by Aiken G. A.
“Daddy!”
Crystin crossed her arms over her chest and gawked up the stairs at her mate. “What the hells are you lot doing here?”
“Oh,” Shalin said, smiling, “when I heard from Addolgar that all of you were safe and coming back to the Southlands together, I sent out messengers to retrieve your mates since I knew they were part of the troops camped not too far from here. Isn’t that fortuitous?”
“Aye,” Crystin muttered. “So very fortuitous.”
The three males glowered down the stairs at their mates and one of them demanded, “What idiocy did you idiotic lot get me lovely daughters into this time, ya daft cows?”
“Don’t even start!” Aledwen barked back, stomping up the stairs to the Main Hall, her sisters stomping right behind her. The three couples bickered all the way into the castle, but the way the Penarddun offspring didn’t seem to notice or care told Addolgar this was how things went among their parents.
Once the Penardduns had gone inside, Shalin opened her arms and Addolgar went up the stairs to hug her.
“I’m so glad you’re all right.” She pulled back. “How’s your leg?”
When the Lightning had rammed that spear into his leg, Addolgar had done his best to block what was happening from his kin. But his mother always knew. Always.
“It’s fine, Mum.”
“Did you cry like a baby when that Lightning speared you?”
Addolgar scowled at his father. “No. I did not.”
“But you weren’t paying attention, were you, boy?” When Addolgar didn’t reply, Ailean threw up his hands. “How many times must I remind you lot to pay attention? Do you think I’ve been training you since hatching just for my bloody health?”
Shalin pulled away from Addolgar and placed her small hands on Ailean’s arm. “My love, why don’t you go check on our guests? I’m sure Crystin would just love to relive old memories.”
“Fine. You talk to the boy then.”
Once his father had gone back inside, Addolgar said, “I’m leaving.”
But he hadn’t even managed to turn all the way around so he could walk down the stairs before his mother grabbed him by the hair and held on tight.
“Mum!”
“You’re not going anywhere. You and your brothers know how your father is. You know why he does what he does. So why must we go through this over and over again?”
“But—”
“He loves you, Addolgar. He loves all of you. In his own . . . Ailean-like way. He would do anything for you. Never forget that. So do not be a prat and simply remember that I love you more than the suns.”
Knowing there was no point in arguing with the female he loved so much, Addolgar just sighed out, “Thanks, Mum.”
She released his hair, turned him around again so he faced her, and patted his cheek. “You’re welcome, dear.”
Braith, feeling uncomfortable just standing there behind Addolgar while he bickered with his parents, walked off, leaving them to it.
She wandered into one of the horse stalls. At first, she thought maybe these were horses for eating, but then she saw all the saddles and realized that these were horses for riding. Braith walked up to a stall with a large black stallion, resting her arms on the wood gate. It was so strange, wasn’t it? Dragons riding horses to get around even though dragons had wings. But the Cadwaladrs were . . . unique.
“Sorry about that.”
Braith looked over her shoulder at Ghleanna. “About what?”
“My brother and father.”
She shrugged and focused on the horse in front of her. “Doesn’t bother me. Besides . . . my father’s head just got tossed off Devenallt Mountain—it’s not like I have any room to judge how other families get along.”
Ghleanna winced. “Sorry about that, too.”
“It could have been my head.” Braith let out a breath. “Ghleanna . . . ?”
“Mmmhm?”
“I’m worried.”
“About?”
Braith let out another breath and admitted to Addolgar’s sister, “Olgeirsson did not take Lady Katarina.”
“Oh, I know.” She waved all that away. “Addolgar already told me.”
“Wait. You know?”
“Of course I know. My brothers hide nothing from me when it comes to our enemies.”
“And it doesn’t bother you that we may be starting a war based on a lie?”
“What’s the lie? Olgeir may have not taken Katarina, but he took Davon. She’s just as important.”
“I know she is, but . . .”
