“Maybe that’s why he wants a princess?” Fane asked, clearly still uncomfortable about the situation.
“It seems likely.”
“What about the other things in the treaty?” he prompted, correctly guessing that they had exhausted that line of questioning. They’d add in the mate clause and hope for the best. Or hope Drey returned from his mope with the rest of the dragons. Yes, that was probably the best option.
“I think most of them can stay. But I’m not sure how we’re going to provide him with access to dragon scales,” she lied. There was a chance she did have access to those, but she wasn’t ready to have anyone know that.
“Maybe it’s from a different treaty,” Fane suggested, looking even more uneasy than before. Something rattled around in Aledwen’s brain. He seemed very surprised by the contents of the treaty. Almost like he’d never read it before.
“Did you know what was in there before now?” she asked carefully, and Fane sighed.
“No. It was spelled until a royal touched it.”
“Well isn’t that awkward.”
“Very much so. I’m curious by nature, so not being able to find out...”
“Plus, I imagine it’s difficult to negotiate a treaty without knowing what’s in it,” she pointed out, an amused note in her voice.
“Ah, yes. Maybe I should have led with that.” He looked away, the colour rising in his cheeks and up to the very tips of his ears.
“Maybe, but I like that you didn’t,” she replied.
And it was true. She did like and appreciate his honesty. It was a big difference from many other people about.
“I’m glad, because that could have been rather awkward otherwise.”
She laughed.
“Very much so.”
They lapsed into silence, both studying their own notes, though she suspected he was for the same reason as her. She didn’t want to actually end their meeting, she was enjoying it too much, but she didn’t know quite how to extend it without looking desperate.
A loud crash, followed by some particularly girlish screams came from one of the courtyards outside, and Aledwen jumped to her feet. Not only did it break the tension, but she genuinely was intrigued by the cause.
She had a theory, but didn’t want to hope she was right too much. Otherwise she could end up severely disappointed if she got there and discovered it wasn’t Drey causing such a racket.
“Shall we?” Fane asked, an impish grin on his face. She warmed to him even more. If he was going to get involved with drama like this, then she could definitely get used to spending time with him.
“Only if we’re done here,” she said, mostly out of politeness. She was itching to go outside, but she knew better than to piss someone off who had the ability to make her life difficult.
“I think so. There’s a couple of things I want to look into, if that’s okay?”
“Of course, I don’t control you.” She flashed him a wide smile, and caught an interested look crossing his face in return.
“Yet,” he murmured softly, almost as if the word was to himself and not to her. It probably was, so she chose to ignore it. There likely wasn’t a good way of answering that one anyway. Though she did quite like the sound of it. “I’ll be back in a couple of days,” he told her, speaking loud enough for her to properly hear this time. She definitely wasn’t supposed to have heard his ‘yet’ then.
“Days?” she squeaked, before scolding herself inwardly. That wasn’t the tone of voice a princess should be taking. Far from it. “What’s going to take you days?” she corrected in a more measured tone.
“I need to return home to look a few of the things up. But I’ll be back, Aledwen.”
Up until the point where he’d said her name, his tone had been all business like. But the softening had been unmistakable, and sent a little thrill through her. He could say her name like that any number of times and she’d be more than content.
“I’ll see you soon,” she said a little breathlessly. Why was she turning into such a girl? First Drey, now Fane. She’d add the twins in too, but they’d felt a little different to this. Comfortable, and charming, definitely. But different to this.
“Indeed, Your Majesty.” He took one of her hands in his, and lifted it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the skin of the back of her hand. The point where they touched began to tingle, but she dismissed it. All it was likely to be was her reaction to being flirted with.
Nothing more.
Anything more would just be a smidgen too complicated for her liking.
Nine
Aledwen’s heart pounded as she skidded into the courtyard. Maybe she shouldn’t really have been running. It wasn’t a very proper thing for a princess to do, but there were too many screams for her to ignore now, and she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to do something about it. Her duty as a royal meant she needed to do something. Well, it didn’t. Not really. Or her mother would be here already. But her own sense of duty insisted she helped her people.
It took about two seconds for the scene in front of her to register in her head. Luckily, it did appear to be Drey returning that had caused the commotion. Her heart pounded for a completely different reason when she realised that. Not so luckily, it appeared like some of the guards were trying to subdue him. Why they thought that was a good idea, she had no clue. They may be wolf shifters, but he was in dragon form, and ten times the size of them all put together.
And Drey seemed enraged. There was already smoke rising from his nostrils, and she could have sworn she spotted a tiny flame at the corner of his mouth. This could end very badly, very quickly, but she wasn’t entirely sure how to rectify that.
She began to walk forward, trying to look as sure and as purposeful as possible so no one interrupted her. This wasn’t the time. It was too dangerous for them to. One lash of Drey’s tail, or slash of his claws, and even one of the armored guards wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Your majesty, no!” one of the attendants called out. Aledwen ignored him. She didn’t have time for his over protectiveness, even if she did feel a little bad for dismissing him as easily as everyone else did.
