Page 16

Mezerath

Rath wandered the halls of his family’s keep, mind stuck on his mate and as far away from the business of the kingdom as it could possibly be.

Curiosity had him wandering ever closer to Envi’s study.

His brother, just as dark-haired as he was, slightly more slender, with a more human countenance about his face, kept his meager quarters isolated from most of the castle. A feature that Asha probably enjoyed.

Soft voices caught his attention. Asha! “I don’t think I can do this.”

Rath wandered in, his boots falling ever so gently on the carpeted runner of the hallway, the floors not even giving a squeak. He couldn’t help eavesdropping.

“Nonsense. I feel the magic in you. Just focus.” Envi’s patient voice drew Rath to peer into the cracked door. Asha’s magic slapped him in the face, teeming and trying to escape.

“Rath!” Asha yelped, fumbling a chalice of water in his hands. There wasn’t time to react as he clawed for it and gasped in pure shock as the water hit the floor in shards as it shattered, frozen so solid that gentle curls of mist rolled off the surface.

“Baltheir’s graces, I’m so sorry!” Asha knelt down to scoop the pieces and the chalice up, but Rath, mesmerized, pulled him up ever so gently.

“Gods alive, Rath! I’ve been at it with him all morning and all he’s done is leak all over the place.

One glance from you has him frozen solid.

” Envi plucked the chalice from the floor and flicked his hand.

A gentle flame swam over the floor, turning the water to steam, and gone in an instant without damaging the wood below.

Asha didn’t flinch, accustomed to the fire.

Rath smiled, and Asha fidgeted, staring at the floor. In his mesmerized state, Rath drew Asha’s face up to stare into his budding mate’s eyes. “Don’t look at the floor before me. You did well. You’ll be a dragon in no time.”

The glimmer in Asha’s eyes faded, still reserved about the whole dragon thing. Being reminded of it didn’t help. “Thanks.” He cast his gaze away and Envi shooed Rath off.

“Brother. Let me spend time with your mate. You set his magic on edge. Patience.” Envi waved Rath off, and, chastened, he stepped away, but Asha reached out, as if to comfort him, making him pause.

“Yes?” Rath smiled at Asha, catching his pretty eyes. So gorgeous.

“After dinner tonight. Like last night?” Asha’s hopeful gaze made Rath’s heart squeeze.

“Only if it’s what you wish. Envi is right.

I’m being persistent. I know to love you, and you do not.

And I look forward to showing you in a million small ways.

” Rath bowed his head softly and smiled before turning and leaving.

The longer he stood there with Asha’s hand upon him, the shorter his fuse became, and Rath wanted to take his time.

Patience was a virtue, but wrath held no patience.

Wrath was unforgiving, protective, vengeful and unequal.

Asha would test that, as the world tested Rath on a daily basis.

On his way down the stairs of the palace, seeking out his study to actually do some work for the day, he ran into one of his attendants, ushering him forward.

“Honestly, my lord, you’ve been out of pocket for days and you have much work to do.

” She brushed her short-cropped hair back and trod lightly at his side.

She was one of the few women he knew that wore trousers, and while some countries couldn’t abide by women who had legs…

Rath found it rather fetching, though certainly not as lovely as his Ashen one.

“Yes, yes, but it all seems so unimportant when he’s so close.” Rath stood a little taller.

“Let me put it this way, sire. Your mate may not be impressed if your kingdom falls apart. Do try to impress him, sir.” His attendant stared at him ruefully.

“Fine! You have left me with no choice but to acquiesce! Put me to work, Nadi!” Rath clapped, and she led him into his soft-carpeted study, past his reading lounge seat and toward his backless stool.

He kept the seating rather conservative, as certain parts of his anatomy became more dragon depending on his mood, and chairs were hell on a tail.

He wondered, idly, how Asha might see that, or how he’d see Rath in more human guise.

Rath always thought he looked rather plain in human disguise.

Rath sat, and the pile of papers came to a rather violent halt before him. He wheezed. “What’s all this?”

“Marriage unions, requests to cross boundaries, letters of interest in your new mate, as word of that’s spread. The Northerlands are having troubles with irrigation because of the new trade routes’ cutting flow. What water they are getting is tainted by spoilage.” She sniffed indignantly.

“Are they leaking excrement into the waterways?”

“Appears so.” She sighed and flipped a page to bring the pressing matter to his attention.

