They all snorted their drinks that time even as Tez blinked at them in confusion.
“Beautiful speech, Tez,” Illarion said.
Kaila then jumped to her feet as Tez still looked suspiciously at all of them. She pushed him down onto the couch.
“Well, I’ve already invited you to fish, Valerius, so you know I like you,” Kaila said with a shrug. “But I guess if I had to say something more to encompass how I feel it’s that… well, if things had gone bad with the Behemoth and we’d gone down,” she smiled at him with warmth, “I’d have been glad to go out by your side.”
They all lifted their glasses, “Hear, hear!”
They went back to eating, talking and drinking. Valerius felt a deep sense of satisfaction and contentment fill him as the night wore on. Whatever he had expected them to put together, he was so grateful that they had done this. He had a feeling that all the teasing about dancing and such was like Anwar threatening fuschia for the wedding clothes.
Chione looked at her phone and said, “Kaila, Tez, and Mei, it’s time to head out. You know where to go to meet Caden and the others?”
“We do and the SUV is already out front.” Mei was craning her neck to see.
She got up gracefully, followed by Tez and Kaila. Each of them gave him a kiss or embraced him as they passed by. He watched them head out and felt a stab of sadness. It was a faint reflection of when he’d seen Caden leave the tower. He knew he’d see them soon. But still, he missed them already.
It wasn’t all that long before Jahara and Esme arrived. Both of them were dressed like icy angels, very much in Caden and Iolaire’s colors, which pleased both him and Raziel. They settled onto the couch and gushed about how the evening with Caden and the others had gone.
“He was so surprised! He’s dying to find out what the final place is,” Esme chuckled. She turned to Valerius. “You are one lucky bastard, Valerius. If you and Caden weren’t meant to be together, I would take him for myself.”
“I’m glad we’re fated, Esme, because I would have had a hard battle ahead of me,” Valerius told her.
Raziel was flopped on its side, happy with a belly full of meat but it cracked a red eye at that and shook its head. Scylla was wonderful, but Iolaire and Caden were theirs, fated to be, chosen to be.
More meat and vegetables were added to the fire. Ice cold champagne was poured. Dark red wine filled glasses. Valerius found he had a whole other leg to fill with food. They all talked of the past, of their hopes, of their fears, of the future. Any plans that they could help each other with had that help being immediately offered. They were a clan. They were family.
Jahara had been sitting back, watching it all and him. She lifted her glass and all quieted.
“Valerius, I know I speak for all here who are so happy for you and Caden, Raziel and Iolaire,” she said and there were nods all around. “To think we would be celebrating like this--with true heart--was something that not even I thought was possible. And I thought we could live in one territory.”
Valerius chuckled. “We’re doing all right together now.”
“Yes, and I wish my dream had been bigger and more optimistic than it was,” Jahara said. “Yet, now, instead of a dream, we have a reality that outshines it. And I know it is because of your and Raziel’s great hearts that we have this new reality. The future is so bright. Its light reaches us here. And we are headed into the sun’s light. Into that future together.” She lifted her glass. “I congratulate you and Raziel and wish you all the happiness.”
“Thank you, Jahara.” He lowered his head, throat too tight with emotion to say much more than that. “I am merely reflected in all of your light.”
“We’ve been the closest of all the Dragon Shifters, Valerius,” Esme said into that quiet moment. She reached over and clasped his nearest hand. “I’ve served many rulers over the millennia. Some were mostly good. Some were mostly bad. But none were like the tales of kings and queens in the stories. I thought that they could not exist. I had peered into power’s dark heart and discovered the truth.”
Esme gave him a wry, sad smile. She squeezed his hand.
“And then I met you,” Esme said.
“Esme, you know my flaws more than anyone, except perhaps Chione,” Valerius protested.
“Yes, but there was something more than the sum of your parts. There was--is--a touch of greatness in you,” Esme said, “and that is when I understood that, for all my experience, I had not seen everything. And that maybe, just maybe, the authors were right after all. That there are such kings. And you, Valerius, are one of those.”
She held his hand tightly and raised her glass. The others did the same.
“We love you, Valerius. All of us, our king and our friend. Now, our family,” she said.
They all clinked glasses. He leaned over and kissed Esme’s cheek. She hugged him back tightly. It was some time before Valerius could speak.
“This evening has been… extraordinary,” Valerius struggled to explain. “I, too, thought I had seen everything, knew what everyone was capable of, and had nothing to learn and certainly couldn’t change.” He smiled at that. “And I didn’t think I wanted to. Until Caden and Iolaire… and all of you. So thank you for everything.”
They smiled back at him. Chione was dabbing her eyes. Esme was sniffing. Jahara smiled broadly at him. Even Marban was wiping his eyes. Illarion looked down, but there was a faint smile on his face. He was clearly deep in thought. He was not expecting Illarion to give a speech. It was enough that he was there.
And he hadn’t made Valerius dance.
