My Mate's a Dragon Slayer?

by Scarlet Hyacinth

  I didn’t waste the chance they were giving me. This was a risk, but I trusted them with my life and my future. “When I reached Merlinia, I found a dragon,” I began. “The thing is, I fell in love with him.”

  For the first time in my life, I saw both of my brothers look stunned. Medwin always attempted to be prepared for anything, and Leonard studiously kept his emotions from showing. But none of that worked, not with what I’d thrown at them.

  “Excuse me?” Medwin croaked out. “Did you just say what I thought you did?”

  “Just let me finish before you judge me as crazy, okay?” Both of my brothers nodded, and I continued, “He’s the most wonderful creature to brave the face of the planet, and he’s pregnant with my child.”

  I explained the entire story, from finding the strange road, to losing Magda to the strange warlock, going to search for her, and ending up on Earth. By the time I finished, my siblings had taken up seats, seeming torn between disbelief and anxiety.

  At last, I reached the point I’d been trying to make from the very beginning. “I need your help. I can’t just stay here while my mate and my child are in danger. Father might be thinking he’s doing the right thing, but this time, he’s leading our country to disaster.”

  “If half the things you mentioned are true, I’m inclined to agree,” Leonard murmured. “I won’t lie, brother. This all sounds so outlandish that I doubt you have any chance of getting him to trust you. However, for some obscure reason I cannot begin to fathom, I believe you.”

  “Me, too,” Medwin offered. “You’ve never been imaginative enough to spin such a wild tale.”

  I chuckled, the relief swamping my heart making it come out nervous and choked. “Will you help me, then?” I asked.

  Leonard rubbed his eyes tiredly. “We don’t have much of a choice, now, do we? But be ready, Kirril. You’re going to have to find some sort of proof. Otherwise, you’ll end up with him imprisoning you for an indefinite period.”

  Proof. What evidence could I possibly provide that I was telling the truth? I knew Leonard had a point, but I simply couldn’t come up with anything that would convince my father, except…No, absolutely not. Just the thought was unacceptable.

  “I’ll do it,” my mate’s voice piped up in my mind. “I’ll meet your father. I want to help you earn your freedom.”

  “It’s too risky,” I replied. “We can’t take the chance.”

  “Just trust me. I’ll have my parents with me. Perhaps this way, some sort of agreement can be reached.”

  Dineiro’s parents. I’d seen flashes of them in his mind. His mother, Aridana, was a blue ice dragon, while his father, Zewyn, held fire abilities. They were among the most powerful of their kind, and a perfect example of what Arthurians imagined dragons to be—other than the shape-shifting, of course.

  Intellectually, I knew this could work, but my heart screamed that I shouldn’t allow it. Before I could make a decision, Medwin interrupted my conversation with Dineiro. “Brother?”

  I knew my zoning out didn’t exactly fill either of my siblings with confidence, so I decided to fully explain the nature of my bond with Dineiro. “I apologize. I was merely consulting Dini on giving Father proof. He and I have a mind link.”

  “Are you serious?” If anything, Medwin looked even more concerned. “Father won’t like that.”

  “Well, it’s the truth. There’s nothing insidious about it.” After a brief moment of hesitation, I added, “I truly wish the two of you could have something like this. It’s the most powerful thing I’ve ever experienced. There simply isn’t anything to compare it with.”

  “All right, all right.” Leonard lifted his hand, as if surrendering. “I believe you. So what does your beloved Dini suggest?”

  “A meeting. Father and Arthurian delegates on one side, and Dini and his parents on the other.”

  My siblings knew me well, so I wasn’t surprised when Medwin guessed, “You don’t like it. You don’t want them to meet.”

  “Of course I don’t,” I grumbled. “You heard what Father said. He doesn’t care they’re shifters. He still thinks they’re monsters.”

  “But do you think your mate would be able to change that?”

  If anyone could, it was Dineiro, but I didn’t dare chance it. “Trust me,” Dineiro said in my mind again. “Trust our love. We can do it.”

