Page 53 of Courting the Dragon King

“You too,” Wraith said.

Gerard nodded, and they left.

Wraith sat with Umbra, who now slept, on the floor. Wraith stroked her.

“So maybe my husband despises me. But Elias is very nice. He’s my friend.” Wraith smiled. “My first human friend.” He let out a laugh, hardly believing he’d made a living, human friend! “And Gerard wasn’t so bad either. Not as friendly as Elias. But he didn’t seem to hate me. Or you. Maybe … maybe life in Draconia won’t be so bad.”

Umbra’s foot kicked out in her sleep.

Wraith yawned. It had been such a busy few days. Just yesterday, he’d married. And honestly, he’d never spent so much time just talking and being around the living before. He’d enjoyed the afternoon with Elias and Gerard. But now his mind and body felt so heavy.

Wraith lay on the cushions and closed his eyes. He pulled Umbra’s sleeping form against him. She snuggled close, and Wraith draped his arm over her. A little nap would do him good. And who knew, maybe this would be his bedroom for the rest of the peace assembly.

As he dozed, Wraith was vaguely aware of voices outside the room.

At some point, he woke, no idea how late it was. Candles in the corridor had been lit. The room he was in remained dark. Probably the servants did not wish to disturb him. Or they did not wish to go near the necromancer and his hellhound.

Wraith stood. Even if he did not think Konrad wanted to share his room with Wraith, Wraith still needed his belongings. He had to change. He was still in his wedding attire. Washing would also be nice. He left the room. The two guards on duty, who’d been standing outside the door, entered as he left.

But two other guards stepped towards him.

“King Consort Wraith,” one of the guards, a short, stocky man with a thick beard, said. “I am Karl, and this is Lina.” He gestured to a muscular woman with her hair tightly tied back. “We are your personal guards. It will be our job to protect you and see you remain safe.”

Wraith blinked. “Oh. Okay.” He paused. “What … what should I … um …” He’d never had personal guards and had no idea how to go about having them. “What do I have to do to?”

The guards blinked at him.

Then Lina said, “You can act as you normally would, Your Majesty. We will follow you, assess any risks, and step in if we believe you are in danger. We will strive not to get in your way or impede you as you go about your business.”

Karl stared at Umbra, hand resting on his sword.

Wraith did not like how Karl’s gaze remained fixed on Umbra. “Depart,” Wraith said, making it an order by pushing his will into the word. Umbra immediately disappeared.

He knew that no sword or dagger could harm Umbra. Still, the idea that someone would try made him nervous. He began to walk in the direction of Konrad’s room. He kept glancing back at the guards who followed him. Wraith pressed his lips together.

This will definitely take some getting used to.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

Where is my husband?

Konrad sat at the head table for Draconia in the banquet hall. They’d practically finished the meal, but Wraith had made no appearance.

Konrad had been waiting for Wraith, gaze on the entrances and on the tables for Necros, expecting him to materialise at any moment. But he did not.

Konrad tapped his fingers on the table. He had things to say to Wraith. He’d not liked how their last interaction had gone.

And he did not like Elias’s rebukes. He wanted to ignore them and cast them off as just random ramblings. But Konrad had a niggling suspicion that at least some of Elias’s accusations had been right.

Konrad knew he despised necromancers. And he knew that affected how he perceived Wraith.

“I think he is lonely. Dreadfully lonely.”

Elias’s words circled in his head as Konrad stared down at his empty plate. Then he turned his gaze to the spot beside him, where Wraith, his consort, should be seated.

Was he avoiding Konrad? Was that why he was skipping dinner?