Chapter 13
Archer
One would think finding out dragons existed for the first time would lead to a sense of restlessness. A person uncovering everything they thought to be true in the world as false didn't equate to a happy-go-lucky afternoon.
Yet in Archer's case it did. Romilly had carried him back to the castle, doing everything like normal. There was no shift in their dynamic, no questioning of what the two of them meant together. It was as if the secrets only really made a few changes.
Namely that there were scales involved and possibly flying. Archer hadn't ventured into that much information yet. He needed to settle with what he had been told so far. The rest would come in due time.
Romilly had tried to convince Archer to go spend time with Eden after their chat. He said he had work to do, which was probably true. It still bothered Archer to think of leaving Romilly. He wanted to be close to the other man. He wanted to be in his orbit.
The news had him curious. He ached to understand what dragon life was like. The horde and the people that lived there.
What did they think of their king and the royal family?
What did they do for fun?
Romilly had mentioned other creatures as well. Vampires, shifters, Fae, and a whole host of things that truly blew Archer's mind.
Part of him wished he had someone to share the news with. He didn't want to tell any of Romilly's secrets necessarily, but it kind of sucked that he had to have the revelations all on his own.
He took as much of it in stride as he could, keeping close to Romilly after convincing him it was the best choice.
People came in and out of Romilly's office that day.
Their gazes always caught on Archer, and rather than be angry with him for sticking around and nosing into their business, everyone had smiles.
It was a bit odd if Archer truly thought about it, because why were these people accepting him so easily? Were the humans they encountered nice or something? Did they not think him capable of being a danger to them?
Of course he wouldn't. Causing any kind of trouble wasn't in his nature. Archer was a softy.
The rest of that day was spent with his mind taking in everything around him as much as possible.
Romilly kept checking on him, making sure he was fed and cared for.
He produced another coloring book and crayons.
This time it looked as if it were different than the one before, like this might have been given to dragon children to play with, because there were pieces of information about the horde in it.
Archer read the story happily, noting what he could to memory, but a part of him was sinking. It was drowning in the space that his mind took on anytime he got to be with Romilly or when he was in Eden's room.
The end of the day came quicker than he would have liked. He had more questions. He wanted to observe Romilly more, but one yawn from him had Romilly yanking him up and carrying him out of the office. They ate dinner with the family, but then it was straight to bed.
"You must get your rest, little one," he'd said while tucking Archer into his big fluffy bed. "I will see you in the morning." Romilly placed a kiss on Archer's forehead. The tingles it left behind had Archer reaching up to press his fingers against the space after Romilly left.
Was that part of the dragon stuff? Did it come with some kind of sensation? And why had he felt so comfortable coming to San Noctis? Romilly said he knew. Said he would explain it.
Archer understood that the other man was giving him time to settle. He'd said as much. That didn't mean that Archer couldn't ponder over it. Romilly hadn't confirmed that he had some kind of latent ability, so he nixed that idea.
The only other thoughts that came to his mind were that maybe he was connected to the area, like it was good for his health or something, but even that was a weak idea.
No, it had to be more.
It had to be something powerful.
Archer sank into sleep with a heavy heart. He wouldn't force Romilly to give him answers. The other man had said he wanted time, but Archer could admit that he needed some kind of hint. Some kind of lead on what was going on.
When Archer awoke the next morning he stretched big, letting his body unfold from where he'd wrapped himself up tight. He grinned, noticing how bright the light in the room was. He blinked a few times, checking the clock.
Oh, it was later than he thought.
Before he could climb out, a knock came at the door and then it was pushed open. Hadrian's head popped in first, followed quickly by Eden's.
"Hey," Archer greeted, smiling as he rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Hadrian strode into the room with Eden hot on his heels. "We came to check on you. You weren't at breakfast and our bone-headed brother said that you were resting."
Eden piped up next. "Yeah," he said. "He came and peeked in here and you were all Snoozeville, but we wanted to see you and see if you wanted to play today. He told us that he told you, and we think it would be really cool to show you some stuff."
Archer wanted to say yes. He really wanted to say yes. At the same time he understood that he would be too inclined to pester them for answers. He might even demand to know what secret Romilly was still keeping.
As if they could read his mind, Hadrian and Eden faced him. "There are things you still can't know," they said.
Eden put his hands on his hips as Hadrian squeezed the back of his neck. "Yeah, we aren't supposed to tell you some stuff, so please don't ask. I really am not a fan of having to lie," Hadrian admitted, looking sheepish.
Eden snorted. "Yeah, don't pressure the big guy. He's got enough going on as it is. Me, on the other hand, you could totally pressure, but I'm not gonna cave. I’m good at keeping secrets."
Archer threw the blanket back so he could get dressed for the day. "Let me put something on, I guess, then you can show me whatever it is you're excited about."
Eden clapped happily as Hadrian's eyes lit up. The pair really were something so different from Romilly and even Soren. It was as if their parents had two different sets of kids.
Archer grinned to himself thinking about it.
He would have killed for a family like this growing up, and at one point he thought he might be able to have a happily ever after in a future where he gained such.
