Preyna smiled at Kas and then turned to gaze fondly at the little dragons as they devoured all her treats.
“Here,” she said after a moment, and she placed a deep gray piece of fabric into my arms.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“You will need to fit the part in order to get out of the castle,” she explained. “I, of course, have nothing to fit you here, but you are about Beyer’s size, so I went to his room and took a dress robe for you.”
“Oh.” My eyes widened when I realized this wasn’t just a regular piece of fabric. If it belonged to Beyer, then it was probably very good quality, and quite expensive.
“He won’t miss it, I assure you.” Preyna smiled and pointed behind me. “The bathroom is behind that door. You may change in there.”
“Thank you,” I told her, and I turned to head into the bathroom.
I shut the door behind me and looked around. The bathroom was as large as my cottage, and it was decorated with more red and purple, but accented with plenty of gold.
A large stone bathtub sat against the far wall, and there was a small fireplace near it to heat up the water. A toilet was to my right, and a sink sat to my left.
A huge mirror hung above the sink, and I stared at my reflection for a second before I looked down at the stone countertop. It was covered with various items like perfume, makeup, hair pins, and dirty rags.
I smiled at how messy the blonde council member was. She was such a pristine person, it seemed strange to think her bathroom countertop was such a disaster.
I quickly pulled off the clothes I had on, but before I put the new robes on, I turned the faucet on and rinsed my face off. The cool water felt good, and I took a deep breath before I wiped my face off and grabbed the clothes Preyna had given me to wear.
I pulled the long black pants over my legs and laced up the leather strap in the front. They fit much tighter than my usual pants, which didn’t leave a lot of room for fighting. I doubted I would need to go into battle in the short time I would have to wear them, but I still didn’t like feeling constricted.
Next, I pulled the dark-gray tunic over my head. It was a soft material, with long, tight sleeves and a V cut in the front that was surrounded by an ornate design.
Like the pants, the tunic was much tighter than I was used to, but I paid this no mind as I pulled my usual black boots back on, attached my sword to my hip, and checked the mirror once more.
Two blue eyes stared back at me, and they sat above a sharp chin, strong jaw, and full lips. The sides of my hair were cleanly shaven, and the center strip of brown hair was pulled back into a braid.
I scratched my chin and thought how I should have shaved my face, too. A small amount of stubble had come in since the day before, and I wasn’t sure exactly how well I’d fit in with the rest of the partygoers, even in Beyer’s fancy dress robes.
There was no sense worrying about it, though, we wouldn’t be at the party for any length of time. Just long enough to sneak us through and out the door, that was all I needed.
I didn’t want to give Odin or Freya any reason to talk to me. I wasn’t sure I could stop myself from giving Odin a piece of my mind about the dragons, and that was the last thing we needed at the moment. Once my quest was fulfilled, and the dragons were saved from enslavement, then I would speak to Odin with the council by my side. We would show him what wonderful creatures dragons are and assure him there was nothing to fear from them.
I knew some dragons originated from Asgard long ago, and it was wrong to keep them from their homeland. After the quest was fulfilled, Odin would have no reason to keep them out of Asgard any longer. And even if he decided not to allow them back in, I would lead a revolution like Jaric had tried to when Odin had first banned the dragons. Only this time, we would win.
“All done,” I said as I stepped out of the bathroom, but then I stopped dead in my tracks.
Kas stood just in front of me in a beautiful pink gown. It flowed down her body and tied at the waist to accentuate her hourglass figure, and her strawberry-blonde hair hung down in a mane of curls that cascaded down her back and around her face.
I’d never seen Kas with makeup on, but her eyelashes were longer than usual to accent her beautiful violet eyes, her cheeks were flushed with a soft pink color, and her naturally plump lips were coated with a shiny gloss.
The pink of the dress and makeup brought out the red in her hair, and she looked more beautiful than I’d ever seen her before.
“Kas,” I breathed.
“Rath…” She pulled her full bottom lip between her teeth and looked up at me through her thick eyelashes.
“You look…” I trailed off as I gestured to her with both hands and then let them fall back at my sides. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“You could say she looks beautiful,” Asta giggled, and I turned around to see her behind me.
My jaw dropped when I saw the elf girl. Her long, straight white hair was parted down the middle, and it fell like a curtain over her shoulders and down to her waist. Her elven ears were just visible under her hair, and she smiled brightly at me.
She had on a black strapless gown that clung to every inch of her before it trailed off behind her. Her lips were painted a bright red color that brought out the yellow in her eyes, and she looked elegant and regal, as if she were a queen from another realm.
“Close your mouth, Rath,” Preyna chuckled. “It’s unbecoming to stare.”
“Ohhh, I don’t know.” Asta smiled and looked me up and down. “I rather like the way he looks at me.”
“It is quite flattering,” Kas agreed. “Like he is starving and wishes to devour us.”
“Now that you all look the part,” Preyna cleared her throat. “It’s time to get you out of here. Unless you’d like to stick around for the party, that is?”
