Drishiel woke up early and left Ishennor asleep in the bed whether he told the dragon he was leaving or not he could always find him. In fact, they could transport to one another and though it was uncomfortable for both of them they could trade consciousness. Drishiel swore but wasn’t too surprised when at some point Ishennor appeared and was waiting for him.

  Drishiel set an employee of the house to go find Aldrina and guide her there.

  When the employee came back though her face was pale.

  “Sir, the Lady is not in her room.” She offered. Drishiel paused and felt his chest lurch. Ishennor though didn’t look concerned.

  “I think I know where she might be. Thank you.” He informed her before taking Drishiel’s hand and running off. He dragged him all the way to the stables where her cart was. Ishennor knocked on the cart door. Moments later the door popped open and she looked at them with mused hair and sleepy eyes. In truth she glared.

  “If we’re having this conversation now. It needs to be over food. And Tea. A sweet one.” She grumbled. Ishennor nodded and before she could duck into change, as it was obvious she would want to seeing as she wore nothing but a mused tunic, Ishennor lifted her up. She placed her hands on his shoulders.

  “I’d rather not flash my legs to the entire world unless I choose to.” She informed the dragon whose eyes fell to the legs in question and placed her back on the cart. “I’ll be out in a bit.” She informed and ducked in. She came out in a nicer colored tunic and dark trousers and boots. She went to step off her cart and Ishennor once again lifted her.

  “Ishennor.” Drishiel finally voiced a quiet scold. The Dragon glanced at him and then up at her.

  “Can’t I just for a bit. Just in case you decide to run far, far away?” He asked of her. She held his gaze looking as though she was unaffected by him but the she sighed.

  “When you carry someone this way is rather uncomfortable.” She informed him. “Tuck this arm under my legs and this one at my back.” She talked through then she laced her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder putting no effort into holding anything of her up. Ishennor looked fully and immensely pleased with the arrangement himself. As they walked though her face pulled. “Okay your gems are stabbing me.” She informed him. His face fell and he stopped fully. He looked around then very suddenly stepped into Drishiel’s space.

  So used to it Drishiel’s arms simply lifted out of habit of interacting with the dragon. Drishiel held his breath as Aldrina was transferred to his arms. Once again she didn’t seem in the least affected by them. She simply wrapped her arms around his neck and looked over at Ishennor.

  “Happy. You have successfully wing manned.” She informed. Drishiel blinked in surprise and caught the dragon grinning from ear to ear.

  “I am.” He agreed. Her eyes flicked toward the sky and rolled. Then met his.

  “I am fine with this as long as I have input on where I am going.” She informed him plainly. Drishiel nodded and started a bit faster toward the main building. He pointedly ignored and avoided the baffled and shocked glances. He realized that the Dragon had fucking managed to fulfill the tradition of carrying a bonded into their abode. He’d made the comment that he’d liked the idea of it but when she’d been unconscious did not fulfill the tradition.

  Ishennor truthfully didn’t know the tradition fully. He was glad he hadn’t explained it. He’d never would have considered the time he carried her home unconscious to fulfill that tradition because for one he’d passed her swiftly off to a maid. Two she wasn’t aware of her entering this property and finally because the tradition technically was supposed to be tied to those sacred clothes she’d worn.

  One would carry their bonded in their sacred clothes and place them upon the alter of the sun bath both would undress and leave their sacred clothes on the alter and then slip into the waters. It was thought that through water there household would be formed.

  And in fire it could be severed. Which meant they’d burn the sacred clothing in the bond was ever broken.

  His own sacred clothing was basically in tatters. Destroyed after climbing a mountain and being pinned by a dragon. And her sacred clothing? She could have done anything with it.

  If she did agree to stay and figure things out. He’d like to have new sacred clothing made seeing as it wasn’t just two haves but three parts.

  Entering the office he sent the employee who still was there unsure what to do out to retrieve food. Then he was faced with a dilemma of his own making. He could simply place her down so she stood on her own. Or he could place her on the couch. But his mind was so focused on the imagery of the alter that he walked over and placed her sitting on the desk.

