by Rachel Angel
“A group effort, I see,” the king said with a kindly smile.
“Completely,” Ally said. “Take away just one component from our strategy and you’d have monsters flying through Wyvern and Wisteria and Rose Cliff. Everywhere.”
It was so imperceptible. So much so that Ally felt certain no one else had noticed. The king and queen both flinched when she mentioned Wisteria. Why? What did the kingdom mean to them?
She eyed them as the princes continued to regale them with silly war stories. While they seemed like good, honest people, she couldn’t help but wonder… were they in any way responsible for her parents’ death?
“Hey,” Razor said softly, inching closer to Ally as Flint told another story. “Come up to my room. I have something to show you.”
She nodded.
“Carry on,” Razor told everyone at the table. “I want to show Ally my collection of weapons.”
The princes all looked at him knowingly while the king, queen and Ruby smiled innocently.
Razor led the way through the grand hall, up the wide staircase and down the corridor to his room.
“Your weapons, hey?” Ally said with a grin as he closed the door behind them. She glanced down at his crotch. “What sort of weapons do you have up here?”
He smiled, but instead of giving in to her obvious desire, he led her to a cabinet and opened the door, revealing an impressive array of weapons. Battle axes, spears, bows and arrows and a variety of swords.
“Wow. You really do have a great collection.”
“My father has always been a peace-loving man, so I don’t know exactly where my fascination with weapons comes from, but there’s always been something captivating about the ways we create objects to destroy one another.”
Ally sighed. “It is unfortunate. Life would be so much simpler if we could just get along.”
“Sometimes I think my fascination might come from my mother, but I haven’t figured out why yet.”
“Maybe just a need for self-preservation. Mothers can be very protective, fiercely so, once they have children.”
“I guess.”
“Haven’t you ever seen a fragile deer, all innocent and helpless, running away at the slightest crack of a branch? But try to get near that same deer and her fawn and you’re likely to get a good hoofing.”
“A hoofing?”
Ally laughed. “You know what I mean. You’ll get stomped by… you know…” She gathered her fingertips together into a point and poked him with it.
“Her hooves,” he said with an amused chuckle as he tried to dodge her clasped fingertips.
Repeatedly, she struck him with the tips of her fingers, trying to demonstrate the effects of a deer’s hooves on the human body.
He laughed and eventually caught her hands. “If ever a deer attempts to hoof me to death, I’ll grab it’s delicate little limbs and toss it onto its back.” And with that, he grabbed Ally and tossed her onto the bed.
“She’ll kick you,” Ally argued, keeping him at bay with her legs.
“She can try all she wants,” Razor said, grabbing Ally’s legs and pinning them to the bed.
“How can you treat a poor innocent deer so horrible?” Ally said with an innocent pout. “You’re a silly wretch.”
He let out a sardonic chuckle. “Ah, yes, and what a horny wretch I be.” With a few quick motions, he undid her pants and tore them off. He licked his lips in an exaggerated fashion as his eye widened wildly, adding to his crazed appearance. “What a wicked, wicked wretch.”
Ally giggled at his antics until he leaned his face into her crotch and effectively silenced her with the workings of his tongue over her clitoris.
For a few delicious moments she lay back and let him bring her to the brink of an orgasm, but just as the swells of that climax approached, she pushed him off her and threw him on his back.
“I will have you know, sir,” she said with a playful grin, “that I am not that kind of girl.”
“Oh, my pretty lady,” he said, getting into the game. “What kind of girl are you?”
“I’m the boss,” she said. “I am the leader, and you are to obey me.”
“Forever and ever,” he said as he ran his hands through her hair. “I gladly welcome your way of doing things.”
Just as quickly as he had, she rid him of his pants, but kept his leather belt. Folding it in two, she struck her hand lightly with the leather. “I seem to remember you having a fascination with being whipped,” she said. She snapped the belt quickly against his thigh.
He bit his lip as he smiled. “I think that fascination is better left to the imagination.”
She snapped the belt against his other thigh, this time uncomfortably close to his cock.
“Ow!” he said with an uncertain laugh as he shifted over.
She tapped the belt over his shirt, barely touching his chest. “There. Is that better?
“Again,” he said in feigned pleasure. “Ah, yes. Again.”
Ally laughed and tossed the leather belt aside, then straddled him, sending his cock deep inside her.
“How’s that?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said with a true groan of pleasure. “That’s the way.”
She rode him, her eyes on his, fascinated by the change in his gaze and even in the color of his eyes as his orgasm built up. His lips twitched, then parted and almost grimaced as she slowly brought him to his orgasm.
“I love you, Ally,” he cried out as he spilled his pleasure into her and pulled her to him, squeezing her tight. “I love you with every fiber of my being.”
“You’re choking me,” she muttered, her face in the pillows.
“Oh, sorry,” he said with a snort. He released her and she settled into the crux of his arm, her hand lazily playing with the folds of his shirt. “Do you realize, Ally, what a perfect pair we make.”
