by Tamsin Baker
Saray nodded at Ari and Pat. “Your men also.”
He turned to his body guards and nodded.
They did as they were asked, although Leo could feel the nervousness coursing through them. This was most unusual. Not to mention, a strange experience for a warrior. To be unarmed in a foreign land. Every protective nerve ending tingled with alarm.
“This way, gentlemen.”
They followed the small woman, who was both body guard and house representative by the looks of it, down the brightly lit, white marble hallway. Their surroundings were regal indeed, though simple. Finally, they stepped into a large room with a dining table long enough to fit twenty people. It was carved of beautiful rich wood and surrounded by luxurious rugs.
At the head of the long table sat an older man with a younger version at his side. The famed Prince Nellid perhaps? Though infamous was probably a better way of describing the man the gossips said would not be a good king.
Leo strode forward, dipping his head and touching his fingers to his heart and his head before standing straight once again. “Greetings from the Kingdom of Davuno and King Arthureed Axxele.”
The king stood and his impressive height made Leo smile. Few people put stock in the size of a leader, but he often judged people on their size and apparent stamina. Health. Aura. This man was the perfect leader.
Tall, broad, and scarred. His face showed the battle wounds and Leo admired him all the more for it.
The young man who stood up beside him was not of his father’s ilk. He was thin and far too pretty to be a man. It was obvious he’d never seen a battle in his life, though Leo shouldn’t be too harsh—neither had he. There hadn’t been a true war for two decades, though they’d heard whispers of the barbarians from the south gathering their forces for an attack.
And that was why he was here, now. Speaking to the king with a Dragon in his back yard.
“Greetings, son of Arthureed,” King Gregorick repeated the polite greeting of respect, touching his heart and head before offering Leo a chair at the table. “Sit please, and tell me why you have travelled so far to see me.”
Leo sat on a chair on the opposite side to the prince and let his warriors stand behind him.
“Oh, please sit too.” The king invited Ari and Pat with a flick of his wrist.
They didn’t move and Leo pushed out a chair beside him. His men fell into them immediately.
Again, what an unusual king, to be inviting body guards to sit at his table, and yet his own castle was practically defenseless.
“King Gregorick.”
“Call me Taneel, please.”
He tried not to splutter. He barely called his own father anything other than Sire. “Thank you. Leo for me.”
“Go on Leo.” The king pushed a plate of brightly colored fruit in his direction and he took one of the yellow globes, unable to knock back the generosity. This was already the most unusual meeting he’d ever experienced and he had the feeling it was just going to get kookier.
“I will get straight to the point. I am here to talk to you about an alliance. The kingdoms south of here have become war zones. We have heard too many tales of the barbarians of Norbrooke. They are taking over and ruling the once peaceful areas. My father wants to keep our part of Limea safe and in our control. It would be disastrous for the whole planet if they continue to gain more power and land.”
The king nodded, his eyes becoming thoughtful. “I agree. We have too, heard the stories and the rumors that they will continue their way north. We have a willing and able guard. But an alliance would, of course, be beneficial to us all.”
“Wonderful. I…” he began, wanting to explain the strategy his father and he had come up with.
The king pushed himself to his feet and Leo jumped up also. King Taneel clapped him on the shoulder like they were old friends. “Your men and you must stay for the week. See my town, meet my people, and then we will discuss terms.”
That was not the plan, but Leo was the weaker of the two parties here. He knew, as did the king, that Gregorick brought more to the table in an alliance than Davuno did. He should be grateful and take the opportunity to learn more from a man who obviously ran a wonderful city.
“Thank you, King Gregorick. Where can my men find housing?”
“How many did you bring with you?”
“Twenty, including myself.”
“We have space enough for them in the servant’s quarters. You may stay in the main house in the guest rooms. I must go, but I can trust Saray to show you to your rooms.”
The king and his son, who was yet to speak, bowed out of the room and the dark woman seemed to float over to them. She was deathly silent and Leo knew that the Taneel had chosen well in his protector.
“This way, gentlemen.”
She showed him along a corridor, richly dressed with paintings and sculptures.
“Here is your room, Prince Leonide. You will find we have very modern bathing facilities so please ask if you need help. You two, please, follow me.”
Ari and Pat went after her and Leo let himself into the room he’d been appointed. The carpets and bed coverings were a rich purple, very similar to the color of the Dragon’s wings he’d seen flying above. The room had a huge bed in the center of the room and he sighed as he sat on the satiny softness. After a week on the road, riding in a saddle and sleeping in whatever safe place they could find, he looked forward to a good night’s sleep in a bed.
He opened some of the adjoining doors and found comfortable clothing hanging in the cupboard, and finally the bathroom. White light flooded his eyes, the sun bouncing off every surface in the room. Leo had a bathroom very similar back home with its reflective surfaces and light tiles. He stared at the silver panel that existed instead of taps. Assuming he couldn’t go too far wrong, he pushed some of the buttons on the wall. Hot water came flooding into the large bath next to the shower he’d been trying to make work.
A groan rolled through his throat. Oh, yes, a bath was so very needed.
