"What kind of a loser doesn't sleep with his wife after they get married?" one brother asked loudly. His voice reverberated down the stone hallways of the castle. Eian couldn't remember his name. In fact, they'd barely spoken more than two words to one another, so it was kind of a surprise to hear in the first place. Why Eian's love life had to be the latest gossip to float through the Inero bloodline was beyond him. Surely there were better things to talk about.
"I don't know, but he still reeks of purity. It's disgusting and shameful," another brother replied.
"How is he being a man?" the first continued. "How will he even become a man at this rate? Isn't it one of his duties as a husband to bed her? Besides, she'll never respect him if he doesn't show her where her proper place is now. She needs to be kept in line."
"I'm not sure. Perhaps he has a problem? Perhaps he is—"
Eian had to drown out the rest of the conversation as he walked by his half-brothers. Both of them briefly stopped talking when they finally noticed him, then continued on in hushed voices. Soon he was out of range, and the only sound he could hear was his footsteps rushing across the stone floors. He didn't want to be late for breakfast.
As hard as he tried to forget about them, their words still bothered him. They didn't get it. What was the problem with wanting to do the right thing? Wouldn't it be better to get acquainted with one another better before making such a hasty decision, so their relationship could last forever? That was the intent of marriage, still, yes? To have a lifelong committed bond with one's spouse. What happened to being in love? Hardly any of his kin spoke of it much anymore. They were too busy hurrying into bed to get their lust met, and then often regretting it later. Love generally happened with the third or fourth wife. Not a standard Eian wanted to live up to.
While seventeen was considered young to the humans, as a dragon it felt like he'd already been alive for an eternity. Every four years he aged one year physically—one. So he'd already walked the earth for sixty-eight years according to the human passage of time. His body just finished puberty, and he certainly still thought like a teenager despite his official age. Being an old soul had absolutely nothing to do with how long he'd actually been alive. If that were the case, the other brothers his age wouldn't be anywhere near as stupid and impulsive as they were.
He'd graduated from all proper schooling, and there was certainly still a lot for him to learn. The idea of going back to study a more specific field was always tempting. Going back to school would have made a good excuse to prolong the selection of a bride. An acceptable one, though he'd still be babied and talked down to. It was time to grow up. College wasn't going anywhere any time soon anyway. Maybe it's something we can do together. She seems to be well educated.
His decision to wed hadn't only been for himself. He did it for Camila just as much. Granted, he didn't know who he would be choosing as his bride, but he had vowed to pick a girl and protect her. Eian put a lot of thought into which girl he was going to choose as well. There had been a number of them who certainly looked appealing. Camila tugged at his heartstrings, though. She didn't look like the rest of the Elite girls. Her dress was classic, classy, and her temperament seemed to be a good match for him. She definitely stood out. Matt knew what he was doing when he nabbed her. The thought made him queasy.
Just thinking about what could have happened to her if he had chosen someone else made him nauseous. Another of his brothers might have respected her, or he might have manipulated her, or worse, decided to reject her for not giving in to his desires. A rejected Elite was often passed on to an older, more experienced, single man, who was usually looking for a second or third bride to make heirs.
Eian wanted to be honorable. He wanted to prove that his kind were not all bad. The other brothers who participated in the ritual would hopefully not be abusive and cruel. From what he understood, most had an intense night of lust filled passion. They also chose to treat their woman like a trophy. Gazed upon and admired as a possession, but no emotional attachment was present. It sounded like a lonely life until they came to the conclusion that it was no longer working and moved on to another girl to start the process all over again.
Camila was a young woman he could get along with. She wasn't the most beautiful girl in the line. Her long dark hair had been straight and pulled back into a braid that made it obvious she was not from the city. Dull hazel eyes gazed at him the entire time. Her body, thin and toned. Attractive, very much so, but not textbook gorgeous like the curvy vixens with the pouty lips that had made up the rest of the line. Eian picked her because when he had looked into her eyes last night, he had seen her soul. He was eager to go back to her and explore it more thoroughly.
Breakfast first. He stepped into the dining hall of the great Inero castle and quickly stood next to his twin brother Matteo. Together, they waited for Lynx to enter.
