Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original ideas and characters. Thank for reading and please review to let me know what you think!
Note: Sorry this chapter took so long to get here. I really, really struggled every time I sat down to write this and even now I'm not thrilled with how this chapter came out. But I couldn't keep you hanging any longer so hopefully you enjoy.
The Big Announcement
When Edward had first proposed hiring a limo to take them all to the Guild meeting Harry had assured the other man that that wasn't necessary. He and Eggsy weren't that bad at driving. A statement Eggsy hadn't found nearly as amusing as Harry had hoped his worried about him mate would. So yes, he'd been overruled by the others about the necessity of a limo and now that the day had arrived Harry found himself rather desperately grateful Edward and the others had insisted. His stomach was full of butterflies that had nothing to do with the baby he was carrying and everything to do with the fact that he was about to tell their Guild Master that he was pregnant. That Eggsy had succeeded in weeks what Chester had failed to accomplish in decades. And to top it all off the child was going to be a grand high dominant which was why the fucker had made Harry his consort in the first place.
And his son or not there was no question in Harry's mind that his former mate would want to raise Lee as his own if he could find a way to make that happen, which would be over Harry and Eggsy's dead bodies. Which unfortunately would be just fine with King.
But the prospect of being surrounded by his friends from start to finish went a long way towards steadying Harry's nerves as he held tight to Eggsy's hand for added comfort as they waited for their ride to show up. Reminding himself that they'd have another Guild Master on their side helped too, especially since Colin's father was apparently even more thrilled about his son being pregnant again than Edward and Colin put together.
And Colin's father was full of congratulations for Eggsy and Harry when the limo came to a stop in front of their home to pick them up at the prearranged time. The notoriously affectionate and kind Swedish Guild Master even got out of the limo just so that he could give each of them a big bear hug that involved their feet leaving the ground. No one gave bear hugs quite like William Larsson.
Set gently back on his feet again, which Harry appreciated, Harry had to smile over the smacking kisses to his cheeks he got as the Guild Master raved about how amazing it was that he should live to see a grand high dominant. A legend of their kind.
"Right now Eggsy and I are just trying to wrap our minds around the fact that we're going to be parents."
"Ah, yes, the first. The first is always the most stressful." Nodding knowledgeably the Swede gave Harry a pat on the shoulder while telling him that his baby was an expert when it came to babies. If he had any questions Colin would certainly know the answer.
"And I know that we need to get going or we're going to be late." Colin called out from inside the limo, the blond sticking his head out the door with an indulgent smile aimed in his father's direction.
"Right, right. Must be on time. No need to start the meeting with King's nose out of joint. That will happen soon enough."
Entering the limo to the sound of deep belly laughter Harry soon found himself sandwiched between his mate and Edward since Colin's father had apparently already reserved the spot between his beloved son and only granddaughter.
As was his way Colin's father kept the conversation going with him at its center for the entirety of the car ride. The man loved to talk almost as much as he loved his family which was saying something. And they all needed the distraction so no attempt was made to rein the older man in as he rhapsodized about the perfection that was each of his grandchildren and speculated as to what this newest grandson, who was going to be the mirror image of his beloved baby boy, would be like in personality. And surely he would be the best of friends with Eggsy and Harry's son and wouldn't that be wonderful and interesting. If this grandson took after Colin than he didn't doubt for a moment that the boy would be able to go head to head even with a grand high dominant.
It also came up that Colin's original guild had once had a grand high dominant as well and as this one had been the second last the world had ever known the Guild did have a ton of 'recent' archival information about him stored somewhere or another. Colin's father would see that those records were dug up and transcribed for them as soon as he returned home.
Speculating about what abilities grand high dominants actually had since fact was often hard to separate from fiction was the last topic of conversation before the limo came to a final stop.
)
The building they'd been told to come to had surprised them given that it was actually built to hold most, if not all members of the Kingsman Guild. Generally when meetings were called by the Guild Master only dominants were allowed to attend as the thoughts and opinions of the omega members were not unusually considered worth consideration. Ergo King's London estate could be used for those meetings. But occasionally, when the topic under consideration was big enough, this estate just outside of London was used. For trials, usually. The condemnation of someone who'd done something so transgressive that it needed to be witnessed by everyone. That their meeting was being held here…well it was hard to decide whether the pros out weighed the cons.
They were let off at the front steps naturally, the limo driving away to wait for them close by once they'd all exited the vehicle. Which resulted in Harry rather feeling like a child, dropped off at boarding school for the first time.
