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2024-06-01 21:24:43Tine watched the people filter in to the main hall of the assembly house. It was the largest building in the village and was used for parties, weddings and other types of gatherings. Tonight was a ball to kick off the festival of The Chosen. Even though his kind had not been in this area in 700 years, the villagers still honored their traditions. It appeared that even the mate pairings were sometimes chosen on this night every year. Although the Clutch have not been present the villagers saw fit to continue the mate pairings, after a fashion. The village elders had paid attention to the young people all year long and had made notes of how certain females acted towards certain males and vise versa.
Tomias sought him out where he stood in the shadows and bowed as he came to stand in front of him. "My Lord, she will be here tonight. Her family lives on the large estate on the edge of the forest and are usually some of the last to arrive. However, there is some competition for her hand. Your host's son fancies himself in love with her."
Tine arched an eyebrow at the elders words. "Do you think that he will cause trouble?"
Tomias swallowed past the sudden lump of fear in his throat, "Difficult to say, Sir. He has been indulged since childhood and given every thing that he desires from horseflesh to girls. I dare say that he might indeed, be trouble. It is most unfortunate because the Sir Anton has been warned by the lore keepers of the consequences of spoiling a child to that extent. However, he would never listen. It is difficult, even now for the Elders to hold him in check. There have even been rumors of cruelty and rape of female servants whispered. Usually, as soon as an allegation is made, the family moves away after coming into a sudden source of wealth of some form."
"This boy is my hosts son, you say? But yet I do not see him present. I only see the younger son, whom I find to have a fair heart and a trustworthy character. His sister of course has made somewhat of a nuisance of herself, until her mother took her in hand." Tine perused the room once more, looking for his "competition" for his mate's hand.
"He is said to be escorting the Lady Mira's carriage." Tomias waited to see the beast lord digest this information and while he kept a straight face, Tomias could feel the undercurrent of rage simmering just below the surface. Lord Tine had already staked his claim on Lady Mira and the young lord of the house may well experience the beast's wrath if he pushed to much. Tomias bowed to Tine and left the proceedings going back to the temple to get ready for the ceremonies guaranteed to stem from tonight's ball and tomorrows festival.
Just as Tine was trying to tamp down his rage, his host, Lord Anton joined him with a glass of amber colored liquid that could only be the local whisky.
"I understand that you have an interest in my son's soon to be bride." Tine knew what the old lord was attempting to do and it angered him even more. Turning to Lord Anton, he allowed his full rage to show in his eyes, turning them a brilliant emerald green with a fiery red ring surrounding the irises. This caused the Lord to take a step back, realizing that he wasn't dealing with a full human being.
"Your son does not have the right to chose his bride. Only the village elders can do that. I don't care how entitled he thinks he is. The lady will be allowed, by village law, to refuse him without rebuttal. That, my dear Lord Anton, is that! " Tine went to walk away from his host when he smelled her. Her scent tickled his nostrils and caused his beast to rise up and call to it's mate. Tine could feel his and his beast's desire for her almost overwhelm them both. Try as he might, it was difficult to tamp down.
"Lord Issac and Lady Amethyst Dewar and Lady Mira and Lord Ashton." Tine watched as Mira was followed closely by Ashton, almost like a puppy trying to get the attention of it's owner. Lord Issac often looked over at the young lord, frowning at his fawning then demanding of attention from his daughter.
Mira really had enough. Ashton was definitely trying to monopolize her attention and it was grating on her nerves. Finally in frustration, she turned to him and said in a clear and loud voice, "Ashton, please do go find someone else to bother. I am really not interested. I find your attention to be cloying and demanding, and is not winning me over at all."
Everyone gathered watched the anger and rage at MIra's rejection wash over Ashton. "NO! You are mine! You belong to me. My father promised me that I could have you when I was younger."
All turned to Lord Anton as his face flushed with anger and shame. If the boy's word's proved to be true, he had just disgraced his family name. His father had gone against village law and tradition and had gone above the village elders and chosen for his son based on what his son wanted.
Lord Issac approached his long time friend and asked, "Is this true Ashton. Did you make the boy such a promise? Did you tell him he would "have" my daughter, without the consent of her family or the village elders?"
"He was just a child....He should have forgotten that. He has been given so many things, I thought perhaps......" Lord Anton stuttered.
His wife strode up to him and slapped him, hard. "You Fool! What have you done! You have shamed us and now we could be sentenced because you have always refused to do the right thing where that boy is concerned! I warned you! I warned you that something like this would happen. I believe the lore keepers have warned you too, as well as the village elders. Know this, I will not be party to this. Mira is a woman in her own right and is entitled to be blindfolded and allowed, with the help of the elders to make her own choice. Now, you have not only tried to take away her choice, but to elevate yourself above the law and the village elders. You and the boy will leave this house now! Tonight! And you will go out a single cent from my family's bank account."
