After the other dragons left. I took Kazan on our second date. We began asking more detailed questions about our lives up to that point. I hid nothing of import. I was showing him the Academy campus.
“Is this a lover’s trail for the Academy students? Do they also partake in the mating ritual?” Kazan asked.
“They do, although it is forbidden by the rules of the Academy to actually mate while attending the Academy, unless you are already married, or legally recognized as mates,” I said.
“So they do not mate then?” Kazan said.
“It does happen, if it becomes publicly known the students are often expelled from the Academy. Some cases are known and ignored, so long as they are engaged and the relationships are not flaunted,” I said.
“Let’s explore this Lover’s trail. I want to see how it is different, and we can have more practice,” Kazan said. I saw no point in denying him, I had pretty much decided to choose him.
“These young couples seem even more passionate than those we saw previously. I find myself even more excited in just seeing such vigor,” Kazan said.
“Yes, those first awakening to dating are often the mpfh...” I began saying, as Kazan pulled me suddenly into a passionate kiss. He lifted me up and carried me to an open bench.
Oh, well, so much for my quiet plans. We began making out, and I was definitely getting more excited, than on our first date. Was it because I had already settled on Kazan? Or was it his real, and intense enthusiasm? Time seemed to stand still, how long had we been making out. Suddenly Kazan reached up my blouse and my bra snapped loose! He unlatched it magikally! How did he know this? I pushed against him and he squeezed my breast.
“Mmpp! Mmmm,” I yelped. His hand was so hot on my breast and his fingers were arousing my nipples. It felt so good, I surrendered to his sneak attack. His other hand slid down my back and squeezed my ass.
“Mmph!”
My body was reacting to him. He got bolder. My claws dug into his shoulders. He winced, his claws scraping my tail“”
Crunch!
We fell to the ground as the bench collapsed under us. We rolled around on the ground battling each other. I bit his neck, my mouth hot and steaming. He breathed fire across my shoulder, and he flew up into the sky. I flew after him, and gave chase. We danced across the sky and I caught him. He spun around and mounted me! We fell, locked in the mating dance. We plummeted toward the ground. Then he shot his seed in me and pulled away. We landed on quad. How did this happen!? We mated before the whole school!
“That was beautiful, my Queen. It was exciting and magnificent! You have accepted me as your mate, my Queen! I am so honored, my love. My Queen. How soon until our egg is released?” Kazan said.
“I am not in season, Kazan,” I said.
“But we mated in public, for all to see. The Red Queen will know! They will think I am sterile! I will be shamed. My clan will be shamed. They will send another to complete what I did not,” Kazan said.
“What? No. Why would any of that happen? We just mated out of season. Not that you gave me a choice, mounting me like that. Not that I planned to allow this to happen. I just lost control with your advances. I didn’t mean for us to mate today,” I said.
“Dragons do not mate out of season, my Queen. None of the dragons will understand this. My family and I will be ruined. None will want to mate with us,”
“Oh, for the Love of the Goddess! I am not ready to have any children yet.”
“But the Red Queen has demanded it. Once the selection is done, you are required to produce an heir on the first mating, which has clearly been done. Did you not read the ancient treaty.”
“Fuck. Fine. Well we can’t have you and your clan being shamed. Come with me, and we’ll fix this, but you are going to owe me big time for this,” I said.
“How are you going to fix not being in season? It’s not like you can magikally make an egg appear,” Kazan said.
“Want to bet? You’d lose that bet,” I said.
We returned to my dorm, and went to the nest on the roof.
“Everyone out, except Hestia, Kazan, and Enya’s egg,” I said.
“Dark shield!” I cast.
I reached in to my storage, and pulled out my first egg.
“Hold this! Pour your mana into it,” I said as I handed it to Kazan.
“What is this?”
“That’s my unfertilized egg, dummy!”
“Why should I pour mana into it?”
“Congratulations! You’re going to be a daddy to my first child,” I said.
