Page 97 of Courting the Dragon Prince

Luther touched Onyx’s arm. Onyx looked at Luther’s hand on his arm. Then into Luther’s green eyes. Onyx looked away, his gaze dropping to the green dragon pin Luther wore. Green, the colour of Luther’s dragon.

At the time, he’d felt so special being allowed to ride Luther. Had it really meant nothing?

“I’m not fucking him,” Luther said softly.

“What?” Onyx’s body tensed. “I know you’re lovers.”

“No. We’re not.” Luther stepped in close, hand squeezing Onyx’s arm. “I implied it. I’m sorry for that.” He gave a rueful smile. “I wanted you to believe we were.” He shook his head. “But I just said those things to make you jealous.”

“What?” A noise of disbelief escaped Onyx’s throat. “Why would you do that?”

Luther stared at the middle of Onyx’s chest. “It seemed a good idea at the time.” Luther sighed. “You were annoying me. So I wanted to annoy you in return. And you were always so tightly in control of yourself. I wanted to make you lose that control.

“Also, I thought you were sexy when you were jealous.” Luther paused. “And making you jealous seemed to make you want to fuck me. So …” His finger rubbed at the fabric of Onyx’s sleeve. “I’m sorry, Onyx.”

Confused but also relieved, Onyx stared at Luther. Prince Elias and Luther weren’t lovers. All that time, Luther had just been pretending, trying to bait him.

“And I haven’t slept with anyone else,” Luther confessed. “Although I used to fuck around a bit, in recent years, that has lost most of its appeal.” He stared into Onyx’s eyes. “I haven’t bedded anyone except you since I arrived at the monastery.”

“But … all this time, I … You made me believe that—” Onyx trailed off.

“I know,” Luther said. “I’m sorry.”

Mind reeling, Onyx gazed around the ballroom. He spotted Lord Barrett Morton and his spouse, Prince Ash Rosewood. “What about Lord Barrett Morton?” Onyx snapped. “You two are close. And I know you fought together in the war. Same battalion, right?”

Luther snorted. “You mean my half-brother? No, I haven’t fucked him. Even I have my limits. Incest is one of those.”

“What? No.” Onyx shook his head. “He’s not your half-brother. Your half-siblings are all in Draconia.”

“I think I know who my half-siblings are better than you, Onyx,” Luther said dryly. “And those in Draconia are mylegitimatehalf-siblings. Barrett is an illegitimate one. One of my father’s bastards.”

“Your father’s bastards?” Onyx’s eyes widened. “One of? Does that mean there are more?”

“Yes.” Luther took a sip of his wine, seeming rather blasé about it all. “I’ve got a bunch of illegitimate half-siblings just scattered around. Father’s always been good at sowing his oats very widely. Thankfully, there is a registry so you can check who you’re related to. It’s very helpful to ensure you don’t fuck a half-sibling.”

“What? That’s horrible!” No earth elemental of the Kingdom of the Grey Mountains would ever behave in such a disgusting manner. Or at least not openly. It would be hidden and a source of extreme shame for everyone involved. “Why is there a registry?”

“It’s technically a registry to monitor those with dragon heritage. Dragon powers follow along dragon bloodlines. Dragons are rare enough that it is important to keep an eye on them to make use of them and their powers.” Luther took another sip of his wine.

“So all children with dragon blood, born in or out of wedlock, must be registered and monitored in case they inherit the power to shift,” Luther said. “Barrett Morton is one of my father’s illegitimate sons. He inherited the power and was placed in a dragon battalion to make use of said power.”

Onyx stared at Luther, mouth open. Did those from Draconia not value fidelity at all within marriage?

“This horrifies you, doesn’t it?” Luther laughed. “I’m sorry. It must be quite a shock.”

Onyx spluttered. “Marriage is sacred. It is to be entered into with noble and honourable intentions. And…” Onyx shook his head. “Doesn’t it bother you that your father behaves in such a way? What about honour? What about fidelity? What about duty?”

“My father believes it is his duty to ensure his bloodline lives on.” Luther shrugged. “So he doesn’t put much value on fidelity.”

The muscles in Onyx’s face twitched as he tried to comprehend Luther’s words. “Did your mother mind? What about your stepmother?”

“Honestly, I have no idea if my stepmother has ever been bothered by it.” Luther turned and looked around the ballroom. His gaze stopped on his stepmother, talking with Empress Emmaline from Zephyrias by the glass doors.

“She’s never said a bad word about my father. Not that I’ve heard,” Luther said. “And she’s never acted hurt or wounded if my father showed attention to a young woman of a breedable age in front of her.”

“Breedable,” Onyx repeated, the word tasting sour in his mouth.

Luther made a face. “I think she might see it as her duty to tolerate it, since my father considers it his obligation to produce as many offspring as possible. To be honest, I’ve always felt a bit sorry for how my father treats her. She’s so devoted to being the best wife possible, and he doesn’t pay much attention to her.”