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'So you donotwant a marriage?' said the Queen Mother.

'Marriage is the very last thing I want,' said Fyia.

A smile pulled at the corners of the King's lips, and Fyia couldn't help but wonder why. Was it the situation he found amusing, or her outright rejection of his hand?

'But you want the dragon egg, do you not?' said the Queen Mother.

'Of course,' said Fyia. 'In order to bring back the dragons, we will need eggs.'

'You know how to hatch them?' said the King, his words a smug challenge.

'No, but …'

'Well,' he said, interrupting her, 'it is impossible anyway, because the egg may only be retrieved by a member of our royal line …'

'A member through blood ormarriage,' the Queen Mother added.

Fyia's face heated, and she was grateful for the dim light. 'Then either of you could assist me,' said Fyia, 'once we come to an arrangement that suits us all.'

The Queen Mother chuckled. 'That is not how it works,' she said. 'If you want the egg, you must be the one to retrieve it, and if you are not a Black Hood, you may not even enter the temple.'

'We all want the egg,' Fyia countered.

'There is no union between the Five Kingdoms,' said the King, 'and if you cannot do that, it matters not.'

'Two are united,' said Fyia. 'Three, if you join us, and you are on good terms with the Fae'ch … it is not an insurmountable challenge.'

'What makes you sure you're the ruler of legend?' said the Queen Mother. 'That you are worthy of dragons? You cannot even control your own kingdoms, or your Cruaxee, nor did you know Cal had touched you with his …'

'My kingdoms will fall into line,' said Fyia, sitting back in her seat, 'and they outlawed magic in my lands, it is true, but I am magic-touched, and fire-touched, and I am willing to learn. I want to learn. I am good at learning.

'We have seen no dragons for hundreds of years. None of us can foresee the challenges we will experience when they return, but there will surely be challenges. Whoever leads us then must be capable of learning, or all will have been for nothing. I know that. I am no conquering king who believes he knows all … I embrace that which I neither know nor understand.

'I may not have had teachers to impart the knowledge you value and possess, but I do not consider that a source of shame, Queen Mother. I seek those who can teach me, and my thirst for knowledge is my strength, not my weakness.'

The Queen Mother inclined her head. 'Very well, but you are not fit to lead until you understand your gifts. My advice is to find someone to teach you.'

Cal returned to his own apartment at the top of the tallest building in Anvarn. He closed the door and soaked in the blessed relief of silence. It had been nothing but people and words—or screams—since the Queen had arrived, and it was fraying his edges.

He kicked off his boots and reclined in a fur-covered chair, rested his feet on a fur-covered stool, and looked up through the dome of glass above at the stormy grey sky.Bliss. He closed his eyes and reached for his Cruaxee—his bear—and found her splashing in a river at the top of a small waterfall. She let him settle into her mind and watch through her eyes. She wouldn't tolerate him doing more … not unless the reason was urgent.

Cal's body sank into the furs, his mind unclenching, his bear his only focus. He inhaled deeply, getting faint traces of the pine and snow surrounding her, the splash under her paws, the smell of berry juice that stained her muzzle. And then a salmon leapt from the water, and she pounced, catching it easily in her jaws.

The rich taste of fish oil trickled into his mouth as she bit into the flesh. She ripped its skin from its body, then ate its eggs and brain.You could bring the rest for me, you know, he said through their bond. She couldn't understand his words exactly, as he could not understand her thoughts, but she knew what he wanted, and she promptly tossed the rest back into the water. Cal chuckled.Thanks.

His door banged open, and Cal swiveled his head to see Aaron and his cousin striding into his space, bottles clinking inside their leather satchels.

'By all means, come in,' he said. He sat, and accepted the ale-filled bottle Zhura held out.

'What in the name of the Goddess' tits are you doing?' said Aaron, taking the seat opposite Cal.

Cal took a long swig from his bottle, the bitter liquid burning a trail down his throat. 'With regards to?'

'Fraternizing with the Queen of the Five Gods-cursed Kingdoms,' said Aaron, 'just in case you've lost your mind to the extent you actually don't know what I'm talking about.'

Cal took another drink. The truth was, he had no idea what he was doing. He was drawn to her, but she was a volcano set to explode, and she would take everyone with her when she did. He should get out of the path of her blast … send her away.

Aaron continued, 'She's got daddy issues … and mummy issues. She bumped her brother out of the line of succession, and from what I hear, her aunt is a strange beast.'