by Bianca D'Arc
The girl smiled widely. “Not since I was little. My name is Belora, but my older sisters used to call me Lora. Which one are you?”
“I’m Lana.”
“Alania!” The older woman gasped loudly as her tears flowed. “My baby.”
The younger girl held out her hand and Lana took it. She was drawn forward to the older woman. Both were trembling with emotion.
“Mama?”
“Yes, my darling child!” The older woman flung her arms around Lana, hugging her close for a long, long, joyous moment. Belora hugged them both, piling on for a weepy group hug.
Roland joined the four knights standing off to the side, watching. He knew most of them quite well and shook hands with Gareth and Lars, pausing a moment by the older men to renew his acquaintance with Lord Darian—formerly of Skithdron—and his new fighting partner, General Jared Armand.
“Lord Jared, I’ve missed you,” Roland said with a genuine smile. “Congratulations on your wedding, and you, Lord Darian.” He turned to face the foreign man. “I want you to know Draconia thanks you for your actions in coming over to our side. My brother Nico gave me detailed reports of your actions and all that you risked to keep our people and our dragons from slaughter. You have my personal thanks, sir, and a boon should you ever need it. Just ask.”
“Thank you, sire.”
Darian had a warm, generous smile and Roland remembered the former ambassador. Roland had known him when he was just a lad, watching the court from the sidelines. He’d always liked the rakish foreigner and had missed him when he left for home after several years at his father’s court.
“So I guess the four of you are prince-consorts now,” Roland said with a teasing smile. “Welcome to the royal family.”
Gareth gave him a sheepish grin. “I had no idea our Belora was a princess when Kelvan and I found her in the forest. This prince-consort thing is going to be hard to get used to, sire.”
All the men chuckled at that, and a moment later, the women rejoined them, still a little moist-eyed, but their faces lit with wide, happy grins. Belora moved to stand between her two knights, drawing them forward to meet her newfound sister.
“This is Gareth.” She motioned to the darker-haired knight on her right. “And this is Lars.” He was more somber and blond-headed. “They’re my mates.”
Lana’s eyes sparkled as her lips curved with a grin. “Married already? Way to go, little sis.”
The men chuckled and Gareth winked over at Lars, both of them moving in concert to plant smacking kisses on both of Lana’s cheeks at once. Their coordinated moves made all of them laugh.
“Welcome home, Princess Alania,” Gareth said as he drew back, putting one arm around his wife, while Lars settled one hand around her hip on the other side.
“Princess?” Lana looked over at Roland. “I’m really not a princess.”
Roland stepped up to her, circling her waist with one arm and pulling her close.
“Actually, you are a princess, by right of blood. The House of Kent—your House, my love—is of royal blood and breeds true, which means all the members of the Kent line are considered princes or princesses of the realm. You, your mother and your sisters all gained the title princess at birth.” He squeezed her tight, knowing what he would say next would come as a shock. “But when you marry me, you will be queen.”
“What?” She was breathless in his arms and he tightened the embrace just a bit, to comfort and support her.
“I’m the king, sweetheart, and you will be my queen.”
“Sweet Mother of All!”
Before she could faint, Lana felt a soft touch on the back of her head and a small rush of healing energy flowed into her, settling her feet back firmly on the ground. She looked around and realized her mother had reached out to prevent her from swooning with a quick, healing touch. She remembered that warm, tingly feeling from her youth.
“Thanks.” Her eyes swiveled back to Roland—make that King Roland—and she felt faint again, but swallowed hard to keep from giving in to the feeling. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m telling you now.” He grinned in a totally satisfied male way that made her insides itch.
“I mean before now.” She pulled back from him a bit. “Don’t you think I’d be interested to know that Tor and I were consorting with a king?” Her voice rose with each word, as did her panic. “Stars! Roland, how could you even consider asking me to marry you? I’m a runaway slave. I know nothing about being a queen or even a princess for that matter.”
