The Dragon And His Witch

TEN

"Is it true that there are rivers of gold in the Frost Kingdom?" Seraphina asked curiously and he gave her a look of disbelief.

"Is that really the first question that came into your mind?" He blurted with a hint of a grin on his face.

She shrugged, "a lot many people have told me that while trying to make me see a good side of marrying you."

"My lady, I am offended!" He said dramatically, placing a hand on his chest, "there are many good sides to marrying me aside from the gold rivers of my kingdom!"

That caused her to let out a short chuckle and Drystan could have sworn that he had never heard a more beautiful sound. "Just answer the bloody question, husband." She urged him.

He chuckled as well, "no, my lady, sadly, there are no gold rivers in our kingdom. But don't frown, I'll explain where that rumour came to be," he spoke making her look at him sheepishly as she nodded her head, asking him to proceed, "there's a river called Sagira. And when the summer months begin and the first rays of the morning hit the surface, it glimmers like starlight. Making it seem as if it's made of gold. There are crystals at the bottom of it, which reflect light and create a beautiful golden aura in all of the surrounding areas."

Seraphina's eyes got a glazed look as she listened to him describe Sagira with such affection. The smile on his face was small and filled with awe, it was as if he was reminiscing his time there.

"I'd like to see that some day." She breathed, looking up at him with wonder, "if you'll take me." She added shyly.

Drystan looked down at her and nodded his head happily, "I'll take you anwhere you'd wish to go, love. You just have to say the word."

She bit her lip to hide her smile, nodding as she looked down at the rippling water of the pond below them. He chuckled at her behaviour. "Tell me about your court." She murmured after a few seconds.

That caused him to grin again. "Oh, you'll love them all." He breathed affirmatively, making her raise a questioning brow. "There are seven people in my court, including my siblings."

Her eyebrows raised up at that, "just seven?" She asked curiously. She was surprised to find this out, considering how elaborate her own court had been.

Drystan nodded, "all of them are skilled for every aspect of running a kingdom. I trust them with my life. So I never needed more than them."

"They must be very efficient, then?" She asked curiously. There was no hint of judgement in her voice.

He smiled, "oh, extremely. Some of them have been by my side since my own childhood."

Her eyes widened with the sudden realization of his actual age. Looking at him, no one would be able to tell that he had been alive for centuries. His skin was flawless, not one extra crinkle or signs of aging. The only thing that could distinguish him from other charming young men were his eyes. Seraphina had seen something in his eyes that she had never seen in anyone else's. His were filled with an age long experience of cruelty and madness and violence and hidden udnerneath all of that, was a sliver of innocence that he had safeguarded from the world. She was unsure about why she could read him that deeply, but the fact that he was open with her to show this side of him to her, brought warmth in her chest.

She then realized that she had been staring too long and blinked, seeing that he had stopped speaking. Her cheeks heated up as she broke their gaze shyly.

She felt him chuckle beside her.

"I'm glad you find me intriguing, wife." He said with an affectionate hint to his voice.

She gave him a playful glare but shook her head. "I was just thinking about how old of a man I've married." She said jokingly before she could stop herself and that caused her to widen her eyes as she looked at him with regret. "I'm sorry, I—"

But he was looking at her with an amused expression before he snickered shaking his head at her. "You have a wicked humour, my Lady, I'll give you that." He said in between his laughter.

She pursed her lips shyly and looked away. She wasn't sure how to percieve this side of herself. It had been a long time since she had joked around with anyone and here she was, jesting at him about his age.

"But yes, on a serious note, I have lived quite a life and I am hoping to live more of it." He said before his eyes turned intent, "preferably with you on my side for this new eternity of mine." He added gently and he heard her heart quicken at that.

"I don't even know the extent of my powers, Drystan. Planning an eternity with me would be a waste of time." She mumbled lowly. There had been witches in the past who could attain immortality because of their magic. They were known to be gifted by the gods. But they were all killed in the war and Seraphina had no idea what her life had for her.

Drystan shrugged his shoulder, "we have all the time in the world, my love." He said casually but the term of endearment caused her to frown. She had heard that from a very different set of lips and she could not help but feel extremely vulnerable at the moment.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts before she looked back at him. "So, tell me about your siblings." She said abruptly and he could easily say that she wished to change the subject.

Drystan gave her a fond smile at that, "well, they are a pain, to be very honest." He said shaking his head. She almost look amused as he carried in, "Rosette has always been a warrior. Instead of ruling a kingdom, she always enjoyed keeping it safe and making strategies during wars. She has never been one to shy away from a fight. That's the reason why she is the commander of my armies."

That information took her by surprise and awe as she nodded her head. "She certainly looked capable to me. I have never seen another woman with that fierceness. I admired it." She confessed gaining a polite smile from her husband.

"There are moments when even I get scared of her wrath. Because she has powers that no one can understand."

She furrowed her brows, "powers?"

Drystan sighed, "her mother...was a witch. Her and Emyr's." He told her very quietly, trying to see how she would react. Seraphina just raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly.

