“Brothers, is this discussion going to go on all evening, or will you come to dinner?” Falustus stood in the doorway, arms crossed. His ordinarily golden, lightly browned skin had a pale flush to it and he appeared tired. Shifting into his greater draconic form to help with the restorations had weighed heavily on him. Varis had done some work too. As a water dragon who had a certain kind of peace with the lacemaker beasts, he worked with the carpenters to set the posts for new piers.
“Our little one just won’t pick a name.” Varis stared at the egg and had a sneaking suspicion that the creature within was sticking its tongue out at him.
“Lurin! Come.” Falustus waved down the hall, and a rather pleasant sight greeted Varis. Outside of his robes, standing tall with confidence and positively bulging from physical labor, was a smiling Lurin—though part of his mouth didn’t curl up quite right any longer. The pale lines of scars still trailed the side of hisface. He never seemed to mind, claiming the marks made him feel like a new person, tough and someone else.
“Yes, sir?” Lurin blinked in and smiled warmly, posture shrinking slightly before Lust slapped at his back to remind him to stand tall.
“Offer my nephew a name. You saved his life, see if he likes it.”
“What if they’re a female?” Lurin stared at the egg and Lust shrugged.
“Then they learn to bear a male’s name with pride, but I swear to you that insolent little bond-buzzing snot is a male. I feel it.” Falustus shook a finger toward the nest, and Varis glanced down at the egg in question. It prickled their bond.
“I, personally, like Auril. Like the gold that shines in his shell.” Lurin smiled, and Varis sighed in utter relief and melted as a happy little coo purred along their bond.
“And so it will be, little Auril, the golden child.” Ghreid laughed. He’d always been the golden child of his father’s, and would have been chosen to be king next if it weren’t for Rath’s utter brutish stubbornness.
Ine and Kine, as they’d been referring to the first two, rumbled along their bond in jealousy. But time would tell their dynamic.
Varis stood with a stretch and rang a bell, summoning a guard to stand at attention to the room.
They’d brought in some dragons from Sauria to stay with them for a time, who would become tutors and minders when the children hatched. With three, it would be far too difficult to corral them. Graylan also had some warning that with the damage done to his body from carrying three eggs, it may be a good idea to take it easy and spend more time one-on-one with the children. Nesting little ones kept a dragon’s cycle at bay, preventing having too many hatchlings running about.
Though, Ghreid thought Varis wouldn’t mind another clutch, despite how harsh their first had been. He wondered if that’d change once they’d hatched. He’d done well with Bessam and Naxima, their nephew and niece after all.
“Good job, Lurin. I think I mightfuckyou later as a reward.” Slath swatted the former priest’s bottom and earned a yelp.
“Sir!” He scooted back, and Falustus eyed the male with a playful grin.
“Leave it to you to corrupt a priest.” Ghreid sighed heavily, brow furrowed. He sniffed the air and glanced the direction Lurin scuttled off to. He didn’t smell like Falustus at all, as if their interactions had been tame. In fact, a sweet scent lingered about the boy, masculine, innocent.Virginal.“Oh.”
Falustus sighed heavily. “Ifonly.”
“Hang-ups?” Ghreid raised a brow.
“Something like that…” Falustus craned his neck to look farther down the hall with a half grin. “Fates alive, I love it when they make me wait.”
“I don’t need details.” Ghreid held his hands up in defeat as Falustus shrugged.
“No details to give. He’s just so oblivious that it’s hot.” Falustus chewed on his thumb and hummed before absentmindedly wandering off, lids hooded as a scent hung about him—arousal.
“Good to see he’s in better spirits.” Ghreid shook his head.
“Was he in bad ones?” Varis glanced up from their eggs and held a hand to Ine, rubbing in small circles.
“I can’t tell with him, but he’s certainly due to find a new bedservant, I can say that much.” Ghreid huffed and followed suit, hoping the kitchens had prepared something filling for dinner. Falustus looked like he could eat a cow.
Ghreid led Varis by the hand as they slid from their nest and strode purposefully toward their dining hall, joining Falustusand Lurin. It was quiet without all their siblings, and Ghreid found he missed the bustling day-to-day of his home. Still, it was nice having Falustus there, especially when he wasn’t brooding.
As Ghreid thought, Falustus was ravenous, sticking to meats as he cleared two plates.
“Do we need to get a lamb or something in for you, Lust?” Ghreid stared at his brother’s empty plate.
“Hmm? No. I’ll go fishing after this.” Lust shook his head, and Lurin cleared his throat before reaching over to touch his arm in a kind sort of way.
“You’re overworked. Rest and let him get you a lamb or something.” Lurin frowned, genuine care in his eyes.
“Better yet, I could use a swim.” Varis stood and stretched, earning a wary glance from Ghreid.