She looked up at him.
“Of course, there’s this connection that’s undeniable,” he said, pointing to himself then to her. “But, also, your leadership skills work well with mine, and you have a brilliant way of looking at various strategies, open to new ideas and eager to get the best out of everyone around you. Many leaders rely exclusively on their own intuition and knowledge… all the time. It can’t work that way. You have to open yourself up to different ideas and take in what others have to say. And that’s just one of the things that I love about you. Yes, you want to be the leader, or the boss, but you’re not oblivious to the brilliance around you.”
“Wow, Razor. I think that’s the biggest compliment you’ve ever given me.”
“And I mean it. Damn, Ally. Not only did you win us this war, but you’ve won my heart; totally and completely. The only thing keeping me from being the happiest man alive is your promise to be with me… always.”
“And what do your parents have to say about this?” she said. “I mean, how do they feel about humans?”
“They have no issues with humans, and I assure you, they’d like nothing more than to see me live out the rest of my days with you.”
She wasn’t convinced but let the matter drop.
***
The next morning at breakfast, Ally felt strangely surrounded as she sat between Razor and Ruby with the king and queen in front of them at the small, cozy breakfast table.
“Where are the guys?” Ally said.
“They had an early breakfast and headed out for a little hunt,” Ruby said. “They said they needed to keep their killing skills up.”
“After you left the table yesterday, the boys went on to tell us more about the war,” the king said looking at Ally. “They’re all quite impressed with you.”
“I’m very impressed with you, too,” Ruby said. “I’ve never trained for anything so exciting. Some days I just want to throw my embroidery across the room and run out and do something. Something important.”
“Give it time,” the queen said, her tone protective.
“I can understand how you feel,” Ally said to
Ruby. “I don’t think that I’d survive very long if I were asked to sit still and do something so…”
“Boring?” Ruby offered.
“So tedious,” Ally corrected.
Ruby shrugged. “Same difference.”
Ally smiled. “But with that said, being out on the battlefield is not easy. Believe me, there were plenty of times when I was scared, plenty of times when I was hurt. Some days it took all my willpower just to stand, never mind move. Out there you’re almost always hungry and cold and tired and just all around miserable.”
“Through it all, it appears you’ve developed an interest in Razor,” the queen said.
Ally looked affectionately at Razor. “You’ve raised a fine young man; so strong and brave, not to mention handsome. He’s a natural born leader.”
“A leader who could one day be your husband?” the queen said.
Ally almost spit out her sip of tea. My, but they weren’t beating around the bush, she thought. She felt pressured to give an answer she wasn’t yet ready to give.
“Of course,” Ally said after a moment. “There will come a day when I will seek a husband and… well, if Razor is prepared to love and accept a human such as myself then…”
“My dear,” the king said. “We of Rose Cliff have always had an open mind, and we’ve raised Razor to see all beings on their own individual merit. Not only would he accept you as a human, but we would all.”
“There has never been any animosity between the residents of Rose Cliff and the people of The Borders,” the queen added. She reached across the table and put her hand over Ally’s. “Know, Ally, whether you choose Razor as a husband or not, that you will always be welcomed here. Always.”
Ally was touched by the sincerity of the queen’s words.
***
After breakfast, Razor and Ally met up with Jasper, Flint and Tar and headed out to the Kingdom of Metal.
Remembering her first intimate moments with Flint, Ally smiled as she gazed at the gleaming palace that came into view.
She’d almost forgotten how exquisite the castle was, and again marveled at the intricate artistry of the metals.
The king and Flint’s younger brothers greeted them, and, as with Rose Cliff, Ally realized they’d not heard much about the war.
After a brief greeting and a quick exchange of what had happened, the king invited Ally and Flint to a private dinner with Frank and Fred.
“I’m eager to hear more about the battles that you’ve fought at The Borders,” the king said. “Being so far away from the battleground, we haven’t had much news. In fact, I believe the war was well underway when we finally got word that it had begun at all.”
“I can start by telling you that your son is an incredible warrior; tireless and brave,” Ally said. “I fully believe we could not have won this war without him.”
“I’m happy to hear that,” the king said. He looked lovingly at his adult son, then gazed at his two younger boys. “Sometimes it’s hard. They don’t understand why I push so hard, why I’m so tough with them.” He looked at Flint. “But going easy on a child isn’t always the best way.”
Flint nodded, then looked at Ally. “When I was six years old, he left me out in the wilderness for hours. He just threw me on the back of his horse, rode off at top speed until the castle was far behind us and dropped me there. I cried as I watched him ride off. But then I wiped my tears and found my way back home.”
“What he didn’t know,” the king said with a playful grin, “was that I had deliberately taken an indirect path back home.”
“Which meant,” Flint cut in, “that I went in the direction I’d seen him leave in, but soon realized that it was the wrong way.”
“But you found your way home nonetheless, did you not?”
“Yeah, twelve hours later,” Flint groaned.
“But you learned a few valuable lessons.”
