~Florence

  Raius?

  Yes, my Floh-rrrence?

  I sense, more than hear, a rumbling in the back of my mind. Akin to a cat's purr, it is pleasant and soothing, rolling along like the voice rolls the 'r' in my name. Could it be him?

  It is me, he replies, reading my thoughts. I am pleased you learned how to reach me. Now we are connected.

  My face heats in an instant blush. 'Connected.' It sounds, and feels, intimate.

  I long to be by your side, Floh-rrrence. But it is not yet time. I cannot yet protect you in this form.

  My imagination runs wild with what he could mean. Is he changing, somehow? My mind conjures images of a half-dragon, half-man creature, and the purring sensation grows deeper. He feels…amused.

  Then, I see an image, like a memory that isn't mine. It's a reflection in the water. The…being staring back has skin the color of the deep, cold, and stormy ocean. His eyes swirl with the color of the sunset, with black pupils like a great cat, set in the face of a man. Dark ridges begin on his brow and head up his forehead to horns that gently curve back and inward before flaring out in sharp points. His jaw is strong, and his cheekbones are high, covered in more navy ridges that meld into pointed ears that sit close to his skull.

  A clawed finger reaches toward the face in the water, creating ripples when he touches the surface. The image fades.

  Raius is not what I imagined, not even close, and I can feel his amusement on the other side of our connection. But underneath my embarrassment, I can also feel my heart quicken. Despite his strange appearance, I can't deny that I find him attractive, a thought I try to hide from him…but fail.

  Mmmmhmmm… he hums in my mind; my mate cannot yet shield her thoughts. Your reaction…it pleases me.

  "Lady Florence," Prince Andrelandros calls out. "Are you well? Your face is quite red."

  I put my hands up to my cheeks and feel the heat. "I am fine, Landros. It is just…Raius."

  Landros's face darkens. "If he dares to fill your head with distasteful thoughts, tell him he shall answer to me. He needs to understand you are a lady, not some…creature."

  Raius's anger is instant and fiery, contrasting sharply with the strange, pleasant feeling the prince's words give me. Would His Highness protect me?

  I answer to him? That lowly being? He dares to order me about?

  "No!" I shout, trying to talk to His Highness and Raius at the same time. It's confusing, hearing and feeling Raius, and trying to converse with the Prince when they overlap one another. Raius's murderous rage flows through me while the Prince's eyes stare straight into me.

  No, I think to Raius. Ignore him. Do not kill him if you ever meet him, because he is important to the humans.

  Is he important to you?

  I pause, thinking. He is my…friend, I finally say. You understand what a friend is, don't you?

  Stolen story; please report.

  You are a friend of Aurora. A precious friend.

  Yes! Yes, exactly. His Highness is important to me, but he is more important to Dorandia. To the land. He is a friend of thousands of humans.

  I want to be important to you. Most important. First in your heart.

  His directness shocks me. Thankfully, he seems to understand my hesitation. Can he…feel what I feel?

  Yes, I feel. You do not shield your emotions, just like you do not shield your thoughts. You hide nothing, Floh-rrrence. It pleases me.

  I feel the blood drain from my face. If he has been privy to everything…No! Don't think about intimate things! Don't think of the dreams!

  "Gah!" I shout, holding my head between my hands.

  I sense…your distress. I shall retreat for now, but I am always here if you call for me.

  Always, my mate.

  Thank you…

  Genuine gratitude blossoms in my chest. How can a dragon be so thoughtful? Aren't they selfish creatures? Maybe selfish is not the right word. Perhaps independent is more apt.

  "What did he say? Do you know where he is?" Prince Andrelandros stares at me intently.

  …Where? I do not want to know where he is right now. I do not want to put him in danger.

  "No, I do not know where he is, Your Highness," I say, meeting his eyes. "He did not talk about that. But, he did mention that he could not yet protect me 'in this form.' What do you think he meant by that?"

  The prince sits back on the settee. "He is nowhere near full-grown, I gather. Perhaps he is focusing on getting stronger? I don't know how fast dragons can grow, but I thought it took a long time."

  I recall Raius's reflection—it's impossible to tell how large he was, whether he is the size of a human man, or larger. In his dragon form, though, he took out a dozen men…

  Aurora was huge. When I hugged her leg, it was as if I were hugging a treetrunk. But she was ancient. As Landros says, it probably took a long time for her to grow that large. If the army had a dragon the size of Aurora on its side, the odds would definitely tip in Dorandia's favor.

  "Lady Florence, you must be wary of my father. He may summon you to try to get information about Raius. It would be difficult to lie to him, so try not to learn Raius's whereabouts if you can help it. Alright?" I nod, suddenly afraid. The King has treated me well up until now, but I do not want to know what would happen if he thought I was hiding something from him. His Highness stands. "I must leave now. I'll await that invitation, Lady Florence."

  ?????

  ~Emperor Rafael, Fourteenth Son of Luitan?ia

  So. Dorandia intended to wage war.

  Emperor Rafael tossed the tightly rolled scroll to his attendant, a scowl on his face. What had gone wrong?

  "Nenier!" he barked.

  The female Viper stepped out of the shadows. "Yes, Your Greatness?"

  "Send a message to Picco. He should be in Doran City by now. Tell him to figure out what the hell went wrong with that damned mountain."

  Nenier bowed, then disappeared into the shadows. The last thing visible was her bright, almost luminescent amber eyes as she looked over her shoulder at the emperor.

  "Summon the dragonkeeper!" the emperor shouted to his attendant. He scampered off, leaving Emperor Rafael glaring into the distance from his throne.

  If King Roark, the bastard, wanted war, then Luitan?ia would deliver! They likely didn't yet know about Zari. If the emperor could get her to shift into her dragon form, then they would easily have the advantage over Dorandia.

  Perhaps the dragon egg inside Mount Doran hadn't been recovered yet. Just because his team had been destroyed didn't mean the egg was gone. That meant there was still time—perhaps he could have two dragons on his side!

  The emperor's golden-yellow eyes were blazing with excitement. Yes…if everything went the way he wanted, he'd have Roark's head within the next turning of the moon.

  ?????

  ?? and Happy Valentine's Day! ??

  ?? Never fear, we are slowly but surely getting there! I promise!

  Muahahaha!

  Lots of love,

  xo??kb

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