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A growl leaves my throat, low and foreboding. I’ve never been uncertain about a woman and her needs before. Did Rose want her stranger of a husband to comfort her? Am I even capable of comforting her? Do I want to?
“Malix?” A familiar voice calls for me. I’d been so focused on whether or not I should storm back into my bedroom that I didn’t hear Vivia approach.
“What is it?” My voice comes out sharper than I intended it to, but Vivia takes it in stride. She’s used to my temper.
“I saw Solaris leaving the castle. I presume you are a married man now?” Vivia asks, crossing her arms over her chest. She’s in human skin now. Her raven-black hair is cut shorter than normal, cropped close to her face, highlighting her striking features. Resembling a shadow, she has opted for black leather pants and a billowy black shirt. Mina, Vivia’s mate, has tried for years to introduce color into Vivia’s wardrobe, but to no avail.
“Yes. Dragon’s Keep has her queen.” I sigh.
“And yet you don’t seem happy about that.” Vivia peers over my shoulder as if she can stare straight through my door. Dragons have excellent hearing, so I know she hears the woeful cries of Rose. I feel my face heat in shame.
“The situation is complicated.”
“Yes, I would say it is,” she agrees. “That happens to be why I’m here. Do you have a minute?”
I hardly have a minute to breathe these days, and my work load only ever expands. There’s only one thing occupying my head today though: the woman I left back in my room. Vivia must see me eyeing the door because she says, “I know you want to go to your mate, but I think it’s best if you give her some time. She has a lot to come to terms with.”
“She’s not my mate, she’s my wife,” I say reflexively, even as my dragon growls in protest.
“Right, of course—wife,” she says as if she doesn’t quite believe me, a poorly concealed smile on her lips.
I go against every one of my instincts and turn away from the door. Perhaps Vivia is right and Rose just needs time to get accustomed to her new life. I sure as hell do, and I’m not even a stranger to Dragon’s Keep.
Wordlessly, the two of us walk toward the library which is full of our history and stories passed down from generation to generation. Admittedly, it’s not used as often as it once was, but there’s still a sense of tranquility when you step between the wooden built-in bookcases, holding pages upon pages of knowledge and entertainment.
The library also has a great view of the rose garden, located directly below us. It once was a sight to behold, but all of the maintenance and upkeep went to the wayside as soon as our kind started falling victim to the curse. If my mother were here to see this, she would be disgusted with how I’m honoring her memory, how I’m neglecting her most favorite part of the castle.
“The goal is to get your wife to fall in love with Dragon’s Keep, correct?” Vivia perches on a desk that’s at least five centuries old.
I nod. “Yes. The more she likes it here, the stronger her connection to the wards will be. As long as the wards are in place, the Nephilim shouldn’t be able to breach our borders.”
“So we buy ourselves time, but what about the cursed dragons lying asleep underneath the castle? More fall daily.”
Her question is the same one I have been asking myself since Ender offered me a way to win this war. Rose is the answer, I just don’t understand how. Ender isn’t a talkative bastard, but he has also never been wrong before. I have to believe I’ll find the answer. There’s no other choice.
“I’m still figuring that out,” I admit, and unlike my other council members, Vivia doesn’t ask any follow-up questions. She trusts I’ll figure it out and I hope that trust is warranted.
“I’ve talked with Mina after the meeting?—”
“Is she pissed at me for not mentioning I’m taking a wife?”
“She only made a few remarks about severing your balls from your body. I think she’s calming down.”
I smirk. Mina can be the friendliest dragoness in the kingdom, but the moment she is angered, Mina is a force to be reckoned with.
“But she is interested in meeting your wife and I think she would be the perfect person to help the human?—”
“Rose,” I interrupt.
“Rose,” Vivia corrected herself. “I think Mina would be the perfect person to tour Dragon’s Keep with. Let’s be honest, Malix, you aren’t exactly a gentle or nurturing figure. If you attempt to play nice and send Mina in your stead, Rose is less likely to burn our kingdom to the ground.
“She can serve as her maid. Help her learn our customs and provide companionship. Your chambermaids all have the personality of a tea kettle and I doubt they would take much interest in anything other than changing her sheets.”
I see the logic in her plan, even though I selfishly—and inexplicably—want to be the one to do that. But between my busy schedule and my inability to be around Rose without wanting to kill her or fuck her, maybe both, I can’t be the welcoming reception she needs. Not yet, anyway.
I would have to wait. My wife needed to fall in love with my kingdom. We could define our relationship later.
Mina is not only a good fit because of her kind and welcoming nature, she also has the somewhat rare ability to shift between dragon and human skin. Not everyone in my kingdom is lucky enough to have that ability.
