“What are you suggesting, dragon?”
He licked his lips and said, “I’m suggesting several things. But most importantly that we not see each other as combatants.”
“But aren’t we?”
“Only if we want nothing out of this.” He licked delicious paste and dough from the tips of his fingers. “I’m not blind, Dagmar. These are serious defenses built on your father’s lands. There are hidden pits filled with oil just waiting to be lit, constant patrols, the lovely spikes you have built into the ground, waiting for the right trigger to unleash them. And I know those are only the few I spotted.”
“And your point?”
“There are basic defenses, and there are wartime defenses. Clearly war is coming here.”
“War is here.” She let out a breath, and in that moment, all pretenses, all illusions went away and Gwenvael knew he was talking to the true Dagmar Reinholdt. The one her kinsmen never saw and didn’t want to see. And it was this Dagmar who was taking a chance on him.
“My father earned this land when he was only seventeen. Six of his brothers are loyal to him, three of them are dead, two side with Jökull, and then there’s Jökull himself.”
She pulled off a chunk of the dessert as he held it out for her. “Jökull is determined to get this land for himself. He and his armies raided the town and lands near the fortress a few years back. We were caught unprepared and…It was very bad. Eymund’s first wife was there and she was killed. It’s a great source of shame for him.”
“Jökull killed her?”
“It depends who you ask. The Code which my father and kinsmen live by, says that blood- or marriage-related females are to be kept unharmed.” She looked off, out at the lands. “The men of my family refuse to believe Jökull would stoop so low, would willingly break the Code. They prefer to believe her death was an accident.”
“You don’t believe that.”
“I believe Jökull follows no code but his own.”
“And you think he’s planning to strike again.”
“Whether he is or he isn’t, it behooves us to be ready.”
Gwenvael pulled off another piece of the dessert. “And an alliance with Annwyl would—”
She shook her head. “I cannot bargain with you over that alliance. You’ll have to do that with my father.”
“Charming as your kinsmen may be, Lady Dagmar”—he licked cream off his thumb—“it is you that I trust to handle anything that requires actual thought and reason.”
She looked away abruptly, and he knew she was trying not to laugh.
“Allow me to handle your father, Lady Dagmar.”
Her smirk illustrated her lack of faith in his skills. “If you think you can.”
“I know I can.”
Dagmar took another drink of wine and handed him the bottle.
“Interesting,” he finally said.
“What is?”
He gestured toward the stablemaster’s open windows with the wine bottle. “What he’s doing to her.”
Dagmar again lifted up to her eyes those large pieces of glass wrapped in leather. “Oh, my.” She lowered the glasses, looked at him. “Isn’t there some sort of proper preparation that’s necessary for that sort of thing?” she asked.
“If you want her to enjoy it as well…yes.”
“Then that’s just rude.” She brought the glasses back up. “He is all over the place, isn’t he?”
“There is no finesse there. She’d be better off getting mauled by a bear.”
Dagmar laughed while she kept watching. Something told him she didn’t laugh nearly as much as she’d like to.
“Three gold pieces the mauling bear story is what she tells my brother happened to her.”
“No, no. Three gold pieces that he believes it.”
They watched until the bitter end, the dragon’s comments nearly bringing her to tears of laughter. Even more rewarding was that she’d made him laugh as well. She’d never really been considered entertaining before and she could definitely see the allure of it.
When Kikka finally limped and tottered her way back to the fortress, Dagmar packed up the few things she’d brought with her and the dragon stepped off the roof, effortlessly shifting back to his natural form in midair.
“Come, Beast. I will take you back.”
“Take me back?”
He landed on the roof of the barracks, surprising her with his lightness. In the morning the soldiers wouldn’t be wondering what shook their building.
“Aye.” He turned a bit and lowered himself. “Climb on.”
Flying? He wanted to take her flying?
“I—”
“Come on. You know you want to try.” He grinned and showed all those fangs. It worried her more that she wasn’t worried at all. “I promise I won’t drop you.”
“Comforting.”
“Grab hold of my long, luxurious mane and hoist yourself up.”
“I don’t hoist, dragon.”
“Grab hold then.”
She put the strap of her satchel across her shoulders and grabbed onto his mane. She felt his tail slide under her rear and lift her. She gave a startled squeal.
“Just being helpful,” he said before she could start stabbing at his tail with her eating knife. “Now tighten your thighs against my neck and hold on to my hair.”
He stepped off the edge of the building and his wings extended from his back. The Northland winds caught him, lifting them up. He glided for a bit before moving his wings to take them higher. Dagmar stared out over the world, fascinated by what she saw. To look down on everything was amazing, to feel this free was addicting.
He flew her around the town and lands for nearly an hour. She had no idea why he stayed out that long, but she didn’t complain. Why bother when she loved every second of it?
He brought her back to the fortress and she pointed out her window to him. He landed against the wall, his claws holding him in place. She clung to him, terrified she’d slip off his back and fall to her death straight below. But then his tail wrapped around her waist and lifted her up.
“Open your window.”
She did, and the tail carried her inside. It didn’t unwind from her waist until her feet touched the floor.
“I have to say, Lady Dagmar, that is the best time I’ve had in quite a while where I was not the one bedding a woman.”
Dagmar placed her elbow on the windowsill, her chin resting on her fist. “I know it was hard for you not to give him direction.”
“It was! He was a mess.”
She curled her lip in distaste. “And messy. If you understand the difference.”
“I do.”
“Think my sister-in-law enjoyed it?”
“How could she when she spent the whole time thinking about how she was fooling your brother?”
“How do you know she was thinking that?”
“I know. I’ve