“Make sure this gets to Draenvir as urgent. This is agricultural, but Sloth might help with schematics and he does know the maps well…” Rath signed off his wishes and handed it back to Nadi before leafing through marriage rites, acknowledging new couples by signature and congratulations before putting those papers in an outbox for the kingdom’s census to register.

When Nadi returned, she leafed through to hand him the more pressing matters for travel requests.

Nobility needed permission to cross lines, usually to inform the other that they weren’t invading, merely sightseeing with too many guards.

He approved all but one of the Monsmount lords, as he recognized the name had ties with wartime trades, and Rath halted before rejecting it.

He approved and even scheduled a meeting time with the gentleman.

It’d be an opportune moment to show Asha what the war was really about.

“I see that grin, sir. Are you up to mischief?” Nadi glanced up from across the desk, her pen tapping on the leather blotter, leaving little glistening beads of ink.

“Of course. My Ashen one wants for answers as to why his precious Monsmount has not received aid from the dragons to end the war.” Rath frowned as she moved her pen away.

“We do in small ways. War is death, and the dragons are not beasts.” Nadi shook her head and scribbled something down.

Rath wrinkled his nose. “Don’t approve this marriage. Can you send Falustus out to investigate this? She seems a bit young for a man this age.” He laid a document before Nadi, who mimicked his expression.

“Absolutely. That’s a poor farming community out that way. Do we wish to offer her employment if the engagement goes sour?” Nadi glanced up.

“Of course.” Rath scribbled something down and a soft noise broke his concentration as the scent of his mate drifted by.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you. Envi had to ready himself to leave and sent me down. I thought I might visit Slath, but wanted your permission first.” Asha smiled, and his expression made Rath’s insides boil until a sharp-toed shoe made contact with his shin under the desk.

“Ow! Okay!” Rath glared at Nadi and beckoned Asha over. He approached hesitantly, eyes traversing the sea of papers.

“Anything I could help with?” Asha stared down curiously.

“Not as of yet. Minutia, I’m afraid. But if you wish to visit Slath, I will not stop you. I will simply wait for this evening where we might enjoy some elderflower wine and something sweet before the fire. Maybe Jeron might want to spoil you some? The boy’s always going on about hair or skincare.”

Mentioning Jeron was probably not the best thing he could have done.

“Apologies. You may dismiss Jeron if that’s what you wish, if our former arrangement bothers you. But know that our magics will not allow infidelity. I promise you.” Rath took Asha’s hand and lifted it for a soft kiss that made his cheeks pinken until Nadi cleared her throat again.

“My prince, it is wonderful to finally meet you.” Her thin lips twisted into a smile, crinkling the edges of her eyes. Soft, mousy-brown hair sat neatly tucked behind her ears as she studied him. “I am Nadi, King Mezerath’s secretary.”

“Well met. I am Asha.” He gave a little nod of his head in respect, and she flustered slightly.

“No need to show respect to me, my prince.” She fanned herself with a sheet of parchment and glanced away. Maybe Rath wasn’t the only one enamored by the boy.

“If you are important to Rath, then I suppose one day you might be important to me as well. It is worth it to show respect.” Asha gave a bright and toothy smile that only made Nadi’s reaction worse.

“Alright! If you’re going to stay in here, your seat should be on my lap. If not, find Slath or Jeron.” Rath pulled Asha in and he colored wonderfully, a flicker of arousal curling into his scent that made a deep purr rumble in his throat, the coarse thrum of his dragony approval.

“I’ll go find Slath to bother. I’ve never been painted before.” Asha didn’t pull away, though, as if he wanted Rath to pull him in, to follow through on that threat.

Nadi watched with wide eyes and Rath guided Asha to sit on his knee, facing outward as his arm wrapped around his waist.

“Are you sure? You’re so very warm and comfortable here.

” Asha hesitated but slid from Rath’s lap and took a few steps away, his footing uncertain, hesitant.

Rath watched, amused until Asha hurried back and slipped into Rath’s personal space, brushing his lips over Rath’s for the most chaste of kisses before he nearly ran from the room without so much as a goodbye.

“Those Monsmount boys are terrified of loving men, aren’t they?” Nadi raised a brow and Rath shrugged.

“He’ll come around. I look forward to watching him progress.”

Rath sighed longingly and flinched when Nadi leaned over and slapped his arm, gesturing for him to get back to his paperwork. He grumbled and settled down into his seat to leaf through papers.