“That will never work!” Kazan said.
“You don’t know much about dragon eggs do you, Kazan? This will totally work, just do what I told you to do!”
“Yes, my Queen,” Kazan said has he poured his mana in.
“That’s enough. Now go wait outside. Blink!” I said.
I reached into my storage and pulled out two more eggs and handed them to Hestia.
“What are you doing, my Queen?” Hestia asked
“In for a copper in for a gold. Might as well make this a legendary event,” I said.
“But he hasn’t fertilized these two, my Queen,” Hestia said.
“He will. His seed is inside me,” I said.
“You know what to do. Put the one he fertilized in last,” I said as I transformed to my White Dragon form.
“Ionsáigh! Ionsáigh! Ionsáigh! ” Hestia cast.
“Cancel! Enya can come back in, and Kanae,” I said.
“Dee, what’s going on!? Why are you on the nest?” Kanae said as she came in.
“I have mated with Kazan, and am with child. Please inform the queen and headmistress,” I said.
Kanae stood there for a moment with her mouth open. Then she snapped out of it and looked to Hestia.
“It is true. She has mated, and she is also now with child. It is a miracle, she was not even in season before the mating,” Hestia said.
Kanae’s mind began spinning deciphering the meaning of Hestia’s words.
“I understand,” Kanae finally said, and left to inform Queen Matilde and Headmistress Corrine.
“Hestia please inform my other suitors, and ask Valenor to come here and be witness to my child with Kazan,” I said.
Six hours later my first egg dropped, and Princess Celes, Hestia, Ériu, Kanae, Rosie, Fergus, Corrine, Kazan, and Valenor witnessed the event. An hour later while having a party in celebration of my first egg child, I attacked Kazan and chased him into the sky where we mated a second time. An hour later as the party was breaking up, I laid a second egg. Fifteen minutes later Queen Matilde arrived. Valenor confirmed both eggs were viable, and children of Kazan and me. Another message was sent to the Red Queen. Three hours later an envoy from the Red Queen arrived and confirmed what Valenor had already confirmed. I again attacked Kazan and chased him into the sky and mated him a third time, in the presence of the Red Queen’s envoy. A watch was put on me. Two hours later I laid the third egg, and it was also confirmed to be a child of Kazan and me. I took my last egg to my nest and went to sleep. I was exhausted.
“Kazan, you will take up residence in this dorm and assist me,” I said.
“As you wish, my Queen,” Kazan said, still shocked that I had laid three eggs and he had only fertilized the one. His shock was totally real.
“While my guild mates and close friends had guessed the truth, no one else had a clue what actually happened.”
News of the Miraculous Birth of the White Dragons spread like a dragon on the wind. The Red Queen sent a Royal Guard to protect me and the eggs. We moved the eggs to the White City. Kazan nested with the eggs. I teleported every night to the White City and back in the morning for school. It was a real mess.
“Well, you’ve really done it now, haven’t you, Dee,” Fergus said.
“Couldn’t be helped. I guess I should have been more cautious with the whole Dragon mate mess. But it was going to happen anyway. No other peaceful way out of the Dragon treaty,” I said.
“That’s true. So has Queen Matilde been after you to produce a human heir yet?” Fergus said.
“Don’t get any stupid ideas, lover,” I said.
“I would never, my love. Only the brightest of ideas, since they are most often the successful ones,” Fergus said.
“Smart ass. We have to head to my father’s estate for the Harvest Festival, this weekend. Princess Celestine will be accompanying us,” I said.
“Everything is all set, my love,” Fergus said.
“Did you coordinate with the Palace, and the Marquise?” I asked.
“We have the Royal Guard, the Marquise’s dragonewts and her guard, the Red Queen’s Dragon squad, your father’s guards, and us. Such a caravan has likely never been seen before, my love” Fergus said.
“Hmm, that’s probably true, but doesn’t make me any less anxious. I wonder how such a group will interact. I think I might in fact be more nervous. Why is the Queen’s Dragon guard going with us? Aren’t they here to protect the eggs?,” I said.