"Are you—" Matteo began to ask softly.
"Yes, I'm fine," Eian said stiffly. "Let's get breakfast over with."
Matt nodded. "I know it's hard, but they'll understand when they realize their fun times are nothing more than that. You have integrity and that is something you should be proud of. Your marriage will be a first to last, and they will envy it."
"Yes, I know," Eian said, the words feeling dry on his tongue. Hopefully his brother would get the hint that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. He was already embarrassed enough as it was. If he knew it wouldn't have been a great insult to his father, he'd have skipped breakfast all together—for a few days, even. It was the only meal he shared with the man. The others he either ate alone—with the few kin who made up his small circle of friends, or the plethora of wives his father had accumulated over the years. With them, he didn't feel he had to put on an act.
Matt eyed his brother for a moment. Their gazes locked, and Matt frowned followed by an eye roll. "Okay, sorry."
Their father entered before Eian could reply. All eyes went to the man, and everyone bowed their head. Lynx made one motion with his hands for them all to sit. The twins sat on their father's right side, like always. With Matt home again, the arrangement was back to normal and everything was as it should be. Eian's plan was to eat slowly, keep his mouth occupied with food, and eavesdrop on everyone else. This would be the plan until his brothers all decided to move past his remaining purity and find something better to occupy themselves with. Surely, there were more important things going on in the empire. Must have been a slow past few days for news.
To share breakfast with their father was a great honor, Eian needed to hold onto that fact. It was Lynx's favorite meal, and the one where he had the most time to converse. Only his favorite sons were allowed to attend it. Out of almost five-hundred sons, Matteo and Eian were favored the most. Eian was special like his brother, not as close, but still valued. While Lynx did a lot to appease Eian just for the sake of his brother's happiness, he still held onto the small sliver of hope he was important too. He did try while Matt was gone. It's not like he had to talk to me. Maybe it's a sign our relationship can finally get over whatever block is in place. That'd be awesome.
He glanced over at his brother who was still glowering. "I understand you're trying to make me feel better," Eian said softly. He felt bad for hurting his brother. "I'm glad you're on the same page with me at least, but I didn't get to marry my childhood sweetheart like you did. I'm kind of on my own with this one. And I know what you did, by the way. Camila told me you were the one who took her."
"I was hoping she wouldn't recognize me," Matt mumbled. He glanced around the room and then sighed. "I may not be in the same situation, but that doesn't mean you are completely alone either. We've been together since birth. Do you honestly think I'm going to abandon you just because I'm married now?"
The brothers were a rare phenomena in the dragon species. Twins in any dragon line didn't happen often. Something about how the eggs formed inside of the mother didn't allow for twins. More often than not, one would die early in the pregnancy. To have identical twins like Matteo and Eian was near impossible, especially to have them be Touched. It did give them a unique bond over the one he had with all of his other brothers—half brothers, really. Lynx didn't stay with a woman long enough to make more than a few sons with one woman at a time. Eian and Matt had killed their mother in childbirth, apparently. They'd been the only children made from the brief union. He'd been told next to nothing about their mother. Lynx always got so angry every time Eian tried for more information that he eventually gave up.
"You're already busy enough as it is. Lots of work things," Eian replied stiffly. "Marriage is going to add onto your list of obligations. I've already accepted that we're going to see each other less now that you're a man and I'm not. Even when I finally become one, we'll still be apart more than we're together. It's part of growing up."
"You're still a man even if you haven't been with your wife," Matt retorted. "And you're melodramatic. Rei agrees with me by the way, and she thinks you're sweet for keeping Camila's feelings in mind too, so stop letting the others get to you so much. You're welcome by the way."
"Glad to know my business is being blabbed about. And what should I be thanking you for exactly?" He had to suppress an eye roll so his father didn't realize they were having a conversation on the side. Rolling his eyes in the middle of prayers was a bad idea.
"She's my wife. I'm supposed to tell her everything," Matt stated. "And you should be thanking me for going out of my way to make sure you found the best possible life partner. I could have let you go with the initial choices instead of searching far and wide for the perfect match."