Flint nodded. “I certainly learned to look at my surroundings and take note of even the smallest details.” He looked at Ally. “Then when I was ten, he did the same again, only this time he brought me several miles away, and then again when I was thirteen, this time bringing me well outside the boundaries of the kingdom.”
“And every time you became stronger, smarter and more self-reliant.” The king looked at his younger boys. “You boys understand now why I do what I do?”
The boys nodded.
“In addition to what Flint brought to the front,” Ally said. “He also trained the people of The Borders. He’s a great teacher and the people loved him.”
The king nodded, not surprised by his son’s abilities. “I know that some kingdoms have difficulties with the humans, but I’ve always taught Flint to be kind and respectful. Here at the Kingdom of Metal, we interact quite frequently with humans. Many of them rely on the metals that we supply, and they have done so for centuries. It’s imperative that we get along with them. They’ve had to wage so many wars over the years. They’d be helpless without the supply of metal that comes from my kingdom.”
“I wasn’t aware of that,” Ally said. “I must say, I appreciate it.”
“And while we’re on the topic of good relations between dragons and humans,” the king said. “What is the status of your relationship?”
“Um, well. We’ve…” Ally stuttered, caught off guard by the quick shift in topic. “I’ve a lot to consider and…”
“No need to make a decision now,” the king cut in. “But I do wish to make it clear; I fully approve of a union between yourself and my eldest son. In fact, it would be an honor to call you our own.”
***
“You heard him yourself,” Flint later said as they sat in his room, looking at the metal work he’d done on a shield. “He wants you for a daughter.”
Ally laughed as she went around the room, looking at other various metal pieces. “Let him get to know me a little better. Maybe he’ll change his mind.”
Flint smiled a crooked smile. “I really don’t see what he could ever discover about you that wouldn’t make him love you all the more.”
“Well.” She ran her fingers over a suit of armor set up in the corner of his room. “I am naughty sometimes.” She shot him a sidelong glance. “I love your handiwork,” she said, shifting the attention on his metalwork.
“Don’t change the subject,” he said, coming up behind her and pressing his body to hers. “You were just telling me about how naughty you can sometimes be.”
“How did you make this delicate ridge?” she said, ignoring the fire that was heating up inside her.
He brought his hands around her and pulled her more tightly to him, his hard cock pressing against her ass.
“Damn, you’re sexy,” he murmured into her hair. “You’re strong and sexy. Beautiful and sexy. Fierce and sexy.”
“I see a running theme in your assessment of me,” she said with a smile. She pulled away from him and quickly rid herself of her pants. “And now?”
“And now you’re bold and sexy.” He tore off his pants and grabbed a hold of his erection, stroking it gently. “Look what you do to me. Look how you drive me crazy. I can’t think of anything else when you look at me that way.”
“What way?” she whispered.
He grinned. “That sexy way that says you want me.”
He stepped closer to her, wrapped his hands around to grab her ass and picked her up, pinning her to the wall.
“Do I make you happy?” he said as he rammed his cock deep inside her.
“Yes,” she murmured, gripping the nearby curtains as he filled her.
“Really happy?” He rammed into her again.
“Oh, yes.”
He slowly pumped in and out of her, taking on a more tender motion as he kissed her eyes, her ears, her neck and down to the rise of her breasts. “I want to spend my lifetime making you happy, Ally, in every possible way.”
“You do make me happy, Flint.”
“Be my wife,” he whispered into her ear. “
Be my wife.”
They climaxed together, clinging to each other as their hot breaths mingled and their cries filled the room.
Butting his forehead gently against hers, he looked directly into her eyes. Still holding her tightly against him, and keeping his softening erection inside her, he walked to the dresser, and pulled a drawer open.
“I had this made especially for you by our best jeweler,” he said, his voice suddenly breaking with emotion.
Ally looked at the unusual ring and gasped. “Flint, it gorgeous. It’s brighter than the brightest star on a moonless night.”
“That’s because of the effect our specially created silver has when set with diamonds.”
“It’s exquisite.”
“And it’s yours.” He took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger. “You saved my life at the Borders, and you bring me so much joy, you’re like the starlight to my heart. I love you so much, Ally.”
Chapter 17
The ride to Emerald was relatively short and they arrived just in time for lunch.
“We’ve been expecting you,” Queen Mother Jasmine said.
Jasper stooped down to kiss his grandmother, then more forcefully embraced his mother.
“Actually, we were expecting you two days ago,” Queen Jade corrected.
“I suppose that means you heard about the end of the war,” Jasper said.
“Of course we did,” Queen Jade said. “What kept you?”
“Sorry. We had to make a few stops along the way.”
His mother gave him a chastising glance but invited them to sit down. “Well, now that you’re finally here, you may as well have a bite to eat.”
Ally and Jasper joined them for a quick meal then headed to their rooms. There was something homey and comfortable about being back at Emerald. Ally felt at ease with Queen Jade and Queen Mother Jasmine and knew that she was welcomed.