Peril awoke with a backache and a sheen of cold sweat on her scales. Prying herself up from her sprawling position on the floor, she took in their bedroom for the first time. It had been dark when she'd walked in, and she hadn't been in a lamplighting mood. There wasn't really much to it; Clay was staring at her from the actual bed and a small lamp burned over a writing desk chiseled into one wall. "Urghhh, what happened?"

Clay's mouth hung open for a moment as he found the words. "You nearly killed someone, and then decided to follow that one up by hiding in our room all night until you fell asleep on the floor."

Her claws struggled to stay in line as she wiped the sleep out of her eyes, and some drool off her cheek. "That explains the sore back. Is Scorch okay?"

"He'll have a big old scar, but nothing vital was hit. Actually seemed pretty calm about the whole ordeal." Clay yawned,and fell back on the blankets. "Sorry, I ate half my weight in food at the hospital. Did you know when you save someone's life here they just give you cows?"

"I don't think I'd ever qualify." There was a heavy thump as her head hit the floor again. Compared to that, the soft patter of Clay's feet as he walked over to her was almost inaudible. She nearly took flight when he lay down next to her, just barely avoiding touch.

"Well, you saved my life. I might not be able to give you… six… cows, but we are alone in here for most of the day." He leaned in closer and she felt his breath on her brow, just a fraction warmer than the rest of the room. "Plenty of time to claim your reward."

She smiled despite herself. "You dork. Come here." They drew closer, and she could feel his muscles softening under her heat. His breaths came faster as their tails twined together; hers quickened when his snout slipped into the crook of her neck.

There was a sudden knock at the door, and they both yelped. Before anyone could see, they pulled apart, stumbling over themselves and ending up in two heaps on the floor. "Come in!" Clay shouted.

The door creaked open. Behind it was Anopheles. He looked well-rested, and his scales shone with a waxy gleam. As he examined the two of them, the room filled with an oddly bitter citrus scent. "Hello."

"...Hello. We weren't-"

"It does not take an empath to figure out that you two were… entangled. Do not worry, I keep my secrets." He shrugged. "Scoria asked me to relay you a message."

Peril sighed, feeling the weight of things settle back onto her. "Fine, let's hear it."

"Ok. First, to 'the MudWing'-which I assume refers to you, Clay-she sends her sincere thanks for saving the life of her mate."

"Wait, those two are-"

"Please save all questions to the end of the message. Anyway, thanks to Clay, and to Peril: you are formally invited to take lunch with the general, in her private quarters. I believe that this would be in about… two hours." He glanced towards the wall, as if expecting a window half a mile underground.

"Is that the end of-"

"Also, her private quarters are located at her estate, some twenty miles distant, so she suggested you get going soon. That is all." His posture settled as he finished the message, wings folding out slightly.

"Well, she can keep her invitation. Clay and I are booked."

"Yes, you did seem quite busy."

Clay blushed. "W-we were going to see the sights in the Sky Kingdom, actually. Neither of us have gotten much of a chance before." He glanced over at her,

"Mhm. Lots to see…" What? She thought, in response to his accusatory glare. Not like I'd know anyplace.

Anopheles looked over both of them, nostrils twitching as he sniffed the air. "You are lying. That said, if you were planning on sightseeing, Scoria's estate is one of the most impressive structures in the kingdom. It is located just adjacent to a large foundry cavern, where most SkyWing weapons are manufactured, and there is quite a collection of pieces on display within the house itself. I speak from experience when I say it rivals any of the palaces in Pyrrhia."

Peril yawned. "You already knew we were planning on staying in. Why the hard sell?"

"The general has a vested interest in seeing you succeed, and I have a vested interest in staying on her good side. For one thing, she offers feasts during midday, unlike the queen." For a moment, Clay perked up, but he glanced at her and soon pretended to have heard nothing. "And for another, she would appreciate a formal apology for nearly killing her mate."