"We can talk about it later. I'm going to ignore you now." Eian immediately bowed his head so he could offer up a prayer for his food before reaching for a few sausage links.
He'd picked the right time to stop their conversation. Lynx took a bite of sausage, and addressed Eian, of all people, first. "How do you like your bride? Is everything going well?"
"Yes, everything is going well so far. We have a lot in common," Eian said, carefully. He didn't want to let his displeasure over the situation show. Because while he thought Camila was wonderful, he was definitely not pleased by his brother going out of his way to pick her up. "I'm guessing Father knew too."
"Of course he did. He cares too," Matt said, though his response was much quieter than usual. The telepathic equivalent to whispering.
At the same time, Lynx spoke too. "Good, I'm pleased. I knew she was for you when I saw her. You have similar spirits, and that is important when choosing a mate. I wish you many years of happiness."
"Thank you, Father, for your blessing," Eian said softly, and hoped Matt would next be the center of attention. He couldn't remember the last time Lynx chose to speak to him before Matt. Another small reminder that his father did care. The other brothers at the table, all eyed the two jealously. Eian and Matteo were only seventeen, while the others were well into their twenties or thirties. They were the only two teenagers at the table. Even more importantly, Eian and Matteo had been eating breakfast with their father since the two were five years old. Most of the other brothers at the table only recently received the privilege.
Eian suffered through breakfast, keeping his focus on the food and not on the conversation. Matt was gushing again about his bride. He was happy for his brother, but he also didn't want to hear about how lucky Matt was to meet Rei—again. There were only so many times he could listen to his twin go on, and on, and on, about her. It'd been a year. They're in love, I get it. I would think he'd get tired of singing her praises eventually, right? Just another thing he and father have in common. When they get mushy, they get embarrassingly so. I never want to get so lost in another person that I forget who I am. Slowly, Eian pushed his empty plate away, his appetite no longer present.
"Are you finished eating already?" Lynx asked Eian, taking a break in his conversation with Matt to address him. Odd. "Usually you have more than one plate."
"I guess I'm not hungry today. I haven't been well," he lied, but Eian was convincing at it. "I'm sure it will pass soon. Thank you for your concern, Father." He notices things. He does pay attention.
"You may go rest," Lynx said with a smile. "I will be by to visit you later this evening."
"Thank you Father, I would enjoy that greatly. Thank you for being considerate of my needs." Eian stood slowly and bowed to his father, briefly made eye contact with his brother, and then left the dining hall. He doubted Lynx would actually go out of his way to visit, but stranger things had happened. It's not like I have other plans anyway. Just trying to figure out what to do next about Camila.
He walked through the hallways of the castle slowly, debating where to go. He needed to get back to Camila, but she was visiting with the other women. An orientation of sorts. She needed to talk to them, get to know them, and understand how life would be changing for her now that she was considered of the Elite. Eian was determined to do his best in helping her adjust, but he figured she'd listen better to another female, to someone who had been in her predicament before.
Still, when he dropped her off at the wives' pool, he could tell the idea of being with a group of strangers made her anxious. He would collect her and bring her back to his castle suite. Their home now, something he was going to have a hard time getting used to. I'm not sure I can keep sharing such a small space with her. Only having one bedroom and a bath is not going to cut it for long, no matter how big those rooms are. Getting dressed had been a nightmare. Both of them flung their clothes on. One in the bedroom, the other in the bathroom. Eian had changed so fast he missed that his socks didn't match and that his underwear was inside out until long after the fact. Time to actually move into the house. No point in putting it off any longer.
Upon finishing with school, the twins were each offered a place to create a home of their own. Matt had opted to live inside of the castle, keeping his quarters there, and staying close to their father. Eian decided to get a house nearby in the city—just in case. It made sense. If he was supposed to create a family of his own, he'd need more rooms for all of the sons he'd be having. He owned it, he just had to get his handful of things transferred from one location to another. For the first time he and his brother would live more than a door away from the other. The idea scared him.
