Episode 125: Start of the Festival (Meldrick)

The festival, through Aadya’s eyes, was an intense place of wonder. It was something he missed about having her beside him. Still, she was present and near. Her opening speech was delivered with the same poise as other years, but with more hope instilled words about the future and the upcoming harvest.

Working together had been a combination of ease and cold, since they had divorced. He had not seen an Aadya that was glowed as much as she did with Greg. In the early days, she did. Most of their years together she had been without such spark.

He’d thought she was happy. The past fifteen years sprawled out behind them. They were years full of love and joy and the occasional glow, in the privacy of their own room. It was hard to imagine, two weeks prior, being the man she nestled against overnight.

It was hard to look back, too, because he had Giana beside him tonight. She was stunning in her tight green dress that flowed down her curves. She was someone he didn’t see secrets in.

In so many ways Aadya needed the split, but as he drew closer to Giana he saw his own need for something whole. He saw his own need to be free of what they tried to have.

He kissed Giana on the temple as they left the staged area, “Have I told you, you’re gorgeous?”

“At least half as many times as you should.” She pulled him to a stop and turned him to face her. He followed her guide and returned the soft kiss saved for the privacy of being more alone. “You’re not as hideous as I thought,” she teased, her hand running down his white Alandrial skin.

There were so many moments when he had wished for this. He kissed her, her lips and tongue warm against his own. Then he held her close and whispered. “I love you, Gi.”

He took her hand and began to lead her to the party. “I’m glad we don’t match quite as obviously as them.”

Her dress was a bright green, with green and golden flowers. He wore a cream tunic with golden accents. They matched, but in a more complex and subtle way. Aadya wore a blue dress with a sparkling silver bodice. The top detracted from her growing belly, but he had already heard people talking of the babies and their divorce.

As much as it disappointed him, it wasn’t his doing; a trip to the barn, two pink eggs, had confirmed she carried Nell’s children.

“Coordinating is better than matching,” Gi pointed out.

“Do you think she realizes the statement they’re making?”

Of course she did; Aadya was deliberate in most, if not all, of her actions. Taking the man in had bewildered Mel.

“Temporary, wedding tomorrow?” Gi sighed. “Perhaps she knows something we don’t.”

The only thing that would push Aadya to trust someone so blindly, as a person whose trust was hard won, was Apa and a mate for her.

“Want to check?”

“Can we slip away?” Gi pulled at him, toward the barn, before he could reply.

“Of course we can,” he replied. He met her stride and the two snuck off toward the dragon barn.

If Greg had a dragon… perhaps there was one for Giana. He brushed the thought away; it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t let dragons dictate his choice. He was curious, after seeing Greg next to Aadya, how Gi was handling the adjustment. Greg seemed confident and out of his element, Gi had been here for years.

“How are you feeling, being so public about our relationship?” Mel asked.

“Good. Is it difficult, for you?”

“A little. There are things I miss,” he admitted. He wasn’t sure he should talk about that, but it was true. “We’ll find an easier pattern to working together I think. There is less baggage this way.”

Her hand squeezed his, and even without looking he knew she was giving him the same reassuring smile she had always offered when Aadya came up.

“Hard is normal. It has been what, three days? Four?”

Since the divorce, perhaps. His time with Giana had led him to the conclusion that in some way Aadya had lost too much to offer love openly. She was too afraid and reserved, or too burdened by their past.

“A lifetime. When she was with Ravi, a slave, I should have known we had passed the point of ever being what we were. It was always against her will after that: varying forms of coercion.”

“That’s the most difficult place to be.” She wove their hands together and leaned against him as they walked. The affection, most notably around others, was something he had never experienced before. It was in some ways a difficult adjustment, in others it was comforting. No one would question where he stood, and he didn’t need to explain it as thoroughly. Gi was his.

“I loathed knowing Viggo would be – was – happier elsewhere,” she continued.

He agreed, though he had loved her long enough for it to be less loathing and more of a general challenge. To not be what someone needed, after being that for so long, after having it taken away from you so completely by someone you should have been able to trust (at least, from the example other women in his life led, mother’s were trustworthy figures), was difficult. It was also reality, and he was not one to let reality be clouded by desire.