He shed his dirty clothes, leaving them in a pile on the clean floor, and slid beneath the warm water to wash away the week’s dirt.
Did I die on the trip over and go to Heaven?
He smiled to himself as the bathroom began to play a tinkling style of music. He wasn’t sure he’d ever want to go home after this visit.
Chapter 2.
“I would like to see around the town today if possible,” Leo told one of the servants, who inclined her head.
“Wait here and I will find someone who can go with you.”
Leo waited, the quietness of the castle a little un-nerving. There was so much going on out in the city. They had a Dragon rider, something that would keep his people interested for years, and yet here in the hall way within the castle, it was as though they were all alone. In the wilderness.
A young man walked down the hallway, his clothes clean and well-tailored.
He lifted his eyes to Leo’s gaze and they were a vibrant turquoise.
“Greetings Prince Leonide. I am Annen. I work in the castle. I would be happy to show you around today.” The man had a strong air about him also. His uncovered arms were thickly muscled, and although he was currently being subservient, Leo was pretty sure he was trained to fight also.
Was the king creating a city full of warriors?
“Thank you. I would like to get Ari and Pat, my security, to come with me.”
The young man smiled. “Security? You don’t need such things here. Come.”
He crooked his finger and opened a door to his left. Leo followed him, unable to ignore such a simple command.
They stepped out into the fresh air, the bright blue sky overheard making Leo relax.
“What do you mean there is no security in a place this big?”
Annen shrugged. “I have only ever lived in Gregorick so I don’t know what your home is like.”
They moved further away from the castle, if you could call it that, walking al
ong a well-made street.
“Well, in Davuno we have soldiers, and security everywhere. To keep the peace.”
“Peace? Soldiers do not create peace.” Annen indicated to the people who walked by, carrying their children, their food. Their bodies strong and their faces clean, happy. “The people do. We have simple laws and if you break one, you must leave. No exceptions.”
“But how does the king enforce that?”
Annen pointed to a camera, glued to a wall. “We have surveillance, everywhere. Silent eyes making sure no one is breaking the laws. King Taneel does have an army; we all know that. But they are not obvious. They live amongst us.”
Oh, so he used scare tactics. Intimidation. That was a sure-fire way to make people obey the laws. Although, they did not look scared, nor beaten down, which usually accompanied kingdoms run like that.
Annen spoke again. “And then there is Tattiena.”
The name itself was enough to make a shiver course along his spine. He somehow knew who Annen was talking about, but he had to be sure.
“Who is that?” he asked, his breath catching in his throat.
“Our Dragon rider.”
Yes… Leo couldn’t wait to know more about the Dragon with the purple tips. “Does he live in the castle?”
Annen grinned at him, stopping to let a horse and rider go by. “She does, as does her female Dragon.”
Shock rippled through Leo. The Dragons were hunted almost to extinction, and there were now less than a handful living on the entire surface of Limea. Female Dragons were the rarest and most sought after. And the King of Gregorick had one?
“A woman rider?”
He couldn’t imagine a woman riding the fearsome beast.
If he were able to broker the peace treaty, Gregorick’s Dragon would give them strength in a battle, and would strike fear into their enemies.
“Yes. A woman,” Annen said, his lips twitching at the sides. Annen wasn’t telling him something. Was the rider perhaps as fierce as her Dragon?
“What am I missing?”
“You will see, I am sure.”
He nodded vigorously, trying not to show his enthusiasm too much, though by the smile on his guide’s face, he was pretty sure he had failed. “Yes. I would like to meet with her, and her Dragon if she will allow.”
Annen shrugged, his gaze sliding away. “That will be up to Tattiena.”
Leo could barely focus on the rest of the tour, his excitement at possibly meeting a female Dragon making it difficult to concentrate. But he tried his best for the sake of his city.
His scouts had been right. The town was very peaceful, clean. A good combination of technology and old world. The people were happy, or seemed to be. There was no homeless on the streets that he could see. The roads were well taken care of and there were several schools and a large hospital where anyone could be treated.
An exceptional thing. He’d never heard of a Kingdom that looked after its poor so well. Though the people paid it back in kind. The loyalty they had for the kingdom was evident in the lack of tension, and the non-existent crime.
When they arrived back at the castle, Leo excused himself and found his men. They were training and working out in the battle area behind the castle.
“Ari. How are you?” He shook hands with his second in charge, his eyes taking in the huge expanse of land hidden behind the castle. “Is all this land in the kingdom?”
“Yes, my lord. Their soldiers trained with us this morning and they are fierce men indeed, but with great discipline. I was impressed.”
Leo clapped Ari on the back. He was on the job already. “Then they must have been great indeed.”
Ari was not often pleased with men outside of his own division. It spoke highly of their training. “Do you know if the Dragon and her rider are near here?”
Ari nodded. “Yes, my lord. About five minutes’ walk from here.”
“Can you show me?”
Ari glanced at Pat as he walked up and joined them. “Leo wants to see the Dragon rider.”
“Oh, you better talk to one of their house servants, my lord. They are very protective of the Dragon.”
