Dragonscales

Chapter 30|A Royal Visitor

Marigold held my hand as I led her to the Med Bay. "They just want to make sure you're healthy, okay?" "You won't leave, right?" Dark circles pooled under her brown eyes. She hadn't gotten any sleep last night. "You can't get rid of me that easily." I smiled what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

A doctor poked their head of the room. "Marigold?" Placing my hand on her back, I steered the blonde elf onto a medical table. The doctor was short, a knitted shawl covering her shoulders. "The Avengers hired me to be their new doctor, I recently graduated from medical school, top of my class." She adjusted her round glasses and stuck out her hand. "I'm Dr.Artino, but please just call me Katie."

Marigold folded her hands on her lap as Katie took out a strange piece of equipment. She put one end on Mari's back, and listened. "Take a deep breath for me, 'k?" Mari followed all of the doctor's instructions, soon finishing her physical.

"You did very well, want a lollipop?" Katie scrounged around her desk, then pulled out the piece of candy. The young elf gleefully took it and tore off the wrapper. "See ya later." Katie bid us.

Marigold and I passed the entry hall, Snowdrop, Amare, and two peryton stood in the lobby. Steve was already there to greet them. I turned toward Marigold. "Want to meet my cousin and Ave's girlfriend?" Mari nodded, sucking on her lollipop. I was glad she was comfortable around me. I had hope she would heal from whatever the humans had done to her. Steve's blue eyes flicked over to me. He grinned in greeting.

Snowdrop dropped the reins of her peryton and engulfed me in a hug. My cousin released me and introduced herself to Marigold. Amare tugged on her sleeve, anxious to be reunited with her lover. "I'll show you to where you can put the deer." Snowdrop gathered both of the peryton's reins and followed Steve, asking him questions about the tower. "C'mon, Ave is in the common room."

Amare burst into the common room, attracting the attention of the Avengers. Loki looked up from his book, but then continued reading. "Ave!" Amare cried in elvish. The crashed into each, a tangle of arms. They shared a tender kiss, then Amare broke away to assess Ave's health. "Are you okay?" Ave rolled her eyes, smiling at her betrothed antics. "The human healers were perfectly capable at their job. But thank you for asking." Tony shot a confused glance at Thor, who was shedding a tear. "Stars, I was so worried about you." Amare clutched Ave's cheeks with her hands. "I'm okay, especially since you're here." The two lovers' tender moment was broken with Thor blowing loudly on a tissue. Natasha glared at him. Even if she couldn't understand elvish she could understand emotion. And Ave and Amare had plenty of that. 

Snowdrop entered the common room accompanied by Peter and Steve. She held her usual air of elegance, her silver tiara glinting in the light. She greeted the team in elvish, then remembered they didn't speak it. Loki looked up, green magic swirling around the room. "I cast a spell to let you use All-speak, you should be able to communicate now." I pecked Loki on the cheek to thank  him. My cousin bounced on her toes.  "Hi! I'm Queen Snowdrop of Stardust Grove! You can call me Snowdrop though, we can drop the honorifics." 

Steve dipped into a bow. "You don't have to bow," Snow took off her crown, tucking it inside her leather satchel. "Why don't you have horns or fangs like Thistle?" Clint dropped from a vent. "Only dragon riders have those. It's a side effect from a dragon's magic." Amare explained. "You never asked why I didn't, and I've been here for days." Ave crossed her arms. "I didn't want to seem rude," Clint shrugged. 

The crime alarm rang throughout the room. "Shadow wolves spotted sir," Jarvis announced. "Suit up team!" Steve yelled above the alarms. I whistled for Tourmaline. "Would you like to join us?" Thor offered. Marigold wrapped herself in a blanket. "I'll stay here with the elfling, I've never been good at fighting anyway." Amare said. Ave slid her golden cuff off of her arm, letting it transform into her spear. Tourmaline bounded into the room, my quiver in her mouth. Snowdrop slid behind me on the dragon's saddle. 

"Let's go!"