I am Dragon (Dragon Fires Rising Book 2) by Marc Secchia (famous ebook reader TXT) 📕

He had never seen a pair of creatures more enraptured with each other. Quite sickening, actually. Mush central. Doe-eyed looks, sighs, endearments, the whole caboodle was leagues worse than the soppiest scroll he had ever read.

Gnarr. Who was in a bad mood? More to the point, why?

He eyeballed the King. The King eyeballed him.

He purred, “Sire, the aerial view of Zunityne enraptured Princess Azania. It is truly spectacular, especially seen in this red-golden light caused by a partial eclipse of the suns. There’s a certain luminous quality to the air at this hour.”

“Is that right?” Azerim mused.

“Plus, the Lumis Ocean is surpassingly beautiful seen from above,” he said airily. “The islands lie scattered like bright jewels upon a glittering turquoise tapestry. The tropical foliage is so lush, especially when it’s been dampened by a recent storm.”

“Sounds … amazing.”

“It truly is.”

“I wish I could see it.”

“Has your leg improved, do you feel, sire?”

“Doesn’t ache nearly as much as before,” he said. Ker-ting! The eyes narrowed. “It’s really quiet around here this afternoon, isn’t it, Dragon?”

“Almost too quiet,” he agreed.

Half a minute later, the royal bedsheets lay flat as two mischiefs absconded into the bright sky.

For the sake of his wounds, Dragon carried the King lying flat in his forepaws, cradled, in fact, like a young Dragon hatchling. His laughter was not like any hatchling, however. His genuinely overwhelmed reaction captured all that Dragon was starting to warm to in Azerim’s personality. He soaked in the experience so deeply and completely, it was impossible not to laugh with him, this man who had so easily stolen his Princess’ heart.

He took him on a long, stately circuit of the city.

After a long time, Azerim’s laughter stilled and he said, “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for the Archipelago, Dragon, and on a more personal note, for Azania.”

“No need to thank me,” he said gruffly.

“No need to be so modest! I had no idea of all you’ve accomplished until I managed to winkle the full story out of Azania. Truly, we owe you our kingdom and very lives, and she tells me you’re still planning to do more. Speaking as a King, this is service beyond all expectation. Speaking as a man … well, let me put it this way. I realised while she was speaking that you share something together, something special and unique and profound, which despite my closeness to Aria Seaspray, we never even imagined. Yet, you were willing to risk all of that by bringing her here, to me.”

He was close to Aria? Intriguing, and also encouraging.

“Dragon, can I make a confession?”

“Confess away. Anything you say can and will be used against you – flagrantly.”

With an awkward chuckle, he said, “I’m sensing that despite our differences, we might feel somewhat the same. I am incredibly jealous of what you share with Azania. As in, seaweed green around the gills; nothing manly or noble about what’s churning about in my gut; chewing on my own tongue sort of jealous. It’s clear she thinks the world of you.”

“For my part, I’ve been trying very hard not to see you as a threat.”

“And how’s that going for you?”

“Badly.”

The admission surprised him. Dragon felt a sorry fool, but perhaps because Azerim had been the first to voice his jealousy, putting a label to his own feelings became that much easier. By his sire’s egg, they were not even the same species! Yet to trust another male with her protection, most especially of her heart? No easy matter. Especially considering how well he had been taught from early on to guard his own heart against an unrelenting siege from without.

All he wanted to do was to fly away over the horizon. However, he had chosen this route for his Princess’ sake. Now he must complete the course.

Quietly, he said, “My King, I am sorry to admit that I’m finding it very difficult to unclench my paw.”

“I … understand. That is why I want you to know, Dragon, that I care very deeply for Azania, and I plan to treat her … well, like a queen. Goes with saying, I believe.” Drawing a deep breath, he added, “And whatever choices we make regarding the future will include you, Dragon – that’s my promise to you, man to … uh, male to male. Otherwise, I face breaking her heart, and that I would never do. It might get pretty complicated, I guess, once we throw Aria into the mix?”

“I hope so.”

They shared a chuckle as the double meaning floated, all too obvious, between them.

“More on the Aria front than the complicated business,” Dragon explained, unnecessarily.

“I know. It’ll take trust, and I’m sorry, but trust is just one of those things in this world we can decide upon, but no matter what we’ve decided, it just takes time to grow deep, strong roots that will weather any storm.”

Wise. Dragon turned his words over in his mind.

“I can work with that.”

Azerim nodded. “Thank you. There isn’t really a great overarching plan yet, but I’m hoping that I might somehow be able to fly with you when you fly to Solixambria with the Dragonesses. Get to know you both better. Figure out if we can make this work, somehow. I mean, it isn’t even a relationship triangle. Those are easy compared to a relationship quadrangle. Four very different personalities and creatures in the mix.”

“Quite. A lot depends on how things go with Ariamyrielle,” Dragon replied. “I don’t know the dynamics here very well. Tell me about your relationship. How did that develop?”

“We used to pay the Dragonesses for protection for our shipping. As you know, the Sea Serpent problem started about twenty years back, and went from bad to intolerable. We worked together for each other’s benefit – bringing food,