“They are here to protect the only dragon in a thousand years to lay more than one egg during a season, and the known fertile White Dragon Queen,” Hestia said.
“Not, that I don’t love your new look, but why are you staying in your White form?” Kanae asked.
“I’m much stronger in this form. Also, I want to be in this form anytime I’m near my eggs. So for now it’s just more convenient to stay in this form,” I said.
“Makes sense,” Kiera said.
“Well, we’d better head out,” Fergus said.
We were off, and there was an unusual crowd in the street as we left.
“Did our plans to travel leak?” I asked.
“Well, we made no attempt to hide we were heading out, but we also didn’t make any announcements. It’s probable more and more are actually following your activities, and those of your closest allies,” Celes said.
“I was wondering, Celes, why are you in our carriage, if you are bringing your own?” I said.
“It’s more fun riding with you, Little Queen. Besides, I may need my own carriage at some point,” Celes said with a wide grin.
After our exit made a huge spectacle of leaving the Capital, the ride was fairly normal. We made it to Tanglewood Forest as the sunstar was hanging low, in the late afternoon.
“This part of the trail is such a lovely stretch. The view of the raging rapids of the Hydra River running alongside the road, against the backdrop of the blues and silvers of the Atlasian Bluffs is just so amazing,” Kiera said.
“It’s almost like it turns to night in the late afternoon as the bluffs block the view of the sunstar. But we’ve come at the perfect time, and it’s all lit up like sunstarset,” Kanae said.
That’s when the ambush came from the woods. With our backs against the raging waters of the Hydra we were boxed in.
“Stay in the coach, Princess!” I said as I leapt out, transforming to my battle form.
“Shouldn’t she be the one staying in the carriage?” Celes said to basically no one, as the rest of us piled out to join in the battle.
The attack was precisely timed, with mages and mercenaries of human and beastkin alike. It was as precision a strike as one striking the core. It was focused on my carriage. By leaping out I hoped I could distract them.
The Queen’s squad sped at me and surrounded me as they drove us up above the treeline. A small contingent of troops were firing at us. At that moment there was an explosion around my carriage, and a squad of black clad mercenaries flew into the carriage from the river banks, and exited the other side.
“The Princess! I screamed and pummeled through the guard below me for the kidnappers,” My companions and my father’s guard heard me, and saw what was happening, and they all surged toward the kidnappers, but the trap had been too well set. My guards, again surrounded me, and blocked my view momentarily, and then the entire conflict was over. The kidnappers gone, and the few remaining combatants were just sacrificial lambs.
My guards finally let up, and we regrouped. My carriage was almost a total loss. My father had been wounded while trying to save the princess. Several Royal Guards were dead. Almost all were ones guarding my carriage.
“We thought you were the target, your majesty,” The lead Red Dragon Guard.
“Yes, they planned their attack well. The Princess’ carriage is hardly damaged. Someone informed them before we got here she was riding with us. Only someone who saw us leave the city would have known that. This is no time for blame, we need clues on where the Princess was taken,”
We scoured the area, and examined the dead and wounded among the attackers.
“My queen, your father is not well. My healing is not working,” Darby came to tell me.
I flew at the hasty camp we’d made to tend the wounded, but I was too late. Again. Whatever poison they had used in the weapons, it worked fast. Again I missed a chance to save a fleeing soul and my father’s mana had never been very strong.
“Why!? Why am I always too late?” I said.
“My queen, there is nothing more to discover here. We must continue on, and reach our destination,” Hestia said.
“Yes, the caravan needs to continue. Kanae? Kanae!” I said.
“Where’s Kanae? Kiera?” I said.
“I last saw her chasing after the Princess,” Darby said.
I reached out with my mana sense.
“This way!” I said, picking up a trail of mana.
We hadn’t gone five minutes, before we came upon a battle with Kanae, Kiera, and a healing Celes surrounded by an ever shrinking circle of mages.