He tried to soothe her, running one large hand gently over her hair. His eyes were so loving, so caring, and she felt so safe in his arms, but still her panic rose.
“Nevertheless, you are a princess, and you’ll be my queen.” His voice was pitched low, for her ears alone, it seemed. “I love you, Lana. There is no other woman in this world for me. If you don’t marry me, I’ll live out my days alone. You wouldn’t sentence me to that misery when we can be so happy together, would you?” He hugged her close, whispering in her ear. “I need you, Lana. Only you. Please don’t be afraid.”
All her arguments crumpled in the face of his need. She felt his big body trembling just slightly against her. She loved him so much!
Softly, she reached up and kissed his jaw, then his cheek. “I don’t think I can handle being queen,” she said softly, “but I do want to be with you, Roland. I don’t think I could live without you now.”
He hugged her and she became aware of the people watching them. Backing up, a slight flush pinkened her cheeks.
“Um…” She looked around, her expression sheepish, and Roland chuckled at her hesitancy.
He turned, keeping one arm around her shoulders as he faced the group once more.
“Don’t be embarrassed, child, we’re your family.” Her mother’s voice was so warm, so welcome, Lana felt the tears start behind her eyes again, but she wouldn’t let them fall.
“I just never thought I would ever have a family again.” Without her volition, her voice trembled and Roland squeezed her shoulders.
“Well, now you’ll have more family than you ever bargained for, my love.” Roland’s eyes sparkled as he looked at her. “Just here, we have two sets of knights, and their dragon partners are outside even now, becoming acquainted with our boy, Tor.”
“Tor?” one of the older knights, flanking her mother, asked. He had kind eyes and she liked the love and respect in his gaze and his manner as he stood so close at her mother’s side.
She would have explained who Tor was, but Roland stopped her with one finger over her lips and a teasing smile. “No, I think they need to see this for themselves.” He cocked his head as if listening to something only he could hear and she realized he was probably in communication with his brothers. “They’ll be here shortly. In the meantime,” he turned to the older set of knights, “you haven’t been introduced to your new stepfathers yet.”
She gasped as she realized the implications of his words. She remembered her own father only dimly. He’d died when she and her twin were still little, but these two men, one on either side of her mother, were smiling and kind. They were also fierce warriors, not old, but their eyes held a calm wisdom she could respect.
The one with the scar running down his face stepped forward. “I’m Jared.” He took her hand in his, giving it a warm, welcoming squeeze. A smile turned his face from fierce to friendly in the blink of an eye. “And this is Darian.” He relinquished her hand to the other man, who was spectacularly handsome in a rakish sort of way.
“You are as lovely as your mother, and your pretty sister.” Darian winked as he kissed her hand gallantly. She liked both men and liked even more the way they treated her mother.
“I married these two,” Adora said with a hint of a blush in her pretty face, “just a short while ago.” She moved between the two men and both put an arm around her lovingly. “Do you remember a dragon I used to tell you stories about when you were little? Her name wa
s—”
“Kelzy!” Lana piped in with a smile. “I remember the stories you used to tell us. The adventure tales about Lady Kelzy and how you would ride on her foot when you were just a toddler. I think that’s why I was never truly afraid of Tor after that initial encounter when he first hatched.” She turned to Roland with a joyous light in her eyes, but her attention was captured by the entrance of what seemed like a long line of dragons.
She was entranced by their colors and shine, as well as their size. They were larger than Tor, but not by much. These were adult dragons, she knew, and each one of them stopped before her, forming a semi-circle around her and Roland. Their heads bowed low in respect as Roland nodded to each in turn and their jeweled eyes fixed on her.
“My love, this is the rest of your family. Rohtina, partner to Lars.” He indicated a lovely golden female dragon with reddish highlights, then moved to a sparkly blue-green dragon at her side. “And her mate, Kelvan, partner to Gareth.” She acknowledged them with a nod of her head. She probably should have curtsied or bowed, but Roland still had her by the shoulders and didn’t seem to want to let her go. “This is Sandor, partner to Darian.” He motioned to a sparkling copper dragon, and then to the blue-green female at his side. “And this is his mate, Kelzy, partner to Jared.”
