Basile and Rainger stood with Lord Violet, talking to the knights and the commanders of the companies of huntsmen. They eyed her warily, taking in the lightsaber tucked under her arm and the backpack on her shoulder. Some of them seemed in awe of her white hair and odd eyes, and they whispered to each other until Basile held up a hand.
“This is Elaina the Glorious. She is the reason we were able to save you. Show her respect at all times.”
As a unit, the commanders dropped to their knees and stuck their daggers in the ground before them. Their spokesman looked up to her. “We offer you our respect and honor, fair Elaina. What would you have us do?”
She cleared her throat, embarrassed by all the pageantry, and said, “May I have a few minutes alone with Basile and Rainger? After that, I’ll-I’ll think of something.”
“Of course. Call on us at any time, fair Elaina.”
The knights were still standing there as the commanders took their leave, and Bleu snorted and rolled his eyes, imitating the commander. “Oh, Elaina the fair one, Elaina oh glorious one—ack!” he coughed as the baby dragon he was holding in his hand suddenly sneezed right in his face then snorted with laughter at the black mark left by the soot.
“You deserved that, Bleu the Neat and Tidy,” Orange said.
Bleu chuckled in response, and then his face went a little ruddy beneath the soot as he caught her gaze and said, “That moment when you disappeared from right between us…I have never been so worried or scared for another person.”
“Oh, cheezy,” she said, giggling as she tried to help him wipe the black marks from his face. He grimaced when she tried to wipe his nose.
“Oh sorry, it’s still broken, isn’t it? You’ve got ash in there,” she said, peering at his nostrils. “You know…you really should be more careful handling a baby dragon. Do you need me to show you how—” she teased, recalling the way they’d lectured her in the beginning.
“No,” Bleu growled, trying to hide a smile. “This one likes me. I am it’s favorite.”
The baby dragon let out a noisy little toot, and Orange burst into laughter. “Yes, he’s very much like you, isn’t he?”
“Shut up. He can’t help the gassiness.” Bleu defended the little mite and chuckled when it clambered up onto his shoulder and looked out from his long hair.
Elaina giggled and tried to tickle him. “Check out, Mister Dragon Nanny.”
Bleu made a half-hearted attempt to fend off her attention. “The things you say, Elaina the Interloper. We will leave you be now. At least try to stay out of trouble.”
Indigo touched her elbow. “I’m glad you are all right. Will you really stay here?”
“That’s what I need to talk to Basile and Rainger about.”
“Of course. We’ll leave you be.”
When they were as alone as they were going to get, in the midst of the crowd of dragons, huntsmen, forest dwellers, and abbey staff and guards, Basile and Rainger each took a hand.
Basile got one knee and said, “Elaina the Glorious, you captivated us that day in the forest when we spotted you dancing. And then later when we realized you were dancing for a dragon.”
“I didn’t know he was a dragon at the time.”
“We were drawn into your spell then, whether you knew it or not. We know that Selena put you on the spot earlier, asking if you intended to stay. We make no assumptions because we know you miss your friends. But if you stay, we want you to stay because it is what you desire and not just because you are needed. Although ‘Dragon Nanny’ does have a certain pleasant ring to it, we would offer you more in the way of a title.”
“Oh? Dragon Baby Master has a certain appeal. How about Dragonling Development Diva? I really like that one.”
Rainger joined Basile in kneeling and smiled up at her totally lame attempt at humor. “What about wife?”
“Wife?”
“And queen?” Basile added, gesturing around him. “Queen of all this chaos.”
“Oh, Queen of Chaos sounds freaking awesome,” she replied, trying for levity when what she really wanted to do was cry happy tears.
“Is that a yes?” Basile asked, smiling up at her because he already knew the answer.
“It is a yes, isn’t it?” Rainger asked, kissing her knuckles for good measure. “We will make you so happy you chose to stay. And maybe Selena can help with your friends, too. She knows a bit of portal magic, remember? So you’re saying yes?”
“Yes.”
The pair of them rose, and she threw her arms around their necks as she kissed them both until she could hardly breathe.
