But before the gate could open so they could cross back out of the land of the dragons, Evette could see through the soldiers that three people had blocked their way. There was some talking, and then the crowd of soldiers around them parted. Standing there on the other side were Stathim, the healer who had cured her, a man who appeared to be dressed similarly to the soldiers, and the Queen.
She smiled and motioned for them to follow her though Evette was wary of what was going on. She didn't feel it right to trust anyone there at that point, but Valen led her along anyway. If nothing else, she had to trust him.
They were led on a hike of sorts, downward, to the lower parts of the mountain and far away from where she had first seen the Queen and king on their thrones. Evette kept glancing at Valen, but his expression told her nothing. He looked as confused as she did.
Finally, they all stopped in an open clearing. There were other dragons there and lovely little patches of flowers she didn't expect in such a terrain were scattered everywhere. It was a beautiful sight, and Evette wondered if she could ever get used to all the marvel.
"What is going on?" Valen asked voicing what she didn't feel comfortable in asking.
"We have set up something for the two of you, no matter what you decide. You two should have the right to have a true mating ceremony before you are sent back and never allowed to return. Though, it is my hope that my husband will shortly come to his senses about all of this," the Queen announced. She came forward and took Valen’s hand. Evette averted her eyes, though Valen did not let go of his grip on her. It felt like too private of a moment for her to be a part of it. "I am sorry I have not stood up for you all of this time. I did not realize until I got older what your father's values meant. I also did not know so many other dragons were as unhappy as you in this life." She gestured around to show the small crowd who had come to support them. Evette was sure this made Valen happy, or at the very least, made him not feel so alone anymore.
Valen nodded, his eyes acknowledging each and every one of them as Evette followed his gaze. She could have sworn she saw some moisture building, but it went away quickly, just as she would expect. He was a true dragon prince, strong, brave, and kind. "Okay, then, let's pull this together!" he announced, getting cheers from the crowd. Evette could not believe this was happening. She and Valen were basically getting married. But, of course, it was so much more than a marriage. A mating could be forever. It was committing to possibly becoming like him. As she understood, dragons did not have divorce or anything like it. Not that Evette wanted to ever get divorced again, but it was scary. It was frightening to know that this was it for her. If Valen ever left her, she would be some dragon all on her own. She had to trust it this time, though, that this was her fate all along to end up with Valen. Everything she had been through had led her straight to this moment.
Evette was immediately pulled away from Valen as each one went into their preparations. It seemed that they had stayed up all night preparing for this exact thing. The dragonesses had a dress for her they had picked out from the Queen's own collection to wear, and they had her sit down on the ground as they began to braid flowers into her blonde hair, which shone now with health and volume.
As she got to know the other dragons, it became very clear some of them had been suffering for a long time with their expectations. Some of them were treated horribly because of their low ranking in society and others were not allowed to marry who they wished because of their higher rankings in the kingdom. Everyone had something going that wasn't fair, and many of them were fascinated by her mortality, endlessly asking questions about humans and the world outside the gates. She found it friendly but also a little sad knowing that they would be free to go after the ceremony but the rest of them would be stuck there unless they accepted the same fate; to never be allowed to come home. And none of them would have someone already loving them on the outside to help them through it.
The Queen came up to her, once she was all ready, and she looked like she had something to say. Something about her presence made Evette nervous. She was clearly beautiful, possibly the most beautiful woman among the dragons. She was also Valen's mother, an in-law, that was always nerve-wracking, and even more so if your in-law was a dragon.
"You look absolutely beautiful," she said in that wispy voice of her that reminded Evette of the whispering wind. "I always knew my Valen would marry someone beautiful on the outside and the inside." Her comment made Evette warm to her a little, even if she helped make Valen's life the misery it was before he left. "This is all happening so fast for you, even for a mortal. How do you feel?" has asked.
Evette thought about it. "I feel a lot of things." It was the best truth. "I feel anxious, happy, excited, worried about Valen..." she trailed off at that part.
"I know there is a good chance both of you will still be leaving in a few hours and never coming back, but if enough of us come together, maybe that doesn't have to happen. Either way, I can tell you from the way he has stood up for you that he will love you. He will never blame you for this. My son may have felt a certain way for most of his life, but that does not mean he has ever done anything but run. He doesn't stick up for just anything or anyone." The Queen laid her hand gently on Evette's shoulder. She was warm; warmer than Valen. Did the power and rank do that, or was the dragon’s blood coursing through her veins slowly wearing off?
"Thank you for doing this for him. I think it means more than he will say."
"I think you are right about that," the Queen sighed, walking with her towards the center of the clearing. It was almost time. Evette could feel it. "Is there anything you wanted to ask me or to talk to me about? I can sense there is something on your mind."