Sol Blades! I cast, taking down the mages on one side of the circle. The rest of the mages blinked out seeing the arrival of backup.
“It seems, I was the target of this attack,” Celes said, as Kanae finished healing Celes.
“So it seems, my Princess. It was a rather devious plot,” I said.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to all use your carriage now. Mine seems to be a little worse for the wear at the moment,” I said. Celes laughed.
“Of course Queen Deirdre. It will be my pleasure to host you for the remainder of the trip.”
I put my badly damaged carriage in storage. We piled into Celes’ carriage, and the journey continued on.
“How did you wind up there battling those mages?” I asked.
“When we saw, the ninjas enter the carriage, we suspected the truth of the attack. We flew towards the carriage,” Kiera said.
“I saw some of the mages cast a teleportation spell, so I canceled it. They were very surprised at that, so they blinked away,” Kanae said.
“So we followed them. They kept trying to open a teleportation spell, and Kanae kept shattering it. Finally, they gave up fleeing and one group surrounded us, as another group blinked away with Celes,” Kiera said.
“It was just the chance we needed. I froze the mages blinking away, and we blinked to Celes. She was wounded and stupefied. So I cast healing on her, but we were instantly surrounded and attacked,” Kanae said.
“So we had to give the battle our attention, and started thinning out the Mages. We were almost done, when you arrived and killed half of them with your ridiculously overpowered spells,” Kiera said.
“Dragon level powered, not overpowered,” I said.
“The little human, is correct. For even a White Dragon of your age, your magik is extremely and unusually powerful, White Queen,” said the lead Red Queen’s guard.
We reached my father’s, or rather my estate, and reported what happened. I sent off a message to Queen Matilde, and to the Academy.
“What will we do about the Harvest Festival?” Kanae asked.
“The Harvest Festival must go on. I will make the announcement of his heroic death, and place him lying in state until the Festival is over,” I said.
It was Friday now, and in the evening the Festival was set to begin. I was there to kick it off, and the mood was already somber, with the news already having spread. I took the stage and went up to the podium,
“Salutations Citizens and visitors. We are here to begin the celebration of the harvest, and the season of rest. We come to taste the wine, eat of the harvest and dance in joy of another bountiful harvest. But the winds change, and yet blow constant as the Northern Star, and we know not the hour that the Cutter of the Thread will come for us, or those dear to us. It is with heavy heart that I bear the news that my father fell in battle earlier today. Viscount Morgrim fought bravely to defend Princess Celestine, myself, and our caravan from a cowardly attack by the raging waters of the Hydra River. No mere wound was he given, but they laced their weapons with some vile poison that defied healing. I do not say to not weep for my father. For we will surely all weep for our loss of such a great and just man. But I say, we should celebrate his life. He was a man of infinite kindness, and found joy in even the worst of times. We would not be treating his memory well to drown in our sorrow. We should dance for the joy he has shared with us, and the joy he spread. We should raise our glasses and celebrate his many triumphs. We should enjoy the harvest his labors made possible, so we could all enjoy this bounty. May the lanterns of the Festival burn as brightly as did my father Viscount Morgrim! In memory of the noblest of nobles Viscount Morgrim!”
I raised my glass and drained it. Then turned the goblet into a ball of fire and tossed it into the pit to light the harvest fire. A cheer rose up from the crowd, and those with a drink drank to the toast, and the Festival began. It began with sadness and determination, and in somber celebration of a life cut short.
I left the festival to the people, and rejoined my companions, and we sat for the festival dinner feast.
“That was a good speech, Dee” Kanae said.
“Thank you Kanae. I knew him only briefly, but he was a good man and took seriously his position to better his citizens’ lives,” I said.
