by D. R. Grady
“This is Maeze, Felicity’s dragon.” Aern introduced the blue dragon. “She says you’ve met.”
He greeted her again, along with Lajos. Since he’d been with an old dragon, he could tell this one was young right away. The vitality about her emitted with eagerness and interest. And that infectious bubbliness that came with youth.
Kellen warmed to her immediately. “Felicity is lucky to have you.”
Maeze’s blue scales darkened. “Thank you. I’m thrilled to be paired with her.”
Dragons matured in months, if not weeks. Although young, Maeze could defend herself and her own.
Felicity had explained that Maeze’s mother had been her original companion and needed to move on to the next life as Felicity was her second or third Aasguard but hadn’t wanted Felicity to be alone. She hadn’t lived to see the new age for Aasguards.
“So your parents imparted you with all their knowledge?” His mind opened to the possibilities. Although you needed a mated pair, and preferably a set who matched, as did Fricassa and Aern, they didn’t have to match. Where Aern was black scaled and green eyed, Fricassa was green scaled and black eyed. This sort of match typically meant a love match and therefore produced the healthiest dragons.
Even though the parents matched, it didn’t mean the dragon babies would. Usually they did, but not always.
“They did. But I still have much to learn.”
“She’s enjoying her time with us.” Fricassa appeared downright motherly toward the blue dragon. He smiled internally, because maybe this amazing pair would produce dragon babies.
He did not voice his wish and kept it locked down tight.
Still, he wouldn’t be lonely since he and Ari had pled their troth.
His heart soared. Both Aern and Fricassa turned interested eyes on him.
“What was that?” Aern could be nosy.
Lajos grinned at him. Thanks, friend.
Kellen’s cheeks might have heated, but he was no youth, so he ignored it. “Ari and I have agreed to…” He floundered.
“They’re planning to marry.” Lajos didn’t growl this, but he suddenly acted in the manner of big brothers the world over.
Fricassa let out a whoop and bumped him with her head. “Congratulations, honey. We’re so happy for you.”
Aern also bumped him and he gloried in their approval. But in the back of his mind, he didn’t want to rush Ari. She hadn’t agreed to marry him.
You haven’t asked her, a little voice reminded him in the back of his mind.
Right. He gulped.
Chapter 13
“Now, on the way to the battle, you need to work to sink yourself into the warrior’s battle calm.” Ari instructed Stefana as they finished their training.
“How do you do that?” An edge of panic lined Stefana’s question.
“Humans aren’t used to sinking inside themselves. But as an Aasguard warrior, there is much information to be had. Close your eyes and we say ‘sink’ but really it’s just an awareness, an understanding of what’s happening within and without.” Ari showed her the rudimentary path that had started to form within Stefana.
“This is my path to follow?” Stefana now appeared dazed.
“Yes. Follow it. As you age, you’ll become more and more familiar with this path. And you’ll learn all the things you can do. Right now I’d like you to center yourself. Push all thoughts out of your mind and disassociate yourself from your emotions.”
She felt Stefana struggle with this, but the woman put in every effort to do so. “I’m not doing it, am I?”
“You’re brand new to this. No one does it perfectly the first time. You might not do it perfectly the second or third time either. The important thing is to become familiar with the motion.” Ari didn’t discourage her because this didn’t come naturally to anyone except a seasoned warrior.
Stefana blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m not getting it.”
“Again, you just need to become familiar with the action. Remember, you don’t have a fully developed path there yet either. Be patient with yourself.”
Ari made a mental note to have the men help her push Stefana into the battle-ready calm. Stefana didn’t have the elements she needed yet to do so herself. But they could help her reach the battle readiness state.
“Do I need to practice this too?”
“You do. Each day we’ll work on it and our practice will help that path to take form within you. By the time you’re a full Aasguard warrior, you’ll possess all the skills you need.”
A fleeting cloud passed over Stefana’s face, but she must have tossed off the negative thought and instead threw herself into this final exercise for the day.
Once satisfied her pupil was at least familiar with how to reach her internal self, Ari called an end to their training session. “We’re done.” She and Stefana headed back into the castle. “Are you packed?”
“I believe Lajos intended to take care of the few odds and ends we had. If not, it certainly won’t take long.”
Ari nodded. Her bag was packed and ready to go. That’s how she traveled. How all of them traveled. It helped to keep her possessions to a minimum. But that thought drew her up short. If she and Kellen opened a school, they’d possess far more than a sack they could carry.
“I felt the jolt that went through you.” Stefana marveled over this. “I felt it.”
Ari—as the teacher—needed to encourage her even though she didn’t want to explain. She suppressed a sigh and revealed her thoughts. “I usually travel light. But if Kellen and I open a school, we’ll need so many things.” She didn’t even know where to begin.
Stefana’s nod looked knowing. “Yes, you will. We can all help you with that. Although between the two of you, you likely have plenty of funds to finance this school. Will you have students pay, or how will the system work? You’ll run through the money quickly.”
Another thing she wouldn’t have thought of. “This is going to be far more complicated than we thought, isn’t it?”
