Maiden Flight

by S. A. Barton

Chapter Six

  When Gareth and Kelvan took off for patrol early the next morning, Belora went to visit her mother in Kelzy’s suite.

  “I heard you went to the springs last eve.” Kelzy’s voice sounded in the minds of both mother and daughter, though Adora knew the dragon was speaking of her daughter’s activities. The blush staining Belora’s fair cheeks amused her, but she also felt a pang of regret for her little girl who was now a woman grown.

  “Um…yes. It was very educational.”

  Kelzy snorted smoke in dragonish laughter. “I bet.”

  “Mama Kelzy, are you teasing my girl?” Adora gathered her daughter close for a long hug. “I’ve missed you, honey girl. What have you been doing with yourself?”

  “Trying to decide if I’m going to stay.”

  Belora looked so torn. Adora kept her arm around her shoulders and guided her to sit with her at the edge of Kelzy’s wallow. She shot a concerned glance to the dragon.

  “I thought your mating feast was set for this evening.”

  “It is, but I’m just not sure I can go through with it.” Her eyes looked pained and confused.

  “Why not?”

  “Oh, Mama, it’s so different here. The things they expect of me… I just don’t know if it’s right or if I can do it.”

  “What things?” Adora’s voice held all the anger of an enraged mother hen. She had spent most of her life protecting this girl. She’d done the best she could to raise her strong and comfortable in herself. She couldn’t fathom what the knights or dragons would ask of her that would put such fear and self-doubt in her eyes, but she didn’t like it. Indignation filled her, the inner fire that she usually kept well banked, rising to take on anyone who would hurt her baby.

  Belora blushed a fiery red. “Um…sexual things. There are so few women here, you see. And when Kelvan mates, they expect me to…oh, this is hard to talk about, even with you, Mama.”

  Kelzy shook her head and sighed warm air around them. Adora pinned her with a steely gaze.

  “Just what is making my brave baby girl so confused? And what has your son to do with it?”

  Kelzy shifted in her wallow. “It’s always hardest on those not raised in a Lair. Adora, you have to realize the bond between dragon and knight is soul deep. What he feels, we feel and vice versa. When Jared takes a woman, I feel it and if I’m ever lucky enough to be able to mate again, it will undoubtedly drive Jared into an uncontrollable lust. That’s why fighting dragons—those of us partnered with knights—are forbidden to mate unless our knights have a wife. When the lust rides us all, the knights will turn to their wife to share the mating fever safely.”

  “Wife? Only one wife for two knights?”

  Kelzy nodded her great head. “There are so few women who can live among dragons. Our knights have learned to share. But their love and protection for their wife runs deeper than any regular tie. They live dangerous lives. If one knight falls, he knows his partner will be there to take care of their wife and children. It’s the way of fighting knights and dragons. It has been this way for centuries.”

  “Well, that’s some dirty little secret you have there.” Adora was shocked, but turned over the problem in her mind. “So just who else is my baby expected to marry tonight?”

  “His name is Lars.” Belora’s voice was reserved, her face flushed and eyes confused. “He’s wonderful, Mama. Really. He’s quiet and so thoughtful and he has the gentlest heart.”

  “You sound half in love with him already!” Adora was scandalized and more than a little intrigued. Still, it didn’t sit quite right, her inexperienced baby girl being expected to welcome two brawny knights into her life and her bed.

  Belora seemed to think about it. “You know, maybe I am. Gareth brought him around and helped us get to know each other. I like him a lot, but I don’t know if I can let them both…” She trailed off in embarrassment once more.

  “They are expected to have her at the same time?” Adora turned accusing eyes to the dragon.

  “When the mating heat is upon them all, it will be inevitable. Most of the human women involved in such arrangements seem to enjoy it immensely. Think of the benefits, child. Two men at your beck and call at all times. Two men who will love you and put your happiness and safety above their own. Two men to help around the Lair and father your babies.”

  “This isn’t some kind of perverted partner-swapping thing, is it?” Adora wanted to know.

  “By the Mother, where do you get such notions? Of course it isn’t! Once mated, knights remain true to their mates for the rest of their lives. This isn’t some whim. The Mother guides the knights in their selection of a mate, just as She guides us dragons. Is it any wonder your daughter already has feelings for the knight of my son’s future mate? The Mother of All knows what She is doing, after all.”

