Page 191 of The Discount Damsel

He thumbed the tears away as they spilled down her cheeks. “We’ve got him now. It will be enough.”

It had to be.

CHAPTER 78

THOROUGH SNUGGLING, A POLITE THREAT, AND THE RESTRICTED SECTION

When the storm, like a troublesome, entitled guest of a hotel who had outstayed her welcome with her outlandish demands and general mistreatment of the staff, finally decided to shove off and go and ruin some other beach town’s peace, it didn’t go without a fuss.

The entire town was littered with flotsam. Shingles, shutters, and colorful lanterns cluttered the boardwalk like crabs while kelp and seaweed ripped up from their beds heaped the beach like sunning sea lions, though far less charming and three times as smelly.

The townsfolk added extra tidying duties to their already busy schedules, and those with young children immediately employed them for beach clean-up. The marines would handle the bigger messes left behind by the ship broken apart at sea, and the holidayers would salvage what time they could when everyone was too busy sorting out the town than catering to their every whim.

As for Mutineer Millie, she had donned her finest outfit: the lemon dress with white lace trim, the matching broad-brimmed hat, and a sapphire sash with pearl beading. Her hair was curled and styled with her shiv hairpin, lipstick and eyeshadow accented her features, and she smelled enchantingly of jasmine. Her ensemble was completed with her cinquedea letter opener shoved down into her bodice and dainty gloves of white lace that didn’t quite fit her anymore after all the calluses she’d developed training to be a pirate, but she made do. Thus armed, she marched down the sandy path to the Library of Xandria with the menfolk at her heels.

After some thorough snuggling, Dirk had made a full recovery—full in the fact that he was no longer frigid and much more flexible. But the baby dragon was weaker than he wanted to admit to his friends. The knowledge that he did not understand what was happening to him, and the accompanying fear, rendered him mute on the subject. Once again presenting as a Mini Red, Dirk was perched on Bradley’s shoulder so he wouldn’t strain himself in flight.

The apprentice, clad in his spare robe with the even hem, hurried to maintain pace behind the princess. Her shorter legs were somehow propelling her forward at a fantastic rate despite the resistance provided by the voluminous petticoats.

At the iron door, Millie ignored the bell and seized the dragon-shaped knocker in her lace-covered fist and gave it a thorough pounding. Then she spritzed the last of her jasmine perfume directly onto her nostrils.

When the familiar Komodo monk opened the door, his golden face bruised brown where Bradley had punched him, she did not give him a chance to speak first.

“Good morning, Renaldo,” she said crisply. “Are you familiar with the Tisanes, the ruling family of Amberly?”

“Why, of course, my lady. Every Komodo monk knows of them.”

“And do you know, Renaldo, that they have an unparalleled friendship with the dragon community?”

He nodded. “It is well known, my lady.”

“Then a review of the hospitality and professionalism of this library by a Tisane would hold a considerable amount of weight with said community, would it not?”

Renaldo straightened, emerald eyes slitting suspiciously. “It would.”

“So much so, that said community might take disciplinary action against anyone who hindered them and theirs.”

“If such a Tisane made such a complaint, I would suspect so.”

Millie fished about in her reticule and withdrew a garish pendant strung on a gold chain studded with pearls and dragonheart amber. The oval pendant was of the same reddish amber, set in more pearl-studded gold filigree, and an embellished A curled around the front of the gem.

“Do you recognize this?” she asked.

Renaldo gulped. “That is part of the set of royal jewels worn by the ruling family of Amberly. A ring for the king, a tiara for the queen, and the pendant for the heir.”

“And my little sister Rosamund has a much smaller version of this pendant because we are a loving family and didn’t want her to feel left out.” Millie slipped the pendant into her reticule, tightened the strings about her wrist, and clasped her hands demurely in front of her. “So, now that you know exactly who I am, I expect you to stop filling the air with your Komodo pheromones as you’ve being doing all week in an attempt to inflame my loins with lust⁠—”

Renaldo blushed.

“—you will inform Sage Arasimi that Bradley Donmarin, my chaperone and friend and bonded companion of the dragon Dirk the Dangerous, would be very appreciative of a moment of her time, and you will assist Dirk with this.”

She handed him a folded piece of paper.

The Komodo slipped a look and went deathly still. “Your Highness, how do you know about this?”

“I told you, we have excellent relations with the dragon community. We have tea every third Sunday of the month.”

He slipped the paper into his robe and smoothed his expression. “I will do what I can, Your Highness. But in regards to your request about Sage Arasimi, that I cannot assist you with. She was badly wounded in the storm and was forced to divert. It is unknown when she will be able to fly again.”