The blonde council member seemed almost as if she wanted us to stay. She smiled at me hopefully, but I shook my head.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “We shouldn’t be here. I don’t want to call attention to ourselves unnecessarily.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Preyna sighed. “Though I do hope you will be able to attend one of the events sometime. It would be much more fun with you all here.”
“How could a party where you get to dress like this not be fun?” Asta asked, and she twirled around so her dress fanned out behind her.
“It is nice to feel beautiful.” Preyna smiled. “And to make good use of all my dresses. However, most of the people who attend these things are not people I wish to speak to, so I mostly just drink mead by myself.”
The last part was said with a laugh, but for the life of me, I couldn’t imagine any man who would allow Preyna to drink alone. I certainly wouldn’t.
A quick look around, and I realized I was surrounded by three of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen in my life. They all were remarkable in their own ways, and they were made even more attractive since I knew they were also kind and intelligent.
Though my quest wasn’t completed quite yet, I felt incredibly lucky with where I was at, and I recalled what the fates had said. They’d warned me that to take the water from the well would be to seal my destiny, and here, in this moment, I thought I had made the correct choice.
If being surrounded by these gorgeous creatures was my destiny, then I figured I didn’t have it too bad.
“We shall sneak you out the back door,” Preyna said with a decisive nod. “It will be the easiest way to get you out without notice. Most guests have come through there already, and Freya and Odin will be entertaining in the ballroom.”
“Thank you so much for this,” Kas said. “We will be sure to get you your dresses back, as well as Beyer’s clothes.”
“Don’t worry about it,” the beautiful blonde replied. “I have others, as does Beyer. Besides, they look better on you anyways.”
Preyna looked at me when she said this, and I couldn’t help but feel as though she were lo
oking me up and down like a piece of meat just as I had with the three women. As much as I hadn’t wanted to be obvious with my staring at her earlier, she didn’t seem as concerned with blatantly gazing at me.
“Thank you.” Asta smiled at the sorceress and bounced on her toes, and the elf girl was clearly excited to keep the dress she was in.
“Just be sure to play the part if anyone tries to talk to you on the way out,” Preyna said.
“We can do that,” I assured her. Whatever we had to do, it wouldn’t be as mortifying as the last time we’d gotten caught in the castle and had to act as though we were drunkenly lost. I could only hope none of the guards remembered us from that night.
“Let’s go, then,” Preyna said, and she turned to look toward the fireplace where the dragons were. “Hmm… perhaps you should carry them.”
I glanced over to see all three of the little creatures were asleep on her table. Their little bellies were plump from the pumpkin treats they’d devoured, and Uffe snored slightly as his chest rose and fell with his breathing.
“I think that would be best.” I shook my head.
It was amazing to me the little dragons could fall asleep like that. They were still so little, though, and I figured they probably got tired more quickly considering how small their bodies were and how much energy they had to exert to fly or breathe fire.
I walked over to the dragons and picked up Blar. The little blue reptile rolled over, and his tail hung over the side of my forearm while he continued to snooze in my arms.
Even though I didn’t totally approve of his snacking, I was honored he trusted me to pick him up even while he was asleep. He knew my presence, my touch, and that thought made me smile.
“Come here,” Asta cooed as she picked up Inger and held the dragon’s small frame against her.
Kas gathered Uffe up into her arms, and soon we were all ready to go.
“What about the dragons?” I asked.
“Their enchantment is still working,” Kas said quickly.
“I know,” I chuckled. “But won’t it be weird to see guests with dogs?”
“Not at all.” Preyna shook her head. “You’d be surprised at the odd things you see at these parties.”
Kas put all our regular clothes and their weapons into her magic satchel, but I kept my sword tied to my waist. We followed Preyna out of her room and down the hallway until we came to the back entrance. Everyone we passed simply nodded to Preyna, or said a quick hello, and it seemed nobody thought we were out of place. I supposed it didn’t hurt that we were with one of the council members.
Preyna had a high standing in Odin’s kingdom, so nobody would dare to question her as to why she had three strangers, each carrying a dog, with her. Instead, they let us through with barely a glance, and soon we arrived at the back entrance.
There were a few guests out in the garden drinking, but not as many as we’d seen before, and we could easily slip past them and out the back gate now. Especially since we were in similar attire to what they wore.
If we’d still been in our street clothes, I imagined someone might try and stop us to see why we were in the castle, or perhaps they would mistake us for servants. Either way, we wouldn’t have belonged with the guests, that was for sure.
With Preyna’s makeovers, though, we fit right in, and for a second I allowed myself to feel as though I belonged.
Since I had no lineage, I knew I would never actually be invited to an event such as this one. I’d given up on that dream long ago, but to be here now felt good.
I’d come a long way, not just as an orphan who had to fend for himself, but as a warrior, and now as the master of dragons. Though I still had no lineage to speak of, once I finished this quest, I could perhaps create my own lineage.
My children would never have to endure the same hardships I did, I would make sure of that. And one day soon, after I saved the dragons, Odin would have to acknowledge what I’d done for their kind, and for Asgard.
“Rath.” Preyna suddenly drew me out of my thoughts as she grabbed my arm. “Please be careful. I would miss you if anything were to happen to you.”
