In the morning, Myrena woke up first, but things had changed over the night. Smaug was sleeping beside her on his stomach, hand under the pillow, no longer tangled underneath her. Myrena was laying straight on her back, head turned to watch her mate sleeping.

Mate!

Gods she couldn't believe it! After her first marriage, Myrena had lost all interest in the concept. How dare they treat her like an object! Yet here she was sleeping next to a dragon shifter. It was in his nature to collect objects, own the best things on Earth. She expected him to treat her like property, but the freedom and protection he granted her was something else entirely.

Smaug had opened his eyes while she was musing, and the spreading smile on her face had an echo effect on him.

"What are you smiling for?" Smaug startled her.

"Oh! Good morning!" Myrena said and went in to kiss him.

"Good morning indeed,"he replied.

Myrena held his neck and kissed him again, pushing him onto his back as she lay herself on him. Smaug indeed was enjoying his morning, roaming his hands over his mate's body as she took him in with a moan.

"And what's your plan today?" Smaug managed to ask.

"Well, since I'm going to be living here,"

Smaug loved the thought of that. He pushed himself to sit up and Myrena squealed at the delightful shift of his member inside her.

''Hm...?" Smaug hummed as he kissed her collarbone, urging her to finish her statement.

"I thought we could make the place a bit more homey."

"Wonderful. When do we get started?"

"When I'm done with you!" Myrena moved her hips to tease him.

Smaug shot forward, causing her to lie on her back with him on top. He grabbed her thigh, holding it tight by his own as he snapped his waist against hers.

"You've grown daring." Smaug raised a brow at her.

"Did you just notice? I am the Ghost Bride, darling."

Smaug choked her and punished her with a rough thrust.

"Dragon bride." He growled.

Myrena fisted his hair and pulled him to face her.

"Dragon bride," she corrected herself and pulled him in roughly for a kiss.

After their morning sex, Myrena helped herself to the bathroom and showered. She made Smaug take one as well, refusing to anything else until he did. She made breakfast from the ingredients she'd bought yesterday, then introduced Smaug to their horses after. The dragon swore not to eat them, and helped her name the beasts. She named his horse Quincey, and he named hers Ember. They spent a better part of the morning grooming the horses and fixing the stable. They also went on a ride, where Smaug showed Myrena his favorite places.

Once they were back, Myrena got right into redesigning the castle. She made Smaug fix the stairs and the walls that he'd broken, and even made him make more rooms as she needed. She made the first floor all the behind the scene rooms: the kitchen, the pantry, access to the stables, the laundry, etc etc. The second floor was practically a king's court, meant for entertaining the public. A grand double stairway lead to the private quarters. The whole reconstruction took no more than three days with Smaug's strength. The remake also apparently included him.

"Have you never worn clothes?" Myrena chided him.

Smaug lifted the collar of his long coat, "What do you call this? Anyway, I'm a dragon. What need have I for clothes?"

Myrena condescendingly smiled at him and sat closer, drawing a finger down his long, exposed torso.

"This is fine... When you're with me. When we go to town, I'd like you to be a little more covered up. I don't want to share this sight."

Smaug smiled and kissed her. "As you wish."

The couple went to Smaug's collection of human clothes, and Myrena spent an afternoon washing them first. Then she made him sit through torturous fittings till he had something appropriate to wear. It was just a fitted white shirt under his usual ensemble of red coat and black leather pants. With his hair done back, he looked like a proper lord. The presentation didn't last long as Sir Lord Smaug had quite the seductive effect on his wife, and off the clothes went again.

"Now what?" Smaug asked Myrena as she lay on top of him.

"Right now, I think I'd like to stay in bed. But tomorrow morning, we're going into town. We've run out of rations I'll have you know. Then I'll really be a ghost bride."

"It amuses me to think I'd let you die."

Her dragon husband had a way with words, even if he didn't know what his words meant to her.

"That's exactly why we'll go to town. You can even meet the people. They're all so very nice. Nice and happy, but poor."

"Well that's because they live in the shadows of a dragon." Smaug prided himself.

"Did you steal from them?"

"What ever could I take from them when they have nothing? And anyhow, they live too close to the mountain. Can't risk an uprising."

Myrena lifted up to look at him, elbows pressing in his sternum.

"Smaug the terrible, scared of a little mutiny?" She teased.

