War Camp, Celenore

Saffra stared at the Spriten queen. Stared as Claire doubled over, clutching her stomach, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. It wasn't the sort of reaction she'd expected, far from it.

A frown pulled at her lips. "Claire? Perhaps you didn't hear me? He's my mate," she said, throwing a nervous glance in Bedelth's direction, just in case he was close enough to hear them. He wasn't. But Claire's laughter was so loud that heads were already turning, including Bedelth's. She could just make out the way his brows pulled together in confusion, the way his eyes tracked over them, before turning back to his conversation.

"I'm...sorry..." Claire gasped, finally righting herself, wiping tears from her eyes. Desaree's reaction was the opposite of Claire's; she merely stood gaping like a fish. "I...just...wait...you...you're serious?" she managed, and then her smile slipped right off her lips.

"Dead serous."

"Oh, Saffra!" Now Claire's eyes widened. She shot forward, launching herself into the air. Saffra had just a moment to catch her, staggering backwards, before they tumbled into the sand. A strangled laugh burst from her chest. She gave into her own hysterics, collapsing in Claire's arms. Laughing felt good. It felt...freeing. So they laid there and laughed.

She wasn't laughing because she was happy. Far from it. Even Claire's laugher wasn't exactly happy. No, they were laughing because it was nearly impossible to believe. Because it was so...unexpected. So—

"This is crazy!" Claire gasped between fits. "Just so crazy. First Koldis, now Bedelth? Gods above. And you're sure?"

"Absolutely positive," Saffra deadpanned.

They finally managed to stand, only to find the king and all his Shields had stopped their activities to stare at them. Claire's eyes went unfocused briefly, and then she smiled. "Talon says he's missing all the fun."

Saffra made a scoffing sound. Fun. Right. She brushed gritty sand from her clothes. There was nothing fun about her circumstances with Bedelth. Nothing fun about the road she must now navigate.

"All right, ladies, wrap it up," Koldis shouted towards them, hands cupped around his mouth. Row boats had disappeared; nearly everything was loaded into the waiting ships. Any moment, Desaree and Jocelyn would be departing the beach, settling in for their voyage home.

Her stomach fluttered with nerves. "So...uhm...Bedelth requested that I fly home with him—with the king's Shields. And...and I have decided to accept—" A chorus of squeals cut off her remaining words. "I am not accepting him as my mate!" she clarified. "Stop it. You are all being ridiculous. This is just...an experiment. An opportunity to see what it's like to travel by flight. I don't intend to...oh my, Gods! Will you each just..." She finally gave up, arms going limp at her sides, giving in to the heated flush that coated her skin.

Claire was grabbing onto Desaree like a hen at court, laughing and gasping—a gossiping hen, who'd just found out the juiciest tidbit and couldn't contain herself. Jocelyn stood giggling, hands pressed firm over her mouth. Desaree supported Claire, taking in deep, breaths and trying not to squeal like her counterpart.

Saffra's teeth ground together. She wanted to be angry—furious, really—that they were behaving like children. But as she looked at their expressions, the mirth, she saw something much deeper. Her heart tightened. They looked at her with overflowing love, happiness, excitement, eyes glittering with eager anticipation. They felt all of this? For her?

How could she ruin this moment with her anger and frustration?

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, Des, you and Joce are sailing back with Verath. I'll be with Bedelth—" She faltered, realizing exactly how that sounded. "—and Claire will be with...King Talon, I presume?"

"Uh-huh," Claire answered, wagging her eyebrows. Saffra attempted her best glare and Claire held up her hands. "All right. All right, I'll stop. But, it's going to be a lot of evenings spent resting around the camp fire, and don't think for a second I won't get all the details from you about what's going on here."

Saffra couldn't help her eyeroll.

Claire made a clicking sound with her tongue. "Did you just roll your eyes at a queen?!"

Saffra crossed her arms. "That's exactly what I did, Your Majesty."

"Thought so," Claire grinned. Then she turned to Desaree and hugged her again, and followed it up with one for Jocelyn. "Take care of each other," she said. "I'll see you again soon."

