My people remained loyal, yet their caution fixed on Nienna and her brother. Distrust lingered in the glares they sent her way, silence thickening wherever she passed. She noticed. Chin high, shoulders squared, defiance gleaming, she refused to yield an inch.
When I crossed the ocean after her, doubt plagued me. Would my men still follow me? Would they see honor, or a king dragged by his desire? A whipped dog chasing a woman.
The days among my soldiers taught me better.
The threat lay with the nobles; those born into generational titles they never earned; cities they ruled without bleeding for. Those were the ones I would have to convince.
Elohios’ blessing still marked me. They wouldhaveto honor that—as well as Nienna’s dragons. Yet what a hollow reign it would be, leading those who obeyed out of resentment and spite.
A guttural shriek tore through the air.
Horses spooked, hooves skidding as I hauled back on the reins and searched the clouds. Gyrak banked overhead, his vast black form staining the sky like spilled ink. He was not alone.
A blue-green dragon plunged from above, angled straight toward us.
“You’re jesting,” I snarled, reaching for Nienna’s bridle. “Dismount.”
Surprise curved her mouth as she swung down. White fabric streamed over the saddle just as the mare balked. I would not have her mounted on an untested horse while facing a dragon beholden to no one.
Someone took her reins, and I focused on staying seated as Greaves edged closer, his mount snorting and dancing beneath him.
I ignored his frown as the beast struck the earth.
Soil exploded outward, and the ground quaked. Gold flecked her scales like scattered specks of dust, brazen horns taller than I stood flashing in the sun. Flared nostrils dragged in air as slitted pupils fixed on me.
I swallowed a curse and dismounted as she stepped forward. Horses reared, screams cutting through the chaos.
Nienna turned, hand outstretched, drawing me to her. I passed off my reins and joined her. Her fingers cinched tight around my gauntlet as we advanced.
Tsunami dipped her head low, pupils narrowing on me.
“Why is she here?” I muttered. Dragons did not cross the sea without compulsion. The water marked a boundary they avoided.
“I don’t know.” Nienna lifted a hand, and the dragon’s gaze shifted, a rumbling purr rolling from her chest. “She might’ve followed the fleet.”
Gyrak landed behind her, and she snapped her head skyward, spinning on him.
I lunged, shielding my queen with my armored arms as the green tail sliced through the air a handspan above us. My jaw clenched. A riderless dragon in my kingdom spelled danger. She was careless—a menace. My people needed to respect these beasts, not view them as overgrown barn cats.
Nienna shoved my arm aside and pressed my hand to her chest. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say she came for you, Kallias.”
Ronan slid down Gyrak’s leg and jogged toward us as her words settled.
“Did she follow the others?” she asked her brother.
The Draconis prince shook his head, flight goggles pushed into his wild blond hair. “The rest are still behind, recovering from the storm. Look at her wings.” He pointed to the trembling tips dragging against the ground. “She flew through it.”
“No dragon in its right mind would do that,” Nienna murmured.
Ronan faced me, arms crossing. “You’re certain you didn’t bond her?”
His accusation chafed. As if my burdens were not sufficient, he implied I somehow forced this creature to bond with someone lacking Draconis blood.
“I have no knowledge of such a joining,Prince,” I snapped. If he wanted to sling accusations loud enough for my men to hear, they would also witness me put him in his place. “There was noagreement permitting an unbonded dragon to land on Radaan soil.”
“You wouldn’t recognize a bond if it slapped you across–”
“We do not decide where the beasts go.” Nienna’s voice cut through chuffing breaths and foolish pride. “They answer to none other than themselves. Still, she may follow Gyrak’s lead and aid us.” She turned to me, confusion masked behind a tight smile. “Two dragons are better than one.”