But after the betrayal from Robert and getting injured, he wasn't in a rush to dive into a relationship.
Liar, his mind told him.
Because really the truth was he did think highly of one person.
If Romilly expressed any interest in him, Archer would be off like a shot.
There would be no holding him back from the big guy.
His dragon scales were gorgeous. The blue tone in them gave Archer a sense of peace.
He didn't think anything would ever bring him to that point again.
And yet here Romilly was, doing just that.
"Whatever you're thinking of, you should stop," Eden called out. "We can smell you."
Archer froze. "You can smell me?" he asked.
"Yeah, smell you. As in, I know you were thinking something naughty just a second ago."
Archer blushed, ducking into his closet to get dressed. Okay then. Since scent was clearly a thing in this dragon world. He vaguely remembered Romilly mentioning something about it, but he'd been so fascinated by the scales it went right over his head. He would have to be more careful.
The second he had clothes on enough to cover him, Archer was taken from the room and into the winding halls of the castle.
He didn't question anything the pair who'd kidnapped him said.
They chatted amongst themselves happily, and Archer understood that he was being invited to be a part of their space.
It was more than enough for him to simply get to enjoy it.
When they reached the room they were apparently going to spend part of their day in, Archer's entire body lit up with a harmonious glow. "Holy crap!" he mumbled as he stepped out from between his friends and into the wide-open garden area.
It wasn't like the one Romilly had taken him to.
That had been outside with the breeze blowing around them and a touch of wonder.
This was an indoor garden, yet you really couldn't see where anything ended.
Large greenery surrounded them, making a nearly jungle-like effect.
There were lanes cleared out with paths for walking and various plants of all different species.
Some looked familiar, though Archer couldn't name them, and others were so outlandish he was shocked.
Eden and Hadrian whispered behind him. The words were so softly spoken he couldn't make anything out, which was fine. He kept his gaze on the plants, and when one in particular called to him he eased forward. As if he were getting ready to pet a nervous animal, he extended his hand slowly.
Not once did he think maybe this isn't a good idea, or hey, you're in a place you don't know. Archer was nearly brushing the plant's leaves when a sharp pain radiated through his shin.
"Ow!" he said, jumping back. He looked down to find a garden gnome. The gnome wasn't moving or anything, and he didn't think he'd run into it. At least not with enough force to cause a problem like that.
"What the hell?" he muttered.
Eden called from behind him. "You better be nice to the Gnomes. They're mean."
Hadrian snorted.
Archer turned to look at them, only to get another pain in his shin. When he whipped his head around he saw that the Gnome he thought to be frozen was actually moving.
"You're alive?" he said.
"Yes I am, and you're an idiot who's about to lose his fingers," the Gnome grumbled in a singsong voice.
Had he not been mean about it, Archer would have thought the words to be some type of children's nursery rhyme. Instead he was being poked at.
"You kicked me because I'm about to touch a plant?"
The Gnome rolled his eyes. "I kicked you because you were about to touch a plant that's poisonous, and personally I don't want the king to get upset about losing you. It's much easier for me to just do my job. That is to protect the people from touching the danger plants."
Archer shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
He'd gone for a casual look, not sure what the day held in store.
While he would have loved to stay in something soft and fluffy like pajamas or sweats, he also accepted the fact that he might leave the castle grounds now that he was well enough.
Not permanently or anything. The jury was still out on that.
"Why have a plant that’s so dangerous then? What good does it do if no one can touch it or appreciate it?"
Hadrian came up beside Archer and threw an arm over his shoulder. "The point of keeping those things is in case we ever go to war. Have enough of them to cultivate your own potions and bye-bye enemy."
Archer froze beneath Hadrian's grip. "War?"
Eden came up on Archer's other side and scoffed. "Dude, it's totally fine, there's not gonna be any war. But you know, plants hold sentimental value and there's no point in tearing them down when there's a possibility, like two centuries from now, that someone's gonna tick Romilly off."
Archer looked back and forth between the brothers, then glanced down at the Gnome. "I think someone needs to sit down and explain this to me like I'm five, because I’m so lost."
The Gnome put his hands on his hips. Somehow he managed to look down his nose at Archer, even though the height difference between them was more than comical.
"Well then, sit down in front of me, lad.
I'll tell you all you want to know about these here gardens.
I might even introduce you to my family.
They're around here somewhere. The kids always keep my wife going, and all my brothers and sisters have troubles of their own.
I've tried to get them to move to the outside gardens, but our grandparents live out there and frankly I don't blame them for not going. "
Archer dropped into a position where his legs were folded, and his hands were in his lap. Everything the Gnome had just said to him was so much more than he expected. It was so far left field that he knew he needed to be closer to the ground lest he pass out.
Eden and Hadrian sat beside him. The trio eagerly awaited the Gnome, who was still shorter than them even though they were seated, to begin his explanation.
"You see, boys, the Gnomes go back for centuries. I'll give you what I know, and the rest is not important."
Archer wasn't sure that could be true. If there was something the Gnomes didn't know about themselves, then maybe so, but if it was something the Gnome was purposely keeping from him, then that was different.
He'd have to ask Romilly about it later.