The Dragon and the Singer

by Renee Carr

  “Did the hotel not have anything you can borrow?” she asked. “I’ve seen some high-end hotels do that.”

  “I didn’t think to ask,” he admitted, as she led him into a giant air-conditioned building. It was a busy mall, but Ivy seemed to know exactly where to go.

  “You’ve been here before then?” he asked.

  “Oh yeah,” she said. “This was my teenage hangout spot before I moved away.”

  “Where did you move?”

  “Everywhere,” she replied. “I tried my luck in many different cities before I realized that my home base should be here. Now, I travel when I need to, but I’m picking up a lot of work here. It’s pretty nice, to sleep in your own bed sometimes.”

  “I don’t know,” he said, with a shrug. “My bed comes with a lot of interruptions. For...work.”

  “Oh no, do you live where you work?” she asked and he nodded. “That sucks.”

  “Hence the escape,” he said, as she tugged his arm in the direction of an athletic store.

  They eventually picked out suitable clothing that he felt was dignified enough and yet relaxed enough for his style. He paid without blinking, noting that she had brought him to a top of the line store, and then offered her lunch.

  “Only if I’m paying,” she said, reminding him of their conversation last night. “And if you try to steal the cheque again, I’ll...”

  “You’ll what?” he asked, their faces inches apart.

  “I’ll....come on, I’m starving,” she broke away from him, leaving his body tingling.

  He would have followed her anywhere at that point, which made his logical brain go into overdrive.

  Ivy ordered two sandwiches at lunch, her stomach growling. By contrast, Nathan ordered half a wrap and a cup of coffee, which made her raise an eyebrow.

  “Are you not hungry?” she asked and he winced.

  “I...the food here isn’t necessarily to my liking.”

  “Well, then, are you always this picky?” She asked him and he chuckled.

  “Only when on planet Earth,” he replied and she rolled her eyes.

  Rock climbing seemed like an easier excursion.

  Nathan was strong, and a rock climbing excursion was easy for him. However, he toned down his strength, keeping pace with her the whole way.

  Ivy seemed to feel equally torn when their excursion ended. Sweaty, and yet happy, Ivy lingered at the front entrance. Nathan had mentioned that he had planned to leave once they were done, and Ivy had to get ready for her show.

  “So um...it was nice to meet you,” Ivy said, as she pulled a sweater she had packed over her head. “If you really have to go right now.”

  Nathan regretted looking at his phone when he had climbed down. His birthright and sworn duty was to protect that Dragon Kingdom, and he really had to get back.

  “I do,” he said, regretfully. “But I would be interested in meeting up again, perhaps next time?”

  “When’s next time?” she asked.

  “Next week?” he randomly chose a time that didn’t seem too eager, but wouldn’t make him perish with longing.

  “Next week, I think I’ll be in New York,” she said. “I have a few gigs booked out there, and they are paying for my flights, which is the holy grail of club bookings.”

  “Congratulations,” he said. “Perhaps I can send you a message when I actually look at my schedule?”

  “Yeah, of course,” she shrugged. “Just so you know, I’m not....” She shook her head. “You wanna text or call, go ahead. I’m not one of those girls who play games and has you waiting three days to call.”

  “Good to know,” he said.

  They stood awkwardly at the front entrance, and then he reached out to shake her hand. She grinned and clasped her small manicured hand in his.

  “See you later,” she said, and then sauntered off into the late afternoon sun.

  The second she was out of sight, he felt like his chest would burst. This was not normal, and this was not a productive way to function.

  He couldn’t call Sarah until later that night after he had put out most of the fires that had occurred in Knorpp during his absence. He regretted the late hour, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to go to sleep until she agreed to his plan.

  “I know everything about this is wrong,” he said, babbling to her as the moon rose over the trees. “I know that it would never work, and I know that...”

  “Nathan,” Sarah had been half asleep when she answered the phone, but she was more alert now. “I can go with you back to Earth if you wish. But it won’t do any good.”

