Chapter 7
North stared out the car window at the ever-increasing amount of snow covering the ground as they drove higher and higher into the mountains.
The roads looked as if they’d been plowed recently, pushing the white stuff into tall piles on either side of the road.
The late afternoon sun cast the pine trees in golden light while the snow sparkled like mounds of diamonds.
They were riding through a fairytale scene, which was only enhanced by the fact they were fast approaching a real German castle with dragons lurking inside.
While North was toasty warm in the car, he was grateful Warin had insisted he acquire some more appropriate winter attire before they went another step farther.
Munich’s temperate hadn’t been too bad, but everything looked colder now that they were climbing to a higher altitude.
Naturally, it had been hard to be cold with all the kisses he stole from Warin.
His concern and tenderness, his touch and deep laugh warmed North in ways no other person ever had.
They were arriving later at the castle than Warin had planned, forcing him to report back to his king at least twice to explain the hold up. Not that it was North’s fault! At least not entirely.
Except that maybe the shopping excursion had taken a few hours.
By that time, it was just sensible to stop for lunch.
And then, there was the fact that they were in Munich at Christmastime.
Come on. North had been shocked to find himself in Brussels, but now Munich?
He couldn’t pass up the chance to see just a tiny glimpse of the city decorated for the holidays.
And he was much safer now that he had two dragons crowding close to him like he was some secret European prince in desperate need of protection.
Warin was proving to be the worst kind of enabler, and North was trying soooo hard not to take advantage of it.
He really was being good. The new coat and warm, colorful clothes were already too much, but when they’d slipped into the Christmas market, Warin had also picked up a box of fresh baked Lebkuchen for him as a sweet treat, and North had been pretty sure he was going to cry right there in the middle of the crowd.
Who did these kinds of things for a guy?
No one he knew. At least, not until now.
He hadn’t even wanted to open the box because then he’d give in and eat them, and he didn’t want to lose them.
He wanted to save everything from this trip.
He wanted to hold tight to every scrap of memory, every picture, and every experience because it all felt too good to be true.
Any minute now he was going to wake up or be summoned home, and this perfect moment was going to pop.
It was only when Warin had started to return to the stall to buy him a second box that North caved.
He was so glad he did. Lebkuchen was like a gingerbread cookie with either white or chocolate-glaze icing with bits of fruit in it.
They tasted like Christmas. Between himself and the dragons, they had demolished half the box in the blink of an eye. Now North was hoarding the remains.
Drawing in a deep breath, North blinked slowly and released the breath in a slow sigh.
His head rested on Warin’s chest, and the dragon had his arm wrapped around North’s shoulders, keeping him tucked against him.
The man was his personal heater, and North was so tempted to drift off to sleep again.
He’d already slept most of the two-hour drive, and he knew they had to be getting close to the castle.
“Are you warm enough?” Warin inquired.
North’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. “If I get any warmer, I’ll be convinced you’re attempting to slow cook me. I’m fine.”
“You’re not prepared for the harshness of our winters. We don’t want you catching a chill or becoming sick. You need time to adjust.”
“Does the cold bother dragons?”
Warin chuckled, his arm tightening around North. “No, fire dragons love the cold and the snow. In the mountains, the snow gets deep enough for us to roll around and disappear in.”
North laughed as well. “I can’t imagine dragons playing in the snow. And I thought the ice dragons would prefer the snow.”
“Those beach bums?” Gunter said from the front seat. “Heavens no. If they can find a secluded enough spot, they will lay out, sunning on the rocks like a giant lizard. They move only enough to flip over.”
“The ice dragons all live in Brazil and have taken up surfing, from what I understand. They refer to the Burkhard Clan as snow bunnies because we prefer the cooler climate,” Warin added.
“I had—” Whatever North had been about to say was forever lost. His brain was wiped clean as Gunter turned the car around a final curve, bringing the massive castle into view past the tall pine trees. It was…it was a fairytale. He was in a freaking fairytale.
Shining white spires stretched up against a sunset sky topped with conical roofs.
Windows winked in the fading light, and he caught hints of stained glass here and there.
