The Dragon's Heart

And so maybe I understood why she smiled that way as I helped her out of the carriage. As a human, I was far weaker than her, and it was only by virtue of being male that I was obliged to perform these chivalrous actions. But I was glad she went along with them. It made the whole situation seem almost normal in a way.

But as I turned to look at our destination, I found myself staring at a sheer black cliff-face.

"Wait a second," I said to the driver. "Is this the right place?"

The driver nodded and grinned, clearly not understanding my question, then with a thump on the horse's rump he waved and drew the carriage away.

I looked at Lanissa. She was grinning, too.

"Mind letting me in on the joke?" I asked, smiling and trying to mask my annoyance.

Lanissa gestured upwards with the wrist of one unfurled wing. Far above I saw there were tiny windows in the rock face.

"Our suite is up there," she said.

"But how do we...?"

Lanissa laughed, then. "You really do think like a human, don't you?"

"Well, I am a human," I said, offended.

"No one's perfect," she said. "Usually the happy couple fly up hand in hand, but since you don't have any wings..."

"Oh no," I said. But it was too late to protest. Lanissa scooped me up off my feet into her arms and with a few quick, powerful beats of her wings she was airborne.

I started to struggle but thought better of it. The ground was quickly falling away, and if I did manage to extricated myself, I'd break my neck or at the very least a leg. Lanissa was holding me in what I guess they call a princess-carry, supporting my legs under the knees with one arm and my torso up to my armpit with the other, a position which forced me to cling to her with my arms around her neck.

Lanissa chuckled, delighted by the awkwardness of my situation. Even though it lacked dignity, being carried like this was comfortable. But the sight of the ground beetling away from us made my stomach rebel and my heart smash against my ribs, so I pulled my gaze away to look at Lanissa herself.

"Sorry," she said, her smile telling me she wasn't really sorry at all.

"Uh," I said.

Her eyes sparkled. "Don't tell me you're still scared of heights?"

I nodded.

She sighed. "And after all I did to try and get you used to heights." She brought her face closer to mine. "I always wanted to take you flying with me, you know. I mean, you were small enough to carry about and I had these grand plans of skipping school and flying you to the islands across the bay. But you always squirmed so hard I was worried I'd drop you, so I never took you very far."

I was about to tell her that that was not how I remembered it, but I thought better of it. Of course she wanted me to say that. That way I'd be admitting that her bullying had got to me, that I still thought about it.

Instead, I said nothing. I didn't need to, as we'd reached the suite. Lanissa came in for what was happily a gentle landing on the narrow shelf of rock that held the door to our quarters, not dissimilar to a balcony, but lacking any kind of guardrail. Of course, for a species with wings, guardrails would have been a pointless addition.

I slid out of her embrace but kept holding onto her. Without a guardrail, I was two steps from plummeting hundreds of feet below to an explosive death.

Lanissa looked down at me. "What's the matter? Do you want to lift me up and carry me across the threshold? That's the human way, isn't it?"

Again that sparkle in her gold eyes. I let go of her and stepped across the threshold myself without waiting for her. She followed behind.

The plain and foreboding exterior opened up into an opulent room carved from the rock. We walked immediately into the living space, lavishly decorated with wall hangings and couches. There was even an armchair, an alien piece of furniture for dragonewts whose tails make it impossible to sit on them.

Lanissa clapped her hands in girlish excitement. "Oh, it's so beautiful!" She hurried into one of several rooms that organically led off from this central one and I heard her excited voice. "We have a hot spring back here and everything!"

I investigated another side-room. It was a sun room, I suppose you would call it, with wide windows open to the side of the mountain and looking out across a prairie of clouds. There was a flat slab of granite, large enough for two dragonewts to lie together side-by-side: a sunning rock for lounging on during long, sunny days. The sun now, however, was setting and lit the entire cloudy expanse beyond the window, making it a glowing sheet of copper.

I stood, staring. I was still staring when Lanissa joined me. She stood beside me and drew in a breath.

"Beautiful," she said.

I turned to her. Her voice was so arrestingly gentle. I hadn't realised her capable of such a tone.

She caught me looking and looked away. "There's another room this way," she said, taking my hand. I let her lead me to the other end of the long sun-room, where she poked her head through a door I hadn't investigated yet.

