by Amy Sumida
“Quick thinking,” I teased. “So, you're calling Gradh your girlfriend now?”
“That's what she is,” he said proudly.
“Have you ever had one of those?”
“Of course,” Conri huffed and then looked away.
Cat and I shared a skeptical look.
“Maybe not one that lasted this long.” Conri started to look worried.
“You're completely lost, aren't you?” I chuckled.
“A little.” He deflated. “I get this feeling like she's waiting for me to say, 'It's over but thanks for all the sex.'”
“Cause she is,” I said simply.
“She is?” Conri stopped walking and stared at me forlornly. “Why?”
I just looked at him.
“Yeah, okay,” he huffed. “But it's not like that with Gradh.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“Yep, and I think she knows it too,” I added. “You're both freaking out a little. Why don't you just talk about it?”
“What am I supposed to say; 'Hey, do you think you might love me?'”
“How about starting with; 'You mean more to me than a good time.' Then you can finish with; 'Are you willing to try a relationship with me?'”
Conri scratched at the horns curving back behind his ears, then scowled. “That seems a little too easy.”
“You want to make it difficult?” I asked in surprise. “Do you really think Gradh is a complicated woman?”
“No; that's one of the things I like about her,” he admitted. “There's no drama with Gradh.”
“Then don't complicate things,” I said. “Give it to her straight; she'll appreciate that.”
“Yeah, I think you're right.” He smiled brightly.
“Good.” I nodded. “Because you're obviously in love with her.”
“Just because I'm calling her my girlfriend?” Conri scoffed.
“No; because you turned down four blow jobs.”
“Danu damn it! You're right,” he exclaimed. “I think I need to talk to Gradh.”
Chapter Nineteen
There was a hierarchy to the dining room. The water fey sat at tables closer to the door while the dragons took up the other end of the room. There was no dais, but there was an obvious “high table” where King Ryujin and the elders dined. My Guard had been given respectable seats at a table to the right of the high table, with some of the younger dragons.
The dining hall was just as elaborate as the throne room, but it was softer in appearance. Creamy jade took over for the coveted coral, forming columns and cross beams on the roof. The jade was carved and polished to a gleaming finish, with a translucency to it that mimicked water. Seashells covered most of the ceiling, but the walls were simple, rice-paper, shoji screens. Most of the screens had been slid together to open the dining room up to a garden view of blossoming cherry trees. The soft-pink flowers looked like cotton candy, frothing over the orchard.
Conri and I walked across a springy, reed mat up to the high table. Water fairies nodded respectfully to me as I passed, and when we reached the high table, King Ryujin got up from the floor to greet me. Yes, the floor. All of the tables had short legs, and everyone sat on cushions before them. Conri left me to take his seat with the other guard members, and I followed Ryujin to the high table.
“Have you recovered?” King Ryujin asked as he helped me take a seat on a thick cushion.
Cat curled up behind me.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Very good.” He nodded. “I'm sorry we didn't postpone the feast for you, but my court is not accustomed to denying itself any pleasure... and it's never a good idea to keep dragons hungry.”
“Oh yes, I know all about dragon hunger.” I grinned.
“You refer to your husband, King Raza?”
The dragon princesses cast interested looks my way.
“That's right.” I realized that it might have been a mistake to mention Raza, so I tried to recover by shifting the attention elsewhere. “The Sons approached him for assistance in your war, but he refused.”
“They asked a land dragon to side with them in our sea war?” Ryujin's eyes went wide and angry. “How dare they!”
“They've propositioned the Casters too,” I went on. I thought they had a right to know, and frankly, I already liked them better than the Sons.
“The Casters are a group of witches, correct?” Ka-Riu asked. “A sub-group of the Coven?”
“Yes, they're formed of witches born of two different tribes and their parents,” I explained.
“Similar to twilight fey,” Ryujin noted.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said. “Except with the witches, the parents fell in love on their own and left the Coven to be together. The children came later.”
“Interesting,” Han-Riu noted. “The children were not the goal, but they've become the strength of the Casters.”
“They have,” I agreed. “Caster witches are twice as powerful than those of the other tribes.”
“And the Court of the Nine Sons sought to ally with them?” Sui-Riu asked. “What did these doubly powerful witches say?”
“They said no,” I reassured him immediately. “The Casters don't know either court well enough to choose a side in your war.”
“Didn't the Sons offer them something in return?” Kinryu asked.
“Yes, and they returned the following day to offer even more,” I said. “But the Casters are more honorable than that. King Raza sent King Chiwen with a group of unseelie soldiers to turn the Sons away, in case they had any thoughts of forcing the witches into battle.”
“It sounds as if we may have an ally in your husband, Princess,” Ryujin said shrewdly. “And possibly in King Chiwen.”
“No, not an ally exactly,” I clarified. “Though I think my husband would be open to speaking with you if you wished it. Raza has fought beside the Sons before; they helped him win his crown, but they did so because of their vendetta against King Uisdean, not out of any loyalty to Raza. So, on one hand, he is grateful to them.”
