Page 41 of The Arrival of the Dragons

Everyone’s gazes turned towards him. He met Mei’s gaze again.

“Let me put this bluntly,” he told her. “You knew that bringing these mechanical tin pots here would annoy me.”

Mei’s smile widened a fraction. She put a delicate, long fingered hand to her chest, the nails of which were perfectly lacquered in red. “I assure you it was not my desire to distress you--”

“You did not distress me, Mei. You haveirritatedme,” he corrected. “So the consequences are yours if these creations doanything. At all. You will pay for it.”

“And what will you do if there is some accident?” Mei practically fluttered her eyelashes at him.

“I will rip you apart and burn your body atop the pyre of your precious robots in front of your former people.” He leaned further in so that their noses were inches apart. “And I am betting that your people… willcheer.”

Can we do that now?Raziel had lifted its head and was looking eagerly forward.

Not now, Raziel. She must break the rules first.

You know she will! I would love to rip Xipil’s horns off!Raziel enthused about Mei’s Spirit.

Wouldn’t we all, but not now.

For the first time, Mei looked uneasy. She was used to the clever barbs and backstabs that Esme threw her way. Or Illarion’s chest pounding. Or Tez’s shaming. He wasn’t boasting or shaming or cleverly speaking to her, he found that he was incredibly angry and meant every word. She realized he did, too.

Mei’s eyes dropped from his. “As your people determined, my soldiers are not armed and--”

“They would not have to be! They could simply crush a human being with their bare hands or metal hands, or whatever!” Esme shook her head in disgust. “You should have not brought them here, Mei. Perhaps you have been too much in your own territory where no one tells you the truth, but that is it!”

Mei cast her an angry look and her upper lip writhed back, but then she lowered her head again and looked repentant. “I assure you my thought process was only to show them off. They are wonderful. Not as a show of force, but of advanced technology! What harm could they do to any of us in any case?”

Valerius did not know. But he would find out. He looked at Chione and she gave him a barely perceptible nod. He knew that the best scientists in the territory would be here to study Mei’s mechanical men. But would they be missing the forest through the trees? He wasn’t sure.

“All of your… wondrous machines will be placed in the dungeon here at High Reach,” Valerius informed her. His eyes narrowed at the “gift”. “Especially that one.”

Mei curtseyed. “Of course, whatever you think best, King Valerius. I am a guest of your territory. I will acquiesce to whatever you wish.”

Valerius put his hands on his hips and surveyed the group before him. “I did not ask you here. I did not want you here. But you have come. So let me make this perfectly clear, you will respect my rules and if anyone harms my people there will be hell to pay. Is that understood?”

There were bobs of heads all around.

Chione stepped forward and said kindly, “We do wish you to have a pleasant stay in Reach, but as King Valerius has said there are rules and his people are his prime focus.” She gestured to Simi and he spoke on his radio, which had a servant coming in. “Lassiter will take you to your rooms, Queen Mei. After your… your soldiers have deposited your things there, they will be taken down to the dungeon.”

Mei bowed low before she and her soldiers followed after the whip-thin Lassiter from the room.

Esme swished over to him. “King Valerius, I am so in need of a flight! And Scylla is just desperate to see your beautiful fields. May we have your permission to fly?”

Valerius gave the first genuine smile he had so far that morning. “Of course, Esme. You have my permission to fly my skies at any time.”

She curtseyed effortlessly.

Tez scurried over. “Wait, wait! May I accompany you, dear Esme? Eldoron longs for Scylla’s lovely company!” He turned pleading eyes on Valerius. “Please say that I may fly too!”

“So long as you fly away from me right now, I give you eager permission,” Valerius responded dryly.

“I haven’t flown with another Dragon in so long, Tez! This will be wonderful!” Esme gushed, not completely immune to the Gold Dragon’s charm.

“Indeed!”

“Please…go.” Valerius made a whisking motion with his hands as if he was a broom and they were dust.

Tez took Esme’s nearest hand in his and the two of them practically skipped onto the terrace before shifting and taking off into the peerless blue skies of Reach. That left Illarion. The Green Dragon King was looking at the still kneeling gift soldier from Mei, who hadn’t accompanied the others to her rooms. Obviously, because it was Valerius’, though he did not want it.

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