by D. R. Grady
At the notion of setting eyes on Kellen again, her blood somehow thinned and sent bubbles into her brain.
Through long years of tamping her emotions, Ari ignored the sensation.
Aasguards had never been banned from marrying, but they’d never done so until Vidar. Who hadn’t been able to bear witnessing Raene marry another. Just because her brothers had married, didn’t mean Ari could do so.
Although never discussed, male and female Aasguards were treated differently. Not in a noticeable way, but she and her feminine colleagues made up a tiny fraction of the dwindling Aasguard population. They had to be better, faster, and smarter, or things could deteriorate to nasty.
Not one of her fellow Aasguards would treat a woman badly. Ever.
But men of the realms she had worked within didn’t tend to offer a female Aasguard the same respect her male counterparts enjoyed. Ari and her female colleagues had learned quickly to alter that ridiculous notion and fast.
She suppressed a growl and finally noticed they had arrived.
Before she was ready, Fricassa landed on the lush grounds of the Montequirst castle. The doors flung wide and Queen Raene rushed to meet them. Behind her, Vidar ambled at a more stately pace.
Stefana flung herself into Raene’s arms as Lajos and Vidar greeted each other. Ari slid off Fricassa to join the family reunion.
“Stefana, did your parents not accompany you?” A small frown furrowed Raene’s forehead.
“No, they’re both recovering from a nasty virus, so they elected to stay home. They send their love.” Stefana stepped back so Ari could hug her sister-in-law.
Raene’s enthusiastic greeting warmed her, as did the squeezes from her brother. Vidar inspected her, Stefana, and Lajos.
“You three all look hale and hearty.”
“We are. The virus felled quite a number, but the three of us escaped.” Lajos clapped Vidar on the back. “Is Kellen joining us?”
“He’ll be here shortly.” Vidar stepped to Aern and Fricassa, Raene with him as they made much of the two dragons. That the royal couple had missed them was evident.
She stood with Lajos and Stefana while they caught up.
A figure strode through the massive double wooden doors. His shoulders erect and straight, his walk confident, with the sunlight gleaming off his nutmeg colored hair. Ari’s breath caught in her throat, but she didn’t allow any of what she felt to show, because Aasguard warriors did no such thing.
Of course, both of her brothers had disregarded the rule scrolls for Aasguard warriors, if they had ever existed.
Kellen shook Lajos’ hand, bowed to Stefana in a show of respect for women, not necessarily for her status as a queen, and he also greeted the dragons. A glimmer of pain flashed across his face and she understood.
She hadn’t recovered from the death of her dragon either. Kellen had lost his around the same time.
Their lives were lonely enough, but her dragon had been old and unwell. When he decided to pass on, she had understood, but it wrenched her heart then, and now.
Having Aern and Fricassa had helped to heal her open wound and she’d had access to them here in Montequirst and then again while in Swiftland. Kellen hadn’t.
All thoughts fled when he turned to her. “Ari.” His amber eyes met hers.
Her name uttered in his deep voice sent shivers up and down her spine. She offered him the usual warriors’ greeting. All the while, her heart tried to hammer out of her chest.
Emotion was not something Kellen the Mighty had ever been comfortable with.
Over the long years he had grown especially adept at increasing the distance between himself and his emotions. So gazing now at the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, greeting her as a colleague, he didn’t know what to make of the situation. His heart and respiration rates increased.
Kellen had no grounds to interpret this rare phenomenon.
“You have healed?” Ari’s feminine question jerked his attention back to her lovely face. He’d been trying to avoid that.
Weathered and seasoned from their centuries on this earth, he appreciated the scars and lines that were a testament to her long life. Aasguards didn’t show their age but tended toward ageless. Yet they were in no way flawless.
Ari’s face showed her experience and wisdom. Her long, honey-colored hair and those silvery-blue eyes captivated him.
Never in his long existence had this occurred. He’d been protector to countless employers over the years. Observed plenty of breathtaking women. None had ever moved him in the manner of this one.
