Page 78 of Courting the Dragon King

“Fine.” Luther held up his hands in submission. But then he leaned back in his chair and sulked. Like a fucking toddler.

Konrad rolled his eyes. Fire and flames, he’d thought Luther had grown up since his marriage to Onyx.

But it seemed like Luther was not quite done. “So, Wraith, have you had sex with lots of ghosts? Have you had sex with more than one at once?”

All eyes fixed on Wraith. Leon stopped mid-chew. Everyone seemed curious about Wraith and his ghosts. Wraith looked at everyone staring straight at him.

“You don’t have to answer,” Konrad reminded him. “You are completely in the right to ignore any question Luther ever asks you, today and in the future.”

Luther threw a pea at him.

But Wraith did answer, “I have had sex with a few ghosts over the years. One time I had sex with two ghosts at once. It was nice.”

No one spoke, as if hoping Wraith would elaborate further. But Wraith did not seem to want to.

“You should try the fish,” Konrad said to Wraith. “It’s delicious.”

Wraith resumed eating. But it seemed like talks of ghosts had not yet finished.

“I’d like to have sex with a ghost,” Luther said.

“You are not allowed to fuck a ghost, Luther!” Onyx wrapped his fingers around the back of Luther’s neck.

Luther pouted. “But what if I want to!”

Then Elias said something. But Konrad was no longer listening.

Three warrior doves sprinted to the table where the high-ranking monks sat. The grand monk and the grand shield rose and approached the out-of-breath monks.

“Something is going on,” Konrad said.

Everyone turned towards the monks. For several moments no one spoke. They just watched the monks speaking together.

“The conversation appears rather intense,” Elias said.

“Is it a monk emergency?” Luther laughed. “Perhaps some monks forgot their vows of chastity and had an orgy and now the grand monk has to tell them all off. Or maybe he will just join in!” He waggled his eyebrows.

But Konrad could not make light of the current situation. The monks were hosting the assembly. They were facilitating the creation of the peace treaty. It was their binding magic that would finalise it once and for all. And by the looks on their faces, something had gone terribly wrong.

“If something is happening to them, there is a good chance it will affect us, the treaty, and the future of Draconia,” Konrad said.

More monks had run in. One of them was his cousin Clara. Others in the hall had stopped speaking to watch. They’d also realised something was going on.

Grand Shield Dahlia stalked through the banquet hall. About ten of her warrior monks followed her out. Unlike the other monks, the warrior doves wore armour with a beige surcoat hanging over it. On the surcoat, a dove had been sewn.

Konrad stood and strode towards the grand monk. Footsteps followed him. He glanced back to see Gerard, Elias, and Onyx coming with him, as well as several of their guards. Senta seemed to have had the same idea, as she, too, approached the monks from the head Botanial table, where she’d been eating with Juniper.

The grand monk shook his head. “How could such a thing happen? How? I don’t understand.” He took a step back and collapsed into a chair.

“Grand Monk, what has happened?” Konrad asked.

His watery grey eyes met Konrad’s. “Your Majesty, Grand Healer Eveline is dead!”

Chapter

Thirty-Nine

Konrad gaped.