“Don’t worry about me.” I smiled at the beautiful blonde sorceress. “I’ll be fine.”
“Please let us know when you have completed the quest,” she said. “And if I, or the council, can be of any assistance.”
“I will,” I assured her, and then I looked over to the door where Kas and Asta waited for me. “I should go.”
“Yes,” she breathed, and her light-brown eyes locked onto mine. “I will see you soon.”
I nodded and turned away from the beautiful council member before I leaned in and kissed her. Even though she’d made it clear she desired me, there were still other, more important things going on at the moment, and I didn’t want to draw any focus away from them.
After I finished my quest and freed the dragons, I would worry about Preyna, and what we felt for each other. Until then, though, I would only worry about the dragons.
I smiled to myself when I remembered I had another vial full. That only left one more, and I would get it done tomorrow. It had already been a long day, and I was beat.
Preyna had called a carriage for us, and we climbed into the back and enjoyed the cool evening air as we rode back to our home.
Usually, I didn’t mind walking, but at the moment I was glad to have a ride home. We got there much quicker than we typically would have, and I waved at the driver and hopped out.
The little dragons were still asleep, so I led the girls to the cottage, and we all laid the small reptiles on the bed.
Without waking, the three of them moved closer to each other until they were a lump of scales and tails in the center of the bed.
I shook my head and poured three glasses of mead. Even though I was tired, I still had the urge to have a drink before bed.
The girls and I took our mead and headed outside so as not to wake up the dragons. I quickly got a fire going in the pit, and we sat around it to enjoy our drinks.
The honey ale hit my mouth, and I savored the sweet flavor of it before its heat filled my belly. While I drank, I looked across the fire at Kas and Asta.
Both of them were still in the clothes Preyna had given them to wear, and, once again, I smiled at the sight of them. Not only did they look beautiful, but they radiated confidence. It was as though being in the dresses made them feel even more beautiful than they already were.
“You two look absolutely lovely,” I said. “I can’t get over it.”
“Thanks.” Kas looked down, and then her violet eyes glanced up at me through her thick eyelashes. “I’ve never really worn makeup before, it feels strange.”
“Never?” Asta asked, and her eyes widened with disbelief.
“No.” The strawberry-blonde shook her head. “I never saw a need for it.”
“Of course, there’s no need.” Asta smiled. “You are beautiful. But makeup feels nice.”
“It does,” Kas agreed before she looked at me and bit her lip. “And you look very handsome.”
“Very handsome,” Asta repeated with a grin. “Preyna thought so, too.”
“She did,” Kas chuckled. “She couldn’t keep her eyes off you.”
“Don’t worry,” Asta said. “We told her we didn’t mind.”
“You spoke to her about me?” I asked, and my eyes widened slightly with interest.
“Briefly.” Kas shrugged.
I smiled and shook my head, too tired to be embarrassed about anything at the moment.
Tired as I was, though, I still couldn’t keep my eyes off the girls. They were as sexy as the day was long, and I watched as Asta’s lips wrapped around the rim of her glass so she could pull a long sip of mead into her mouth.
The sight of the two of them caused my pants to grow tight, and desire welled up inside as my heart rate accelerated and my breathing became irregular.
“Rath,” Asta said softly, and she bit her lip seductively. “W
hat are you looking at?”
“You two,” I said honestly. “I can’t stop.”
“Would you like to touch us as well?” the elf woman asked, and she cocked her head to the side so her long hair fell off her shoulder and revealed her smooth, pale skin.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Come here,” she purred. “Touch us. We are yours, after all.”
I set my drink on the ground, stood up, and walked over to where the girls sat across from me.
Kas hadn’t said anything yet, but she stared at me with violet eyes filled with desire, and because of our bond, I could sense her lust.
Both of my women were on fire with want, and it only made the desire inside of me rage that much harder. Sometimes, I forgot how our bond brought us together, but in moments like this, when I could feel how much each of them wanted me, I was reminded of how we were all connected.
I stood in front of Asta, and the elf girl looked up at me with yellow eyes hidden under heavy eyelids. Then I reached down and pushed her hair behind her pointed ear, and she closed her eyes and leaned into my touch.
“You feel so good,” she moaned softly.
My fingers stroked her cheek and then traced their way down to her exposed collarbone, and she leaned her head back and let out another low moan.
“Kaspyr,” Asta breathed. “She wants your touch, too. Touch her, Rath.”
I looked over at the beautiful strawberry-blonde sorceress. Her plump pink lips were parted slightly, and I could see the goosebumps on her skin from her desire.
“How could I say no to such a beautiful woman?” I reached over and cupped her cheek with my hand. Then I grabbed her hand, pulled her up to me, and captured her parted lips with my own.
Kas gasped lightly as my lips hit hers, and then she sighed and reached her hands up to wrap them around my neck. All the while, I continued to lightly trace my fingers along Asta’s neck and down to her cleavage.
The elf woman moaned even louder when I trailed my finger across the tops of her breasts, and her reaction made my cock twitch with anticipation.
“Rath,” Asta moaned. “I want to feel you.”
“Yesss,” I growled.
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