“Well, I need that arm. My arm. My sexy dragon rider.” Bellamy turns his head and kisses Rakos’s arm. “My incompetent farmer.”
Rakos laughs. “Really? Are we doing this now? When are you going to sing for me, little minstrel?”
Bellamy closes his eyes. “I’m asleep. Minstrels can’t sing when they’re asleep.”
“You’re the worst.” Rakos ruffles his hair. Pulls him closer against his chest, and their giggles subside into peaceful silence.
Turns out homecoming is its own adventure too.
?
EPILOGUE
One Month Later
Bellamy and Rakos are a few minutes late to the family meeting, but as Bellamy predicted, they aren’t the last to arrive. Margot, Claude, and Audric already gather around the table, a single massive cross-section of tree polished in red and gold rings. Julien and Whisper are nowhere to be seen.
The meeting room is one of the most secure in Sandrelle—if one is a Sandry. Walls, floor, and ceiling are shaped entirely from living tree, and silver-green vines blanket the walls, lush despite the lack of sun.
Audric is focused on a set of papers and doesn’t rise to greet them. Claude, dressed in dark green like a shadow of Margot’s brilliant emerald, wraps Bellamy in a hug. “My dear, it’s so good to see you.”
“Missed you too, Claude.” Bellamy hugs her back. It’s only been three hours since he saw her at breakfast, but Bellamy doesn’t mind the clinging. She’s just unsettled as the date of Bellamy’s move to the new dragonroost approaches.
“Lady Claude,” Rakos says politely.
“Oh, it’s you,” Claude replies, which is an improvement in friendliness from her. She swans back to her seat at Margot’s left, and Margot extends her hand so Claude can play with her rings.
Rakos bends down to Bellamy’s ear and murmurs, “Do you think she likes me yet?”
“You’re making exceptional progress,” Bellamy murmurs back, before taking a seat to Claude’s left. Rakos sits with him, and Bellamy asks, “What’s this about, Mother?”
“I’ll explain once Julien arrives,” Margot says. “I told him we were to start half an hour ago, so he should arrive soon.”
Sure enough, the queensguard usher Julien and Whisper into the room a few minutes later. Julien is perfectly composed, his black and gold outfit pristine. But Whisper wears a fresh bruise on his flushed neck.
Whisper bows, flush deepening. “I apologize for our late arrival, Your Majesty.”
“No need to apologize,” Margot says, gesturing for them to sit across from Bellamy. “I know any delay was my son’s fault.”
“Terribly sorry,” Julien says cheerfully. “But I know you always tell me the wrong time, so we’re hardly late.” He pauses to ruffle Bell’s hair and kiss Claude on the cheek, then sits down to Margot’s left. “Not to be rude, but should Captain Dragon be here for an exclusive family meeting? How sure are we that he isn’t a spy?”
“We already voted on it,” Bellamy says. “Just before you came in. We all took a vote and unanimously said he should be here.”
Julien cocks his head. “I feel like you’re lying. But how could my precious baby brother lie to me?”
“I would never,” Bellamy says, smiling sweetly.
Rakos drapes an arm across the back of Bellamy’s chair. “I’m probably less popular in Draskora than any of you. Not great spy material.”
Bellamy leans closer to Rakos, appreciating his lover’s solid warmth along with the tick in Julien’s jaw. “Don’t worry, I’m supervising Rakosveryclosely.”
“Now that we’re all here,” Margot gently interrupts the brotherly sniping. “The reason for this family meeting. This won’t take long, but I want to ensure everyone is on the same page.” Her cool gaze drifts over each of them in turn—Bellamy, Rakos, Audric, Whisper, Julien.
The room falls still, save for Claude’s absent fiddling with Margot’s rings.
Margot continues. “I called Bellamy back to Sandrelle for two reasons. The first is that I’ve been ill this year, and I thought his talents might discover something my healers could not.” Margot pats Claude’s tense hand. “Fortunately, my illness resolved itself before Bellamy’s arrival.”
“I couldn’t find anything,” Bellamy confirms to the others. Then he turns to Margot. “You didn’t tell me there was a second reason.”
