"Is this the end of the hunts?" someone calls out from the crowd. "No more Valorian warriors trying to kill us for glory?"
Zara turns to address them, her arm still wrapped around my waist and holding me close. "The magic will fully seal Embrath soon," she announces, her voice carrying with authority. "No one will be allowed in if they're not a dragon, with the exception of those we explicitly welcome. Like Solace, who has proven herself worthy of our trust and our bond."
I hear Solace snicker off to the side where she's standing with Alessia. My Beta looks pleased despite trying to hide it, clearly satisfied with being officially recognized as part of Embrath despite not being a dragon.
"The prophecy is fulfilled," Zara continues, raising her voice so everyone can hear. "Our Omega has come, bringing her Beta with her. The hunts are over. The attacks will cease. And now we begin a new chapter in Embrath's history. Now let's start the new reign of Embrath with your four queens!"
The crowd erupts in cheers, voices rising in celebration. People are clapping, some are crying with relief and joy, others are embracing each other. The weight of centuries of waiting, of defending against endless attacks, of wondering if the prophecy would ever be fulfilled, it's all lifting. They're free now, able to live without constant vigilance, without fear that the next warrior through the pass might succeed where others failed.
"Long live the queens!" someone shouts, and others pick up the chant.
"Long live Queen Zara!"
"Long live Queen Alessia!"
"Long live Queen Kaia!"
"Long live Queen Solace!"
Hearing my name included in that litany makes my throat tight with emotion. I'm a queen now. Not a princess waiting to be bartered away to the highest bidder, but a queen with actual power and responsibility and the respect of my people. It's overwhelming and terrifying and absolutely perfect.
Alessia and Solace make their way through the crowd to join us. Alessia's face is glowing with happiness, her blonde hair catching the sunlight as she moves. Solace looks slightly uncomfortable with all the attention but she's smiling, her hand finding mine automatically when she gets close enough.
"Our queens," Elara's voice cuts through the celebration. The royal physician has appeared from somewhere, her violet eyes bright with satisfaction. "The prophecy spoke of this day, though we interpreted it incorrectly for so long. Four rather than three, united not just by designation but by choice and magic and love. You will usher in an era of prosperity that Embrath has never known."
"No pressure or anything," I mutter, and several people nearby laugh.
"You'll be wonderful," Zara assures me, squeezing my waist. "We all will. Together, we can accomplish things none of us could manage alone."
The celebration continues around us, dragons breaking into spontaneous music and dancing. Someone produces instruments from somewhere, drums and flutes and stringed things I don't recognize. The music is joyful and energetic, nothing like the stiff formal compositions played at Valorian court functions.
People start pairing off to dance, pulling partners into the open spaces of the courtyard. The movements are sensual and free, bodies pressing close without shame or restraint. I watch with fascination, seeing the joy and connection flowing betweenthem. This is what community looks like when it's not built on fear and control.
"Dance with me," Alessia says, holding out her hand. "All three of you. Let's show our people that we're not just rulers but family."
Zara takes one of my hands while Solace takes the other, and Alessia completes our circle by linking with both of them. We move together, not following any formal steps but just responding to the music and to each other. Sometimes Zara spins me, sometimes I lean into Alessia, sometimes Solace catches me and dips me dramatically. We're laughing and stumbling and completely uncoordinated, but it doesn't matter. What matters is the joy, the connection, the visible proof that we're bonded in every way that counts.
Other dragons join us, forming their own circles or pairs or groups. The courtyard fills with movement and music, celebration spreading like wildfire. Servants appear with food and drink, setting up tables laden with the kind of feast I saw at other dragon celebrations. Fruits and meats and pastries, wines and ales and sweet beverages I can't identify.
"Is it always like this?" I ask breathlessly after several songs. "Do dragons celebrate everything this enthusiastically?"
"Only the important things," Zara says with a grin. "And this is very important. This is the beginning of everything we've been waiting for."
Zara
It's been three days since we sent the Valorians away and closed the entrance to Embrath with magic that will hold for centuries. Three days of nothing but peace and happiness, learning and exploring my new mates in ways I never imagined possible. Every moment feels like a discovery, like peeling back layers to reveal the people underneath the roles they've played for so long.
I've learned their bodies, the places that make them gasp and arch, the touches that bring them pleasure versus the ones that make them uncomfortable. I've learned their desires, what they crave in darkness and in daylight, the fantasies they've kept hidden and the needs they're only now brave enough to voice. I've learned their dislikes too, the boundaries they needrespected, the ways certain touches or words remind them of past hurts they're trying to heal from.
Watching Solace and Alessia grow closer has been particularly fun. Both of them are so awkward and sweet with each other, circling around their attraction like they're afraid to be the first to fully commit. Alessia will reach for Solace's hand and then pull back at the last moment, blushing like a youngling with their first crush. Solace will compliment Alessia's hair or dress and then stammer through some explanation about why she noticed, as if needing permission to find her mate beautiful.
It's adorable and slightly frustrating. I want to lock them in a room together and tell them to just kiss already, but I also understand that they need to find their own rhythm. Alessia has been with me for centuries, knows my body and desires as well as her own. But Solace is new, different, and my wife is rediscovering what it's like to court someone rather than already knowing every inch of them.
Kaia has been blossoming into the Omega she's supposed to be, wicked and adventurous once she realized there was no one here to tell her no. She's found every crevice in the castle, explored corridors that even I'd forgotten existed, discovered hidden gardens and abandoned rooms that haven't been used in decades. She maps our home with the enthusiasm of someone who's never been allowed to explore freely before.
She's also spent hours with the younglings, watching them play with their fire and practice their shifts. I've observed her from a distance, seen the wonder on her face as children who can't be more than five or six years old create flames in their palms and giggle when the fire tickles their skin. She asks them questions about how it feels, what they think about to make it happen, if they were scared the first time. And they answer with the brutal honesty of children, telling her it's easy and fun and why can't she do it yet?
But my favorite moments are in the evening when it's just the four of us, tangled up in bed after dinner or a bath or simply because we want to be close. We share sweet kisses and quiet conversations, learning each other's stories and dreams and fears. Alessia tells tales of Embrath's history that make Kaia's eyes go wide. Solace shares memories of protecting Kaia that make us all laugh at the ridiculous situations they got into. And I talk about the centuries of waiting, of hoping, of almost giving up before they arrived.
