by Anna Hill
There was something special about the fact that he was a dragon, and it wasn’t just his wisdom. It was inherently hot. In his shifter form, he was by far the most powerful of all three of them. He could burn a full city to the ground in under an hour if he wanted to. His strength was unmatched.
Well, except by me, but it had become clear that nobody was able to match me. I wasn’t just a witch, but a gifted witch. Rhyion said that even if it was a hundred years ago again and I had other cousins and siblings I had to compete with for the crown, I likely would have won.
“How do you know that’s all he ever wants to be?" my mom asked.
“I can just tell. You don’t know Rhyion, Mom. You’ve never met him. He's not that kind of guy. He’s just interested in his books, in learning, in helping me in whatever way he can. He’s a great protector and an even better advisor, but I’m not sure he’d make a good boyfriend. I don’t know, it's hard to think of him as an emotional creature.”
“But he is an emotional creature,” my mom said bluntly. “We all are, Annabelle. Those that seem unemotional are simply better at hiding it. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have feelings or that they couldn’t meet your emotional needs."
I looked at her skeptically. "I feel like you’re kinda pushing me toward him. What? Two boyfriends isn’t enough for you?”
She laughed. “However many boyfriends you have is fine with me. But I just have to admit, the way you talk about him, it seems like there’s chemistry. And wouldn’t it make sense that there was some? He’s one of your guards, he's a fated protector, and you’ve already fallen in love with two fated protectors already. How can you be sure you weren’t meant to fall in love with all three?”
I shrugged. "I can be sure because I know he has no interest.”
And if there was chemistry when I talked about Rhyion, it was one sided. Yes, maybe I found him hot, but I didn't think it was reciprocated. Even when my heart quickened when he seemed to stare at my bare legs, I knew that I was just imagining it because I wanted to be imagining it. Because the thought of a spark between me and Rhyion excited me. I was wishing to find a longing stare in his glances, but in reality, they were just quick glances and they meant nothing.
"Whatever you say." My mom smiled.
I awoke this time with no warning. My mom didn’t even mention that I’d wake up soon like she usually did.
Lio was next to me tonight. I often traded between him and Angelo, and I loved spending time with them both. I had no preference between the two of them, so it was easy to trade off.
He was already awake, propped up on his shoulder and smiling at me. "Good morning, my Queen.”
I loved when he called me that. He made me feel so powerful, so sexy, so in control…
“Mmm. Say it again…" I teased as I leaned in and gave him a soft kiss.
He returned with another soft kiss. “My Queen." This time he used his sexy voice to say it. It was a slower drawl, one that completely turned me on…
“Yes, that’s what I like to hear," I said, as he leaned in and began to place gentle kisses on my neck.
I’ll admit they were a turn on, but I quickly pushed his head away.
He looked confused. "What?"
“I don't have time. I have to go meet with Rhyion."
"Right… study time.” He sighed.
“What? Studying is important! You know that!”
“Of course. I just miss you while you’re gone all day buried in Rhyion’s room."
“Well, that’s what it takes. If I want to be Queen, I need to know how to rule like one."
"You’re right,” he said, as I hopped over him and started getting dressed. Today, I would wear real clothes—a black shirt and maxi skirt.
After my talk with my mom, I decided I didn't want to show up in an oversized t-shirt and some underwear again. Not that I was embarrassed or feeling modest, I wasn’t at all. This wasn't about that. It was about the fact that when I thought Rhyion was stealing a glance, my heart raced.
I didn’t want to get excited over nothing.
When my mom talked about me and Rhyion, I couldn’t help but daydream a bit.
Wait… is it daydreaming if you’re, like, actually dreaming? Or what is it then? Nightdreaming? Whatever.
I began to fantasize about what it would be like to actually be in a relationship with Rhyion. What if he looked at me with the same desire that Angelo and Lio did? It was a pleasing thought, I wouldn’t deny that.
