The Dragon's Choice

by Wesley Allison

  “We need more workers on the job,” he said.

  “More workers won’t make it go any faster,” said Mr. Kremmik, the architect. “The men are getting in each other’s way as it is.”

  “Then we’ll send the extra men next door. I want the that one finished by the time the house is done.”

  “It will be,” said Kremmik.

  “I was wondering what that monstrous thing next door was,” said a voice from behind them.

  Augie turned around, a smile brightening his face.

  “Hello, my move.”

  Zoantheria melted into his arms and kissed him deeply.

  “Let’s walk over and take a look,” he said, taking her by the hand. “I went to a great deal of trouble securing this lot. Old man Stephenson charged me an arm and a leg. But it will all be worth it.”

  Two thirds of the trees in the next-door lot had been cut down to make way for a building at least as large as the new Dechantagne Home. The land around it had been dug up to make way for gardens, fountains, and pools, as well as a walkway leading from one new building to the other.

  “I can’t for the life of me figure out what this is,” said Zoantheria.

  “Well, guess.”

  “This end looks like a smaller version of your new house, but the other end… well, the only thing I can think of is an airship hanger.”

  “Well spotted,” said Augie. “That is exactly what Mr. Kremmik used as a starting point for his design.”

  “But what is it?”

  “It’s your house, my darling.”

  “What?”

  “This end, you see, will have twenty-two rooms—parlor, library, a lizzie style bath, a truly spacious bedroom, and several guest rooms. The other end of the building will be a single large area with a mechanically retracting dome roof, suitable for sleeping, relaxing, or even entertaining while in dragon form.”

  She stopped and stared at him.

  “That’s the most wonderful thing… probably that anyone in history has ever done for a dragon.”

  “You’re not just a dragon,” he said. “You’re the dragon. My dragon.”

  She kissed him again, pressing her body to his so forcefully that it almost knocked him over. Then she licked first one of his ears and then the other.

  “It still seems awfully big.”

  “Well, on the south side, there will be lizzie quarters. Between the two houses, we’re going to need to appreciably expand the staff. The motor shed quarters always have been inadequate. Now I can the make those rooms into a kennel. The lizzies will all be over here. They’ll have quarters for thirty, including common areas and a proper bath. They will be the swankiest homes of any lizzies this side of King Tokkenoht’s palace. You don’t mind them being so close, do you?”

  “No, I suppose not. I don’t know what Senta will think about me moving away though.”

  “There comes a time when we need to spread our wings and get a little distance from our mothers,” he said. “Believe me, I know. My mother’s suite will be in the east wing. Mine will be in the west. That way, I’ll be closer to you too. I can just step outside and it will be a little stroll from my place to yours.”

  “Are you sure your new wife won’t mind?”

  “If she does, she won’t be my new wife. This is non-negotiable. You are the great love of my life.”

  * * * * *

  Though many, like Aalwijn Finkler, thought it had been a long summer, it seemed like an incredibly short fall. The first snows came at the end of Magnius, long before anyone was ready for them. By mid-Kafirius, it was quite cold and the snowdrifts were piling up amid the huge maples and impossibly tall pine trees for which Birmisia was rightfully famous.

  It was also during Kafirius that the Dechantagne household moved into their new mansion, though the majority of the rooms were still unfinished. The parlor was complete enough that it could be decorated for Kafira Mass, as well as piled with a great many gifts to replace things lost to the fire. These were added to those original items that had, at great cost, been magically restored. The family had little time for anything else, as they prepared for the trip back to Greater Brechalon. The marriage of Crown Prince Clitus to Terra Posthuma Korlann Dechantagne was only four months away.

  The second day of Hamonth was the official start of winter, and it was bitterly cold. Senta felt bad for the triceratops that pulled the trolley through the snow, but the beast plodded along much as it did during more clement weather. At the corner of Ghiosa Way, she pulled her collar up around her face and repositioned her scarf, before sticking her hands back in her muff and stepping out of the vehicle.

