"A month?" Dante asked in shock. "Etiquette dictates that a notice of one month minimum is required when inviting guests to a gathering! We havent sent out the invitations." Dante said looking directly at his father.
A loud bang of a hand on the table. Sent a vibrations down the table. The decorative metal trembled like it knew fear, and maybe it did for all I knew. Dante turned his face to look directly infront of him instead of at his father.
"That's why you will be delivering them tonight." The high lord growled with a steely glare. I cowered lower half hidden by the table. His stare wasnt directed at me but I still felt an aura of animosity radiating from the head of the table.
I didnt understand why the date would be moved up but it felt like a bad situation. I looked at Cerastes and scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. He looked down at me out of the corner of one eye and shook his head. No questions, not right now.
"I've already written up the notices. I doubt they will have any clan will have an event that takes priority over this one. You'll personally deliver the notices tonight." The high lord Kavern ordered. "Consider it a punishment for not being able to keep Talon in line."
"And you." The high lord notched his head to Cerastes. "That ones identity will be concealed until the feast. We'll reveal it after Vihars presentation."
"Yes." Cerastes nodded in agreement.
.....
"This character makes the 'sss' sound. You write it like this." Cerastes scratched the paper with a clawed nail. Vihar sat in his lap he had dipped each of his nails in the ink flexing them and dripping small blobs when he scratched through the paper.
"Is he old enough for this? I dont think he will remember it." I said sitting on the edge of the desk as they worked on Vihars education. "Hes only a couple weeks old he doesnt even know what were saying."
"Dragons can remember things from the time they are born and our language is known from birth. As long as I say it in the first language he will understand." Cerastes said holding Vihars hand to the paper delicately to prevent him from gouging through the paper again.
"Do you have memorys from when you were that small?" I leaned in closer watching Vihars wiggly characters form on the paper next to Cerastes's neat ones.
"I'm a dragon of course I do." He spoke with a annoyed tone.
"You know i didnt mean anything by it. I know your a dragon." I soothed him. "I dont have memories from when I was that little. Maybe I should try talking to him in your language."
"Its not something that can be easily taught." He replied.
"Your teaching him to read and write right now. It's not like I cant understand when you speak it but it just becomes automatically translated. I just dont know how to put those words out."
"The first language is just something I know. The character alphabet was an invention. You arient born knowing it. The first language is a living thing that lives in you. I cant tear of a piece and give it to you." He said cleaning of Vihars claws with a rag.
"I want to talk to Vihar to. Just teach me the important things." I scooted closer.
He sighed. "What are the important things?" He said putting Vihar down to prevent him from reaching the ink. He closed the little semi clear bottle of black ink and locked it in his desk.
"You know the important things like, are you hungry, or are you thirsty, and I love you." I replied scratching the outside of my thigh.
"He will just come to your breast if hes hungry or thirsty theres no need to ask him." He said standing up.
"Then just the 'I love you' one." I affirmed.
"I love you." He answered in the first language.
"No break up each word in to little pieces. It just comes through as the 'I love you' when you say it like that." I put my ear facing the direction of his mouth and framed my ears by cupping my hands to catch each piece of the sound.
"Sssssz. Er.ettt.le.K" he slowed the word down.
"Ssszerettleak" I repeated.
"Lek." he announciated.
"Sseretlek." I repeated
"The first part makes the "tsz" sound" he said pinching the corners of my mouth together between his two pale fingers. "But your pronunciation is comprehensible." He nodded releasing my mouth.
Vihar scrambled about the office. He jumped on the mostly empty shelves and skittered about much like the cat Ann had first brought when she joined the family. Maple hated that cat, I laughed to myself. She acted so supportive when Ann grieved it but I had never seen her so happy to dig a whole in my life.
She would have liked Vihar. Maybe not near her pottery but she would have liked him. The memory of the nightmare began to creep up in the back of my mind and I shook my head quickly as if to shake it out of my mind.
"Two more weeks till Vihars party." I said attempting to distracte myself from my thoughts. I watched the daredevil bound over the book cases. "Do you think we will have another family dinner before the event?"
A low growl of displeasure erupted from Cerastes chest and he flicked his tail in agitation.
"Ooooh it wasnt that bad, I thought It went pretty well. I think your father is starting to come around to me." I said with a pleased grin.
