Chapter Thirty-Five
We made it back to Shasenai in time for our celebration feast. All right, we were a little late, but, just as Vax said they would, they had waited for us. We walked into an enormous dining hall to the sound of applause.
Low, black, glossy tables of the sort preferred by undersea folk sat in rows to either side of an aisle that led to a space used either for dancing or entertainment. I've only been in one other royal dining hall, that of the Royal Castle of Racul. Our whole crew had gone, invited by Duke Lock, ex-assassin and close friend of Teng. King Tarocvar's dining hall had a similar setup to this one, though the tables were higher and had chairs instead of the cushioned backrests the Sea Dragons used. Again, similar to that other dining hall, Vaxarion's table was set on a dais and he actually had a seat. Though higher than the others, the King's table wasn't as tall as those found on land but was the perfect height for his wide, low, heavily carved, black-lacquered throne.
Nodding and smiling at his court, Vax led me down the aisle and up to the dais. The applause died down as he let me go and waved at his throne. It was more of a daybed than a chair, with a broad and deep seat surrounded by a low railing. A railing, not an armrest. The frame was to rein in the cylindrical pillows that bordered the main cushion and served as armrests. There were additional pillows to support the King's back, all ofthem made of silk and embroidered by hand. The perfect fodder for a pillow fight.
I restrained the urge to pick up a pillow and whack the King. Instead, I sat down on one side of the seat, leaving a good five feet for Vax to settle in. He chose to sit in the center of the throne. I wasn't sure if it was simply where he normally sat or because he wanted to sit pressed up against me. Then he slid an arm around me.
Yup, it was the latter. And I was good with that.
With another nod from the King, servants rushed out of a door on our left, the first of the group streaming up to the dais, all smiles as they deposited platters of steaming delicacies before us. I thanked them before they hurried off and then reached for one of the serving spoons.
“Allow me,” Vax said and snatched up the spoon before I could.
I chuckled. “Oh, you're going alpha on me?”
“I have always been the alpha.”
“You know, just because you're a top, it doesn't make you the alpha.”
“Of course not,” he huffed, as if that were an offensive suggestion. “It's because I'm the King.”
I rolled my eyes. Mainly because he had a point, and I couldn't think of anything to say. But then Vax was filling my plate with mouth-watering food and I didn't give a fuck about alpha shit. Buttery shellfish, grilled vegetables, crispy fried fish, hot bread, and even pork stew from the surface. Actually, there were a lot of delectables from the surface served, including thewine he poured for me. I was shocked by the spread, and I'd been prepared to be impressed.
“Are those sesame balls?” I reached for a little bowl heaped high with deep-fried balls covered in sesame seeds.
Vax grabbed the bowl before I could and brought it closer to me. “Yes, I hired a chef from Rasokai, and he often prepares treats from his homeland. Do you like these?”
“I love them!” I grabbed several and popped one into my mouth while I held onto the others. The dough was sweet and chewy, filled with a lightly sweet custard. “So good!”
“I'll have him make them more often,” Vax promised.
“Not too often,” I said. “I don't want to get sick of them.”
“Unlike me, who you'll never get sick of.” He winked at me.
“No, I'll never get sick of you, Your Majesty.”
“You're permitted to use my first name in public now, my sea butterfly.”
“Well, fuck. If you're calling methatin public, you can bet your fine ass I'm calling you Vax.”
Vaxarion laughed boisterously, and the sound made several members of his court smile. I saw some relief in their eyes too. They must have worried endlessly for their king while he fought his need to be with his mate. Shit. He had done something most Land Dragons deemed virtually impossible, and he'd done it at the worst time in our mating. Dragons were supposed to be savage directly after mating. Primal. Lost to theirbeasts. If something happened to keep them from their mates, they went bonkers. As in, run-for-your-lives bonkers.
Sitting there, finally having a moment's peace to think it all through, I found myself reeling in wonder. Not just over what Vax had been through, but also the fact that I was mated to a Sea Dragon! A king. Vax. He was mine forever. We were bound in a way that no one could break, not even us. It was astonishing. A pirate and a king. Wow!
“What are you thinking, my sea butterfly?” Vax asked.
I snorted. “I can't take you seriously when you call me that. You sound like a bard.”
Vax chuckled. “Very well. What's on your mind, Mate?”
“You, of course.” I shook my head. “I can't believe you chose me.”
“I didn't.”
“Excuse me?” I scowled at him.