“Kelzy.” Lana looked to her mother for confirmation and was rewarded with her beaming smile and nodding head. “Lady Kelzy, my mother told us about you when we were just little girls. Mama said she used to bring you melons from her family’s garden.”
Kelzy licked her chops with a twinkle in her eye. “And tasty they were too.”
A commotion from the main archway had them all looking over to see two twin black dragons being chased inside by a sparkling bright crystal dragon. She heard her new family’s gasps with just a hint of pride. Roland was right about the stir Tor would cause, and she was so proud of him, she could burst. If there was one thing she’d done right in her life, he was it.
Roland released her as she moved to intercept her friend. Tor was playing a game of chasing the black dragons’ tails and having a rollicking good time of it, from what she could see. Connor and Darius chuckled as they led him to the center of the room, but when Tor saw her, he left off the game to toddle over to her on his growing back legs.
“Lana! We had fun!”
She reached up to stroke his head and neck, smiling at her closest friend in the whole world.
“I’m glad. They’re good dragons.” She smiled at the two brothers whom she well knew were more than just dragons. Darius winked back at her, a dragonish chuckle clouding the vented air above her head.
“They’re the best! They said I can play with their younger brother too, when he gets home from training. He’s only a little bit older than me and we flew all around, and I showed them some of the tricks I use to get away from Salomar’s crossbows. They said I can show the other dragons too!”
“That’s great, Tor. I think that will help them a lot. I have some people I want you to meet. Do you remember me telling you about my family? Sweetheart…” She tried to break the news gently, unsure of how he might react. “Roland knew where my mother and sister were and he asked them to come here. They want to meet you.”
Tor backed up, looking down into her face. “I’m really happy for you, Lana.” His voice was more hesitant than she ever remembered hearing. “Do you think Roland could find my mama too? ’Cause if you can’t be my mama anymore, I’d like to have someone to love me.”
“She will always be your mama, little one.” Kelzy’s large head loomed over them as she moved close, her wings outstretched to comfort. “I don’t know how it happened, but the mother bond can never be broken among our kind. Don’t fear, youngling, you have a big family now. I’m your grandmamma.”
Tor’s sparkling diamond eyes looked up at the blue-green dragon with awe. “Grandmamma? I have a dragon grandmamma?”
“And a grandpapa, an aunt and uncle too,” Kelzy confirmed. Tor grew more excited as each of the dragons came forward to surround him in a circle of love. “We’re Lana’s family, and yours too. If you want us.” Kelzy shot him a sly, sideways look and the young Ice Dragon jumped with excitement.
“Want you? Of course I do! Lana, this is great!” His enthusiasm was contagious. He turned back to Kelzy and looked up at her earnestly. “Will you teach me dragon things? Lana feels like a dragon, but she can’t fly and flame and stuff. I had to figure that out on my own, though she tried to help.”
Kelzy reached out a sheltering wing, holding the dragonet to her side. “Of course we’ll teach you all you should know, and you will show us what you’ve learned on your own. This way, we’ll teach each other.”
Just that easily, Tor was back to his usual buoyant self. Kelzy was a special dragon, indeed, and in that moment, Lana’s heart opened to the motherly dragon for the kindness she showed to Tor.
“Lana, where’s Roland? I want to tell him about my new family.”
Lana looked to the man behind her. He sighed and stepped forward with a smile to face the giant dragonet.
“Tor, do you know what a secret is?”
Tor’s head craned out from under Kelzy’s wing, searching the room for Roland. “Of course I know that, Roland. Lana and I had to keep a lot of secrets before we got away from Salomar. I never let him know that I could flame or fly until we were ready to escape. Right, Lana? I kept those secrets good, like you told me. Where are you, Roland?”
The king stepped forward to stand before the dragon, motioning everyone else back. Only Lana remained at his side, just close enough to allow for his change.