“But . . . what?”
“Well”—Braith frowned, the realization suddenly hitting her—“if Davon didn’t matter . . . why does Katarina? Because of her father?”
“Doubtful. It probably has more to do with the fact I reminded Addiena that with a war she wouldn’t have to get approval from the Elders for a gods-damn thing.”
Braith gawked at the She-dragon. “What in all the holy hells would make you tell her that for?”
“Brigida ordered me to.” Ghleanna shrugged. “And I don’t want to be a lizard. She can turn anyone into a lizard.”
“I understand not wanting to be a lizard, Ghleanna, but still—”
“Look, a good war cleans out the weak.” She tapped Braith’s chest. “You should come with us to battle. I heard what you did to those Lightnings.”
“Your brother says I have a way with hammers.”
“You should talk to our older brother Rhys then. His name is Rhys the Hammer. He only fights with hammers. He’d get you set up with a nice one.” She pushed her short, black hair off her face. “You in love with my brother, Braith?”
“Rhys? I barely know him.”
“Don’t be a smart-ass, royal.”
“Don’t ask me personal questions, Low Born.”
Ghleanna pointed a finger at Braith. “You better be in love with my brother.”
“You’re ordering me to love your brother?”
“I won’t have his gods-damn heart broken because of you!”
Braith faced her. “Heart broken?” She straightened her back. “Over me?”
“Of course over you,” Ghleanna barked, punctuating it by placing both hands against Braith’s shoulders and shoving.
“Well, he never told me,” Braith snapped and pushed back.
“Maybe you’re just not paying attention, royal.” Shove.
“And maybe you’re just assuming, Low Born.” Shove back.
Ghleanna stopped, sniffed the air. “Oh,” she said, smiling, “my brother’s coming this way. Maybe we’ll just go ask—”
Braith didn’t let her finish. She grabbed the She-dragon by her face and flung her toward the closed back doors of the horse stalls. Ghleanna’s body rammed into and through the wooden doors, landing in the woods on the other side.
By the time Braith turned back around, Addolgar was walking into the stalls from the other open doors.
“There you are,” he said. “Hungry? Food’s on, but you’ll have to move fast or miss out. The Cadwaladrs will descend on that table in a matter of minutes.”
“All right.”
Addolgar studied the damaged back doors. “What happened over there?”
“Got me.”
Braith headed out, but as she crossed the courtyard, Addolgar caught up to her and took her hand into his.
“Addolgar?” she said as they neared the steps.
“Mhmm?”
Braith opened her mouth to tell him what she was feeling but quickly closed it again. She couldn’t. Not without knowing how he really felt. She refused to make a fool of herself.
“What is it?” he pushed.
“My aunts,” she decided to tell him, “want me to come back with them. For a little while. Get to know them and the cousins a bit.”
“Good,” he said. He smiled, his hand briefly squeezing hers. “It’s become painfully obvious to me what you’ve been missing all these years is being with your Penardd
un kin. You belong with them.”
“I do.” They reached the stairs, and Braith took the opportunity to pull her hand away. “And what about you?”
“Probably with Bercelak to fight the Lightnings. The three of us—me, Bercelak, and Ghleanna—fight well together.”
“Excellent.” She patted his shoulder before turning and walking up the stairs. As Braith entered the Main Hall, a cheer went up from her kin. Most likely because someone had broken out the ale.
“There she is!” Crystin announced, now comfortably situated on her mate’s lap. “Ailean, you should have seen our girl. Fights just like her mum. Full of ruthless rage and uncontrollable brutality.”
“Would have brought a tear to my eye . . . if I hadn’t been bleeding from it at the time,” Aledwen tossed in.
“Oh, look,” Owena stated, waving toward the door. “It’s The Mountain!”
Addolgar let out a sigh and, cringing, Braith looked up at him and mouthed, Sorry.
