Chapter Eight
N anitha entered her little girl’s chambers while Orwon went off to help with the flowers. Half a dozen maids followed and helped Abil get up and bathe for her big day.
Abil looked around, and her gaze locked on Nanitha. “Nanny?”
“I thought to dress up in my best for your big day.”
“Oh, you are gorgeous.” Abil gushed.
“I get that a lot. It’s why this is only for special occasions. Now, hold still; you have a smudge.”
The maids went after it, and Abil was soon clean, brushed, and ready to be wrapped in soft cloths and put on a comfortable chair while food and beverages were provided.
Nanitha smiled and looked at the dress that was waiting. “You will be a lovely bride, but that is only to be expected. I raised you right.”
Abil laughed. “It must have been eating all those herd beasts.”
“Yup, for a healthy mane and coat or whatever.”
Abil snickered, and they kept the banter up until she was dressed and the jewels Yorath had sent over were provided. They made Abil’s eyes sparkle and weighed her down in case she was going to make a run for it.
“Are you ready?”
Abil looked at her and smiled. “Yes. I am.”
Nanitha took her hand and led her out of the room, down to the main gardens where the ceremony was being held.
Yorath and Orwon were waiting, along with her great-grandparents. Nanitha walked her charge to her fiancé and helped her to kneel.
She moved behind and to the side, kneeling on her own.
Yorath stared at her for a moment, shook his head, and then focused on Abil. He didn’t look away.
They held hands, and the light caressed them, their contact blessed by the rays of the sun.
Nanitha caught the scent of the flowers as the morning air warmed up, and she smiled at the archway over the couple.
Yorath murmured pledges to Abil, and she repeated them back. Their beasts already liked each other, so this was just for optics.
The ceremony was a gentle exchange of pledges, and when they sealed it with a kiss, Nanitha and Orwon rose to their feet and helped the couple up before walking back to the entry point of the gardens and opening the doors for the army of servants to come and set up tables and the flowers and chairs and the wave was endless. The party was about to commence.
Nanitha and Orwon got together and watched the efficient servants of the palace dress the room for dignitaries from around the neighbouring systems.
He asked, “So, do you want a large ceremony?”
She smiled. “Are you an emperor?”
He chuckled. “Thankfully, no. I am simply the guardian of my worlds.”
“Good. Um, how many worlds?”
He shrugged. “A few thousand outside of my home system. I try and visit four or five per year, but I use portals.”
“Hm.”
“I would offer you traditional transport for a mate.”
“What is that?”
He grinned. “In my mouth.”
“Oh. I have heard of that. And then I walk down your tongue like a cargo ramp.”
He laughed. “Yes. I haven’t done it, personally, but I am assured I will not feel the need to swallow. We can even go flying with your full form if you like. I know empty systems where you can stretch out and enjoy yourself.”
She smiled. “There is the sweet talk I knew you were capable of.”
He grinned. “It isn’t a conventional courtship, but you have been through quite a bit, and this seems to be working.”
A maid walked up and said softly, “If it pleases, the emperor would like to meet with you in his study.”
Nanitha got to her feet, and Orwon joined her. “Could you lead the way?”
“Of course, Lady.”
They followed the woman through the palace and walked into Torath’s office, where Abil was sitting on the arm of his chair and smiling.
“Nanny, why didn’t you tell me?”
“How? I couldn’t speak, and when I had words, you were safe with Mbrak. This is the first time seeing you in twenty years, and I didn’t think about my appearance as the first topic of discussion.”
Abil sighed. “Fair.”
Yorath sighed. “Your species is rare.”
“I am aware.”
“Did your parents have this appearance?”
“Not that I can remember. Why?”
“It’s a dominant gene.”
“Oh. Oh!” She blinked.
Abil asked, “What does that mean?”
“My dad isn’t my dad, or my mom isn’t my mom, or I am adopted.” Nanitha shrugged.
Yorath smiled slightly. “You don’t seem concerned.”
“I eat small planets. Concern for my bloodlines isn’t high on my priorities.”
Orwon said, “It might not be a bad idea to look into it. If your parent is out there still, it would be a good idea to find them in case any of our children are of an independent streak. Mating within a bloodline isn’t great.”
Ninitha blinked. “Right. I forgot about that. They might not have my senses.”
Orwon squeezed her hand. “I appreciate your senses.”
She beamed.
Abil said, “You are staying for the dancing?”
“Of course. That was my promise. Have you been in touch with Mbrak?”
“Yes. He’s sending wedding presents.”
“That sounds like him.” Nanitha smiled.
“And we have to visit in the next three years.”
“That definitely sounds like him.”
“There has been a resurgence in interest in Nekkordans in recent years. Some want them for collector’s items, and other races are attempting to rework themselves in that image. There are alerts set up around the inhabited worlds to notify interested parties when one of your kind is seen.”
“I am also a drake-dragon mix.” She smiled and looked at Orwon. “I have different genetics.”
He nodded. “I know. Your scent screams it. I am not worrying about crossing bloodlines on my end.”