  Steam billowed around her face and frost formed on her eyelashes, as she made the short trek to the small yellow cottage. The white door opened even before she could knock, and she stepped quickly into the warm interior.

  “I expected you yesterday,” said Kieran Baxter, helping her from her coat.

  “I am sure that Bryony was not inclined to visitors so soon after giving birth. Besides, I had to visit my cousin Maro yesterday. He’s a proud papa too.”

  “I heard. That’s big news. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of quadruplets before.”

  “No.” she smiled. “They had quite a difficult time thinking up names. I thought for sure one of them would be Senta, but Shirley would have none of it.”

  “So what names did they decide on?”

  “One of them was Didrika,” she said. “I mean honestly. If you’re going to name one after a cousin, why not make it the most important and beautiful cousin?”

  “I always thought Didrika was a beautiful young lady.”

  “I suppose. The other names all start with D. Daria… um, Daphne… and I think… oh, yes—Delicia. I’m betting that one grows up to be a prostitute.”

  “Well, come along,” said Baxter. “Mother and child are in the bedroom.”

  “Do you want to warn her?” asked Senta.

  “Sen let us know you were on the way.”

  He led her through the parlor, the dining room, down the short hall, and through the open doorway to the bedroom.

  Bryony sat on the bed looking none the worse for wear. Swaddled in her arms was her baby. Senta crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. Reaching forward, she pulled back the blanket exposing a cherubic face. She smiled at Bryony.

  “She’s not entirely ugly,” said the sorceress. “Much better looking than mine was.”

  “Hgh-Hmm.” Sen cleared her throat from the doorway. Kerry stood hand-in-hand beside her.

  “You’re a beautiful girl now,” Senta told her daughter. “It’s not my fault that babies all look like Lord Oxenbourse.”

  “She’s a beautiful baby,” said Bryony, “and her name Adelaide Lieselotte Byenthal Baxter.”

  “Well, it’s not as good as Senta,” pronounced the sorceress, “but it’s far better than Delicia.”

  The End

  About the Author

  Wesley Allison is the author of more than twenty-five science fiction and fantasy books, including the popular His Robot Girlfriend. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Master of Science degree from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. He has taught English and American History for the past 23 years in southern Nevada where he lives with his lovely wife Victoria, his two grown children Rebecca and John.

  For more information about the author and upcoming books:

  Visit the City of Amathar Blog at http://wesleyallison.com

  Visit the Author Wesley Allison page on Facebook.

  If you would like to become a patron and supporter of this author and his works,

  and receive insider information and free ebooks:

  Visit the Patreon Page at http://www.patreon.com/wesleyallison

   Books by Wesley Allison

  Look for them wherever fine ebooks are sold. Paper editions are available at the City of Amathar Blog and by special order from your favorite books
eller.

  Princess of Amathar

  Transported to the artificial world of Ecos, Earthman Alexander Ashton struggles to understand the society of his new friends the Amatharians. As he does so, he finds himself falling in love with their princess and being thrust into a millennium-long war with their mortal foes the reptilian Zoasians. Princess of Amathar is a sword-swinging novel of high adventure.

  His Robot Girlfriend

  Mike Smith's life was crap, living all alone, years after his wife had died and his children had grown up and moved away. Then he saw the commercial for the Daffodil. Far more than other robots, the Daffodil could become anything and everything he wanted it to be. Mike's life is about to change.

  His Robot Wife

  In His Robot Wife, the novella-length sequel to His Robot Girlfriend, it is the year 2037 and Mike has been married to his robot wife, Patience, for five years. Troubles are on the horizon though. Prop 22 promises to annul marriages between humans and robots. And Patience hasn’t quite been herself. Is there something wrong, or does she just need a software upgrade?