But it wasn’t going to happen. And I shouldn’t have been fantasizing about it. I was so lucky already! I had two men who adored me! Did I really need another one to be satisfied?
The answer was no. I knew it as I looked at Lio. He and Angelo could satisfy me forever. There was no reason to start chasing anything else.
I needed my time with Rhyion to be focused on learning.
As I pulled my shirt over my torso, Lio came and planted a kiss on my forehead. "You have a great day, okay? Learn a lot. Angelo and I will be scouting, protecting the village.”
With the spell Rhyion had me use to protect the island, it wasn’t really necessary for them to scout and protect. But I thought that it made the people feel safer, so I asked them to do it. I found myself constantly obsessing with how people were doing after the travesty that was Robert discovering us.
Although none of the shifters on the island ever blamed me for it, the guilt and worry never subsided. But I was grateful that they still held me in such high esteem. For all the shifters here, I was still their queen, and I always would be. It was sweet.
But it was also a large burden to carry.
4
I sat at the dinner table, and Lio kissed my head gently as he passed by to take the seat to my right. Angelo took the seat to my left, and Rhyion sat across from us entirely.
Rhyion brought the stew to the table. It was a hearty thing, a thick, white stew of potatoes, garlic, and onions. It was one of my favorites, actually. And it was the dinner Rhyion made the best.
He ladled out my bowl. “Thanks, Rhyion!” I said as I grabbed my spoon and dug right in, the boys following my lead.
“So,” I began between bites, “Rhyion and I are really getting somewhere with this government research.” It had been a few weeks now, and I was amazed at all that I had learned. There were so many government ceremonies, traditions, job roles… But I was soaking it all in.
“Yes?” Angelo asked. “Is there anything you’ve determined about the way you’d like to run things?”
“Well, we discuss it a bit between readings. I think for the most part, I’m going to run it exactly the way the witches of the past did. I’ll have a full cabinet of people responsible for different sectors of society, like national security, health, agriculture… but I’ll have to add roles that they didn’t have. Things that address the fast change of technology in our society. We’ll need communications directors, programmers, things like that. And I’d really like to have a shifter police force again, depending on whether or not public reaction to shifters is well received.”
Angelo scoffed. “It's not going to be well received.”
I looked over at him sheepishly. “Well, maybe…”
“No,” he said seriously. "I lived as a shifter in Elderan for many years. I know how I was treated. Trust me, you’re not going to change public opinion. They love to hate us.”
My brow furrowed. “Well, I’m going to have to change public opinion at some point. I mean, if I’m not able to change their opinion, I’m not even going to be in a position to rule!”
Lio looked up at Rhyion. "Have you thought of a way to do that? To guide the people to trust Annabelle and her rule?”
“Well, no… I haven’t. I’ve given it my best effort, but… I just can’t think of how to approach that. It’s far more complicated than just ruining Robert.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Angelo said casually.
It was the kind of blunt thing Angelo always said; he wasn’t tr
ying to be rude or dismissive, it was just the way he spoke.
But I could see in Rhyion’s eyes that it bothered him.
I took what my mother said a few weeks ago to heart. Rhyion had emotions, and I had to try to absorb them now. After spending so much time with him, I was getting pretty good at identifying his moods.
And he wasn't in a good one.
This had been a pattern for a few weeks now. Rhyion seemed very happy during the day when we spent time together, but that dwindled as the day went by. In the evenings, when all four of us hung out, he always seemed irritated. I thought that maybe the stress of trying to figure out how to change public opinion was getting to him.
“That's the thing… I might not figure it out,” Rhyion clarified. “So you guys should put some thought into it, too.”
Lio laughed, but I never thought he was trying to be dismissive. I thought he actually believed Rhyion was telling a joke or something… But I knew he wasn’t.
“Well, you know we’re never going to be able to figure it out!” Lio scoffed.
