Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
RAGNAKOR
It lifts my spirits to see my king putting forth such an effort to be kind to his queen. And it does reaffirm my belief that he genuinely likes her but has been holding himself back for my sake.
He casts a glance at me over his shoulder as we return to his office.
“See?” he says, puffing out his chest. “I can be good.”
I know he is trying to get under my armor, but I will keep him at arm’s length until he fully reconciles with the queen.
“Indeed,” is all I say in answer. He snorts.
“You don’t think I can win her over.”
I keep my arms behind my back. “That is up to her.”
I am somewhat nervous about tonight, how well Vizarios will take to watching me and Nissia battle it out.
She has improved greatly over our last few sessions, though I do still hold myself back for her.
I love how excited she gets when she sneaks through my defenses and lands a devastating blow, the way her eyes sparkle and all her white, blunt teeth appear.
I never thought that I would appreciate just how helpless humans look, and how not-helpless they really are.
Perhaps the queen is simply the exception.
I stand guard while the king works, going to the place in my mind I always go: a quiet glen, a light breeze in warm air, a brook burbling nearby. I meditate here for long hours while Vizarios occupies himself.
I think of their conversation earlier—how much Vizarios surprised me with his compliment to Queen Nissia.
She would make a good mother, I agree. She’s blessed with a naturally nurturing personality, that much I can tell, and a similar disposition to the king’s own mother.
She doesn’t rush to judge and offers her kindness and affection freely.
I wonder if he can sense their likeness.
That evening, the queen is already out in the training yard when I arrive, dressed in her pants and tight tunic, with her hair neatly arranged behind her head so as not to get in her way.
She’s chatting with the arms master while she absently twirls her sword.
Soldiers are working in the yard, but when I arrive, they hastily bow out to give me the larger field.
When she notices me, a big smile lights up Nissia’s face, and my heart gives an answering tug. I nod at her companionably, then pull my own training sword from the wall. As I turn around, I see that Vizarios is there, staying toward the back of the crowd.
I nod in his direction, and her eyes follow it. She gives a little wave, and his expression turns into one of confusion. Then, still baffled, he waves back.
Out in the yard, I try to forget everything around us and focus on my partner. She is nimble, and I like that she pushes me to be faster and smarter. I can’t always out-maneuver her with how small she is, so my best option is to not give her an opening.
On our first bout, Nissia easily dodges my attacks, spry on her feet and fighting in top form. We fight for a long time, neither of us giving an inch, until she manages to duck down low and tap her sword on my ribcage.
Even if I were wearing armor, an attack like that would be deadly.
While I am self-conscious under Vizarios’s gaze, Queen Nissia is the opposite. She escapes my attacks and mounts her own counterattacks, parrying and dodging and generally keeping me moving. Soon, I am panting, and I am certainly not holding back anymore.
We fight until we are both exhausted, and I think for once, Nissia has won more times than I did. But she doesn’t crow or flounce, simply offering me her hand so we can shake when we’re finished.
Vizarios is waiting for us by the exit when we dispense of our training swords. We are both slick with sweat, and I want to lick it off of Nissia’s long neck.
I shake my head to clear the image away.
The king has one eyebrow arched, his arms crossed as we approach. Nissia gifts him an unguarded smile.
“What did you think?”
“You actually had him on the ropes,” Vizarios says with wonder, glancing between us. “I’ve never seen someone make Rag work that hard.”
Her face glows like the sun.
“Thank you.” She rubs my arm. “The captain is a good sparring partner.”
Something flashes in Vizarios’s eyes, but then it’s gone.
“Indeed.” The king nibbles his lip with his front fangs, as if he’s nervous. “You were both... beautiful. Perhaps I should have learned swordplay, so I would not be left out.”
When Nissia opens her mouth to object, he waves a hand at her.
“I am joking. I have no aptitude at all for sports.”
I walk the two of them back into the castle, down the halls to where their paths diverge.
“Come with me, Rag?” Vizarios asks, so I bid goodnight to Nissia and follow. I don’t ask questions as Vizarios opens the door to his rooms and waves for me to come inside.
He sits down at his table, and I bring him a goblet of firewine. Sipping it, he leans back in his chair.
“Do you like her?” he asks. “The queen?”
The question completely blindsides me.
“Of course I do,” I say quickly. “She’s smart, and kind, and very fast on her feet—”
“Not like that,” Vizarios interrupts. He rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean. Do you want her, Ragnakor?”
My mouth must fall open like a dead fish’s. How do I answer this in a way that protects the fragile peace?
“No,” I say as quickly as I can. “I don’t, Your Majesty. I don’t harbor any feelings like that.”
