Targyon raised his voice and his arms. “Please welcome Zyndari Zenia Cham as one of the kingdom’s official zyndar protectors and stewards.”
People clapped and cheered with more enthusiasm than Zenia would have expected. There were a few stunned stares from the crowd, including that of Heber Dharrow, but most people seemed willing to go along with Targyon’s proclamation and pretend they agreed she deserved all this.
Zenia shook her head in bemusement, not certain she did, but if it meant that the dragon would have a cave of her own…
A shadow flew across the gathering, and everyone gasped and looked up. The dragon sailed over the courtyard, her scales gleaming in the dying sun, her magnificent wings spread. She tucked them in, then rolled in the air before turning a somersault, her tail streaming out behind her. She blew a puff of fire from her nostrils, and people gasped again.
Show off, Zenia thought, her dragon tear warm through the material of her dress.
That smug sensation emanated from the gem as the dragon flapped her wings and flew out toward the sea.
Targyon dismissed the crowd, telling them to drink heartily and enjoy the food. Jev bounded up the steps of the dais and wrapped Zenia in a hug.
“My lady zyndari Captain,” he said enthusiastically. “Congratulations on your new title.”
“Thank you.” She smiled a little, though she was still stunned. “It comes with dragon caves.”
“Yes, I figured that was the only reason you accepted.” He winked, but his good humor faltered when he glanced over her shoulder.
His father was walking up to them. Zenia held back a grimace, worried he would say she was still common in his eyes and that this changed nothing, that he would never approve of his son marrying her. Judging by the wariness in Jev’s eyes and the tension in his arms, he expected something similar.
“Your dragon peed in my moat,” Heber said.
Zenia stared at him. “Pardon?”
“You heard me. We saw it zooming around in the sky this morning, and then it came to snap up a fish out of our pond. It landed on the drawbridge to dine and relieved itself in the moat before it flew back into the air. The staff aren’t sure whether we’ve been blessed or cursed.” Heber glowered at Zenia.
“I don’t have any control over her actions,” Zenia said, “especially now that she’s free.”
“Too free. Tell her to stay up in whatever remote ogre-filled land Targyon just gave you.”
“Father,” Jev said, “I’m going to ask Zenia to marry me. Now that she’s zyndari and has saved the city from devastation, you can’t possibly object.”
“Don’t invite that dragon to the wedding, not if you’re having it at our castle.” With that, Heber stomped off to rejoin the white-haired zyndar primes. He snatched a mug of beer from a servant’s tray and downed half of it with a gulp.
“I’m not sure what just happened,” Jev said, staring at his father’s back. “Was that… he didn’t object, right?” His brow furrowed, and he looked at Zenia.
As if she had a grasp on the old man.
“He didn’t object,” she confirmed, allowing herself to feel a shred of hope. “Though I certainly plan to invite Reesa to my wedding.”
“Reesa? Is that her name?” Jev glanced in the direction the dragon had flown, though she had disappeared over the walls.
“I don’t think she has a name, but she needs one. I chose that one because of Reesa the Mercenary Princess from the legends.” It had been the only female warrior Zenia could think of from the various children’s stories and myths. Most of the storytellers of old had been certain women should be rescued instead of doing the rescuing.
“I certainly wouldn’t mind having Reesa at our wedding.” Jev flattened his hand over his chest. “Which, as confusing as it sounds, we may be permitted to have without more family drama.”
“As long as we don’t have it at your castle.”
“I’m sure Targyon will lend us his castle. There’s no moat or pond to tempt dragons to land, after all.”
“Just the fountains.” Zenia looked toward one gurgling in the garden nearby.
“Perhaps you can let Reesa know those are sacred pools and not suitable for post-dining activities.”
“I’ll do my best to convey that.” Zenia smiled into Jev’s eyes, the tension gradually fading from her limbs. Nobody was glaring at her right now, nobody could object to them having dinner together in public anymore, and his father was halfway to being drunk. She clasped his hands in hers. “Will you marry me, Jev Dharrow?”
His lips parted in surprise. “I’m supposed to ask you that and have a jade ring to give you. And the blessings of my order’s archmage.”