Eian had a lot of packing to do and a lot to get settled if they had any hope of making the move sooner rather than later. An empty house to decorate and maintain sounded intimidating. Maybe with Camila's help he could make it feel like a real home. He liked the idea of being away from the majority of the family. He liked peace and quiet. The castle was always so busy, especially over the last few years. Someone was always coming or going. More of the brothers decided they'd rather live in the castle and have servants than take care of their own homes. Most of his brothers were also members of the Royal Guard and were actively doing work on the field. There seemed to be a lot more of that too—active field duties. Eian wasn't sure what to make of that either.
Being away from Matt would be difficult. Being away from everyone else would be a lot easier.
He stepped outside.
The streets of Inero City were as busy as ever, as he made his way to the wives' pool. Any member of the Elite who was anyone, spent time there and was one of the few places where men were absolutely forbidden from entering for any reason other than a life or death emergency. While the pool was a part of the castle grounds themselves, it was faster for him to travel outside the walls rather than in. Less kin to talk to, and less random obstacles to dodge. The castle grounds consisted of a forest, the wives' pool, and a collection of all Lord Lynx's many pets. He liked animals from all over the world, especially horses. There were lots of horses. Eian was convinced his father would outlaw cars in favor of horses if vehicles weren't so efficient and handy to have around. That's how much the man loved his horses.
He walked along the sidewalk outside the castle to the end corner of the large black wall surrounding it. There, he turned, and then entered through a smaller gate, nodding at one of his older brothers who stood guard as he did so. One benefit to being the second half of the favorites, was all of the brothers knew who he was. Saved him a lot of time to not grab his credentials to pass through security.
The wives' pool was more like a massive garden. Flowers were everywhere of varying different species and all shapes and colors. Roses were especially plentiful as they were the favorite flower of Lynx's favorite wife.
Here the women spent the day lounging about and gossiping. Some ate and drank, others swam in the luxurious pool, and others read or did art. Eian had only stepped foot inside of the area once. At the time he was a child, so he didn't know any better. Despite the wives having a soft spot for him, his father made sure to instill in him the fear of God so he never made the mistake again.
He waved to a few of his half-brothers and cousins along the way. The population of the city was about fifty/fifty in terms of human to dragon ratio. Most of the humans lived outside of the great city in suburbs or smaller towns. Almost all of the businesses in the city were dragon owned. Having supreme dragon rule helped keep the humans in check and the city functioning effectively. Sometimes, he did wonder how the other nations were so good at allowing the humans wealth without losing control. In Oceina, most of the major corporations were human lead, the Terran went so far as letting the humans govern themselves, and even the Aero let the humans control a number of small businesses. Lynx seemed against the idea for some reason or another.
Father is...Father. Eian shook his head and stopped outside of the wives' pool, reaching for the phone to call from outside of the gate. Essentially, he called a secretary and the secretary sent a messenger to find Camila. Hopefully, she didn't try to leave on her own.
"Are you all right?" Eian asked quietly once she arrived. She seemed fine, but she was difficult to read. Most of the women he interacted with were either fake and shallow, or upfront and to the point. Camila was neither. She thought before she spoke and she always came across as genuine. There was certainly a fire inside of her, it just didn't exist as a constant inferno. Strong enough, all the same, to have him make a note to do his best to not fight with her.
She gazed at him for a moment, as if unsure. "I'm okay," she said at last. "There are so many women here, and they're all city ladies. I guess this sort of thing is normal to them. The other girls kept talking about how it was their dream come true to be taken away from home and be an Elite. They bought the prince line you told me about last night. All of the dragon stuff doesn't faze them in the slightest." She bit her lip. "I still can't believe you're a dragon. I still want more proof, but a lot of them talked about it so openly I can't explain it as a lie anymore. Dragons walking around as humans...I didn't miss this grand revelation being given to the world, did I? Why aren't they shocked? Enraged?"
He had a hard time remembering the normal human population didn't realize the dragons could take on a human form. So much of his time was spent with his own kind. How did he answer her question? Did he even have an answer? Eian stumbled over his words.
"I like to think of myself as more of a human than a dragon," he said at last. "We have certain telling characteristics and once you know them, you will see us everywhere. Gloved hands is one, and if not gloved hands then black nails."