Evette nodded. There were some things she was thinking about. "If we stayed, would my family be allowed to visit?"
"I think it would be best if that didn't happen. Because you are to be Valen's mate, we can easily trust you with our secret, even if some do not agree. Your family would have to be wiped every time, so it wouldn't do much good, and in fact, could harm them. I will personally make sure you would be free to visit them when you wished."
Evette accepted her answer even if it was hard. She would not be seeing her sister so often if she became one of them, if Valen's father accepted them back into the clan. "And what about Valen getting to do what he wants to do?" Evette burst out, causing a surprised look to come across his mother's face.
"What do you mean? What is it he wants to do?" She seemed genuinely confused.
"Valen wants to be a healer. I do something similar with humans, making natural medicines for their illnesses, and he works for me. He loves it. He mentioned that he used to work with the healer as a child until his father caught him and said it wasn't appropriate."
"Well..." the Queen paused thoughtfully. "It is certainly unconventional for a prince to do that. You see, he would still be needed to help run the kingdom in some way. That is simply his job. We had no more children for that purpose. Most dragons do not have more than one or two children. But I do not see why he couldn't be involved with healing sometimes. It is something worth discussing if it makes him happy. I will advocate for him in any way that I can, and I can see you will too. Now, how would you like to become Valen's mate?"
The Queen's eyes were shining, and Evette looked up to see that Valen was being led by the men over to stand in front of her, his bottom half now covered in white linen that blew with the gentle breeze. He was shirtless so they could all see the markings on his skin that proved he was a dragon. She imagined they all had something like that, pertaining to their race and ranking.
"Yes, I would love nothing more."
Chapter Fifteen
The Queen took her place in front of everyone as the rest of the dragons found a place to stand where they could see what was happening. Valen only saw all of this through his periphery, however, since he could not take his eyes off the woman in front of him. She was a true beauty, in full health, her
cheeks pink with life to match the flowers that had been braided into her golden hair. Not a tendril was out of place, and it only symbolized to him the fact that they would be one by that night. They would mate, and she would be a dragon right along with him, if the legends were true.
If someone had told him when he left home, run away from all of his problems and his responsibilities with his clan and kingdom that he would be there, standing across from a human, getting ready to become a mate with her, and his mother was supporting it, he would have laughed in their face without a moment’s hesitation. He thought he would be alone and moving until they caught him and dragged him back to be their leader, their king, and forced him to fulfill that duty.
The woman in front of him was a gift, a gift he didn't deserve after the way he had spent his younger years, causing trouble by jumping from girl to girl and avoiding facing his problems head-on. He had no idea as a prince that all of these subjects of his that surrounded him in the center of the town felt the same way he did. If he had, what could he have done?
But this was not the time to look back and regret because all roads had led him straight to Evette, the woman he loved; the woman he was about to vow in front of his mother and a large portion of his kingdom to be with forever. He had no doubts about it either.
As the ceremony began he looked into her eyes and followed each word she said, repeating the instructions his mother gave. As the ceremony reached its peak, near the end, the excitement was rising so much that Valen was unsure if he could be still and continue. Just when he felt like he couldn't take any more, everything stopped, and he followed the eyes of the crowd to the skies above them.
There was a growing circle of dragons right above their heads, stacking on top of each other and forming a whipping wind, almost strong enough for a cyclone. Valen pulled Evette close to him, knowing what was happening. The king, his father, would be very angry about the fact that Valen's mother was here, allowing them to be mated properly before they had to leave. He was coming to enact his revenge, whatever that would be. Honestly, Valen had not thought of that this time, once he had been brought away from the clan to further out in the kingdom. He was sure they would be able to get out of there in time, not being stopped by his father on the way. That they would get their goodbyes to everyone before they had to walk out that gate as starters, never welcome again. Now Valen was afraid, afraid of what would become his future mate.
“Finish it!” he called loudly to his mother, pleading for at least that to be done before the soldiers were made to separate them and possibly kill Evette. His father would have no patience for this sort of disobedience. He knew it for sure as the dragons began to come closer, the first one landing being Petra and then her father. He would know their regal look anywhere.
Valen's mother's voice boomed over them all, finishing out the ceremony. They kissed just as the last dragon landed, crowding the clearing they were in, even as the dragons shifted into their human forms, which he was sure they were annoyed with by now.
“Stay with me. It will be okay,” she soothed Evette. “You are mine now. All we have to do is make love. They can’t tear us apart. Just know that. Feel it,” he whispered in her ear as the king came so close, looking down on his wife in rage.