He pulled away from Warin to stare out the window as the castle rose into view, unveiling more of her elegant details.
Evergreen wreaths and red ribbons dotted the castle, as if she’d donned her holiday wear just for him.
“It’s so beautiful,” North whispered.
“Thank you. We are quite proud of our home.”
“And it looks like we have some people preparing to welcome us,” Gunter tossed out as they passed through the gates and into the open courtyard.
North could see several people standing around talking.
One man in particular wore a puffy blue coat and was motioning toward the empty space with broad gestures.
Another smaller man stood beside him and nodded vigorously while another darker figure looked… skeptical.
“It appears Cameron is once again attempting to persuade Hoheit to put up a Christmas tree in the courtyard,” Warin said.
North looked over his shoulder to see the man smiling broadly. “What’s wrong with that?”
“It’s a wonderful idea,” Warin replied quickly. “The only problem is that dragons fly in and out of the courtyard quite regularly.”
“Twenty-four hours wouldn’t even pass before Ravi was crashing into it. The Christmas decorations are safer from Ravi if they remain inside the castle,” Gunter added.
As they entered the courtyard, the people standing outside turned to watch the approach of the car.
North found himself sliding back into his seat and maybe even snuggling close to Warin again.
He’d gotten used to being around Warin, and even Gunter’s grumpiness was endearing, but now he was going to be facing a castle full of dragons. A king of dragons, even.
And then there were the mages. While there might not be many of them, Warin had made it clear they were all well-trained, experts in their craft. How would they react to his puny skills and slap-dash style of casting? Would they even want him in their castle?
Warin leaned his head down and whispered in North’s ear, “You are going to like them, I promise.”
North nearly laughed. It hadn’t even crossed his mind whether he would like them. He was more concerned with them liking him. His own family didn’t seem to care much for him. Why would a bunch of strangers?
Too soon, Gunter placed the car into park and turned off the engine.
Warin climbed out of the car, and North forced himself to slide out behind him.
Even if he’d not seen the man on FaceTime, North was sure he’d recognize the king without being told.
Alric was not an incredibly tall man, but there was something dignified and regal about him.
His dark hair was lightly threaded with grey, and his bright blue eyes seemed to take in everything happening without even trying.
His lips were arranged in a benign smile, as if he was happy to see North and his missing dragons, but was too dignified to give a broad smile like any commoner might.
Of course, the wide grin did appear when his eyes moved to the slightly taller man standing beside him in the puffy blue coat and knit hat.
This was Cameron, and Alric looked at him like the man cradled his heart in his hands.
It was actually quite breathtaking to see such open devotion and love on the king’s face.
“Welcome home, Gunter, Warin. I see your mission was successful,” Alric said, turning his sharply-focused eyes on North.
“Hoheit,” Warin said with a small bow of his head. “May I have the honor of introducing you to Fredrick James North Aldridge, III, a mage from the Aldridge clan?”
North gulped, trying to decide if he should kneel or bow or curtsy. No, not curtsy.
Luckily, Cameron solved the problem by grabbing North and folding him into a tight hug. North froze in the man’s arms, his eyes wide as he stared over his shoulder at Alric, who was chuckling.
“Welcome home,” Cameron said, and the words were like an arrow flying straight to North’s heart. Home. Could this be home?
“Liebling, do you intend to hug all the new mages when they arrive at Burkhard?” Alric teased.
Cameron released North and gave him a playful wink before turning back to his mate with a sniff. “It’s my opinion that the mages need hugs. Particularly Tori. That man has suffered from a severe shortage of hugs.”
“Maybe so, but Baldewin is certainly making up for lost time,” Alric murmured.
“Plus, half the new mages come from my own family.”
“That certainly helps.” Alric grabbed Cameron’s hand and pulled him in close again, as if he couldn’t stand to not have his mate close.
“I don’t mind hugs,” North offered and then immediately blushed. Not the first words he’d expected to ever say to the king of the dragons and his consort.
Alric laughed. “I’m glad. You are welcome among our clan, and there are many who will be happy to welcome you with a hug.”
“It doesn’t hurt that the dragons are all snuggly warm,” Cameron said with a wicked grin.