Varis was uncertain when the burn in his cheeks started during the ride—despite the biting cold. All he knew was that, almost an hour later, his cheeks still did so as he tried to avoid looking at Lapryda. He wasn’t even certain why he minded, but it was a mix of anger and his inability to say something. Whatdidone say to their brother-in-law?
Sorry, sir, could you turn your head a moment while I let your brother have his way?
Five minutes, Brother! I need my carriage shaken a little!
Undercarriage…
Varis nearly jumped out of his skin as a man in far-too-loose garments stood in the doorway of the sitting room they’d been surreptitiously stuffed in and cleared his throat. “Privacy, please!”
Varis balked, his voice cracking in his throat as the burning in his cheeks only intensified. The attendant standing there eyed him warily. “Pardon, Your—sir?”
The attendant glanced from one dragon to the other and back to Varis with an uncertain cast to his eyes, something in his posture feigning his unease.
“Unofficially, he’s Your Majesty,” Lapryda said. He sat up straighter in his seat and canted his head slightly. The chains he wore on his horns jangled so gently, and for something so beautiful and graceful, their tiny clinks came down like manacles. They tinkled like wind chimes; only the way the wind blew would dictate whether you became useful ordessert.
“He is my mate.” Ghreid sat up in his seat. “Please refer to him as such.”
“As—as spouse?” The servant wrung his hands, the lilt of his expression twisting to a slightly uncomfortable one. Male couplings were not permitted in Monsmount, and they never allowed people to forget it.
Ghreid nodded once and hardened his expression. “Will the king see us?”
“Well, you see…” The servant opened his mouth and closed it a few times before wilting. “You won’t takenofor an answer, will you? Your Majesty—ties.”
Ghreid nodded once.
“I’ll relay the message.” The attendant left, and Ghreid leaned his head back in the chair with a sigh.
“Always with the theatrics. As if I wouldn’t take my true form and demolish half the castle in search of him if he—” Ghreid paused as a silver-haired male stood in the doorway.
“I’m here, no need for that.” Who must have been the king shuffled into the room, his posture slack and eyes dogged. “To what do I owe the pleasure of not one but three dragons?”
Varis almost corrected him, but Ghreid reached over to rest his great hand over his. “I found my mate amid the wreckage. Found some interesting information out amid the wreckage—as well as my mate.”
“Do tell.” King Reigh, as far as Varis could remember, sat in an open-armed leather chair and slouched, his tone put-upon.
Ghreid relayed the tale of Varis’s journey, his identity, Varis of the third Rashiz of Kaliman.
That had Reigh’s brows shooting up, eyes blinking slowly. “Missive will be sent on my part. If they do not respond to your authority as Saurian representative, they will surely take my word. We do a great deal of trade with them, and I believe they’ve been in turmoil and would highly miss our backing.”
Varis nodded sagely. Kaliman had much business with Monsmount, and the two countries were military allies—thoughwhy Kaliman hadn’t rushed to defend Monsmount in the ongoing war, Varis made note to keep track of.
“And there is the matter of some recovered cargo that Varis spent two years of his life guarding—and not at my side.” Ghreid tugged Varis closer to him. “Seven bolts of Draynarian silk.”
King Reigh blinked, eyes wide. “No.”
Varis nodded sagely. “We picked it up from a port in Rammolia at the start of the journey. There were tons of paperwork issues; it had been lost and recovered at one point. It was a whole thing.”
“Well, I’ll be. My late father, King Pietr, commissioned that before the war even started. I believe it was when Kineer’s last clutch had hatched…yours, I believe, completing the set, as it were. It was one hell of a gift meant to ally Sauria with us.” Reigh held a hand over his face and laughed. “Those are silks meant for you! They’re to complement your scales.”
“That’s extremely generous. How come it took so long—” Ghreid sat back as Lapryda frowned.
“Well, there was a skirmish in the area, and we assumed our money had been absconded with—honestly we were flusher those days… And it’s not like gold means anything to your people—our gold at least.” Reigh sighed. “Consider it another gift. A wedding gift.”
“About when would you say this was ordered? When Ghreid and I were hatched?” Lapryda rubbed his upper lip with a frown.
“Oh, it had to have been about when Kineer and Inessa decided Mezerath would be their chosen.” Reigh frowned. “About then, I believe.”
Lapryda gave Ghreid a look full of meaning, and the two nodded at one another.