  “You’ll be able to tell,” he said. “You’ll be able to tell if ...if I’m crazy or not.”

  “I won’t,” she said, quietly. “Only you can tell if it’s your fated mate. But from the way you are talking, you are probably right.”

  “I can’t be right,” he said, pacing the room. “I can’t be. She...”

  “Nathan, we don’t choose who our mates are,” Sarah said.

  “But it’s a terrible match,” he protested at last. “At least you and John were...”

  “I wouldn’t have chosen John,” Sarah replied. “And he wouldn’t have chosen me.”

  “You two...”

  “No,” Sarah said. “We weren’t perfect. But we were fated. And I learned to be perfect for him, as he did for me. We had no choice, you see.”

  He fell silent, closing his eyes.

  “Will you come?” he asked, at last.

  “Yes,” she assured him. “I will come. As long as you are alright with... my limitations and the accommodations I might need. I will do my best, though.”

  “Of course,” he said. “I will make you the arrangements. Thank you, Princess.”

  “For your sake,” she said. “I do hope you are right and she is your match. Ruling alone, Nathan, is the heaviest weight you could bear.”

  “I’m managing,” he said. “And if it is what I am fated to do, then I will bear the crown the rest of my life alone. Make no mistake.”

  “No,” she said, quietly. “I know you will do what you need to do. You are strong, Nathan.”

  His stomach immediately jumped.

  “I didn’t mean that John wasn’t,” he said.

  “He wasn’t,” Sarah said, honestly. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Nathan felt grief rip through him as he put down the phone and sunk onto his bed. He didn’t mean to upset Sarah or insult the memory of his brother.

  He had accepted the crown the moment it came to him and focused on ruling his Kingdom the moment they anointed him. And he would do it until his last breath, even if it meant this crushing weight on his chest that he couldn’t explain.

  He needed to know if Ivy was his fated mate. He needed to know if this lounge singer from Earth, with an attitude that was nothing like the women on Knorpp, could be his mate. He had never met anyone so fascinating, so different, and so intoxicating.

  Sleep eventually took him, but he dreamed of her, holding onto the microphone and gazing at him with her bedroom eyes.

  He needed to see her again and he needed to see her soon.

  The first thing he did in the morning was go to see his brothers, who were in the ballroom, planning for that evening’s meeting with the generals of their army.

  “Oh good,” Joshua said when he saw Nathan. He promptly dumped an armload of paperwork on his brother. “You missed a lot.”

  “Thank you, Joshua,” Nathan said, rolling his eyes. “I wasn’t aware of that by the 7 million emails you sent me.”

  “Maybe if you didn’t stay away 12 hours longer than you were supposed to,” Cory said and Nathan raised an eyebrow.

  “Did you get crowned while I was away?” he asked his brother. “I’ve just come to tell you that I will be returning to Earth next week. New York, to be precise.”

  “Oh?” Joshua managed. “Is there a new Kingdom down there that we are taking?”

  “Maybe,” Nathan answered. “And before you
ask, I will not have a protection detail ruining my time there. But you need to be aware of my movements.”

  “I always am,” Joshua replied.

  “Princess Sarah will be accompanying me,” Nathan said, casually.

  “What?” both of them looked confused. “Why?”

  ‘Sarah and I are investigating something that may affect the future of the Kingdom,” Nathan said.

  “I’m sorry?” Joshua said, confused.

  “It’s on a need to know basis,” Nathan replied. “I will give you our coordinates and our projected return date.”

  “Nathan...” Cory paused, trying to put it delicately. “I’m not going to question your plans. But Sarah is not well.”

  “I know that,” Nathan replied. “I need her to figure out something only she can help with at this moment. Otherwise, I would not take the risk.”

  “It is a big risk,” Cory said. “Especially taking her out of the environment she is now used to.”