"What is it?" I asked.

She made no reply, so I came up alongside her and looked myself.

The room was lit with candlelight and if possible was even more luxurious than the living room. A huge bed dominated the space, a bed in the dragonewt style, circular and nest-like, with mounds of pillows and blankets.

But I realised then what had dragged Lanissa's speech from her. The walls were decorated with hangings just like the rest of the suite, but here the subject was very different from the geometrical patterns of the living room. No, the figures that looked at us from the prints, male and female dragonewts in varying states of undress, were distinctly erotic. Various embraces were shown, but with a demure avoidance of graphic detail: entwined tails and erect wings hinted at what the strategically placed pillows and blankets hid.

I tried not to stare, but the level of artistry was excellent. I admit I was relieved, too, to see that barring a few interesting details, dragonewts have sex the same way humans do. At last I looked away, turning my gaze to Lanissa. She was still staring, her face flushed pink.

My heart skipped at the sight. She was actually blushing! I had no idea that dragonewts could blush, and I'd never expected to see the usually so self-assured girl so embarrassed.

I decided to play the part of the chivalrous husband and took her hand. "It's a bit early for sleep. Why don't we sit down and have a drink?"

Lanissa nodded, but she glanced back at the prints as we left the room. I had her lay down on a couch while I went and located the pantry. It was just off the same corridor that led to the spa. I glanced inside before I peeled off for the pantry and whistled, understanding Lanissa's earlier cry of delight. It was a huge open space, far larger even than the living room, dominated by a grotto carved out of the rock and tiled. Mildly sulphurous water bubbled out of a natural spring in the wall, and steam rose up to a series of holes in the ceiling which ensured the rest of the suit was kept clear of the moisture and smell. Stalactites grew down, whimsical upside-down castles of limestone. The whole area was lit with multicoloured lanterns of phosphorescent minerals.

I dragged myself away and quickly located the cold box of the pantry. It was filled with all sorts of food for the two of us. I saw some excellent cheeses and even fresh lobster from Smila. I picked one up and it moved sluggishly, making me drop it. But of course dragonewts like their food freshly killed, and they don't much care for cooking.

I located some wine from the vineyards of Strefi, which I knew was sweet. Lanissa would probably enjoy it, given the sweet tooth she'd had when we were kids.

I located some glasses and went back out into the living room. Lanissa was lying on the couch. With her whole body splayed out and her tail at its full length, I was reminded of how tall she was. With her wide hips and not ungenerous bust, she was a living model of the term 'statuesque'.

As soon as she saw me she smiled.

"I've got some wine," I said. "I guessed you maybe like the sweet stuff, so I chose that."

She laughed. "So you do remember something about me!"

I handed her the glass and served the wine. I took up my own glass.

Lanissa looked suddenly awkward. "I guess we should make a toast or something."

"Another toast?" I laughed. "Okay. How about, 'To peace between our two nations'?"

The smile on her face was forced. "What a thoughtful toast," she murmured.

We clinked our glasses together and sipped the wine. It was excellent and as I sat down on the chair I felt warmth already flooding me. Lanissa watched me. I had no idea why the toast had annoyed her. Didn't she want peace between our nations? Well, I hadn't really asked her what her feelings where in this whole situation. Maybe she was just doing this to please her father and she didn't actually care either way.

"So," I said, hating the silence. "It's been about ten years, hasn't it?"

"I think so," she said.

"I think the last time we saw each other was at graduation."

"I think so," she said. She took another sip of wine and put her glass down. "You know, I really wanted to talk to you that day but I wasn't able to catch you."

"Uh," I said. "It was a pretty mad day, wasn't it?" The truth was, I'd avoided her. After the play I didn't want anything more to do with her. Maybe I should have talked to her, got some closure between us. Maybe it was the reason I'd kept thinking about her since then.

"Yes, it was," she said.

"The wine's good, isn't it?"

She said nothing but nodded and smiled.

Gods. I was dying here. The sheer drop just outside the suite had started to look like a reasonable escape plan.

"I guess you must be hungry," I said. "There was some food in the pantry. Maybe I should...?"

Lanissa sighed. "Allow me," she said.

She stood up and brushed off her dress, then disappeared down the corridor. I heard her squeal and then she came racing back into the living room holding the squirming lobster.