“Regardless,” he kissed on her head. “I’m happier.”

“Me too,” she replied.

They were in the barn now, their conversation having carried them across over a quarter mile across the grounds.

When Aadya had first suggested the plans for the palace he had told her she was crazy. Now that it existed, and he could see her mind at work, it made it easier to understand what his mother had done to her.

So much of the grounds resembled the lower levels of the palace they had both called home. Other parts resembled the sea kingdom, from what he had heard.

And even still, some parts he suspected were contributed by his brother. The modernization, at minimum. The lavishness.

The church was all Aadya.

The dragon barn was all Nell.

They walked toward Apa’s stall, but she was missing. They shared a grin and she kissed him once before they continued weaving through the barn – one stall over. There, they found Apa nestled with a large silver dragon.

“Look at that,” he said, at a loss for other words that could encompass how he felt. It was bitter, but it was good for her. He wanted good, for her.

Giana exhaled, then hugged Mel as she let her mind gather its thoughts. As he did, he thought more about Aadya.

He wanted good for himself too, and he didn’t want a dragon to get in the way of that. Her, though, he suspected needed the push. He nudged the silver dragon with his mind and encouraged him, and Apa, to make an appearance at the festival. A few minutes from their departure would do.

He promised it was the right thing to do, but they didn’t need the encouragement. Calamity, in her pink sleek form, came walking from her own stall toward theirs. She turned and nestled around the eggs.

“They dressed up as dragons,” Gi said with a laugh.

Mel turned to face her, as he reimagined their clothes.

“So they did,” he replied. Aadya was too smug to not deserve the two dragons parading their intimacy. “Have you talked to her since?”

“I need to,” Giana said, empty of all desire to do so. “Indigo did, but they’ve always been close.”

Aadya had always been close to Giana, since the day they had met. He wished the two would reconcile within the decade, though he wasn’t sure either would get there. It reminded him of Acheron and Talise, in some ways.

“You should,” he pushed. Then he let it go, because most people didn’t work well under the constant pressure of suggestion. Instead, he focused on her body in the tight silken fabric.

“I was wondering something,” he said.

“Yes?”

“Would you have worn a dress like this in Denmark?”

From what he knew about her time in Denmark, her youth, she had never done anything daring. The dress was a statement piece and as they walked toward the festival, all passing eyes were caught on her for a moment.

It was almost too much to have lucked into, being with two beautiful women and spending no time alone or apart. Aadya had been single for a week. He worried that Greg might be something she jumped into without thought.

Now, with the dragon, he just wanted to ensure she stayed happy – glowing.

It wasn’t his responsibility to, he reminded himself. His responsibility was in his hands.

“And scandalized my mother?” she replied.

He let his body sway into hers as they walked, then, because he had touched her, he spun her against his chest. “You look stunning.” His lips met hers.” Absolutely stunning.”

Her skin warmed beneath him and she swallowed, in the way she always did before something more than she was expecting happened. “And you.”

And just like that, he was over the festival.

“Should we return to the festival?” he asked.

If she decided, he wouldn’t feel guilty about leaving.

If she chose to stay, he knew he was being over needy.

“We ought to,” she decided.

The pair moved through the crowds and greeted the various guests that had come from all parts of the Dells. Originally, Aadya was supposed to represent the Upper Dell more, as Drey’s widowed wife. Meldrick had the closer ties to the Lower Dell. He suspected the problem, Ionia rising to power, stemmed from the way he got along with Upper Dell villagers more than Lower Dell. To the Lower Dell he was the prince that had neglected them, the Prince that hated them, the Broken-Toe-Prince. It would take time to repair that image.

The conversation flowed well, and Giana was a natural at this sort of thing. Finally, Aadya came into view. He had worked his mind through things, and settled on wanting to propose to Giana before either had a chance to find out if she had a dragon in the barn.

“Do you think she told him?” Giana asked.