“He’ll be coming with us tomorrow, too, Shalin,” Crystin said to Addolgar’s mother. “But don’t worry. We’ll take care of him like he’s one of our own.”
“Hopefully not like one of your own sons,” Shalin muttered.
“It’s not like we kill the males at hatching, so I don’t know why you’re complaining,” Owena snapped.
“And we know they’re around somewhere,” Crystin explained. “I’m sure our sons are fine . . . wherever they are.”
“Don’t worry,” Crystin’s mate explained, his big hand around a pint of ale. “There’s always a male around to train them since the females have no interest.”
Braith stepped up to the table and explained to her kin, “Actually, Addolgar’s not coming with us. He’s going with Bercelak into the Northlands.”
Addolgar pulled out a chair and sat down. Braith began to do the same, but Addolgar’s arm went around her waist and he pulled her onto his lap.
“It’ll take a few weeks for Bercelak to get all the troops and supplies he’ll need together,” he told her. “Until then, I’ll be with you.”
“Oh. All right then.”
This wasn’t what Braith had expected. She’d wanted a clean ending. Not this lingering thing where she would only manage to get more and more attached until she wouldn’t ever be able to let him go.
Unsure what to do, Braith did what she always did. She sort of folded in on herself. It was how she’d always handled her father when . . . well, whenever he was around. Pretending nothing bothered her was something Braith had always been good at, and she put those years of practice to excellent use now. But as she looked around the table of amiably chatting dragons, she noticed that Addolgar’s mother was staring at her.
When she saw that Braith was looking her way, the She-dragon raised her brows. Braith frowned, confused. Shalin raised her brows again and then gestured to Addolgar with a tilt of her head. Still unclear what she was trying to tell her, Braith gave a small shake of her head.
That’s when Shalin the Innocent, Tamer of Ailean the Slag, slammed her hands down on the table and barked, “Gods-dammit, Braith, say what you’re actually thinking!”
The only time Addolgar could remember hearing his mother yell was when she’d discovered Ghleanna and Addolgar holding a screaming and crying Bercelak over a small but active volcano they’d discovered deep in her cave.
“What the bloody hells is wrong with you two?” she’d bellowed at them while holding a sobbing and recently hatched Bercelak to her chest.
This time, however, she didn’t sound mad as much as frustrated.
“Mum,” he lightly chastised.
“She’s not saying what she’s thinking, Addolgar.” Shalin wagged a finger at Braith. “Your father’s gone now, so there’s absolutely no reason to keep what you’re feeling to yourself. I can assure you from what I remember of your aunts . . . they won’t.”
Crystin nodded. “She’s right.”
“So you might as well start with my Addolgar,” Shalin pushed.
Addolgar studied the She-dragon in his lap. “Braith?”
Braith turned on his lap so she could more easily look at him and announced, “I don’t know what the hells we’re doing!” Okay, that was much more a bellow, wasn’t it?
“Well,” Addolgar explained calmly, “um, I thought we’d stay here for the night. Go back with your aunts and I’d stay there until Bercelak calls me to battle. And before I go, I’d Claim you as my own and then your aunts would train you in weapons combat. Which, when you think about it, is the perfect time, because there will be Lightnings trying to make their way over the Outer Plains’ border into the Southlands, thinking those borders are undefended. You’ll get some excellent training slaughtering that lot.”
“He’s right,” Crystin agreed while reaching over and taking one of the ribs from the platter a servant had just placed on the table. “Nothing better than those fools swarming the border only to face the Daughters of the House of Penarddun. Bloody good training for my girls. Bloody good.” Then she cleaned that rib of meat and marrow in seconds.
“So that’s the plan,” Addolgar told Braith. “Unless you want to do something else.”
Braith stared at him, her mouth open. “What?” he asked her. “What’s that look for?”
She looked over at his mother, and all Shalin could do was shake her head and say, “I know, dear. But you learn to love them despite it all.”
