Chapter 7 Adele #2
“Oh.” I glanced down at myself, suddenly self-conscious. “Is it too much? I know it’s rather tight, but I can more or less breathe in it. I’m not sure the others she brought will fit any better than this one.”
“It—you—look amazing.” His eyes locked on mine. “I just need a moment to remember how to form coherent sentences.”
Heat rushed through me that had nothing to do with weather magic. “That’s very kind of you to say.”
“I’m not being kind. I’m being honest.” He cleared his throat and stiffened his shoulders. “Are you ready for the tour?”
“Absolutely.” I moved toward him, trying not to tug up the neckline. “I’m eager to see more of your home. The architecture is fascinating from what I’ve observed so far.”
He offered his arm, and I slipped my hand into the crook of his elbow. His warmth seeped through the fabric of his tunic, and I noticed again how much heat dragon shifters radiated.
“Would you like me to cool you down?” I asked.
He blinked at me for a moment. “I’m sorry. Cool me down?”
“You seem very hot.”
“I, err, yes. I’m rather warm.” He yanked on the tunic collar.
“Would you like to change first then? Perhaps a lighter tunic would be better.”
“I don’t believe that will make a difference.”
“Alright, then.” I flicked my finger, lowering the temperature around him.
“My suite and offices occupy this entire level, so we’ll work our way down,” he said, guiding me toward the door. “The palace has ten levels, including those with private family chambers and the restricted vault areas. Plus the towers, though they’re rarely used.”
“Ten levels?” I tried to imagine the scope of such a structure. “All carved into the mountain?”
“Most of it. Some sections are natural cave formations that we’ve enhanced and connected.
” He led me out into the corridor, which was even more impressive now with daylight streaming through strategically placed openings in the rock.
“My ancestors discovered this mountain over a thousand years ago and recognized its potential.”
We walked through halls that seemed designed to inspire awe.
The polished black stone walls reflected light from the embedded gemstones, making me feel like we were walking through a starfield.
Every surface showed evidence of meticulous craftsmanship, from the precision of the cuts to the smoothness of the stone, to the perfect symmetry of the archways.
Six of the levels contained suites for family and guests, though many were not occupied at this time. The two lowest levels contained vaults and storage. Food, wine, ale, and whatever else dragons might hoard.
“You must need a lot of staff to keep this place clean,” I said, and he nodded.
“And at the base of the stairs, on the fourth level,” he said, steering me toward the enormous grand staircase spiraling up from the lowest floor all the way to the top.
“is the main gathering hall. This is where we’ll host most of the Summit events.
We rotate hosting with the six other clans. This year, it’s our turn.”
“And Demi and Niles would’ve managed the entire event if we hadn’t married?”
“Yes. But I’ll help as much as time allows.”
“I’m curious to see what it entails.” I was sure I’d feel better about the whole thing after speaking with Demi this afternoon. It couldn’t be that complicated, right?
We descended the staircase with railings of twisted copper that had been polished until they gleamed. At the bottom, he led me down a long hall that ended at big double doors carved with dragon heads. He opened the one on the right, revealing a space that stole my breath.
The hall was enormous, easily large enough to hold several hundred dragons in their shifted forms. The ceiling soared many stories overhead, and was supported by natural stone columns with carved depictions of dragons.
More gemstones provided illumination, but here they were larger, some the size of my head, casting pools of colored light across the polished floor.
“This is incredible,” I whispered, turning in a slow circle. “The acoustics must be amazing with these natural stone formations.”
“They are. Its primary purpose is for balls, like the one we’ll hold on the opening night of the Summit, but we host musical presentations here occasionally.
” Pride came through in Raoul’s voice. “The ceiling crystals resonate with sound, creating harmonics that—” He stopped, looking sheepish.
“Sorry. I’m boring you with architectural details. ”
“You’re not boring me at all.” I moved closer to one of the columns, studying the carvings. “I love learning about how spaces are designed. There’s a relationship between structure and function that’s similar to weather systems. Everything serves a purpose while creating something beautiful.”