But he wasn't alone, his mate and friends around him, and they moved together to make there way up the steps and to the doors where two servants stood at the ready to open them.
Once inside they found the Keeper waiting for them. Alone in the overly ornate and out of date foyer.
"Good. You're all right on time." The Keeper inclined her head. "Everyone else is already here that needs to be. Shall we head in?"
Harry wanted to ask if they actually had a choice in the matter, but why ask questions you already knew the answer to. This had to happen, so better to get it over with.
And at least they had their Keeper and a Guild Master on their side.
Another set of servants were standing by to open the main doors that opened into the meeting hall on the ground floor. Once inside they would be surrounded by members of their Guild on all four sides from their second floor seating. Directly in front of them would be King and the highest ranking male dominants, the lower level adult males and female dominants flanking that group on either side. Given the importance placed on this meeting Harry expected to see the Consort and the spouses of some of the higher-ranking male dominants to be mixed into that group somehow too. The rest of the seats would be occupied by everyone else who'd been invited and were allowed to sit where they wished. Usually in family groups with the youngest dominant in that family expected to take care and act as voice for their omega family members.
Moment of truth.
The Keeper stepped through the doors first, followed by Colin's father due to his high status. Then together, which thankfully the size of the doors allowed, Harry walked in with Eggsy on his right and Colin on his left. Edward walked on the other side of his mate, with Roxy and Percival bringing up the rear and guarding their backs.
Given the secrecy of this meeting, Harry knew that no one had been told why the Keeper had issued this command appearance, he wasn't surprised that the low chatter that had permeated the room died down as soon as they stepped into the cavernous room. Announcing to all that they were a part of whatever their Keeper had come to reveal to them.
And they weren't the only ones shocked.
Guild Masters. There were FIVE other Guild Masters and their entourages sitting on either side of the room. And not just Guild Masters from the United Kingdom and its closest European neighbors, but from all over the World. And THREE other Keepers Harry had never seen during his time as consort. All in the same place. Together.
This did NOT happen unless something BIG had happened. Or would happen.
Which, Harry silently acknowledged, fit the situation they found themselves in.
It also said something about their previous 'relationship' that even with hundreds of eyes on him Harry could still feel King's. Recognized that stare without even looking to meet his former mate's gaze. Which he did now with a sense of-not peace. His thoughts and feelings where Chester King was concerned would never be peaceful or calm. Not now that he knew why King had picked him. Knew that he had intended to use him to breed him a grand high dominant. To give him a weapon and prize King would have done his level best to manipulate, use, and never love or care for.
So he met the Guild Master's gaze squarely and without nerves. There was nothing subservient or deferential in his gaze or posture and Harry held King's gaze until the other man looked away.
Damn that felt good.
As was often the case when King felt his position was being threatened Chester rose to call attention to himself as he inclined his head in the Keeper's direction as she came to a stop halfway into the room. Then his gaze shifted over to Colin's father, the two inclining their heads at each other.
It was then that The Keeper spoke up, no doubt aware that it was in all their interests that King not be give a chance to appear like he was remotely in control of these proceedings.
"Thank you, Everyone, for coming. This is an important day in the history of the Kingsman Guild. And in our kind's history as well. We wish to give added thanks to those who have had to travel to come here. Thank you."
It went unsaid that the only reason the other Guild Masters in the stands were there was because their Keeper had made them went wisely unsaid.
And just as King opened his mouth to speak again The Keeper beat him to it.
If they were having a girl, Harry decided right then and there, he'd want to name her after their Keeper for putting these looks on King's face. Priceless.
"We will begin this meeting immediately. There is much to speak of and discuss. First though I would ask the Mortons to step forward to speak of their news, and then we will move on to the main matter we must speak of."
Not giving their Guild Master time to express an opinion on the matter either Edward and Colin took a couple steps forward and then Edward spoke up to announce that he was pleased to inform his Guild that he and his mate were having another child.
That got the voices rising again, not to mention a lot of envious and 'I wish Colin was someone I could hate' looks directed in Harry's friend's direction. Colin was like the most fertile dragon ever it seemed, while many of them struggled to just have a heir. Spares were to be seriously celebrated.