  Feeling like I might be making the worst mistake in my life, I nodded. “Yes,” I replied, both to my brothers and to my mate. “It can be done.”

  “Then we’ll speak to Father and see what we can do,” Medwin promised. “Be ready for anything. There’s no telling how he’ll react.”

  His words did very little to encourage me, but I hugged him and Leonard nonetheless. “Thank you for this,” I told them. “You have no idea what it means to me.”

  “Thank us when it’s over,” Leonard replied with the same brisk efficiency I knew and loved. “Until then, it’s all useless.”

  Perhaps he was right, but even so, as I led them out of the room, I couldn’t help but feel a little better about the whole thing. I wasn’t very eager to have my pregnant mate meet my dragon-hating father, but at least my brothers supported me. I only hoped that would be enough to convince my stubborn sire that this time, he was mistaken.

  Chapter Thirteen:

  In Which a Life-Changing Event Takes Place

  “A meeting with a dragon?” My father arched a brow at me, actually seeming amused. “I’ve heard a lot of crazy things since we started this conversation, but this goes beyond anything I could have imagined.”

  “You were the one who demanded proof, Father,” I pointed out. “I’m merely providing you with the opportunity to see for yourself.”

  Somehow, Leonard and Medwin had managed to convince him to hear me out. However, just like Leonard had guessed, our father was not inclined to believe me just like that. “I’ll see him without having to make such arrangements.” He waved a hand dismissively. “The only thing I need to do is to order capturing the dragons alive. Indeed, that would be quite a good idea. Morgannians couldn’t question our strength if we did that.”

  I recoiled as the image of my beautiful mate in chains popped into my mind. “Father, you…Did my words mean nothing to you? After everything I said, you still plan to hurt them, even knowing that Dini and I are going to have a child?”

  His expression of satisfaction melted into a glower. “I’m only going to say this once, boy. I don’t know what nonsense you’ve made yourself believe, but men can’t give birth. Dragons are animals, and they don’t fall in love. Nothing you ever say or do will change that.”

  I felt hollow inside. Was the man I’d always seen as a visionary truly so absurd? “So all those times you claimed we can change the world if we only tried were what? Lies? Oh, and let’s not forget about what you said on never allowing appearances to deceive us.”

  “That was different. Arthuria has always been seen as inferior because our lack of magic, which is untrue. Many nations don’t know us, and they don’t realize the truth about our people. However, dragons will always be dragons, no matter what you might claim.”

  I widened my eyes in mock surprise. “Oh, so then…You must have seen a dragon with your own eyes. I must apologize for my mistake.”

  He twitched satisfyingly, and I knew I’d hit a nerve. “Very well then,” he said coldly. “I’ll give this a chance since I see it’s important enough for you to defy me. But until then, get out of my sight.”

  My father was furious with me, but I didn’t mind since I felt quite angry myself. A few months back, I’d have been crushed if he said those words to me, but now, I just bowed politely, remembering to respect his rank, then stalked out of the throne room without looking back.

  Outside, I ran into my mother. “How did it go?” she asked as she grabbed my arm and started to lead me away.

  “He agreed, but he’s very upset,” I replied as we headed toward my quarters. I was thankful for her presence
since it spared me the humiliation of having guards taking me there.

  “I can’t say I’m surprised,” she told me. “Look, I’ll try to temper him. But are you completely certain this is the right thing to do? Is this dragon truly so important to you?”

  “The most important thing in my life,” I admitted, not even trying to claim otherwise. There was no longer any point in pretending my loyalties hadn’t changed since my departure from Arthuria.

  “I understand,” my mother replied. When we stopped in front my quarters, she kissed my forehead and smiled slightly. “Rest assured that I’ll do all that I can for you to have it. And for the record, I’m happy for you, my son.”

  I hugged her, more than thankful for her support after being so disappointed by my father. “I appreciate that,” I told her. “I have a feeling Dini and I are going to need all the help we can get.”

