Lorit turned and looked back across the sea of people. The brilliant red carpet was clear of guests as it stretched to the massive doors of the keep. The band played on, and the doors swung open. Everyone turned as one to face the entryway as the brilliant sunlight streamed in through the doorway, but it was soon blocked as Du'ala, in her dragon form, walked in through the arch, her head and horns barely clearing the door frame.
The dragon walked slowly to the front and stepped off to the side of the dais. She curled herself up, sat gently on the floor, and sang. It was a beautiful and unearthly melody, similar to the one that the dragons sang at the hatching of the egg.
From outside the doorway, a voice answered. It was Chihon, singing along with Du'ala. Her voice blended well with the deep melody that the dragon sang, and all eyes turned back to the entryway. Chihon stood framed in the sunlight, singing a song of love and devotion. It touched Lorit's heart, and he had to blink back tears at the beauty of it.
The song ended and Chihon stepped into the doorway. All Lorit could see was a shadow of the girl who had stood by him through so many trials. The sunlight blinded him to all but her white gown and flowing veil as she walked slowly toward him. He felt Zhimosom's hand on his arm, steadying him.
Two young girls scampered onto the red carpet ahead of Chihon, carrying baskets of flowers. They spread petals down the center of the carpet until they reached Lorit and then spilled the rest at his feet.
The band struck up a new tune and Lorit followed the trail of flower petals back to Chihon, who slowly walked the trail of fresh petals toward him. Behind Chihon, a young girl carried the train of her dress. Chihon was radiant and beautiful and shone with an inner light all her own.
Lorit smiled. He had survived the trials from apprentice to master and along the way he had met this amazing woman who had promised to spend the rest of her days with him. Today, he was the luckiest man in the world.
As Chihon walked up the carpet, Lorit saw her face. Her hair was done in braids of dark brown intertwined with gold and silver threads. Her cheeks had just a touch of red and she wore both a smile and tears. Lorit knew she was just as happy as he was. They could finally settle down and start their lives as normal folks...well, as normal as any wizard couple could.
Lorit raised his magic and released the spell he'd prepared. The plants that climbed the pillars and hung from the rafters burst into flower, filling the chamber with the sweet smell of their nectar. He smiled and extended his hand as Chihon approached. Taking her hand in his, he escorted her up the stairs to stand before the crowd. Zhimosom stood behind the podium and addressed the assembled crowd.
"Today, we are here to bear witness to the union of these two wizards..."
Zhimosom went on for a while, but Lorit didn't see or hear any of it. All he saw was Chihon in her white dress. Nothing else mattered.
"You may kiss the bride," Zhimosom said, shaking Lorit from his thoughts.
Chihon stood there smiling, with tears streaming down her face, as Lorit gently took her face in his hands, leaned in, and kissed her. He felt a surge in his magic as their lips touched and the room burst into a loud cheer.
The wedding was a whirlwind of activity that had Lorit's head spinning. They ate and drank and danced and sang and visited with friends until, exhausted, Lorit and Chihon had retired to their room. It was several days before they emerged, but when they did, a messenger came to them. "You're needed in the courtyard," he said.
"I wonder what this is all about," Lorit said.
"Let's go see." Chihon rushed out and Lorit had to hurry to keep up with her. In the courtyard, they found Du'ala in her dragon form. It was rare these days to see her in the guise of the short Arda'um woman, as she preferred her natural form. Beside her, Zhimosom and Rotiaqua stood side by side. The wizard and sorceress looked even more ancient than they did before. Lorit could see they were fading.
"The time has come," Du'ala said.
"For what?" Lorit asked.
"For the dragons to return home. We are leaving the realm of man for a time."
"Will you be back soon?" Lorit asked. He was going to miss Du'ala the dragon.
"No. We are tired and homesick. We want to go home and rest."
"Does this mean we won't see you again?" Chihon asked.
"Some of us may return from time to time, just to see how you are doing."
"But you won't." Lorit's heart sank at the thought of not getting to spend time with Du'ala. The dragon had demonstrated her wisdom and was a good counselor. Lorit had hoped to learn from her and planned to seek her advice as he took up the duties of the head of the Wizard's Council.
"I will not return," Du'ala said. "I am tired and old and just want to see my home again. And...I will not be alone."