Camila frowned. "I've seen that, but I still—"
"Did my brother say you were chosen for a holy purpose? Called by the dragons? All of that?" he asked. She nodded. He gave her a weak smile. "That's why the other girls don't seem to care. They believe it. The Elite is something they've striven to be in for a long time. You're not like them. I'm guessing you have bigger ambitions."
"Than being Elite? I don't know. Depends on what your definition of ambitious is. I thought I'd get married and live on the farm. Either my parents', or one of my own. Perhaps pursue becoming a doctor for animals."
"You want to be a vet?" he asked, curious and surprised. Living on a farm for the rest of her life, he assumed. A veterinarian he could imagine clearly in his mind's eye. It just wasn't what he'd have picked off the top of his head.
Camila shrugged. "I like animals."
"I do too." Ugh, that sounds so lame. He let out a slow breath, trying again to engage her in some kind of conversation that didn't feel uncomfortable. I want this to go well. "Did you make any friends today?"
She moved in closer to him with a small smile, and he felt as if he had done something right. "Rei, like you suggested. She's nice. She helped me get acquainted with the others. They're a little snotty though, and cliquey. Most of them were already friends." Camila's eyes went wide and then she started to back-peddle. "Not to say Rei was snotty and cliquey. She didn't know anyone else either. Although, she did seem a lot more at ease with the situation. Like she was born to be an Elite. I'm sure she'll make friends a lot faster than I will. I couldn't tell if she liked me or tolerated me because I'm married to you."
Eian liked that she was willing to be open with him. It helped to not have to pry every little detail from her. So far he'd gotten her age and how she liked to drink her tea in the morning. Just the fact that she drank tea instead of coffee in the first place was a huge, telling revelation. When he got her going, it was hard to stop her from talking. Often, he found himself listening to her random stories and outpouring of questions or feelings. He didn't know what to think of those either.
"I'm sure she likes you just fine. She might not know how to react to you. You're very...not from the city. From what I know of Rei, she grew up in the slum on the west side. Two different worlds. Being an Elite was the best thing that could have happened to her." He frowned, wishing he had another way to explain her situation since his words probably came off as callous, or maybe even bitter. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you make some great friends. In fact, I know someone you'll get along with besides Rei and once you make this connection, no one will be snobby or cliquey to you ever again. They'll all want to be your new best friend."
He wasn't lying in the slightest. One of the perks to being the favorite of the wives, was he had the ins on all of their personalities, so he could use that information to steer her to someone compatible with her own. Rei sounded amazing—for Matt. Her being from a different world was not an exaggeration. The way Matt spoke about her, she seemed to be as opposite of Camila as could be humanly possible.
"It's sweet of you to look out for me like this," she admitted softly.
"I want to make sure you're comfortable, given the circumstances. Maybe after things settle, we can visit your family briefly."
A faint blush spread over her cheeks, though he wasn't sure why. "I'd like that. They'd appreciate knowing I'm in good hands. I'm sure they're already proud I've been chosen to be an Elite, no matter how much they miss me."
"I'm sure they are as well," he said confidently. He couldn't guarantee frequent visits back home, but one or two wouldn't hurt. "There are rules about seeing your family, of course. For now, it's okay. If we ever...um..." He shook his head and tried a different approach. "Because dragons age differently, our wives do too. It's how we're able to keep mates for life. Eventually, you'll have to stop seeing them as much because they will grow old and you won't." Assuming she ever accepts me and we actually mate. Eian cleared his throat. "I'm glad you feel you're in good hands. I know we still have a lot to talk about. Like what happens now. We have a few options. One of which is getting our own house and continuing to work on bonding."
She grumbled quietly under her breath. Out of courtesy to her, he didn't try to decipher it. If she wanted him to know, she would have said so. After a moment, she did speak again, though not as aggressively. "A house sounds good. The castle is dark and creepy, and I remember what you said about being watched. I'm guessing that's why we're taking the long way around the city instead of heading straight back for the bedroom."
"One reason," he said, glad he didn't have to explain why they were walking in circles around the block.
