A Dragon’s Tale

"He really did all that?" Taloni asked when Alana had finished her story.

The wood elf nodded. "Absolutely. You're a wonderful girl Taloni. He might not know what to do with two wives yet, but he definitely likes you."

"You think so?"

"Oh dear girl." Alana swept the slightly taller Fey into a huge hug. "Of course he does. Why, anyone can see you're a delightful girl, not to mention beautiful... and he's not blind."

The Fey nodded, then looked around the shack they were in. It was where she slept with several other young ladies who didn't have family in the mining camp, including Prayla. Right now though, Alana had turned it into a makeshift prep room. She had spent quite a while primping and fussing over the Fey girl's hair, and they'd gone through her clothes trying to find something suitable while the wood elf told the story.

Taloni felt like she could cry with happiness. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Alana opened her mouth, closed it, and then cocked her head to one side. "Would you prefer I was mean?"

"No!" She replied a little too fast. "I just mean that... you know, from what I've seen women don't like it when another girl makes a move on their guy."

"Ah, but he's not 'my guy'; I'm 'his girl'. That makes all the difference."

"I don't understand. How can you be 'his girl' if he's not 'your guy'?"

"It's... complicated." The wood elf replied. "I could try to explain it, but I get the feeling you'll understand perfectly once Ethan takes you to bed tonight."

Taloni felt her cheeks grow warm and had a sudden urge to hide behind the nearest large object. She also had a completely opposite urge centered on her hips that made her want to go tackle Ethan and... and let him do what Alana had just mentioned.

She settled for hiding her face behind her hands as she sank onto a chair.

Alana knelt in front of her and spoke softly; kindly. "Taloni, there's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Those urges are completely normal and healthy. In a few hours, you'll be able to act on them, and it'll be absolutely fantastic."

She didn't move her hands. "Are you sure?"

"That it's normal or that it'll be fantastic?" Alana asked.

"Both."

"Oh, well actually I'm sure of both." She said with a huge grin.

Taloni felt a comforting hand on her knee. She didn't understand why the wood elf was being so nice. Weren't women supposed to be mean when someone threatened to take their man?

"Are you sure it's okay though?" She peaked through her hands. "I mean, you don't mind that tonight I'm going to... well, you know."

"Why would I mind?" The wood elf gave her a seductive smile.

Taloni was forcibly reminded of a certain dream she'd had and suddenly had trouble forming a coherent sentence. "I... Uh, um... I don't know?"

"I certainly don't mind. In fact, I brought it up with Ethan earlier today."

"You... you did?"

"Of course. Do you want to know what I said?"

Taloni nodded.

Alana slid onto a seat next to her, leaned close, and whispered into her ear. Her voice was soft and slow, like she imagined a lover might speak. "I asked if I could be there when he takes you to bed."

Taloni felt her brain freeze.

She understood every word that the wood elf had said, but the order in which the words were assembled didn't make any sense at all. How could she want to be there? Why did she want to be there? She moved her mouth soundlessly as she tried to get the words out, but they wouldn't come.

Alana leaned back slightly so she was close, but not whispering into her ear. "He said that was fine with him as long as you didn't mind."

Taloni was struck by the rich hazel color in Alana's eyes. They were filled with kindness, compassion, and more than a little arousal.

She didn't know what to say.

She was mortified at the thought of being naked with just Ethan; she couldn't imagine taking her clothes off in front of Ethan's gorgeous first wife. What if she didn't measure up? What if Ethan was more interested in the brunette than herself?

"You're really nervous about tonight, aren't you?" The chocolate-haired elf asked.

She nodded.

Alana looked at her long and hard. "It would make you really uncomfortable if I was there, wouldn't it."

She hesitated, then nodded slowly.

"Okay, then never mind." Alana said with a smile. She did look a bit disappointed, but seemed more concerned for the Fey than for herself. She put her hand on Taloni's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It will be fine; Ethan is an amazing lover. Just let him take the lead and everything will work out perfectly."

"You're sure?"

