A man was leaning in the doorway a few feet down from us. He was similar to Shale in build, with a sleek, muscular body shown off in a snug vest that made his loose shirt conform nearly as tightly to his chest as his pants did to his thighs. His corded thighs. Boots in supple black leather went up to his knees, and the white of his shirt brought out the gold in his tan. His face was oddly handsome, with soft, full lips but a harsh, almost sharp bone structure. And his eyes were purple. Fucking purple. So lovely, all of it, but it was his hair that fascinated me.
Long, thick, and wavy, it was black, but not just black. The man's hair shone with the same sort of iridescence of a Litoto flight feather. Green, blue, and purple. A rainbow across a midnight sky. I had never seen hair more beautiful than his.
Shale growled.
My stare shot to my lover. He was staring at the man's hair too, but in a very unhappy way. He slid that furious stare to me.
Oh, fuck! Iridescence!
“Shale, it's a coincidence,” I said.
He growled again.
“I'm sorry, have I done something wrong?” the man drawled.
“King Vaxarion?” I asked.
“That's right.” He looked me up and down with open interest. “And who are you?”
“I'm Sebastian Dahl, Consort to King Shaleros.” I waved at Shale, but he continued to glare at me. “Shale!” I hissed.
The Dragon King of Latur swiveled his deadly stare back to the other king. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Holy shit!” I exclaimed.
The Sea Dragon King laughed. He laughed and laughed until he bent over with it. He laughed so hard and long that Shale finally came through his irrational fury and settled into a frown.
“I'm so sorry, Your Majesty,” I said to the Sea Dragon. “King Shaleros and I have been out in the sun all day. We are weary.”
Eyes still gleaming with amusement, King Vaxarion straightened and stared at us. “Are you mates?”
Shale flinched.
I closed my eyes with a grimace.
“I guess not,” the Sea King said.
“It's a long, very personal story,” I said. “Um, why don't we sit down and have a drink?” I waved at the doorway, then looked at Shale. “A drink, Shale? Yes?”
He grunted.
“I've already been drinking, but I'd love to continue with you,” King Vaxarion said and turned around.
Shale and I followed the other king into the room, Shale's knights doing their in-front and behind thing. Inside, several men stood at attention along one wall. More Sea Dragons I assumed. The Sea King's Guard. Shale's guards went to stand along the wall opposite them. Between the Dragon knights, the two kings sat down on wide, low couches that curved around a round, squat table. King Vaxarion looked just as comfortable as Shale upon the short seats. I sat down beside my lover, and he immediately snatched my hand and set it on his thigh.
“I love your décor,” King Vaxarion said. “We prefer this sort of sofa too. All the better to sprawl upon.” He leaned onto a cylindrical pillow and grinned at us.
Oh, he was so not helping.
All right, a consort should ease situations like this right? What do I do? How do consorts act? Say something cosortly, Sebastian!
“Shall I pour?” I waved a hand at the drink service that had been left on the table between the couches.
There was a pot of coffee, a jug of water, and a half-drunk bottle of wine. King Vaxarion's glass bore the remnants of red liquid. So I picked up the bottle of wine and lifted it in question.
“Yes, thank you,” King Vaxarion said.
Shale grunted.
