The Dragons Mark

Chapter 25: The Beginning of Forever

     Teal awakened feeling rested and peaceful, she sat up looking around the room as the sun streamed in. A beautiful clear sunny day, the first in a while. She felt a hand on her back and turned to see Xerus smiling at her with Nyala cuddled against his back still snoring.

"How are you?" Xerus asked

"Happy, I think." She wondered "is it okay to be happy when things are still... wrong?" She frowned."Is it wrong to believe in happily ever after?"

"To the first question; Yes, it is okay to be happy." Xerus pulled her into his arms. "As for the second question; Happily ever after is what happens when you decide to spend forever fighting the fires of life with the one or two you love." He winked

She raised an eyebrow at him "when did you get philosophical..."

"Don't tell Nyala, we've argued about the concept of happily ever after before and that was what she said." He kissed her forehead "I didn't understand it until I met you."

"Is our family going to be as fucked up as mine was."

"I doubt it, but hey it would be fun."

"Life was never fun..." she smirked "until you tried to eat me."

"Do you blame me, you are tasty" he smiled "I had you for dessert last night...and again tonight and tomorrow night,"

She giggled "no offense but you dragon tongue is better than your human one."

"Yes," He celebrated quietly to not wake up Nyala. "I will enjoy dessert tonight. Just keep in mind that means dinner is going to be extra large too."

"Who in there right mind would push you away," she nuzzled him "I can't imagine life without you and Nyala. It's hard to imagine anyone wanting to leave you." She grimaced "but people did... I can't totally see why they would leave me."

"Someday soon I will make sure you can no longer see that." He kissed her deeply "I wish you could see yourself the way we do."

       "How do you see me that's different," she laughed "as if I have done anything grand or important."

       "Teal, you softened one of the most dangerous members of my species, you won the heart of the Queen...something many have been eaten for attempting I might add. Plus you gained the title of Queen for yourself in the process."

       She stifled a laugh "I just realized something,"

       "What." Xerus wondered if he should ask that or not.

      "I tease you for playing with your food but in reality you don't play with it, you mate with it, dress it in pretty clothes, tattoo it & call your Queen."

        Xerus smirked "I have no words right now," he laughed and burrowed his head in her neck. "Is this what it's like trying to hold a conversation with me?"

       "Usually" she giggled "but seriously, when I look back Xerus I do see it. I see the changes I have brought about. I know I have saved lives by getting your people to fight back... but when you did, they fought harder and more lives were lost."

      "That wasn't your choice to feel bad about." He nuzzled her "they chose to do that, to end all those lives for no reason other than the fact that they lost." He remembered the details of the attacks that he looked up. They had gone for the kill, end as many lives as possible. To them it didn't matter that they were their own allies, they were looking for a body count.

       "Jonquil, & Babiana now have a baby as well as dragons ready to as you put it just give them a baby nothing more." He kissed her as she smiled over that one "Sage is pregnant, Nyala's heir is growing beautifully, something that all dragons are celebrating."