A Dragon's Tale Ch. 56

Oh.

Ethan ran his hand over the top of his head where his hair would be if he had any. He didn't know how to reply. What should a person say to that? He had literally no idea what she was going through and thus no idea what could help. Finally, he settled for something slightly generic that he didn't think would hurt since he didn't know how to help.

"I'm sorry. If there's anything that I or my wives can do to help, let us know."

"You rescued me Meelas." She said softly. "I cannot ask for more than that."

"You could, but that's up to you." He offered.

She didn't reply.

He decided not to push and looked around, noticing that on the Argo, Kendra was doing solo drills against the Ten Kingdom's variant of one of the large, heavy, cylindrical bags that boxers used to practice punching. Only at the moment she was practicing with a wooden training sword.

He checked his bond with her and unsurprisingly it was a tempest of emotions. He didn't even try to sort through them and didn't envy what she was dealing with. He had his own issues with Selene. He understood why she had lied, even if it stung. He knew that it hadn't been premeditated and that she'd simply reacted badly when it happened so he could forgive her if she apologized.

He found it a lot harder to forgive how much Selene had hurt Kendra. He had a sneaking suspicion that the caramel-haired beauty had blocked him from sensing her emotions because she was feeling incredibly guilty.

Frankly, he was fine with that.

She should feel guilty.

Frankly, she should feel like crap, especially for how she had hurt Kendra. He hoped that Selene would feel bad enough to apologize, but he had no idea if she would.

From behind him, he heard a particularly loud 'slap' sound as Kendra appeared to take her frustrations out on the punching bag with her wooden training sword. He slowly shook his head. Damn it Selene, why? He had a guess why, but that didn't make him feel any better.

Wack!

He looked at the Argo again to see Kendra slam her training sword into the punching bag again and with more force. And then she did it again...

And again...

And again.

"Myla, I'll be back in a few minutes; I need to check on Kendra."

"Hai." She nodded.

He spread his wings and it didn't take him long to get there. By the time he had, all of Kendra's precise form had completely disappeared, replaced by swinging the practice sword repeatedly like a baseball bat as hard as she could. She wasn't practicing anymore; she was simply beating on the punching bag as hard and as fast as she possibly could.

He landed near her just as she started swinging in earnest, pummeling the punching bag like she hated it with an all-consuming passion.

She just kept swinging.

Everyone else on the deck had noticed as well. The Argo's crew all looked sympathetic, but their visitors looked like they were watching a crazy woman have a fit. Honestly, that wasn't far from the truth right now.

She just kept swinging...

...then she started crying.

Then she also added a strangled cry to each hit as she bashed the punching bag again and again. She slowly got louder, bashing and almost screaming with every hit.

"Kendra." He said.

The former Aldmiri didn't stop, but it looked like the tears were coming even faster and she was certainly hitting harder.

"Kendra." He said a little more loudly.

"I hate her!" Kendra nearly screamed as she bashed the punching bag again and again. "I hate her! I hate her! I hate her!"

Ethan stepped forward and used his enhanced reflexes to catch the training sword just as Kendra wound up for another strike.

"No you don't." He said as gently as he could.

Kendra collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily as she dropped the training sword. He knelt down next to her and pulled her into his arms.

"I want to." She managed to choke out. "I want to hate her so much." She looked into his eyes. "Why can't I hate her?"

"Because you care about her even though she hurt you."

"I don't want to care anymore." Kendra sniffled. "I don't want to care; tell me how to stop caring." She looked up at him with her big brown eyes. "Please tell me how I can not care."

"It doesn't work that way." He said softly as he held her.

"I want it to." She sniffled again. "I want to not care about her."

Ethan swallowed, understanding entirely how she felt right now. "Do you know the last thing that Selene said to me before she started walking to the portal?"

Kendra sniffled again and shook her head.

"She said: 'Take care of Kendra for me'." He smiled at her, though it was a pained smile.

Kendra stared at him for a long moment.

She swallowed.

Her eyes welled up with tears again and she leaned into him.

He just held her.

He held her for almost a whole minute before she spoke again.

"But if she cared so much that she asked, why would she...?" She sniffled.

"I would guess because she didn't feel like she had a choice in the matter." He replied gently. "I think she likes being told what to do, but she wants to have a choice. She felt like Illuminar wasn't giving her a choice and probably reacted without thinking about it."