Rhyion’s forehead crinkled in frustration. "Why couldn’t you? You guys have all day now. You walk around the island pretending to watch over everyone, but we know that’s not even necessary. Annabelle is already protecting us. So why don’t you do something to help us now?”
Both Lio and Angelo looked taken aback. “But that’s… not our job,” said Lio, while Angelo stayed silent. "That is your role. To do the research, the analysis…”
Rhyion stood up, his chair falling back beside him after the rapid movement.
"So, what are you implying? That I’m not doing my job? That I’m not capable of fulfilling my role?”
“No, I just—”
“I get it!" Rhyion was nearly shouting now. "I’m the failure of this group, correct? I'm the one who, time and time again, doesn’t have the answers he should. And I don’t provide emotionally for Annabelle the way you two do. So, really, if I can’t figure this out, what am I here for? There’s no reason for me to be here besides my utility."
I was shocked. I’d never seen this kind of anger from Rhyion. I knew he was getting irritated, of course, but I wasn’t expecting this kind of outburst! This was completely out of character for him.
“Rhyion…” I said softly, trying to think of the words to say. But there were none.
He didn’t give me time to say anything anyway. He stormed out the front door and started making his way into the woods. I watched him walk toward the apple tree grove out the window.
Angelo scoffed. “What a brat.”
“Hey,” Lio corrected him immediately. “Show kindness. He is under a lot of pressure—more than either of us are right now."
I flashed Angelo a dirty look. "He's absolutely right. You don't know what Rhyion’s dealing with.”
I felt instantly protective over Rhyion. Lio was correcting Angelo because it was the right thing to do, the kind thing to do, and Lio was always kind.
But I was admonishing Angelo because he actually made me angry. I didn’t want anyone to say anything negative about Rhyion, not ever.
“Okay, sorry.” Angelo shrugged.
“I’m going to go talk to him,” I said, as I stood up from the table. Slowly enough to push my chair back first, of course. Nothing went flying or anything.
Lio nodded in understanding, Angelo shrugged, and I made my way out the door.
“Rhyion!" I called out after I’d caught up with him. He stopped walking, but did not turn around to me.
"Are you okay?" I asked, in a bit of a huff because I’d run all the way up to him. In retrospect, maybe I should have teleported. I hated teleporting, but I also hated cardio.
"I’m fine," he said stiffly, still not turning around.
“No, you’re not. You're clearly not. Rhyion, I don’t understand. What’s wrong? Are you worried because you don’t have all the answers? I want you to know, nobody expects that of you and nobody thinks you’re failing. Angelo wasn’t trying to be negative when he said you’ll figure it out, he was saying it because he really believed it. You always figure things out, he just was expressing his confidence in you."
"I know he meant no harm.” Rhyion still didn’t turn around but spoke loudly enough for me to hear. “And I didn't meant to overreact to him. But that’s the problem. There are plenty of things that I cannot figure out. Everyone’s confidence in me might be misguided.”
I put my hand on his shoulder. "But it's not. You’re just going at your own pace. We’ll get this figured out. And we'll help you. I can get Lio and Angelo to research with us, like you said.”
He shook his head. “No, Lio was right. They will never figure it out. That’s not their role. It's not what they’re meant to do. I know that. I don’t even know why I suggested it. I suppose I just said that out of jealousy… because I wish my roles were more like theirs.”
“What? Seriously? But you love learning and you love teaching. You’re so wise. You were made for this. You really don’t like what you do?”
“No, I love researching with you. I love analyzing, and I love figuring things out. That’s not what I meant. In that respect, I do like my role very much.”
“Then what did you mean?”
He finally turned around, tears filling his eyes slowly, upset on his face.
“Rhyion…" I said softly.
"I wish I had more than just my role as your teacher. Like Angelo and Lio. They both offer so much more to you. They give you… love, nurturing, protection, kindness.”
I finally understood.