"Uh…" murmured Peril, unsure how to respond. In the space of a single sentence, Anopheles had gone from collected to accusatory.

"If we were in Pantala, you would already have been paralyzed and put up on display for the nobles to gawk at. The fact that Scoria is still trying to work with you is a sign of extreme tolerance on her part."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Just advising. I could care less if she never speaks to you again, but I suspect you care a bit more about any rumors that may spread were you to avoid apologizing. People might think you had gone back to your… old ways."

Her back stiffened, the ridges standing bolt upright. I have to go. "You're the most annoying HiveWing I've ever met… but I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Of course you have a choice. You always had a choice." He grinned at them, and Clay growled. It seemed like Anopheles hadn't realized how much larger her boyfriend was than him, until that moment.

"That's enough. Peril and I need to discuss this. Alone." Clay kept his stance wide, with back arched and teeth bared.

Is it weird that I find this kinda hot? Peril wondered.

Anopheles quailed, and began to back out the door. "I look forward to seeing you both," he said, then turned tail and ran.

Clay shook himself, looking a little nauseous, and returned to his normal posture. "Ugh, that was awful. I'm so sorry for you."

Neither of them spoke for a long second, but she twined her tail through his. "Thanks for standing up for me," she whispered, and pecked him on the cheek.

"Careful, people will think you're going soft now that you've got such a big strong boy to protect you."

"That's sort of the goal." Her first impulse was to get her things together, until she realized that they hadn't brought any luggage. Getting ready to go consisted of nothing more than wiping the ashy residue from her scales and checking that there wasn't anything stuck in her teeth. "Are you planning on coming with me?"

"I'm not missing out on a free lunch. Plus, maybe I can start figuring out what's up with that guy." He didn't bother to check his teeth before they headed out into the hallway. It was mostly deserted, apart from a few messengers and the occasional guard by a VIP's door.

"Him?" She didn't really care what Anopheles was up to. He was a bother, but Scoria was the real threat. Not that she had any political experience. Well, executing the queen's rivals is technically a political thing. Sorta.

"He's unusually comfortable for someone who's only been here a few weeks, and whatever's happening over on Pantala, it sounds like the HiveWings aren't exactly… friendly, as a rule." Clay shrugged. "I'm not saying he's evil or anything… actually, I am. He said all those mean things to you." The note of genuine concern in his voice reminded her of the first times they'd met, back when Clay was still naive. Dragons had been far meaner to her than that without being evil.

"He's probably just trying to get to me." And succeeding. They reached the end of the hallway and made it past the guards without incident. "Just follow me to the estate, okay? I made a few visits there with the old queen, once upon a time."

With a nod from Clay, they took to the air. It wasn't long before his wings started to wobble as he flew. She realized that he was running on fumes. "Hey, you don't have to push yourself-if you're not up to making the flight, I can handle this."

"N-no," he replied, breathing hard. "I'm coming with you. It's only twenty miles, that's just half an hour's flight."

"...okay." Still, she shifted her path to fly under him, ready to make a quick catch if he faltered. The sound of rushing air prevented much further conversation as they got up to speed, and she let him focus on keeping airborne for most of the flight. Finding their destination wasn't hard-the foundries put out plumes of black smoke at all hours of the day, visible for many miles around once they got out of the valley.

As they crossed the final ridge before the estate and it came into full view, she shuddered. It wasn't ugly, certainly not in comparison to the great quarries and derricks and smokestacks further down the mountain, but it was odd. The builder had clearly sought to break with convention by building the whole framework of the place from wrought iron, woven and riveted across the cliffs. It was an immense display of wealth that also happened to look like a colossal black spider perched above the mines.

They thudded down on the metal landing platform with an unfamiliar clunk. Three guards, all in full plate armor, were waiting to greet them. The tallest of them nodded, and motioned to the door. "General Scoria is waiting for you in her solar, on the top floor. Leave the MudWing behind."