  * * * *

  As it turned out, I didn’t see my father for a good couple of days. I didn’t know what reaction he had upon learning of my bond with Dini since I’d never gotten the chance to explain it before he’d banished me from the throne room. However, my brothers did eventually tell him, as the mind link represented the basis of the meeting itself.

  It was established that five guards, together with my father, my brothers, and me, would meet the dragon trio. My mother insisted to be taken along, and while many argued against the wisdom of dragging the entire royal family into such dangerous circumstances, these protests were quickly silenced. Queen Sedonia was as fierce as her husband when she decided on something. Fortunately, she had decided to trust me and my assessment of my mate.

  On the morning of the fifth day, I found myself in the courtyard of the palace, holding a horse’s reins, much like I had been a couple of weeks back. This time, however, Magda was not the mount I would use. The enthusiasm of my fellow Arthurians didn’t surround me as before. Most of the soldiers I’d served with gave me wary looks. The guards my father had picked addressed me briefly and politely, but with a distinctive chill. To a certain extent, they obviously knew at least a part of what I’d talked with my father.

  I was soon joined by my family, all dressed for the trip, just like me. Even my mother had forgone her usual elegant attire in favor of a riding outfit, complete with a blade and a crossbow. Arthurian maidens might sigh romantically in the privacy of their own boudoir, but if needed, they could join their men in battle.

  I bowed lowly as they reached my side. “Greetings, Your Majesties.”

  “Greetings, son,” my father replied, surprising me. “Ready for this?”

  “Of course,” I answered, a little puzzled at his behavior. Was he expecting the dragons to have backed out? Why? “Are you?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead, he went to his already-prepared stallion and mounted it. My brothers did the same, although Leonard squeezed my shoulder as he passed me by. My mother was the last one to follow my father’s example, as she briefly stopped next to me and whispered, “I might have convinced him that there’s a possibility this dragon doesn’t exist at all, and once you realize it, too, we’ll have you back.”

  “But he has stopped the army from advancing into Merlinia, right?” I inquired.

  “Yes,” she whispered back. “They’ve made camp a few miles away from our meeting spot.”

  I frowned, hoping that didn’t mean my father had anything up his sleeve. I knew him to be an honest man, but I couldn’t trust him to act as usual with regard to this matter. Alas, I didn’t get to ask my mother anything else, as she had to go to her own horse. Both of us mounted our respective animals, which made the party ready for the trip.

  Perhaps eager to get this whole thing over with, my father kicked his stallion into a gallop, and we all followed. As we rode out of the palace courtyard and through the streets of Camelot, I wondered if this would be the last time I’d ever see my homeland from this perspective.

  In the end, no matter what the outcome of this meeting would be, I was sure of one thing. Once I reunited with Dineiro, I wouldn’t leave his side. My mate definitely couldn’t come back to Arthuria, so I’d have to remain in Merlinia.

  I mentally said my good-byes to my life as an Arthurian prince. Distantly, I noticed that I had no regrets. A new life awaited for me out there, in the Merlinian wilderness, a life with the mate I loved so much. I couldn’t wait.

  “I can’t wait either,” Dineiro’s voice drifted into my mind. He released a little chuckle. “Well, technically speaking, I am waiting. How much longer until you get here?”

  I could almost see him pacing, or perhaps fluttering around in dragon form, and my heart warmed with my love for him. “It’ll take a while, baby. An optimistic estimation would be tomorrow, at noon.”

  My mate released a heavy sigh. “All right, then. Just hurry…I really miss you.”

  I missed him, too. Every moment we spent apart was pure agony, but that didn’t change the protectiveness I felt toward him. “I take it you’re already there, at the meeting place. Be very careful, baby.”

  “I will,” my lover replied just as I rode out of Camelot and onto the road toward Merlinia. “You, too.”

  Our patience was greatly tested. When I’d traveled alone, I’d been quite fast, at least until I’d reached the borders of Arthuria. In my current company, the trip lasted two times what I expected it to be. I suspected this might have been engineered by my father specifically to check whether or not I was telling the truth, or perhaps to irritate me. Either way, the man had certainly succeeded in doing the latter.

