The throne room was vast, and that was a good thing. If it hadn't been such an enormous space, the Darimar Dread wouldn't have fit. As it was, they stood in lines to either side of an aisle formed by their bodies, all the way to the door. As we passed, the Dragons bowed, their hair and jewels shining. It made me wonder if there was such a thing as a poor Dragon.
I glanced at my mate, proud to be on his arm even as nerves boiled in my belly. He didn't look the least bit nervous. Cyn had donned his royal demeanor as soon as we entered the room, his expression cool, his chin lifted, and his stare locked straight ahead. On the throne.
The Bear Throne of Darimar waited on a circular dais in a nook created by the outward bow of the far wall. Steps ran down from the dais and life-size bear statues stood to either side of those steps. Above us, chandeliers of oak and iron cast light bright enough to rival the sunshine streaming in through the windows that lined the left wall. The largest chandelier hung over the throne, illuminating the head of a bear that crested the back, its jaws open on a roar. That's all that was on the dais, just one throne. Even if the dread accepted me, I wouldn't get a chair to match Cyn's. I'd be the King's Mate, Duke of the Darimar Court, but not a king. That title was reserved for the Dragon who had earned it.
Cyn escorted me up the steps to the dais, then turned us around to face his dread. As he did, a woman separated from the front line on the left and approached us. I had met her, along with the rest of the dread, two days prior, when the Dragons had arrived in Dralbara. Her position was temporary, lasting only through this visit, and Cyn told me most of her duties were unnecessary. Now that the Dragons had their Water Magic back, it had put their Fire Magic in balance, and they weren't so easily angered. The Vas—the woman's temporary title—ran the proceedings but was also supposed to keep everyone in line. She was like a Talon officer, there to keep the dread from fighting. So far, Cyn was right, and that part of her job had remained unfulfilled.
“Welcome, Darimar Dread,” Cyn said as the Vas stopped at the foot of the dais steps. “Thank you for making the journey to Dralbara to receive my mate. Before we begin, I will make my statement, as is my right.”
The Vas bowed to the King, and the dread waited.
“I met my mate the day he saved my life and the life of an innocent beast,” Cyn started. “At my request, Ru'din went into the den of a mueyaru and retrieved some of her belly fur. I desperately needed the fur to create an antidote for the poison that I'd ingested.”
The dread went still, their expressions telling me that this was the first they'd heard of Cyn's poisoning.
“Someone was trying to kill me,” he went on. “Later, we learned it wasn't just one person, but five. They were using a Shanba relic to control minds, turning innocent people into assassins. After Ru'din risked his life to fetch the fur, he agreed to stay on to help protect me and investigate. He saved my life again and again after that.” He looked at me to add, “In more ways than one.”
My expression went soft, and I whispered, “You saved me too.”
Cyn squeezed my hand, then faced his dread. “This man was born into a harsh life and has had to do illegal things to survive, but when his king needed him, he answered the call with honor and bravery. Ru'din has opened my eyes to many things, and because of him, I have a clearer view of my people. With his help and that of his clan, we caught the true killers—a group of Shanba priests. Then, the night after their execution, Ru'din saved my life once more. The last member of the Shanba group—a priestess who had infiltrated my castle as a kitchen maid—scaled the castle wall and entered my bedroom as we slept with the intent of beheading me. My mate awoke before I did, and took the blow meant for me. It severed his spine, and nearly—” Cyn's voice broke, and he had to take a second to compose himself before continuing. “He nearly died for me again that night. It was the second time I had to hold him in my arms as he fought back death because of saving me. Ru'din is a man of honor, bravery, and loyalty who can only strengthen our dread. I am proud to have him as my mate.”
The room went quiet, most of the faces staring at us in rapt fascination and shock.
The Vas recovered first and said, “Come forth, Darimar Dread and give your judgment upon Ru'din of the Midnight Clan.”
The Dragons stepped forward into a line and came up the steps one by one. They bowed to their King, then stood before me.
The first man was Lord Juri.
I lifted my chin and met his stare. In my mind, I replayed our last argument, the one about Neb and Huso. The one he lost.
Fuck.
But no matter what he felt about me, Juri loved Cyn, and he was loyal. I shouldn't have doubted him.
“Welcome to the Darimar Dread, King's Mate,” Lord Juri said.
I let out a relieved breath before I replied, “Thank you, Lord Juri.”
Then Juri left the dais.
And that's how it went for the next five days. All right, it was just an hour, but it felt like an eternity. When the last Dragon stepped up to me, my chest went tight with anxiety. Every Dragon, including Cyn's knights, had welcomed me into the dread, giving me their acceptance. The only one left was the Vas.
The Vas came up the steps with a blank expression on her face. After bowing to the King, she stopped before me and met my stare. “You have proven yourself to be worthy of our King,DukeRu'din,” she declared. “It is my honor to be the final Dragon to welcome you into the Darimar Dread.”
The room exploded with applause and cheers, and I nearly crumpled at the woman's feet. Luckily, my mate was there to support me.
Cyn held my waist with one arm while he lifted the other in triumph. “Thank you, Darimar Dread. Now we feast!”
With that, Cyn led me down the aisle and out the double doors of the throne room. We collected my guards—who now collectively bore the title of the Duke's Guard—and marched down the corridor to the dining hall. The Raltven lifted their chins and just barely managed to hide their grins. As we left, I glanced back and saw the faint outlines of two young men slip out of the throne room with the Darimar Dread. Turning forward, I chuckled to myself.
You could take the boys out of the Forgotten but you couldn't take the Forgotten out of the boys.
Chapter Forty-Five
The Midnight Clan waited for us inside the dining hall. They got to their feet when we entered, and their cheering ushered us into the room. Huso and Neb went opaque as they joined our clan. I lifted a brow at them as Cyn and I passed by, and they both grinned unabashedly. The story of my presentation would become a part of the Midnight Clan's history. Maybe someday, when they were all respectable citizens, my people would tell their children about the Raltven thief who won the heart of the Dragon King and changed the destiny of the entire clan.
Or maybe they’d all get drunk on the King’s wine and forget everything.