Peril bristled, but Clay was too tired to notice. "Fine. Where's the regular luncheon served? Clay could use a bite to eat."

"Yes I could!" he said, suddenly paying close attention to the guard's words.

"The estate's dining hall is on the third floor… although I'm not sure if he'd be allowed there." She turned to one of the other guards. "Are we still letting MudWings in the DFAC? Didn't Scoria say we could turn 'em away?"

The one on the left shrugged. "Dunno. But this one is Peril's MudWing, so we should probably play it safe."

"We're right here, you know," Peril said.

"Which is why I'm giving, er, Clay special dispensation to eat in our dining hall, yes. He should be grateful for some time out of the mines. Third floor." The guard crossed her arms.

"You okay with that, Clay? I'll come get you as soon as I'm done."

Clay laughed. "Don't be too quick!" Still, he put a claw over hers and pressed softly, just for a moment. That was all the thanks she needed.

She took the lead as they headed past the guards to the central shaft of the estate. It was much like that of the palace, but only one side was solid rock. The other two were a simple iron framework, covered with thin cloth. It rippled in the wind that blew through the open ends of the shaft, and Peril shivered. It was especially chilly this high up. Clay stumbled, but jumped in nonetheless, flapping down to a door set in the rock and hurrying inside, licking his chops. After spending only a few seconds wishing she could follow, she took off as well, heading upwards.

It was a surprisingly long way to the top floor, and the solar was even above that, built on top of the estate beyond the upper end of the shaft. She clambered up onto the wooden decking and shivered even harder. There was little cover from the freezing mountain winds up here, beyond a large awning stretched out from the rock. It was anchored to cover the shaft entrance and keep some of the wind off. Scoria was sitting just at the edge of the covered area, on a bench next to a table laden with food and a large brazier full of the black rocks. The fire kept the area near her much warmer than the rest of the platform.

"Ah, hello. I'm so glad you took me up on my offer. Hungry?"

"Very. Why don't you talk while I eat?" At very least it'll make her happy. Peril hadn't eaten in nearly a whole day, and she took the chance to grab a leg of mutton and crunch into it as Scoria spoke.

"Erm, okay. I was planning on letting you lead the conversation, since you seemed so eager to last night, but it seems you've mellowed." There was a lull of several minutes, during which Peril practically inhaled half the food on the table. "Does this mean you've reconsidered your stance on my plan?"

Peril gulped down her current mouthful and shook her head. "No. I came to apologize for burning Scorch. I heard you two were close…"

"Him? No, never close. We mated once, but it was nothing of consequence. When's the funeral?"

"Funeral? He's not dead, just in the hospital. I'm surprised you haven't had him brought back here yet, honestly."

"Oh… how fortunate." A grimace stretched across Scoria's face, despite the good news. "Still, it is a shame that his eagerness to help me resulted in injury. At least he lives up to the name now." She chuckled a little.

Yeah, I definitely want to work for this psycho. "Mhm. What was it you wanted to talk about, then? Surely you don't give etiquette lessons to every young SkyWing."

"Oh no, the etiquette lessons are just one component of my plans for you. You might not realize this, Peril, but you are very important."

She grabbed a bit of candied pear from the table and swallowed it before her claws could burn through the sugar. "For what?"

"After Queen Scarlet's disappearance, many dragons felt that Ruby was an unfit replacement. Our tribe, once characterized by strength and independence, was now led by a bleeding-heart peacemaker who loves her son more than her nation." Even for a SkyWing, there was an unusual quantity of vitriol in her voice. "Many of us were left looking for someone to bring us back to the path of power, of meritocracy."

Peril rolled her eyes. "You seem pretty qualified."

"No, not me. I possess power. Our leader must embody strength, must have the undying will to utterly destroy their enemies. They have to earn the throne. In other words… well, they must be you."

"Huh." A scrap of gristle fell from her teeth, instantly carbonizing as it touched her lip.