“Oh my gosh, I thought you’d never say it,” Selena muttered, trying to hide her smile as she joined them. “You’ve brought light into Basile and Rainger’s dark existence and helped a little dragon to find his destiny—and his heart. I bless your union.”
She turned back to the dragons, who Elaina realized were watching them avidly, and she hollered, “She said yes!”
A cheer went up on the battlefield as Selena turned back to her and said, “Get your gear. We’re taking a ride.”
Epilogue
“Selena, I don’t understand,” Elaina said, raising her voice so she could be heard over the wind. “I’m certain I didn’t walk this far from the cave to the abbey.”
“We’re not going to the cave,” Selena said from over her shoulder.
They were en route…somewhere over Tangere. Zayrgrud was carrying Elaina and Selena, with Faerhyss the Stealthy tagging along for kicks and giggles. Zyrsyrrys was carrying Basile and Rainger, and Cirruth the Cunning was along simply because she wasn’t ready to part from her offspring just yet, especially once Elaina showed her all the snapshots she’d taken of Flappy when he was tiny. Dragons had big hearts. They just kept them hidden.
“Dragons. I’m going to live among dragons. Who would ever have thunk it?” she said, mostly to herself.
Who indeed? Zayrgrud murmured back as he banked and they veered to the north.
Selena tapped her on the shoulder and pointed eastward. “We’re leaving the Western Kingdom now. If we continue on a few more hours that way, we’d reach the Unsunderable Cliffs.”
“Are you going to keep me guessing where we are headed?”
“The Northern Kingdom, specifically to a sweet little castle known as Le Bijou de Lionne. I have friends there.”
“Oh yeah? Guy friends? Boy friends? I told you my mani-pedi would get you a boyfriend.”
“Nothing like that, smarty pants. They are hosting this event, and some other friends are joining us from the Southern Kingdom. Royalty, actually.”
“Oh, really? Is anyone coming from Etherea? An elven lover?”
“You are obsessed with getting me a boyfriend. I already kind of have one.”
“Obviously, I just wondered if you realized it. You know…if you would light in one place long enough, say at the abbey, he might be able to convince you of that.”
“Lord Violet insists he’s not good enough for me. And, girlfriend, I want you to know that since I met the three of you, the standards of address for fae enchantresses have really hit the skids. Just so you know—”
“Three of who? You said ‘the three of you.’ Who exactly are you referring to?” she asked, getting her hopes up so high it hurt.
Selena laughed in her ear. “Who do you think? Do you think I would rip three chicks from everything they’ve ever known and abandon them in Tangere without letting them know each other’s whereabouts? Really? I’m hurt!”
“Hey, I hear stuff about people being turned into toads. I might be irreverent on occasion, but I’m not stupid, and I definitely don’t assume stuff.”
“Jeez, it was one toad, and before he was a toad he was an asshole. You’d have done the same if you were me. Just ask. You know you wanna.”
“Are you taking me to see Angel and Caresse?”
“I totally am, along with their super-hot hubbies.”
Even Zayrgrud and Zyrsyrrys were laughing by the time s
he finished crowing with joy. Selena got her all caught up on Angel and Caresse, as well as the fact that all three of them had bagged double the usual number of mates.
“There,” Selena said, pointing ahead. In the distance, Elaina spotted the pinpoint of a hulking castle, glowing in the light of late afternoon. “Flying with a dragon, it won’t take you very long to reach them, when you want to see them.”
“Do Angel and Caresse know there are dragons on Tangere?”
“Oh, heck yeah. The guys must have told them by now.”
Don’t worry, Elaina, we will be unobtrusive as possible. My father tells me the last time he was this far north it was frozen and covered with snow, but things seem to have changed for the better.
“It’s green as far as the eye can see.”
“Yes, thank goodness. I was beginning to wonder when they’d pull their heads from their sphincters,” Selena said with a chuckle. “Angel’s husbands, Bestiale and Charmeur.”
“No simple names around here, huh?”
Selena snorted. “You should try spelling them, with all that e-acute and circumflex mess. Anyway, they’ll be hosting the reunion. And Caresse is coming from the Southern Kingdom with my brother, Leandre, and Sebastien, Crown Prince of the Southern Kingdom.”