  She looked at the desk then him her brow cocked. He said nothing simply pulling over the small table and setting three chairs at it. He went back over to the desk and collected papers. None of them spoke. When the employee came back with two others they set up table that folded out into it’s form and placed down and array of foods, and set up a tea. She slid off the desk and rounded to the table sitting and pouring the tea leaving his employee once again looking flabbergasted but soon composed themselves and left.

  “Tea?” She asked. They both nodded and sat. She took a few bits of sandwiches before looking between them. “So.” She breathed. Drishiel held her gaze his heart lightly thundering. “I am going to tell you how I view things and I ask you to correct anything that is, fully wrong or off.” Aldrina offered. Drishiel blinked but nodded. “This plain seems to be a very bright and beautiful one, that had little to no major conflict before the Celestials became involved in it.” She offered.

  “There have been skirmishes here and their and I can’t say that their hasn’t been pettiness but yes I would say that description is correct.” He agreed. She nodded.

  “And you and those who stood by you successfully broke free from their hold on you in a recognized way?” She asked. He gritted his teeth.

  “Recognized by every one but the Celestials.” He agreed. She nodded again.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “And they actively tried to use me to make it seem like they’d made a deal so that they can pull it away later. But because they can’t take back the Celestial energy from me they can’t go through with that plan.” She offered.

  “They chose you and bestowed upon you a power that hasn’t faded.” He insisted.

  “Even though I can’t use it?” She asked raising her brows. He shook his head.

  “It doesn’t matter your knowledge of it or you ability to use it. Just that it thrums inside you.” He agreed. Aldrina seemed to be letting that all process.

  “So, what I can guess they want me for is to claim you as a monster and fabricate some reason to sever the bond shading the celestials in a positive light. They want to kill me in some way that solves their issues. Or they want to use me to lure you.” She listed. He winced at the assessment that he couldn’t correct. “They don’t realize though that you created a soul deal with a dragon and they seem baffled that I find everything they say to be bullshit.” She offered thoughtfully.

  “Human’s that survive being given celestial energy are usually easily influenced by it.” Ishennor offered. “They think of you as a trained bird they let fly off for a bit.” He explained to her no attempt at easing the blow of it. She though didn’t look like it surprised her.

  “Then first in the name of allyship, I am willing to ally myself with your mission statement in exchanged for you accepting responsibility for the one thing they can influence against me. My village.” She stated. Drishiel blinked and she sat holding his gaze. “I will act in anyway needed to up hold the contract that you have in no way broken. That is in place to protect your people if you protect mine.” She insisted. “Do you have any snowy mountains? If their hard to live in that’s better.” Aldrina asked. “After all they can’t touch my village if it’s no longer in a plain under their control. And I’m pretty sure I can manage a legal reason for why they’d migrate here seeing as neither kingdom they technically belong to wants them.” She offered.

  Drishiel nodded. That at the very least would handle the bigger scale issues.

  “I can find your people a mountain. Will they willingly move?” He asked. She smirked over the rim of her tea cup.

  “Oh, I haven’t trusted the adventuring party in the least. My village trusts me and with my lack of trust in them. They have taken every precaution that I have put in place, ever evacuation method. The ground doesn’t matter if your life is on the line. Especially when you have promised new ground to walk on.” She informed. “Besides. There is a saying in the old tongue of my village. Ovisar Nov ishel Drach ishine Novat on. The Star that shines brightest the Dragon will follow.” She offered.

  Ishennor perked.

  “It’s said that’s why we settled where we did because my people followed a dragon who took most of the magic stones in the mountain but left a few for our people.” She explained. “If a dragon that is a great wingman comes and hypes his demon’s world…” She trailed. Ishennor’s eyes lit.

  “Would you follow a dragon?” He asked. Aldrina leaned over and pulled off one of his poorly adhered jewels.

  “You would not have made a deal with someone who didn’t shine in your eyes.” She offered pointedly. Ishennor paused then looked embarrassed.

  “No one’s ever acknowledged that. He thinks I only chose him to leave.” Ishennor snap pouting. Aldrina raised her brows.

  “Well, that could have been a factor on why he shined. Him being something that could help you made him a precious resource but you had to see more to be able to stand doing something so intimate.” She offered. Ishennor sent him a sharp look that stabbed him with see. Drishiel gaped. Then he smirked.