Instead of listening, she took a few more steps forward, closer to Drey’s thrashing form. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to hurt someone, and she didn’t want him to actually be responsible for that. From the Drey she’d seen and talked to, she doubted he’d be able to forgive himself easily. Even if he should. Even if she did.
“Back away,” she called out firmly, aiming it at the wolves who were still vainly scratching at Drey’s scales. A few of them listened, but the rest of the pack carried on regardless. “ENOUGH,” she shouted loud enough that several of the other fae flinched backwards.
Good. They were about to learn what their future leader was actually made of. No more hiding away. No more being hidden. This was Aledwen’s time.
One of the wolves, likely the alpha from the size of him, shifted back into his human form, and faced her completely naked with a sneer on his face.
“Who are you to tell us what to do?” he snarled.
He was one of the wolves who hadn’t stopped his attack then. She made a mental note to deal with him at some point. Especially when she became Queen. He’d give her hell at every opportunity if this was anything to go by.
There was a murmur around some of the fae, likely the ones who did know who she was. Why had her mother kept her so away from the rest of the world? If she hadn’t, then Aledwen wouldn’t be in the situation she was now.
“I’m your future Queen,” she said firmly, and noticed Drey’s head swing around, his large dark eyes staring into her. Good. If he recognised her for who she was, then it was definitely a good thing. It meant he wasn’t just angry.
“I don’t take my orders from princesses.”
“You will if you know what’s good for you,” Aledwen said, trying not to flinch as the alpha stepped forward, crowding into her space and baring his yellowing teeth at he
r. She had some serious questions about why her mother kept him around now, but felt it was best just to leave those be. She couldn’t imagine anyone would be very happy if she brought those up.
The alpha opened his mouth to speak, but a loud crackling, and the sight of orange flames licking past him, very nearly singeing his skin, made him close it again. Aledwen didn’t look away from him, as much as she wanted to.
“Call off your men,” she repeated, quieter this time. The last thing she wanted was to create more of an enemy than she already had. It wouldn’t bode well for the future if she did.
To her surprise, the alpha waved his hand, and his wolves fell away, retreating back to where ever they spent their time normally. She had a sinking feeling she’d have to watcher her back around them now. And that their animosity could have pretty severe consequences for her. But that was a risk she was going to have to take. If Drey was who he thought he was to her, and vice versa, and he ended up killed by the wolves, then things would end very very badly for Aledwen. As far as she was aware, mates would die without one another.
Making sure the coast was clear, she approached Drey, holding out her hand, though she wasn’t sure why. He was well aware of who she was, she knew as much from the way he’d just protected her.
He settled down a little, thrashing a lot less, and sitting patiently on the stone ground. He must be cold. Wait, that was an odd thought. Why would he be cold? He was a fire breathing dragon, as she’d experienced just moments before. Cold probably wasn’t in his vocabulary.
Reaching him, she touched her hand to the smooth scales of his neck, loving the feel of them under her skin again. She wasn’t sure she was ever going to get used to it. She wasn’t sure she ever wanted to. That way she had an excuse to keep touching him as much as possible. And that definitely sounded fun.
He swung his head around and presented it to her, and she lifted her hand from his neck so she could stroke the side of his face. He nudged his head further into her hands, and she laughed lightly. “This would be easier if you weren’t in dragon form,” she said. He lifted his head up and cocked it to the side slightly, asking her a question she didn’t know the answer to.
“Can you shift back?” she asked, slightly concerned that he hadn’t.
Drey shook his head violently from side to side.
“Oh. Is it because of all the people?” She could feel them watching the two of them and wished they wouldn’t, especially if they were giving Drey stage fright.
He shook his head from side to side again. Aledwen frowned.
“Okay, then we’ll just have to find somewhere to put you where you’ll be comfortable,” she said.
He shook his head. This was getting worrying now.
“Drey, you’re going to have to tell me what’s wrong,” she scolded, worry gnawing away in her gut. She didn’t think she’d ever heard of a shifter getting stuck in their animal body before. Or not unless they were enchanted, but there was normally some kind of tell tale sign when that was the case. Drey was exhibiting none of those. He was just stuck in his dragon form.
Slowly, he lifted his wing and turned to look at it. She followed his gaze and inhaled sharply. There was a long gash on his flank, just under where his wing was situated. It must have been something ridiculously sharp to have cut through his scales like that, and she worried that an infection could end up setting in.
“Someone go get Diana,” she called, not looking away from Drey and his wound. She didn’t know enough to treat it herself, but the elderly physician would. Diana had been around for as long as Aledwen could remember. She’d fixed all of her childhood ailments and then some.
She’d also let Aledwen watch her prepare her potions and tisanes when she was younger. There had even been a time or two when she’d been allowed to help. Those had been good days, and childhood Aledwen had grown to look forward to them immensely.
“Now!” she barked when no one moved. Couldn’t they tell that something wasn’t right with Drey? Did they want him to end up with an infection? Even if they didn’t care about his wellbeing, they should care about their own. She didn’t imagine that an ill dragon would make for a great courtyard centre piece. A lot of people could end up hurt.
