Shilayla’s head shook from side to side as Luc broke the kiss and looked up at his heartmate. His heart was light with her teasing and the headiness of Lilly’s kisses.
“Thank you, my friend, for saving my lady from embarrassment,” he said, smiling up at her. Then, he looked back down and took Lilly by the hand, escorting her through the garden and into the castle. “I suspect we both need to wolf down some lunch and then get on with the work ahead to make this celebration a success.”
“We owe it to Alric. He’s got a lot to celebrate,” she replied, smiling back as they walked briskly down the hall.
Luc brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed the back of hers. “As do we, my dearest Lilly.”
Her gaze met his, and time stood still until they were jostled by swiftly moving people heading for the great hall. They laughed and started walking again, joining the flow to get through the serving line. The luncheon had been set up buffet-style today, to spare the servants who were busy preparing the feast for tonight. Nobody complained, and the atmostphere was already growing festive.
Luc and Lilly parted after lunch. She had work to do, helping the garrison prepare for the return of the troops, and Luc had to prepare with Shilayla for the aerial display. Practicing precision flying was something he was used to, but he didn’t often fly with the Enclave Guard. Luc and Shilayla’s usual place was with the Scouts. They’d have to discuss with the others where they wanted he and Shilayla to fly.
Less than an hour later, Lilly heard the first reports of troopers arriving on the outskirts of the city. The streets they would travel were lined with revelers waving little pennants and cheering for the returning heroes. It would take them some time to reach the castle, but the clock was ticking, and final preparations were being rushed to completion.
The parade was a joyous thing. The troopers clearly hadn’t expected such a boistrous reception and basked in the cheering of the crowds gathered all along the route to the castle garrison. Most of those troopers were on foot, but the mercenaries were all riding fine-looking horses decked out in colorful Jinn-style tack. They added an air of mystery to the proceedings and set the stage for the dragon display that would follow.
When the dragons started flying out over the city, they truly were a sight to behold. Rows of gleaming white-scaled dragons shining in the sun as they flew in precision formations, gliding and soaring over the entire cityscape. Lilly held her breath as she recognized some of the dragons she knew. Gren and Det were at the head of most of the formations, the clear leaders. Shilayla did some solo trick flying, both with and without Luc on her back, and Lilly was truly amazed at the dragon’s dexterity. No wonder she’d been able to navigate that whirlwind they’d been caught in. She was truly gifted in the air.
Lilly realized, seeing them all fly, that if she and Luc had been with many of the other dragons, they might well have not survived the whirlwind. It became clear that each dragon had its own abilities and limitations. They weren’t all exactly alike, even if they were all white. Some had longer or shorter wings. Some had bulkier or sleeker muscles. They were individuals, just like everyone else, and Shilayla was remarkable among them.
Of course, Lilly might just think that because she had developed a deep affection for the dragon as they’d traveled together. Lilly had come to think of Shilayla as a friend. A sister warrior, of sorts. While Lilly wasn’t sure if the dragon reciprocated Lilly’s respect and regard, she realized it didn’t really matter. Lilly would never forget her dragon friend. Just as she’d never forget the dragon’s heartmate.
Watching them wheel around the sky together, Lilly realized the stark reality. She was deeply in love with Luc. No matter what happened, she would always love him. He hadn’t just stolen a little piece of her heart. No, he’d taken the whole darn thing while she wasn’t paying attention, and she couldn’t really find any objection.
He was a good man. The best, in fact. The bravest, most attractive man she had ever known. She couldn’t really blame herself for falling head over heels for him and couldn’t work up the energy, at the moment, to worry about it. The future, she had finally decided, could take care of itself.
The dragons only stopped flying when the light began to fail. They could still fly in the dark, of course, but the people below couldn’t really see them, so the show was over. As night fell, the parties began in earnest all over the city as food and drink were served and music began playing in just about every green space all over town, courtesy of the King.
Inside the castle, the merriment was palpable. The courtiers were dressed in their finest and made a colorful spectacle all their own in the great hall. Lilly was off duty, by express orders of the King, and she wore one of the few dresses she owned. She was, of course, still armed, though nobody would be able to readily see where she was keeping her blades under the long skirts and within the tight bodice.
Alric had invited everyone who had participated in recent events to the party. The dragons were being offered a feast of their own, out on the parade field, and their heartmates were mostly in the castle, where all the common rooms on the ground floor had been opened wide and prepared for guests. People wandered through them, finding food and drink laid out on tables everywhere—different rooms catering to different tastes. The courtiers kept mostly to the great hall, but Lilly wandered through the castle, never having seen the place so filled with life and joy. She marvelled at the change a few days had made.
Alric and Zallra held court from the dais in the great hall, sitting side by side. It was the first time in memory that Alric had eaten with the court, and the feast that was served to the high table was sumptuous, indeed. The cooks had made all of Alric’s favorite dishes, and he was basking in their thoughtfulness as he shared the feast with his betrothed.
Lilly found Luc in one of the side chambers, in deep discussion with some of the fair folk who had come from the Veil. He motioned for her to join them when he saw her enter, and she went over with some alacrity. She wasn’t sure how she would be received by the others and didn’t want to cause any friction, but they were as kind as could be, and since these men and women had not been on the journey to the Alchemists’ city, they were eager to hear all about the adventure.
Equally, they told of the action on the border after Luc and Lilly had left. Some of these guards had flown watch over the mercs as they left through the high pass with Elderland, and the ejection of a few of the more cantankerous merc companies made for amusing tales.
Lilly was gratified by the friendly reception she received from Luc’s friends. They were all a bit older than him, it seemed, from the way they were speaking, but they were kind to Luc and Lilly and very complimentary regarding Shilayla’s performance. They marvelled at her flying in the demonstrations earlier that day and asked Luc about the whirlwind they had encountered on their journey and how Shilayla had handled it.
Luc seemed to bask in their attention, and they didn’t leave Lilly out of the conversation. This felt good and right. Comrades talking about their missions, much the way her friends among the Castle Guard spoke with her about their work.
Jimnel came over and was easily welcomed into the group. A few of his off-duty lieutenants saw Lilly and Jimnel there and came over to join the party, as well. Lilly was glad to see the way the two groups of newly-formed allies were getting along. Warriors accepting warriors and telling tales of past actions.