would be marriage to him."

"But what would you personally bring? Not the money. The emotion."

The question surprised him and, for a long moment, he wasn't sure how to answer. He had always been the prince and, even if he didn't have the obligations his brothers did, there was nothing that wasn't superseded by the crown. What would he give his wife? Everything he wanted her to give him.

"I would cherish you," he said eventually. "I would do my best to make sure you were never lonely again."

"Would you go into the cave with me?"

At first, he wasn't sure what she meant. But he quickly remembered the darkness closing in on him, the feeling of his flames being smothered. It was an evil place, he had no doubt about that. And yet . . . 

"Yes. I would go to make sure you come back to me."

After a long moment, she nodded. "Okay. Then maybe I will start thinking seriously of marrying you. Now. What's your favorite food?"

***

Edan pulled in a deep breath as the knock sounded on his door. After his blow-up at Clint, he and Isobel had talked for hours before she fell asleep. He never noticed how many walls she had up until they were gone. If he could have, he would have stayed and watched her sleep, relaxed, her hand in his and a small smile on her face.

Of course, it hadn't lasted long. Soon after she fell asleep, a servant had come to him saying that Clint was going to see him in his apartment. It was rare for Clint to set up such a formal meeting in such a private space, so Edan had rushed to his apartment at once and tidied it up (he didn't like people in his personal space so he refused to let the housekeepers in except on desperate occasions) in preparation for the king's visit.

He opened the door and stopped in surprise. Zoelle was with Clint, wearing a low-cut, sleeveless cocktail gown. It was far more revealing than what she usually wore and Edan's brows shot straight up.

"I thought I was just seeing you," he said to his brother.

Clint shook his head, looking grim. "No. Zoelle will explain . . . " A look of hesitation crossed his face and Zoelle squeezed his hand. Tears glimmered in her eyes. "I'll go then," he said gruffly.

Zoelle bent down and kissed him. Edan looked away as he saw some tongue and grunted in embarrassment. What was going on here? "I love you," Zoelle whispered to Clint.

"I love you, too."

Clint wheeled himself away and Zoelle turned to Edan. She looked unsure and like she might be sick to her stomach but smiled at him.

"I'm sure you know why I am here by now."

He shook his head, completely bewildered.

"Your relationship with Isobel isn't proceeding. And even if it were, there is no time for her to adjust to the demands it would put on her. Clint and I discussed this and it's the next best solution . . . "

"What is?"

Zoelle took a deep breath and slid the sleeves from her arms. Edan's eyes grew huge as the dress pooled at her feet, leaving her only in a sheer slip and matching underwear. Edan gave a cry of disgust and spun away, slapping both hands over his eyes.

"What are you doing?!"

"I know it's not what either of us wants." Zoelle sounded like her nails were being pulled from her fingers. "But the royal line must be continued. If you cannot convince Isobel to marry you . . . there is an ancient law that states that this is an acceptable alternative. The king's brother may act on the king's behalf to produce an heir."

"But you're his mate! His wife. Does he know—" He cut himself off. Of course Clint knew about this. Hadn't Zoelle herself said they had discussed it? "I can't."

"I know it's a shock. And you have to know that I don't want this any more than you do. But I love this kingdom and I will do anything for it. Anything for an heir." She put a hand on his elbow. "You don't have to even look at me."

Edan shook his head. That was far beyond the point. "You're like my older sister. Almost like a mother to me. It would be wrong on so many levels."

"Edan—"

"No. I will do a lot of things for the kingdom, but not this. Please dress." He shook his head. "I can't believe Clint thought I would . . . "

Zoelle stepped a little closer. "He wants you to be free to choose to be with the one you love. Not to be forced to marry her."

"And why isn't something like artificial insemination on the table? Why does it have to be all-out sex?"

"The way the law was worded . . . and to try to keep it a secret. The fewer people involved the better."

Edan shook his head. "It's not happening."

"And instead... What? Are you just going to let the kingdom weaken? The human won't lie with you and you don't seem to understand that you have other options."

"I don't want other options. I want Isobel."

Zoelle took a deep breath. "I know it's a terrible thing to ask of you, but—"

The door slammed open. Just when he thought this couldn't get any worse. Edan groaned as Isobel strode in. Her eyes were narrowed, mouth set in a thin line. She didn't even look at Zoelle. How was he supposed to explain this?

"Leave," Isobel ordered as Zoelle scrambled to redress.

Edan inhaled deeply. "Isobel—"

She held up her hand and turned a glare on Zoelle as the queen finished dressing. Zoelle twisted her hands a moment before she left without saying a word. Edan's fires smoked as he stared at the hard expression on Isobel's face. He didn't blame her for her anger. If the tables were turned and he had walked in on her in this state . . . 

"It's not what it looks like," he started.

"I know. I was listening outside the door."

"You . . . were? Why?"

Isobel stepped closer. "Because I came for something."

Did she mean . . . "And what was that?"

Her response was to launch herself into the space between them. Her lips locked over his and she thrust her tongue into his mouth. Deeply. Hungrily. Like she hadn't eaten in days and he was a feast laid out before her. Edan's arms wrapped around her and he pulled her closer. Her body pressed flush against his and he moaned as her kisses became more fevered.