“Why are you chuckling?” Nyfain whispered.
“A few reasons. Never mind.”
“Yes, of course, it’s just that, were you royal,” Porfino began, “you’d understand that we don’t disparage the other rulers within our looser-styled meetups. Any grievances we might have should be addressed in a formal capacity.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but if you think there is a problem, it is you who is passing judgment,” Hannon said with an air of confusion. “I’m merely stating facts, as I said. I’m sure everyone knows about the curse.”
“We didn’t know your animals were suppressed, actually,” Caron murmured. “Or about the plague.”
“How about King Dolion stealing everything of value from our kingdom?” Hannon asked with his calm indifference that was working so well right now. “Or sending his demons to the castle and villages to twist the minds of the people and turn their behavior deviant? That was eye-opening, I can assure you.”
That magnificent genius, my dragon thought. He’s playing them all.
Yes. He was. I hadn’t known he had it in him. Beneath the calm exterior, Hannon was clearly mad as hell, and this was his chance to say something about it. No one could fault him, either, because he was so mild about the whole thing. Except for his hard stare, he didn’t seem angry in the least.
“That is something we could well imagine,” Yuna mumbled, suddenly very interested in the part of her dress that draped over her lap.
“That’s quite enough,” Porfino said. “Let’s steer the conversation elsewhere.”
“Yes, let’s,” Nyfain said, studying Porfino. “There is plenty of time for the royals to discuss the deeds of King Dolion. Anyone who would like a firsthand account may set it up with me directly. That’ll be all, Porfino. You’ve inserted your presence into your benefactors’ business long enough.”
“And what do you mean by that?” Porfino pulled himself up indignantly. “I am in no one’s pocket.”
Nyfain’s eyebrows lifted slowly. A little smile played across his lips.
“Are we not your benefactors, Porfino?” he asked before leaning back and crossing an ankle over his knee like he owned the place. He tilted his head a little, a look of bemusement on his face belied by the white-hot rage burning through the bond. “Why should you assume I was singling out one person?”
Porfino stared but didn’t comment. Sniffing, he straightened his back and walked away. I caught his glance toward Dolion’s corner, though.
In no one’s pocket, indeed.
“King Caron, Queen Yuna, I had wanted a word,” Nyfain began, running his fingers down the middle of my back.
When I leaned into his touch, he pulled his hand back a little, coaxing me to sit back against him like I didn’t feel the tension pulling at the air around us.
Dolion was in his corner seething, I could see it. He was watching Nyfain and Hannon dance around with their words, making him look bad. It wouldn’t be long before he snapped. He was sizing Nyfain up, and soon he’d try to reassert control.
“Of course,” Caron and Yuna said in unison, and then smiled at each other like they were sharing an inside joke. They probably answered together all the time.
“I did not intend to pull so many dragons from your kingdom without speaking to you first,” Nyfain said. “Unfortunately, my kingdom was, until recently, incredibly fragile. We’d been cut off from the world for sixteen years and had seen a lot of sickness and mass murder. We didn’t have a leg to stand on. Finley and I couldn’t leave to make an official visit. I hope you understand.”
“We don’t,” Caron said somberly. “About what your kingdom endured, I mean. Not the whole of it. I think I’d like to understand a little better, come tomorrow.”
He meant in the formal meetings.
Nyfain shook his head. “I do not plan to raise that as a grievance. The late king helped create that nightmare. My people weathered it as best they could. But afterward we had a lot to rebuild, and that is why I couldn’t approach you directly before now.”
“And…” Yuna leaned forward just a little.
Dolion, in the corner, had gone utterly still. He still hadn’t taken a sip of the drink he held. He clearly wondered if I’d poisoned it, knowing I was a lot more effective at the practice than whomever he’d sent after me. I wished I had.
“How did the dragons come to know you had a place for them?” Yuna put a hand to her chest. “Please understand, we are mostly ignorant to…well, all of this, really. Suddenly we remembered who you were, and then trade opened back up, and dragons started to leave our kingdom in droves. It seemed to happen all at once. We’re still a little in shock, I think.”
Caron nodded, watching Nyfain closely, probably looking for a lie.
Here you go, Dolion, you fucker. Here’s a little more to choke on.