Dragon 5 Chapter 17 (Patreon)

Maeve led me across the carpet to the edge of the winding chandelier. The beast in my chest wanted to stare at the glittering lights, creating a beautiful array of shimmering gold that danced along the party.

I wanted to put it in my hoard and watch the light flicker across all my piles of coins and trinkets. I pictured it for a moment before a flicker of the creature I’d found in my hoard popped into my head. I wondered if Maeve knew anything about it, but at that moment we lost all privacy as several fae pressed in upon us.

“Ah. The dragon king. Here, have a drink” An excited fae lady pushed a drink into my hand. She was, like the rest of the fae, beautiful.

Polydora appeared at my side, taking the drink from my hands and sipping it before handing it back to me.

She then stationed herself behind me and loomed over the fae. “It is suitable. Please do not hand my king drinks like that again.”

The fae lady forced a smile on her face as her eyes roamed my face. “Forgive me. I was just so excited to meet the dragon king. Ah! Where are my manners? I’m Lady Dresdeth, of the summer court.” Her eyes twinkled for a moment at the mention of summer.

I’d already guessed which court she belonged to based on her tanned skin and vibrant pink hair. It seemed that the title of ‘Lady’ must be more common among the royal fae of each court. But she clearly held some sway, because the others mobbing us parted and gave her a bit of extra space.

“Well met Lady Dresdeth. Why don’t you help me meet some of these others?”

She immediately hooked her arm on mine, and I noticed Polydora looking at it like she was trying to decide if she should bite it off or not. But Lady Dresdeth didn’t seem to mind one bit. “It would be my absolute pleasure.”

The fae lady paraded me around the ball, winding around under the utterly massive chandelier. I noticed the others were very polite as she walked, moving out of her way gracefully as she sauntered through.

My honor guard rotated out twice as she introduced me to nearly everyone.

I knew enough of my habits to be careful. The more time I spent with her, the more likely I’d accidentally give her three ‘thank yous’ just out of habit.

My ladies were being led through by Maeve behind me. It seemed that the important people flowed this direction while the less impressive people who had come early slowly made way for them and shifted down further away from the end. Based on the social hierarchy, I assumed the fae queens would be at the end of the winding procession.

I found it was an intricate dance, thinly veiled behind glittering dresses and gold goblets of wine.

While I gained an appreciation for fae beauty through the party, I also became wary of just how well connected Lady Dresdeth was as she seemed to hold influence over nearly everybody.

“Thank you.” Lady Dresdeth laughed, but her eyes shone with meaning as she patted one of the fae.

The person who had received her thanks beamed like they’d gotten the best thing in the world.

“You know, Lady Dresdeth, I haven’t quite gotten an idea of what you do amid the summer court.” I said.

“This and that. Really, a little of everything. Honestly, I probably have my hands in a few too many pies, but one has to do that to have a firm hand on a fae court.” She wrinkled her nose. “But now isn’t the time to talk about court or duty. Tonight is a night for celebration.”

“Of course. What is it you do for your own enjoyment?” I asked her as the fae bowed off the moment the lady failed to continue the conversation.

“In my off season, I have a wonderful chateau at the edge of some mountains. It is beautiful, and I spend a lot of time gardening.” She sighed wistfully.

“Sounds peaceful.” I commented, not knowing much at all about gardening.

She only grinned from ear to ear as she leaned in conspiratorially. “I cheat.” She wiggled her fingers and magic sparkles darted off. “It is still very relaxing, and I enjoy doing much by hand.”

The party opened up as we reached the end. In the center of the new area stood a platform only a foot off the ground, but it was as if the platform was sacred. Many fae avoided touching it. On the platform were two large thrones and several tables laden with food.

I realized I had noticed little food as we’d walked. Most of it had been on the edges of the party, and the sight of the spread in front of us made my mouth water enough to distract me for just a moment.

But it didn’t take long before I noticed the throne that was currently occupied.