  “We are all servants of the Kingdom,” Nathan said, at last. “And if we are to perish that way, then it is a life well spent.”

  “Well, hopefully, neither of you are going to perish,” Joshua said, although his curiosity was clearly piqued. Nathan said nothing more on the matter, diving into the work that had been left for him. Before he let anyone else know, he needed to know if he was correct. He needed to know if Ivy really was his fated mate, meant to walk at his side forever.

  And if she was, how was he going to convince her that being his Queen was more important than her career?

  Chapter 6

  Princess Sarah lived in a far corner of the planet, mostly isolated, but still within an hour of a major city.

  Nathan wasn’t sure exactly when her health problems had started. After John died, Sarah had spiraled downwards. They had almost lost her a few times, which felt like losing John all over again. Knowing Sarah, he suspected she had stayed strong for John’s downward spiral and then gave into the issues that had been plaguing her. John kept Sarah well-guarded and made sure she had the utmost privacy and accommodation, so Nathan had no idea how bad things were before John died.

  Now, however, his former sister in law was a shadow of her former self. When she was a Queen, Sarah had been regal, her sharp eyes watching everything that happened in the room. John had often waxed poetically to Nathan of his mate’s beauty, both in human and dragon form. In Dragon form, Sarah was small, with shining scales and large eyes. Now, though, he could see the illness weigh on her. She was bony and pale, and Nathan was aware that she hadn’t been able to walk long distances in almost six months. She slept in Dragon form in order to promote as much healing as possible, which made a trip to Earth a little more difficult, but not impossible. Dragons had increased healing powers, and technically got sick less than humans did. However, they lost the ability to transform when they were very ill, which he knew from the doctors who attended her was becoming an issue. When in human form, Sarah received a constant IV line of Dragonfire, trying to promote transformation and Dragon healing, done through a line in her chest. She covered it well, in a conservative dress, but Nathan could see the difference between herself now and the Queen she once was.

  “My Lord,” she said, curtseying to him, even though it was clearly a struggle.

  “My Lady,” he said, offering her a bow out of a sign of respect for her former rank. “I appreciate you doing this.”

  “It’ll be an adventure,” she answered. “And I have not had an adventure in quite a while.”

  “Did you watch the videos I sent you?” he said, as he held out his hand. A servant behind them picked up the bags that they needed and followed them to the ship that he had gotten.

  “I did,” she said, with a small smile. “She’s a firecracker.”

  “That’s one word for her,” he said.

  “She’s not what I pictured you’d be interested in,” Sarah said, half out of jest and half-serious.

  “And what did you think I’d be interested in?” Nathan asked. “It’s not a topic I discuss often.”

  “I know,” Sarah said. “But we’ve known each other for quite a while, haven’t we, Nathan? At the royal parties that John and I used to throw, I saw the type of woman you’d sneak off with. Princesses and Ladies who had been brought up to consider wearing a crown. Even a Crown Princess would need some sort of proper upbringing if they were to be your wife.”

  “And that hadn’t exactly worked out for me, has it?” he said. “I mean, it did for a few nights, but they weren’t...what I was after long term.”

  “To be honest,” Sarah said. “I wasn’t sure whether you believed in the idea of fated mates at all. I thought that you’d accept an arranged marriage rather than looking for your mate.”

  “An arranged marriage?” Nathan said.

  “It’s just easier, isn’t it?” Sarah said. “Someone assigns you a spouse and you don’t have to worry about your feelings, or your heart, or...”

  He could hear the sadness in her voice, and so he changed the topic slightly.

  “I know she’s quite shocking to look it, especially if you plucked her out of her environment and put her right on Knorpp. But she’s quite a good performer and a good bit of it is an act.”

  “I knew someone like that,” Sarah said. “Performing was in their blood, and they wouldn’t be able to stop if they tried. Do you worry about that?”

  “Is being a Queen not performing?” he asked her and Sarah shrugged one bony shoulder.