Lady Atheen called over the footman and gave instructions for her husband's and oldest son's belongings to be packed and placed in a carriage and if need be escorted out of the assembly hall and out of the village.
Ever the gracious host, Lady Atheen approached Tine and bowed. "Please my lord, forgive the trespass that has been committed here and allow the festivities to continue." At his nod, she turned to the gathered crowd and said, "Please, allow the night to continue. Do not forget that tonight is the beginning of the choosing. After all, we do have and very special guest and it is my please to introduce to you, Lord Tine Ri. His family once ruled these lands and were thought to have been slaughtered. However, his lineage was saved by the heir being spirited away by the captain of the guard and the child's nanny."
The entire assemblage clapped, including his mate. Unbeknownst to her, she will choose him tomorrow night at the festival. He had already seen her try to chase him down in the forest. He was glad that she had not. When he had lead her to the castle ruins, and watched her reaction when she touched it, he was left to no other choice but to realize that his beast recognized her as his mate. His excitement was building. However, thinking back to the night's events, he wondered if history would try to repeat itself.........
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Tine continued to watch from the shadows. It wasn't time for he and his mate to meet. He had disappeared from sight during the chaos that had occurred with Lord Anton and his son, Ashton. if would seem that their society had become somewhat matriarchal. He had not realized that the women ran the households and the town. But looking around, he began to notice that the men deferred to the women and that the older the woman, the more deference was paid to her.This was very different in the way he was raised. The clutch was very male-oriented and very much male ran. Women are the ones who paid deference to men in his society. Not the other way around. It would take some adjusting, but he and his mate would rule together and teach the villagers to as well. It had been that way with his mother and father. They had ruled well together. His memories of them was few, but when he did think about them, he felt their love surround him. Even now, 700 years later, the remembrance of their love wa
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Mira stood in her bedroom with her mother as she was getting ready for the evening's choosing. To say she was nervous was putting it mildly. Her stomach had finally stopped rolling but her heart was still racing. It had slowed somewhat with the 2 glasses of wine her mother had given her with her supper. Mira almost snorted in a very unladylike fashion. Supper indeed. She had struggled to get the food past the tightness in her throat. She was so badly shaken from the thought of finding her husband tonight that she had barely managed to get soup and a small bit of bread into her stomach. While the wine had gone down easily, the food had not. And Mira was now in a state of relaxed chaos.She frowned to herself. Was that really a thing, she wondered?"Mira, darling, perhaps a bit more of the soup? You are swaying somewhat. I think, perhaps, you have had a little too much wine and not enough food." Mira turned to see her mother speaking to her but in her head, she felt vaguely disconnecte
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His lips touched hers in the briefest of touches as they brushed across hers. Sensations, emotions, raced through her like the heady wine she had earlier in the day, and just as strong, sending her swaying into him for more. Hearing him chuckle at her reaction, she felt his large, warm hands move from her face to her shoulders and pull her into his body. Mira felt her body soften and try to mold itself to her mate and soon to be husband. Laying her head on his broad chest, she whispered in the dark, "I want to see you."She felt him remove a hand from her back and snap his fingers. Suddenly, flames appeared to dance on his fingertips. Gasping,she took a step back. Tine refused to release her and kept one arm wrapped securely around her waist. Looking up at him, she realized several things at once.One, he was at least a foot taller than her 5'5 height, Two, his hair was a burnt bronze and his eyes were the deepset, purest emerald green she had ever seen. Three, his features were someh
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Tine watched as the Clutch Elders assembled in the Hall of Ancestors for the Reading of his bloodline. As the Master of Records read his lineage starting with the first of his line and going forward for twenty generations, he felt his chest swell with pride. His line was one of the oldest and strongest of all of the dragon clutches scattered about. Thanks to senseless and fearful hunting in some parts of the world, his kind were fewer and fewer. Most humans were fearful of things that they did not understand or could not control. Realizing the Master of Records was waiting on him, he cleared his throat and asked him to repeat the question. Several of the male elders nudged each other in the ribs and openly laughed thinking he was thinking of his soon-to-be mate. He didn't bother to correct them. They wouldn't believe him anyway."I asked if you are preparing a