The winter queen sat on the other side of the table. Her cold silver eyes glared my way, and I shivered for a moment before realizing they were landing on Lady Dresdeth.

The winter queen’s ire only made Lady Dresdeth smile more. “Come, my dragon king and entourage. You are all welcome up here.”

Several of the tables had occupants. Some fae were standing up on the platform, but more notably were members of the council, Herm, and his wife Amara.

I nodded at them as I caught their eye before continuing to scan. The summer queen was nowhere to be found, her throne left empty.

Lady Dresdeth noticed it had drawn my attention. “I wanted to meet you in a less formal setting. Do forgive me.” Then she strutted across the platform and up to the throne.

As she spun to plant herself, her gown extended to flow off her legs and down the steps of the throne, pooling out onto the platform. As she sat, her eyes turned the gold that I had come to expect from her and her hair turned a vibrant green of new growth. She was instantly recognizable, and I cursed in my head.

“Did you know?” I asked Larisa, who was currently acting as my guard.

“No. I didn’t even sense the glamor. The summer queen is nearing the height of her power; there are few things that could match her. But if you had a handle on your magic, you could be one of them.” She squinted at me as if accusing me of not working hard enough on my magic.

The surrounding fae clapped excitedly for the summer queen as she took her spot.

The Summer Queen waved her fingers at me and cleared her throat while staring at me. “I welcome the dragons to our lovely party, and more importantly, to Philly. It seems partnerships with the dragons are already blooming, and for that, I am thankful. We celebrate change and growth. And we look to solidify our friendships. As such, I’d like to ask the dragon king for the third time if he would accept my hospitality in the fae realm.”

I respected she called out that the question would be my third response, but I despised that she’d put me on the spot in front of everybody. I played through my response, trying to make sure I didn’t corner myself.

The party grew quiet as the fae waited to hear my response.

I looked around the party, taking in the opulence and glittering gold around us. An idea sparked in my mind of how the queen could repay me.

“Do you host weddings?” I asked.

The crowd was quiet.

“Weddings?” The Summer Queen repeated my question in a neutral tone before a beautiful smile blossomed on her face. “I would love to host the Dragon King’s wedding.”

I turned back to my wives to see what they thought of it while the merriment kicked back up into full swing.

My wives looked surprised, but none of them seemed put off by the suggestion. I had a feeling they were enjoying the gowns and setting as well. A few even seemed pleased.

I had a sudden moment of inspiration. “My mates seem to like the idea. I’ll let you work out the details with them.” I figured it couldn’t help to have some reinforcements to sort out the various wants of my wives. And a little magic wouldn’t hurt either to keep me from losing much from my hoard to pay for it.

The Summer Queen gave me a knowing chuckle. “That I can do. Though we’ll have to work through missives after the party.”

Her statement prompted Scarlett to step forward and start discussing in low tones with the Summer Queen.

Not to be left out, several of my mates quickly stepped forward, turning the space in front of the Summer Queen into a mass of conspiratorial whispers.

I glanced from the group to the Winter Queen.

Her face was icy as usual, but there was a flicker of interest from her as I looked her way.

Thinking back to Maeve’s suggestion, I ignored her for the moment.

My honor guard rotated again, and Amira was at my side looking towards her parents. I waited before we headed over to them.

“So, have you thought about my offer? Your parents are right there. If it’s what you want, I will walk over right now and thank them for sending you to my honor guard. You could go back with them.” I wanted to make sure she didn’t stay with me out of obligation. If we were going to build anything, I wanted it to be real, not some trade for her parents.

Amira swallowed loudly. “No. I’d like to stay with you. But I would enjoy speaking to them while I stand by your side.”

“Ah, of course. They’d love to see you presented next to the dragon king. But you are long lived. You could just wait for the next one.” My tone was a little harsh, but I was also frustrated by the situation. I didn’t know where her loyalties landed. The thought of a transactional relationship made me annoyed.

