Trinket (Reverse Harem)

Part 134 (I've run out of titles)

"It's fine," Korr assured him kindly. "Itek, take Theia down to Ormiss' side. We'll follow."

Itek shifted for me, and fortunately just glided the short distance to Ormiss' side, which did not result in me screaming like an undignified fool. Ormiss smiled as we landed, and he pulled his magic inward as he reached to help me down off Itek.

"My love," he said, looking better and healthier than he had in weeks.

I forgot the entire scene for a moment. I touched a half-dry strand of hair at his temple. Gods, he looked so much better. I hadn't realized how difficult the journey had been for him.

Itek shifted for me, and fortunatly just glided the short distance to Ormiss' side, which did not result in me screaming like an undignified fool. Ormiss smiled as we landed, and he pulled his magic inward as he reached to help me down off Itek.

"My love," he said, looking better and healthier than he had in weeks.

I forgot the entire scene for a moment. I touched a half-dry strand of hair at his temple. Gods, he looked so much better. I hadn't realized how difficult the journey had been for him. How had I not seen it or noticed it? I was supposed to be a unicorn, wasn't I? "Did you have a good swim?"

"Sea serpents would envy me," he said, wickedness dancing in his obsidian and garnet gaze.

The gold and rose dragons made small little snorting ahem noises. Ormiss and I turned our attention to them as my other consorts made their way across the crowd (as in, stepping on them), to join us.

The gold dragon turned his attention to Korr, then, with less enthusaism, Ethat. He rumbled something as Korr half-bowed, sweeping his robes around himself with a subtle granduer that would have made Marcus clap. Once. Maybe twice.

The gold and the rose each seemed slightly annoyed. The gold rumbled something. Ethat wriggled himself to stand between Ormiss and I, then, tenatively, whispered, "He wants to know who you two are."

"Your rulers?" Ormiss asked in a whisper.

"Yes."

Korr straightened. "Lady-Consort Theia of the Hippocamp, this is the Lord-Dragon and Lady-Dragon. My Lord, my Lady, I introduce to you my brother Ehtat and my's Churn-chosen consort, Lady-Consort Theia. Her other consorts, Lord-Regent Ormiss of the Hippocamp, Captain Asund of the EverFell Guard, and Lord-Ambassador Itek of the Gryphons, whom you know by name but not presence."

If the God of Barren Branches was watching, He was laughing, because Korr had just compelled the rulers of his race to take the second introduction to us. Should I have laughed or cried or kicked Korr and Ormiss in their ankles? We'd been ignored and brushed off, and Korr had just spun a way to make everyone pay attention.

Then again, both Korr and Ormiss were quite good at forcing everyone to pay attention when they cared to. Their combined powers could make a whole damn capital city watch.

'It's not customary to include the names of our Lord and Lady, or to refer to them by name. They are the position, not the position is them," Ethat whispered to Ormiss and myself.

"Interesting," Ormiss murmured. "So how do you keep track of it for history?"

"They have names, you just don't use them in conversation."

The rose Lady-Dragon said something to Korr, while the Lord-Dragon just looked slightly aggravated (which meant he was probably extremely aggravated at Korr). To which Korr answered--clearly not needing Ethat to translate, "Yes, My Lady. Theia is bound to all of us. For reasons we have not yet unraveled. We brought her to introduce her to our family, and to seek the counsel of a glass dragon. The Pantere Priestess of Dreams was unable to fully unravel all the mystery."