Page 93 of No Ordinary Drakeling
“I am glad you brought me here. It is just as beautiful as Tiri described,” Ellery replied. He was taken aback when Chrysander told him they had a date, but he welcomed the opportunity to spend time together.
“I’m so pleased you like it.”
“Have you been here before?”
“The garden, yes. I don’t think I’ve been to the restaurant. A lot of them blur in my mind.”
Ellery moved farther down the path, admiring the blooms as he passed them. “I can understand that. Our schedule is demanding.”
“I don’t want it to be. Not the way it’s been. Once we’re mated, we need to make time for us. We should be a priority.”
Touched, Ellery stopped long enough to slide his hand into Chrysander’s when he smiled warmly at him. “I would like that.”
“It’s my greatest wish for us to be close. I’ve come to realize I have done this all wrong. I want to apologize to you for every stupid decision I’ve made. Our ceremony should’ve been weeks ago.”
“You cannot pretend you are not an emperor.”
“I’m the one who tells everyone every day that nothing’s more important than a matebond. That includes our titles and those obligations. I don’t often find myself overwhelmed or unsure of myself, but mating is more difficult than I expected.”
Ellery nodded as he let go of Chrysander’s hand and went through the restaurant door. It took little time for the host to notice them, and he immediately raced over. After introducing himself, he led them to a secluded table. “I appreciate your honesty,” Ellery said, picking up the thread of their conversation. “I am not angry at you. I am simply impatient to move forward with my life…our lives.”
“Me too.”
“I like the idea of changing things around,” Ellery commented after a waitress came by to take their drink orders. He’d perused the menu for only half a second. Everything on it looked delicious, so he knew he couldn’t go wrong with whatever he chose.
“Yes, we’re going to redo our offices. We need to discuss our staff and how we want to move forward with Council bills as well as our other duties.”
“I have a confession to make.”
“I’m all ears.”
Ellery smiled. “I am the one with the big pointy ears.”
Chrysander grinned back at him. “They’re cute.”
“Cute?”
“We aren’t going to argue over this. Tell me your confession.”
Deciding he could argue with Chrysander over his choice of words later, Ellery smoothed his hand over the napkin resting on his lap. “I do not think Wesley likes me.”
“I’m sure he does, but he’s gotten used to doing things in a certain way. We just need to be patient and make him understand that changes are inevitable. If he doesn’t adjust, then we either reassign him or terminate his employment. Has he said or done anything to offend you?”
“No,” Ellery responded. Wesley wasn’t outright rude, but he was often dismissive of Ellery. “I believe he gets annoyed that I do not know everything I should.”
“Remind him which one of you is the boss.”
Ellery nodded. “I hope things will get better after I shift, and everyone will stop avoiding me because they think I am going to die.”
“We’ll all be happy when we know you have a future.”
Not willing to get into another discussion about the fact that they lacked faith in him, Ellery moved on. “Do you enjoy having events in our home?”
“Wesley designed everything to make hosting easier, but I honestly believed it’d be something saved for rare occasions. We can cut back on them if you want.”
“I would prefer our home to be more private,” Ellery replied. He was proud that he’d taken the initiative to change things about their lives.
The waitress returned, and they gave her their orders. Chrysander was having a steak, which he often ordered, and Ellery got what looked like a delightful mix of fruits, cheeses, and bread.
