Chapter Two – Eyrl

He hated the way white looked against his red scales. The contrast was too sharp – it made him look like he was bleeding from under his scales and the garment was about to be stained. It was rare for dragons these days to have such a deep red hue as he had. He preferred wearing darker colors to this gold-trimmed outfit, but a formal visit to the queen to introduce his chosen mate demanded formalwear. The loose robes that allowed Shifting at a moment's notice were abandoned in favor of a tailored tunic and trousers that were meant to emphasize his masculinity.

His manservant and best friend, Quom, fastened a short cape around his shoulders, meant to mimic the look of the beast's wings. It, like everything else he wore, was snowy white. A weak color.

"I think your human is going to faint when she sees you," Quom said as he stepped back. "She does seem rather excitable."

Eyrl smiled at the bemused tone. True, Lily was more emotional than he had anticipated. But wasn't he looking for a mate that would allow him to be the one to take charge? If his mother and the boards had their way, he'd have been paired with a dragoness that would make him sit in the corner, looking pretty. He was the first male heir to be born in hundreds of years, and they weren't thrilled with the idea of having a king without a strong queen consort.

"Lily is going to be my queen consort, and nobody will take my right to rule away from me." Eyrl glanced at his reflection and scowled. The first thing he vowed to do was change the ceremonial garb to something that suited him better. Something strong and bold, like black.

"The boards aren't happy with your choice."

"I have been dealing with them since I was a child. I know how to placate them."

Quom nodded. "I have no doubt. I just fear you may push too hard."

"I appreciate your concern," Eyrl said, letting a hint of sarcasm touch his voice. "But I think I can take care of myself."

"I thought that was your mate's job. Are you not planning to bed her?"

Eyrl gave his manservant a disgusted look. "Must you be so crude?"

"That's like asking a flower if it must smell beautiful."

The prince couldn't help but smile in response to that.

He was as ready as he was going to be. With a nod, he headed out to collect Lily before facing his mother. As he walked, he considered what he would tell the queen and, later, the boards, about his choice of mate.

The main point was obvious. Even with the strides they had made to reverse the effects of the disease that had rendered most of the population infertile, the most effective means of producing children was still to mate with a human. Furthermore, since the disease had ravaged them for many and generations, inbreeding was a growing concern. Introducing new genetic material would benefit the future generations to come.

Lily waited for him in a tight gold bodysuit, showing off all her female beauty. She smiled brightly when she saw him and swept a curtsy. Once more, he was struck by her grace. Even just the way she held herself had a sense of gracefulness to it. It was one of the reasons he had chosen her.

"You look lovely," he told her, admiring the makeup that Zaner had put her in: delicate blue shadow over her eyes and moving across her cheeks, applied in a glittering pattern that looked almost scale-like. Her lips were painted blue, too, and her pale skin matched it nicely. He was glad that she hadn't been completely painted, though. He didn't want it to seem that they were trying too hard.

"You look good, too." Her eyes roamed down his form and a pink satin rose in her cheeks. She clapped her hands and ran to him. "I'm so excited to meet your mother. Do you think she'll like me?"

"No."

Her smile faltered.

Eyrl took her hand. "She's not happy that I chose a mate without consulting her. You could be the smartest dragoness in the universe, yet she wouldn't like you for that reason alone. But we don't need her to like you, only to accept you as my mate."

"I see." Lily's voice squeaked.

If only he had more time to prepare her… Every emotion showed clearly on her face, and it wasn't going to earn her any favor. No matter. He would have to make them see why it was necessary for her to be with him, regardless of her emotions.

He offered her his arm. "Come."

She slid her hand into the crook of his elbow and allowed him to lead her away. Zaner and Quom followed at a respectful distance. Neither servant looked very happy, not that Eyrl could blame them. His mother was renowned as a cold dragoness. Too cold, many thought. It was like she had no fires at all. There was something to be said for her control over her emotions, but not even a dragoness was served by acting as though she had none.