I had absolutely no interest in a mate that there was no love between. Six were enough wives that loved me; I didn’t need to marry to see if love would develop.

“You are Zach Pendragon. You are the dragon king of my generation who was born a human, but somehow managed to take on an old god within a year of your first shift. Then you fought the church near single handedly and sealed the celestial plane because two of your mates were threatened.”

She turned to face me straight on. “You fought the spider queen, one of the world's most feared powers, and protected all of us. You are strong and powerful. I would be proud to be your mate. Your position is of less worth to me.” Amira stopped and stared into my eyes.

I paused. Wanting my strength wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but it was better than her just wanting to be with the dragon king because her parents demanded it of her.

Processing my feelings, I held out my elbow for her, deciding to give us a shot. “Come, let’s talk to your parents. Lean on me and laugh when I tell a joke.”

Amira put her arm around mine and leaned ever so slightly on me. I tried not to snort. It looked more awkward than anything else, but she was trying. Amira was far from a blushing bride.

“Like this?” She asked, her body rigidly leaning.

“Relax.” I replied, taking a step towards her parents.

She let out a staccato of little chuckles and once again I was trying to keep my cool. It was almost cute how unnatural giggles were for her.

But the sound caught the attention of her parents, both of whom looked like they were staring into some alternate reality as they noticed their daughter laughing.

My instructions for her were clearly not going to work.

“Act natural. That wasn’t a joke.” I sighed.

Her chortle cut off instantly, replaced by her normal stoic expression. “Better?”

“Yeah. That’s probably better.” At least her parents wouldn’t think I’d replaced her entire personality. I stepped up to the table with Herm and Amara. “Hello, I’m glad you both could make it.”

Amara beamed at her daughter, pointedly looking several times at where Amira held my arm. “It's a fantastic surprise.” Amara caught herself. “The party I mean. Fae parties are things of legend, even for paranormals.”

“They sure know how to put on a show.” I agreed with her before turning to her mate. “How are you, Herm?”

Despite the camaraderie we had built fighting together during the conclave, Herm was glaring at me like he wanted to tear my head off. But I understood why as he glanced towards his daughter with a loving expression.

I had a feeling that no matter how many years you prepare, a man is rarely ready to give away his baby girl.

Amara bumped Herm to prod him into speaking. His eyes moved from his daughter back to me, the love in them fading away before he spoke. “Good. We moved into Philly just fine. And Tim and his harem are just down the street. But I have to admit that being in such a crowded city makes me feel a little constrained. I need to stretch my wings every now and then.”

“We love it here.” Amara butted in, clearly not feeling that her mate was showing enough enthusiasm. “You should come by our place for dinner this weekend. We brought along Amira’s hoard with us, and I’m sure she’d love to show it off to you.”

“Mother.” The stoic dragon stomped her foot as her cheeks flushed bright red. “My hoard is my business.”

Amara only grinned at her daughter’s reaction, waving it away. “Right, right. I just thought that since you left it at home, you must not be too concerned about it. I almost took it for myself.”

Her daughter’s eyes flashed dangerously, but Amira’s parents just laughed.

“We won’t touch your hoard. At least, not until you find a mate. Then we’ll happily let them safeguard your hoard.” Herm promised her.

Amira snorted, causing both her parents to grin. The moment lingered as the conversation lulled, and my mind wandered back to that little creature back in my hoard.

“So… how has Amira been performing?” Amara asked suggestively, causing Herm to nearly choke and my attention to snap back into the moment.

The former Greek general had a weak poker face when it came to his daughter.

“Admirably. We were talking about some sort of bonus, but she couldn’t make up her mind what she wanted.” I fibbed and pulled Amira closer.

This time she leaned on me slightly less stiffly.

“Yes. My bonus. We haven’t decided yet.” She kept her responses short, sounding a little bewildered.