"So you both share the same father?" She asked cautiously, meeting his gaze and when she saw him nod with a bitter expression, she understood that this was a sensitive topic for her husband.

"Dragons have magical powers too, right?" She spoke up, trying to change the subject of their conversation.

Drystan smiled briefly at her attempt and nodded his head. "Yes, but they're mostly elemental. Or for survival. We cannot cast spells like you or Rosette can."

"Emyr doesn't have witch magic?"

He shook his head, "it seems that only Rosette came into the heritage of her mother. But Emyr is extremely strong with controlling his other abilities. He's the master of mystic energy of the kingdom."

The look of wonder appeared on her face made him chuckle as she nodded her head. "That's impressive." She mumbled. "Tell me more." She demanded eagerly then.

He obliged, "well, there's Asteria, she's a seer, people call her the queen of shadows and stars."

"Can she see far off into the future then?"

"Just the dangers. Aside from that, she can read the stars and predict the near future on demand. But she hasn't done that for anyone in a while. Her predictions are volatile, sometimes it's difficult to get a good read."

Seraphina nodded her head in understanding. "What is she like?"

"She's...complex. To say the least. Being a seer, it's not easy. After a certain point, I think she lost herself into the future possibilities. But even then, I have never seen her fall weak. She is blatantly righteous and always ready to fight for what she believes in."

She smiled listening to him talk about Asteria. To her, the woman sounded like a beautiful legend. "I am looking forward to meeting her then." She said with a smile on her lips and he chuckled and nodded.

"Oh, she'll adore you." He said with such surety that it made her blush before he continued. "Then there's Priamos, the master of coin and his twin brother Bacilius who is the strategic advisor." He informed her of the two males he saw as his own brothers. "They came into the kingdom from Kymadom, the kingdom of sea dragons. They had a tragic past that neither likes to talk about. Priamos is more outspoken while Bacilius chooses to remain quiet until absolutely necessary. They're quite the lethal pair, to be honest."

Seraphina was beginning to understand why Drystan had such a small court. He had been right when he said that his court was efficient for each aspect of ruling.

"Aside from them, there's Niko. He's the minister of foreign relations. Creating allies and gauging the enemies. He's the most diplomatic man you would ever meet. And when he's not on official business, he's the greatest trickster." Drystan gave her a fond smile when her eyes widened slightly, "so, if you find yourself being tricked by him, you'll have to go straight to me or Asteria, who can find him anywhere."

She nodded, "I'll keep that in mind." She looked at him again, "who's the last member of your court?" She asked softly and that brought a strange expression on Drystan's face.

"Ilaria." He breathed with a fogged look in his eyes that made her sit up straight. "She's the queen of spies. She knows everything that goes on in the kingdom and outside of it. She can shapeshift into anything she wants, that is the reason why she is so efficient in measuring threats before they become a problem for us. Not one thing occurs in the Frost Kingdom without her knowing. She's extremely powerful."

Drystan looked down at his hands and she gazed at him, trying to get a read on him. She was curious about why his demeanor changed so suddenly while talking about Ilaria.

"You were in love with her." She blurted before she could stop herself. That caused Drystan's eyes to snap up to hers and she regretted saying anything. "I shouldn't have..." She muttered before looking away from him and shaking her head, "it's not my business."

Drystan sighed. "It's alright, Seraphina. You're my wife. It is your business if you want it to be." His voice was edged with something she couldn't quite place. But to her relief, he did not sound furious. "I was only surprised because you got a read on me so quickly. And yes, there was once a time when I was in love with her but she made it extremely clear that nothing would ever happen and then I left it at that. I would never dare to force myself upon anyone. I know what that feels like."

Seraphina met his gaze but did not speak for a moment. "Do you still have feelings for her?" She asked him cautiously.

Drystan chuckled, "no, Seraphina. I do not. This was a very long time ago. The only reason why you could see it on my face is because Ilaria and I have had a very complicated bond. But, I you have my word, my heart does not feel anything for her anymore."

Seraphina nodded her head to his sincere words, seeing the truth in his eyes. "Thank you, for clearing that up." She whispered, "but, you should know, that if those feelings were to ever return, I would not stop you from persuing them. You aren't bound by any vows to me and—"

Drystan stopped her by gently reaching out to grasp her hand. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to not flinch. But his gesture made her look into his deep violet eyes, "I am yours, Seraphina." He said with an intent voice, "just yours." There was such truthfulness in his eyes and words that it simply knocked the air out of her lungs. "I did not make any vow during the ceremony but I am making one now: I will never even think of being unfaithful to you, wife. I promised to keep you safe last night, and that includes from myself. I would never want to become a cause for your sorrow."

Water gathered in Seraphina's eyes as she slowly nodded her head. Her lips turned into a wide smile on their own accord as she could not help his words from overwhelming her.

And seeing that beautiful smile on her face, Drystan realized that he had never seen a sight more entrancing than that.