Chapter Eleven
Vitki tried to keep his movements simple and not jerky as he reached up and scratched at the darkening ring growing around his throat. Jerky had him running to the bathroom every time. He wasn’t sure he would ever get used to the knowledge that he was carrying a child. He shifted into a dragon on a regular basis, and yet it just didn’t seem possible.
“I’ve doubled the guard on all the gates, plus added a unit to the throne room,” Yuval said. “Do you think we’ll need more than that?”
Yes.
“Keep a unit on standby just in case.”
“I’ll see to it personally.”
“Is Miro still with Ivo?”
Yuval chuckled. “Yeah, and I’ve been hearing about it every five minutes. He doesn’t mind being assigned to Ivo. He sees it as a great honor, in fact. He just doesn’t want to be assigned to the man while he’s getting fitted for his royal tux.”
Vitki grinned. He would have gone himself, but he was needed to plan the security for the ceremony.
“Has everything been set up for Max’s funeral?”
“The funeral pyre is in the square and ready to be lit just as soon as everyone is there.”
Vitki sighed sadly. He was actually going to miss the old coot. Max had been a fairly progressive leader, but even he had been mired in the old traditions. Vitki realized some of the old ways had to survive in order for their people to survive, but Ivo was right. The class system needed to go.
“What is that?”
Vitki glanced up. “What is what?”
“That thing around your neck.”
Vitki froze for half a second before pulling his collar up higher. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, Vitki.”
Vitki tried to push Yuval away when the man reached for his collar, but the man was persistent. “Would you knock it off?”
“That’s a dragon ring.”
Vitki yanked his collar out of Yuval’s grasp. “So what if it is.”
“You’ve been claimed by Ivo?” Yuval shouted. “You’re pregnant?”
Vitki narrowed his eyes at the vehemence he could hear in Yuval’s voice. “Why are you so upset?”
“Do you know what you’ve done?”
Yuval’s anger surprised Vitki. Hell, it shocked him. He didn’t think he had ever heard the man so pissed. “What do you mean what I’ve done?”
“You’ve ruined everything.”
A cold knot landed in the pit of Vitki’s stomach. “What do you mean I’ve ruined everything?”
Yuval started waving his hands around like a madman. “He was supposed to be the last one, and now there is another one.”
“Another one what?” Vitki asked, but he was afraid he already knew.
“Another royal heir. Ivo was supposed to be the last one. Once he was gone, there would be no more royals and the class system would collapse.”
Vitki narrowed his eyes. “Once Ivo was gone?”
