Page 5 of The White Dragon's Dilemma

“How is a council formed in the next few months going to keep us safe from bombs?”

“Are you being silent about who is behind the terror because you do not know?”

“Or do you know and just don't want to say?”

“We need to know who is behind this violence, King Valerius! Tell us!Who are our enemies?”

That last question hung in the air like frost.They wanted the “us” versus “them” narrative.Chione would, undoubtedly, be reaching out right now to the press to tell them that appropriate information would be shared at the appropriate time.Valerius could already hear the gnashing of teeth.But there was no answer he could give that wouldn’t cause innocents to be harmed.He would not make that part of his change like the Faith had.

Come, Caden, let us fly to High Reach,Valerius said.We must speak to the others and prepare for Queen Jahara and King Anwar’s arrivals.

With that, he shifted once more and he and Caden took to the skies while the reporters still called after them, looking for enemies.

PERSPECTIVES

Caden stood on the plaza outside of the throne room.He was dressed in one of Valerius’ large cable knit sweaters whose sleeves hung a few inches below his fingertips and the hem brushed the tops of his knees, along with his favorite jeans and boots. He’d never seen Valerius in a sweater, let alone this one, but the Black Dragon King had fished it out of somewhere and helped Caden put it on, smoothing his hands down Caden’s shoulders and arms.

“It’s a little big!”Caden had laughed.

“It is perfect,” Valerius had countered, his eyes hooding, as if it pleased him to see Caden in his clothes.

“It smells like you so I love it,” Caden had murmured.

They’d kissed, and to Caden, it felt like expecting to fall but flying instead. His heart had seemed to expand several times larger as he pressed his face against Valerius’ chest afterwards and the Black Dragon King stroked up and down his back.

“I wish we could just stay here and ignore everybody and everything,” Caden said, relishing the coziness of Valerius’ tower.

“I know.I feel the same,” Valerius murmured.His breath puffed against Caden’s hair.It was warm.Valerius was always so warm.Caden snuggled closer.

“But we can’t, right?”

“Are you asking or confirming?”Valerius chuckled.

“I know we can’t,” Caden sighed.

“Your parents and sister will be here soon.Along with Wally and Rose.I’ve invited them for dinner,” Valerius told him.

“To talk about everything?”Caden tensed as he went over in his mind for the seemingly thousandth time what had happened in the Below.

“Yes, but also to plan what to do about your identity.We need to tell them what you want to do,” Valerius reminded him.

“Hide here with you.That’s my plan,” Caden stated.

Valerius’ shoulders lifted as he chuckled almost silently.“I wish you would hide behind me, but whenever I wonder where the trouble is all I need to do is findyou.”

Caden snorted.“Yeah, well… I feel like I’ve had enough excitement today.”

They pulled back from one another, though Caden’s hands lingered on Valerius’ waist.Valerius was also dressed, but no oversized sweaters for him.It was all silk and leather and black knee-high boots.He looked delectable.He looked like what he was: the Black Dragon King.

“Is there anything I can do?”Caden asked.

Valerius lifted an eyebrow.“About what?”

“Everything?”

Valerius smiled.“No, not right now.You are a symbol to the Faith so perhaps later I will ask you to speak to Jennifer and Cary again to make sure they know nothing more but…”

“But?”

---