Chapter 18
Romilly
Having his mate with him every day was a blessing and a curse.
Romilly understood that he was lucky to be in a position of power where he could ensure Archer was always by his side if he so wanted it.
His mate was adorable and didn't interfere in any of his business throughout the day.
Archer would get lost in his coloring book, drawing and filling in the lines until he had a completed image ready to hand off to Romilly.
Many people had come by to see him, some with official business and others out of curiosity. They were a mix of contacts, but they all agreed that Romilly was much better with Archer there.
He didn't anger as quickly, and his decisions were more thorough… not that he had been a hotheaded king before. It was just simpler. He was more balanced, his dragon at ease.
One day Romilly was in his office, content and peaceful. The mate bond was strengthening, his dragon was quiet and resting, and business was solid.
Sure, they hadn’t fully completed the mating bond, but he didn't want to push his human too fast. There would be time for it. Archer had accepted him. That was the pace he would accept for now.
Shea stepped into the room, her eyes as cold as they usually were when there was bad news to deliver. She had a stack of papers. She slammed them on the desk, then stood crossing her arms. "These can no longer wait. We have to take care of them."
"Okay," Romilly said. "Not an issue. I was actually just thinking about how I felt caught up."
Shea scoffed. "Caught up. Is that what you think this is? You still have paperwork and if my sources are correct, we'll be interrupted later this afternoon."
"Interrupted?" Romilly asked as he dragged the stack of papers over to get a closer look.
They were the typical forms, requests from the members of his horde for different resources and things.
Some people wanting money for loans, though it amazed him how people could spend that much whenever they lived for as long as they did.
There were some updates about medical information and a report from Soren, finally, about their Fae encounter.
Romilly signed off on the items that were easiest first, handing the papers back to Shea. Then he dug into the meat of it all, the issues that he needed to focus on and weigh out the pros and cons.
His role as king was vital to his people.
He couldn't forego formalities simply because he didn't want to deal with something.
His people trusted him. Therefore, he needed to live up to his title.
Romilly was finally done with the hefty stuff and digging into the report from Soren when there was a knock at the door.
Shea sighed and stepped toward it. "My sources are right once again. Sorry about this."
Romilly's brow dipped. As she opened the door, in walked Nicholas Harbour. The confusion in Romilly's expression shifted quickly into frustration.
"Nicholas," he said by way of greeting.
It wasn't an actual greeting. He and Nicholas didn't get along, never had, and though he was king now, the man still tried to raise hell from his seat on the Council.
If Romilly had had a good enough reason to let him go or remove him, he would have.
But so far, Nicholas had been cautious. He hadn't overstepped to the point of removal and killing him would only cause more issues.
"Romilly," Nicholas said as he sneered at Shea and strolled into the room like he was meant to be there.
"To what do we owe this visit?" Romilly questioned, steepling his fingers, covering the papers he was reading. He didn't want Nicholas to know anything about the Fae situation. He didn't know if the other man would do anything untoward, but it was best to not give him ammunition in any form.
Nicholas smiled at Romilly as if he knew what the other man was thinking about. "I am here to give you this." He extended an envelope from his suit pocket.
Romilly recognized the seal on it instantly. He took it from the other man and ripped it open. Scanning the page, he had to suppress his dragon. The animal awoke, ready to set aflame everything in its wake.
"This is a written objection to my mate," Romilly said as he continued reading.
"Yes, it is. As you can see outlined there, your mate is not fit to be a leader of our people."
Romilly looked over the paperwork. Sure enough, there were points made about Archer being a human. Therefore, his lifespan wouldn’t be long, as well as the fact that he had no supernatural standing and no ability to produce heirs.
The last one alone was enough to send people spiraling.
But Romilly had been thinking about it. He had been making plans and putting things in action behind the scenes to ensure that he and Archer could have a biological family if his boy wanted it.
He wasn't ready to discuss that with Nicholas, though.
He shouldn't have to discuss it with him.
That was a topic for him and his mate to go over.