“I’m here, Tor.”
The dragonet’s head pulled back, then leaned in to look him over carefully. He walked out from under Kelzy’s wing to stand before Roland, eyeing him in some confusion.
“Roland?” The little voice was tentative, almost plaintive.
“Yes, son. I’m Roland. Watch and learn a secret you must keep among dragonkind.”
So saying, Roland allowed the black mist to form and, within moments, became the black dragon that was half of his soul. Tor dropped back, stumbling on his feet to land on his tail. His diamond eyes were wide and awestruck.
“You’re like Lana, but even more! Dragon and human,” he breathed, surprising the witnesses with his simple statement. “Before my mama left, when I was in the shell, she told me stories about your kind. You’re wizard-breed!” Inexplicably, Tor dropped to his belly, cowering before Roland as if he were afraid. Lana dropped down to kneel at the side of his head, stroking him gently, offering comfort.
“Sweetheart, what is it?”
“Wizard-breed are rulers of dragons. That’s what Mama said. Must show respect.”
Roland laughed kindly, shifting back to human form so he could bend down on the other side. “Respect, son, not complete subservience. Please get up off the floor. I wouldn’t want anyone to walk on you. You make a rather lumpy carpet.”
He chuckled as Tor cocked his head, watching him carefully. Slowly, the dragonet eased up from the floor, careful to keep his head down.
“Tor, look at me.” Roland’s voice was full of command. “I’m king of Draconia. Your mama was right. For generations, my family has ruled over dragons and people alike here, in peace, but we’re not tyrants. You had fun playing with my brothers, didn’t you?”
“Brothers?”
The two black dragons at the back of the room came forward, black mist rising as they walked, and within moments, two identical black-leather-clad young men walked in their tracks. Both had the same shining, peridot eyes and matching rakish grins as they stood on either side of their older brother, in front of Tor.
“I’m Darius,” one said with a wink.
“And I’m Connor.” He was a bit more solemn of the two. “We enjoyed flying with you, Tor. You’ve taught us a thing or two already.”
“Roland, he flies like something out of legend. He’s amazing!” Darius’s enthusiasm was hard to mi
ss.
Roland smiled, but there was more to tell the stunned dragonet. Changes were happening fast and furious.
“Tor,” Roland lowered his voice, “I’ve asked Lana to be my mate. Do you understand what that means?”
“Yes.” His voice was small as he looked over at Lana, his eyes sad. “You’ll live together and have babies.”
“Yes, Tor, but more than that. Lana will be my queen, and you’ll be my son.”
“Your son?” Hope blossomed in the baby dragon’s eyes. “For real?”
Roland laughed. “Yes, for real, and for always. That means Darius and Connor, and my other brothers will be your uncles. You’ll be part of the royal family Tor, and you’ll be much loved.”
“Lana, is this true?”
“It’s true, baby. We both will have a big family now, with people and dragons to love us.” She stroked his long neck. “What do you say? Should we stay here and try it out for a while?”
Tor’s entire body shivered in excited delight. “I say we stay forever!”
Everybody laughed then and they milled around for a long time afterward getting to know each other. All were impressed by Tor, both by his size and by the size of his good-natured heart.
Lana found herself watching from the sidelines as everyone crowded around Tor, showering him with attention and the love he needed. This was a good place for him, surrounded by dragons and people who understood and loved dragons. Coming here had been the best thing for him, but she wasn’t so sure about her own fate in this strange land.
She stood back, watching while Roland introduced everyone to Tor, already taking on the role of father. Tor looked up to him so much already, it was wonderful to think Tor would finally have a male role model in his life, especially a man such as Roland, who was everything good and worthy in a male of any species.
Lana was afraid, though, of what Roland would ask of her. She didn’t know how to be queen of anything and she feared she would embarrass him before his people. Her doubt must have showed on her face because she became aware of a warm, motherly presence at her back. Turning, she found Kelzy there, staring down at her with a knowing look in her wise old eyes.