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Mira lay in bed, curled up on her side in misery. She didn't understand what was wrong with her. She would cry at the slightest inclination. The feelings she had were over whelming her. She felt so lost and alone. She felt abandoned. She knew that Tine would be gone for several day, but had no idea that it would affect her so radically. She was so miserable that she didn't even bother to turn over her pillow that was wet, soaked, from her constant tears. They rolled down her face in a silvery trail, leaving her eyes red and swollen.As she lay there contemplating the depths of her misery, she heard her door open and heard a familiar step. Her father sat down on the side of the bed and took one of her hands in his and raised it to his lips."My darling daughter, it is time for you to
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Mira could see the memory of the final battle at the old ruins in the forest. The woman clothed in an odd armor that was black with a gold sheen to it in the sunlight. Her arms were bare to mid-bicep. She had boiled leather sleeve attachments to cover her vulnerable shoulders. On her head sat a helmet of the same black material. Her back was covered the same way. Her legs were covered in leather trews that laced up the sides from knee to hip. Mira was slightly appalled by this showing of skin. But she also guessed it was the only way to get them on. She was standing in the middle of the keep bailey talking to several soldiers, giving orders and directions. No man sneered at her. She wore her authority as easily as she wore her armor. As she directed each group of men, they departed to do her bidding. Some stayed with her, these flanked and surrounded her in the back to guard her vulnerable spots and to fight at her side. Pride shown in the eyes of the men. Mira didn't know if it was
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Raptor uttered one word, a name, "Amelia..."Amethyst stopped and looked from Tine and the elder to his uncle. "I'm sorry. I have been told that I look just like her. Amelia was my grandmother"Amethyst watched, along with Tine as Raptor absorbed this information. Watching the blood drain from his face as he mumbled some excuse and left to go back to the inn."What was that all about Tine?" Amethyst asked to anyone in general. "I have my suspicions, I'm afraid, but it is not my story to tell. At least, not until I find out for sure. But, I also suspect Lady Amethyst, that you already have some inkling of the answer yourself. However, I am not going to pry." A that moment, Mira could have happily melted through the floor as her stomach growled loudly. As loudly as Raptor had growled earlier."Heavens, it seems that someone is hungry. We should probably go in to dinner. I believe Tine that you and Mira are especially hungry."Amethyst turned and led the way toward the dining room where
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Tine was so busy pacing that he almost missed the moment that Mira came down the stairs. Rushing to her side, he watched as her eyes dilated as their hands touched. He knew in that instance that she knew he was something other than human. He waited with no small amount of trepidation. Mira looked over at the man that she had quickly fallen in love with and smiled her best smile. In that smile Tine saw her love for him as well as her acceptance of whatever he was. Releasing the breath that he had unintentionally been holding, Tine returned her smile and leaned in to kiss her cheek."Here now! None of that!" Mira heard her mother say."Leave them be, dear. I remember when you chose me. We couldn't seem to keep our hands off of each others." Hearing his wife clear her throat loudly, he then tried to recant by saying, "Of c
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The Forgotten 30
"You will marry him, Mei! Or you will be sacrificed to the mountain dragon, on the order of the governor." Mei's mother looked horrified, knowing the old goat would do it. For spite, if nothing else."I don't care." Mei said, taking her mother's hands onto her own and holding them. She lifted them and kissed them gently, before continuing. "Mother, Father, he has already had five young wives who have died mysteriously. Do you want me to be number ?six" Mei replied, looking at her father, who was frowning."I will be beaten slowly to death by that old gas bag and his son. I would rather die a quick death, being eaten by a dragon. At least then, I would not suffer." Mei let her words hang in the air, knowing that her parents could not argue her logic.Hanging his head, her
The Forgotten 29
28 years later"But Dad! " Then man said, displaying his displeasure at his sire's response."Son, you sister cannot keep sneaking out of the fortress. She is of age to meet her mate. Obviously, no one here in the village is her mate. I want you to travel with her to the East. It has already been arranged. Shewin and Long are expecting you within the next week."Father and son stood together, and anyone who cared to notice, they were a match for twins. Dragons stopped aging around 30 or 35 years of age. However, the son was still not yet there. He was only 28, and the sister that was being discussed was 23. She was a wild child. Her great-great grandfather had indulged her shamelessly and she lacked a l
The Forgotten 28
Mira decided that she was going to enjoy being married to Tine. He had been a gentle but passionate lover. He had introduced her to delights that she had never considered, or even knew about. Today marked the third day of their married life, and the reading of the bloodlines would be today. In their home, in the grand gathering area outside of the fortress, but within it's walls.The Lorekeepers, the Clutch Elders, Tomas the elderly priest who had married them, her parents, the Eastern Emperor and his family. All would be present. As these thoughts chased themselves across her mind, she stretched her body and reached for her husband. Husband. The very word made her smile. Her life had changed so much Tine had come into her life. Now, secrets were about to be revealed.When she realized that Tine was not in the bed with her, she raised up on her elbows and looked around the room. The bathing room door was closed and she heard movement coming from the other room. Getting up, she grabbed