She blushed. “I have been soil-bound for too long. The scent comes out most in this form.”
Orwon wrapped himself around her and sniffed behind her ear. “There it is. Intoxicating.”
“Which is what led to Nekkordans being dissected and used for irresistible aphrodisiacs.”
Yorath nodded. “You are okay for the party?”
“I will dance as promised to Abil, and then Orwon and I will leave if he doesn’t mind.”
“That will be sensible. The gifts and good wishes have been offered. I am looking forward to the dance.”
Abil smiled. “I have sort of seen wedding dancing in the simulations. It is lovely, but I never really learned.”
Nanitha cleared her throat. “At the station?”
“Yes.”
“I may or may not have visited Mbrak a century ago and let him create scans of me.”
Abil grinned. “That was you?”
“Whether the skin was or wasn’t, I have no idea, but I am pretty sure the moves were based on the original scans.”
“Oh, boy, this is going to be nice.”
Yorath looked to Orwon. “You have been warned that she is hunted.”
“I have been.”
Nanitha waved her hand at the emperor. “My other form is the size of a world-killing asteroid. I will be fine.”
They all blinked as if they had forgotten.
She laughed. “Everyone forgets that. It’s why the ships get so close. They look away and forget.” She shrugged. “I am not sure which of my genes has that effect.”
Yorath smiled. “The drake. For years, it was thought that all drakes were dragons, but it turns out that dragons are rare while drakes outnumber them one hundred to one. They are just more successful in breeding. Dragons are far more charming than drakes are.”
Abil smirked. “Must be the wings and smoother necks so someone can ride them.”
Yorath leaned over, and she turned pink.
Nanitha chuckled and looked out one of the windows to see the polished dance floor being arranged under the open sky.
Her performance was drawing nigh, and then, it was time for Abil to finish the wedding night with her husband. Nanitha’s duty was done. Abil was all grown up.
The sun was high, and the plants Nanitha had put at the corners of the dance area were in place. She began to dance with the plants rustling and thumping to a beat only they knew, but they were sharing with those around them.
She slid her feet, held out her arms, and twisted, feeling the vines from the plants moving with her. She moved, twisted, and focused on the beat, ignoring Orwon’s hot gaze on her.
Her dance lasted ten minutes, and those who had seen it were silent as she stepped from the stage. She kissed Abil on the cheek and whispered that she would be back soon.
Orwon got to his feet, nodded to the dazed Yorath, then wrapped his arms around Nanitha, and took to the sky in a single bound.
When they landed, he shifted into his drake form and opened his mouth. She stepped inside, and he carefully closed around her before lunging skyward.
She felt the change as they left the atmosphere and then cruised away from ships and planets until he could open a portal that would take them to his home.
When he landed again and opened his mouth, she was surprised. It was her home. She stepped out of his mouth and cleaned herself off with a rapid shift.
He changed form and said, “You wanted answers. This is where you will find them.”
The temple up the hill had a serene garden and bright light everywhere.
Nanitha exhaled and started the long walk up the hill. Orwon was next to her the entire way.
The older couple came out, and she saw that they were drake-born but not drakes. All the potential and none of the activation. She nodded as she stood in front of them. “Mother, Father, I have questions.”
Her parents clung together, and her father said, “Ask.”
“Why did you sell me to Zenim and Arken? Why didn’t you help me when I said I needed to run, that he was hurting me? Why didn’t you make him wait until I was an adult?”
Her parents stared, and her father began to sob. Her mother swallowed. “We are not your parents.”
“I know that, but you were my guardians. Why did you just hand me over to that bastardy nightmare?”
She looked at them, and her mother straightened. “They threatened to put us off world. We didn’t have anything left over to start again.”
“I could have helped you.”
Her mother nodded. “You did. We got enough funds from selling you to set up this temple to the drake ancestors, and this is now how we live.”
“Hmm. Who were my parents?”
“We found an egg. We don’t know who your parents are.”
She nodded. “Tell me where I was found.”
Her mother’s expression darkened. “No. You have no right to make these demands of us.”
Nanitha stretched and put on two whipping tails and four wings. She spoke softly and ended on a roar. “I have every right!”
Her father stopped weeping, went inside, and got a display unit. “Here. We got you here. We sold your shell to get us this far.”
“So, I hatched out as a teen.”
“Correct. We thought you were an adult.”
“Right. So, you sold a hatchling. That makes it so much worse. Well, Arken and Zenim are no longer the lords of this world. Be nice to the one who comes behind because he might not be so pleasant to those who sell their hatchlings.” She grimaced. “The next guardian here might even be me. Take that under advisement.”
She rose up on her wings and went to the hillside behind their house and exhaled, melting a wave of stone that cascaded down to butt up against the rear of the temple. The entire hillside was now made of precious metals with occasional studs of precious gems.
She landed next to Orwon. “There. You have all the precious metals you could ever want and all the gems just waiting for you to free them, and I would do it before other pirates come to claim them.”
Her parents stared at each other, and horror dawned.
