Page 76 of Claimed By the Dragon King

“Spend time with her. Talk to her. Make sure she knows how important she is to you.”

“How could she not already know what she means to me?” I ask, completely exasperated. “I saved her. I protect her. I have provided her a nest any Dragon female would envy. I made her stay behind when she insisted upon coming with me because I wanted her to remain in our home where she is safe.”

His mouth drifts open, but he quickly snaps it shut, giving me a commiserating look as he claps a hand on my shoulder. “That was a mistake you will pay for dearly when you return. Humans are stubborn creatures, used to having their way. I have not told you the circumstances of how I met my bondmate. Even her own brother—the king—could not convince her to obey him when it came to her safety.”

Varys explains how they met and how they wed while I listen in rapt fascination. Apparently, he captured her when she snuck into his camp the night before he was to go to war with her brother, King Edmynd.

He recognized immediately that she was his fated one and proposed a marriage to create an alliance between their people. “So, now you understand,” he finishes his story. “You cannot force a human to do anything she does not wish, including remaining out of danger. The best thing you can do is teach her to defend herself and keep her close by your side.”

“You do this with your mate?” I ask incredulously.

Even the mere thought of Freyja in danger fills me with fierce protectiveness. If I could, I would never let her leave the safety of her nest. I cannot bear the thought of any harm coming to my T’kara.

“Why do you think she is here?” Varys says, referring to his queen being present at our meeting.

“There is no danger here.” I’m completely insulted. “I wouldneverharm a female.”

“Yes, but she is human, and I know how much anger you have toward their kind.” He sighs heavily. “And do not think I have forgotten how you set fire to my last messenger.”

Must he bring this up again?“He wasfine, Varys.” I roll my eyes. “I only flamed his hair. I knew it would grow back.”

“Youterrifiedhim,” Varys counters. “Now you have a reputation among my kind for your temper.”

“Dragons are not Sprites,” I grind out, frustrated that he cannot seem to get over this minor incident. “We are not supposed to be known for our friendliness, but for our fierce strength.”

“Trust me.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “No one willeverconfuse your kind with Sprites.”

I stop short of rolling my eyes again. “I must return home.” I am eager to see Freyja. And after speaking with Varys, I am concerned that if I do not return soon, she will be even angrier with me than she is already. I sigh heavily. He is right. I probably should not have left her behind when she demanded to come with me. “If I stay away for much longer, I fear I will incur more wrath from my human.”

“She is not quiteyourhuman yet, though. Remember that,” he says pointedly. “You are to court, not try to conquer.”

Stressed, I scrub my hand roughly across my face. Why do humans have such complicated courtship rituals?

A mating battle is a much more efficient way to choose a mate. And while I recognize that it is often dangerous for males, it is also over rather quickly either way. Whereas, wooing one’s potential mate seems to be a very drawn-out affair. But if this is what I must do to win Freyja’s human heart, so be it. “I shall remember your counsel.”

Varys gives me a pointed look. “A bit of humility would probably go a long way, as well, with your… human.”

I scoff at the suggestion. I am a Dragon. Surely, he jests.

“Never mind.” Varys huffs out a laugh. “Thatwould be an impossible feat for a Dragon.”

I narrow my eyes in mock irritation, it seems his human’s bold manner of speaking is rubbing off on him.

I think of Freyja and Varys’s queen. From what I have witnessed, human females appear to be much braver than the males.

I take a step back and then shift in a whirl of dust and wind back into my Dragon form. “Goodbye, Varys.” I arch a brow. “Perhaps, when this is over, you can bring your queen to see mine. After all, they are distantly related.”

A hint of a grin curves Varys’s mouth. “Be sure to invite us to your bonding ceremony.”

I tip up my chin. “I will do that.”

Flexing my wings, I lift up into the sky and climb high into the clouds. Now that I have spoken to Varys, I cannot get back to my T’kara fast enough. The sooner I successfully woo her, the quicker I can have her in my arms again.

By the wind and the sky, I vow that I will make her my queen before the next moon.

CHAPTER43

FREYJA

---