His mother waited in the throne room with her favorite lady-in-waiting, Efira. The small green-scaled dragoness smiled in a cold, detached way. The queen herself made no expression, whether of like or dislike. The glittering blue scales around her eyes faded to a darker black as they moved away from her face, a rare pigmentation that had earned her the title of the most beautiful queen that had ever been known.

"Mother." He bowed towards Xæm. "I present my chosen mate to you. Lily Hunter, my mother, the queen."

Lily curtsied low so her knees nearly touched the floor. "I am humbled to be presented to you, your Grace."

There was a pitch of nervousness to her voice, but otherwise, it was delivered flawlessly. Eyrl repressed the need to grin. However, before he could continue, Efira started to speak.

"Lovely little human. You'll need more than sparkling makeup to make her presentable, though. Look at her, so thin and weak-looking. You might need to graft some muscle on her. It looks as though she doesn't have enough to keep her standing straight."

Eyrl opened his mouth to snap at her, but stopped himself, surprised by the protective instincts rising in him. Where was that coming from? Lily was human, and what Efira said wasn't entirely false. She had muscle but would need to put some weight on her. She peeked at him under her lashes, and he wanted to tell Efira to shut up but remained silent. He wasn't going to start being overly emotional just then.

"Lily Hunter." Xæm extended her hand. "Come here."

Lily hesitated a moment before releasing Eyrl's hand and walking forward. He found himself wanting to go after her, to stand by her side while Xæm spoke. His muscles began to tense, so he breathed deeply to release the emotion. Lily would not get anywhere in court if he acted like he had to protect her.

"You are lovely." Xæm cupped Lily's face in her hand. "But you are human. Tell me, why should I allow you to mate with my son? What qualifications do you have to be queen consort? What scientific training? Educational background?"

"I . . . " Her voice shook. "I graduated from High School with honors. I haven't quite found the best fit for myself, though. I studied literature for a time, but it wasn't for me, so I was recently starting to look into social services. I think that every culture is bettered by taking care of their weakest members, and I wanted to help people."

She was losing it. With every word he spoke, her nervousness became more apparent and she twitched, her hands balling into fists. Eyrl started forward, opening his mouth to tell his mother about the other accomplishments Lily had made, as well as her dignified background. She was distantly related to one of their queens as well, although she apparently had never spent time in court.

Xæm wasn't interested in what he had to say, though.

"You are ill-prepared for court." The queen shook her head. "Your emotions are far too powerful and nobody cares about your personal opinions unless you can eloquently defend them with fact. I ought to have known that my son would pick someone for their beauty, not their brains. Efira will be in charge of preparing you for your life here since Eyrl clearly cannot be trusted to it."

The green dragoness smiled at him. "It is an honor, my queen."

"Thank you for your generosity, Mother." Eyrl fought to keep his voice smooth, though the fires in his belly hissed and frothed. She hadn't even given Lily a chance! "I am certain my mate will be most pleased to have Efira's tutoring."

Lily didn't say a word. Eyrl took her hand and led her out of the throne room, back towards her quarters. Her lip trembled and by the time they reached her apartment, she was wiping away tears. Eyrl wasn't sure what to say to her. He hadn't seen anybody cry like this since he was young. Certainly never an adult. How was he meant to comfort her?

"Efira will be strict," he started uncertainly. "But I—"

"Leave me alone."

He stopped, surprised. Lily pulled her hand away from him and walked into her room. Zaner made to follow, but the human slammed her door in the maid's face. The maidservant made an incredulous noise and shook her head. Eyrl stayed where he was until he heard Lily crying. How was he meant to comfort her? Frustration rose in him. It could have been much worse. Why was she being so childish?

He made to open the door but Zaner stopped him. "Let me tend to her, my lord."

Quom tugged on his arm and Eyrl allowed himself to be led away. He shoved his hands into his pockets, brow wrinkling. He hadn't expected this at all. Xæm hadn't said anything particularly cruel . . . 

"Maybe you should have chosen a dragoness," his manservant muttered. "The human has no idea what she is doing."

Maybe that was true, but Eyrl kept silent. Lily was perfect for the role he wanted her to play. She just needed time to adjust. That was all. In time, she'd know how to control herself. And then things would be just fine.