“You sold me, and I have gifted you with enough wealth for several lifetimes... if you can claim it. Enjoy. I will be notifying treasure hunters in two days.”
Orwon looked at her and inclined his head. He said, “Shall we go?”
“Yes, please. Your place?”
“Excellent. Please make yourself comfortable.” He shifted and opened his mouth. She stepped inside and settled again, looking at the display she had taken from her father. So, she came from that small world that had fresh water and not a lot else.
She felt the portal, felt space on all sides, and the undulation of his body caused her to nod off.
She woke up in a comfortable bed with a dark arm wrapped around her waist. “Hello, Orwon.”
He kissed her shoulder. “You were firmly asleep, and I had to roll you across the ground to get you off my tongue. It made quite the first impression. You sleep soundly.”
She grinned. “I know. I just used to sleep while floating in space and woke up with grapples in my scales.”
He rolled her to her back and stared at her. “You sleep out there?”
“Absolutely. I sleep when I am tired.”
He smiled. “Do you want the ceremony?”
“I want a public pledge, but it doesn’t have to be fancy. I don’t need an empire full of flowers.”
Orwon moved over her and kissed her. “What if I want a star system full of flowers?”
“You have to arrange them. I am no good with floral arrangements.” She stroked the markings on his neck and shoulders.
“I am very good at arrangements. What is your normal focus?”
She grinned. “Raising children.”
He nuzzled at her neck and licked softly. “That sounds like fun.”
“I have only dealt with them from two years onward. I don’t have any experience with smaller ones.”
“Oh, I am sure you will rise to the occasion.”
She held his head as she moved against him. “It seems as if you have already done the hard work.”
He chuckled. “This situation has been steady since I first saw you.” He put his head between her breasts and licked and sucked at each as he slowly moved down her body.
She threaded her fingers through his hair as he slid into the juncture of her thighs and settled in to sample her until she was softly whimpering until she whined and arched as her body throbbed under Orwon’s careful tongue.
He pressed his mouth to her thigh, and she felt a sharp stab that made her jump. She felt suction, and her head dropped back to the pillow. He drank for a minute, and then, he slowly moved up her body, pressing into her deliberately.
She gasped and met his gaze; no time for blushing as he sank into her; she had to respond. As they moved together, he rolled to his back, and she was bracing herself on his chest and figuring out what her body wanted.
When her rhythm was established, she stretched her arms skyward and let her hair tumble around them both. Orwon’s eyes glowed, and she continued to rock against him.
The next release came with his lower appendage writhing inside her and the dark tattoos gripping her thighs.
She sighed and lowered herself over him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. “Well, I am guessing that this is the answer to my query of if you will be my mate?”
She giggled and nipped at his chest. “Let’s see how the next century goes.”
“Or first pregnancy.”
“Yes, whatever comes first, we will make it official.”
He grinned. “Well, you will be coming first if I have anything to say about it. It makes you taste so sweet.”
“Is that why you drank?”
“Yes. You may feel the urge yourself later. I will oblige and give you everything at my disposal.”
Nanitha smiled and put her chin down on his chest. “Where are we?”
“The centre of my home solar system. Mlaken Four.”
“How big is the system?”
“Twenty-three planets and I am depending on you to help me keep them in order.”
She smiled. “That is a nice reasonable number.”
“Do you think so?” He caressed her back and hips.
“Absolutely. Do you think we can take a short trip to find where my egg was found?”
He grinned. “Of course, my lady. Do you want to get dressed and see your new world?”
“No, and yes.” She eased off him, flicked her shape twice, and dismounted to the floor.
He sat up, and she was able to appreciate all of the glorious dark lines that wrapped him and mimicked the dark star he was named for.
He grinned. “You have a fast recovery.”
She chuckled. “Apparently. Now, come and show me your world, and then, we can plot the stars to find out where I was laid.”
“I have never met another hatchling before. You are different from most other drakes.”
She grinned. “Is it the two-tail thing? I like the two-tail thing.”
He got up, his scales turned to clothing as he slid an arm around her and walked to the closed shutter. He pulled them open, and she saw a space full of creatures that flew, graceful stone buildings, and so many citizens walking and driving and flying in the distance.
“Oh, my. This is quite the situation.”
He squeezed her. “Do you like it?”
“It looks wonderful.”
“Good. This was my home and where I always return.”
“Do you have any family here?”
He chuckled. “You could say that. While my parents are no longer with me, the descendants from my numerous siblings are. They are the kings and queens of the worlds around us, and I guard them.”
She chuckled. “It seems that the urge to care for others is a failing in our union.”
He grinned. “Or its greatest strength. Now, would you care to fly across our world?”
“Of course, Orwon. Don’t forget about tracing the egg. I am fixated.”
He nodded and wrapped his arms around her, spreading his wings and taking flight. “Of course you are. I would be as well.”
She grinned and looked at the world beneath her as he flew them, and the locals cheered and called greetings as they passed. Nanitha waved, and Orwon held her close. He wanted to show her her new world, and she had no objections.
* * * *