The festival was set to run for a whole week, but Saturday was the big day of the Festival. So it was that we joined the festival feast again on Saturday. Many were the dancers, and more so were the couples who would leap the fire and begin a new family. Many would be with filled wombs come the spring. Not only of the flocks but of the shepherdesses, and the milkmaids, and the many Harvest Brides. Aoi and Cathar were dancing rather drunkenly together. Kanae and Eoghan were also enjoying a fairly wild dance. The Marquise Ériu was dancing with my brother-in-law Conor, the fourth son of Duchess Ealadrien, and they both were looking a little more than tipsy, when they bumped into Kanae and Eoghan, who then bumped in to Aoi and Cathar. The three men began to bicker about being clumsy,
“You are quite the clumsy oaf for the son of a duchess, Conor,” Cathar stated.
“I am more coordinated in my most drunken state than either of you two oafs,” Cathar said.
“Ha, you’d be burnt to a crisp leaping the fire that even the clumsiest of commoners leap easily, as you can see,” Eoghan said.
“I challenge you as a matter of honor! We shall all leap the fire, and see who jumps the best! Let the White Queen be judge!” Cathar said.
“Me!” I said.
“It is a matter of honor, my queen, you must judge this for us,” Conor said.
“You all agree to this, and take serious the responsibility of your choices? You are all going to jump the fire? Together?” I said.
“We will!” said Conor.
“We will!” said Cathar.
“We will!” said Eoghan.
“And you, ladies? You consent to this?” I asked.
Kanae, Aoi, and Ériu all looked at each other and shrugged, and said, “Yes, we consent.”
“Are you sure, about this? You don’t want to sober up, and think about this?” I said.
Again they looked at each other, and then laughed. “No, it’s fine.” Said Kanae.
“I’m sure, it’s fine,” said Aoi.
“I don’t see any problem,” Ériu said.
I shrugged, and said,
“Then let the leaping begin!”
Then Conor grabbed Ériu into a princess carry. Ériu’s eyes shot wide, but Conor was on the move toward the fire.
“Conor! What are you doing!?” Ériu asked in alarm.
“We are leaping the Fire! Fear not my fair Marquise! I shall always protect you,” Conor said.
“But wait! There’s an order of things! We can’t just ...”
But it was too late Conor had leapt high into the air over fire, and Ériu’s sentence went unfinished as she watched herself being carried over the roaring flames of the Harvest binding fire.
“Leap the fire.” Ériu finished as she realized what she had just agreed to, with her own words, twice.
Then Cathar picked up Aoi, who squealed with joy at being in a princess carry about to leap of a fire in a man’s arms. Cathar also leapt over the flames safely with his bride Aoi.
Finally, Eoghan grabbed Kanae, who also squealed with joy, and he leapt up and a blast of wind from his shoes propelled him the highest over the flames, and Kanae squealed again as they flew over the flames.
Everyone in the crowd was cheering for the six newlyweds, and a honey cake and glass of mead was brought to each couple to share. Which they did, after it was explained to Kanae and Aoi. Ériu was blushing heavily when they were brought to her, but she partook anyway.
“How do you judge, Lady of the Harvest?” Conor asked.
“I judge that Eoghan jumped highest, and Conor has Jumped highest without magik. I judge you all have jumped well and true. By the power in me vested as Viscountess of this domain. I now pronounce you wives and husbands of the Harvest. May the Goddess shine on and bless you all, and may you all be as fruitful as the Golden Harvest,” I said.
Then the men all kissed their respective woman. Aoi and Kanae were glowing, but I still wondered if they knew what they had done. Ériu clearly knew what was happening, and I believe all the men did as well. Ériu looked confused, conflicted, and happy. All in no particular order, or portion.
They continued to drink and eat and dance. In the morning, I waited for them all to come down for breakfast, determined to have a serious conversation with them. They showed up late in the morning, as probably so did a great many all over town and the castle.
“Well met, good morning, and congratulations newlyweds,” I said.
“Newlyweds? Oh, yeah, wife of the harvest. Very funny. I don’t remember much of last night, but I woke up in bed with a naked man in my bed this morning,” Kanae said.