“Yes, but you were taking too long.”
“It’s been a busy month, but Zenia—” Jev clasped her hands right back, “—I will absolutely marry you. Do you want to do it now? Those archmages are still lurking around. I bet we could find one to make it official.”
Now, it was Zenia’s lips that parted. “Now? I thought an autumn wedding would be nice. There’s no rush, is there? It would give us time to schedule an afternoon in Alderoth Castle for a ceremony and time for guests to buy fancy clothes and do… all the things people like to do for weddings.” Zenia had never actually been to a wedding—that was what happened when one had so few family members and friends who were free of chastity oaths—and had vague notions about what went on at one. Maybe Wyleria would know and could advise her.
“And time,” Jev said, “to educate your dragon on the proper use of fountains and moats.”
“I’m not positive that wasn’t the proper use of a moat. Weren’t those once designed as repositories for the castle sewage? Before sewer systems were commonplace? I imagine that was the true reason nobody wanted to cross one to storm a castle if the drawbridge was up.”
“This is not a conversation I ever expected to have during my wedding proposal.”
“I’m sorry. Am I not doing it correctly?”
“Nah, it’s quite nice.” Jev wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
She leaned against his chest, delighted that they didn’t have to care that hundreds of people were milling around the courtyard and could see them.
“Hm,” Jev murmured against her lips. “If the wedding won’t be until autumn, does that mean we have to keep waiting to share a bed?”
“Actually, I was hoping you would whisk me off somewhere romantic tonight so that we could—”
Several gasps came from the crowd, and Zenia leaned back, fearing she and Jev were scandalizing people with their kiss. But the dragon—Reesa—had returned. She swooped down into the courtyard, wings spreading for a landing. People skittered back—far back.
Kor’s subjects might appreciate that Reesa had helped drive away the trolls, but that didn’t mean anyone had forgotten she was a deadly predator. It was hard to forget when all she had to do was open her maw and reveal those long fangs.
“What’s she doing?” Jev whispered.
Reesa had landed at the base of the dais, and those eyes and fangs were pointed in their direction.
An image came to Zenia, courtesy of her dragon tear. In it, she and Jev were riding on the dragon’s back as she flew up into the mountains to investigate a woodland lake on Zenia’s new property. Zenia and Jev could enjoy each other’s company while Reesa fished in the lake.
“Offering to take us somewhere romantic,” Zenia said. “Why don’t you go get a blanket and some snacks for later?”
Jev’s eyes widened in understanding—and sheer delight. He bounded away, snatched a tablecloth from a table, and filled it with enough food and wine to last them a week.
“It’s not a blanket,” he said apologetically as he hurried back, tying the foodstuffs for travel, “but if it gets chilly tonight, I promise to keep you warm.”
Reesa turned her head to gaze at him and then at Zenia. An image of her standing on the bank and breathing fire near Zenia and Jev to keep them warm ca
me to mind.
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Zenia said, walking down the stairs and resting a hand on the dragon’s cool scales. “But we accept your offer of a ride to the mountains.”
“What did she say?” Jev asked. “Or, uh, think?”
“She just agreed that we could find a way to stay warm tonight.”
Zenia winked at him, and they climbed onto the dragon’s back.
THE END
Author’s Note
Hey, thanks for following along with my Agents of the Crown novels! I hope you’ve been enjoying the adventures. This all started during a weekend get-together with a few of my beta readers who have, over the years, become real-life friends. We sat around one night, brainstorming ideas for a shared world. I’ve written my stories. I’m still hoping they will write something of their own!
If you haven’t reviewed any of the Agents of the Crown books yet, I would appreciate it if you took the time to do so on Goodreads or at the bookstore. Dragon Tear is the last story I have planned for the series, but if enough people ask for more, you never know!
In the meantime, if you sign up for my newsletter, I’ll let you know when I have new books coming out. As a sign-up bonus, you also get my Beginnings bundle (four of my Book 1s and the novella, Dragon Rider, which isn’t available anywhere else). If you’re already a subscriber, thank you!
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Dragon Tear (Agents of the Crown Book 5) Page 28