War Camp, Celenore

Claire circled the camp with her ladies, her Queen's Guard falling in behind. Gods, how the hell had she acquired such a ridiculously large entourage? Okay, she knew exactly how. Now she truly felt like a queen, not that she wanted to. But...there was no more avoiding it.

Desaree walked directly at her side, picking at her hands. "Stop that," she scolded. "Don't break the blisters until they're ready." Des dropped her hands. "I can put more bandages on, if it will help deter you," she added.

Des tutted. "You're a queen now. You don't need to be bandaging my hands."

"I'd be bandaging them as your friend, not your queen, and I wouldn't have to, had you not been so foolish."

Desaree's face fell. "I already said I was sorry," she mumbled.

Claire sighed. "Yes, I know. I'm just...in a mood."

"She wasn't the only one who broke the rules," Saffra said from just behind them, where she and Jocelyn walked. "She just happened to be the one who took the blame for it."

"Well isn't that noble?" Claire said, shooting a Saffra a harmless glare over her shoulder.

Saffra shrugged. "It was her idea."

"Will you lot just behave?" Jocelyn tisked. "Now, tell us, Claire, what has you so irritated?"

"It's her time of the month," Des answered for her, not loud enough for anyone beyond their immediate party to hear. Her Sprite handmaidens who walked just behind Saffra and Jocelyn had already given her plenty of cloth, having anticipated that her period was coming. "It started last night," Des continued, "so I imagine she's irritated about it because it means she and a certain king can't have any fun together."

"That's not why I'm irritated," she grumbled. Okay, it was just a bit, but it was the mild cramps, back pain, and simply the hormonal flux that accompanied. Mostly the last part, which left her moody. After all, she had things she could take for the pain, but it didn't feel awful enough to ingest anything.

She'd known it was coming—was several days late, as it was. What irritated her, was that it didn't wait a few days more. She'd only just returned to Talon, and now, this? Ugh.

The morning after she'd arrived, after she and Talon had shared their romantic night together, she woke refreshed, but to an empty bed. Talon had already been up before dawn. "Talon?" She'd opened her mind to him.

"I'm here, love," he'd said. "I didn't want to wake you. There's breakfast on the table, and a gaggle of females lurking outside the tent, waiting for you to wake."

That had been motivation enough to quickly dress and slip out to collect them. What transpired was a joyous reunion, filled with hugging and tears. Desaree, Jocelyn, Saffra, and Tamara had filled her in on everything she'd missed. They'd sat for hours, until breakfast stretched into the midday meal. It was then that her Spriten handmaidens had come looking for her. She'd introduced everyone, and much to her delight, they appeared to get along.

She'd worried that Desaree might feel...threatened? Like her job was at risk. But there was none of that.

After their reunion, a full day passed in a blur. There were plenty of preparations to keep them busy. And apparently, Desaree wasn't off the hook. She worked with Jocelyn in the cook's tent, helping prepare meals that were delivered to various tents.

During that time, Claire and Tamara stole bits of time together, or she and Saffra, depending on what their obligations were. Sometimes Tamara was busy with Byron, overseeing fort matters. Other times, Saffra was off utilizing her mage powers to assist with ailments, tent construction, and anything else that required a magical touch. The Dwargs would be returning with Bedelth soon and they'd need more sleeping arrangements.

Now, here they were, the second morning after her return. They finally had some time together, except for Tamara, who was off working with Byron and some of their fort wings. They used this time to circle the camp, getting some fresh air and a moment of quiet reprieve before more of their duties started.

"If I had to guess," Saffra said, "our king was probably so busy last night he didn't even sleep. Regardless of Claire's...lady time."

She exhaled. "Yes, you guess correctly." They passed a group of Drengr who spotted her and bowed. She didn't miss the way their eyes lingered over her marks, over the Spriten guards trailing behind. It was important to her that everyone see her—realize she wasn't some mythical being. That Sprites didn't just hide away in their forest all the time. She bowed her head to them in acknowledgement, then offered a warm smile. That brought a few hesitant smiles in return.

"It's not that I expect Talon in my bed," she said after they passed. "I understand his reposnbilities better than I care to. It's just...he can't go nonstop and never rest. It's important that he takes care of himself—mentally, you know?" At that, she snorted. "What am I thinking? I doubt Talon has ever really taken time for his mental well being."

"You would know better than us," Desaree mused. "Perhaps you should insist he take some time for himself. What sort of thing makes him happy? Besides you, obviously."

"Flying," she said without thought. "He loves flying. Des—that's genius. Yes, I'll insist he and I go flying this evening, after dark. I'll have to change into something a bit more...utilitarian," she added, glancing over her shoulder at her handmaidens. "Perhaps what I wore on our journey?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Selphie said, a gleam to her eyes. "We have already had the garments cleaned and tended."

"We can get you ready after the evening meal," Meira added, looking pleased by the prospect.

The rest of the day passed in another blur.

***

"Have you finished with Byron yet?" Claire asked later that evening, after they'd eaten and Talon had rushed off to more obligations. Meira and Selphie had helped her out of her queenly gown and into her traveling clothes, but even these were embellished to look worthy of her title. Since the last time she'd worn them, Selphie had added silver threads and beads, obtained from gods knew only where, to make everything look good. They had also insisted on doing her hair up in an elegant chignon with her tiara. She wished Des could have helped, but Des was back to her duties in the cook's tent.

"I'm just about finished," came Talon's reply.

"Good, then we're going flying."

"We...are?"