"And take care of my lady," Jocelyn said in return.

"Oh, I plan to." Claire threw Saffra a wicked look that had her wanting to roll her eyes all over again.

~

The ships had lifted anchor by the time Saffra watched Claire gather with her Queen's Guard. Aside from their small party, King Talon, and the Shields, everyone else was gone. There was no sign that a camp had blanketed the land. It's like it had never been there.

Nearly twenty ships sailed towards the mouth of Stormy Bay. Most carried supplies, but some carried soldiers and others carried Dwargs. King Talon had invited the Dwargs to the capital. He'd offered to warmly host them within the keep for several weeks. Approximately half had accepted. She couldn't imagine what their arrival would be like; the Dwargs were a rambunctious lot. She had enjoyed her time in their company, even if it had been the barest amount, moments stolen during rushed mealtimes, or quick chats at the beginning and end of meetings. She looked forward to truly getting to know them.

Dragonwall was finally uniting together, more closely than ever before. She took this as a good sign. Together, at full strength, Kane couldn't hope to bring them down. They would stand firm until Claire was ready to defeat him once and for all.

"Having second thoughts?" A deep, honeyed voice spoke beside her. "The ships are close enough. We can flag one down, get you on board before it's too late." His voice had become so familiar that even her body hummed in joyous recognition. Gods, how unfair was that?!

"No second thoughts," she said, sounding far more confident than she felt.

"Good." There was a long hesitation before he handed her a pair of gloves.

"What are these for?" She took them and winced. What a stupid question—

"To keep your mind protected."

She jolted, staring at them. They were made from a soft animal hide, died a deep, forest green, delicately embroidered with gold thread. The insides were lined with white fleece. She slipped them on, immediately comforted by the softness.

"What do you mean, my mind?" she asked, already guessing.

"I would never dream of prying into your deepest thoughts, Saffra, but those at the forefront are fair game. I know how you feel about this. This will allow you privacy." He motioned towards the gloves, now wrapping her hands in the softest warmth.

Guilt hardened her stomach. She tried to ignore it. This was for the best.

Bedelth rested a hand on his Sverak. "It means we cannot communicate while in the sky, but there won't be need for it. Unless..." He cleared his throat. "Unless you wish to." There was a sliver of hope his voice.

She hated it—hated how awful it made her feel. She was the monster for allowing fear to come between them. Her soul felt stretched in two directions. Part of her wanted to be more monstrous, to push him away so he'd stop wanting her. The other part wanted to throw her arms around him, to embrace the things he made her feel.

"Anyway...this will be good for you. Shed the rigid cloak of expectation you keep so tightly wrapped about your shoulders. Embrace the sky, the enjoyment flying brings. I have no plans beyond that." With that, he strode away.

No plans to push the mate bond, he meant.

She flexed her fingers. The gloves were a nice touch—brand new, too. They fit her small hands perfectly. Warmth exploded in her chest, at the thought of him having them specially made. He didn't want to push her. This was his way of easing her into things between them.

She looked up, taking stock of her surroundings. Everything had disappeared while they'd spoken. Being in his presence consumed her, enough that she'd forgotten she was standing on the beach, waiting to leave, to return to the capital.

A relieved exhale left her lungs. Things would be easier then. She'd return to her normal life. Avoiding Bedelth wouldn't be so difficult.

Princess Taylynn stood speaking to Claire. She couldn't hear their words, but whatever it was, Claire nodded and the princess reached forward, embracing her. When Taylynn turned, their eyes met. Eyes Saffra had seen too many times as of late. Taylynn lifted a hand in farewell. She held the Sprite's gaze, nodding in turn, the movement nearly involuntary. Something passed between them, something she didn't quite understand, a simple knowing. One seer to another.

Princess Taylynn moved over to where Koldis stood. He took her in his arms and their moths met. Heat washed Saffra's cheeks and yet...she couldn't look away. Couldn't avert her gaze as Koldis kissed Taylynn deeply, as the Spriten princess let him gather her body against his. She'd never taken the Spriten race to be submissive in any way, but here was this powerful woman, submitting entirely to a Drengr. Even the mere act of watching, set Saffra's nerves on fire.