"Lobster!" she cried. Her eyes were eager. "Do you like it? Shall we eat it?"

Taken aback, I could only nod.

With a delighted grin, she took hold of the lobster's head and with a quick wrench tore it clear off. The body gave a few more spastic jerks before its limbs curled up.

I stared in horror.

"Oh," said Lanissa. "Sorry. Did you want the head?"

I shook my own, thankfully still joined to my body, and Lanissa popped the lobster's head, carapace and feelers and all, into her mouth and crunched it up in delight.

I kept staring.

Lanissa swallowed. "Sorry," she said, suddenly sheepish. "I was starving. I'll go get you a plate and a knife. Human style, right?"

She placed the dead lobster on the table and disappeared.

The headless crustacean faced me. Oh god, what the hell had I gotten myself into? Lanissa was a dragonewt. Even being brought up in a human country and dressing like a human and going to a human school and speaking perfect Common did not make you a human. She was still a dragonewt, through and through. How was this going to work?

She returned and popped the lobster on the plate and handed me the knife.

"You couldn't find any shellfish pliers?" I asked.

"No human ones," she said, lifting a clawed hand with a smile. With dexterous grace, she peeled the lobster out of his shell. I was reminded of what the stylist had said.

"Um, I'll just go get out of this armour."

Lanissa glanced up from her work. Her face was flushed. "Okay," she said. "You don't want to eat first?"

"I'll feel more comfortable in my room clothes," I said.

Lanissa breathed out, seemingly relieved.

I disappeared into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. I took off the greaves and placed them in the empty chest which I assumed was their home. The cuirass gave me trouble, though. The stylist had used some kind of knot in the thongs I couldn't solve.

"Lanissa, can you help me with this?"

Lanissa. I guess I should have called her 'darling' or something like that. That's what husbands do, right?

Lanissa ducked her head in. "What's the matter?"

I explained my problem. She went to wash her hands then returned and sat down next to me on the bed. Her weight made the mattress sink and pulled me against her.

It was my turn to blush. I'd pressed up against her hip and bust. She was incredibly warm underneath that dress, totally unlike a snake or other reptile.

Of course she wasn't cold. That blood of hers ran hot.

"Oh, this is a simple knot," she said. With a flick of a claw it came loose and she helped me with the heavy cuirass.

I lay back, breathing freely at last and feeling lighter than air now I was out of my armour. Lanissa remained on the bed. Her eyes stayed glued to me as I hopped off the bed and put the cuirass away. I guess she didn't want to be embarrassed by those wall hangings again.

"Let's go eat," I said.

-

Lanissa was impressed by my sashimi-slicing skills. I 'll admit I hammed it up.

"All part of the culinary training my dad made us all take," I said. "He's always said that if a man can't cook he's not worth spit." I frowned. "Actually, that's a pretty ugly saying. Forget it."

Lanissa laughed. "I always wondered what your dad was like," she said. "When we were in school, I mean. I hardly ever saw him."

I nodded, frowning. My father had only ever come to a few of my school events. Lanissa's dad had been the same. It was one of the few things we'd had in common, come to think of it.

"I guess he was just always busy," I said.

"Just like my dad," said Lanissa. She popped a piece of raw lobster into her mouth and murmured in delight. "This is really good!"

I would have liked some soy sauce and radish root, but she was right. The lobster was excellent.

"You know," she said. "When I heard your dad had become the ambassador to Dragon's Tooth I was really excited. I thought you were going to come here with him. I guess it was a stupid thing to think."

I laughed. "Maybe. There's no way he'd have asked me to come with him unless he wanted something. He's always had more time for my older brothers. I should have guessed he wanted something from me this time as well."

Lanissa raised a single eyebrow. It really was an adorable habit of hers. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, this whole wedding thing," I said. I took another sip of wine. "I thought he wanted to spend time with me, but no, like usual, he needed me for a job."

"A job," said Lanissa. She brought her glass to her lips and drank, her little forked tongue slipping out into the glass as she did so. "That makes it sound like a real pain."

"We have no choice, right?" I sighed. "You know, I really hope that we can avert this war..."

Lanissa replaced her glass on the table. "How civic minded of you."

"Well, it was my father's idea," I said. "And your father's, too."