"We are. Whatever you had next, postpone it an hour or two. I know everyone has a right to your time, but you also have a right to your sanity. So we're taking a break. If you won't sleep, the least you can do is give yourself a few hours here and there."

"Very well, Your Majesty. If you're issuing a command, I had better follow it."

That made her smile. She turned to her Sprite handmaidens. "Thank you, both of you. I'll be with Talon for the rest of the evening. Feel free to..."

"To?" Selphie lifted a brow.

"Well," she huffed a laugh. "I suppose there's not much to do here, is there?"

"I shall embroider more of your gowns, and perhaps add a few more beads," Meira announced.

"Oh, yes, perhaps the green one," Selphie added. The two of them clasped hands, putting their heads together as if they were making the most secretive plans, and walked off. She blinked after them. Were they...? She'd not noticed before, but now that she looked closer. She knew Sprites held hands, but these two seemed more intimate than that.

A smile touched her lips as she exited the tent in search of Talon. She didn't have to go far to find him. He was already striding towards her. "My queen," he bowed, the gesture elegant and far too unnecessary.

She turned to her Queen's Guard, who'd been posted outside the tent, waiting for her. Her eyes caught on Jeanine and they shared a grin. "I will be with King Talon for the remainder of the evening. You are all dismissed for the night."

They banished their fists over their chests, bowing in unison before disbanding.

"Quite the show," Talon said, eying them as they went. "A bit formal for your tastes, no?"

"Oh, be quiet. Come on. I've been dying for some fresh air. And the stars are out tonight."

"Yes, let's go." He led her out of the camp.

A thrill settled deep in her bones. The intimacy of what was to come left her giddy. It felt like ages since she'd shared Talon's mind. Now he would finally see everything that had happened over the past few months. And she knew with certainty he planned to comb through it. That meant she could no longer hide exactly what had happened with Kane, even though she'd toned down the details when she'd told him. Now he'd know just how much pain she'd been in

She swallowed the lump in her throat. Okay, maybe this hadn't been the best idea after all? This was supposed to calm him, and if he saw everything from the forest, it would likely agitate him. But, they'd be here sooner or later.

Transforming, Talon's scales sprouted and his body grew large. She watched, ignoring the tears that welled in her eyes. Seeing him again like this overwhelmed her in so many ways. "Have I told you recently how magnificent you are?" At her words, a pleased hum rumbled his chest. "I've often wondered if it's in a dragons nature to be vain. What do you think? If so, I ought to pepper you with more complements for the rest of the night—perhaps the rest of forever? Just for your ego, you know? Because I wouldn't want a vain creature such as yourself to be deprived."

He huffed. A puff of smoke left his nostrils. "Just get on my back already," he said, bombard her mind with the loud command.

She couldn't delay any longer. So she did as he said, settling into the crook where his neck met his shoulders. As soon as her hands touched his scales, their minds melded. A sense of rightness passed over her. A sense of completeness that had her sighing into him.

He didn't wait, crouching and leaping from the ground. She didn't hold back her squeal of delight. It had been ages since she'd been in flight, ages since they'd flown together. She hadn't realized exactly how much she missed it until now.

"I missed it too," Talon said. He banked, making a sharp turn to take them south, away from their camp, and away from possible prying wild dragons that might be lurking in the northern skies.

Talon's mind was filled with fatigue. She noticed it immediately, slipping in, running mental fingers over the dark formations that made up the lava fields of his psyche. He purred in response as she caressed his thoughts. Soon, he was doing the same to her, easing her emotions.

"May I look over your memories of the past few months?" He asked.

That he asked left her warm. "They are yours to peruse," she said. "We are mates. You need not ask. Not ever."

She had nothing to hide from him. Never wanted to. He hesitated, then accepted her response. There were so many things that didn't require words. Most of what they thought could be conveyed in emotions, feelings. The mind was a strange place.

She saw him flicking through everything. Felt his rage when he experienced her pain at Kane's hands, felt his relief when Taylynn appeared. Then she felt his pride, when he saw the way her magic had grown. "You woke Fright?!" His astonishment was short-lived as he continued to pick through everything, up through the moments where she confronted Jade, took her throne, and celebrated Solstice. "The stars were a nice touch," he added. "Taylynn is right. You make a splendid queen."

She beamed at his praise.

There was no need to talk about the events of the past few months, or what he'd seen. Everything that he wanted to say was conveyed in his thoughts and hers. Emotions and feelings passed between them like firecrackers, lighting up their mind in bouts of sparks. What would take hours lasted minutes, minutes, seconds. It was such a delightful way to communicate. The best part was, there was never fear of miscommunication. There was no hiding what they felt, what they meant to convey. No misinterpreting the other's words.

Minutes stretched into an hour, and then two, as Talon carried them in a wide circuit south of camp. She felt his body, his mind, relax with every sweep of his wings. Felt her joy rise with his. This was where he loved to be. And having her with him only made it better. There was no predicting what the future held for them, but one thing was certain. As long as they had each other and Talon's wings, there was always a place where the two of them could come together, a place void of obligations and responsibilities. Because here in the sky, they could always be free, always belong to only each other.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hi Bookdragons!

I'm crying! Are you crying?! This is Claire and Talon's last chapter together in this book and it's bittersweet. Ahhh these two will always be my OG couple. I just love them so much. 

Okay, our last chapter will be with the character this book is named for. You didn't think I'd forgotten about our dear Koldis, did you??

Forward and onwards.

-Mel