Excerpt 1: Dragonbride©
Excerpt 1: Dragonbride©
*****
Finally, we lay next to each other again, and I nestled against him. We both knew that it was time for the final part of the ritual.
Dragan sighed worriedly, and I looked into his eyes. His voice barely a whisper, he said, “I see fear in your eyes... but I see love as well. I hope from the bottom of my heart that this won't destroy things before we've had a chance to start."
I knew that nothing I said would help right now, so I just slipped out of his arms and let him get out of bed. It was torturous for both of us, and I could tell by his expression that he did not want to leave my side. He hated the idea that we had to be apart while he shapeshifted. I could almost feel his unhappiness physically. “Please, give me an hour.” I nodded silently.
(free translation of the Dragon’s diary...)
He hoped that he would not lose her, that she would not fear him for the rest of her life. Even his mother, Lea-Angela, had been so shocked that it took her a year to become used to her husband’s dragon form.
However, he knew that if it went badly he would do anything he could to help his wife through this - anything. He disappeared behind the tapestry that covered the passage leading to his own suite, which was much bigger than his wife's to accommodate his true form. He needed a lot of space to be able to spread out and move around, especially when he bathed.
Dragons were very clean creatures, and he liked to spread his wings out after grooming himself, something he loved to do. Naturally, this room was covered in rare and expensive carpets, along with the other rooms in his quarters. He liked their warmth, and only the bathroom was uncarpeted for practical reason. It was tiled and there was a large drain in the tub. He felt quite comfortable after cleaning up and was ready to face his wife….
Within the hour I had bathed and changed my clothes. Three of my servants were there to help me; they gave me a gentle massage and applied a perfumed lotion to keep my skin moisturized.
“This is necessary,” Nemesis explained, “because the cool breezes venting in down here can dry your skin out, Your Highness, and I'm sure that you want to appear as young and as beautiful as you can.” I nodded, but my thoughts were in the next room.
Standing now in my dark red nightgown, I realized that the moment of truth had come. Surprisingly, I felt not more than anticipation and curiosity.
I considered it a great privilege to see the Golden Dragon with my own eyes. I waved my hand to dismiss my servants and moved slowly towards the door.
Knocking politely on the door, I called in the dragons' favored tongue, Latin. “Are you ready, milord?” A deep growl answered me. I interpreted this as a yes and entered his chambers.
The very first thing I saw was an immense claw, directly in front of me. Looking up, I followed the curve of his enormous shoulder. To the right was his coiled tail, its muscles twitching slightly.
I looked into his yellow reptilian eyes, the pupils narrow and slitted. His huge head was beautifully formed and not at all scary since I already knew my husband as a 'human'; even his snout was perfectly formed. As our eyes met, we almost became lost in each other's eyes.
I saw the folded wings and the razor-sharp claws, but what impressed me the most was his magnificent armor-plated body. Dragan's shimmering golden scales were a mixture of shades from a yellow as rich as the summer sun and the darkest ochre, and everything in between.
When I had decided that I had seen enough, I bowed before him and said, “Milord Draco Beziehn’leliehv, I shall always be at your disposal no matter what form you take.”
A single tear slid down the scales covering his cheek, vanishing into a crevice. He seemed so emotional that he couldn't speak; I was afraid that he'd croak like a frog if he tried to speak right now. I smiled at him and asked “Am I permitted to touch you, milord?”
The Golden Dragon nodded, answering in melodic voice that I found hypnotic. “Yes, milady, but be careful. My claws are as sharp as knives - don't hurt yourself.”
Minding his words, I approached him and took care around his claws. I placed a hand on his golden scales. Even though he felt cool to the touch, I could feel the life-force within and the slow rhythm of his heart. But more importantly than that, I could feel his love for me.
I smiled as I stood before him. “You're magnificent, my husband.”
In his thoughts I could sense his relief and pleasure at those words….
*****
Finally, we lay next to each other again, and I nestled against him. We both knew that it was time for the final part of the ritual.
Dragan sighed worriedly, and I looked into his eyes. His voice barely a whisper, he said, “I see fear in your eyes... but I see love as well. I hope from the bottom of my heart that this won't destroy things before we've had a chance to start."
I knew that nothing I said would help right now, so I just slipped out of his arms and let him get out of bed. It was torturous for both of us, and I could tell by his expression that he did not want to leave my side. He hated the idea that we had to be apart while he shapeshifted. I could almost feel his unhappiness physically. “Please, give me an hour.” I nodded silently.
(free translation of the Dragon’s diary...)
He hoped that he would not lose her, that she would not fear him for the rest of her life. Even his mother, Lea-Angela, had been so shocked that it took her a year to become used to her husband’s dragon form.
However, he knew that if it went badly he would do anything he could to help his wife through this - anything. He disappeared behind the tapestry that covered the passage leading to his own suite, which was much bigger than his wife's to accommodate his true form. He needed a lot of space to be able to spread out and move around, especially when he bathed.
Dragons were very clean creatures, and he liked to spread his wings out after grooming himself, something he loved to do. Naturally, this room was covered in rare and expensive carpets, along with the other rooms in his quarters. He liked their warmth, and only the bathroom was uncarpeted for practical reason. It was tiled and there was a large drain in the tub. He felt quite comfortable after cleaning up and was ready to face his wife….
Within the hour I had bathed and changed my clothes. Three of my servants were there to help me; they gave me a gentle massage and applied a perfumed lotion to keep my skin moisturized.
“This is necessary,” Nemesis explained, “because the cool breezes venting in down here can dry your skin out, Your Highness, and I'm sure that you want to appear as young and as beautiful as you can.” I nodded, but my thoughts were in the next room.
Standing now in my dark red nightgown, I realized that the moment of truth had come. Surprisingly, I felt not more than anticipation and curiosity.
I considered it a great privilege to see the Golden Dragon with my own eyes. I waved my hand to dismiss my servants and moved slowly towards the door.
Knocking politely on the door, I called in the dragons' favored tongue, Latin. “Are you ready, milord?” A deep growl answered me. I interpreted this as a yes and entered his chambers.
The very first thing I saw was an immense claw, directly in front of me. Looking up, I followed the curve of his enormous shoulder. To the right was his coiled tail, its muscles twitching slightly.
I looked into his yellow reptilian eyes, the pupils narrow and slitted. His huge head was beautifully formed and not at all scary since I already knew my husband as a 'human'; even his snout was perfectly formed. As our eyes met, we almost became lost in each other's eyes.
I saw the folded wings and the razor-sharp claws, but what impressed me the most was his magnificent armor-plated body. Dragan's shimmering golden scales were a mixture of shades from a yellow as rich as the summer sun and the darkest ochre, and everything in between.
When I had decided that I had seen enough, I bowed before him and said, “Milord Draco Beziehn’leliehv, I shall always be at your disposal no matter what form you take.”
A single tear slid down the scales covering his cheek, vanishing into a crevice. He seemed so emotional that he couldn't speak; I was afraid that he'd croak like a frog if he tried to speak right now. I smiled at him and asked “Am I permitted to touch you, milord?”
The Golden Dragon nodded, answering in melodic voice that I found hypnotic. “Yes, milady, but be careful. My claws are as sharp as knives - don't hurt yourself.”
Minding his words, I approached him and took care around his claws. I placed a hand on his golden scales. Even though he felt cool to the touch, I could feel the life-force within and the slow rhythm of his heart. But more importantly than that, I could feel his love for me.
I smiled as I stood before him. “You're magnificent, my husband.”
In his thoughts I could sense his relief and pleasure at those words….
*****
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