"Oh they can try."

"Well you shan't give them a reason to. You'll be a benevolent lord, and they'll grovel at your feet."

"I'm usually malevolent." Smaug quirked a brow.

"My mal-bene-violent husband." Myrena teasingly smiled and stole a kiss.

In the morning they rode Quincey and Ember side by side down the mountain towards Bellemore. Myrena told Smaug about her last visit; the stalls she went to and the people she'd met. This time, the town gatekeeper met her as a familiar and welcomed her in with a gentlemanly greeting. Smaug felt possessive and almost growled at the man even as the mortal welcomed him with a swing of his hat. They tied their horses by the trough before walking into town.

"Now remember, Smaug, they're just being polite. It's nice to say hello and ask how they're doing. You're not the only one who honestly doesn't care, but still, it's the gesture that counts."

"It's fake."

"It's a conversation starter. Now come on, let's go buy our things." Myrena stepped towards the market but Smaug pulled her back sharply.

"Buy?" He inquired.

"Yes, buy." Myrena snapped back as she freed her arm. "It's called trade, Smaug. You give them something, and they will give you something of equal value."

"I will not part with a single coin." Smaug hissed.

"Fine. Let's go back. I'll starve and die looking disgusting in these bloody old clothes. And you can die alone as the last dragon on middle earth."

Myrena began walking back to her horse when to her surprise, Smaug sighed and stopped her. The dragon bride grinned victoriously and lead the way to the market.

The townspeople greeted her warmly and Myrena introduced Smaug as her husband. The people curtsied and bowed to the Lord, egging his pride. Smaug followed and learned the ways of the trade and got the hang of it by the seventh or eighth stall. Suddenly, his blood burned a second before the gate crashed in, revealing three men on horses.

Myrena's attention snapped to the intruders and she went to be by Smaug's side. No on cried or shrieked, as if they weren't surprised. The three men went about the market like they owned the place, ransacking and stealing from stalls as they pleased. One woman finally broke and ran out to defend her stall, but one man wrestled her and threw her to the ground.

"You, STOP!" Smaug called out and Myrena smiled.

The three men regrouped and turned their attention to the new couple.

"It's not your father's town that you invade so recklessly. Leave." Smaug threatened, his top lip quivering with fury.

The middle man smiled amused as he bit the fruit in his hand, then spit and tossed it aside. The three walked up to him, looking up to lock eyes.

"I don't think you know my father, your highness." The man did a fake curtesy. "This here town is my playground; to do as I please. Take what I please."

He turned his attention to Myrena, and bit his lip devilishly as he reached out to touch her. Smaug caught the man's wrist instantly, and flung him far back into the street.

The other two pulled out their swords and swung at Smaug, but were blocked by Myrena's blade. She pushed them off and they stumbled, giving Smaug the chance to bring out his own.

The men, joined by the first, were aggressive and sloppy, but Myrena and Smaug had skill and strength on their side. It wasn't long till Smaug's patience ran out and he broke the men's swords and roared time to a standstill.

"ENOUGH!" he yelled at the fallen men, appearing taller with each step he took towards them.

"This town is mine!" Smaug growled possessively. "You will leave now and never return." He grabbed the leader by his collar and pulled him up face to face. "And if I should ever see you or anyone of you here again..." his eyes showed his fury, his serpentine orbs reflecting fire, and he tossed the man back.

The mortal yelled in fear, stumbling backwards as he was paralyzed in fear. His cronies picked him up and ran out of town with their tails tucked between their legs. Smaug looked for his mate and found Myrena standing by a stall, watching him proudly. He half smiled to himself and walked towards her, meeting her halfway and she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss in the middle of the street.

"My king," Myrena whispered to him before she turned him around, showing him all the townspeople of Bellemore on their knees.

"That'll be fine," Smaug called out, "return to your daily lives."

The people got up and there was a round of cheers before everyone went back to work.

"You did well, husband." Myrena complimented when they were riding back home. "Too well, I think. Perhaps deserving of a reward?"

Smaug looked at her with a sly smirk, eyebrow raised in intrigue.

"I'm not complaining."

"Hah! I meant, how would you like to punish an entire town, my dragon?"

Smaug's eyes swapped to serpentine and smoke bellowed from his smirk.

"Oh I don't think you'll have to ask twice!"