Confused, Addolgar began, “I don’t under—”
But before he could get his sentence out, Braith jumped off his lap, placed her travel bag over her shoulder, grabbed the neck of his chain-mail shirt, and yanked him out of the chair. Then, with a strength everyone in the universe should fear, she dragged him out of the dining hall, up the stairs, and to his room. She pushed him inside and slammed the door shut.
“Sit,” she ordered, tossing her travel bag near the bed.
“Yeah, but—”
“Sit!”
Addolgar sat on the bed.
Braith walked up to him and asked, “You want to Claim me?”
“Of course I do.” Addolgar thought a moment and then, his heart dropping, he asked, “You don’t want me to? You don’t love me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“So you do love me?”
“I didn’t say that either.”
“Well, which is it, female?”
“Don’t bark at me!”
“Well, don’t play with my heart!”
“I’m not—”
Braith stopped, closed her eyes, took a breath.
After a few seconds, she said, her voice low, “I love you, Addolgar. And I can’t imagine anything I want more than being Claimed by you.”
Addolgar grinned. “See?”
“See?” Braith barked, glowering. “What should I see?”
“That we’re perfect together. How can you not see that?”
“You’re trying to drive me insane, aren’t you, Addolgar?”
“I don’t think so.” He thought a moment. “No. I’m pretty sure I’m not.”
Gods, what was she getting herself into with this dragon? Because he was big and ridiculous and some days just plain . . . goofy. But he was perfect for her, wasn’t he?
Addolgar suddenly grabbed Braith around the waist and again pulled her onto his lap.
“I’m so in love with you, Braith,” he told her, and she felt in her bones that he meant every word. “And do you know why?”
“I have no idea,” she replied honestly.
“Because I am such an amazing dragon that I know I richly deserve a She-dragon as wonderful as you. See?” he asked, grinning at her. “How could I not love you when you’re so clearly made for me?”
Aye, the big bastard would always be a handful. That she knew, too. But she didn’t care. Because like his mother had said, Braith would love him despite all the rest of it.
“You know I’m right, don’t you?” Addolgar guessed, winking at her and grinning. “I’
m amazing. You’re amazing. And we’ll have amazing offspring. Strong and smart like their mum and able to take a good, solid head-butt like their da.”
Braith ran her hands through her hair. “We’re already having offspring?”
“Not right away. First you need to get proper battle training.”
“And why do you think that’s necessary?”
“Because you really enjoyed fighting those Lightnings, and you were really good at it. You can’t waste skill like yours, Braith. Plus, to be honest, you do have a warrior’s name. Braith of the Darkness. That’s a warrior’s name and you can’t waste a good warrior’s name.”
“I guess I didn’t understand the rules.”
“But now you know.”
Braith pushed Addolgar’s arms aside so that she could turn around and get back on his lap, her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck.
“I do love you, Addolgar,” she told him, loving how the words made his grin grow even wider. “More and more each day. It wasn’t just my kin I was missing in my life, but you. One without the other would break my heart, and I thought my heart was dead a long time ago.”
“Not dead, Braith.” Addolgar pushed her hair off her shoulders. “Just hibernating. Like a bear.”
She laughed and kissed Addolgar, the warmth of his mouth making her feel safe and loved. His hands clutched the back of her shirt as he deepened their kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth, reminding her why she enjoyed being human around Addolgar.
When the kiss ended, they were panting, Addolgar resting his forehead against hers.
“It will not be easy to leave you for the cold of the Northlands, luv.”
“But think of it this way . . . while you’re away, you won’t have to hear my aunts call you The Mountain.”
Addolgar rolled his eyes. “Is there any way we can get them to stop doing that?”
“Of course not.”
He rested his head on her shoulder. “I thought that’s what you’d say. . . .”
“No point in getting upset,” Braith said, running her hands through his hair. “Especially since I brought something just for you in my travel bag.”
Addolgar raised his head. “For me?”