Page 71 of Courting the Dragon King

Wraith tugged a bit of grass from his robes. Just a few moments ago, they had been fooling around in the field. Konrad wished they were doing that instead of talking about this.

“It depends on how you define successful,” Wraith said. “They were able to bring back some dragons with their souls.”

Konrad let out a slow breath, trying to remain calm as his heart rate took off.

“But they were stuck in their human form, and the necromancers were unable to control them or force them to shift,” Wraith said. “Even with sacrifices.”

Konrad’s ears prickled at the word sacrifices.

“The bindings cast by the necromancers unravelled. The spirits fled.” Wraith shook his head. “I doubt it is truly possible to create a bone dragon that would be able to be controlled.”

“Well, that is something at least,” Konrad muttered. “You mentioned sacrifices. What does a sacrifice achieve?” He tried to keep his voice steady.

“It gives more power,” Wraith said. “Necromancers usually do it, when they are attempting to cast beyond their own ability. I suppose one might do it when trying to create a bone dragon. Or they might do it when wanting to raise and control more reanimated than what they would normally be capable of.”

“I see,” Konrad said. “During the war, we found Draconian scouts sacrificed on altars after a battle against reanimated skeletons. So that would have been to create and control the massive skeleton army they attacked us with.”

Wraith nodded. “Probably. It might have also allowed the necromancers to control the reanimated from further away.”

Konrad exhaled. They stood in silence. They could no longer hear the funeral procession. The field and road were completely empty. It was just the two of them.

Wraith cleared his throat. “Your father has not yet moved on.”

“What?” Konrad straightened. “Where is he?” He glanced around, as if he might see his father just standing by the side of the road.

“He is not here now. But I have seen him sometimes with you,” Wraith said. “He follows you. At his funeral, he stood behind you, talking to you. I spoke to him in your room on our wedding night. You heard me talking to someone and asked me who.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

Wraith looked in the direction of the cemetery. “You’d been angry with me for helping the old woman. I did not know what you’d think about me speaking to your dead father. I also didn’t know if you’d even believe me.”

Konrad had been so quick to see the worst in Wraith. And he probably would have been enraged if Wraith told him he’d spoken to his dead father. “That’s fair. Previously, I was not very receptive to what you had to say. I’m sorry, Wraith.”

“That’s all right.”

“What did my father tell you?” Konrad asked.

“So far, I’ve heard him speak about the peace treaty and protecting the bloodline and the kingdom,” he said. “It is common for the departed to fixate on the things that were important to them during life.”

Konrad huffed. “That was what my father cared about in life.”

“I also spoke to him last night when you were asleep. I asked him about his death and if he knew who killed him.” Wraith shook his head. “But he just seemed to get very confused by the questions, which is not uncommon with the dead. I have also offered to help him pass on. But he is not ready.”

“Why not?”

“He is waiting for the treaty to be finished and his bloodline to be safe.”

“That sounds like him.”

“I could have forced him on,” Wraith said.

“You can do that?”

“Yes.” Wraith’s nose wrinkled. “But I never liked doing that. I prefer to let people move on when they are ready. Forcing someone when they don’t want to go always felt icky to me. And some ghosts do seem genuinely happy here. It feels rude to force them on.”

“That makes sense.” Konrad was coming to the realisation that Wraith cared deeply for the dead and their well-being. He was very different to what Konrad had expected from a necromancer husband. “If you see my father again, can you tell me?”

“Of course.”