  His Robot Wife: Patience is a Virtue

  It is the year 2037, when men are men and robots are cute. Patience, the robot wife, has a new friend– Wanda. Wanda, another Daffodil, has been having difficulty bonding with her human, the recently divorced Ryan. She hopes that with Patience’s mentoring, she’ll be able to help Ryan accept her into his troubled life. But even Patience isn’t prepared for what happens when they take a joint vacation cruise to Antarctica. His Robot Wife: Patience is a Virtue is a science fiction story in a world where technology is more than just a pretty face.

  His Robot Girlfriend: Charity

  Robotics engineer Dakota Hawk has problems. His life is falling apart. And even he doesn’t know why he bought a used, and seemingly non-functional, Daffodil Nonne. When your life turns to crap, which should you worry about more– your past or your future? How easy is it really to remake yourself and start over? And will having your own robot girlfriend help or make things even more difficult?

  His Robot Wife: A Great Deal of Patience

  Mike Smith and his robot wife Patience have overcome a great many obstacles in their life together. No obstacle is quite as great as a world war. As the United States, China, Europe and India mobilize against the shadowy Anarchists, who have carved vast swaths across Africa, the Middle East, and Russia, Mike and Patience deal with the fallout at home, and the public’s changing perceptions of robots. Meanwhile, Mike’s son Lucas finds himself in the heart of the conflict as he takes command of robot soldiers leading America’s war effort. A Great Deal of Patience is the first book of a new trilogy that ties together the previous books: His Robot Girlfriend, His Robot Wife, His Robot Wife: Patience is a Virtue, and His Robot Girlfriend: Charity.

  Eaglethorpe Buxton and the Elven Princess

  Eaglethorpe Buxton, famed adventurer and story-teller, friend to those in need of a friend and guardian to those in need of a guardian. He is a liar and braggart, not to be trusted, especially around pies. Who are we to believe? Buxton himself leads us through his world as he comes to the aid of… a poor orphan? An elven princess? Who can guess with Eaglethorpe himself telling the tale?

  Eaglethorpe Buxton and the Sorceress

  Eaglethorpe Buxton, famed adventurer and storyteller is back, this time to put on a play about a sorceress. When the sorceress, subject of his play arrives with fire in her eyes, Eaglethorpe must pretend to be his good friend Ellwood. Will he pull off this charade and survive? And what happens when the real Ellwood shows up? One can never tell, especially when Eaglethorpe tells the story.

  The Many Adventures of Eaglethorpe Buxton

  Eaglethorpe Buxton, famed adventurer and story-teller, friend to those in need of a friend and guardian to those in need of a guardian. He is a liar and braggart, not to be trusted, especially around pies. Who are we to believe? Buxton himself leads us through his world in The Many Adventures of Eaglethorpe Buxton, which include the two previously published tales and three all new adventures.

  Brechalon (Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 0)

  Brechalon is the novella-length prequel to The Voyage of the Minotaur and the books that follow in the story of Senta and the Steel Dragon. Meet the people who will change a world-- the Dechantagnes, wealthy siblings from a disgraced aristocratic family who plot their revenge; the imprisoned sorceress Zurfina; and Senta, the orphan girl who will one day rise to great fame and power.

  The Voyage of the Minotaur (Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 1)

  In a world of steam power and rifles, where magic has not yet been forgotten, an expedition sets out to establish a colony in a lost world. The Voyage of the Minotaur is a story of adventure and magic, religion and prejudice, steam engines and dinosaurs, angels and lizardmen, machine guns and wizards, sorceresses, bustles and corsets, steam-powered computers, hot air balloons, and dragons.

  The Dark and Forbidding Land (Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 2)

  Two years have passed since Senta, the sorceress Zurfina, and Bessemer the steel dragon arrived in the strange land of Birmisia. Now it is up to the settlers to build a home in this dark and forbidding land, ruled by terrifying dinosaurs and strange lizardmen. Ten-year-old Senta must discover which is the greater threat, a would-be wizard or the ever-increasing presence of the tyrannosaurus.

