Chapter Eleven
Karina leaned heavily against the destroyed castle wall as she stared, awestruck, at her Carmichael’s dragon form for the first time. She had heard many a tale of Carmichael’s grace and beauty, but the stories did little justice. He was indescribable. Simple as that. And yet she found herself trying to comprehend him with her human brain.
His head was ringed with six horns, longer than her legs and thicker than her entire body, while great whiskers hung from his snout and beneath his chin. His jaws held rows of teeth, some of which were larger than her hand. Of course, most importantly, his eyes were still gigantic pools of gold fixed below the most prominent pair of horns. They were the same piercing, intelligent eyes she had fallen for. Perhaps, the most impressive though, were the wings that displayed grandly on his scaled back.
“Caichmiorral...” she wheezed, a smile on her blood caked face. “You... have been freed.”
A rumbling thunder-like laughter rolled deep in Carmichael’s chest as he lowered his head to the ground until he could fix his golden eyes on her.
“That I am. You have freed me, and for that I will owe you, always.”
Karina laughed softly and shook her head as she approached him, pressing a kiss to his massive, scaled snout. “My love, you have given me more than enough,” she assured him gently. As she spoke, a soft glow took hold of Carmichael’s form as he slowly shrank in size, changing shape until, he resembled a human again.
Laughing, he threw his arms around Karina and pressed a fierce kiss to her lips. His hands were everywhere, pressing against her cheeks and her hips as he pulled her close before they rested lightly against one of the eggs that slightly disfigured her perfect build.
“I love you, my dear. This is all over... Danasi is dead,” he whispered softly against her lips.
At this, Karina pulled away enough to meet his familiar golden eyes. “This two-century-long conflict between you two was all over the fact you didn’t love her in such a way as you love me?” she asked, sounding both appalled and slightly amused. Had it been a legend or epic, it would have almost been a romance story ended in tragedy.
Carmichael nodded as he hugged her close, the sun almost completely disappeared from the sky. “In simple terms, that is what had happened,” he agreed lightly.
They fell silent for a moment, but the night air was soon split by Karina as peals of laughter fell past her lips. It was hardly funny considering that thousands of people had died because of Danasi, yet she still laughed as she pressed against Carmichael’s familiar warm chest.
“What does my sweet Karina find so humorous?” he asked her, curious to know why she was suddenly so amused.
“Just... how petty this whole war was!” Karina said, laughing softly. “When I have heard of wars in the past, it has been over murdered monarchs and stolen lands. Yet the biggest war in our history was over a scorned heart.”
It was only when put in such terms that Carmichael himself laughed. “I suppose you’re correct.”
But Karina suddenly jerked from his arms as a look of wonder crossed her gaze. If the curse for Carmichael had broken and Danasi was dead, what did that mean for Grizlenzadi?
“What will happen now?” she asked, aware that now Carmichael would likely return to his rightful place as King.
“What do you mean?” Carmichael asked in confusion. “The dragons will return. They’ve been freed by you as well. Perhaps, the elves will return if they still exist. Grizlenzadi will return to its former glory as a place of peace for all three races.”
“No... I mean...” Karina trailed off as she nibbled her lip with her teeth. “What is to become of us? Where will we go? Am I to return to Rostlecastor? Or will I live in the Hall of the Dragons with you?”
Carmichael just stared at her blankly as he processed her question, but soon was pulling her back into his arms once again. “I return to my place as the Dragon King. You, having mated with a dragon, share my immortality. You will rule beside me as my Queen and my mate. We will be happy together,” he promised, enveloping her in his arms. “If you wish to return to your home, I won’t stop you, but I had hoped you would join me in the Hall of Dragons."
To his surprise, Karina shuddered in his hold and sobbed softly against his shoulder. It wasn’t until after he caught a watery smile on her lips he realized it was in relief that she cried and not sorrow.
“I was afraid you’d not love me now that I am not useful to you,” she admitted. Her words rewarded her with a slow, sweet kiss that was nothing but loving and adoring. “You had promised it before, but the relief I feel after hearing those words with the Queen’s death is reassuring.”
“My dear Karina, you will be mine forever. That is a promise.”
A contented smile crossed her face as the first stars of the night shone overhead. Carmichael transformed once more into a golden dragon. “Come, my dear. The Hall of the Dragons has been empty for too long.”
Slowly, Karina climbed up onto him and settled between the spikes at the base of his neck. As they took off, a warm golden magic surrounded her exhausted form and she found herself slowly drifting off to sleep in the midst of thousands of stars.