He scoffed. "What could possibly give you that idea?" He loomed over me.
"He invited me to eat at his table and he obviously loves Vihar. He didnt even scold me when Vihar acted up at the table." I listed off all the reasons I could think of, counting on my fingers.
He wiped his hand over his face he took a deep breath and launched onto his rant. "The high lord is not a misunderstood, doting grandfather, who adores his family... No. He's a beast. His greed is only eclipsed by his pride and the only things that are allowed to thrive are things that serve him. In his eyes, humans are food at worst and trained pets at best.
You had a seat at his table because you were Vihars seat.
He fed you because that food would become Vihars food.
He only loves what Vihar can do for him and his reputation." Cerastes placed his hand on both sides of me. "Dont waste your time wishing for the day you would have his approval because it wont come. Believe me. Tell me that you understand." He ordered.
I swallowed."I understand." I said leaning away.
"Good." He said patting my head. He stood back up to his full height. "Time for Vihar to sleep. Vihar come!"
I slight squeal was released a moment before Vihar dive bombed Cerastes shoulder. He scratched and griped Cerastes shoulder untill he could sit comfortably there.
Vihars bed time routine was easy. Every night he climbs into bed on his own. He eats well and falls asleep on his tummy. If he had been a human baby I would have had to make sure he slept on his back so he wouldnt stop breathing in the night but for a dragon sleeping on wings could cause them to grow wrong and sleeping on your tail would be uncomfortable.
He was always a wild thing when he was awake but when he sleeps hes terribly sweet. His tiny snores are so cute I wish I could bottle them for later and his smell. I liked it so much I could lay next to him for an hour just breathing him In and rubbing my face on the soft hair on his head.
Cerastes said he remembered things from this age. Will Vihar remember this as well. Every bath, every meal, and all the words i spoke that he wont be able to understand.
"Husband?" I said quietly.
"Hmm." He grunted out.
"What was your mother like?" I asked.
He didnt respond. Was he already asleep or was the question to bothersome.
"She was a dragoness from the Desert clan."
"The same ones who sent that fabric mountain?" I asked thinking about the gift that had been in the first room.
"The same." He answered.
"Are you close with anyone from your mothers side of the family?" I became curious.
"No. In Desert clans mind the Green Mountain clan did not take proper care of their female. She was on a visit when she died."
"Wouldn't they have taken you since children are so precious?"
"She was unmated and on a visit. The rules are if the hatchling is male it will stay with the fathers clan, girls will go back to their mothers clan. If shes mated before the egg hatches all will live in the fathers clan and there names will be added to the family register. Of course the mating ceremony would have to be successful." He explained.
" That's were you went when Vihar was born." I remembered.
"Yes to add his name in the mountains heart." He agreed.
"For turning the lights up and the heating up the bath." I pointed at the ceiling.
"It does those things, but it's more than that. The mountain is a living being by carving our names into it we become part of it."
As if the mountain heard him speaking a tremor passed through the mountain I pulled Vihar to me and grabbed Cerastes.
"Is the mountain going to collapse? Maybe we should go outside!" I suggested.
"Its nothing, the Great Wyrm is burrowing. Lay down and go to sleep." He said pulling my wrist.
"What's a Great Wyrm?!?" I asked.
"Its a story for hatchlings." He patted.
I snorted at him and put Vihar back in the middle of the bed but I was suspicious of the ceiling. There wasn't a single crack but that didnt mean it couldnt collapse at any moment.
"Hey husband, what's the dragon mating ceremony like?" I asked.
"Two partners fly high into the sky the mate while falling. Provided they dont both die or seperate on the way down, the mating is valid." He said in an exhausted tone.
"Huh, neat. I think I still prefer bonding, less life threatening and heights. You know I still want to go outside soon, Vihars never been outside and it's been ages since I saw something other than the inside of a cave." I rambled on.
"Later, well go later." He yawned exposing his sharper back teeth.
"You mean it?" I asked.
"Mhh." He grunted back.
"Hey husband." I said.
"Whhat!?" He snapped.
"Ssszeretlek." I said quietly.
He didnt respond but I knew he could hear me. After a brief pause I heard a slight grumbling purr in response.
I knew he was pleased even when he didnt say it. Nothing can be kept secret between bonded pairs.