DPOV

Visiting my mother was nice. I enjoyed some of her home-cooking, and we talked about general chit-chat. How certain things were going here and some general gossip of the other Royals living here.

Apparently, Lady Conta had been rather busy with stealing jewels from the Queen.

Personally, I couldn't care less about who stole something from who, but if my mother found it newsworthy, I would listen.

"Your Aunt Tatiana wanted to see you while you were here."

I sighed.

"If she wanted to see me that badly, she could have asked for me herself."

Now it was my mother's turn to sigh.

"She likes you, you know. Despite… everything."

"Mom, I don't care how things turned out. In fact, I am grateful. But all Tatiana wants to know is how her troops are doing. If they are ready for a war and if she can stay on her ass while I am out fighting it."

"Dimka! You can't talk about her like that. She is still your Queen."

I leaned back on my haunches and tried to still my tail, but every time the topic of my Great Aunt Tatiana came up, it seemed to move on its own accord out of agitation.

"A Queen that wants to know the status of her army every five minutes. I had a security briefing only two weeks ago. I have no new intel. Our Dragon warriors are the best, so I am not sure what she wants to know."

My mother went back into the kitchen and started to cure some beef. She tended to do that when she was worried or agitated. I knew my mother wanted me to bond with that side of the family. Hanging out with Adrian had sort of been my peace offering in that direction. A decision I still regretted to this day, so I wasn't looking forward to spending time with my dear Aunty outside of what was strictly necessary.

"So, you'll go back to that cave of yours and leave your poor old mother here without her son again."

I rolled my eyes.

"I thought you had your hands full with Sonya at the moment?"

My sister's egg was a few months from hatching, and still, nobody knew who the father was. The fact she was expecting a hatchling without being claimed didn't surprise me, but not outing the father had us all baffled. But my older sister Karolina already had two children without being claimed so by now people were used to it. They barely looked at us.

Sonya's despise of the claiming ritual exceeded my own. She had always been a free spirit, and the thought of being bound to any man was unacceptable to her. She said if our father could fall out of love with our mother and do those things to her, so could anyone else. You never knew if something was forever.

I used to agree. You never knew what the future brings. My mother assured me that our father had loved her once. He just changed too much over the years. If it was possible to fall in love with someone, it was also possible to fall out of love with someone.

But as my mind filled with images of an exotic human girl, I knew there was also that one and true love that could last forever.

As if reading my mind, my mother turned towards me and started the interrogation I had expected the moment I arrived here a few days ago.

"I am never too busy to make time for my son. Like, say when he wants to talk about a certain human girl?"

I groaned. Great, not her, too. How was I even to answer that?

"I don't know what to say about her Mamma? I don't know how I feel myself."

"Yes, you do. You are just too stubborn to admit it to yourself."

I got up angry. Not angry at my mother, but angry she knew me so well.

"And what if I did admit it, Mamma? Where would that lead me? I'll tell you, nowhere. There is no future between me and Rose."

No matter how much I might want there to be.

"It might be a short life together, but it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Besides Babushka could help."

I chuckled. I now knew what Rose meant with Sage wisdom. I suppose I got that part from my mother. And I would sooner sell my soul to the devil then ask my grandmother, because well, she would ask for more than the devil would.

"She wouldn't be able to live in her world anymore, but she also wouldn't be able to live in mine. And I know she will never leave her friend behind. No, Mamma. It is best I get over whatever it is I am feeling."

She stood up and placed a claw on my shoulders.

"I never met the girl. All I know is that for the first time in decades after Ivan's death you are smiling again. Just know that she will be accepted here, even if she isn't anywhere else."

I smiled softly at my mother. She always knew just what to say, but I couldn't do that to Rose. She deserved so much more than what I could give her. We would have to live in between worlds, not part of her human world and not part of my Dragon world either. Even if she did want that, would she be able to live a lifetime with me, or would she curse my youth on her deathbed?

I shook my head. No matter how many times I went over this, I always ended at the same point. This couldn't happen, no matter how much that kiss was haunting me.

"I think it is time I go back home; before Tatiana comes knocking."

My mother shook her head in amusement.

"Just know, I am here for anything you need."

I nodded and walked outside of my mother chambers. I moved to the courtyard opening in the Palace. How they managed it I didn't know, but the Fire Dragon seat of power was housed on top of a mountain, or rather inside the mountain. The Palace had been carved from stone inside the mountain, the rooms and private chambers and intricate system of alcoves and caves. But all hallways lead to this opening at the top of the mountain. It was an easy place for Dragons to lift off from. The wind here was fierce as it was uninhibited by trees or even the mountain itself. For humans, it would be too cold and too windy. Probably why no human ever came here, you know besides the fact they would have been eaten halfway up the mountain. I spread my wings, and I saw several people taking a step back. My wingspan was impressive, as was my size, and it always seemed to inspire a sense of awe in the people staying here.

