“It would also remind other elves of the connection you have to me. I like it, but I must insist that none of you pay anything to me for it. It costs me nothing to shed it.”
“I’ve paid you for it,” Tiri said. “I wasn’t sure what to reimburse your account for, so I took the average price of dragonskin and added ten percent since it’s one of a kind.”
Ellery leveled an annoyed stare at his best friend. “You did that without my knowledge. I have not looked at my account since before I came to D’Vaire.”
“This way you’re earning something of your own,” Tiri argued.
“Good luck fighting with him,” Zane muttered.
“I believe that is a fair price,” Kalthekor said. “If you’ll accept those terms, we’d love to have exclusive access.”
Annoyed that he couldn’t just give them the dragonskin, Ellery refused to let anything spoil the success of this important meeting. “Fine. We can draw up contracts, so we have it in writing.”
“The Royal Duke and I will begin work on that as soon as we finish the petitions to add you all to the Council of Sorcery and Shifters,” Zane promised.
Ellery thanked the chieftains for joining him again; then the meeting was adjourned with promises that they would get together soon. It was his hope that he was able to make good friends of the men he’d just met, and Ellery was beyond excited that they’d agreed to everything. Once the Grand Warlock teleported them home, Ellery raced to find Chrysander so he could share his success.
Chapter 35
Nearly a year had passed since Chrysander’s world was upended, and he almost lost his mate to his dragon. A few weeks before, Ellery had been given an infusion that had lasted close to a month. He’d had a second one the previous day, and all day long he was ill. When he was actually awake, it was a misery of vomiting and dizziness, but he’d woken in the morning with nothing left but some residual tiredness. Sorcery D’Vaire had accomplished what most thought couldn’t be done, and though no one would be truly thrilled until there was a cure, it was time to take their lives off hold.
Ellery and Chrysander needed to return to running the Council full-time and while they were both happy to resume their duties, it would be sad to leave D’Vaire. The incredible house Aleksander built somehow managed to seep into the bones of everyone who visited, and they would return, even if there was a point in the future when he no longer needed treatments. Until then, there would be a weekend set aside to administer the potions he needed to be an elf, and the Draconis family would enjoy the company of the D’Vaires.
And Ellery had other goals to accomplish at Aleksander’s home; he hadn’t been content only to watch the sentinels train. The hybrid had daggers made in white, gold, and black, and with the help of the D’Vaire sentinels was learning how to defend himself. With his flexibility and determination, he was finding it easy to wield his new weapons that he planned to carry in the lining of his cloak.
“Your Majesty, would you please come with me?” Aleksander asked from behind him.
Chrysander’s brow creased. “Why are we back to formalities?”
“Just come on, we need you in the Duke’s Den.”
There was no urgency in Aleksander’s voice, so Chrysander found no reason to panic. He simply followed King D’Vaire into the house and to the room in question. Aleksander opened the door and waved Chrysander inside.
“Get changed. Meet us outside,” Aleksander ordered, then disappeared after shutting Chrysander into the Duke’s Den.
“Weird,” Chrysander muttered. He glanced around to see what exactly he was supposed to be changing into, and he grinned when his eyes landed on a long cloak in black-and-white dragonskin embellished with gold beads. Under it was an elven-style sleeveless tunic and pants in the same color combination and lavishly decorated. That outfit could only mean one thing—the D’Vaires had decided to give them another mating ceremony. Chrysander didn’t need a reminder of his commitment, but it would please Ellery to have it here at the place he loved so much instead of the hotel Wesley selected where they first made their promises.
Not wasting any more time, Chrysander disrobed and pulled on the ensemble. Once he was dressed, he opened the door and found his twin standing there in Elvish attire. Damian grinned and handed him a floral coronet.
“Elf beat you, he’s already outside,” Damian revealed as Chrysander plunked the flowers onto his head.
“Well, what are we waiting for?”
They didn’t waste any more time with words. Chrysander strode through the house and when he opened the door, all he could do was smile. It had taken a lot of magic to change the backyard in the short time he was inside. It was awash with swags of dragonskin and there were flowers everywhere, including petals strewn under the feet of the unbelievably beautiful hybrid who Fate matched him with. His eyes didn’t leave Ellery’s as Chrysander strolled toward him. When he got close, he could see unshed tears in those cracked gold-and-green orbs, though they were ones of happiness.
“Your Majesties, please let me know when you are ready to proceed,” Aleksander stated from in front of them.
“How in the world did you get dressed so fast?” Chrysander asked, momentarily distracted from the splendor of this gift the D’Vaires were giving them. He reached out and grasped Ellery’s hands in his. His other half laced their fingers together.
“I had some magical help. Ready?”
“Ell?”
“I feel like I have waited forever for today,” was Ellery’s watery reply.
Chrysander winked at Ellery as Aleksander spoke. “Ladies and gentlemen, along with the Imperial Duke, Ducblanc, Ducblanc-mate, and the Royal Duke, the D’Vaire family decided that Their Majesties deserved a moment to celebrate the extraordinary love which has helped them through this past year of not just turmoil but unbelievable strength. Since we anticipated their objection to any special treatment, we had no choice but to surprise them. This is not a mating ceremony but a renewing of the promises they made to each other over a year ago.
“His Majesty, Emperor Chrysander Draconis, speaks of legends often. When Fate picked him to take over after the deaths of our former rulers, he decided to make the story of Drystan and Conley one that was impossible to forget. He celebrated their love and their accomplishments while playing down his own great undertakings. When his mate made history, it was Emperor Chrysander who once again rejoiced in his feat and turned him into an icon. What Emperor Chrysander has never done is speak of himself in that light. So, I will take that opportunity today. His Majesty has spent over six hundred years bringing an unimagined level of prosperity to dragonkind. For the last two centuries, he has dutifully tended and grown the Council of Sorcery and Shifters, enriching the lives of all those within.
