Slowly, the image unfolded before the camera. Two silhouettes appeared before them. One taller than the other. But both strong and broad. Wearing long coats, tight pants and knee-high boots. And both also bearing crowns upon their heads. The crowns seemed to glow for a moment as if they held an inner light.
“King Valerius! King Caden!” Barbara whispered in awe as both of their handsome faces were revealed. “By the Spirits, don’t you both look--look like the kings you are!”
And they did. Anyone who had seen the broadcast that day would always speak of that moment when the two Dragon Kings appeared before them like the ancient rulers in stories. The magic of Shifters was reignited again that day in many hearts and minds. Both Dragon Shifters seemed to sparkle and shimmer. It was as if one could see the two great Dragon Spirits inside of them even in their human forms.
“I thought you weren’t supposed to see each other before walking down the aisle!” Ken finally sputtered out after the awed silence had gone on too long.
Caden laced the fingers of his nearest hand with Valerius. “Nothing can keep us apart, especially a silly tradition like that.”
“Well, we all saw you could not be kept apart last night,” Illarion said as the Green Dragon King sidled over, looking stunning in his finery and crown as well.
“The Helix!” Kaila laughed as she danced over, her smile as bold as her pants suit. “Everyone saw it. Like everyone.”
“Do you suppose it will glow like that every time each of us has sex?” Tez asked as he wandered over with a glass of wine in one hand and a cheese toast in the other.
“If it does, my color shall be glowing more than any of yours,” Esme teased as she bussed Caden and Valerius’ cheeks.
“You teased that man in the conga line last night endlessly,” Jahara remarked with a shake of her head.
“You do realize if the Helix does glow when we get it on that there will be endless bets over who will win,” Mei pointed out, looking stunning in her red dress.
Anwar walked over hand in hand with Fadel, a man who the press had been agog over since he’d woken from a seemingly unbreakable coma. “Bets? About what?”
“Sex. Dragons. Which of us will win,” Illarion explained as he drained a glass of champagne.
“Ah, well, Fadel, I think we must give Caden and Valerius a run for their money!” Anwar said and then kissed Fadel on the lips.
Fadel grinned. “I do not know. Last night’s show was one for the record books.”
“The Helix doesn’t light up every time we have sex!” Caden insisted, cheeks flaring red. “Believe me, if it did it would be blaring every day, twice a day or more!”
“Young love,” Esme smiled.
“You do all realize that this is not just being filmed, but that we’re live, don’t you?” Valerius remarked dryly with a nod towards the camera operator who was desperately trying to catch everything.
The reporters had been awfully quiet, too, not wanting to remind the Dragon Shifters of just that fact. All the Dragon Shifters looked over at the camera with the red light on top of it. Caden buried his face in Valerius’ chest. He patted his beloved’s back.
Mei sighed and looked bored. “As if they haven’t guessed we all have sex.”
Kaila waved at all the people. “Hi, everybody! I have sex! Lots of sex! But not this trip. What about you, Tez?”
Tez pinked, especially when Kaila threw her arm around his shoulders and urged him to wave and tell the audience all about his sex life.
“Despite Eldoron being the most beautiful, we are still shy at getting our picture taken,” Tez explained. “And we never kiss and tell.”
“Well, the Helix sort of tells for us,” Kaila reminded him.
“Oh, dear,” Tez wailed.
Esme looked completely unrepentant. “I think it is a good thing for people to realize that sex and love does not stop when you start getting wrinkles.”
Jahara chuckled and nodded. “Love in all its myriad forms is a wonder. And I am happy to see it.”
Illarion cleared his throat and stepped directly in front of the camera. “I am looking for my true mate. If you think you’d be a good match, send me a photograph and your details to--”
“No, no, no, Illarion, that is not how this works,” Esme cut him off.
“What? Vozyth needs to see a selection of beautiful women to choose from!” Illarion cried. “And I am interested in--”
