Chapter 6
The next day
"I still can't believe you got us tickets for the Overland Limited," Dania said with excitement in her voice.
"I take it, it's been something you've been wanting to do," Dave said smiling at his mate's enthusiasm.
The two of them had spent the night in Dania's apartment, Dave camping out on the shabby couch refusing to share his mate's bed until they were away from San Francisco. Dave had made sure he paid his bill for his hotel stay before he had told several of the employees that worked there that he was moving on.
"I've never ridden a train before," Dania tried to explain.
"How did you get to San Francisco if you didn't ride the train?" Dave inquired.
"I hitched rides, from other travelers," Dania said. "Really, the farming community I grew up in isn't really that far from San Francisco."
"I hope you realize how dangerous that was," Dave told her glad that his mate hadn't come to harm from hitching rides with strangers.
"I didn't have the money to take the train Dave and there wasn't any tracks or a station in my small community anyway, so I really had no choice," Dania told him.
"That didn't mean that it wasn't still dangerous," Dave told her. "Still, I'm glad that nothing happened to you on your journey to San Francisco or since then."
"I was always very careful about who I accepted a ride from and I did walk a lot of the way," Dania told him.
The two of them were at the train station, waiting for the train to arrive. Dania had packed all her clothes in the trunk that Dave had bought brand new for her. She had to leave most of her own clothes at home and the things she packed had been bought since. On her salary, though she couldn't afford clothes as often as she would like. She had mostly worn her uniform that the restaurant had provided so that had to cut down on the amount of clothes that she had needed to purchase with her limited funds.
Dave had already promised to buy her better clothes as soon as they reached their destination, which was out of California entirely.
"That's something anyway," Dave said. "It doesn't really matter anymore, as I'll always be there by your side and that's a promise. I'll protect you, as I won't allow anything to happen to you whether you ever agree to accept my tooth or not."
"You also promised to teach me magic," Dania reminded him and Dave nodded.
"So, I did and I have every intention of keeping that promise as soon as we are settled somewhere. The least I can do is get you in contact with some witches that will probably be more help than I am, because while dragons are bottomless wells of magic that doesn't mean that our abilities aren't different. I don't know the techniques that your mother would've taught you had your whole family not been murdered. That doesn't mean I won't teach you what I can, but you'd do better off with someone who has your type of magic."
"They'll likely charge a lot for lessons, though," Dania pointed out. "It's one reason I never sought out anyone to train me, as I just didn't have the money."
"If they do, they do," Dave said waving away Dania's concern about how much possible magic lessons would cost.
Dania wished she could be as casual about money as Dave was, but then he apparently had plenty of it. At least part of it had been produced by magic when Dave had first landed on this plane. As far as Dania knew, however, once Dave had produced enough by magic that he could live comfortably, he had earned the rest due to investments.
Dania had watched in amazement as Dave had produced a wedding ring and wedding band for her and also a wedding band for himself using his magic since they didn't have time for Dave to pick out three rings from an actual jewelry store since they were taking the earliest train out of San Francisco. Dave had already promised to buy her a real wedding set as soon as they got to Chicago, but Dania was perfectly happy with the ones produced by magic as she knew that they would last forever.
Back centuries ago, when Dave had first gotten to this plane, things would've been even cheaper than they were now and so Dave wouldn't have needed much money to live like the royalty he claimed to be.
It wasn't even that Dania disbelieved Dave just that she was still in shock that such a rich, handsome man would want someone like her so she figured that this mate thing must be a very powerful force.
For one thing, Dave treated her like a queen, his queen and that was with respect, affection, and love. He certainly treated her better than any other man in her life previously, and Dania knew she could easily fall in love with him just like he claimed to already love her.
Still, Dave had gone out of his way to get revenge on her behalf, and if that wasn't a sign of love, Dania didn't know what was. She knew of no man that would kill for a woman unless they were either obsessed or really in love.
That Dave had tracked down every single one of the men that had killed her family so uselessly and needlessly had meant a lot to her.