  The Drache Girl (Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 3)

  More than three years have passed since the colonists arrived in Birmisia, and Port Dechantagne is a thriving colony, with the railway line almost complete. Twelve-year-old sorceress's apprentice Senta Bly, Police Constable Saba Colbshallow, and former maid Yuah Dechantagne must deal with wizards, prejudice, steam carriages, boys riding dinosaurs, and the mysterious activities of the lizardmen.

  The Young Sorceress (Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 4)

  Everyone in Port Dechantagne seems to have an agenda of their own, from mysterious sorceress Zurfina, to agents from the enemy nation of Freedonia, to the kings and witchdoctors of the mysterious lizardmen. On the eve of her fifteenth birthday, sorceress’s apprentice Senta finds herself being pulled first one way and then the other. Will she actually have to split herself into four in order to deal with all her responsibilities?

  The Two Dragons (Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 5)

  War has come the Birmisia. The newly settled colonists contemplate war on two fronts. The mysterious lizardmen from far away Tsahloose, led by their monstrous dragon god, threaten from the south. And from across the sea, the totalitarian kingdom of Freedonia threatens to invade their world with wizards and steam-powered war machines. Can even 17-year-old Senta and her mistress Zurfina the Magnificent stop them?

  The Sorceress and her Lovers (Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 6)

  It’s been three years since the war and the world has changed. Port Dechantagne, once a distant outpost of civilization, has grown to be a large city, the center of prosperous Birmisia Colony. Steam-powered carriages share the streets with triceratops-pulled trolleys; fine ladies in their most fashionable bustle dresses lead their lizardmen servants through the shopping districts, and an endless stream of immigrants pours into the region.

  Eleven-year-old Iolana Staff, daughter of the colonial governor, has important things on her mind, namely the mysterious Result Mechanism. Meanwhile, sorceress Senta Bly returns from the continent with a new male companion, an illegitimate daughter, and a long lost brother. Hated and feared for her magic, she must face wizards, assassins, and an old enemy from another reality.

  The Price of Magic (Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 7)

  New powers are rising in Birmisia. Far to the south, the strange lizardmen of Xiatooq are making themselves known. Closer to home, the new lizzie city Yessonarah finds itself rich in gold—gold the humans covet. As tensions rise, many in Port Dechantagne seem eager to teach the lizzies a lesson in humility. Fourteen-year-old Iolana Staff finds herself in the center of it all, as she is pulled between her conscie
nce and the conventions of society. Unconcerned with the conflict between human and lizzie, sorceress Senta Bly prepares for her own war, unaware that events will pull her into a life and death confrontation with an old enemy.

  A Plague of Wizards (Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 8)

  Senta Bly, the most powerful sorceress in the world has disappeared and no one knows where or why. What happens to Port Dechantagne and Birmisia without her protection for four years? Wizards with all sorts of their own agendas descend on the colony, and the citizens must cope the best they can. Nineteen-year-old Iolana Staff lives the life of a famous author, far away in the capital city, but how does her friend Esther, the only Birmisian lizzie on the continent deal with human society? Meanwhile Iolana’s cousin Terra has made the journey to the lizzie city of Yessonarah, to learn what living in the palace of a reptilian king is really like.

  The Dragon’s Choice (Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 9)

  The dragons seemingly have returned to the world and are once again in vying for power. Bessemer the steel dragon is worshipped by the reptilian lizzies, while the evil Voindrazius tries to put together a pantheon that he will control. Zoantheria, the coral dragon, feels pulled in all directions. Wanted both by Bessemer and Voindrazius, she is called to a world she has never known, her mistress, the sorceress Senta Bly encouraging her to take up the mantle of goddess. Her heart, however, is pulling her in a different direction, toward the young viscount Augustus Dechantagne. Which will prove stronger-- love or destiny? Both Senta and Augie have their own problems, hers with teaching her wayward eponymous daughter the ways of magic, and him dealing with the yoke of leadership and a headstrong mother. Meanwhile, far across the ocean, the Dechantagne girls are taking Brech City by storm. Will one of them land a prince?