“Hello, I’m Cameron Pa—Burkhard. Burkhard, sorry, still getting used to my married name.”
Tori startled. “Uh—you’re the dragon king’s consort, right?”
“Yeah, that’s me. You’re Nestori Taavi? Am I saying that right?”
Tori threw Baldewin a shocked look, like he couldn’t believe Baldewin would just call up the clan consort. Baldewin shrugged. Royalty in a dragon clan didn’t operate like human royalty did. They were much more approachable. Cameron especially.
“You are.” Tori took in a breath and visibly settled, as if he’d squashed his nerves. “But please, call me Tori.”
“Tori it is. Baldewin says you’re hesitating strongly about coming to see us. And I get it, man, I do. You got told a lot of things growing up, and you’re only now finding out that they’re wrong, right? I was in the same boat. Told I wasn’t a mage, told that magic and dragons didn’t exist anymore, all of that. When Alric told me I was a mage, I was in denial.” Cameron paused for a second and gave a little snort. “I wanted to laugh in his face, and this was after I found out he was a dragon king.”
“Oh man…” Tori whispered with feeling. By his expression, he was completely lost in the story Cameron was weaving, seeming to forget that Baldewin and Warin were in the room.
“Of course, Alric kept pushing. If you haven’t figured it out, dragons can be really stubborn.”
Tori’s eyes darted over to Baldewin for a moment, the tiniest hint of a smile playing on his lips. “I might have noticed that.”
“Anyway, Alric kept pushing the point. I lost my temper and stormed out of the castle. He was afraid he’d overwhelmed me. And that was part of it because learning that everything I’d been taught was wrong, that was pretty overwhelming. I’m sure you’re feeling the same right now.”
Tori passed a hand over his face, and for a moment, he dropped his guard enough that his exhaustion showed through. “That’s certainly part of it.”
“I figured. But you know, the other part of why I was so mad was that it tapped into a dream I’d given up on. As a kid, I’d dreamed of being a mage. Of being able to fly and play with dragons. Growing up and hearing that wasn’t possible had broken my heart as a kid. When Alric told me I could do those things, the adult in me was mad that he was yanking my chain. Because on some level, I wanted him to be right. Are you struggling with the same issue, Tori? Is that what’s holding you back?”
This time, Tori was slower to answer, and he turned his face away from the bed so the dragons couldn’t see his expression. “Your Majesty—”
“Whoa, call me Cameron. Or Cam, if you prefer.”
“C-Cameron,” he corrected hesitantly. “Answer me truthfully. Would you still accept me if I’m not good at magic?”
“Of course! That’s what you’re worried about? Tori, my sister and I didn’t know a lick of magic when we arrived at Burkhard. Alric offered me a place in the clan while I was still trying to figure out my first spell. I heard you cast a freezing spell on Warin and Baldewin. That already puts you way ahead of me.”
Tori sat heavily on a cushioned footstool like his legs had suddenly given out. “Really?” The question came out as a barely-there whisper.
“Yes, really. The Burkhard Clan doesn’t want you because of what you can do but who you are,” Cameron said with feeling. “You are hope, whether you believe it or not. And my clan really needs that hope.”
“Thank you, Cameron.”
“And if you want to learn magic, we have the most amazing teachers. Seriously, I cannot wait for you to meet Lisette. If she can teach my stubborn, crazy grandmother how to cast spells, I have no doubt that she can help you.”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s fine. Just think about it. Okay?”
“Sure.” Tori paused and licked his lips. “Baldewin told me that dragons don’t care what gender a mage is. You really will take a male mage in as readily as you would a female?”
“Male. Female. Nonbinary. Gender fluid. Dude, we do not care. We seriously do not care. My question to you is, do you feel that, because you’re a man, you can’t be properly accepted as a mage?”
“That’s…not quite right. It’s more that I can’t carry on the magical line, which is the main duty of the mages.”
“Uh, sure you can? We’ve got magical incubators. It’s how Alric and I plan to have a child.”
Tori’s eyes crossed. “Seriously?!”
“Sure. What, you think Alric and I are the first same-sex couple in a dragon clan? Ha! No, not even close. Hell, the dragons don’t even keep count how many they’ve had, that’s how natural it is for them. I don’t know who told you that, Tori, but as long as you want to have a kid, you can. And if you don’t, that’s fine. But don’t let that stop you or direct your choices. You can be a full-fledged mage in our clan, and we’ll be thrilled to have you.”
Tori was back to staring at the floor, his expression a complex mix of hope and pain. “And what if I’m not a good fit for you?”
“Then we’ll introduce you to the Valerii Clan—ice dragons. Or, if that doesn’t appeal, you can walk right back out. We won’t stop you.” Cameron paused again, and Baldewin heard him release a deep breath. “Look, Tori, we’re not trying to kidnap you or force you into something you don’t want. I know it probably doesn’t feel that way because dragons can get so wrapped up in their enthusiasm that they just kind of steamroll you—”
Baldewin straightened up indignantly, a retort ready on his lips. He had not done that!
Had he done that?
Maybe he had.
Tori rolled his eyes to the dragons on the bed, a rueful smile on his lips. “Oh yeah, definitely.”
“—but that’s just how excited they are. They don’t mean anything bad by it. You’ve got my royal guarantee that you can leave whenever you wish, and I’ll buy you the plane ticket.”
“Can we change that to a train ticket?”
“You can leave however you wish, but does that mean you’ll come?”
Baldewin’s heart skipped a beat and then raced off as he stared at Tori. The mage met his gaze, frowning. The man was clearly torn, and he hated putting such pressure on him.
“I know things are kind of dangerous right now, but can I think about it?”
“I understand. You’ve been thrown a lot of information recently. It’s overwhelming, and we’re asking you to make some potentially life-altering decisions. Take some time to think about what I’ve said and what Baldewin has said. He might be a little overly enthusiastic, but he’s a good, honest man who only wants you to be safe.”
“Thank you.”
“Not a problem. And if you have any more questions, feel free to have Baldewin or Warin call me at any time.”
“I would greatly appreciate that. Thank you again for taking the time to talk to me.”
“I’m always happy to help out another mage,” Cameron said, and Baldewin could clearly hear the honesty ringing in those words.