Ari nodded, their eyes going wide. Obviously, something had been said to them.
He didn’t like being told no. It was a strange and uncomfortable feeling. But he was in a foreign town and needed to be careful. “I’ll go speak to the king.”
He was a prince and an ally. Why would they not allow a meeting?
He strode back into the reception and came across the same small dark woman from last night. Something about her strength and aura had him reaching for his sword without thinking. But he found his waist free of the heavy restraint. A moment of panic ensued before he remembered he hadn’t retrieved it from the basket last night. He must have been feeling safe.
The woman smiled at him as though she was honored by his immediate reaction, her silver knife glinting from her belt. “You are safe here, Prince Leonide. I believe you wish to meet Tattiena?”
If his eyebrows could have climbed off his forehead, they would have. “Are you a psychic?” He had heard many kings of the past had such magical beings in their care. Was King Taneel one of them?
“I am many things, my lord. Tattiena is in the stables. I can take you to her now.”
She hadn’t answered his question so he took that as an affirmative. She was psychic, and he needed to be careful.
“Thank you, Saray.”
He couldn’t believe that she was doing as he wanted, but chose not to ask why this woman was showing him to the Dragon rider. Since he had arrived in Gregorick, very little made sense. He was in a constant state of awe, wondering when he’d wake up from this sur-real, dream-like state.
As she took him through the castle, he was amazed by the under stated simplicity of it all. His father’s castle was full of extravagance and ego. There was such a huge shift to be made on mind set, if they were to ever rival Gregorick for their power. They stepped out into the open air and onto plush grass. He kept following and Saray continued to move away from the castle and toward a huge stable in the distance.
“Has she lived here long?”
“Since she was a small child. Tattiena is the bastard child of the king.”
That piece of information made his mouth drop open. A princess Dragon rider? Wow. That was beyond unusual.
Saray continued with her incredible sharing. “The king doesn’t claim her as his daughter, but they both know what and who she is. Her mother died when Tattiena was young, and she soon bonded with the Dragon. She came to live at the castle and that is where she has stayed.”
“Why are you telling me all this, Saray?”
The little woman didn’t slow her pace, nor turn to answer his question.
They approached the barn sized stable door, and Leo looked up, his neck craning as the door seemed to get higher and higher the closer he stood.
“Is that how big the Dragon is?” he asked, only to find that the lethal dark woman had taken several steps back, her head bowed.
She lifted her gaze, smiled at him, then turned and walked away.
He stared after her. She’d left him without an introduction or anything? Was she hoping the Dragon would go on the offensive and barbecue him on sight?
Leo shook himself and took a few deep breaths, his heart beating un-naturally quick in his chest. He stepped closer and pushed open the door a little. His heart beat faster and he steadied himself. He peered inside the huge barn, viewing a flash of fire and little else. Straw. Some water. What else was in there?
Who else was in there?
He could hear a soft murmuring. A female voice.
His gut tightened in a strange, curling, hot way. He recognized it… Arousal? How was that possible? He hadn’t even seen the woman yet. It was probably just the excitement of the day in combination with physical exhaustion.
But he’d come to Gregorick for a purpose, and this was one of them. He would meet the Dragon and
her rider and convince them to be a part of the battle to keep their cities safe. He straightened his spine and pushed open the heavy door enough so that he could slip inside.
“Who are you?” Aa angry voice rushed at him.
He turned and saw her, standing beside a magnificent beast of scales and luminescent colors. Of huge proportions and terrifying power. Only the fantastical tales of his grandfather had prepared him for such a sight and even now, adrenaline coursed along his veins with the force of lightning.
When he’d imagined this scene in his mind, he’d thought he wouldn’t be able to stop staring at the Dragon when they first met. But instead, it was the woman who called to him.
His gaze drew unerringly to her form. Her flaming red and gold hair, her perfect face. Bright green eyes and svelte body that made his cock harden and throb in his pants.
She groaned in a way that hit him right in the gut. An erotic, solid punch right to his solar plexus. She fell back against the Dragon’s scales as though he’d been the one to hit her.
“Who are you?” she repeated, lifting her head and glaring daggers at him the best she could from her angelic face.
He approached slowly, unsure of whether the Dragon would hurt him or not.
“I am Prince Leonide Axxele of Davuno, I am here to meet you and your Dragon.”
He forced his feet to stop several meters away from the beast, who still lay with her head down, seemingly sleeping, or waiting to pounce, he didn’t know. Knowledge about Dragons was few and far between. The scriptures that told of a time when they roamed Limea, thriving and abundant as a species, were written in a language no one could understand now.
He waited as Tattiena dragged herself up off the Dragon’s side, her pain an obvious one. She held her belly, her feet taking uneven and wobbly steps.
His cock throbbed in his pants and his gut tightened in anticipation of what she would do next. He’d never felt anything like it and yet, every instinct he had told him he was in the exact right place at the right time.
*****
Tattiena could barely stand on her own two feet and panic coursed through her as she felt her hold on her control loosening. Pre-orgasmic tingles coursed down her legs, her pussy throbbing for the relief she had not allowed any man to bring her.