“The hell you say. Your brother?”
“Technically they’re both crown princes, but fae royalty are notoriously hardy into old age, so he’s just my pesky baby brother. Did you know Caresse is part fae?”
Elaina gave up trying to look shocked. Just gave up. “I. Had. No. Idea.”
“Yep, it was really a thing getting you three back to your old camping spot so I could abdu—I mean draw you home. Yeah, draw you home sounds so much better.”
“Very funny. Nothing you say shocks me anymore. And the white cat?”
“Oh, that’s Fleur. Bestiale and Charmeur’s teenaged sister. Angel found her in the cave. She was my tangere ace in the hole, that girl.”
“And Caresse? Was she okay in that dark cave?”
Selena chuckled. “Oh yeah. She was in good hands. She found Leandre’s tangere, a cute little puppy. Do you know he and Sebastien have both been in love with her since she was a baby?”
“I’m not shocked at all.”
“And you, well, you found a dragon, didn’t you?”
“I sure did. I’m so glad you braided my hair back for me. Otherwise, I’d look like I’ve been in a wind tunnel.”
“It’s okay, Mother of Dragons.”
“You did make it rather Daenerys, didn’t you?”
“On purpose.”
“I’ll really miss pop culture and my favorite shows and books,” Elaina said. If she had regrets, it was that she’d never know how a certain book series would end.
“Did I ever tell you I have a vacation home?”
“Really? Where? In Etherea?”
“Nope. In your world. We’ve got lots of cool stuff here, there’s no doubt. But we can’t stream Game of Thrones and Outlander in Tangere.”
Elaina turned in her harness and would’ve lost her balance except that she was strapped in. “Are you shitting me?”
“I shit you not. We can take vacations and binge-watch all your favorite shows. I tried bringing them here, but it didn’t work.”
“The technology was a problem?”
“No, the actors were too hard to abduct. Too public. But we can go there and order in and binge-watch to our heart’s content.”
“I’ll need to stock up on chocolate when we go.”
And Peeps? Zayrgrud asked with a chuckle. Chiquita ate all of mine.
“And Peeps.”
Selena said, “By the way, did you tell Bleu that he would make a good pole dancer?”
Elaina cackled as she envisioned that conversation. “I did. He was being a butthole. What did he say to you?”
“He asked if he could come along on my next excursion to your former home. He wants to see pole dancers in action, and also wants to visit Hooters. He asked if I would take him shopping for G-strings, but I told him he seemed more like the leather collar and boy shorts type. And because I couldn’t resist, I told him that while he was perfecting his pole dancing skills he could aspire to represent the Order of the Dragon at Tallywhackers. He’s very excited about it, and plans to discuss it further with you. He’s going to be livid when he figures out we’re pulling his leg.” She put her fist up to bump with Elaina’s.
Elaina marveled at the beautiful castle as they circled it and Zayrgrud found a big enough spot for the three dragons to touch down.
A running bouncing scream heralded their arrival, and the French doors at the back of the castle burst open and a redhead in a sexy gown burst through, followed more slowly by two smiling handsome men. They stood on the terrace, smiling indulgently, arms crossed over beefy chests as Angel ran screaming across the grass.
“Eeelaaaaaaaainaaaaaaa! Ohmygawd, it’s you!”
Elaina freed herself from her harness, and Zayrgrud offered his spikes and lowered her gently to the ground.
Angel slammed on the brakes several yards back. “Is it safe?”
“Very!” Elaina said, opening her arms and running to Angel to hug her. “Holy crap I’ve missed you!”
“Me, too! Bestiale and Charmeur told me you were coming just as you arrived. I think I broke their eardrums.”
As if proving the point, one of the men she referred to rubbed his ear and grinned.
“This is crazy. I can’t believe it!” Elaina said, looking all around her. “The roses, this place is amazing.”
“Are you wearing contacts?” Angel asked, peering at her eyes. “And the hair—I know there’s a story there.”
“Long story,” Elaina replied. Super long.
Selena came over to them. “I smell oranges. Incoming.”