With what? Envy? Desire?

No...that was silly. She'd had what Taylynn and Koldis did. She'd had plenty of passion with Daxton. Look where it got her? A broken heart. A wrenching loss she could never reclaim.

She turned away, only to find Bedelth's penetrating gaze. Heat prickled her skin. She quickly looked away from him, too.

"All right, gather up," King Talon's voice called. She moved closer, as did everyone else. "Koldis is going to take Taylynn to her...dragon. Claire will return to the capital with her Queen's Guard. We will follow in the sky. Drengr can't match the pace of unicorns, so they will make camp early and wait for us each evening. We fly by day and rest by night. There's no need for haste, although I am eager to begin planning our bonding ceremony." He threw his mate an affectionate look and everyone chuckled.

They all broke apart.

Koldis transformed and Taylynn climbed upon his back. They were in the sky within seconds, flying to wherever Fright waited. In the mean time, she watched as Claire and Talon stole a few minutes together. They went for a walk, disappearing. She turned towards the bay, watching the waves roll in and out. Minutes passed, one sliding into the next. She heard Claire and King Talon return. Without realizing it, her gaze darted towards them. They were too far away to make out their hushed words, but she could read their body language, plain as day. Talon said something that made Claire laugh. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he lifted her from the ground, wrapping her in his arms. Her face was buried in his neck, but Saffra knew she was smiling. Talon also smiled. That was rare—so rare. But he'd been smiling so much, lately.

"She makes him very happy," Bedelth mused. She whirled to see him standing beside her. Where had he come from? "I never thought I'd see the day, but he deserves it."

"He does," she agreed, turning back towards their king. "It's hard to believe...the way everything turned out."

"It certainly is." His sidelong gaze made her shift from foot to foot. She continued to watch Claire and the king.

At last, she flexed her fingers and glanced down. "Thank you for the gloves, Bedelth. They're beautiful."

"Of course. My pleasure." He attempted to make his response casual, but she could hear something deeper in his tone.

"My parents would disown me, you know." She jerked, turning her head towards him. "If I took a mate—took you as my mate, I mean. Even knowing the king will change the charter. Even knowing who you are, and how important you are."

Her stomach dropped. "What? What do you mean?"

He scoffed, staring straight ahead. A line had formed between his brows, marring his otherwise flawless brown skin. "They've always been...strict. They won't approve. I am a Shield. Shields do not take mates. It would dishonor me, in their eyes."

Her mouth opened and closed, struggling to find the right words. Why was he telling her this? She swallowed down the tightness forming in her throat. "I...I didn't know your parents were still alive."

In fact, she didn't know anything about them. He'd never mentioned them. They'd been friends, spent time together, and he'd never once mentioned his parents. Was he...did they have a bad relationship?

He gave a brief nod, as if he'd read her mind. His gaze remained fixed on the Sprites and their unicorns. His arms were clasped behind his back, casual. But she felt his tension. "They were young when they had me. Younger than most. They're in their eight-hundreds now..."

"Oh..." She fidgeted with her gloves. "But...shouldn't they be happy for you? Happy that you found someone to spend your life with—hypothetically speaking, I mean."

He snorted.

The dismissive sound made her insides twist with anger. What parent wouldn't be proud of a son like Bedelth? She opened her mouth, almost ready to say that, then snapped it closed. The pain wrapping around her heart—pain for him—was something she didn't want to feel. "I suppose there won't be much need to worry, since we don't plan to acknowledge our mate bond."

She hated the words the moment they were out. Wrapping her arms around her middle, her body hunched in on itself. Regardless of what she'd said, she suddenly disliked his parents very, very much.

"Right." He lifted a dismissive shoulder. "Exactly. It's for the best."

His agreement made her chest grow heavy.