“So that’s what this is about? You think you’re less important because you don’t have double the roles? Rhyion, that doesn’t matter.” I suddenly understood what he meant about his only importance being his utility. “You’re so much more to me than a tool for learning. You’re important! Incredibly important! I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re honestly one of my best friends."
“But that’s all I am, right? Your weird, bookish friend?”
Uh, on second thought… maybe I didn't understand.
"What?"
"I don’t want to be your best friend, Annabelle. Don’t you see? I’m mad for you. In the exact same way that Angelo and Lio are mad for you. I’m no different. You are… Well, you’re everything. You're intelligent, beautiful, powerful, my Queen in every sense of the word. And I’m here for whatever you need, as my Queen. But I don’t know how to reconcile what you need with my feelings. Because I want to be so much more for you.”
I was in a state of disbelief. “What exactly are you saying, Rhyion?”
“I’m saying… I’m in love with you, Annabelle. Completely, madly in love with you.”
My jaw dropped. “Since… when?”
“Since forever. As long as Lio, even longer than Angelo. I fell in love with you when I met you, and I’ve fallen deeper in love ever since. I always told myself I didn’t need to push forward with you, that I could exist and give you what you need from me. That is my job, right? Just as it’s Angelo’s, just as it’s Lio’s. I have a duty to be what you need. But unlike Angelo and Lio, I’m not also getting what I want.”
“And what you want is… me?” I was still wrapping my head around it.
“Of course, Annabelle! Who wouldn’t want you? You are the most beautiful individual I’ve ever met, inside and out. Of course I want you.”
I looked at him and I felt that familiar feeling… the one I felt when I wanted to believe he was stealing glances at me.
But I guess he truly was. I hadn’t imagined it. This thing between us was obviously… real.
“Rhyion, I… I really had no idea. If I had…”
He waved me off quickly. “You have no responsibility to apologize. If you had known, it wouldn’t have changed anything. You can only feel what your heart guides you to, I know that. And I don’t fault you that, not at all.”
“But that's the thing. If I’d known… it would have changed things.”
&
nbsp; He looked at me, his eyebrows raised. “What?”
I could feel a flutter in my stomach, the same flutter I got when I realized my feelings for both Lio and Angelo.
“You’re amazing, Rhyion, in your own way. It’s different than Lio and Angelo, sure, but you have no idea how much I admire your intelligence, your critical thinking skills. Your brain doesn’t make you my geeky little best friend, it makes you… sexy. You’ve always been incredibly sexy to me.”
“You’re attracted to me?” he asked.
“I'm more than attracted to you… I think." I paused. "I never let myself explore the feelings because in my heart I thought you had no interest. That this wasn’t in our path. And I respected what I thought were your desires. But knowing what I know now… I’d like to explore things, yes. Because I am attracted to you. And I love you… I always have.”
“But do you love me the same way as Lio and Angelo?”
“I can only guess at my feelings at this point, since I shoved them so far down. I ignored them for so long, but yes, I do think I’m in love with you.”
I couldn’t believe my mother was right. I really brushed her off. I figured, yeah, I had three fated protectors, but surely I wasn’t meant to fall in love with all three, right? That was just… too cliché.
Well, I didn’t care too much how cliché it seemed now. Because that feeling I’d been burying for so long was beginning to come to light. The emotional confusion that buried me was becoming clear. I’d craved him quietly, telling myself to be satisfied with the men I had.
But why should I be satisfied with less if he had feelings for me too? I could have it all, all three of them, all the fantastic men in my life.
I could have the world.
He stepped toward me slowly. "Can I… Can I kiss you?”
I smiled at his hesitance. He was so unaware of his own sex appeal and the way he commanded a room. In that way, he was so innocent.
But I wanted to see the side of Rhyion that wasn’t innocent at all.
I nodded. “Yes, please."
And he did. He leaned in for a gentle, careful kiss. A kiss more gentle and hesitant than Lio or Angelo had ever given me.