A great deal of shuffling behind her signalled that people were finally starting to listen to her. Good. They should, especially when it was for their own wellbeing. In the long run anyway.
“Can you lift your wing more, please?” she asked Drey, relieved to find him nodding his head in return.
She turned away slightly as he did, motioning for one of the fae by the well to bring her a bucket of water. Who knew why they even had a well, they’d had running water and indoor plumbing for as long as Aledwen could remember.
One of the women plonked the bucket next to Aledwen. “Thank you,” she said, effectively dismissing the fae.
She leaned down, and ripped along the hem of her skirt. The fabric came away surprisingly easily, and elicited several shocked gasps from the eagerly watching fae. Aledwen rolled her eyes. This was likely going to be the gossip of choice in the grand hall later. Yey for her.
“This may sting,” she warned Drey, who nodded his head in return.
She dipped the fabric into the bucket of water, hoping that both were clean enough not to make matters worse. Though she was sure Diana would arrive soon, and her own actions would be pointless. Saying that, she couldn’t very well stand idly by while he was in pain.
She stepped in, close to the wound, the sweet scent of star anise assailing her.
It took a moment for Aledwen to realise what that probably meant, and she tried to tamp down on the panic rising within her. For all she knew, dragons were immune to poison anyway. Though he’d probably have healed already.
He flinched the moment the cool damp cloth touched his skin, and she winced for him. This couldn’t be pleasant. She wouldn’t like it if someone did it to her. Admittedly, she didn’t have a wing joint complicating things. Yet, anyway. If what she’d heard about mating with shifters was true, then she might have at some point.
“What are you doing, Princess?” Diana’s voice scolded, interrupted by the slight wheezes which suggested she’d run most of the way here. Aledwen would have commented on it, and that the older woman should take better care of herself, if she hadn’t been too worried about Drey.
“I thought I’d clean out the wound,” she replied needlessly, nodding towards the rag still pressed against Drey.
“Without a proper antiseptic? Do we even know what’s in there?” Diana set down her bag and began sorting through her herbs and medicinals.
Not knowing what else to do, Aledwen removed the cloth from Drey’s side, and dropped it back into the bucket, only then realising both would have to be burned. Quickly, she described her observations to Diana, who nodded along and muttered to herself.
“I need him to take this,” she said, passing Aledwen a ball of sticky paste. “I don’t suspect he’ll let anyone else close enough to allow them to feed it to him.”
“What is it?” Aledwen asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Family secret,” Diana replied. “But it will purge the poison.”
“Even in a dragon?” She worried her left sleeve as she realised the obscurity of what she was asking the woman to do.
“I can’t say I’ve ever tried. But he seems pretty robust. If this doesn’t work, we’ll just try something else.
Aledwen felt rather than heard the low growl that came from Drey, and it made her chuckle.
“Well? No time like the present, Princess.”
Contrary to how she felt just about any other time someone called her that, Aledwen actually liked it when Dianna did. Probably because it didn’t come across as an honorific. Instead, she was using it as an affectionate name. And that made all the difference.
Aledwen faced Drey, his large, black, eyes watching her intently. She held out the sticky ball to him, her hand flat, like she’d hold it for a horse. The realisat
ion of which made her frown. He wasn’t a horse. He was a shifter. As intelligent as she was, if not more so, and yet she was treating him like an animal.
“We need you to eat this,” she said softly. “It should stop the poison.”
At least, she hoped it would. Every time they had to try something new, it would get more dangerous for him. Closer to whatever was in his blood spreading further and causing some lasting damage.
She wasn’t okay with that.
He nudged at her hand, then carefully took the sticky ball between his teeth and threw his head back to swallow it down. It was amazing to watch, if a little stomach churning.
The effects were almost instant, and Drey began to sway back and forth at an alarming pace.
“I hope you’re ready,” Diana said, watching with a worried expression on her face.
“For what?” Aledwen asked, trying her best to hide her own concern. It wouldn’t do for people to see her as anything less than sure of herself.
“I can’t treat a dragon, Princess. He should shift back any moment.”
“Shift back?!” she half-shouted. “Couldn’t that kill him?” She gnawed on her lower lip. While it hadn’t been long, Aledwen didn’t think she was ready to give him up just yet.
Quicker than she expected, his scales retracted, and he shrank in size until he was human again. It was a sight to behold, and she wasn’t quite sure how to take it. Seeing the wolves shift was one thing, but a dragon...well, they were considerably larger than humans. And that was probably an understatement.
Human Drey, thankfully still clothed, swayed even more than he had in dragon form, and she rushed forward despite the firm hand Diana tried to place on Aledwen’s arm. But no one was going to stop her from getting to him.
Just as he was about to fall, she held out her arms and pulled him into them. He was heavier than she expected, but then shifters did tend towards muscly, but she just about managed to keep him upright. Carefully, she lowered him to the floor so she could tear up more of her skirt to use as a pillow.
Chasing Aledwen: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Novel (Fated Seasons: Spring Book 1) Page 6