The Forgotten 27
It was time. Mira struggled to breath as her body was washed, oiled and perfumed by her mother and Mary, her maid. Her mother had even made some suggests for the night. Mira was mildly aghast, but definitely embarrassed by some of the things her mom had said. While Mary had simply smirked at Lady Amethyst's suggestions and nodded, with a wicked glint in her eye.She was very much anticipating joining with her soon to be husband in their marriage bed tonight. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought of all of the new things she would experience over the coming nights. Perhaps, days, as well. As Mary brought her lacy under slip for her to put on, Meiying entered the room, carrying the large bouquet of flowers that had colors that were a brilliant white against her dress in the dark colors with the flame work beading. The stark contrast of the two were to draw simile of Tine
The Forgotten 26
With the screams of the old man still ringing in his ears, Tine turns to the young man, hanging against the wall shackled, dirty and crying out in terror. Without taking his eyes off of the the young man, Tine picked up the wickedly sharp, curved blade. The blade itself had an unnatural glow to it. The moonstone the goddess Mystera gifted his dad with when he was born had been used to craft the blade. His dad had it crafted into a blade mixed with celestial steel from a fallen heavenly body. It had never dulled in all of his 700 years, and he had occasion to use it often in his life.Seeing the knife in the hands of his tormentor and torturer, Ashton trembled. He knew crying would not save him. The only thing that would save him was an intervention of some kind. He watched as the dragon approached him with the knife held in such a deceptively casual manner. When Tine was sta
The Forgotten 25
Due to the nice weather, the banquet was outside. The banquet was taking place outside of Mira's parent's home in their large garden. Several tables were sit up with table clothes, crystal, fine china and highly polished tableware. The candles were inside decorated hurricane globes to, not just keep the wind from blowing out the candles, but to enhance their glow and brightness. Each table seated twenty people and Mira counted 20 tables. Plus the table where her parents, Tine and herself will be seated. So that tradition and protocol can be satisfied, Tine and his representative, Raptor would set at one end, then her parents in the middle, with Tine seated on the outside, then Raptor next to her father. Then her mother seated next to him, with Mira herself on the outside. Tradition states that this seating arrangement is this way because the lovers had to be separated in a "cooling down" period. They were to have not physical contact from the previous mid-day until the time of their w
The Forgotten 24
The smell of the incense that had been lit in the temple clung to them as the group exited the temple. Mira could smell it lingering in her nostrils. Not that she minded. It was an altogether pleasant smell. Spicy and fragrant with notes of sweetness to keep it from being overpowering with something else to soften the fragrance. At the exit, waiting for them was Raptor and her grandmother. It seems that Mira's original plan was not fulfilled because Adalinda was spending the day with the younger man."Good evening Grandmother. Have you come to offer prayers for something?" Mira asked."No. I came to meet you two. Tine is to go to my home to get ready for the banquet, while you go to your home to prepare and pack some of your things for tomorrow." Mira nodded. She had been expecting this. Her mother had been helping her pack u
The Forgotten 23
Mira was awaken to the loud commotion coming from the direction of the village. It sounded like a large group of men on horseback, a small army. Getting and going to her window, she pulled back her curtain and gasped loudly. There was a small army of mounted soldiers. Roughly, 75-100 men to be precise. But what had caused her to gasp was the prisoner cart in the center of the men. In it were two men. Both filthy, in clothes that had once reflected their wealth and station in life. The fine silk torn in places, and soiled in ways that spoke of the lack of cleanliness and hygiene. Mira's nose wrinkled at the thought of the smell.Hearing a familiar voice, Mira looked down and watched as her mother and father, already dressed for the day, walked out to meet the head soldier in the column. Mira realized that it was her cousins Richard and Robard. In between them was a carriage.
The Forgotten 22
Mira looked at herself in the full length mirror. Her wedding dress was, in a word, stunning. It wrapped around her in waves with various pleats and drapes. There were small red and orange beads that were incorporated in it. At first glance, the beadwork was random with no organization. But if you watched as Mira walked the beads appeared to be flames flowing down the skirt. He dress was not a traditional dress. It was close fitting and in a color that started out as a beautiful gold and then faded into a beautiful fiery orange until the lower half of her skirt, which was a brilliant bright, scarlet color.She was in awe. Of the dress. Of Violet and her talents. Of the material. The silk, from the Orient, the beads from deep in the earth. Her soon-to-be husband, who had asked for these colors to be used in their wedding, stating that it was the colors on his family crest. Bu