But all of a sudden they weren't moving away to give me space. They were giving somebody else space.

They moved away like a school of fish would from a shark, and I don't think the analogy was too far off. My Grandmother Yeva the Faul was walking towards me. She was petite even for a female Dragon, and her hunched over posture was making her look even shorter. She was bending over her cane and walking very slowly towards me, with a gait that suggested gout. Her scales had long lost their color and now appeared more grey-white than anything else. It was a testimony to her age. My Grandmother was easily the oldest Dragon in existence. Rumor was that Death itself was afraid of her, some even suggested she bartered with Death. But no matter how unthreatening she looked, even the most trained of the Dragon warriors standing on guard moved away.

Because her name, Yeva the Faul, was well deserved.

As the low-born side of the Royal family, my mother was often neglected. But Dragon's didn't adhere to Royals just because they were Royal; Dragons cared about one thing. Power. Either you were powerful and worth talking to or about, or you were not. There are many kinds of power, and it didn't matter to Dragons which kind of power you had, political, monetary or combat skills, as long as you had it. In my case, Dragons respected me because I was the highest-ranking Dragon warrior, and there wasn't a better-trained person out there.

In the case of my grandmother, it was magic. Knowledge and magic. It made her both respected and feared.

She wobbled up to me. Now I knew my grandmother's gait was mostly for show. Yes she sustained an injury in her hip years ago, and it had never really healed properly, but she could walk just fine if she wanted to. The point is she didn't want to.

Once she was in range, she smacked me across the chest with her tail. The sharp tip at the end had been dulled over the years, but the surprising force behind it still hurt.

"Silly boy. Always thinking too much. For once in your life, silence your head and let your heart speak."

I didn't know what to say to my grandmother. Obviously, the news of Rose staying with me had traveled to her as well. I didn't understand why everyone came to the conclusion, however right it might be, that Rose and I were involved, or at least I was having feelings for her. Sure, having a human stay at a Dragon's den was completely unheard off, and doing it to keep her safe, certainly would raise some heads. But I was a little ticked off to know I was losing my ability to hide my emotions.

Rose was slowly destroying me. And the worst part is, I didn't even mind.

"And when you don't want others to read you, close the damn book."

I chuckled. It was like she was reading my mind. I had always had an uncanny ability to hide my emotions. Even when I was seething on the inside, on the outside, I would remain calm, passive and unmoving. My ability to stay calm and detach myself from a situation and not let my emotions take over saved me on multiple occasions. There have been two occasions where I let others see the real me. My troops saw me wailing over my lost brother when Ivan died in a battle against the Snow Dragons and when I was with Rose. Somehow she broke down my walls and drew out the real me.

My Grandmother retreated again, and as she turned slapped me across the chest again for good measure.

I guess that was my cue to leave.

I took advantage of the space the presence of my grandmother had made and stretched my wings to their full wingspan and with one good push down, I lifted into the air.

I flew back to my cave, finding it annoyingly empty as I arrived. I didn't hear her melodious voice or see her graceful body. I decided to make the best of it and sunbathe. It may be peacetime now, but if Tatiana's ever more persistent requests for my assurance were any indication, it might not last long.

But my own peace was promptly interrupted. But I didn't actually mind. I could smell the scent of a horse tied to a tree below.

Rose walked onto the ledge and saw me sitting on the sundeck and didn't hesitate for a moment. She sat down next to me with a big hmmph. She seemed agitated.

"I had to get out of there. My mother is driving me crazy."

I felt a little hurt she came here because she didn't want to be there, instead of wanting to be here with me. But on the other hand, it did mean that she felt safe enough to come here when she was upset or needed to get away.

She had her arms crossed over her chest, and she was actually pouting.

"Mother's tend to do that."

"Not my mother. She hasn't been around long enough to drive me crazy."

I tilted my head towards her. Her voice went from frustrated to downright sad. I waited patiently for her to continue. I saw it wasn't easy for her to talk about this.

"My mother hasn't been in my life much. She handed me off to Alberta to train when I was four. My mother is a handmaiden guard for someone too. I had made up this story in my head that my mother was protecting some exotic princess in a land far from here, that is why she hardly ever visited me. But it turns out she has been located a few hours ride most of my life. I just wasn't worth visiting. I almost died when I was nine. Some weird disease the Doctors had no idea how to cure. I had a fever and a rash all over my body. She sent me a weird medicine that seemed to work, but she didn't bother showing up herself. So I don't know why she is here now. She seemed to have a real problem with Dragons, so she isn't even here because she was worried about me, but because she wanted to make sure I didn't hang around with you or Dimitri for that matter."

I was a little shocked by her revelation. I couldn't understand how a mother could abandon her child like that, but her comments about Dragons had me spooked. Could Rose's mother know the truth about who I was? Who Dimitri was? Is that why she doesn't want her daughter hanging around here? It sounded to me like she had had a bad experience with a Dragon before.

