Page 103 of Worthy Promises
“It’s a good thing Worth is a Duke or Brogan would already be shouting,” Mac teased.
“Or I just snuck off with Dra’Kaedan before he found the macarons, and I’m in too good of a mood to yell,” Brogan drawled.
Oliver was surprised when Worthington phoned the Imperial Duke and suggested that he accompany them on their trip to see Ismay. The idea was to make it a royal visit from the former Mardas Duke. They would meet with King Mardas and speak with Ismay. With the leader of the court involved, it would hopefully make it difficult for any nefarious plot to flourish.
A minute later, Worthington ended the call with a triumphant smile. “Damian will go with us, and so will the Ducsarcelle. No one is stupid enough to cause trouble with the Imperial Duke and his mate there, and we can bring as much security as we want. Everyone will understand how important it is to keep all of us safe.”
“We should’ve had this conversation at our next family meeting,” Brogan said. “What you did was a perfect way tohandle a delicate situation while still keeping safety at the forefront of the meeting.”
Worthington smirked. “Honestly, did you expect anything less from me?”
“It’s brilliant,” Aleksander commented, but his brow furrowed. “I could go if you want.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Worthington stated. “We aren’t going to have some long-lost reunion with Mommy. This is a fact-finding mission. What I care about is our potential siblings and their happiness. We suffered because she chose to give Boian children. It only takes one of us to ask the right questions. There is no guarantee that she’ll cooperate, and I see no reason for you to leave D’Vaire for this.”
“I wanted to offer,” Aleksander said. “Since you brought this whole idea to my attention—and since RJ was born—it’s been slowly eating at me. For the past few decades, all we’ve wanted is to help people. I know how we grew up. We needed help.”
“Yes, we did. Thankfully, we have each other and our family,” Worthington told his brother. He grinned at Oliver and kissed him. “And our mates.”
“Okay, give me a hug, then work out the details with Ismay,” Aleksander said, standing and reaching for Worthington.
“I hope everyone knows the Grand Duke will be attending this meeting too,” Brogan stated firmly.
“Mostly because he’s nosy,” Mac quipped.
Oliver accepted a warm hug from Aleksander and wasn’t surprised when Rafe also walked over to do the same. The second Oliver pulled away from Rafe, Worthington was there and took his hand again. They shared a smile as they crossed the room to their own desks, while Oliver’s owl did one of his super-satisfied hoots. Whatever awaited them at Court Mardas, they’d be ready.
Chapter 35
Worth climbed out of the limousine and grinned at an impeccably attired Oliver. With his dragon roaring with pleasure, Worth kissed the corner of Oliver’s mouth and waited for the rest of the entourage to exit the two vehicles they’d brought with them to Court Mardas. It would’ve been easy to teleport directly there instead of to a Dérive station courtesy of Ashby, but Brogan had insisted on the arrangement—likely to disabuse Dra’Kaedan of any notion of accompanying them.
Two men emerged from a large Colonial-style house and headed for their robust group of dragons, sentinels, and the owl shifter Worth adored.
“Your Graces,” the shorter of the two men called out.
With so many Dukes present, several men swung to face him, including Worth. Dressed in nearly all black, with a deep teal vest that matched the irises of his mate, Damian stepped forward and shook the man’s hand.
“Thank you for coming today, Your Grace. I’m Duke Andreas Mardas, and this is His Highness, King Egmont,” he said, gesturing toward the taller brown-haired man.
“It’s a pleasure to be here, Your Grace and Your Highness,” Damian replied. “His Grace and I insisted upon accompanying the Duke Argent and Duke Argent-mate whenwe learned they were visiting Court Mardas. His Majesty and I fondly recall our days as Mardasdraconises. It seemed like an excellent opportunity to check in on old acquaintances and share some time with you, Your Highness. We’ve been impressed with how well Court Mardas has flourished under your reign. Will you allow me to introduce you to everyone?”
“Of course, Your Grace,” King Egmont responded instantly. “We’re grateful you’re here. Thank you for your kind words. I recognize some faces. I believe we met at a few dragon fairs, Ducsarcelle.”
Damian’s mate, Ducsarcelle Marcus Draconis, smiled. Like his other half, he wore a dark suit and a vest with a mixture of the deep teal of his dragon and black. But he’d added a coordinating tie, while Damian rarely donned them. Marcus’s brown hair was immaculate, and he stood mere inches from the love of his life. “I do recall meeting you, Your Highness. It’s good to see you again. I appreciate you indulging our desire to visit Damian’s old court.”
“Oh, of course, Your Grace,” King Egmont replied. “You are welcome anytime. Grand Duke, we’ve met too, have we not? Your mate is not with you today?”
“No, Your Highness, the Grand Warlock had another engagement, but he sends his regards,” Brogan said. As far as Worth knew, Dra’Kaedan’s only date was with the plethora of snacks Brogan had purchased to placate his mate and keep him out of trouble, but no one was going to explain that to King Egmont.
After Brogan and Egmont exchanged pleasantries, the Grand Duke gestured toward Worth and Oliver. “May I present Duke Argent Worthington and Duke Argent-mate Oliver D’Vaire?”
They shook hands with King Egmont, who assessed them through a pair of shrewd deep gray eyes. “Your mother waspleased to get your letter, Your Grace,” he said. “She’s spoken of little else since it arrived.”
Although Ismay had given birth to him, Worth didn’t often think of her as his mother. She’d provided an egg and a womb, then left him to fend for himself with Boian. But Worth refused to argue with King Egmont about semantics.
“She didn’t mention you were acquainted, Your Highness,” Worth replied.
“Yes, she has been my partner for the last decade, Your Grace,” King Egmont revealed. “Few outside our court know of our relationship. Ismay prefers the comforts of home and cherishes her privacy.”