“Well. You will have to think hard and take advantage of a bonus from the dragon king.” Amara glared at her daughter, trying to drive something home.

Wanting to shift the conversation, I decided to see what either of the dragons might know about the creature I’d found. “Is it typical for creatures to live in hoards? There’s a little slug-like creature living in mine. I keep my hoard in a spatial pocket that Morgana made me, so nothing should have been able to get in or out.”

All I knew was that it was a magical creature, and given its draw to treasure, I assumed it might be attracted to hoards.

Any hope I’d had that they would know about the creature faded quickly as they looked at each other in confusion.

“Something is living in your hoard? Sometimes dragons let pigs or chickens live there as a snack, but even then the dragon brings them in.” Herm hedged.

Amira frowned at me. “Why have you not told your honor guard about this before?”

“It’s recent, and it didn’t seem to pose a threat. I tried to catch it the other night. It was annoying, and it escaped me, but it didn’t attack in any way. It’s definitely magical.” I was a proud dragon king, and I didn’t need anyone’s help to manage my hoard. Besides, it was sealed.

Herm rubbed his chin. “What does it look like?”

“It’s about the size of a football… I think. It changes shape. Really, it is almost like fluid, and it is gold. It also smells just like my gold.” I held my hands out to show the shape, but then mashed them together. “I waited, and it came to the top of my gold and attacked. But when I tried to bite it, the little bugger slipped between my teeth.”

Herm frowned. “Is any of your gold missing? Maybe it came in with something you added to your hoard?”

I shook my head, but then slowed. “There was this gold I’ve had for a long time. I dug it out of the ground myself.”

Amara’s eyes went wide. “You, the dragon king, dug up your own gold?!” She got progressively louder as she said it, and then hushed herself down. “Given your powerful heritage, that gold would be unbelievably potent.” Her eyes flicked to Herm.

“You think he made an elemental from it?” Her mate picked up from where she had been going.

Amira’s face became the definition of shock. “But the mana requirements to make an elemental are so astronomical that they aren’t naturally formed anymore.”

Both of her parents nodded. “Yes, that is true. But long ago, when mana was richer in the world, they formed naturally. The only ones still around are those that are ancient. Once in a while, a human magus manages to make one artificially, but it can take decades and are incredibly weak.”

“I’ve had this gold for a while. Almost a decade.” I thought back to when my father had taken me into the hills to pan the little flecks of gold. “What do I do about it?”

Amira took over the conversation. “If it is made from your mana, it should be attuned to you. Your mana will feel familiar, so it won’t harm you and should adapt to help you.”

I raised an eyebrow for more information.

“It will grow rapidly for as long as you continue to feed it mana. Given that it is living in your hoard, it is also likely soaking up some of the mana from your gems and gold.” Herm explained. “They are extremely loyal creatures. That is one reason they are a prized creation by many wizards who manage to make one. The fact that yours is made of gold is brilliant… maybe I should make one.”

Amara smacked him. “I will not have you disappear for years to make one. We all don’t have the mana capacity of our king.”

I stepped in before they began fighting like a married couple. “So, if I let it live in my hoard, it might grow into a powerful follower?” I asked.

“Yes. It will grow quickly now that it has formed, and it will grow in intelligence sharply as well. Try feeding it some of your mana directly and talking to it. In no time, I’m sure we’ll see it standing next to you.” Amira had a funny face.

But before we could talk about the budding elemental in my hoard more, there was a disturbance at the party.

I turned quickly, scanning for my mates in case there was danger. Determining that they were safe, I scanned the area, causing the disturbance.

There seemed to be two groups attracting attention.

One was a swath of people wearing leather and flashing their fangs, the other was a group of spider women carrying a gauze-covered structure. The wind swept the gauze aside, and Ikta beamed at me for the brief moment before the cloth fell back down into place.

I almost had to wonder if it was on purpose.

“Oh great. Here come two batches of trouble.” I grumbled.