Veronica…it was impossible to read her face. It was stone. But pale, Harry noted. And having spent decades in her shoes Harry had no doubt as to what she was thinking and feeling at this particular moment. No, not this particular moment. Veronica had likely been feeling this horrible mix of envy, fear, and desperation since the moment she'd become consort and King's property. What a shock that must have been for her. Up until that point she'd held all the cards. But now her sole reason for living was to breed. And she wasn't. Possibly couldn't, given the age of her mate and the likelihood that King was sterile at this point. And there was nothing she could do about that. But she'd be the one blamed. She'd be the one casted aside at best. Killed at worst. She probably envied Colin the obvious love and adoration in Edward's eyes and voice too, but for the moment Colin, who was so much older and yet still so much more beautiful than her-actually, Veronica in this moment probably came as close to hating Colin as anyone had ever managed.
"Our Guild continues to be blessed." King stated once the noise level dropped a little, taking advantage of finally being able to speak while no doubt battling extreme envy of Edward as well. "I know I speak for our Guild when I say that we couldn't be more pleased to hear this news, and look forward to meeting your future son or daughter. He or she will no doubt carry on the tradition of excellence set by its siblings. You are both truly blessed and have my blessing."
The last part was tradition, and as was tradition both Edward and Colin bowed in acknowledgement and thanked their Guild Master for his blessing.
Then they stepped back to once again align themselves with Eggsy and Harry while King insincerely congratulated Colin's father on his future grandchild.
Once the two Guild Masters were done pretending they didn't despise each other their Keeper spoke up again.
"Their son will be a blessing for this Guild, and for the future of our kind. If he is allowed to be. His fate, as is so many in this room, are now tied with that of another. And that is why you are all here today. Why my fellow Keepers and I have commanded this meeting take place." A moment's pause for emphasis. "We, all Keepers, have been granted troubling visions of the future. And where normally we see only the most likely, this time the powers that be have sent us two. Two very different, very opposing future. One to strive for…and one that will ultimately mean the destruction of our kind."
That got a loud response, everyone either talking all at once or sitting in stunned silence.
Harry understood both reactions perfectly, especially since it sounded like something very bad was coming their way. And that something was either his and Eggsy's son being shaped by others into becoming a monster…or going by what the Keeper had hinted at previously there was something coming their way that only a grand high dominant could save their kind from. He just had to grow up to be that person and not the sort of man King would have raised him to be.
Which also explained the presence of the foreign Guild Masters since one, they'd all want control of a grand high dominant and would kill each other to get it, and two, dragons weren't pack creatures by any stretch of the word. They could occupy the same area in small groups, but those groups tended to isolate themselves from other groups. It was only in the last couple centuries that they'd made an effort to intermingle occasionally in order to help the bloodlines and keep their species going. And that wouldn't have even been possible if it weren't for the fact that their kind had been forced to become more human than dragon in a lot of ways. Therefore getting dragons from all over to work together would require a dragon so dominant and powerful the Guild Masters of the world would feel they had to fall in line.
The Keeper allowed a couple minutes worth of reactions and then ordered silence in a loud, commanding voice that was in complete odds with her small size and position. But it did shut everyone up and return their attention to her.
"Magic levels are rising. Right now only the most sensitive of you have begun to feel the change. Over the next few decades magic levels will rise to a strength that we have not seen since the days when humans knew we walked among them and the skies were ours to control. When the magic faded before many magical beings we once shared this land with fled to other realms, relinquishing their claim to these lands and its riches. But even now they still keep an eye on us, and when those levels rise sufficiently they will return. Return and expect to pick up right where they left off. Especially the Fae."
Oh Shit.
The noise level now was guaranteed to drown out anything more the Keeper or anyone else said.
History had long ago shown that their kind's worst enemy was each other. It was simple fact. Back in the day taking human form had not been the norm it was today, and while humans were easy to kill dragons were not. It had taken overwhelming numbers or great skill and cunning for someone not dragon to end one of them in a fight to the death. They were not only built for battle, but a great deal bigger than any opponent of a different species. They didn't consider any other magical being to be superior to them in any shape or form. But the Fae…oh the Fae and their history with those pointy eared shit disturbers.
The Fae were trouble, pure and simple. They thought they were the greatest race and had spent centuries here on Earth manipulating and scheming to amuse themselves and fuck over people they didn't like. They also had a bad habit of thinking dragon scales made handsome decorations and dragon blood was always in high demand for their spells. To them dragons were animals, not sentient beings as 'human' as they were.
And while the Fae had likely only grown stronger and more magically knowledgeable over the centuries…dragons had grown significantly weaker. To the point that they had little magic aside from the ability to shift.
A fact the Fae would take advantage of gleefully.
