"I think we should wait until nightfall." Alana said, and then turned to Beth. "The city guards probably wouldn't take kindly to seeing a dragon suddenly flying towards The Bank. It might make them nervous. Come on, let's get our stuff together, eat something, and we'll explain."The girls looted the camp supplies for breakfast, while Ethan checked the corpses, finding only a few gold coins between them. He took them and decided to keep the warhammer as well, just in case they ran into another armored foe.Once they sat down to eat, and at Beth's questions, Ethan explained how he had come to this world and his contretemps with Lord Delmar. That in turn led to a recounting everything that had happened so far. Beth asked so many questions, that finally Ethan had to call a halt to her interrogation so he could finish eating. Once they were on the road to Alana's clearing, Beth continued her questioning.She was easily the most curious person he had ever met.Several times, Ethan caught a
"Tell me what you want, Alana." He repeated patiently. The heat of his breath was causing shivers to run up and down her body and making her tremble. She wanted him to touch her. Why wasn't he touching her?"I want to..." Alana couldn't bring herself to say it."You want to feel me inside of you." Ethan whispered into her ear. "You want to be wrapped around me while I penetrate you to the core. Is that what you want?"Alana nodded. Illuminar forgive her, but that's exactly what she wanted."Yes." She found herself whimpering,"You are mine." He said, almost casually. She felt a tug at her core -- their bond. She could feel it at the back of her mind -- a gentle pressure to obey him, to follow and serve him."I am yours." Alana repeated. She liked how that sounded.His long tongue emerged to gently lick her neck. She moaned and tried to embrace him, to pull him down on top of her, but her hands and feet were still tied. Her mind said he should stop -- that this was a bad idea -- but ev
"My mother had been married for a couple of decades before she could do that with my father." Alana replied."Decades?""Yes. Elves say when you can do that, you're getting to the best part of the marriage." Alana blinked a few times then looked away. He could have sworn her eyes were moist before she looked away."I think the next step is hearing each other's thoughts." She continued after a moment."You mean, telepathy?" Ethan's jaw dropped. "Is that even... you can do that?"She nodded and turned back to him. "Yes, I've heard that some elven couples who've been married for a long time can send thoughts to each other over great distances, even in different countries.""Wow." Ethan said. "This bond thing is really serious.""That's why it's the foundation of elven marriage."So, what do we do?""I think we're stuck with each other. I could feel your emotions during the whole time you were away, so distance doesn't seem to be a limitation.""I can think of worse people to be stuck wit
"I understand why a dragon would risk his life for a job at my bank." Lord Borden said after nearly a minute of deafening silence. "But I don't understand why he would wish to marry my daughter.""Marry your daughter?" Alana said."You know I'm a dragon?"Lord Borden raised an eyebrow. "A disguise gem is an effective way to remain inconspicuous, but they are hardly foolproof. I run the largest bank in the ten kingdoms; security is paramount.""Wait, back up to the part about Ethan marrying your daughter." Alana insisted."I offered a contract bounty for my children's safe return, and the reward for rescuing Beth is her hand in marriage." The man said as if that explained everything."But I don't have to marry her right? I mean, I don't have to accept the reward... Do I?""A contract bounty is a legal contract." Lord Borden explained. "By fulfilling the terms of the bounty, you implicitly sign the contract. Meaning you agree to collect the reward offered. You cannot ask for more, and t
"Absolutely." Ethan nodded. "I'm not going to pretend I'm all doe-eyed in love, but you're a wonderful woman. Maybe it's because of our bond, but I think there's something between us that's worth exploring.""You should marry her anyway. I'll be fine, really." She said, although she looked just the opposite. "Besides, I'll outlive her by a century or more. Maybe in a few decades when she dies...""That's optimistic." Ethan replied without humor.Alana stared into his eyes for several seconds. She moved her hand up to touch his face, but then stopped, took a deep breath, and let it fall back to her side. She looked down at the floor and shook her head slightly. "With the lives of Beth and her family on the line, I don't see another choice. Do you?""I wish I did.""Me too.""What about our bond?" He asked. "I don't like the idea of being married to one woman and bonded to another.""Maybe it'll break if you bond with her?" She suggested, but didn't sound convinced."You really think it
Beth skipped down the corridor, which was no small feat considering she was carrying an armful of books. She hummed a joyous tune as she went; she was engaged to a good man! Finally! In the months since she'd become eligible, her suitors had been of increasingly questionable character.It was ironic. She had always dreamed of being rescued from an evil dragon by a gallant knight. Instead, she had been rescued from an evil knight by a gallant dragon. And despite being a dragon, Ethan seemed as wonderful as any man.And -- if the stories were true -- she was in for quite a treat on their wedding night. She felt a familiar sensation in her loins at the thought. Her fingers were nice, but her maids were clear that fingers were no match for a man who knew what he was doing. She hoped Ethan knew, but she was more than willing to let him practice on her after they were married.She imagined lying in bed as her gallant dragon lay on top of her kissing her and telling her how much he adored he
The dragon kissed her tenderly, but very briefly. It was long enough to be a proper sealing of the betrothal, but stopped short of a couple in love. Rachel could see a flicker of disappointment on Beth's face. While their lips had been joined she had worn a look of bliss though."The betrothal is complete," Lord Borden announced. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause again. He waited until they died down before continuing."Please join me in wishing them the best. May Illuminar watch over you both and bless your marriage with wealth, health, and many children."After that, everyone on the platform bowed and left, while the crowd slowly dispersed to go about their day.Rachel was conflicted. Her heart went out to Beth for that kiss. It was clear to her that although the dragon liked her, he wasn't in love with her. However she was clearly smitten with him with the man she would marry.Then something inside of her clicked.The dragon would marry Beth.Instantly, Rachel felt an over
"No, I don't think anyone would.""Good. As requested, you'll start as a night guard in the vault. Eventually, you'll need to learn the other positions if you are to manage The Bank effectively. Understood?""Yes sir.""Good, then follow me," Lord Borden stood. Ethan and Beth followed the older man out of the dining room through the house and into the night air. The town was mostly silent apart from the sounds of drinking and singing coming from the pubs.To his left, Ethan saw the mast of a sailing ship poking up in the distance. He thought that was strange as there weren't any large bodies of water nearby."What's that?""That's daddy's new airship," Beth replied. "I can show you in the morning, if you'd like.""An airship? Yes please!"Lord Borden led the way up the long flight of steps to The Bank. The stairs had no railings and were only six feet across. They were wide enough to be comfortable but narrow enough to prevent a lot of men from attacking at once. The stairs ended and