| |
G
ideon bowed his head to guard at the gate of the palace. The man looked him over with narrowed eyes but didn’t confront them. Gideon had hidden amongst humans for a long time but everyone attached to the palace knew exactly what to look for to spot a dragon in disguise. He expected the guard to report his presence and Gideon knew a dragon would come to escort them soon enough.
While they were waiting, Gideon took Hara around the gardens. One empress had been fascinated with gardens and built one to rival anything in the world. It was an ultimate symbol of prosperity to have gardens which couldn’t be protected from dragon fire and produced no food.
Gideon liked having Hara close to him and she still had her arm entwined in his. He wondered when she would realise she had fallen for him?
Harlen waited for them when they came out of the garden. Gideon growled when Hara let go of his arm to greet his brother. Harlen eyed her bonding brands and was stiff as she gave him a quick hug.
Gideon said, “Harlen isn’t as touchy feely as I am.” Harlen snorted at the understatement. Gideon continued, “In fact, I think he hates humans.”
Harlen grunted. Hara glanced at Gideon. Probably to see if he was jealous. He was over that destructive emotion when he realised she was so prickly she would hardly let him in let alone anyone else. Especially when she had turned Talen down. She didn’t know it but she was already Gideon’s. He didn’t need to be jealous and certainly not of another dragon. They would not interfere with a bonding, not unless they thought Gideon mistreated Hara, then they would take her away.
Gideon asked his brother, “Do you know why we were called?”
Harlen looked over Hara’s shoulder at Gideon before he said, “We called her. We could have done without you.”
Hara hit Harlen’s shoulder. “That is your brother. You should behave like you are happy to see each other.” Harlen glared at her but she ignored it and instead asked, “Or does it matter that you aren’t in the same collection?”
Harlen’s eyes grew sharp at the mention of collections. Gideon had only told her a little about Dragons and their obsession with collections and yet she understood more than any other human.
Gideon might be Harlen’s brother but they had never been in the same collection. Harlen, though, was in the same collection as their mutual brother, who also was the father of the first Emperor. That made Harlen a prince and Gideon a strange political creature that no one wanted to touch. And Gideon liked it that way.
Gideon stepped up next to Hara, though he didn’t offer his arm again and asked, “Are my rooms ready?”
Harlen’s only answer was to turn and walk towards the palace.
Hara asked, “You have rooms?”
Gideon noticed some women eyeing him and they made him nervous. He shifted closer to Hara and she took up his hand without him even initiating the touch. The women eyed Hara’s unconscious touch and turned their heads away to whisper to each other.
Gideon answered Hara’s question, “Sort of. There are some rooms they set aside for anyone from the family. Usually they don’t let me stay there but since they seem to be playing nice, I thought I would niggle them and insist.”
Harlen could hear them. “You have stayed there before.”
Gideon snorted. “We shared, that is hardly a luxury. You snore.” He demonstrated for Hara, who chuckled at his antics. Harlen shot a look over his shoulder but Gideon ignored it. Harlen had always been good at throwing daggers with his looks.
Gideon, instead, stepped closer to Hara as they were guided through the palace. He didn’t like the way the women looked at him.
He asked Harlen, “Who told them I was coming?”
Harlen glanced over his shoulder to look at Gideon for a moment and shrugged. “Not me. I couldn’t care less if you are here or not.” Harlen turned to look at the women and added, “But it is clear that your arrival was anticipated.”
Hara asked, “Why would they care if Gideon was at court? I thought he had been here before and I got the feeling that he was only a minor dragon here.”
Harlen snorted. “Not even that. Gideon is not in the Emperor’s collection so he is merely a visiting dragon who has no rights or privileges. But Gideon is our brother.”
Hara frowned as she asked, “Our?”
Gideon was surprised she had picked that up so quickly. Harlen frowned. Obviously, he hadn’t meant to reveal so much of his connection to the Dragon Emperor. Gideon lowered his voice and said by her ear, “Our brother was William’s father. His name is Erasmus but most just call him Emperor.”
Hara turned a sharp look to Gideon, then asked just as quietly, “The Conqueror?” He nodded.
That had Hara looking between him and Harlen. She paled and he wondered if he should have told her. Harlen huffed but didn’t add anything useful. Hara raised an arm to point to one brand that went all the way down her arm to her wrist. “And this means I’m married to you? That I am in your collection?”
Gideon nodded, feeling inordinately pleased that he had convinced her to be part of his collection. He wasn’t going to let Harlen know they weren’t completely at an accord on the whole marriage thing. He was relieved Hara didn’t bring up that they had yet to consummate the marriage. She pointed to her herself and she went even more pale. Gideon reached out to steady her, worried that she might actually faint.
Hara shook herself off and some colour returned to her cheeks. She glared at Gideon but it was clear Hara would wait for them to be more private before she would vent. He liked that about her.
She liked to keep her feelings as close to her chest as possible. Gideon distracted her. “You should keep an eye on Angel as she is sought after here at the court.”
Hara’s hand automatically went to the clockwork dragon sitting on her shoulder. Hara glanced at Harlen to see if he would verify it. He didn’t say anything so Hara was forced to ask, “Will she be safe?”
Gideon almost laughed. The clockwork dragon would be safe from other dragons as they only took things they perceived to be mistreated or misused. Angel was a very content little creature who had more sentience than seen in any other automaton Gideon had ever seen. He had been teaching the creature to count. It could never match him in its ability to calculate difficult equations but it was smarter than the average animal.
The crystals that processed its thoughts were clearly from dragon technology, though the clockwork was all human. If the rumours were right, then it had been a human who had made the small dragon.
Harlen said, “The women will try to steal Gideon and the men will try to steal your other dragon.”
For the first time Hara looked at the women whispering in the corridors as they passed. She looked at Gideon and the look in her eye said one thing. Mine. It warmed him deep in his soul and he offered his arm and she took it.
Gideon said, “You make sure the women don’t steal me and I’ll make sure the men stay away from Angel.”
Hara nodded her head sharply. “You have a deal, dragon.”