Lanissa looked at me. She wasn't smiling. "You know, I've suddenly realised something about you."

"What's that?"

"Back at school you never did anything of your own accord," she said. "You were always happy to go along with the flow. I used to like that about you. So many of the other boys were so loud and obnoxious, typical children of politicians. You were so different. I thought it was generosity of spirit that stopped you from trying to make people do what you wanted. Now I realise it's just weakness."

I blinked at her. "Weakness?"

"Yes, weakness." She stood up and walked away.

I got up and followed her. "Lanissa, wait."

She turned. "What are you going to do? Grab me or something?" There were tears in her eyes. "We've been married for a couple of hours and the only time we've been close to each other you kept trying to squirm out of my embrace."

"Lanissa, it's just that..."

"'Just that.'" She snorted. "I'm such a fool!"

I felt a rising panic. If she walked out of the marriage now...

But it wasn't just that. Those tears in her beautiful golden eyes had shocked me. I'd only ever seen those eyes of hers so utterly fragile one other time in my life, in those moments before the play.

I ran to her, took hold of her wrist. She shook herself free and turned blazing eyes on me. "It's too late," she said. "Dramatic gestures aren't going to accomplish anything."

She stalked into the bedroom. I followed her, expecting her to have thrown herself on the bed. Instead she was at the far wall, taking something down off it.

Wait. The crossed swords. I took a step back. Dragonewts were a warlike race, but surely Lanissa wasn't planning to...

She turned, a sword in each hand. She saw my alarm and a grim smile appeared on her lips.

"Scared?" she said. "I thought you were braver than that. I mean, you've married your people's mortal enemy, right? That's pretty courageous, I would've thought."

She threw one of the swords at me - no, to me. I caught it.

"We missed one the most important parts of a dragonewt wedding, you know," she said, advancing on me. "Traditionally, bride and groom fight a show battle to demonstrate that their strength is equal and that they're compatible. You know how to use a sword, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"Thank god," she said. "Well, I think I've made a huge mistake marrying you. You have to beat me, or else I'm flying straight out that door."

"But the war, Lanissa!"

Her face turned to a mask of rage, but there were tears in her eyes as well. "I don't give a damn about the war, you fool! Now defend yourself or die!"

She flew at me and I raised my blade just in time to ward off her attack. Her blow slid off my sword, and my hands burned in agony from the shuddering impact.

She wasn't holding back! I'd thought this was all for the sake of drama. I was wrong.

She attacked again and again I barely warded off the blow. I almost tripped over my own feet. Feet. Your stance. That's right. What did the instructor say? Stay on your feet or you die.

Lanissa's blows came thick and fast. She was well-trained, but her anger made her overcompensate. Desperate, I capitalised on this weakness. She was far stronger than me, after all.

"Lanissa!" I cried over the sparking blows of our blades.

"Shut up!" she said. "Fight back or I'll kill you!"

"I don't want to hurt you!"

"Too late, you fool, too late!" Her voice was a sob. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you," I said, dodging a stab from the side and pushing myself back away from the corner of the bed.

"Liar," she hissed. "Liar. I thought... I thought that you were happy to marry me. But this is all just a job, isn't it? An obligation, some selfless sacrifice?"

"Lanissa, I-"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Blows rained down on me and I stumbled backwards. "God, I'm such a fool. I thought you were just shy. But you really do hate me, don't you? Even back at school, you hated me. That's why you wouldn't talk to me before the play. You knew what I was going to say, didn't you? You knew how I felt!"

Her sword flew at my face. I stepped aside but it nicked the edge of my ear. Sharp pain lit my anger and I stopped playing the defensive game.

"What the hell is your problem!" I shouted at her. My attack took her off guard and she stumbled backwards, her sword raised to ward off my flurry of swift but unruly blows. "That stupid goddamn play!"

"Yes!" she spat back. "That stupid goddamn play! Do you know how excited I was to be on stage beside you, how hard it was to get all the kids to vote for you and-"

"I knew it," I said through gritted teeth. "You made my life a misery. Is this all just part of the same game to you, some sick new bullying?"

I lunged at her. She raised her sword and our blades shrieked against each other. Lanissa's gold eyes blinked at me from over the fusing blades. "Bullying? What are you talking about?"