While that hadn't been as hard as it sounded, because the men had been well known for pulling the kind of stunt of killing magic users for no reason other than they thought of them as not human and therefore, not worth anything. Still, it made Dania realize that Dave was willing to at least possibly be questioned about the murder of at least one of those men if it came down to it. While it might not have been the men that were well known for pulling such crap as killing people who had magic senselessly Dania had identified every single one of then having seen each of them as they came past her hiding place once she and Dave had observed the men coming and going from their homes for a while. The fact that she had seen the men from where she had been hiding, allowed her to identify them easily, and it didn't even matter that it had been nearly 20 years since they had performed such a senseless, brutal act of murdering her entire family.
That didn't mean that Dave hadn't made every one of the men, other than the last, confess to their crimes in front of them, though before he had put them to death. Dave hadn't been bothered in the slightest about ending those men's lives once they had been identified. Most people would've had a guilty conscience, but not Dave and as for her, she definitely didn't feel guilty about having Dave end those men's miserable lives, as they had killed off nine people, her parents and her seven siblings, including her youngest brother who had only been three.
Dania definitely appreciated what Dave had done, that he cared enough about her to hunt down the four men that had burst into her parents' home and killed off her entire family except for her.
Her family hadn't been fighters, which meant they had fallen to the men that had invaded their home and kicked down the door, quickly.
The two of them were silent as they waited for the train and finally, they both heard the sound of a train whistle as it approached the station.
The train pulled into the station, not long afterwards, and Dave picked up both his trunk and Dania's.
"Here let me help you with that sir," came the voice of the conductor who rushed down the train steps in order to help Dave with the trunks.
"Thank you, for your assistance," Dave told the conductor politely after handing over his and Dania's tickets.
"Ah, I see that you and your wife have one of the first class compartments," said the conductor, as he looked at the tickets, which were a colorful pasteboard of color.
The conductor had noticed the gorgeous diamond ring that Dania was wearing along with the wedding band on Dave's finger so assumed that the two of them were married, which was a very reasonable assumption and the main reason that Dave had produced the ring by magic in the first place as he wanted people to assume that he and Dania were married.
"We are going on our honeymoon," Dania lied to the man, smiling brilliantly, grasping Dave's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Dave smiled in return before turning back to the conductor.
"Well, I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing the sites as we stop at many places along the route," the conductor said smiling, as he stamped their tickets. "I'm sure you'll also enjoy dining in the first class dining car. There are also plenty of other amenities like the bar car that I'm sure you will enjoy."
"I'm sure we will," Dave answered before he and Dania boarded.
Dave and Dania didn't speak again until they were in their first class compartment.
"So did you mean what you said about this being our honeymoon?" Dave asked his mate once they were alone.
"Yeah, I did and I knew I needed to say something once the conductor noticed the engagement and wedding band I'm wearing that you made by magic, which still amazes me by the way. Really, it has been like a honeymoon ever since I met you. Not only did you allow me to exact revenge on the four men that murdered my family, but you're also the first man I've ever known that actually treats me with respect and like I'm intelligent. You don't even mind spending your money on me, which is definitely different from other men, as others always expected something in return for spending their hard earned cash on anyone but themselves. I mean, you haven't asked me for anything except to travel with you, which I happily did, because I really wasn't making much of a living working in that restaurant."
"Yeah, they really don't pay women what they deserve for how hard they work," Dave agreed without arguing, because he happened to agree. "They should pay them the same as any man, but they don't and there are no fair labor laws that give women and men equal pay. Still, things are much better than they were when I first landed on this plane, especially for women, as they used to be treated much worse than they are now. Marriage was about the only option for women back when I originally came to this world, once they were old enough."
"Well, at least things have improved somewhat," Dania admitted, "even if businesses don't pay women the same as men."
"It'll eventually happen where women are paid the same as men as fair and just laws will eventually be passed, though it might not happen for a long time," Dave said.
"I know one thing and that is that men in general will try to keep women suppressed for as long as they can and continue to put them on pedestals and treat them as ornamental," Dania said.