“And on the other?” Princess Kuniyoshi asked.
“On the other hand, he knows the Sons,” I said dryly.
The dragons chuckled.
“Our cousins can be difficult to trust,” King Ryujin said diplomatically.
“Is there no way to avert this war?” I asked, and everyone at the high table went silent. “I'm sure you know that I'm an ambassador between Fairy and Earth, but I'm also an ambassador here in Fairy, between the kingdoms, and I would be happy to help negotiate a truce between your courts.”
“That's a very kind offer, Princess,” King Ryujin said slowly, “but you need to understand that this antagonism between our courts has been building for centuries. War is inevitable, I'm afraid. Even were you to negotiate a truce, it wouldn't last; they never do.”
“That's disappointing,” I whispered.
“It is, but we are dragons, the top of the undersea food chain,” Ryujin murmured. “Perhaps it's time for another culling.”
We shared a somber moment, but then he smiled brightly.
“Enough of this, let's have some entertainment!” King Ryujin clapped his hands.
Several rusalkas—basically Russian, underwater succubi—stood from their seats and strode into the open space between tables. They bowed gracefully to the dragon elders, then soft music started playing from somewhere to our left. I glanced over to see a band of zins playing stringed instruments. Zins are African fairies, malevolent water spirits, but they seemed to be content to simply play their music for the moment. When I glanced back at the rusalkas, they were dancing gracefully, the silk of their gowns swaying around their bare feet.
A group of encantados took their hats off to the ladies, showing off the blowholes on top of their heads briefly. It was the greatest sign of trust and respect from the Amazonian fairies, and the rusalkas smiled brilliantly at the pink-skinned men.
I smiled to myself, enjoying the sh
ow and the food laid before me. There was so much of it, both drink and food, and I noticed several members of the court lounging back on wedge-shaped pillows to rest their bellies before they tried to fit more. No, this wasn't a court that denied themselves anything. In fact, among the lounging diners, several couples formed, and as they waited for their food to digest, they satisfied other hungers. Nothing too shocking, just some light kissing and petting, but it was enough to make me worried about where the night was headed.
“Princess Seren, may I show you our seasonal gardens?” King Sui-Riu asked.
My face must have shown my panic because King Ryujin came to my rescue.
“I've already promised to give the princess a tour of the palace,” Ryujin reminded Sui-Riu. “And I don't believe Her Highness is looking for other types of male companionship this evening.”
“She's married to two men,” Sui-Riu pointed out. “Princess Seren is obviously more fey in her sexuality than she is human.”
“I'm mixed,” I corrected quickly. “I love my husbands, but I married them because we came to an understanding and all of us wanted to unite Fairy. When I marry Killian, he will become my final husband. I have no intention of taking any more lovers.”
“Fascinating,” Sui-Riu purred. “You're faithful to several men.”
“Just three,” I huffed.
The dragons chuckled.
“Just so, Princess,” Princess Otohime called down to me. “In my opinion, you show remarkable restraint. Three men would only be an appetizer for me.”
I smiled at her because there was nothing I could say to that.
“If you change your mind,” Sui-Riu said, “I'd be happy to introduce you to the art of Shibari. I think you'd find it thrilling.”
“Shibari?” I know I shouldn't have asked, but I couldn't stop myself.
“Rope bondage.” Sui-Riu smiled wickedly. “The orgasms are intense.”
“I'm sure they are.” I cleared my throat. “I'm good without the Shibari, thank you.”
“Perhaps it's time for that tour?” King Ryujin graciously interrupted.
“Yes, that would be appreciated.” I shot him a grateful look.
King Ryujin helped me to my feet, and we left the dining hall with Cat. King Sui-Riu gave me a sultry smile as we passed him.
“The gardens are seasonal?” I asked King Ryujin as he led me out beneath the cherry blossoms. I know it was an obvious question, but I wanted to know more about them.
“Yes.” He waved an elegant hand outward. “We wanted to be able to experience all the land has to offer at any given moment. So, we created a garden for each season. Here we stand in the beauty of Spring.”
We paused beneath the trees, and I lifted my face to the gently-falling, blushing blossoms. They brushed my cheeks like butterfly kisses. Nightingales sang sweetly around us, and the air was perfumed with the burst of fresh grass and dew. When I opened my eyes, my gaze was instantly caught by butterflies floating among the delicate petals. They added bursts of blue, black, and orange to the tapestry of Spring.
Ryujin took me further into the garden, past blossoming plum trees, and over a curving bridge into Summer. There the trees were heavy with fruit, and the ripe scent hung deliciously in the air. Cicadas chirruped in the grass, and deer paused to stare at us before running off to safer pastures.
“This is wonderful,” I whispered.
“Thank you.” Ryujin bowed. “It took a lot of magic to build this refuge, but we all believe it was worth it.”
“I enjoyed swimming around the Court of the Nine Sons,” I admitted, “but this is even more amazing to me; to be standing here in a garden, beneath a setting sun, while also beneath the sea.”
