Page 2 of In the Embrace of Dragons

“Thank you for at last deigning to meet with us.” My voice drips with sarcasm.

He coughs and straightens his back. “I have planned a great banquet tonight to herald your arrival,” he says, as if in apology. “And to present my daughter to you.”

I hold back a groan. The whole reason I’m here. I didn’t want to be reminded of it yet.

“Then show us to our quarters so we can prepare.”

Hastily, he agrees and instructs another human to show us to our rooms. We’re led in through the front doors and down many different hallways, until we reach the “east wing.” Here we are deposited, and the human asks if we require any other assistance.

“We can handle ourselves,” I snap, and he quickly darts away.

Ragnakor says nothing, but I can feel his judgment on me as I choose the most opulent room.

“What is it?” I finally ask as my footman carries in my luggage.

The captain of the guard studies me, not answering for many long seconds. But I’m used to waiting for him.

“Your future wife,” he finally says. Just those words coming from him makes me grit my teeth. “Will you treat her as you do her father?”

I don’t even have to think about my answer, even though I know where he’s leading me.

“Humans are humans.” I narrow my eyes as I dare him to contradict me. “And she's one of them. I'll treat her how she deserves to be treated.”

His expression gives no indication how he feels about my answer. “I see.” Ragnakor hefts up his own bag over his shoulder, then turns and ducks into one of the adjacent rooms.

No matter how I feel about her, it’s not as if she has a choice in this marriage. Neither do I.

With a huff, I stride into my room, shoo my footman out, and close the door behind me. I decide to read a book for a while, as I won’t be shining up my scales or polishing my horns for this event. I care little for what the human king orhis brood think of me. As long as they are afraid, that’s all that matters.

RAGNAKOR

It is, on occasion, difficult to stand at King Vizarios’s side. He is not cruel at heart, though his favorite pastime appears to be driving others away. The only reason I will always remain is that deep down, he has been severely wounded by his mother’s death. I take this into consideration whenever he speaks and acts.

I fear for this marriage, though, and what the king’s dour outlook will mean for the rest of us. I especially worry for this future bride, given away by her father to seal a treaty that’s many millennia old. She is innocent in this, whoever she is, and I don’t trust Vizarios not to break that innocence into pieces.

While the king is moping in his room, I choose to explore the castle, leaving two of my most trusted guards posted at Vizarios’s door. I find the practice yard, and the human soldiers all retreat when I enter with my sword.

Perhaps he’s right, and they are rather cowardly.

One of my own males joins me, and we decide to put on a show by sparring in front of the humans. My soldier fights well, but I am both larger and faster, making it difficult for him to keep up. Still, this is for show, so I make sure to let it seem fair.

When I’ve finally decided there has been enough play, I break through his defenses, and a few of the humans cheer.

“Good show,” someone calls out. It’s a young man on the edge of the practice yard, waving a fist. He has a high, musicalvoice, and a peculiarly attractive face—for a human. “Dragons are no pushovers, I see.”

I grunt in agreement, deciding it’s time to return and get ready for the banquet. The humans all step aside as we exit the yard, granting us a wide berth after our display of strength.

The king would likely approve. We’ve struck fear in them.

I give the young man one last glance before we depart. He has fierce eyes that strike a chord in me, and I wonder if all humans are not as weak and useless as my king believes.

Back in my room, I change out of my traveling clothes and put on my ceremonial garb, thinking about our sparring session. I’ve rarely interacted with humans, and certainly never found one that was pleasing to look at. Their faces are strangely flat, with small, peaked noses and fur above their eyes. They also have poor senses, from what I’ve been told. I flex my jaw, thinking about their tiny, round mouths full of blunt teeth.

There’s a tingle in my belly, one I’ve only felt once before. I tense as I strap on my shoulder plate, which is asymmetrical so that the colors of our country fall in a tassel from one side. It joins by a rope across my front to my opposite shoulder, over my shining breastplate. It’s not one I would ever wear into war, or even a fight in the sparring arena. It’s heavy and cumbersome, and it makes my hulking shape even bigger.

A little human like that would be frightened of me, surely.

Not that it matters. When we’ve finished with what we came here to do, it’ll be time to return to Selvumrrest. When I get home, I ought to try to find a mate of my own, so I can stop feeling this longing for someone I’ll never have.