He bares his teeth at me. “You are a bad liar. I saw how you looked at her during your fight. You didn’t try as hard as you could have.”
“I don’t want to hurt her—” I begin.
“—and you look at her the same way her puppy does,” the king finishes. “With adoration.”
I keep my voice steady and calm. “I do admire her,” I admit.
“Hmm.” He thoughtfully drinks his wine. I am surprised he’s not more upset by this conversation. “That’s all? You admire her?”
I swallow. He will likely know if I lie. I’ve never been good at it because I don’t make lying a habit—but there are some moments, such as now, when their relationship is young, that I don’t want to upset the balance.
“Tell me the truth,” Vizarios says to my silence.
I clench my hands tight at my sides, grinding my teeth as I try to think of a solution to this, one that doesn’t require telling him just how much I hunger for his wife. How often I’ve dreamt about holding her, kissing her, making her cry out as I bury my cock in her—
“Ragnakor.” The king’s eyes narrow dangerously.
“I do!” The words explode out of me, as hard as I’ve been trying to hold them in. “I do, Your Majesty. I want her. I am sorry. I am so sorry.” My claws dig into my palm. “It was an accident. I don’t mean—”
“Captain!”
The king’s stern voice stops my words in my throat.
Vizarios levels his gaze on me, and I think that I have truly upset him this time.
He will not forgive that I’ve developed an affection for his wife just as he attempts to court her.
I am supposed to be his and only his. He made that clear to me many moons ago.
And I have betrayed him.
VIZARIOS
It was very interesting to me to see how unsettled Ragnakor is around Queen Nissia. He did his best in the training yard, but he was clearly distracted. Whether it was because of me, or because of her, I did not know for sure.
Now I know for sure.
He protects her from me not only because it’s his duty, but because he cares about her. That should hurt more than it does.
I am not surprised, not at all. He has tried to be her friend from the beginning, even when I forbade it. Still again, he went around me to invite her to train with him. He has sought her out many times.
A strange thing that he would find himself drawn to the same woman I am.
Now he looks paralyzed, as if I am going to bring a hammer down on his head. And I won’t deny there is a part of me that’s angry, the part of me that claimed her and made her mine—that part of me does not want to share her.
But I don’t have that right to her. She made that clear enough. While I have put aside my own wife, ignored her and treated her with disrespect, Ragnakor has always made a point of being kind to her. I understand why she might reciprocate that.
A jealous, furious voice in my head wonders if they’ve gone behind my back. But Ragnakor would never do something like that, I am sure of it.
Still, the sudden image—the thought of my captain and Nissia together, perhaps in the training yard, with just their pants pulled down...
Ragnakor is staring at me, waiting for my judgment.
“I do not blame you,” I say at last, drinking more wine. “She is not... unpleasant to the eyes.”
He holds his mouth closed tight, unwilling to say a word.
“I am not hurt, Rag. You can speak.”
His eyes flash to mine. “Truly? But I am...” He looks too embarrassed to put it into words.
“Lusting after another dragon’s wife?” I supply. In some ways, I am pleased. This may make our arrangement easier.
Ragnakor bows his head in guilt. “Yes.”
“And a queen, no less.”
Once again, he nods, his shoulders curling even tighter around his neck.
“Does she know?” I ask.
“No, of course she doesn’t,” he says quickly. “She has no idea.”
“Hmm.” I set down my empty goblet and lean back in my chair. “Let’s keep it that way for now. But I will watch and see if she reciprocates your feelings.”
He balks. “She doesn’t!”
“How do you know that?”
His mouth bobs, like he wants to say words but can’t quite find them.
“Exactly.” This has become rather interesting to me. “You can’t see inside her heart, either.”
“I cannot.”
I wave him off. “That’s all for tonight,” I say, getting up and sliding out of my robe.
With a grateful nod, Ragnakor leaves. I know he’s glad that I wasn’t angrier with him.
I should, perhaps, be upset that he hid this from me, that he thought I wouldn’t catch on.
But I don’t feel the jealousy I expected to feel at the idea of sharing his affections.
It’s good that Nissia has another protector in him.
My balls ache even worse after watching them on the battlefield tonight, so I am ruthless when I stroke my cock. I want to be inside her more than anything, as much as I wish Ragnakor were inside of me. It’s a strange and circular sensation, to be missing both of them, needing both of them at once.
When I finally erupt, it relieves very little of the painful itch that’s taken up residence in my groin. My scent glands are swollen, ready to release the moment I’m with them again.
I groan and squeeze another one out before I finally go to sleep.