  On the evening of the third day, we made camp on the Arthurian shore of the river Dozmary. On the other side, Merlinia stretched out, quiet and mysterious. As I dismounted my horse, I could already feel Dineiro nearby, and I ached to just cross the damn water and run to his side.

  I held that impulse in check, waiting to see what my father would order. A part of me still hoped that we’d be able to maintain a relationship after this. At the very least, I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t start a war because of my abandonment of Arthuria.

  To my surprise, he seemed as eager as me to find out the result of this meeting. Handing in the reins of his horse to one of his guards, he turned toward me. “Well? Here we are. Go ahead and summon your dragons.”

  At this point, I felt unsure whether he was skeptical, angry, or both. It wasn’t something I could address, not now. Perhaps I’d have tried to do so, regardless, but my mate’s eagerness won out. A piercing enthusiastic cry filled the air, and Dineiro’s purple form appeared from over the river.

  He swept over our camp, moving so quickly that to an untrained eye, he’d have become just a violet blur. And then, of course, he swooshed down and pounced on me, effectively making me collapse to the ground.

  I laughed, not minding the reception in the least. “Hi, Dini.”

  In the background, I heard Medwin ask, “Is that really a dragon?”

  “Oh, Gods,” my mother said. “He’s so cute.”

  “He’s still a beast,” my father pointed out, although he didn’t sound quite so sure anymore.

  No sooner had he said these words than my mate changed into his human form. There were gasps all around, but the surprise didn’t distract anyone from the sight of the other two dragons approaching. Unlike Dini, they were huge, and I wondered what kind of arrogance had made me think I could take on such creatures and win.

  “It doesn’t matter anymore,” Dini whispered. He brushed his lips against mine. “Hi right back.”

  Aware that our position wasn’t very appropriate under the circumstances, and my rapidly forming erection even less so, I reluctantly separated our bodies. He got up and I followed, already taking off my cloak as I did so. My brothers might not have been as open with their sexuality as I was, but even Medwin seemed to be eyeing Dineiro with interest.

  My mate didn’t seem to care. After I wrapped the cloak around his shoulders, he pulled me toward the red and blue dragons, looking so excited that I’d h
ave given him the world. “Rili, I’d like you to meet, my parents, Zewyn and Aridana. Mother, Father, this is my mate, Prince Kirril.”

  Behind me, I thought I heard Leonard repeat inquiringly, “Rili?” I ignored him and focused on my in-laws. Their dragon shapes were somewhat intimidating, but I didn’t let them scare me. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

  “The honor is ours,” Zewyn rumbled. “We’ve long waited to see the man who made our only child so happy.”

  “Dini is the one who showed me the true meaning of happiness,” I corrected the red dragon. “But I’m forgetting my manners. I’d like you to meet my family, my father, King Ralph Theodore IV of Arthuria, my mother, Queen Sedonia, and my brothers, Princes Leonard and Medwin.”

  If my father was nervous at the sight of Dineiro’s parents, he didn’t show it. Instead, he said, “I was greatly surprised when my son explained the situation. Naturally, I only want what’s best for him, and for Arthuria.”

  “As do we, for Dini, and Merlinia,” Dineiro’s mother said. Her form and that of her husband melted into human shapes, which instantly caused a measure of discomfort. My father tried to look away and glance at anything except Aridana’s voluminous breasts, but such a thing implied him not being able to face the two dragons fully, which could be considered a diplomatic breach. It was almost amusing.

  “But before we go any further, we have a surprise for our son-in-law,” Dineiro’s father said. A bright fire erupted from his hand, harmlessly bursting into the air and sending beautiful sparks over us. Everyone in the Arthurian party, except me, of course, tensed, but held back. It almost seemed like Dineiro irradiated an aura that made all those present reluctant to act violently.

  “What surprise?” I asked, trying to distract my family from the display of magic.

  I got my reply when an equine silhouette appeared on the Merlinian shore of the river. Instantly, I recognized my loyal, longtime friend. “Magda!” I couldn’t help but gasp.