"But why?" Kendra blinked a few times, her tear-streaked cheeks no longer being continually watered.

"Think about how you felt about dragons when we first met." He replied. "Imagine if Illuminar told you that you would marry me the day after we met; how would you feel?"

"Oh." She looked down, still half-sitting on the deck and half-leaning on him. "But, she could still change her mind, right? You could still marry her if she changed her mind, right?"

"Icould." He admitted hesitantly.

"Could?"

"I would need to think about it." He replied. "I won't deny that I really miss her, but she lied to me. I know you've only heard a little about my ex, but I think I have trust issues from her that I haven't sorted out. It helps that I can feel what all my wives feel, but I can't with Selene. I don't know how she feels about this and without knowing that, I just don't know how much I could trust her."

"Oh." Kendra bit her lip and nodded, then looked into his eyes with her deep, beautiful brown ones. "But will you promise me that you'll still consider her if she's willing? You don't have to choose her, but please promise me that you'll think about it?"

"That's an odd request from someone who was screaming that she hated her a few minutes ago." He pointed out.

She looked down and spoke quietly. "I still hate her, but I think I love her too. Not the way that Alana and Rachel love each other, but I do."

"I know." He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I have no idea who will end up being my sixth wife, but I'll try to keep an open mind. Honestly, though, I think it will end up being more Selene's decision than anyone else's."

"You do?"

He nodded. "I think I could forgive her and maybe even trust her again, but she would have to want it. She would need to apologize, truly want it,and choose it."

Kendra got a pained smile on her face. "I suppose that's a consequence of free will; Illuminar lets us choose and sometimes we don't like what other people choose."

"Yeah." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Kendra, can I ask you to promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Give Victoria and Myla a chance, or at least don't treat them like they are trying to replace Selene." He said as gently as he could. "I don't know who I'll end up marrying, but I'm pretty sure that Selene will break her bond with me and move back to Earth. If that happens -- if she chooses to leave us -- I might end up marrying one of our guests. So please, treat them gently; they aren't responsible for what Selene did or what she chooses to do. Plus, one of them might well end up being one of your fellow wives."

Kendra nodded slowly, then wiped her cheeks. "I'll try Drago." She looked down. "Oh, I'm a mess."

"A beautiful mess." He smiled.

He would never understand why Kendra didn't find herself attractive. True, she wasn't Selene and she wasn't what most people considered beautiful, but he thought she was.

"Kendra."

"Yeah?"

"I love you." He said softly.

"I love you too Drago." She smiled, though there was something slightly forced about it. He guessed that she was choking down a comment on how she wasn't worthy of it, but she didn't voice it.

* * *

Kendra took a deep breath and leaned into her husband more. She smiled at that; her husband. She was married. She still couldn't believe that sometimes. A few months ago she couldn't have imagined that her life would be what it was now. She couldn't have imagined having a husband, co-wives who were wonderful, and a friend that she missed so dearly.

A part of her hated Selene, but only a part of her and not even a large part. The longer she thought about her friend, the less she hated her.

*Um, guys?* Selene's voice came to the group chat.

*Are you okay?* Kendra asked on impulse.

Ethan gave her a gentle squeeze.

*Yeah, I'm okay.* Selene hesitated. *Well, physically okay anyway but there's something you should know.* She then explained about Gonorran teaching Smithbond magic, and almost certainly dark magic.

*Holy crap.* Ethan shook his head. *Is there anything you can do?*

*Not sitting in this cell.* Selene replied after a moment, but her mental tone sounded odd.

*Is something wrong?" Ethan asked.

*Um, can I ask a question?* The Brazilian woman asked.

*Always.* Alana replied.

*Am I... um...* She paused. *Am I a pushover? Do I just do what people tell me to do?*

Kendra looked up at Ethan, the confusion she felt mirrored in his eyes.

*Why do you ask?* He replied.

She explained what Clive had said to her. *Am I really like that? Do I just do what I'm told?*

Ethan chuckled slightly and then whispered to Kendra. "Irony."

She nodded, not sure what to think about that.

*Should I be honest?* Ethan thought to everyone after a moment.