“After our Sun-spell sets, we'll be able to see the ocean beyond the air-ward.” Ryujin waved his hand out toward the boundary of the castle grounds. “Then it becomes even more wondrous.”
“I look forward to seeing that.”
“For now, let me show you Autumn.” He led me along the banks of a river.
I admired the vibrant koi fish swimming within the fresh water, but soon the surface was speckled with golden leaves. I looked up to see that the fruit trees had given way to maples, ablaze with cinnabar, pumpkin, and saffron colored leaves. Chrysanthemums bloomed in fields beside the maples, adding fluffy spots of pink, orange, and white to the golden grass.
Then Ryujin took me to Winter, where the river ended in a lake covered in a thick, glassy coat of ice. Snow edged the lake and covered the ground like a blanket, but the path we walked was clear. The maples blended into a thicket of bamboo which glistened in the darkening light. Twilight.
I gasped and shivered as my magic hit me.
“Princess?” King Ryujin took my arms and gave a slight gasp himself.
“I'm fine,” I reassured him.
The tingles of twilight magic raced through me, and I watched Ryujin's eyes widen. Cat whined, leaning against me to feel some of the magic too. I trailed my glowing hand down to stroke Cat's fur, then sighed as the power settled.
“That was lovely,” Ryujin whispered. “I hope you don't mind that I shared it with you.”
“Not at all,” I reassured him. “You only thought to help me.”
“That was twilight power?” He asked. “Your In-Between magic?”
“Yes.” I smiled softly. “It hits us stronger than day or night strikes the other land fey since our time is so much shorter.”
“I've always thought it strange to have your power limited by time,” he mused as we continued down the path.
I could see Spring up ahead of us; we had come full circle.
“And I never thought about the sea dragons lacking an affiliation,” I said with surprise. “Some of your fairies align with the courts, but you dragons, don't. So, your magic isn't aligned either?”
“That's right,” he confirmed. “We are not constrained by light or dark, but are strong constantly.”
“You misunderstand”—I canted my head at him—“the affiliation is not a limitation, but an enhancement. Our magic gets an extra surge of power during certain times.”
“I suppose it's all in the way you look at it,” King Ryujin said diplomatically.
“As with all things,” I agreed. “Thank you for allowing me to tour your gardens; they are beautiful no matter how you view them.”
“It was my honor to escort you, Princess Seren.” King Ryujin bowed and then removed a silk pouch from an inner pocket of his robe. He presented it to me. “A token of our esteem.”
“Thank you.” I accepted the pouch and opened it.
A delicate gold chain spilled out into my palm as I upended the pouch, then a shimmering stone followed it. I held up the necklace and admired the teardrop-shaped pendant. It was deep indigo but swirled with sparkling ribbons of ultramarine, cerulean, and robin's egg blue. Although it was cool to the touch, it shivered with waves of warm magic.
“Spectacular,” I whispered and fastened the chain around my neck.
The jewel hung just above my cleavage. I stroked the smooth surface, and the sparkles inside it seemed to respond to my touch.
“Wear this, and all will know that you are a treasured friend of the Court of the Dragon Kings.” Ryujin tapped the pendant, and it glowed brightly. “Guard it well; it's a piece of dragon magic.”
“Thank you; I will treasure it.” I held my hand over it protectively.
“You are most welcome, Princess.” King Ryujin bowed.
The Dragon King, Cat, and I headed back to the feast. The pendant shifted as I walked, sliding over my heart, and I shivered, sensing that the gift meant far more than Ryujin had implied.
Chapter Twenty
As Chiwen said, dragons can be very convincing, and they talked me into staying the night in Ryugu-jo—the palace of the Dragon Kings. My Guard was shown a particularly good time by the ladies of the court; all except for Gradh, Conri, and Torquil. Gradh and Conri went to bed together, but Torquil offered to stand the first
watch outside my door so that the other guardsmen could have a bit of R&R. Since I was staying longer than expected, I used King Ryujin's crystal ball to contact all of the land-based kings of Fairy. They were relieved to hear that things had gone well, though there was still no news from the searches in any of the kingdoms. Lastly, I scried Killian, who was still at his mother's, and he reported that all was quiet on the Alaskan shoreline.
“Do you mind if I ask you what has you so worried?” King Ryujin asked me as he escorted me to my bedchambers after I had used his crystal ball.
Torquil was walking behind us with Cat, and I could feel his tension as he waited for my answer. I decided to be honest with Ryujin and told him about the disappearances.
“So, you came here to search my court?” Ryujin gave me a smug smile.
“Are you mad?”
“Not at all.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Danu told me she led you here; she just didn't mention how.”
“Danu... dagnabit!” I growled. “She could have just asked me to visit your court.”
“Would you have?” Ryujin asked. “In the midst of such unsettled times, would you have risked a visit to an unknown dragon court without good cause?”
“No, probably not,” I admitted. “But I'm glad I did. This has been a nice break.”