"I'm glad I could get you away from that life and that you agreed to come with me," Dave told her sincerely smiling a little. "I never would have left San Francisco at all if you had refused to leave as there was no way I could be away from you, my mate. It would be just my luck if I decided to take a trip and came back to find you dead, because of Buddy and his friends or because you had been attacked by another man going home after work. Or possibly dead due to a car running you over because the brakes failed."
"I only did so because I trust you," Dania told him. "You did help me get revenge on the men that killed my family and I know of no man that would do that unless they truly believed in justice and cared about the person in question that it had happened to."
"It was my pleasure, I promise," Dave told her leaning over to kiss her cheek.
"I wouldn't think killing four men, even if it was more than deserved, would be a pleasure," Dania told him looking at Dave strangely for his choice of wording.
"Killing those four no, that was necessary, and I feel no remorse as they deserved their fates, since they had killed far more than just your family in the 20 years since they were murdered. We'll never know how many others they killed, as you aren't going stop men like that from killing whenever they find someone like your family. You know from the rumours I picked that they discovered other magic users over the years since what happened to your family happened and also killed them. They were serial killers, even if the police in San Francisco didn't want to acknowledge that because they agreed that killing magic users was not a crime no matter what the law actually says. So long as those men stuck to that pattern the police did nothing. However, helping you exact revenge on the men that killed your kin, now that part was a pleasure. The police obviously didn't care if they killed magic users so long as they didn't kill ordinary humans because then they would've had to officially take notice."
Dave tone told Dania all she needed to know about what he thought about the cops allowing what were basically serial killers, just as he had already realized, to run free so long as they only killed those with magic.
"Yeah, I'm totally disgusted that's the way the cops think," Dania agreed.
"The cops aren't like that everywhere and you just happened to live in a city where a lot of them are," Dave assured her.
"I'll believe that when I witness it for myself," Dania snorted in disbelief. "I know very well that magic users are not exactly well liked by a lot of people including law enforcement. I believe it because witches have powers that they do not and they either revisit that or believe we are demons sit to earth in order to drag people into hell and yes, I realize that is ridiculous way to think, but it doesn't mean that a lot of people don't think that way."
"We'll travel the world and you'll see for yourself eventually that not all cops ignore the murder of whole families just because they are magical, not unless they have actually committed some kind of crime," Dave said. "Even then, most cops would still go after whoever was responsible for the family that was killed at least, as it wouldn't just be the one that had committed the crime that was murdered, but also his whole family.
"That's only if I don't decide to part ways with you once we get to Chicago," Dania said.
Dave looked pained after Dania spoke.
"That thought actually causes you pain," Dania noted seeing the look of pain that crossed Dave's face at her words.
"You have to understand," Dave tried to explain. "Mates are basically sacred to my race. When Miles finally broke into the palace and battered down the throne room doors, which are made of one of the toughest metals known on my plane, and they were also locked my brother would have had to kill both our parents. My mother never would have left my father in order to escape without him, and he would never order her to leave him knowing full well that she would just disobey such a command. My parents told me that I must escape, as I was the last hope for my people. My father never even tried to urge my mother to escape with me, knowing that she would never do so, because like you and me they were mates. Imagine losing half your own soul if you abandoned the person that was most important to you at the time of their greatest need.
"Now, I know you can't feel the bond I share with you, but trust me, it's there and being separated from you just because you decided that you didn't want to be with me for whatever reason would be like losing half my soul.
"Since we have met, I won't function half as well as I would with you beside me, not anymore. It might even be enough for one of Miles hired men to finish me off, simply because I'm not functioning at full capacity. I've managed to avoid being killed so far and Miles has tried to have me assassinated multiple times in the 800 years I've been on this plane."
"To tell the truth, I wouldn't want to live if you rejected me," Dave added, being as serious as a heart attack.
Dania winced at Dave's descriptions as they sounded awful, but she could also tell that Dave wasn't lying just to get her to agree to be by his side always. The depth of pain in Dave's voice was definitely real, as no one could fake that amount of feeling unless they actually felt the genuine emotions deeply and completely.