"Think about it! You're the perfect embodiment of what SkyWings stand for: unbending, fierce, indomitable. An eternal flame to lead us forward into the future!"

Ah, I see. She's lost it. "I don't think I'm the dragon you're looking for. You know about all the people I murdered, right?"

"Know about them? I attended every fight I could! And besides, you were serving the queen, and thus the SkyWing tribe as a whole. What could be more honorable than that?"

"Being, y'know, a good person? Like, not murderous, and kind, and willing to show mercy?" Basically, being like Clay.

Scoria sighed. "You have matured since then, of course, but you are still the perfect fit. Now, let's discuss the terms of our deal. I am willing to provide financial-"

"Hang on, what deal?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Scoria cocked her head to the side. "I want you to challenge Queen Ruby." The bone Peril had been gnawing on clattered to the ground as she dropped it in surprise. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. It's not like you'll have to kill her. Probably. And if you do, who cares? Easy fight and then you're queen."

It was an enticing offer, apart from the parts where she absolutely hated it. "I'm not even qualified to challenge her. Doesn't matter how hot my scales are if I'm not a princess."

"Oh, but you are. There's an old SkyWing doctrine that one of my associates dug up, Soror Avita. Back when all of Queen Haast's daughters were crushed in the same cave-in that took her life, it was decided that any dragonet who'd grown up as the queen's own would be eligible to succeed the throne. Well, any female dragonet."

A thought came to Peril, and her tail twitched nervously. Hrmmm. Outing myself to this wackjob or killing the queen. Tough choice, but I think-

"Oh, I already know your little secret." Scoria said, glancing at her tail. "Nobody else does, besides a couple guards and Scorch, but I don't think it'll be an obstacle. Who cares if you're a real dragoness; Ruby isn't even a real dragon!"

"I am a real dragoness!"

"Sure you are. I knew your mother, and more importantly I know the guards that were assigned to her. Always going on about her long-lost son, showing us all those big scars on her palms. And I don't exactly see any other firescales running around. Stars, she was mad when we took her back inside after the trial. Not sure what her beef with the MudWing was, though."

A sick feeling filled Peril's stomach, as she realized just how comprehensively her mother hated what she was. At least she'd tried to fake it, so there was probably a little love left for her dragonet. No such luck for Clay, though. At least his "little secret" was safe.

"You look sick, dear. Is there something wrong with the food?" Peril shook her head, trying to hold in a shout. "Oh, I see. You think I agree with your mother. Quite the opposite, I assure you. Who wouldn't want to be a dragoness, when given the chance? Certainly, I'd have faked it were I born as a member of the weaker sex."

"Nobody is faking! We-I really am who I say I am!" Peril wished she could burn Scoria to a crisp, then felt awful for wishing that. I've got to do something, though. Anything would be better than sitting here, powerless! As she got to her feet the bench she was sitting on fell over with a clang. "You know what, Scoria? You can take your offer and shove it!"

The ridge of bone above Scoria's eye crept upwards about half an inch. "Now now, let's not get overly emotional. We're both adults here, think about the greater good."

"The greater good? You want a murderer for a queen!" Thick smoke swirled up from Peril's skin. The mountain winds blew it back behind her like the tail of a comet.

"And here she is, in front of me. Ruby is unfit to rule, and you're the perfect replacement. You even switched over to the correct gender; it's practically fated to happen." Scoria held out her talon, and it took all of Peril's willpower not to grab it and hold tight until there was nothing left of her but ash.

She took a deep breath. Gradually, the smoke receded. "I'm not that dragon anymore. Whoever you want me to be, I don't want to be that person. I love Cliff, and I respect his mother."

"At least stay for dessert…" Scoria replied, mournfully. Her eyes were no less cold.

Peril turned to walk away, then looked back. "Actually, another thing: You know that MudWing? The one you treated so rudely, the one who your guards tried to deny access to the regular dining hall, let alone joining me in this meeting?"