And it better cease immediately, because this was unacceptable in every way.
What this was, he had yet to establish, but he couldn’t continue down this path of destruction.
“I am fine.”
One honey-colored eyebrow rose. “You are completely healed?”
“Of course.” Not spoken arrogantly, but it had been several months since she, her brother, and his wife had left Montequirst. She knew Aasguards healed quickly.
“We have been very grateful for him.” Raene smiled at him. She didn’t seem to mind standing in the long shadows of both him and Vidar.
“They’ve missed Aern and Fricassa though.” Kellen smiled faintly in the direction of the two dragons, who had mated.
Lajos had been companion to the tiny green female while Vidar and Aern, the massive, clumsy black dragon, had spent the past centuries together. Now the two dragons had mated, and both Aasguard warriors were kings to their queens and helped to rule the countries in which they occupied.
Kellen had no desire whatsoever to be a king. He shuddered at the very thought.
“It has been my privilege to serve.” Kellen bowed slightly to Raene, a lovely auburn-haired woman who closely resembled her ancestress, Queen Bronwyn. A warrior in her own right, and he had been impressed with her.
Looking upon Raene now, he wasn’t surprised Bronwyn’s descendant had been a part of changing history. At least for his kind. Until Raene and Vidar, he’d never heard of Aasguard warriors marrying. Those who had trained before him chose when to pass on, always alone, always with melancholy.
None of them had ever considered changing their own lives.
Until now. He didn’t know why the two royal couples had chosen this. Didn’t know what had fueled their relationship. A large part of him didn’t wish to be any the wiser.
“Shall we go inside and have tea?” Raene’s bright question shifted them all from the lush grounds to the interior of the castle. A massive structure that housed more spaces than he had taken the time to count, including his current lodgings, which had previously been Vidar’s.
As attractive and practical as any room here in the castle, he hadn’t had cause to complain. Vidar had even showed him the crystal console embedded in the wall which was far larger and faster than his handheld crystal.
Kellen had been tempted several times to contact Ari. He had resisted.
The only times he’d interacted with her had been when he had palace business. But this burning desire inside him to further their relationship had grown, not diminished.
Now she leaned in to pick up her teacup, her motions easy and graceful and he found himself enthralled.
What is wrong with me?
No one answered that question, for which he was grateful.
The conversation flowed around him as Raene and Vidar caught up with the growth happening in Swiftland. He couldn’t remember ever having tea with two sets of kings and queens. He’d certainly never done so while seated with three Aasguards.
Life as he had known it had changed drastically.
Kellen wasn’t certain how he felt about that.
Chapter 2
Her tea had dwindled to a sip or two with a few leaves at the bottom when Ari and company became aware of a new arrival. Horatio, a butler of sorts, didn’t have an opportunity to announce the new arrival, because they all rose to see what the commotion was about. They all gazed out the large
windows that faced the front of the castle.
Ari, Kellen, Vidar, and Lajos all recognized the way the woman moved as she and her dragon companion, who looked young, stalked to the castle entrance. Ari didn’t wait for her to knock.
Female Aasguard warriors were so rare as to be nearly legends. She didn’t subscribe to the legend status because she herself was a female Aasguard. Hurrying down the stairs she marched to meet the woman.
The woman halted to observe Ari and a weary smile creased her face. Her blue dragon paused with her and bumped the female Aasguard gently with her snout. She patted the scaled head with affection.
Then she and dragon, who had clearly formed a team, hurried forward. “You’re Aasguard too.” The woman took her hands.
“I am. I am Ari the Noble. Welcome to Montequirst.”
“Is it true an Aasguard rules here now?”
“No, I don’t rule. I’m Vidar the Loyal, and King of Montequirst, but my wife, Queen Raene of Montequirst is the ruler. I protect her and oversee the army.” Vidar greeted the woman in the usual warrior greeting. “And you are?”
