Page 203 of Heart of the High King
“Oh, that would be cool,” Renny enthused. “There’s that stupid closet near the front door that no one uses. How about that? We could each decorate a mailbox and you guys could just sort it in there, or get someone else to do it if you don’t want to.”
“Any objections?” Aleksander asked. When none were voiced, he smiled. “What else?”
“Back to me, I guess,” Rafe commented when no one spoke up. “Okay, so here’s what I was thinking. We have these extended family gatherings regularly and even when it’s just us, there are impromptu events like pajamas and popcorn but nothing planned. What if we put together themed stuff that people could attend? It’d be great to build a sense of community, especially for new people, and I think it would be a lot of fun.”
“You mean like having a set night for pajamas and popcorn?” Renny asked.
“Maybe we do a themed night once a week and for our more extravagant ideas we set aside a whole weekend. Attendance would be voluntary, but we do some kind of RSVP so we can plan accordingly. I just jotted down a few ideas, but I was thinking of simple things like having a spirit day. So, maybe we’re just doing something basic like wearing D’Vaire logo stuff if nobody wants to get too involved. Or we can have scavenger hunts, casino nights, magical and dragon jousts complete with medieval outfits, expand the popcorn nights to themed food bars, karaoke nights, or maybe an entire elven weekend. Stuff like that.”
While Aleksander loved the idea, he wasn’t sure if the family agreed when no one said a word. Around the room was excitement and perhaps a bit of mindful thinking.
Noirin lifted a hand. “Sorry, can’t talk right now. Too busy designing my mashed potato bar for the next movie night.”
“S’mores bar,” Kendrick shouted.
“What if we did a talent show?” Larissa asked. “We have so many artistic and clever people, and it would be something for Pyxlevir to get excited about.”
Aleksander dearly hoped she would not sign up to sing; the woman was tone-deaf and made up her own words. Every holiday season he suffered through it but would never tell her she was awful because he loved her.
“No judging, though,” Rafe stated.
“Murder mystery weekend,” Blodwen yelled; then she slapped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted left and right. “I didn’t mean to scream that.”
Rafe shrugged. “My brother was already bellowing about his s’mores.”
“What about different gaming competitions? We could do some video ones, board ones, or cards,” Scheredin suggested.
“I so want a sentinel weekend so I can wear the uniform Alaric got me for three days straight,” his familiar, Brexton, added.
“Not necessarily an event in the same way as you guys are thinking but what if we organized a book club?” Trystan asked.
“I would love to do that,” Dravyn assured him.
“Me too,” Rafe responded. “Okay, I think we’ve got enough to get started. I’ll send out an email to everyone with everything we’ve come up with and include our entire extended family. I’m going to have you guys pick three you think would be fun, and we’ll see if we can get a consensus to figure out where to begin. I’ll start a schedule. I’m going to set up a specific email box for this so you can send in suggestions, reviews of what went right and wrong after something, and shit like that. Sound good?”
“Nicely done,” Aleksander told his mate and kissed him. It didn’t surprise him in the least that somehow Rafe would find a way to bring their family closer together by building an atmosphere that radiated fun and inclusiveness.
∞∞∞
One thing Aleksander would never grow accustomed to was being out in public, but Their Majesties had insisted on a grand ball to celebrate the matebond of the only two High Kings in the Council of Sorcery and Shifters. So, Aleksander stood next to Rafe, who was looking especially gorgeous in his tuxedo. Larissa had replaced every sash in the household with ones that showcased both Aleksander’s and Rafe’s dragonskins twisted together. The members of Elven D’Vaire that lived at their home had painstakingly created formal versions that had their family name elegantly scripted in an intricate mix of metallic silver and gold beads.
Not only did the sashes required by dragons get updated but so had the crowns Aleksander and Rafe wore since his mate’s beast was no longer plain black. It was still a bit of a shock to Aleksander’s system not to see a set of bright blue orbs, but he’d wanted those dark scales for Rafe, so he smiled as their gazes met. It was interesting that Mortis’s eyes were still the same stunning azure, but perhaps his resurrection spell hadn’t taken into account the possibility of Rafe’s reconnection with his dragon.
“Do you want me to do this?” Aleksander asked.
Rafe smiled, and Aleksander was so incredibly proud of the self-assurance that radiated from him. His mental strength had been hard-fought, and he’d worked vigorously to set aside the pain of what he’d been through. The shadows in his gaze were fading a little with each day, and he held his head high. “I’ve got it. You hate crowds and people staring at you. I’m happy to handle my duty as ruler of D’Vaire for our dragon trainer.”
“Plus, Jeremiah is the first applicant approved for Dra’Kaedan’s Coven in the Rafe era.”
“Seriously, Rafe era?”
“Yep.”
“Why didn’t I get to select the venue?”
“Because nothing is more extraordinary than being knighted in Their Majesties’ throne room.”
“We have a new one and you prefer home. It would’ve been just as impressive there,” Rafe argued, as always, ready to fiercely defend everyone but especially Aleksander. It was an honor to stand next to such a proud warrior.
