The Dragon Lord's Rejected Wife

e Winte

s he

s, a frantic drumbeat of anticipation.Five years I had lived as a widow in all but name-my

ave fed a village for a year, yet it bore no shimmering scale patterns, no threads of woven dragon-fire. A silent, constant reminder of m

massive dragon-head fireplace roared, its controlled flames casting a warm glow on the cold stone walls. The firelight danced over

by dragon-fire, a privilege of the nobility. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. I knew

y matriarch, Matilda, watched me with a critical gaze, as if

shattered the tense quie

eath

the cold edge of the battlefield etched into the lines of his face. He wore the uniform of a Dragon Marshal-the battlefield rank the King had gran

. "Welcome hom

g. Five years of waiting, of holding this house to

s no joy in them. No relief. Only a flicker of

ward me. Instead,

he person stan

en dress that was utterly out of place

n's. The other rested protectively on her

f the crowd became a distant, muff

o older than four or five. His eyes we

proclamatory tone I had never heard before. "This is B

ever, had a look of grim satisfaction. The other family membe

all

asn't for me.

liating way possible. I was the punchline t

h the dragon-kin called "cold-blooded" because I h

as if to speak. "Delphine, I know t

let him

of my skirt. I sank into the most perfe

y voice as still and dead as a froze

them "guests." It was

owed. He hadn't e

nd looking at me with wide, wet eyes,

ar. He peeked out from behind Be

ed step by step into the shadows at the edge of the

in the room on my bac

t me fall apart here. I was a Winters,

topped him. Eleanor then moved to greet Beryl, her voice wa

ast wisp of warmth I held

orward, I live

is entire house, would pay f