  “I love Gareth, Mama. I loved him almost from the first moment I saw him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. But I feel things for Lars too. It’s hard to describe. He’s so different from Gareth, so special. I want to bring him out of his shell and tease him until he laughs. He doesn’t laugh nearly enough. I like his kisses and I love the way he treats me as if I’m made of spun glass.”

  Adora didn’t know what to think, but the look in her daughter’s eyes was oddly reassuring. “I think I need to meet this Lars.”

  “He’ll be here in a few minutes. I just asked Rohtina, his partner, to bring him here. She wants to meet Belora too, by the way. How could a sensible man like Gareth overlook introducing the two females who will be expected to share a suite? I thought he was smarter than that. Honestly!”

  Kelzy huffed while the two human women listened to the sounds of an approaching dragon. Apparently, Rohtina was prompt and somewhat eager to meet them if her fast tread was any indication. When she came through the huge archway, Adora caught her breath.

  She was a gorgeous young dragon in a golden red hue that shone like the morning sun. Her eyes were amber jewels, bright with intelligence and eagerly taking in all there was to see. Intelligence sparkled there and a perky humor, if she didn’t miss her guess.

  Adora and her daughter stood to greet Rohtina with a formal bow, which was graciously returned. Straightening, Adora noted the tall blonde man at the dragon’s side. No wonder her daughter was half in love with him already. He was even more beautiful than his dragon partner. These two together shone like the sun. Between her iridescent golden red scales and his silvery blonde perfection, they were nearly blinding.

  Adora strode forward. “Lady Rohtina, I’ve just learned that your knight expects to be mated to my daughter.”

  “This is true, Madam.” The dragon projected her thoughts to all in the room. Her voice was melodic and gentle, quite different from Kelzy’s more martial tone.

  “You’ll understand that I raised my daughter with quite a different expectation than having two husbands?”

  “That is my understanding, but you must also understand that things are different among knights and dragons.”

  “Don’t you dare to lecture my girl, Tina,” Kelzy interjected with a hint of amusement. “Though she doesn’t understand Lair life, she knows more about our kind than most of the knights.”

  Rohtina bowed her head in respect to the older dragon. “If you say so.”

  At this point, Belora broke out laughing. Lars chuckled too, followed by the rest of them. Belora moved forward to face the pretty female dragon.

  “I like you, Lady Rohtina. You’ve got spirit.”

  “I like the way you make my knight feel. I don’t think he’s ever been this happy or hopeful.”

  Lars’ fair skin flushed at his dragon partner’s candid words, but Belora moved forward to take his hand in hers. She brought him to her mother and made introductions, including him in the group of females. Adora saw immediately that this young man had hidden depths. From the way his shoulders relaxed, Belora’s touch obviously comforted him. She also liked the gentle way he cradled her daughter’s
small hand in his own.

  “What are your intentions toward my daughter?” Adora asked boldly.

  “Mother!”

  “No, Belora, she has every right to ask such a question.” Lars raised Belora’s hand, stroking her palm soothingly. “My intention is to love her and protect her all of our lives. I will be true to her, cherish her, and put her happiness above my own.”

  “But you’ve only just met.” Adora didn’t understand how her sensible baby girl could fall in love with two men in nearly as many days, much less how those two men could claim to love her just as deeply, just as fast.

  “Gareth knew her the moment he saw her. It’s the way of knights to know their mate almost on sight. I like to think I would have recognized her too, had I been the first to meet her. As it stands, since Rohtina told me of her intention to mate with Kelvan, I’ve been introduced and found time to get to know Belora. But my heart knew her already. When I first looked into her eyes, I knew I’d found what I’d been seeking all my life.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything before now?” Belora’s whisper carried in the quiet room.

  Lars shrugged, his turquoise eyes locking on her as if she were the only one in the room. “It wasn’t yet time. Now it is. You’re ready to hear it and I’m ready to say it. I love you, Belora. If you let me, I’ll love you truly for the rest of our lives.” He sank down to one knee, humbling himself before her. “Will you be my wife?”

  Tears streamed down her face as Belora reached down and kissed Lars on the lips, dragging him upward so she could put her arms around his thick, muscular frame. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her deeply, holding her close as the others watched, knowing they had been forgotten.

  “Just for the record, you understand, what’s your answer?” Kelzy’s amused voice broke them apart.