Selene waited longer than usual to reply. *Please do.*

*You like to be told what to do.* Kendra said after a moment, surprising herself slightly that she'd spoken up. *But not just by anyone.*

*Oh?* The caramel-haired beauty replied.

*What would you do if Gonorran told you to do something?* Ethan asked.

*Tell him to get bent.* Selene replied. *So I'm not... I don't know, a pushover?*

*No.* Alana said.

*You're actually rather strong-willed.* Rachel added. *You have convictions about helping people that run deep and won't cross them for anything.*

*We actually admire that about you.* Beth said.

*You wouldn't turn down someone if he asked for help, no matter who told you to ignore him.* Taloni added.

*They're right.* Ethan added. *You do realize that Smithbond-- I mean, Clive, was intentionally trying to get under your skin. You riled him up and he was returning the favor in a little petty revenge. Don't let him get to you.*

*Thanks.* She replied, then waited several long moments before continuing. *You all are the best--* She stopped and if Kendra didn't miss her guess, Selene had stopped because she had gotten choked up. In fact, the raven-haired woman could imagine her exact facial expression.

*Hey, um...* Selene continued. *I'm really grateful for... for everything. I know I can be... uh, I'm not always the best person or the easiest person to live with and sometimes I... what I mean to say is, um, if I've ever done anything to hurt any of you, I'm really sorry.*

Kendra looked at Ethan, her eyes getting watery again as she replied. *We forgive you Selene.* Then she spoke aloud to Ethan. "She's sorry. I think that was her trying to apologize for lying without admitting that she lied, wasn't it?"

"You know, I think you're right." He said with a pained half-smile, then thought to everyone. *Yeah, we forgive you.*

Her fellow wives echoed that sentiment after her husband did.

*Thank you.* Selene replied.

"I'm still mad at her." Kendra said quietly to Ethan.

"I would be surprised if you weren't." He replied.

"I still care about her." She added a few moments later.

He smiled. "I would be surprised if you didn't."

* * *

Fiona was wearing her nicest dress and still felt rather underdressed for dinner in the great hall. Perhaps not by a lot, but she did. The doors were open and she was standing outside looking in so it was hard not to be comparing herself to others. As was typical in the Ten Kingdoms, there were three long tables arranged in a "U" shape. Lord Delmar was sitting in the center of the central table with an empty seat to his left. From what she had heard, it had remained empty since Helene's death.

The hall was grand but not ostentatious. Everything was of the highest quality but nothing was jewel-encrusted or even necessarily gilded. Gold and silver were used in the decor, but as tasteful accents to the pallet of red and black on the stone walls, not as central themes.

"Ready?" Sir Warrick asked from beside her.

She took a deep breath. "As long as you aren't expecting anything, aye."

He smiled at her. "I'm expecting rather a lot, but I believe it will happen by you simply being yourself."

"Okay." She shrugged. "And the Lord Delmar is knowing?"

"Even about the gold." He replied. "I think he found it amusing that you had to be paid to spend time with him."

She felt her cheeks grow slightly warm. "That's not what I was thinking."

"Then you'll have to tell him that." He winked, then started forward. "Come."

He started forward and she followed, not liking the idea that Lord Delmar might think that she needed to be paid to enjoy his company. She didn't. She enjoyed his company normally and...

Huh.

It had never occurred to her before that she actually enjoyed being in his company.

Sir Warrick led her to the high table and then pulled a chair out for her. He had explained beforehand that the rules of etiquette dictated that no one should be seated at the high table unless they had been explicitly invited, and a common way of doing that for a woman was to pull her chair out for her.

Fiona sat down and glanced down the table.

Sir Warrick was sitting down to her left and beyond him was Lord Delmar. The lord gave her a curt nod of acknowledgment but otherwise didn't react. On Fiona's other side was General Carrow who she knew very little about other than he was in charge of Narlotten's ground forces. Sir Warrick's wife wasn't at the table since she was taking care of Conner, and General Carrow and his wife seemed to have moved up a seat so the former could talk with Sir Warrick.

"Ma'am." The General nodded to her, then looked at Sir Warrick. "I still say it could be accomplished with no or minimal loss of life."

Sir Warrick sighed. "But it is not our country to intervene."

"But it is an ally's country and we do have troops there."

"That doesn't mean we should interfere in another lorddom." Sir Warrick countered.