Romilly eased the paper down on his desk, then gazed at Nicholas from the corner of his eye. He watched Shea standing near the door, arms crossed, her expression neutral. In the bond, he could feel her fury. She knew as much as anyone else how good Archer was for Romilly.
This was a personal attack from Nicholas.
He was looking to find any ounce of movement he could have in pushing Romilly to the point of madness.
He wanted to oust him as king and either step into his place or find someone else.
None of that followed dragon tradition, just like the points Nicholas was making about Archer.
Still, the man justified what he wanted, how he wanted, and Romilly would pay the price if he didn't put his foot down.
"You know this will not stand without support."
Nicholas grinned. "There is another who will second my motion. We believe it is time to call into question your ways."
Romilly pressed his hands into the wooden desktop, battling once again with his dragon. "You will not eat him or set this room on fire," Romilly bit out in his mind.
"Won't or shouldn't?" the beast growled in reply.
Romilly would have chuckled at the situation had it been anyone else. For him, it was a struggle.
Instead, he nodded once and said, "Your complaint has been received. Gather the Council for a meeting in two days’ time. It will be discussed there."
Nicholas couldn't hold back his look of shock. It came in an instant, and as much as Romilly liked seeing the man startled, he didn't like that the idiot was so comfortable in his charges against Romilly. He didn't like the confidence he wore.
Romilly dismissed Nicholas by turning back to his work. Shea escorted the other man out and shut the door behind him.
She spun around. "What do you—"
Romilly held up a finger to his lips, reminding her that Nicholas's hearing was strong enough to make it through the door. If they said anything, the man would probably use it against them when they met with the Council.
Once Romilly sensed Nicholas had moved on, he motioned for her to speak.
"What are you doing? Giving them the option to do this in two days’ time? What plan do you have?"
Romilly sat back in his chair, his hands linked together on his stomach. "I do not necessarily have a plan, but I do have some ideas. Things that will alleviate this problem once and for all, possibly even get Nicholas removed if we can."
Shea's eyes lit up, a smirk forming on her face. It was the happiest he'd seen her all day, happiest he'd seen her in ages. "Ooh, tell me what you're doing."
Romilly shook his head and stood. "I am going to take my notes from Soren with me as I go look at the scrolls in the archives. Our historical records should have something to help with this seemingly unprecedented moment."
Shea tilted her head. "You think that there's been a human mating in the past, don't you? Something that they documented in case anyone ever came across it?"
Romilly rapped his fingers on the desk. "You got it in one, friend."
She left the room, letting Romilly know she would keep an eye on Archer for him and direct the young man where to go should he be looking for his mate. Romilly doubted that would happen considering his boy was with Eden and Hadrian in the playroom.
In the archives, Romilly took a deep breath. It smelled of old paper and dragons long past. Of flame and of sorrow. But also joy. He took it all in appreciatively, thankful for his ancestors and Fate. Then he closed his eyes and allowed his senses to lead him.
"Where would you be?" he asked himself.
The magic in the castle was always helpful.
It could guide someone if they had pure intentions.
It believed in being an aid, not a hindrance.
So when Romilly asked, he could hear the rustle of paper.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a stack moving, and when he went to it, a scroll wedged itself in between two others and wiggled as if to get his attention.
He smiled and said, "Thank you," to the room at large.
Taking the scroll over to the long table positioned in the middle of the room, he laid it out.
Sure enough, there were recordings of at least two human and dragon matings.
In both cases, the human mate's lifespan extended significantly, one going so far as to live a full century.
It was a relief for Romilly to know that his mate wouldn't leave him early. He had been worrying about this when he didn’t have to.
Sitting in the room, he allowed himself to absorb this news. His dragon bounced around happily in his mind, the damn thing eager to go and tell their mate.
After a few moments, he pulled out the papers he had brought with Soren's wrap-up of the Fae meeting. It described what they believed to have happened, how Soren had seen it from their point of view and what they suggested as the next steps.