“These two have been banished. Their blood was to be spilled on the gate so they could never return. Yet, here they are, before a fifth of my subjects, being mated together by the Queen, my own wife. This is pure treason, and I will not be lenient just because two involved are my family. The only way for Valen to survive is to kill this human himself and mate with my choice for him, Petra, before nightfall.” His voice rose over the wind and the mountains, carrying far with his frustrations and harshness. Valen could see him for what he was now, and he wondered why he never had before. The man before him was an absolute slave to duty, the same as he was. Only, his father enjoyed it, enjoyed the power that his duty gave him. He was a black and white thinker and craved to be a bringer of justice. What he did not understand was that this was not justice at all.
“You know our son, or, at least I thought you did,” Valen’s mother dared to speak up, her wisp dropping into a cold tone he had never heard her use before. She was angry, and she was standing against her own husband and mate for Valen. He would never forget that even if it led to both their demises. “You know that your son is not going to do what you say even with the threat of death. I am sorry that you have never felt love enough to know what it is like, but he will be with her or no one. I can guarantee it. Why do you fight this so? Do you really love your son so little?”
“Love is trivial,” his father answered clearing his throat. Though, Valen wondered if there was something under there somewhere, if there was someone he cared about enough to sway him. “The law is the law.”
“The law is outdated!” a few of those who had come to see them at the mating ceremony began to shout. The redness of his father’s face told Valen all he needed to know about what he would like to do with them.
“The next person who speaks out in favor of the traitors will also be labeled traitors. You will have the same fate, and there will be nothing to save you,” he threatened. That was when the last person he thought possible to stand up for them stepped forward; Petra.
She stepped between them and the king facing him. Her long hair was flowing down her back, and she was dressed and ready for a mating ceremony. They must have forced her to do that. Valen had always thought she must have some feeling about all of this deep inside. She had a hardness and an ambition, but she had to have a heart somewhere that hurt over not being allowed to marry someone who loved her.
“When does it stop? Look, I am disappointed. I wanted this, I wanted the glory, the station, I wanted it for my family, my future children, but this is too far. I do not like this human. I do not like her at all. But should we lose our prince again over a human who will no longer be human by tonight if we just let this go? They have been willing to leave. They are not leaving because some of our people agree with him, agree that we should be allowed to be around humans if we want, as long as we are careful. As long as we choose carefully. There are more of them than us. Wouldn't it be smart to be friends rather than enemies?”
Valen looked to Evette who looked completely stunned at the fact that she was speaking up.
“And what if I refuse to mate with him?” she finally said after there was just angered silence. “What if I don’t want to be stuck with a man who loves someone else and despises me?” Her brother and father tried to pull her back, but it didn't work as she glared down the king, that was a brave thing to do, but if anyone could convince him, it would be her.
The king took off, suddenly becoming a dragon. Many followed, unsure what else to do. But Valen knew what that meant. He couldn't give them a blessing, but he had no choice but to give up on punishments as well. He would leave it open for them to work towards a compromise. But right now, it was time to claim his mate.
He took her hand and started leading her away. “It’s time. This means we are free to be together as we wish. My father will never say it out loud. That is as much of a surrender as he will ever give.” He kissed her, and the crowd parted as they left. Valen was eager to get her home, so he picked her up and flew there, landing in just minutes. He was surprised and happy to see his home was still there in all its humbleness. He would enjoy it and do her around later, though. It was time to officially become mates.
He could feel her warmth picking up as he slid his hands up her dress, pushing it up and over her head. Her body was so perfect; he couldn’t believe he had waited so long to enjoy it. He wasn’t going to waste any time now as he took his own clothes off, pulling her to him. His lips landed desperately on hers, and he felt their connection like electricity shooting through them. He backed her up onto the couch, laying her down and laying on top of her, his shaft already pushing up against her center. He could feel her heat coming from the inside, and it was making him want her even mo
re.
He pushed in slowly, savoring every inch before pulling out and sinking into her warmth all over again. Her flesh wrapped around him so tightly like a glove, and he closed his eyes in pleasure as he growled. The dragon was taking over, and he needed to make her his. He pulled her neck up to his mouth and bit down hard enough to draw blood. His eyes flashed, he could feel it, turning to the dragon for just a moment. He looked down at her, filling her deep inside as he saw her eyes change as well. She was changed. The legend was true. And that was when she came alive, ravishing him right back. It was carnal and sensual and perfect all at once. And once it was over, he could feel something pulsing from her that wasn't there before.
Valen held Evette close to him and whispered to her softly the good news. “When we go visit your sister, we get to tell her she will finally be an aunt.” They kissed, and Valen knew that he would be happy for the rest of his long life, spent with his new little family. And when he became king, everything would change. It would be better. He would never have to feel that unhappy sense of duty again.
AUTHOR’S NOTES
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