“I suggest you speak with my dad and any Aasguard warriors who pass through. They all might have ideas. Kellen might as well.” Stefana’s lack of concern somehow helped to quell the slight queasiness that threatened her.
An ugly sensation she could honestly say she’d never experienced before. And hoped to never experience again.
“I’ll speak with Kellen.” They parted ways inside the castle to finish their packing. Kellen’s room was just down the hall from hers. She grabbed her bag, made certain she’d stowed everything and paced down the hall to locate Kellen.
He came abreast of her, from the depths of the castle. And brought the faint scent of dragons with him.
“You spoke with Aern and Fricassa?”
“We did. They’re preparing to depart. I think they’re sad because Fricassa has adopted Maeze.” He tugged her into his arms for a quick kiss.
This obliberated everything in her mind for the space of far too long. But eventually her brain unclogged, and she blinked up at him. “Of course Fricassa adopted the young dragon. She and Aern need to reproduce. That should mollify her motherly instincts.” She pressed against him for another long moment before they separated. The hallway in which they stood wasn’t heavily populated, so they had the space to themselves.
“Are you packed?”
“I am. Oh, and I think you, Lajos, and I all need to help Stefana reach battle calm. She’s not at the place yet where she can do it herself.”
His face took on a musing quality. “It makes sense. That tends to come near the end for women doesn’t it?”
“It does. Men who have trained in battle are sort of taught it, but we women have to create it over the course of our training.”
“Your father didn’t train you in the art of fighting when you were younger?” Kellen sounded interested. This warmed her.
“Oh no. Anything I learned came from Lajos and Vidar. Our father didn’t want them to train either, but it soon became
apparent they needed to. I might have been the youngest, but my older brothers noticed right away that I needed to train as well.” Sunlight slanted across the carpeting as Kellen ushered her into a small alcove off the hallway. An air of intimacy surrounded them as they stood amongst the plush seating options.
“Your father was against you becoming Aasguard warriors?”
Most people found this odd, so that Kellen also did wasn’t a surprise.
“Yes. My mother saw our inclusion in the program for the honor it was. But it took my father a long time before he did.” She pursed her lips. “A long time. He acted as though we accepted the placement and left for training simply to spite him.”
“My experience was far different.” Kellen’s small smile made her appreciate him all the more. “My parents and siblings were thrilled for me. I think that’s the only time I ever saw tears in my father’s eyes.”
“He was also a warrior?”
“Of some renown. I’m the only one of my family who was interested in following his path to train as a warrior. My father made certain all of us, brothers and sisters alike, learned the basics and progressed enough to defend our family and friends. But I’m the one most like him.”
“Were you the oldest?”
“No. I was right in the middle. A brother and sister ahead of me and another brother and two sisters after me.”
“My parents lost a girl between me and Vidar and a boy after me.” Ari brushed hair off her forehead. “I expect that might be why my father was so against us training.”
“When did his attitude change?”
“After he saw Lajos as a full Aasguard warrior. Some men came to our village and brutalized it. Lajos made short work of them, with minimal damage to himself. And back then he would have still been new to being an Aasguard. But my father saw his skills and that he was no longer human. This is what made him okay with Vidar’s training. Although my own… I’m not convinced he was ever at peace with me leaving to become a warrior.” She had long ago found her own peace with her father’s reservations. Her father had been a traditionalist back when she’d been young. She had embraced those nations who taught their women to fight right along with their men. But times had changed and now many women weren’t trained.
“Ari, will you marry me?”
Chagrin surged forward to flatten Kellen. It brought reinforcements of embarrassment. He hadn’t meant to blurt that out so unromantically.
Ari’s eyes grew wide. “What?”
“I’m sorry.” He glanced around. They stood in the hallway of the castle leading to their bedrooms. No one was about, that they could see. They’d stopped in a small alcove where comfortable seating had been placed so the occupants could bask in the sun rays from the expansive windows. While intimate, it still opened onto the public corridor.
Fortunately, they were the only occupants of this wing. Plus Felicity. Stefana’s parents would have slept along this corridor as well, had they accompanied them to Montequirst.
“I wish for you to marry me, but I understand this was not the romantic moment you deserved.” His cheeks heated. There was no stopping them. He had blundered.
Ari shook her head, as though dazed and trying to make sense of whatever he’d tossed at her. “I don’t need romantic, Kellen the Mighty.” She scowled at him. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask since you kissed me this morning.”
His cheeks stopped reddening. “You have?” What might be joy blasted through him in lightning strikes.
“Yes. When you kiss a maiden, you’re supposed to also do right by her.” Ari crossed her arms. But a sweet smile lingered around her lips. “I might be an old maiden, but I am still a maiden.”
He stroked a finger across her lovely cheek. “I should definitely do right by you then. Since I did kiss you and I fully intend to kiss you again.”
“You do?” Her voice cracked.
“I do. And I certainly will.”
“Then you should marry me.” This emitted both breathless and choked.
Kellen leaned down to kiss her. “When shall we marry? And where?”