His expression softened. “I’ve never heard it described that way.”
“Well, it’s true. Look at this column.” I traced the carved images with one finger. “It’s load-bearing, yes, but someone took the time to make it art as well. That’s the same principle as how thunderstorms are both destructive and necessary for the ecosystem. Function and beauty intertwined.”
We continued through the hall, Raoul pointing out features and explaining their history while I asked questions about construction methods and magical enhancements. His knowledge was impressive, and he seemed to appreciate that I was genuinely interested rather than just being polite.
As we exited into another corridor, we encountered three dragon shifters deep in conversation. They stopped and bowed when they saw Raoul.
“Your Majesty,” the eldest said, a woman with silver-streaked black hair and intelligent dark eyes. “We weren’t expecting you on this level this morning.”
“Myra, good morning.” Raoul’s hand remained steady on my arm. “I’m giving my wife a tour of the palace. Adele, this is Myra, our Master of Agriculture. Myra, Queen Adele Thornwick.”
“Your Majesty.” Myra bowed, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she took in my appearance. “Welcome to Emberforge. I’ve heard wonderful things about your weather research.”
“You have?” I blinked in surprise.
“Of course. Your grandmother mentioned your work when she proposed the alliance.” Myra smiled warmly. “I’d love to discuss your predictive models sometime. Our farming communities would benefit greatly from extended weather forecasting.”
“I’d be happy to speak with you,” I said. “I’m hoping to set up monitoring stations around the territories if that’s acceptable.”
“More than acceptable. I’ll arrange meetings with our regional farming councils.” She glanced at the two younger dragon shifters with her. “These are my assistants, Kruger and Thain.”
We greeted each other, and I tried to ignore how both men’s gazes kept drifting to my neckline before jerking away.
Raoul’s low growl rang out, and they stiffened, flinging their gazes to the ceiling.
“We must continue,” Raoul snapped, and the three nodded, frowning as we passed them.
Raoul led me through more corridors, each one revealing new wonders.
We passed through a library with shelves carved directly into the stone walls, rising three stories high and filled with thousands of volumes.
A conservatory where magical plants grew in carefully controlled microclimates.
A smithy where dragon fire was used to forge weapons and jewelry.
Everyone we encountered bowed and offered greetings. Most looked curious about me, their gazes assessing, and no one was openly hostile. A few seemed genuinely pleased to see Raoul with a wife.
We were passing through what Raoul called the East Gallery, a long corridor lined with portraits of previous dragon kings and queens, when a voice called out from behind us.
“Raoul. There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
We turned to find a man striding toward us with the kind of confidence that suggested he’d never encountered a room he didn’t own.
He was tall, though not quite as tall as Raoul, with golden-blond hair that fell in artful waves to his shoulders.
His features were almost too perfect—sharp cheekbones, a strong jaw, and eyes the color of polished bronze.
He wore a deep-blue tunic trimmed with gold.
“Niles,” Raoul said. “I thought you were reviewing seating arrangements.”
“I was, but they’re boring without someone to complain to, and Demi just brushes me off.” Niles’s gaze landed on me, and his eyes widened. “And who is this vision of loveliness?”
“My wife,” Raoul said flatly. “Queen Adele Thornwick.”
“Your wife?” Niles’s perfect eyebrows rose. “Ah, yes, a witch. You didn’t mention she was so abundantly blessed.” His gaze traveled down my body and back up, lingering on the tops of my breasts.
My face grew hot. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine.” Niles took my free hand and brought it to his lips, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Welcome to our humble mountain home, my queen. I’m Raoul’s cousin and occasional claw in his side.
” He flashed me a grin that probably made most women swoon.
I found it a bit irritating. “Though I suspect I’ll be much better company than this brooding dragon. ”
“I’m not brooding,” Raoul half-snarled.
“Of course not.” Niles released my hand but stayed close, his bronze eyes twinkling. “Tell me, Queen Adele, has my cousin been boring you with tales of architectural significance and historical preservation?”