  “The more you talk about her, the more you sound sure,” Sarah said. “That she is your fated mate, I mean.”

  “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her,” he said. “I’m surprised anything got done this week, to be honest.”

  “Well, the Kingdom has not self-destructed yet,” she answered. “So your assessment cannot be entirely correct.”

  “Only because I know how to order people around,” he said, as he made sure she was settled onto the ship. He had chosen a small ship so that they could get in and out of Earth’s orbit almost undetected. He had been sending Ivy messages all week and had managed to make up an excuse why he could catch a show she was doing in New York.

  The truth was, they had been texting more than he had done anything else. He was relieved to see that he wasn’t the only one desperate to keep communication open.

  They had talked about almost anything and everything. She had texted him when he woke up and he sent her pictures of his life on Knorpp, careful to conceal anything that wasn’t on Earth. He couldn’t imagine his life without her at this point.

  “Delegation is key,” Sarah said, as they began to soar through the air.

  If he was alone, he could have chosen to transform and fly, although it would be a long journey. He did enjoy long flights, but they were time-consuming. Most of the time, he just chose to take a ship, where he could continue to work on the way.

  “I’ve rented us adjoining suites,” he said. “Across the street from her venue, so that we can go there anytime if you need. I’m hoping though, that you are able to meet her after the show and...”

  “Do you think that there are sparks that come from your eyes or something?” Sarah teased him.

  “Sarah, you know that the Kingdom is my first concern,” Nathan said. “And that I would never do anything to jeopardize the crown...but I can’t breathe without being close to her I need to see her again, I need...”

  “I know,” Sarah said, remembering the feeling. “I know.”

  She fell into silence, and Nathan leaned back against his seat, closing his eyes. All he could think about was the fact that in less than four hours, he’d be back in Ivy’s presence. The ride was fairly smooth, and Sarah seemed to handle the trip quite well, watching the stars sail by.

  They managed to land without incident, undetected by Earth’s air traffic control. Nathan had made the journey so many times that he didn’t even blink when they finally made it onto a busy city street. It was near sunset
on Earth, and Ivy’s show was due to start in less than an hour. Nathan wasn’t sure what kind of venue it was, but his ears burned and wanted to be soothed by her sweet voice.

  “This is...” Sarah looked around. “Different.”

  “Did you and John never visit Earth?” he asked her, trying to remember if they had done a royal tour.

  “We were going to,” Sarah admitted. “But then....”

  “Oh,” he knew exactly what she was referring to. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” she said, as she leaned into him. The venue, according to his directions, was just up the street, but he had a feeling she would need to stop and rest before then.

  “Do you want to grab a cup of coffee?” he said, noticing they had paused outside a cafe. “This looks like a good place.”

  “Sure,” Sarah replied, looking grateful for the seat. He helped her to a seat inside the cafe and was about to get in line when he felt a jolt in his chest.

  He didn’t even need to look to know who was behind him.

  “Ivy,” he said, spinning around. His palms felt sweaty and he felt like his voice had cracked. She was standing in the cafe, her hair pulled into a high ponytail and her face made up with dark eye makeup and ruby red lips.

  She could have been a goddess, painted on a mural that was on the palace ceiling.

  “Fancy running into you here,” she said, with a wide grin. “Apparently we had the same idea.”

  “You should have sent me a message,” he said. “I could have brought you whatever you needed.”

  “I need to get out of there,” she said. “They are all a bunch of drama queens. I’m so glad it’s only a week.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said.

  “It’s alright,” she replied, with a smile. “I stuck it out because I knew that you’d be coming.”

  “I’m grateful,” he said, and they shared a moment looking into each other’s eyes. Nathan wasn’t sure how long they stood there, but he heard Sarah clear her throat and he remembered they weren’t the only two people in the universe. “Ivy, I wanted to introduce you to the Que—-um, my sister in law, Sarah.”