Page 45 of The Wrath of Ashes
“If I knew, I would have told you! Why didn’t you tell me you were alive?” Asha grabbed her shoulders and stared her down.
“It wasn’t like you were there to tell. I snuck around for days before I figured out you were gone. Been working my skirts hard since you left, trying to get up here. You know Earl Rodent had half the staff beaten and even took a few swings at the boys? And to hear you was the lady’s son. My word. The gossip wasjuicy. Your man didn’t seem keen on chatting me up, though. Fancy you with a Saurian. Didn’t you say you was keen on the swarthier men?”
“I did. I fancied them, yes.” Asha cleared his throat before Lyss patted his sides and circled him, her face alight with curiosity. “I don’t much care for dragons, but they’ve treated me better than me own countrymen so far.”
“They have. I’ve come to quite like them. So much of what we knew is fabrications and slander.” Asha dodged Lyss’s curious prods with a half laugh. “Now, back on topic, Lyss!”
“Oh. Rafi put a crate under me feet on the hanging platform and swapped me body for a dead boar. Were the funniest thing watching people pretend to cry. And I heard you had some grandiose speech about where I hid them combs.” Lyss snorted. “Pawned them on the way, I did.”
Asha laughed, and they hugged once more, catching up on what seemed like a lifetime of missing memories.
“And they says I can have a job here if I want. I guess. Scullery or chamber pots, I guess unless there’s a man around that needs his bed warmed.” Lyss nodded succinctly, and Asha rolled his eyes.
“Actually, we thought you’d best work the laundry when not in Asha’s service.” Nadi cleared her throat. “Unless she needs to attend Jeron’s lessons.”
“No!” Asha fumbled over the word. Jeron raised a brow, and Lyss reciprocated. The two made prolonged eye contact that had Asha cowering. The two would be his undoing.
“What classes? I can read, if’n that’s what you mean.” Lyss sniffed indignantly.
“If you read as well as you speak—” Nadi quieted herself with a glare from Lyss.
“I’m being educated in manners of rearing hatchlings. For when Asha and Rath eventually—” Jeron furrowed his brow when Asha coughed loudly and interrupted.
The news flew over Lyss’s head and for a moment, Asha thought he wouldn’t have to explain.
“I’m not sure why it’s some big secret. When Asha eventually becomes pregnant, he’ll need all the help he can get, especially if there’s multiple eggs.” Jeron glared at Asha, and Nadi swore under her breath. Lyss’s face scrunched up at a sudden realization.
Asha winced as her eyes widened, that age-old look of her finally coming to a conclusion. She wore her expressions far too openly. “Listen, Lyss.”
Lyss balked. “Pregnant? What is that dragon doing to you?”
Asha held his hands up, shushing her as Jeron and Nadi made knowing and unamused eye contact.
“Dragons don’t really… Gender doesn’t…” Asha fumbled.
“Dragons have two genders, their outward appearance and their inner organs. No two dragons who unite know their internal gender very often. In rare circumstances, there’s some dragons that you can tell by color alone—like with Asha and Slath—that they’re bearers.” Nadi waved her hand dismissively.
“That pearlescent color that shimmers on his scales is a dead giveaway.” Jeron rolled his eyes and glanced at Lyss with a note of challenge in his expression. Asha would need to nip that in the bud. “Not like a Monsmount commoner would have any idea where to begin.”
“Jeron, this is my childhood best friend that I spoke of. Lyss. I am not replacing anyone. She doesn’t need to be educated onhow to raise hatchlings. I can barely trust her not to burn food.” Asha held a stern finger out toward Jeron, who shrank in utter humiliation.
Lyss huffed indignantly.
“Now, what you do here on out is up to you, Lyss. I’m ever so happy to have you back. You have no idea. And I never want you to have to work your skirts again.”
“‘Less I want to.” Lyss huffed.
“Unless you want to,” Asha agreed, and that point seemed to satisfy Nadi at some level. She had a certain kind of hurt in her eyes—shame? Asha couldn’t tell.
Lyss certainly didn’t have any shame. She’d given up on it so long ago. Vierbalt hurt both of them in different ways, but they were stronger for it. More certain of all the things they wanted. Uncertain in others. If Asha hadn’t thought Lyss dead, he’d have put up a fight with Rath. He might not wanted to have left at all.
Emotions rose and Asha grabbed Lyss, bringing her in for a tight hug. Tears stung his eyes and he let them flow. “Rath made them promise you a whitestone grave marker.”
Lyss laughed and returned his hug. “’E’s givin’ that pig the greatest funeral ever. Wonder if he noticed the lack of bacon.”
Asha laughed and shook, hiding sobs in every breath. His world had changed, but he had Lyss and that was fine.
“But I’m not wrestlin’ your crotch spawn. That’s all Red over there’s doing.” She gestured at Jeron who sniffed indignantly. “Prolly better at it than I am. One of us had to have kids, yanno?”