  “Does Aldrina shine?” He asked the Dragon who glared at him his face flushing.

  “Yes.” He grumbled. Aldrina raised her brows.

  “I’m flattered.” She offered. No doubt or sway in her tone. “Now on a different not.”

  “You have a strong desire for the bond to stay intact regardless of the political and social benefit.” She stated. Drishiel sucked in a breath.

  “Yes.” He agreed. She took a longer moment consider before stating.

  “And when you met and made a deal with Ishennor the bond between us also attached to him?” She asked.

  “No.” Ishennor corrected before Drishiel could. “It became equally mine. Just like everything I have is equally Drishiel’s.” He insisted. Then he was silent for a beat. “Technically though if I claimed you myself it would strengthen the bond. But if I did that I don’t think I could live without you.” He murmured softly.

  Drishiel blinked it was the first time he was hearing of that.

  Aldrina bobbed her head. And seemed to think.

  “Are you attracted to me?” She asked her eyes flickering between them. Drishiel almost choked on his surprised.

  “Yes.” Ishennor stated smoke leveling his nostrils.

  “Yes.” Drishiel offered softer holding her gaze.

  “Do you know enough about me to know whether you like me?” She asked them. Drishiel saw the trap in the question but as surely Ishennor answered.

  “Yes.” Her eyes honed in on Ishennor.

  “How?” She asked. Ishennor looked baffled by the question.

  “I saw you through Drishiel’s memories and those the Celestials sent to spy on you over the years.” Ishennor explained.

  “Those fuckers.” She hissed out. Then she glanced at him. “Should I know anything about that?” She asked and Ishennor’s eyes darked.

  “I broke the hand of the one who cut you and I tormented the one who slept with you to try to search your cart.” He offered. Her lips turned down.

  “I slept with them?” She asked in a murmur as if trying to remember who they might be. “How did you torment them?” She asked. Ishennor grinned.

  “I turned them back into a toad.” He offered with a grin. Aldrina tilted her head and nodded.

  “For how long?” She asked.

  “Still.” He answered.

  “But how long.” She asked. He looked away.

  “A year.” He murmured. Aldrina sucked in a breath then released it.

  “Release him.” She offered. Ishennor’s eyes grew and opened his mouth to argue.

  “He committed other crimes too. I allowed Ishennor to choose the choices of his punishment in general he specifically geared them toward the fact that he slept with in that way. It was either be sent back to his lover of a higher station then him with a list of the woman he’d slept with, with out her knowing or spend five years imprisoned as a toad.” He offered.

  “Ah. Alright.” She agreed turning away from that fact.

  “You didn’t answer though. Whether you had enough information to like me?” She asked him. Drishiel held her gaze.

  “I like you the more I learn about you.” He offered. She sat back and looked at the ceiling.

  “Do you still feel that way if I said I don’t regret my choice no matter how much pain it put us through?” Aldrina asked him. He took that and leaned forward and held her gaze.

  “Yes. Because no matter how much pain either of us go through if ultimately in the future you can be happy and my plain can be safe. I will not hold any regrets.” He insisted. She paused. Then she stood from her seat crossed over to him and bent down pressing her lips lightly to his.

  “When my people are hear. I would like to have a union that is befitting my people’s customs. One that I am fully aware of and one that reflects the truth of what lies here.” She offered looking at Ishennor. Ishennor’s eyes flickered between colors.

  “If you… I will…” He offered breathlessly. She looked him over. She pierced her lips.

  “I have not seen my siblings in twenty years. In fear that I would bring danger to them. If I can hug them and my little niece. Watch their families grow. That is the greatest gift in this world I could ask for. Someone who willing to help me obtain that gift. I am willing to offer all that I have to. Though I will be honest, I don’t know all that I have.” She admitted.

  Ishennor sat unnaturally rigid and frozen. Then he let out a breath.

  “Tonight, can we all sleep in the same bed?” He requested. Drishiel couldn’t keep the laugh from leaving him. Aldrina looked baffled between them.

  Then she chuckled.

  “Very well.” She agreed.