“Do excuse me, I am Felicity the Valiant.” She touched the blue dragon. “This is Maeze.”
“Felicity, Maeze.” Lajos stepped forward to greet their new arrivals. “I am Lajos the Swift, and King of Swiftland.” He drew Stefana forward. “This is my wife, Queen Stefana.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you all.”
“I am Kellen the Mighty.” Kellen also greeted her in the usual manner. He gave nothing away, but that was common for Aasguards.
Frowning at Vidar, Ari looked about for Raene. “Where is Raene?”
Before Vidar could answer, Raene appeared in the massive doorway of the castle and hurried down the stairs. Her beautiful day dress made Ari wish for things that couldn’t be hers. She liked her warrior garb, and goodness only knew fighting in the fancy dress preferred for court life was silly.
Her brothers, despite both being kings now, continued to don their warrior garb, albeit in much nicer fabrics and less subdued colors. They hadn’t needed to make many sacrifices. Stefana had transitioned to wearing long, full pants more often than not. They had a country to rebuild, and long skirts tended to trip a woman who needed to move quickly.
However, life in Montequirst continued exactly as it always had done, and Raene, although envious of the warrior attire, hadn’t managed to offer a credible excuse thus far to don their garb. She had admitted her desire to wear their type of clothing to Ari during a previous visit.
Felicity wore nearly identical clothing to what Ari had donned this morning.
“Maeze appears young.” Ari couldn’t help but point out the obvious. With her own dear dragon’s passing, she longed for a new companion.
“She is.” Felicity smiled at her dragon. “Her mother was my original dragon, but she grew old and weary of life.”
“My mother had informed me soon after my birth that I already had a companion and should prepare for the warrior life.” Maeze added to Felicity’s statement.
Everyone looked at everyone else, but what this pair said didn’t make sense.
Raene ushered everyone into the castle again, and soon fresh tea and coffee were served. Vidar introduced Maeze to Fricassa and Aern and she settled in with them in the cavern while her Aasguard buddy explained.
“My former dragon, Salunga, knew her days were numbered, so she mated with a male dragon. That way I would have a companion when she needed to pass on.” Felicity stated this with alacrity.
“She provided you with her daughter.” Ari’s longing for another companion increased.
“She did. For a time I had both of them as well as Maeze’s father as companions, and helped to raise Maeze. Of course, dragons don’t stay small long. What I’ve learned through all this is that Maeze retains much of Salunga’s knowledge.”
One of the men in the room bit off an exclamation, but Ari didn’t know which one spoke. She peered at all three of them, but couldn’t discern.
Kellen leaned forward. “So Maeze has access to all of Salunga’s memories, without having experienced them herself?”
“Yes.” Felicity held up a hand. “Keep in mind that she can view the incident, but because she didn’t experience it herself, she has to interpret what happened. Salunga lived it, so she figured out what she needed from the situation. Maeze has to piece her way through some of our newer events.”
“You have the benefit of youth, and some of the benefits of maturity, but not all, in Maeze.” Lajos summed up the situation.
“Precisely. Maeze learns fast, and she has all her mother’s memories and a good bit of her father’s, although she struggles to interpret their experiences and rightfully so. But overall she does well.” Felicity appeared to enjoy the coffee in her cup.
“My dragon didn’t provide me with a new companion when he chose to pass.” Kellen hadn’t taken a sip of his beverage since Felicity’s arrival.
“I’ve heard it’s rare. Mine just happened to meet a male she wished to mate with and he concurred. I believe they both enjoyed the thought of their line continuing.”
“Was Maeze the only dragon they produced?”
“Yes. Both parents were thrilled with her, and her father, who was ill, rather enjoyed his last weeks, before it became evident he needed to pass.” Felicity set her mug on the small saucer. “I believe Salunga looked forward to passing as well, because she and Keark, Maeze’s father, became very close at the end.”
“Did Keark have an Aasguard companion?” Vidar asked.