"Positive." Alana beamed. "Now, let's get you all dolled up for your wedding."

"But, aren't we already married?"

"Certainly bonded, and he would probably admit you're married. But do you really want to skip the wedding ceremony?"

It was Taloni's turn to beam.

She was sure the ceremony wouldn't be much given the short notice, but she thought it could be nice.

Prayla joined them a bit later, after finishing a mysterious errand about which she refused to say anything. She kept giving Taloni little cat-that-ate-the-canary grins though. Alana seemed to know something about it too, but wouldn't share either.

The two of them spent the next several hours fussing over Taloni to make her look absolutely perfect for her wedding. Alana turned out to be quite good with fabric and thread. Prayla had conned one of the other girls in camp out of a white dress, which Alana altered to fit Taloni perfectly. She even made slits in the back for the Fey's wings.

They spent a long time doing her hair and Prayla horse-traded her way into a little bit of makeup. It felt slightly foreign on the Fey teen's face, but once she saw herself in a mirror, she thought it was all worth it.

"I look--" She stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

"Absolutely stunning." Alana finished.

Her sun-kissed skin positively glowed. Part of her long, silky, honey-blonde hair was elegantly twisted into a bun on top of her head, leaving the rest to flow down in such a way as to set off her face. She had always been described as 'cute' before, but this was the first time she actually felt beautiful.

The dress accentuated her breasts, making them appear large enough to notice, whereas before she always felt flat-chested. The dress also lengthened the line of her legs, making her look like a real woman.

She sighed.

Alana hugged her from behind, a proud smile on her face as she rested her chin on the Fey's shoulder. "Oh yeah, you're going to drive Ethan nuts."

"I am?"

"Absolutely, in the best way possible." The wood elf said with absolute conviction. "He's going to be drooling over you before he--" She glanced at Prayla, then whispered into her ear. "--before he tears your clothes off and makes you feel better than you ever thought possible."

Alana's warm breath on her neck plus the idea of being naked with Ethan... She shivered, and it had nothing to do with the temperature.

"Damn girl, what happened?" Prayla said. "I've been trying to get you interested in guys for years now, and you acted like an ice queen. Now, you're like a total nympho."

"That's not... I mean, I wasn't--" She started to say, but was interrupted when the door to the room opened and Thaltien walked in.

"The scouts are back." He said without preamble. "The dragon wasn't lying, so you're free. Turn around and I'll remove the collar."

Taloni stared.

"What?" She finally got out.

"The dragon bought your freedom." Thaltien replied simply. "Turn around and I'll remove the slave collar."

She blinked.

That was it?

After eighteen long years of yearning for her freedom, could it really be over that quickly?

Alana smiled. "Turn around, unless you want to be wearing that in front of Ethan tonight."

She turned around almost automatically and pulled her hair off the back of her neck. Thaltien walked up, she felt a slight pressure on the back of her neck, a slight tingle as he used a bit of magic on the collar -- which was enchanted to only respond to his unique mana signature -- and then the collar fell off and laid on the floor in front of her.

She stared at it.

That one small strip of leather had held her captive for most of her life; now she was free. It had happened completely without warning or ceremony.

It all felt a little anticlimactic.

"I always liked you Taloni." Thaltien said gruffly in an almost fatherly way after scooping the collar off the floor. "When things don't work out with that dragon, come on back and I'll pay you good; no collar needed." He turned to leave, then stopped at the door and glanced back. "You look good." He grunted, then left.

"Well that was--" Alana started to say, but didn't seem to have the word.

"--abrupt?" Prayla nodded. "That's Thaltien."

"Congratulations!" Alana exclaimed as she gave Taloni another big hug. Prayla made it a group hug moments later. They both squeezed her so tight she felt like she would be flatter than a pancake when they were done. When they did finish, she took a couple of deep breaths.

Prayla then pulled Alana aside, whispered something in her ear, and then turned to Taloni. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't go outside." And with that, she rushed out the door.

"What's she up to?" Taloni asked.

