[Carnelia] He is as ugly as I remember him. He glares down at me, his pock-marked face covered in soot, his clothing in charred tatters around his chest. Reaching down he pulls me up by my front. “Where is he,” he spits in my face. “Where is your dragon?” He shakes me, rattling my teeth. “WHERE IS YOUR DRAGON!!” Clawing at his hands, I begin to kick and scream. He shakes me again. “Nothing to say, you stupid wench?” he continues to shout. Kicking out, I hit his groin but instead of buckling over in pain, he laughs in my face. “Your master made sure that would never be a problem for me again,” he barks. “Decided that I needed to pay for ever touching you.” Pulling his hand back, he slaps me hard across the face, forcing me to bite my lip. “I wonder what he’s going to do once he finds out…” he slaps me again, harder this time, my head ringing, “...that you were here?” He slaps me again. “He can’t hurt us anymore, we’re already dead!” Throwing me down to the ground, he lands on top
[Primus] My stomach is tightening in fear and pain as I draw closer to the keep as my hand burns with the intensity of the emotion being transmitted through the ring. So much fear and anger, so much sadness. I push myself as hard as I can, making the flight in almost half the time, my instincts pushing me to veer a bit inland, towards the forest. Towards Crimson. There is a commotion in the town square. A few humans cluster in corners around the edges of the square, both fascinated by and terrified of the dragon standing in the center. There is a bloody mess at his feet, a young man dead and broken. The dragon is holding a human woman tightly around the neck as she stands almost naked before him, her fists clenched, her bright blond matted and falling around her shoulders. Carnelia. My Carnelia. Mine. Fueled by rage, I fly faster. I watch as the dragon, who I now recognize as my brother Segundus, sniffs her neck. Can he smell that she is my mate? “Get your hands
[Carnelia] The first time we flew together, I was terrified, screaming, and tied to a cart. The last time we flew together, we were falling, both of us injured and broken when we reached the bottom. This time we are soaring. Primus is in his usual form, a creature somewhere in between a drake and a man, holding me tightly against his chest. We are gliding on the wind as his wings hold us both aloft as we head away from Crimson and head down the coast. Whatever fear I might have felt at flying has completely disappeared as the sound of his wings and the beating of his heart so close to my own brings me peace.
[Primus] The look on her face is beyond shock. Fear. No, terror. She is terrified. To be honest, so am I. “Primus,” she sucks in her breath as she very carefully, very precisely asks, "What did you do?" She closes her eyes. “You called me “Prima” and made your servants bow to me.” “Carnelia,” I try to calm her. “It’ll be alright I..” Her deep breaths move her entire body as she wo
[Carnelia] “Carnelia,” he is kneeling before me, his body visibly shaking, his hand raised cradling these rings as if they are the finest treasure. Primus, the great dragon prince who kneels before no one, is down on his knees looking up at me as if I were above his reach, an empress or a goddess. His green eyes are glowing and swirling with emotion, his face so gentle, vulnerable, and full of hope. “Will you be my mate?” “Primus, I…” My voice catches as I try to collect my words. “I…” “We don’t have to complete the bond right away,” he assures me, stumbling with his phrasing as he tries to convince me, “I know yo
[Primus] She said yes! My heart is soaring as we take to the clouds. At the same time, however, my heart is also heavy with worry. Carnelia has agreed to be my mate, but she is also unaware of how much that might mean to her with me being who I am. She has only seen a small slice of my world, a world that is not kind to humans and sees them as disposable chattel to be used and discarded at whim. Someone could kill her and all they would need to do is pay a fine, whereas if she were to strike a dragon, even in self-defense, it could be a death sentence. Going to visit my father at the Dragon High Court is inevitable. I cannot deny a direct order from the High King and not expect severe repercussions. Moreover, I am now being tasked with not only trying to cure the blight but also training others to do it as well. That means being stationed at a command post with other dragons with status and a whole contingent of dragon knights. If she came with me, she would need to stay
[Primus] She is sitting next to me at a small table in the Golden Spiral Tavern right by the fire, enjoying a large bowl of bison stew, laughing and clapping along with the antics of a local jester who is entertaining us all with his rendition of “The Kings Folly” a bawdy song about my father and his penchant for exotic mistresses. Everyone sings along as we get to the chorus. It is a fairly popular song in Emerald Cove, being so far from the kingdom’s capital that the chances of being whipped are slim. “Aaaaaand, they rolled
[Carnelia] He claims my lips before the crowd, and they all begin to cheer, watching as his mouth explores mine and he bends me over backward to the delight of the onlookers. It is quite a show, but not unexpected for someone who has the reputation of being an adventurous bard who spends his time traveling the world, wooing princesses and fine ladies all across the realms. Lifting me into his arms, I hold on tightly to his neck as he runs up the stairs to our room, everyone cheering behind us, pounding their glasses against the bar and tables. When we reach our suite, he pushes the door open with his hip, closes it with his foot, and sets me down gently, before t