Meldrick looked around, and followed her gaze to Aadya. The dragons must have been the subject matter for her too. Mel wondered how desperately she had wanted to see if she had a dragon, how disappointed she might feel that he had guided her away from that exploration.

They had just started dating; he didn’t want to rush things or move too slowly. They had been seeing each other for tea daily for years.

The balance between his feelings wore on him. Aadya was moving at an exceptional pace with her newfound interest.

“Maybe I should go see how our guest is?” Mel mused. The tea-napper could use a bit of feather ruffling in exchange for the previous evening, and sleeping with his pregnant ex-wife.

Nell, Nell needed to ruffle his feathers most thoroughly. Mel wanted his shot first, though.

“Will you be alright for a little?” he asked.

Gi grinned. “Try not to hurt him.

“I will try my hardest,” he said with the conviction of a liar. He didn’t intend to hurt the man, though. He wanted him to feel ruffled but to know that Mel would not stand in his way. With Aadya. Unless he hurt her, then he would become an impenetrable wall of protection.

While he was planning how best to prevent his target from ever touching his ex-wife again, Giana laughed and kissed him. She wandered off into the crowd without another word and Mel watched her sway as she moved.

He would never get enough of knowing he got to undress her at home. Not just her body but her mind; each layer was folded neatly atop the next in an intricate pattern he wanted to know everything about.

Two years had taught him most of what he needed to know on the surface, but being allowed closer to her, to be intimate with her, was exciting and revealing new layers to her personality.

Mel switched his attention. The dragons had begun circling the field, their bodies casting shadows across the ground.

He would need to make his point soon. Gi would be there when he was done, and he would enjoy her all night.

He made his way to the man he wished didn’t exist. He was already speaking with a young man, by the name of Drey. This particular Drey ran a wheat farm in the Upper Dell. He had immigrated from a large family, that had somehow managed to keep a dozen members alive through the war and survive to make more. Most of the land in the Upper Dell was dense woodland, but he had found one of the areas toward the west where the trees thinned and wheat thrived.

“Will they be heirs to the kingdom?” Drey asked.

“Of course they will be. We need heirs, and these babies wi-” He would need Zero’s help with some form of help adjusting to the sound of the man’s voice. It was too nice; too permanent. So would Drey, it seemed, because he interrupted Aadya’s date.

Good man, Meldrick thought.

Drey frowned. “So the wedding will be a closed ceremony?”

Meldrick laughed under his breath. This was a conversation he was glad he hadn’t missed.

The man leaned closer to Drey, and all but whispered, “She hasn’t actually said yes, yet. I’m working on it. How is your family?” He extended his hand to Drey. “I’m Greg.”

“I’m -” Drey began, but Meldrick moved toward his future king consort of some sort, he assumed, and put his arm around him. “Welcome to the festival, Drey.”

“Thank you for having us,” Drey replied. “My family is well.”

“Did Greg here tell you about his dragon?” Mel asked.

Drey’s eyes widened. He hated other people being called Drey. He would have hated others being Meldrick more.

“He hasn’t,” Drey said, his eyes appraising Greg more thoroughly. “You have a dragon?”

Greg hesitated. “Yes. It’s silver.”

“What magic is that?” Drey asked.

Too nosey. Mel hated nosey villagers that wanted information. What did it matter what sort of magic produced a silver dragon.

“A combination,” Mel replied for Greg. “A unique expression. He has fire and water of course,” Mel added. He had to, or else there would be talk. Then, he tried to move the man along, “We hope you enjoy the festival.”

“You as well,” Drey said with a nod. “It was nice to meet you, Greg.”

Greg smiled back, like a suck up, “It was nice to meet you too. Take care.”

Maybe Meldrick was being too hard on him, but he had taken Aadya.

Aadya was elsewhere, so he hadn’t really taken her. It felt like an affront in ways, though.

Drey left their now group of two, and Meldrick led Greg away from a few listening ears toward a table with drinks. “So she told you. Interesting.”

“Told me what?”

“About the dragon.”

“I can’t borrow something if I don’t know it’s on loan.”