"One of the reasons mates are so sacred is they are rare and only appear when the goddess feels like they've been earned. While I admit I never expected to find my mate on this plane, that doesn't mean I'm going to reject you just because you don't come from my realm."
"Of course, not," Dania said determined to distract Dave from her previous statement so that the pain in his voice would disappear.
If she had known how much pain her statement would have caused Dave, she would've kept her thoughts to herself, as Dave had been so generous and kind to her that she would never deliberately cause him pain, even if that was emotional instead of physical. She had definitely hit a sensitive spot when she had said what she had. She figuratively kicked herself for being someone who was so unaware and self-absorbed that she had not realized how much her statement would hurt Dave.
"So how did you escape since you were apparently in the throne room with your parents when the rebels started to batter down the doors?" asked Dania.
"There is an escape tunnel in one of the walls that is well hidden and as far as I know, my parents and I are the only ones to know where it is," Dave answered truthfully.
"So, your brother doesn't know about the tunnel?" Dania asked, and Dave shook his head.
"My parents never showed it to him, and neither did I, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have discovered it in another way, including on accident," Dave denied.
"So why didn't your parents show him where it was in case the palace was ever overrun?" asked Dania.
"Because they noticed the signs just like I did of let's just say Miles less than honorable nature. He always had a cruelty about him, a greediness…a pettiness, and it was clear to all of us that he would never make a good king unless he managed to improve on those traits, to care for others outside of himself. If he ever became king, then it was clear to all of us that he would likely tax the citizenry until a lot of them were homeless. Miles has never cared about the people, just himself. I doubt he really cares about those that supported his rebellion, the nobles, and those that were dissatisfied with the way my parents ruled things.
"I have no doubt he'll abandon them in an instant if I ever manage to retake the palace. He won't stick around to help them; he'll escape while the escaping is good and then come back causing constant trouble for me until he is caught and put to death."
"So, what will you do if that day ever comes?" Dania asked curiously.
"My brother, if he is caught right away, will be immediately executed," Dave answered honestly his tone implacable and as rigid as a sword blade. "I swore to both my parents just before I escaped that I would put Miles, and whoever else was involved to death on the day I retook the throne, and I intend to fulfill that promise. Of course, I'm not saying I won't miss some people that supported my brother but if I have my way, Miles, at least will be dead and anybody I know that helped him also. If he manages to escape, then he will still be hunted down and be brought to justice, even if that takes a few decades.
"As for anybody that helps him that is missed on the first sweep, nobles or otherwise they will eventually share his fate. It might take a while to determine who was on Miles side and wholly supported him, and who was only on his side out of fear for them and their families being killed if they didn't. Miles is the type that you either supported or you didn't and if you don't, then he'd immediately execute you as an example to the rest."
"He sounds like a tyrant," Dania winced at Dave's very vivid descriptions.
"He is and it's why my parents wanted me to escape as they knew that brother or not Miles would have no sentimentality or familiar feelings towards me and would execute me without a qualm or a feeling of guilt. My parents didn't want that to happen and not just because I was next in line for the throne, but because I was their son. I won't say me being next in line wasn't a major consideration just not the only reason they wanted me to live to fight another day."
"I understand," Dania said. "I won't abandon you once we reach Chicago," Dania added retracting her previous statement, and Dave looked happy at his mate's decision.
"I'm glad," Dave said simply, hugging his mate close to him from where they were sitting in the privacy of their compartment. The compartment was pretty spacious for a train, and there was a couch on the one side and the bed was up against the wall on the opposite side. The bed was a double instead of a king size, but the compartment also wasn't that big and it took up a great deal of space. The two of them were sitting on the couch side-by-side, which was how Dave could hug his mate after she had announced that she wasn't going to abandon him as soon as they got to their destination.
The wealth of emotion in his voice said how happy he was that she had decided to stick around awhile and told Dania all she needed to know about the depths of Dave's true feelings.
The two talked for some time getting off the subject of Miles as Dave told Dania about some of his adventures over the centuries.
~~~Dave and Dania~~~