Page 12 of Dreams and Dragon Wings (Clean Fairytales for Adults #2)

Benevolence

Fourteen Years Ago

“ D ance with me, Bene!” Aurelia called out as she twirled in the forest clearing, her skirts flaring about her ankles.

I smiled, perfectly content to watch her frolic like a dryad from my place lounging beneath a tree. Until she turned to face me and insisted a second time, “Dance!”

I sprang to my feet and dusted off the seat of my trousers. “The lady has made a demand of me, and as a gentleman, I am obliged to obey.”

A bright smile curved her lips. “How do you say, ‘You are my favorite,’ in Draconic?”

Warmth thrummed through my heart, sparked by her continued fascination with my native tongue. “Sha sol na’valraen,” I rumbled in the midst of my approach, meaning every word.

By the light of the moon, I watched her cheeks turn pink, her gaze slip from mine.

For a single, awkward moment, silence descended between us.

And then I snatched her around the waist.

“Bene!” she chided, her laughter bubbling forth like a brook as I swept her into the steps of a lively waltz. “Is the paragon of chivalry, Prince Benevolence himself, being cheeky for once?”

Fighting against a grin, I countered, “ Naei . If you think this is cheeky, you’ve clearly never met Friedemar.” To prove my point, I relinquished my hold on her waist in favor of taking both her hands within the clasp of mine.

I might as well have flown straight into the heart of one of my mother’s storms for the electricity that coursed through me the moment our fingers touched.

My heart stuttered. My breath hitched.

Sucking in a ragged lungful of air, I hastily asked, “Are you excited to be going home tomorrow, then?”

Aurelia answered with an immediate and exuberant, “Yes! No more finishing school!”

“At last.”

“No more Miss Selina Danbury!”

“One can only hope that holds true.”

“And no more embroidery samplers!”

“What a shame. Your stitchwork was finally improving,” I teased, earning for myself a roll of her eyes. “What do you intend to do first with your newfound freedom, then?”

Her smile returned. “Visit the garden, of course. I’ve missed it so.”

Bit by bit, our dance slowed until we were simply swaying there together beneath the stars. The silence between us now was the comfortable sort—the kind I could bask in always, so long as she was a part of it.

Out of nowhere, she asked me in a whisper, as if afraid of disturbing the silence, “Do you dance often in Drakara?”

I shrugged. “ Vaei . When we have the occasion to.”

“But how does one dance while in their dragon form?”

Gently, I led her in a final twirl before letting her come to a pause before me, her hands still resting in mine. “We fly together, of course.”

Something almost wistful passed through her eyes. “I wish I could fly with you.”

Guilt lanced through me. I wanted to tell her what she was—what she might be capable of one day. I needed to tell her.

But I had promised my aunties I wouldn’t.

Well, technically, I had promised them that I wouldn’t tell her she was a Jewel. I hadn’t promised not to tell her anything .

By the Weaver, I was starting to sound like Auntie Glorana.

Slowly, cautiously, I asked, “Did you know that there are many other winged creatures in Drakara? All sorts, in fact.”

Her eyes widened. She was always so eager to learn about my home.

Our home.

“Truly?”

“ Vaei …” Reluctantly, I finally released her hands, letting them fall back to her sides. In the absence of her touch, my fingers ached for more. “Griffons, pegasi, pixies—of course—and other fae creatures.” I hesitated for just a moment before forging on with, “Such as the Jewels.”

Her brow furrowed. “Jewels? Like… gemstones?”

My heart pounded against my rib cage. Jewels didn't even have wings. I truly just wanted an excuse to talk about them with her.

A Jewel could weave Air to fly, at least. That was close enough to being a winged creature of Drakara.

Silent, I stared into Aurelia’s eyes and wondered just how much I could tell her before I officially broke my promise to my aunties.

I am not telling her that she is a Jewel. I am simply telling her about Jewels in general , I reasoned with myself. It was no different from the other vague bits of Drakaran history and lore I had shared with her over the years.

“Actually, they were given the name ‘Jewel’ because of how precious and prized they were. But they didn’t resemble gemstones. They were only another type of fae.” Hastily, I added, “A very powerful type of fae.”

Clever and observant as always, Aurelia pointed out, “You are speaking of them in the past tense.”

“ Vaei , I fear it is believed they are…” I wet my lips, choosing my words carefully, “…extinct.”

“Oh.” Aurelia’s face fell. “How sad.”

“ Vaei ,” I softly agreed. “It is quite sad.”

After a brief pause, a small smile hitched at the corner of her mouth. “But even when you speak of sad things, Drakara still sounds wonderful, you know.” Wistful again, she sighed, “How I wish I could visit.”

Without thinking, I suggested, “Perhaps you can. When I am king.”

What was I saying? I could promise her nothing. Even though she was fated to be my queen— Na’therya —there could be no vows between us until the curse was broken.

And yet, with her looking at me like that , I wanted to promise her the world.

My kingdom.

My future.

Everything .

Her eyes lit up, sparkling with all the luminescence I knew burned in her soul, waiting to be awakened. “Do you mean it, Bene?”

“I do, selira feyra ,” I promised.

Foolishly, I meant every word.