He turned towards her, finally. "It's nearly time. When I transform, we won't be able to converse unless you touch my scales. If you need something, you can speak aloud and I will hear." She nodded, voice suddenly too scratchy to speak. "Your cloak should be sufficient, but if you get cold, let me know. My scales will keep you fairly warm." She nodded again. "Right, well then. Whenever you're ready." He gave her one last look, then walked away. The others, she noticed, were transforming, too. A shadow passed overhead—Koldis, returning. He circled, then landed, staying in form. The other Shields assembled around him.

Claire came over and briefly squeezed her hand. "I'll see you when we make camp tonight?"

"Yes," Saffra managed. Words weren't forming very well at the moment.

"If you want, we can talk about it," Claire added, throwing a glance in Bedelth's direction as he transformed into a hulking orange dragon. His scales shifted from his spine down his belly, taking on various shades of a sunset orange. There was even a bit of yellow and pink.

"I might need that," she managed, nodding.

"Good. Well then." A grin spread across Claire's features. "Enjoy yourself. It's quite something, trust me."

Another nod.

Claire reached over and pulled her into a tight hug. She was too ruffled to do much more than lift her arms and squeeze her friend back. Clair walked off and found her guards, already mounted on their unicorns. Claire climbed upon Tourmaline's back. The Spriten queen gave a final wave, then bounded away. A blink later, they were gone.

She made her way to Bedelth. Her head fell back, taking him in up close. She gazed up and up and up. Most of the Shields had transformed already. Heat rushed across her skin. This was going to be so embarrassing—

"Need a hand?"

"Oh," she said, placing her hand over her heart.

Jovari grinned down at her. He laced his fingers together. "It will get easier, but here, you can step into my hands, and then up onto his foreleg. You'll have to jump to grab his neck spike there, but you should reach it okay. Then you'll have to pull your body up and over. It's not like riding a horse. Or so I'm told. Wouldn't know, really." He winked.

"Yes, I found that to be the case once before."

"Well then, let's give it a try, my lady."

She was vaguely aware that everyone was watching her. Gods! This was the worst. She didn't dare glance over her shoulder.

Stepping into Jovari's laced fingers, she began to climb. When she managed to grab the correct neck spike, she pulled herself up. Her first attempt was appalling. She huffed, tried again, then got it on the second try.

"Nicely done!" Jovari called up to her. A pleased smile stretched across her lips. She'd do better next time. There'd be...how many days to practice? Perhaps she ought to have asked.

She caught Talon's eye, noticed his draconic smirk—how had she never before noticed that dragons could smirk?—and quickly looked away. She felt a jolt and tightened her legs, smothering a squeal that threatened to break free. Bedelth stood, moving into position.

Moments later, Talon took up the pinnacle and Jovari got into position. She couldn't hear what was happening, whatever they said to each other. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, ignoring the heaviness in her heart, ignoring the temptation to remove her glove and touch his glassy scales.

In the end, she convinced herself that it was better this way.

King Talon lifted his giant head towards the sky, releasing a deafening roar. The King's Shields took up the call. A moment later, they lunged and sprang from the ground. Her stomach dropped out beneath her, left behind as they lifted into the air. There was that startling sense of heaviness, something pressing her into the dip of his neck. She remembered this from the first time. It only lasted a second. Then Bedelth's wings were stretched out and sweeping down. She climbed into the air, higher and higher with each beat. Glancing over her thigh, she looked down towards the ground. A gasp fell from her lips, then a giggle. It disappeared, shrinking away. A fully fledged laugh crawled up her throat, until she didn't care that she was giggling.

They rose higher and higher. Then, as a single unit, they turned south. It was time to go home. 

⭐🌟 DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!🌟⭐

Happy Friday, Bookdragons!

I like to think Saffra is slowly coming around? What do you think? Clearly, she's very indecisive, and a little uncertain, but...she's getting there. I really enjoyed writing her reaction to Bedelth's parents. This is her first time hearing about them. There's obviously a reason Bedelth has never mentioned them to her. I think we shall see more of that explored in this book :)

Next week's chapter is from Jeanine's POV. Yay! I think this is the first from Jeanine that we have had in a while. 

See you then!

-Mel