“You wish to marry me now?”
“Of course.” He didn’t try to hide his triumphant smile. “I’m not offering you time to change your mind.”
“When are you thinking, exactly?”
She looked astonished again and he congratulated himself on accomplishing this in his bride.
“Do you believe we could do so before we leave here? I imagine Vidar and Raene will enjoy witnessing our nuptials.”
“Now? Right now?” Ari blinked a few times. “Can we even marry this soon?”
“We intend to open a school. It would be best if we have already married. And when we return to Swiftland, I’ll simply move into your rooms there. No need to set up others for me.” He paused. “Unless you’d prefer more time.”
The truth was, he hadn’t taken her thoughts into consideration, especially given the acceleration of their relationship. Although she had said she’d been expecting his proposal. While relieved, he also didn’t want her to have time to change her mind. But she might not be as far along in knowing this was right between them as him.
“What will my brothers say?”
“Lajos has already demanded that I marry you. He didn’t give a time frame, but I’d already been thinking about it. I knew this is what I wanted when you arrived here yesterday.”
“You knew you wanted to marry me yesterday? Not when we first met?”
“I was severely injured when we first met. I remember intense attraction, but I had a few needs that needed filled then.”
“Oh of course. You had been sorely injured.” Her frown intensified for a heartbeat before it cleared. “You required a healer’s care, a shower, food, and sleep.”
“Yes. Those were all I wished for. It wasn’t until after I’d eaten and slept for a few days that I could begin to think of anything else.” His eyes took in her face, her lovely, perfect face.
Maybe no one else would agree with him, but he couldn’t imagine a more beautiful woman in all this land and those beyond. His heart attempted to soar. He didn’t give in to the sensation because she hadn’t answered him yet.
“You haven’t said yes yet.” Kellen forced all angst or whatever else vied for attention out of his thoughts.
Her luminous eyes inspected his face. Ari’s face remained solemn. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Kellen the Mighty.”
He whooped in a very unAasguard way, scooped her up and twirled her around the small alcove. The minimal space didn’t prevent him from showing his glee at the best thing to happen to him.
His exclamation of happiness and her delighted laughter and tears gained them an audience.
“I assume from this embrace that you two are now betrothed?” Lajos’ big brother nature didn’t just poke through. The man might as well have brought a battering ram.
“Congratulations.” Stefana congratulated and hugged them first.
Ari’s glow leapt to him. Hopefully, he didn’t show it, but inside he shouted his happiness to the heavens.
“When is the wedding?” Raene asked from behind a few of the others. Her small stature hadn’t changed much, despite her transition. Queen Bronwyn had been petite as well, but she’d have also made a spectacular Aasguard.
He and Ari communed for a moment. “We think we should exchange our vows and complete the legal matters before we leave for Swiftland today.”
Jaws dropped around the room, but most of their audience regained their composure quickly.
“That’s fast.” Vidar’s big brother opinions slid to the surface. He remained more indulgent, but his reservations were obvious.
“Being married will work best for us when we arrive in Swiftland. We know this is right.” Ari’s casual shrug and confidence permeated into those flocked around them.
“Lajos and I married quickly as well.” She peered up at her husband. “We certainly don’t regret our speedy nuptials.”
L
ajos wrapped one large arm around her. “No, we do not. Best decision of our lives.”
A smidgen of mischief escaped Raene. “Vidar and I also wed in haste. The day I named him, in fact.” The two exchanged looks that since Ari’s advent into his life he now understood.
“That’s how we feel. Ari and I have walked this land a long time. We know our own minds.” Kellen didn’t need to exert his will because sweet reason was enough.
Ari sent him a secret smile. It made his heart expand. “We do. I never thought this would be my lot. But I am so grateful it is.” She tightened the arm she had used to circle his waist.
He felt her heart racing. In a good way, because his matched hers.
“Ari, you require a gown.” Raene’s pronouncement made Ari’s heart jump again. This time he thought it might be in fear.
His eyebrow soared as he inspected his bride. “You wish to wear a wedding gown?”
“I don’t know.” Her face blanked. “I’ve never thought of such a thing.” She turned lost eyes on Raene. “I’m not the size of women.”
“Of course you are. There are several gowns we stocked for Stefana. While she’s not of your height, she’s close.” Raene brushed off Ari’s height and muscles as a non-issue.
He certainly appreciated both. Ari the Noble could hold her own in any beauty stakes about the land. He’d choose her every time. She must have heard echoes of his thoughts because she went up on her tiptoes and rewarded him with a kiss.
“Thank you, love.”
Then before he could fully appreciate everything that had transpired in the last minute, Raene, Stefana, and Felicity whisked his bride off, amid chatter and laughter.
Anticipation unfurled in his chest until he became aware of the two men now facing him.
Chapter 14
To say she felt like a dragon out of a treasure room might be an understatement. Ari couldn’t conceive of what it took to prepare for a wedding; much less her own.
Her three companions twittered and giggled and had a wonderful time. Ari halted in the middle of the hallway. “I have no idea.”