"I'm sorry, to be interrupting." Fiona said. "But what are you talking about?"

"The orcs in Ivernia." General Carrow replied. "I think we should intervene to help the Ivernia military, Sir Warrick disagrees."

"Lord Farbrottan says the loss of life is minimal and attacks are infrequent." Sir Warrick replied. "He says that the miners chose to mine there and have been there for years; they know the risks and could leave if it became too dangerous."

"And you trust Lord Farbrottan on that, do you?" General Carrow asked.

Sir Warrick shrugged. "As much as I would trust him on anything else."

"I'm hoping that's not much." Fiona said more to herself than either of them.

They both looked at her.

"I was having a roommate from Ivernia and she wasn't trusting him at all." Fiona explained as one of the servants came to serve her and Sir Warrick some food. It smelled wonderful.

"This woman has more wisdom than the head of Lord Delmar's council." General Carrow said, obviously poking fun at Sir Warrick.

"It would be a poor idea to insinuate to a lord that he is lying or untrustworthy." Sir Warrick replied, then looked at Fiona. "My dear, it would be a shame if you had to sit between two grumpy old men talking business for an entire meal. Please, trade seats with me and we will spare you the pain."

Fiona resisted the urge to smile.

That hadn't taken long.

Further -- and she had known this going in -- there wasn't a good or polite way to refuse him that wouldn't be a social faux pas. So she nodded and switched seats with him, which of course put her right next to Lord Delmar.

"Fiona." He said absentmindedly without looking at her.

"Milord." She said respectfully, then tucked in to her food.

It was very good.

Marge and the rest of the kitchen staff had outdone themselves tonight and everything was wonderful. Beside her, Sir Warrick and General Carrow continued to debate the merits of Narlotten intervening in the orc situation in Ivernia. Lord Delmar didn't say a word. He seemed to be there only to eat or drink and nothing else. She couldn't tell if he was bored or simply keeping his expression neutral.

Finally, about halfway through dinner, Sir Warrick turned to Lord Delmar. "What think you my lord?"

"It is a fool's errand to discuss action without accurate knowledge of the situation." He replied, then took a drink.

"Well, perhaps we should send someone to find out." General Carrow suggested.

"It would need to be someone of uncommon courage and keen intellect to discover the truth of the situation." Lord Delmar replied.

Fiona smiled, remembering the lord's humorous comment while Sarah had been accused. Prince Vulrit of Marcadia had said that he didn't feel safe in the castle while a demon-possessed girl was there and then said that he would leave unless she left. To that, Lord Delmar had said that his wit and bravery would be missed.

"Perhaps you could ask Prince Vulrit." Fiona said in jest, though quietly enough that only those immediately around her could hear it.

The corners of Lord Delmar's mouth twitched upwards slightly for several moments and he exhaled slightly louder and more forcefully than he usually did. It almost sounded like he had laughed. Well, not exactly laughed. It probably wouldn't even qualify as a chuckle, but he apparently found it funny enough to merit a reaction at least.

She went back to eating and a minute later noticed that there was rather a lot of whispering happening in the room and suddenly, rather a lot of people were staring...

...at her.

They were staring at her.

In hindsight, she should've realized that something like this would happen. Lord Delmar's reaction had obviously been noticed and apparently the person or persons who had noticed it had taken it upon themselves to spread the news far and wide. Given how obsessed the Narlotten citizens were with Lord Delmar and how concerned they were about him needing an heir, plus him having apparently not laughed at the dinner table in years, word of this would spread like wildfire. By dinner tomorrow, quite possibly every person in Karnas would know.

Fiona gave Sir Warrick a look.

He smiled in return, looking like Illuminar's Day had come early.

She looked at Lord Delmar who seemed completely unconcerned. He had returned to eating like nothing had happened. Fiona highly doubted that he had missed the reaction of the room, but it appeared not to bother him at all.

* * *

"Kendra?"

The dragon huntress looked up after supper to see Victoria standing there. The gorgeous platinum blonde had a smile on her face as usual, though she looked somewhat sympathetic right now as well. Her parents had behaved somewhat nervously around Kendra during dinner after her meltdown earlier. She didn't blame them, but at least Myla and Victoria didn't. Victoria was just as cheerful as ever and Myla as quiet as ever, though the latter spent a lot of time watching everyone.