A whirlwind of rose petals suddenly appeared, and the scent of oranges definitely filled the air. In the midst of the whirlwind, a trio appeared, two men with a familiar blonde in their midst. Her eyes were tightly shut. The rose petals fluttered to the ground, and after a few seconds, she said, “I wonder if I’m ever going to get used to that, Leandre. It’s so much like being sucked into a drain.”
“I can relate to that feeling,” Elaina said, enjoying the shock that transformed Caresse’s face as she blinked and then looked around her.
“Elaina! Angel!” Caresse cried out, almost tripping over her skirts as her men steadied her. “Is it really you? I love your hair! Oh, my gosh, Angel, check you out in that dress! What happened? How is this possible? Oh, Selena, you did it! Thank you!” She hugged Elaina, Angel, Selena, and then her men and then looked around. Her eyes popped wide, and her jaw dropped, giving her lovely face a comical appearance. “Dragons!”
“It’s okay,” Selena said as Caresse’s men joined them. “The dragons are with Elaina. Elaina, this is my brother, Leandre, and Sebastien, Crown Prince of the Southern Kingdom.”
“Elaina!” Leandre said, throwing his arms wide for a hug. “I finally meet you in person. Welcome to Tangere. I trust Selena took good care of you. And, hey, you brought dragons!”
“I know, right?” Elaina said, feeling an instant camaraderie with the social butterfly.
“Sebastien, this is Elaina!” Caresse said, pulling him forward.
“I know, I heard,” said the more reserved dark-headed prince. He bowed over her hand. “It is an honor to meet you, Elaina. I feel that I already know you, and Angel, because Caresse has told us so much about you.”
Angel’s men joined them and invited them onto the terrace. The sun would be setting soon, and the terrace faced the east so they’d have shade and the dragons could participate in the gathering, as well.
“Dragons! I can’t believe it!” Caresse said again.
Elaina and Caresse had another surprise when Angel’s Uncle Harrison came through the doors and greeted them.
Servants had prepared a feast, which was a good thing, because Elaina hadn’t eaten since early that
morning. Her stomach had been too wobbly after the tumult with Draconia had ended.
Once the dragons had settled down, Zayrgrud had coaxed Faerhyss from his pouch, and she immediately clambered onto Elaina’s shoulder. All the screaming and excitement had made her a little shy, but once the conversations had gotten underway, it didn’t take long for her poke her little pink snout out of Elaina’s white curls.
“Hold on, they call you what?” Angel said with a giggle.
“Depends on who you ask, but my official name is Elaina the Glorious.”
“For now,” Basile chimed in. “She has agreed to become our mate and to be my queen.”
The men congratulated each other and renewed what turned out to be old friendships.
Caresse gazed closely at Zayrgrud’s eyes and then at Elaina’s and said, “I like them. Thank you for saving my friend, Your Highness.”
Zayrgrud placed a paw to his chest and nodded with a soft purr. I am pleased to know another of our neighbors, especially one who is important to Elaina.
When she passed on what he’d said, Angel frowned and then turned to Bestiale and punched him lightly in the arm. “Hundreds of leagues? You told me there weren’t any living souls for hundreds of leagues.”
Bestiale rubbed his arm as if injured and then chuckled. “At that point in our relationship, my foremost concern was stopping you from running off into the wilderness and finding yourself in a blizzard. I had your best interests at heart.”
Charmeur caressed Angel’s cheek and winked at her. “Truly, we did. If you’d known there were neighboring kingdoms, there’s no telling what man would’ve stolen your heart. And it all turned out as it should, did it not? Look at it this way, you can always take it out of our hides later.” He chuckled salaciously and winked at her again.
“Lalalalalalalala, can’t hear you!” Elaina said through her giggles.
Caresse cracked an imaginary whip. “Whipeeeesh!”
Angel chuckled. “I suppose it did turn out the way it was supposed to.” She giggled when a familiar large white cat jumped onto the table.
“Kitty!” Elaina said, stroking the cat’s silky fur as she ambled through their midst and then fearlessly jumped up onto Zayrgrud’s crossed paws. She rubbed her nose against his snout and then leaped from there to Leandre’s lap.
Dance of the Dragon Sorceress [Tangere Tales 3] Page 23