“No, not at the end. His companion had chosen to pass on.” Felicity tapped her fingers. “I’ve learned of many of the older ones who have done so. All the Aasguards who trained me have passed.”
Felicity didn’t meet any of their eyes. But her statement brought all of them up short.
“I have also heard that many who trained me have passed on.” Kellen peered at both Lajos and Vidar, and then his amber gaze rested on her.
“I was one of the youngest to train, from what I’ve heard. Other than Lajos and Vidar, and a few female Aasguards, I have not heard whether my mentors passed on or not.” She didn’t chew on her lower lip, but this news was disconcerting.
No one wanted to hear they were now the senior generation. None wished to shoulder that responsibility.
Lajos reached for Stefana’s hand. A subtle, telling action. “I have heard from several of my former friends who have said goodbye.”
Vidar nodded with a solemn air. “As have I.”
“Does anyone know of the actual number of Aasguard warriors left?” Her heart dropped. She glanced at Kellen. “A lowered number might account for why that army you encountered on your way here had never heard of us.”
Kellen’s acknowledgment of her statement was slow in coming. “Yes. Unfortunately, that makes sense. With our number dwindling, many who live in this time haven’t heard of us because the generation who had known of us is long past.”
“If many Aasguard warriors are gone…” Stefana gripped Lajos’ hand tighter and didn’t continue.
But then, she didn’t need to.
If many had passed on, then the Aasguard Warrior nation was in danger of becoming extinct.
“Now that two Aasguard warriors have married human women, and provided we produce children, will that automatically mean our children are Aasguard warriors?” Raene asked no one in particular.
But Vidar and Lajos shook their heads. Vidar stroked a finger over her cheek. “Not necessarily. We trained hard in our youth to become Aasguard.”
“It’s the training we endured that made us what we are.” Felicity’s face had slightly paled.
As though this information was unwelcome as well as unpleasant. It was. Kellen had known in the back of his mind that his population was dwindling, but for all he knew, those seated with him in this very room might comprise their entire population.
Then he remembered something Ari said. Best not to kid himself. He
remembered everything she said.
He faced her now. “You remain in touch with several other female Aasguard warriors?”
“I do. There are three of us.” She looked at Felicity. “What about you? Do you have a few female colleagues?”
“I also correspond with two others.” But she looked troubled. “What is the possibility we know the same warriors, Ari?”
Kellen didn’t give Ari time to answer. “Perhaps we should put out a call.”
“As in seek all the Aasguard warriors who are still alive?” Lajos’ eyes narrowed.
Vidar straightened in his chair all the while radiating a troubled air. “That’s a good idea.”
“We might not reach everyone, but if we can determine a count, at least account for those who still walk the land, we could determine a clearer picture of the number of warriors we have.” Kellen both wanted to do this and didn’t want to. The two sides warred with each other, so he sipped coffee to distract himself.
“There might be far more than we think.” Vidar said this in a musing tone.
“Or we might be shocked by how few there are.” Kellen finished Vidar’s thought as Raene gripped her husband’s thigh in a show of support.
Kellen strove not to think about having a companion who wasn’t a dragon. Not that he had either. But a human or Aasguard companion appealed greatly. Someone who he could be with in a more intimate nature than a dragon provided. Dragons required alone time and they sought to be near treasure.
Whether their own or someone else’s, treasure improved their health and wellbeing. They worked extremely well as guards to a treasure house.
He’d like someone whose needs veered toward his own. And his gaze wandered toward Ari. Lit on her and wouldn’t shake loose, in fact.
Another single female Aasguard had arrived. Felicity’s attractiveness was without dispute, yet he wasn’t affected by her as he was by Ari. Something about this particular woman appealed to him on levels he hadn’t even been aware of.
That should be strange. It was strange. So he didn’t voice it. But he also didn’t understand the situation himself. That hadn’t happened since his youth—a long time ago. More centuries than he cared to think about.