“I’m not bored at all,” I said. “I find it fascinating.”
“Fascinating.” Niles repeated the word as though I’d spoken in an unknown language. “Well, you’re either genuinely brilliant or an excellent liar. Either way, you’re far too good for him.”
Raoul stiffened beside me, his arm going rigid beneath my hand.
“I wouldn’t say that.” I felt oddly defensive. “Raoul’s been very kind and informative.”
“Kind and informative.” Niles’s grin widened.
“High praise indeed. Raoul, you should have this embroidered on a banner.” He turned back to me, moving slightly closer.
“When you tire of dusty corridors and stone carvings, I’d be delighted to show you the gardens in the adjacent valley.
We have some truly spectacular views, and I promise it will be significantly less educational. ”
The air around us grew noticeably warmer. I glanced at Raoul, whose jaw had tightened to the point I worried he might crack a tooth.
“That’s very kind of you,” I said. “But I’m enjoying the tour, and I’m sure Raoul would like to show me the gardens.”
Although he looked a touch irritated. He might be getting tired of showing me around when he had more important things to do.
“I won’t keep you any longer,” Niles said. “Demi told me we’d be meeting later today. I look forward to it.” He smacked Raoul on the shoulder. “Congratulations, cousin. She’s absolutely stunning. That dress is particularly flattering.” His gaze dipped to my neckline again.
Raoul growled. “We should continue.” He steered me away from Niles. “The archives close for the midday meal soon.”
“Don’t let me keep you.” Niles called after us, amusement shining in his voice. “Queen Adele, I look forward to seeing more of you.”
Raoul’s body tensed, his muscles coiling like a spring about to snap. His pace increased, and he practically dragged me down the corridor until we’d turned two corners and Niles was out of sight.
“Are you all right?” I asked, breathless from keeping up with his longer stride.
“Fine.” The word came out clipped.
“You don’t sound fine. You sound angry.” I studied his profile, noting the muscle ticking in his jaw, the flare of his nostrils, and the way his free hand had curled into a fist.
“I’m not angry.”
“Then what are you?”
He stopped walking so abruptly I stumbled. His hand shot out to steady me, and for a moment we stood there in the empty corridor, close enough that I could see flecks of dark amber in his eyes.
“Niles is a pain in the ass.” He sighed. “He’s harmless, mostly. But he’s also incapable of not flirting with anything that moves.”
“Oh.” I blinked. “I hadn’t realized he was flirting. I thought he was just being friendly.”
Frustration tinged with amusement flickered across Raoul’s face. “Adele, he stared at your breasts for a full ten seconds while complimenting your dress.”
“Did he?” I glanced down at myself. “Well, they are on display in this gown. I can’t really blame him for noticing.”
He growled again.
I looked up at him, confused. “You’re upset that he noticed my breasts?”
“I’m upset that he commented on them. Multiple times. While touching you.”
“He only touched my hand.”
“He shouldn’t have touched you at all.” Raoul’s fingers flexed on my waist, a gesture that sent a flutter through my belly.
Understanding dawned slowly, like watching the sun burn off the morning fog. “Raoul, are you jealous?”
“No,” he said, too quickly, his eyes not meeting mine.
“You are.” The realization made that strange flutter heat, spreading through my chest. “You’re jealous of Niles.”
“I’m not jealous. I’m not. You and I agreed to a professional partnership. What you do or who notices you shouldn’t matter to me.”
“But it does,” I said softly.
His eyes finally met mine, and the heat there made my breath catch. “Yes. It does.”
We stood in the corridor, his hand still on my waist, and the world shifted between us. Whatever this feeling was, it felt significant and terrifying and entirely too appealing.
This was supposed to be simple. A political arrangement full of distance and cordial professionalism.
So why did the knowledge that Raoul was jealous make me feel like I was floating?
And why, blessed moonbells, did I want him to keep looking at me like he was right now, as if I was the only person in the entire world who mattered?