Page 6 of Courting the Dragon King

“Thank you for joining today.” The grand monk spread his arms wide. “May peace guide your steps as you go forward.”

People turned and began to walk away. Monks stepped towards the pyre, no doubt waiting for the fire to die away completely. Then they’d probably remove the ash-covered bones and prepare them to be sent to Draconia for burial.

The shadow king and queen of Necros, along with Vex and Harrow, Wraith’s siblings, left the funeral, not glancing or speaking to Wraith even though he’d been standing with them. But he was used to being ignored by his family.

Other funeral attendees departed. Wraith remained. There was nowhere he needed to be at present. Instead, he watched his soon-to-be husband. The man spoke with his siblings. All the while, the dead king kept talking to him.

Wraith wet his lips. A tug in the centre of his chest urged him to step forward and speak to King Alaric. The dead king no longer belonged in this world. He should move on, and Wraith wanted to lead him on. It was his duty.

The funeral attendees dwindled. Wraith should probably leave too.

But perhaps if he stayed where he was, King Konrad would talk to him.

Wraith clasped his hands in front of him, heart rate picking up at the thought. They had not really spoken previously. In fact, they’d barely interacted at all. And yet they were to marry to seal the peace treaty.

He was not sure when it had been decided that the two of them would marry. No one had informed Wraith directly. At some point, his mother had just mentioned the upcoming marriage in passing at dinner. However, it had seemed everyone else already knew. Just no one had bothered to tell Wraith.

King Konrad spoke to his younger brother, Prince Luther, and his husband, Warden Onyx.

Wraith’s gut clenched. The dragon king was handsome. So strong and well respected too. Would he be a good husband to Wraith? Would he be kind? Gentle?

Could he ever care for me?

“Shadow Prince Wraith.”

Wraith blinked. When had the grand monk approached him? Had he been standing there and waiting for Wraith to acknowledge him?

“Grand Monk,” he said in greeting.

The grand monk looked at the monks attending to the pyre and the remains. “It is a tragic day. We have lost a great leader. A king who strove for peace.”

Wraith supposed that was true. Although, the dragon king had also continued the war his mother had started. That did not seem to Wraith like striving for peace.

“Are you prepared for your upcoming nuptials?” the grand monk asked.

Honestly, Wraith wasn’t sure. He did not know how to prepare for a wedding to someone he’d barely spoken to. Then again, he did not know how to prepare for a wedding to someone he had spoken to. He was not sure what preparations were required for a wedding in general. He’d never been married before and never considered what could be involved.

So Wraith simply remained silent.

“I apologise that your courtship rituals will be rushed. But as you know, it is important to quickly finalise the marriages to seal the peace treaty given the current circumstances,” the grand monk said.

This was news to Wraith. He was not aware they were rushing the courtship rituals, which were meant to help the couple become better acquainted. Once again, he hadn’t been told.

Or maybe he’d been told but forgotten. Wraith tended to forget things, or he sometimes got confused between the words of the living and the dead. And you could never trust the words of the dead. They got so easily confused. Kind of like Wraith.

But it was not uncommon for the shadow king and queen to make plans without consulting him. Wraith was just expected to follow them, even if he hadn’t been explicitly informed.

Two pigeons flew down and landed on the recently trodden grass. The grand monk reached into a pouch hanging from his belt. He scattered seed. For several moments, they stood and watched the pigeons peck.

“Many despise and look down on pigeons. They see these birds as dirty, carriers of disease,” the grand monk said. “But did you know that a dove and a pigeon are practically the same bird? They are closely related.”

Wraith did not know that. But he’d never thought much about pigeons or doves. They, like most birds, usually passed on very quickly when they died. He supposed pigeons and doves looked similar now that he thought of it, although with obviously different colourings.

“When I joined the Monks of the Way of the Dove, all I wanted was to assist the lost, the starving, the hungry, the displaced, the forgotten, and the outcasts of the world.” The grand monk threw more seed. “Everything I do now is to create a better world for all.”

The grand monk kept speaking, but Wraith’s attention turned to King Konrad as he walked towards them. Wraith tensed.

King Konrad drew nearer. Wraith stared at him, hoping to catch his eye. Perhaps they’d share a word or two. He held his breath.