"Well, that seems to have worked out for her." I have known Rose for only a short while, and even I knew not to forbid her anything. It was a sure way of having her do exactly that. Case in point.

"What about your father? Is he around?"

She shook her head.

"I am not even sure I have a father. I don't know anything about him. Not a name, not if he is alive or not, nothing about why he isn't here. She just never discusses him, and when I ask, she just shuts down."

My mind immediately went to rape, but if her mother was a trained fighter like Rose, I imagine Rose wouldn't have been born because her mother would have kicked the seed that led to her conception while still in the balls of its occupant, just like her daughter.

So I wondered what it was about her father that made her mother shut down. Perhaps he was dead, perhaps he was killed by Dragons? It would certainly explain her disdain for us.

"What about you? Are you close to your parents?"

She seemed to have had some revelation, and I saw her face pale. It was almost comical.

"I mean, do Dragons have parents? I mean I know they have parents, everyone has parents, but I mean, did they raise you or do Dragons have to be self-sufficient like a reptile once they hatch."

I laughed. I know there are some similarities between us and reptiles, well mostly the scales, but that is where the comparison ends. From anyone else, the comparison to reptiles would have been insulting, but with Rose it was cute. In part, because she was seriously considering it and didn't want to offend me or bring up some abandonment issues.

"No. No, Dragons are raised by their parents. We stay with our parents for at least a century before we are even considered old enough to do anything on our own. My mother and I are close. Actually, I just came back from visiting her. She is one of the kindest and warmest persons I know."

"And your father?"

I growled.

"Okay, point taken." She put her hands up in mock surrender.

My whole body tensed at the mention of my father. I realized Rose was looking at me with concern, and I tried to calm myself down again. I took a deep breath.

"You have never met a more sorry excuse for a man. He claimed my mother without her consent. And he abused her for centuries when he had been drinking too much ale. When I was a hundred and thirty years old I was already bigger than he was and better trained and I kicked him out. He fled and didn't come back. I have no idea where he is now."

Rose touched my scales in a comforting gesture. Her hand was so small on my large scales, but somehow the touch was enough to bring me some peace.

"I am sorry. That must have been tough. What did you mean claim your mother?"

"It is the Dragon's equivalent of marriage I suppose. But it is more physical than that. You mark your mate so that other Dragon's know she is taken. And in return, you are spoken for as well. In principle, Dragons are monogamous and only have one mate in their lifetime."

"In principle? So that means even if Dragons are claimed they still fuck around like rabbits?"

I laughed. So eloquently put.

"Actually, no. We tend to do that before we claim a mate. After it, we hold true to our mate. Adultery is more a human thing. The exception being my father. Then again, he doesn't have access to his mate and will never have access again."

"Sounds rough."

I just shrugged.

"It is done. Nothing I can do to change that."

She smiled at me.

"Parents, huh."

I chuckled. She was biting her lower lip. I recognized it as a sign of nervousness

"So have you claimed a mate?"

I was a little taken aback by her question. It was like she wanted the answer to be no. But I couldn't understand why. She had kissed the knight. She clearly had feelings for him. I noticed I felt bitter about that. Sounds strange being jealous of yourself, but I was. So I didn't understand how me being mated would mean anything to her.

"No, I am not. I don't think I ever will. My mother assured me there had been love between her and my father once, but he still claimed her without her consent, chaining him to her. If his love could turn into something dark like a need to possess, who says mine won't? Who says me and my mate will love each other unconditionally for the rest of our lives? Dragons can live to be over a millennium old. That is a long time to be with one person and never have your feelings changed."

"I never took you for a cynic. I think it is rather romantic. Showing your feelings are so strong that you are convinced they will last forever."

I always thought it was a myth, finding that kind of love. But now I wasn't so sure.

"What about you, Roza? Any suitors back in your town?"

She seemed to blush.

"No suitors back in town."

She was biting her bottom lip again.

"I kissed him."

She blurted out, and she seemed a little breathless from the confession. But I didn't know how to handle this information. Of course, it was old news. I was there; I remember that kiss and what a kiss it was. But she didn't know that. She didn't know I was him and now she wanted to discuss that kiss with me, thinking I was an impartial party. I was glad she felt comfortable enough around me to confide in me, but the situation was weird.

"You kissed the knight?"

She nodded.

"I wasn't planning on it. I just couldn't seem to leave him without it."

"So why is that a bad thing?"

"It isn't but it is complicated. I like Dimitri, I do. But I still have Lissa to take care of, and then there is…"

She looked up at me with a peculiar expression. Before shaking her head.

"Never mind."

Did she imply her relationship with Dimitri was complicated because of me? Because she might have feelings for me, as a Dragon? I dismissed the thought because it was too ludicrous to even consider.

Yeva the Faul is a reference to Bridiga the Faul in the Dargon kin books. A powerful witch, she is actually evil but always puts family first.

Happy new years