Camila let out a sour laugh. "Bonding. What if I'm never okay with this arrangement?"
"It's better to cooperate," he whispered, not wanting to answer her question flat out. I don't want to think about it. We have a year.
"I'm smart enough to know I can't run away right now," she said with a shrug.
"Hopefully you'll never have to," he whispered. Louder, "I mean, our whole relationship at this point is mostly for show. If we can keep it believable, no one should give us any problems."
"Pretend I love you, basically?"
He shook his head. "Most of my kin don't believe in one true love. You can probably get away with simply liking me." He flashed her a bright smile, showing he was only being playful. She actually laughed.
"You haven't given me a reason to not like you yet, so I think I can put on a genuine performance." Camila paused. "I shouldn't expect for me to ever be able to leave here. Should I?"
"We'd have to divorce," he explained, and lowered his voice as they passed a small group of people. "Which I'd do if you were truly miserable with me. That's not a good option at the moment." Even then, she probably wouldn't be allowed to go home. He didn't want to break that news to her just yet.
"It's not safe now."
"No, far from it," he said. He didn't want to scare her by going into details, but he also wanted to be honest with her. "If I let you go now, you'd most likely be taken and recycled to another of my brothers. Our relationship isn't considered official until we consummate it. I can't let them think you displease me, or they'll give you away to another. Clearly, that would be an awful thing to happen. Whoever might get you next will probably not be so considerate or respectful of your hesitations. I'm going to have to do some research and figure out all of the loopholes. Hopefully, one can be found that we can use should we need to."
"You haven't let me down yet," she said quietly.
He turned down the street, taking her in a new direction than their current circle around the block. On their new route was a row of mansions. "Want to see where we're going to be living?"
"Okay," she said, her voice shaking.
Am I that scary? He tried to not show his disappointment. When they reached their destination, he tugged on her arm, signaling her to stop.
Her eyes widened at the sight of the stucco and brick mansion with the red shingle roof. "It's huge!"
Eian laughed and unlocked the door for the fourth time since he'd purchased it. The first time he did just because he could. After that, he'd gone a couple more times so he could escape castle life for a handful of moments. "One of the advantages to being one of Father's favorites. He makes sure we're taken care of. There are six bedrooms, and you can pick whichever one you like the most. In fact, we can do what you want with the place because I have no idea how to decorate."
She nodded, stepping inside and taking in the sight of the massive entryway. A staircase spiraled up and around a crystal chandelier. Tiny lights reflected off of the black tiled floor. Camila glanced back at him, her eyes lit up with excitement and a smile on her lips.
"Go ahead," he said with a small wave and a nod. "I'm going to start unpacking the boxes delivered today. Decided to order some stuff for the kitchen this morning after I dropped you off. Not sure how well I did, but if you want, you can help me sort through it." He felt his cheeks grow hot. "Probably doesn't come as much of a surprise that I'm clueless on what goes where. I might have ordered one of everything."
Camila shook her head. "Oh, boy. We're going to be in trouble. If you were expecting a wife who can cook and clean and keep house, you're going to be disappointed."
"You're far from disappointing," he said honestly. "We'll just have to figure it out together." Their gazes met and they shared a smile. "By the time we finish, it'll be lunch. We can discuss everything more thoroughly then. And if you want to find a room and rest instead of help, that's fine too." He figured she was tired. If he was exhausted, she was no doubt doubly so.
She traced a finger over her chin. "I'll think about it."
Nodding, his gaze never left her as she ran up the stairs to go and explore. It put him at ease to see her no longer as afraid, and even more so to have her trust him. Trust was how he planned to win her over, even if they only remained good friends. He meant it when he said he wasn't ready for a relationship. Friends seemed like the best spot to build a foundation for whatever they would eventually become. They were stuck with each other for the time being, and he had one year to decide if she was the one. If by the end of that year the two still hadn't mated, he would be forced to pick another bride.
Again, he didn't want to scare her. She didn't need to know—not yet. Hopefully by the time the year passed he would know what to do. Or they would naturally fall in love. The only thing that mattered was that she was safe, and they could both be happy.