“Yes, your husband I hope, and not someone else’s. It would be the peak of disasters to cheat on your husband on you wedding night,” I said.
“My husband. Right. You’re just going to keep teasing, me are you?” Kanae said as she started to drink some water.
“You leapt the fire last night with Eoghan. I assure it was quite a legal and enforceable marriage, as good as any,” I said.
Kanae spat out the water in her mouth.
“What! What do you mean legally married! We jumped over a fire. I don’t recall taking any vows. Did something else happen?” Kanae said.
Sigh
“I feared as much. The four of you are hopelessly clueless about the workings of this world. A couple can choose to leap a fire, rather than have a costly wedding ceremony. It is a legitimate form of marriage with all the legal rights and responsibilities. You all three leapt the fire. You, Ériu, appeared to have realized what was happening, but chose not to immediately protest and profess ignorance. You all three very publicly shared your mana with a kiss, then shared the honey cake and wine from a single glass, in view of all. You all then proceed to take your husbands to bed in front of numerous witnesses. Presumably, you also consummated your marriages with your husbands?”
I looked at each of them in turn and saw the guilty looks on all of their faces. The Marquise with a fairly broad smile.
“Did any of you take any precautions?” I asked.
“Yes! Yes, we did! Kanae had some of your anti-heat pills, and we all had some of them before we retired.” Ériu said.
“What!. No! No, no, no. You didn’t. Say you didn’t consume Cupidita Nightleaf last night!” I said.
“It’s an antifertility herb, of course we took it!” Aoi said.
“No! It’s a fertility ending herb for Dragons. Dragons! It has the opposite effect on humans. It’s the most potent fertility edible humans can take. It has almost a total success rate on the first try. Even if a woman just ended her cycle!”
“WHAT!” Kanae screamed.
“Lifesense!” I said, and scanned each of the women.
Sigh
“Well, you are all perfectly healthy, and very much pregnant. Kanae and Aoi, with twins. You must have taken an awfully large dose of the leaf to get that effect. It’s almost unheard of,” I said.
Ériu put her hand on her belly, and smiled.
“I am with child?” Ériu said, with a huge smile forming on her face.
“It is a boy or a girl?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“That was mean,” Ériu said, and laughed.
Conor stumbled in, and Ériu jumped up and into his arms, kissing him and said,
“You gave me a child last night! I am with your child.”
Conor’s face turned a whiter shade of pale, and his eyes looked like a deer facing up against voracious mountain lion.
“Congratulations, my dear wife?” Conor said.
“Congratulations Marquis Conor on your wedding and successful mating,” I said.
“Thank you, your majesty,” Conor said, still trying to process the night and hangover.
“I’m pregnant? With twins, by Eoghan?” Kanae said, still in a state of shock.
Eoghan was frozen in place at the doorway, having heard all that Kanae said, turning as pale as Conor.
“Congratulations Eoghan, on your successful wedding and very fertile mating,” I said.
“What’s this about weddings and mating?” Cather said, stumbling into the room.
“Oh, and here to complete the set. Congratulations to you also Cathar on your successful conquest, marriage, and equally fertile mating with Aoi,” I said.
“Yes, I have just confirmed you six newlyweds were very fruitful last night, or this morning. You have all successfully impregnated each of your brides. Your marriages are now consummated and sealed,” I said.
“S...s...sealed!?” Cathar, Connor, and Eoghan stuttered as their eyes shot open, full bore.
Kanae and Aoi were each holding their bellies. Unsure whether to be scared or ecstatic. Cathar actually had a rather silly grin on his face. He picked up Aoi and pulled her into a big hug.
“Eep!” Aoi chirped in surprise. Cathar dropped her, and fearfully asked,
“Are you ok? I didn’t hurt the babies, did I?”
Aoi turned around and took Cathar’s face in her hands, and said,
“The babies are fine. Thank you husband.”
Then she pulled him in to a passionate kiss.