  “Oh, I think she said yes, Mama Kelzy.” Adora leaned comfortably against Kelzy’s sparkling foreleg, watching her daughter with amusement.

  Lars and his partner seemed to be surprised by Adora’s familiarity with the older dragon.

  “Well, I think that’s settled, isn’t it?” Kelzy added, satisfaction in her rumbling tone.

  “I’m still not totally sure I’m comfortable with this two husband arrangement.”

  “Child, do you trust me?” Kelzy asked Adora point blank.

  “Well, of course I trust you. You raised me, didn’t you?” Again the two newcomers were surprised by the conversation, but didn’t interrupt.

  “Then trust me on this. It’s the way of Lair life and no hardship on the woman, I can assure you. Your daughter will come to no harm with her two mates and will, in all likelihood, be very happy.”

  “You promise?” Adora held out her little human hand to the huge dragon.

  “I promise.” Kelzy put one huge talon carefully into the woman’s hand and they shook once as if in some childhood ritual. It was totally charming and utterly strange behavior for a fighting dragon—especially one of Kelzy’s stature.

  “Well, all right then.” Adora swiped at a stray tear that had leaked from the corner of her eye.

  “Now off with you three. Adora and I have plans to discuss for tonight and plots to hatch.” Kelzy swept one of her great wings toward the entrance, shooing her guests out.

  Belora hugged her mother once and headed out with Lars and his dragon partner.

  “Your mother is definitely an interesting woman,” he mused as he settled his arm around her waist.

  “Lady Kelzy practically raised her from the time she was just a toddler ’til she was about ten years old.”

  “Kelzy? Raise a human child? The others talk about her strange ways but I didn’t realize there was some truth to the tales.”

  “Lady Kelzy was the best thing that ever happened to my mother.” Belora defended her mother and the older dragon fiercely. “She has a kind heart and a pure soul. If the other dragons have a problem with that then they’re just bigoted idiots.”

  Rohtina stopped short on the wide ledge they were traversing to turn her large head toward Belora. She blinked her golden amber eyes down at her for a moment, considering her.

  “You’re brave for a human female. I think we’ll get along just fine.”

  Rohtina moved to the edge of the cliff and launched herself magnificently into the sky while Lars and Belora watched.

  “Either she hates me or we’re starting to find some common ground,” Belora observed.

  Lars reached down and placed a kiss on her hair. “Oh, she likes you all right. You just passed her test.”

  “That was a test?” She spun in Lars’ arms to look up at him as he nodded.

  “She holds Kelzy in high esteem. You probably don’t realize it, but Kelzy and her partner Jared are the leaders of this Lair. They oversaw its construction and Kelzy leads the dragons here. She holds a lot of power and is one of the most respected dragons in the land. She serves the royal family directly. Others may gossip about her sometimes undragonish ways, but my Tina admires her greatly. She wants to be just like her, and of course Kelvan is a lot like his mama, and she loves Kelvan.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “Tina’s hard to read until you get to know her.”

  “Sort of like her partner, you mean?” Belora teased him with her smile.

  He nodded with a self-conscious grin. “I’d have to admit you’re probably right on that one.”

  It warmed her heart to see his smile. She reached up and palmed his cheek, urging him down so she could place a light kiss on his lips. One kiss turned to two, then two turned to more until they were all but necking right in the open, for anyone to see.

  Gareth came upon them long moments later, his chuckle finally penetrating the fog of desire that swirled around them.

  “I see you two have come to terms.”

  Belora eased down and a little apart from Lars. Both were breathing hard.

  “I asked her to be my wife and she agreed,” Lars reported, never removing his hot gaze from her.

  Gareth slapped his friend on the back in congratulations, but Lars was so solidly built it barely made an impression. Gareth grinned happily when Belora finally tore her gaze from Lars to realize they’d drawn a small crowd of onlookers.

  Single knights were watching them, some with appreciation, some with longing in their eyes. It was disconcerting at first until she realized all looked on them with true happiness that their fellows had found a woman to share their lives. She realized in that moment that she, in a small way, represented hope for them all. Hope that they would find women willing to be their wives and share their lives.

  No doubt it was hard for most human women to accept dragons in their midst, but the idea of having two husbands was also a bit daunting. Daunting and exciting at the same time.