"Yes? What was his name, Clod or something? I can barely understand their accents." Scoria waved dismissively.

"It's Clay. He's my boyfriend, and he's a better dragon than you'll ever be." Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. She only spent a few seconds savoring the shock on Scoria's face before turning again, and walking back to the shaft. Not bothering to wait for a reply, she stepped forward and let herself fall.

When she walked into the dining hall-which was more of a cave, really, just with a smoothed floor and a few lanterns on the wall-there was little commotion. It was mostly deserted, apart from a few half-armored guards enjoying their break and Clay. He was finishing off a mountain goat. "Come on, let's get out of here," she said, walking up to the spot he was sitting in near the animal pen.

"Mmph mm-" he swallowed what he'd been chewing and started over"-sorry, what's the rush?"

Her gaze was drawn to the guards at another pen, who were deep in conversation about the particular merits of setting your crossbow bolts on fire. Do those guys know about Scoria's plan? Do they know I know? "It's a long story, I'll tell you about it on the flight back. Short of it is, Scoria was a real jerk and I doubt she'll be put off by a strong 'no thank you'."

Their eyes met, and his were the first to soften. Regretfully pushing aside the remains of his meal, Clay stood. "Alright, let's go. I've had enough to eat anyway."

"Thank you," she said, nuzzling her snout against his cheek as they walked out. The stares from the guards barely even registered. Her throat burned with the desire to vent her anger, but she waited until they were back up the shaft and well clear of the estate before she spoke. "Stars, she's even worse than we thought," she began, then, in as hushed a tone as was practical, she summed up the conversation with Scoria.

"She wants you to do what!?" he roared, and Peril smiled despite herself.

"Challenge Queen Ruby, yeah. Probably kill her too, given how much Scoria seems to hate her." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to. Scoria's all bluster."

"Yeah… but bluster can wreak some serious havoc." Clay said, punching through a cloud of smoke and leaving a MudWing-shaped hole. "She knows that you're trans, for one thing. And she could probably figure it out for me, too."

"So what? It's not some big secret, at least for me. If she wants everyone to know what my nethers look like, she's the weird one."

Clay laughed, a much warmer and stronger sound than Scoria's chuckle. "Fair enough!" He took a moment to calm down, and the grim cast returned to his face. "But you should at least tell Ruby."

"About my dick?"

"Your-No, about the plot on her life! She needs to know-and maybe she can help protect you from any more unwanted solicitors."

"Yeah, maybe. So, what'd you learn about our HiveWing friend?" Sorry for not giving you more time to snoop, Clay.

"Not much, sadly. He's put up in the royal palace, not Scoria's estate, but they work together. Nobody's quite sure why, he just showed up a few weeks ago saying Queen Wasp had sent him as a diplomat."

"Or a spy."

"That's the prevailing theory, yeah. Other than that, nothing. Most of the people I talked to barely knew him. But I did hear about something else," he said, as they crested a mountain ridge and left the smoke of the foundries behind.

"Yeah?"

"Seems to be that Scoria has a 'backup plan' for if she can't convince you to go through with it. I didn't think it was relevant when I heard it 'cause I assumed she was just a meddler, but if she wants the queen dead…"

Peril furrowed her brow."A superweapon? Or just a spare heir, maybe. Didn't think Scarlet had any, though."

"Probably not an heir, or else she wouldn't've spoken to you. But it did sound like a person; or at least something alive. They were discussing who would have to 'feed them' next."

"Something dangerous, then. Guess Ruby needs to know about that too." She sighed, but the wind caught the sound. "It would have been nice to just go on a trip without getting caught up an aristocratic conspiracy."

"I'll drink to that. Actually, I have been drinking to that for the last hour or so. But…" He flew a little closer, and she felt his claw against his. "Be careful, Peril."

Author's Notes: The plot continues to thicken! Any thoughts on what might happen next?