Well, he had messed that up for Aadya. Time to rebound a little. Or mess it up more, since the secret had already been half given. Maybe Greg would be smart and not tell Aadya he knew, so Aadya wouldn’t come yell at him for spilling whatever reason she had decided to sort of tell him but not entirely tell him.

“He’s Apa’s mate,” Mel started. “I thought she would have told you that amusing detail about your loan. It makes a good show, matches your outfits…”

On cue, the two dragons landed in the field and began walking, side by side and too affectionate to be mistaken as just two dragons out for a stroll. Not only did they do their part, but eyes began to move between Aadya and Greg.

He meant to encourage their relationship, it was definitely his goal.

“I thought the big red was the mate,” Greg refuted. “For Drey the original.”

“The pink one is his mate,” Mel stated.

“I think it’s Drey’s dragon, for when he gets back.”

“He can’t come back. It’s impossible without a body.”

Or so Mel thought, because next Greg said, “Aadya and someone who wasn’t at breakfast think otherwise.”

Perhaps Aadya was keeping some secrets, but Greg could be wrong. Mel would seek out Shea for these answers, someone neutral.

“What do you think?” he prodded.

For all he knew Aadya was deflecting any hint of feelings.

As they stood there, Greg tracked the two dragons as the silver one nuzzled Apa.

“He’s been dead a long time,” Greg said. “No body. I think, wishful thinking. Probably psychological defense mechanism against attaching to anyone else.”

Greg was still watching the dragons. The dragons were still being matey and affectionate.

“Enjoy your loan,” Mel said with a small grin. He had ruffled something. Aadya settled would help with distance, with moving on.

He returned to Gi’s side, his future. Aadya had said to move on and try. He had imagined returning to her some day, possibly in a long time. He had always hoped their dragons had mated. Now, Gi was his future.

It wasn’t just because of the dragon; the dragon was a reminder to stop looking back. He loved Giana. He found her mind to be an endless weave of intrigue, her playfulness more subtle and enticing than Aadya’s aggressive sideways.

It wasn’t even a comparison though. They were uniquely different women. He had done, for Aadya, everything and more.

Gi was his future.

He stepped behind her and kissed her neck. “I had too much fun with that. He doesn’t know.”

She spun into his arms, “Is he physically intact?”

“He is,” Mel confirmed. “His mind may run away from him.”

Her laughter filled him. “How so? And did you learn anything?”

He watched Greg move toward Aadya, weaving his way through various comments and fingers pointing to the dragons.

“Not yet,” he replied. He took a sip of her drink while she was focused elsewhere then kissed her, to share the taste.

She laughed against his lips, the vibrations send a shrill of excitement through him.

“He likes her, but I should talk to Shea.”

“She will know more about him?” Gi agreed.

He didn’t want to talk about Drey here, with wandering ears. “And about something else.” He moved her toward their table, where she could set the glass down and they could take a bite of food without raising any questions.

“I’ll tell you if it becomes relevant. Unless you like mysteries,” he added.

Her eyebrow raised, “Mystery?”

Mel ran his hand down, from her eyebrow to the bottom of her cheek, then kissed her. “Aadya told him Drey is coming back.”

She was speechless, so he added, “Is she lying to protect herself or do you think she believes it?”

“You should talk to Shea. Either way, I think she wants to believe it.”

“And Aadya,” he added before he kissed her. It was part of his duty and desire to rule together, with precision and focus and shared information. She didn’t have to go to Nivern, though. And if she were ill… most likely it was a cover but he would ask if she was being messed with.

“Would you like to see Nivern tonight?” he asked Gi. “After the evening has calmed?”

A smile spread across her face. Including Gi was important too, she would be part of his work now.

“I would love to,” she replied. She reached for his hand and watched their fingers as they laced together. “Would you like to dance again?”

“With you? Always.”

It was their second night dancing together, their second night of public togetherness. He embraced it, and every glance that was stolen to them.

Soon, they would see Nivern. Soon, he would get to know Greg. Soon could wait while he courted his love.

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