"Of course not. There are lots of dragons now." Lorit recalled the entire clan of dragons that had attended the hatching of the egg.
"Not the dragons...my friends." Du'ala nodded at Zhimosom and Rotiaqua. "They will be going with us."
"They will live in the dragon realm? I thought there were no men in the realm of the dragons."
"There are none...and there will not be."
"How will they accompany you, then?" Lorit wasn't sure he understood. Du'ala had told him that men could not live in the dragon realm, so how were Zhimosom and Rotiaqua going to survive there?
"They will not come as men, but as dragons."
"What?" Lorit was shocked. Dragons? How could Zhimosom and Ritiaqua become dragons?
"My boy," Zhimosom said. "I have lived over four hundred summers with the magic of the dragons in my bones. Rotiaqua and I share that magic. We will leave these bodies behind and take the dragon form. It is not unlike the transformation spells. It will make us young again. We will live productive, peaceful lives as dragons."
"When will you go?"
"Now." Zhimosom glowed with a golden light that bent around him until he was wrapped in a cocoon of shimmering gold. Rotiaqua, too, took on a shining cocoon of light that grew brighter and brighter until Lorit couldn't look at it. He backed away, holding tightly to Chihon's hand.
Lorit covered his eyes. The light and heat were almost too much to bear, but quickly faded. When the heat died away and the light lessened, Lorit was able to see once more. Instead of the wizard and sorceress, a pair of mid-sized dragons stood beside Du'ala.
They were gray, almost white, reminiscent of Zhimosom's hair. Somehow, Lorit still felt the essence of the wizard and sorceress in the dragons.
"Rule well," the female dragon who used to be Rotiaqua said.
"Will there be no dragons here, then?" Lorit asked.
The dragon that was Zhimosom turned its head and nodded at Kedrik and the hatchling. "Sul'ing will stay here with you. She will become a valuable ally and counselor when she matures. Treat her as a friend. She will be our ambassador to you from the dragon realm."
Overhead, shimmering curtains of light rippled in the sky. Lorit knew that this was the end. The dragons were going home. "Farewell, old friends," he called to the dragons.
Du'ala snorted and sat back on her hind legs, ready to leap for the sky. "Thank you for all your help. We will hear tales of you for summers yet to be."
With that, she launched herself into the sky, spread her wings, and flew off into the bright morning. Zhimosom and Rotiaqua followed her on their new wings as if they had been born to them.
Lorit looked up into the sky until the curtains of light faded, then kept staring at the spot as if they would return.
"I don't think they're coming back." Chihon squeezed his hand and pulled him toward the keep. "Come on. We have a council to run."
Epilogue
The royal wedding was a grand affair. Queen Ukina was radiant in her wedding gown and the ceremony was more opulent and more regal than her coronation had been. The wedding not only bound the queen and her husband the Knight, Sir Adane, together, it also bound the nobles and merchants to the royal couple, reaffirming their oath to the pa
ir as they had sworn to the queen.
Some were absent, others looked ashamed for their part in the uprising, but all who were there pledged their undying devotion to the royal couple and their descendants after them. When the official ceremony was over, the guests were invited to the royal table. Lorit and Chihon sat together now, not separated as they had been when they first arrived in Veldwaite so long ago. No longer was Ukina the insecure young woman who hung on Chihon's every word. She was the queen and a powerful ruler in her own right, one who had just put down a rebellion with almost no bloodshed.
When it came time for the guests to leave, Queen Ukina pushed her way through the crowd and guards to find Lorit and Chihon. She threw herself into a chair beside Chihon and heaved a heavy sigh. Her carefully constructed hairdo had long since deteriorated into its usual rat's nest of unruliness.
"I'm so glad you could make it," she said. "The wizarding business is not too strenuous?"
"Not too strenuous," Chihon said.
"Then you've had some time to enjoy life?" Ukina smiled at them.
"We have." Chihon guided Ukina's hand to her belly, where the bulge was just starting to show.
"It looks like you'll have yourself quite a handful," Ukina said.
"How about you?" Chihon asked. "Are there children in your future? I'm sure the crown needs an heir as soon as possible."
Ukina smiled at Chihon. "Soon. And several." She laughed. "You can never be too careful."
Chihon placed her hand on her belly and felt the magic that was growing inside of her. She smiled. Life was good. Everything was perfect.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
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