"Just finishing up some plans now you're officially free. Hang on, I've got to tell Ethan something..." Alana said, her eyes looked unfocused for a moment, then turned back to the Fey girl. "You'll see."

Prayla returned a few minutes later smiling from ear to ear.

"What?" Taloni asked.

"Oh, you'll see." Prayla said in a sing-song voice.

Taloni went to look through the door, but Prayla blocked her way. "Trust me, just wait."

"It'll be okay." Alana said with a mischievous smile. "And I promise you won't regret it."

Taloni could feel the old Fey curiosity creeping up on her, but she decided to try her best to curb it.

It didn't work.

Alana and Prayla tag-teamed her for the next hour, double-checking her outfit, perfecting her hair, and doing anything else they could think of to keep her inside. By the time they got her lined up at the door, she was burning with curiosity.

"Hold on a moment." Alana said with her head cocked to one side as if listening to something. The door opened a crack and a woman with red hair that faded to blond at the tips held out a bouquet of recently picked flowers.

"The sun has just set, and it's perfect." The redhead said as she held out the bouquet, which Alana took and then the redhead left.

The wood elf grinned as she handed the bouquet to Taloni. "Okay go outside and just head up the aisle."

Taloni opened her mouth to ask, but Alana and Prayla both shooed her out the door with the bouquet in her hands.

It was amazing.

Incredible.

The sight almost made her cry with joy.

It looked like the entire mining camp was in the open center of the camp. They were all standing and looking in her direction expectantly. They formed two groups, with a long aisle between them. Everyone was dressed in their very best clothes, which meant they were only threadbare and not worn through.

Standing at the head of the aisle was Ethan. Just beyond him, Anthiel was standing wearing a formal-looking dress and holding a copy of the Book of Light. Someone had taken one of the unused, pre-formed support arches for the mine and placed it at the end, just behind where Ethan stood. They had decorated it with beautiful flowers that matched the bouquet in her hand.

Behind them, the sun had just barely set, casting the partially cloudy sky in a beautiful mosaic of reds, oranges, and purples. She had rarely seen a sunset so beautiful, and it was providing the backdrop to the event.

It was a wedding.

A real wedding.

Her wedding.

And it wasn't just a poorly cobbled-together affair either. This looked like a lot of thought had gone into it. And given the short time they had to set it up... She couldn't imagine how much work and how many people must've come together to make this happen. She could feel her eyes beginning to moisten.

It was beautiful.

It was perfect.

"Go." Prayla whispered from behind her and nudged her forward.

"But how did you..." She trailed off.

Alana smiled. "Prayla spread the word through the camp and Rachel and I were guiding Ethan through the setup. Now go; your groom awaits."

She had to admit, Ethan did look very handsome. She could see the gossamer outline the disguise gem projected. To everyone else, he would look like a man dressed in slightly formal clothes that accentuated his figure. She saw a dragon; her dragon.

Well, hers and Alana's.

She took a tentative step forward, then another.

As she began walking, Anthiel handed the Book of Light off to Rachel, pulled out a small flute, and then began to play the traditional Fey wedding march. Everyone in the whole camp was smiling at her. It wasn't a large camp, so she knew all of them. They had all turned out for her. She felt tears of joy beginning to collect at the corners of her eyes.

She couldn't believe they had done this for her.

It was amazing.

Every eye was on her and they all seemed happy for her. It was surreal as she walked up the aisle. She had imagined having a wedding of course, but never imagined it would be a reality. It was like a dream, the most wonderful dream she could imagine.

In typical Fey tradition, the bridesmaids followed the bride and Prayla was trailing right behind.

When she reached the top of the aisle, Ethan gave the traditional Fey bow that the groom customarily gave to the bride. He butchered it badly, but she could tell he had made a real effort to get it right and she felt like her heart would melt.

Then he offered his hand, which she took.

"Thank you for this, it's amazing." She said softly, her voice breaking slightly.

"Alana deserves most of the credit, but you're welcome." He smiled back, exposing all of his sharp teeth. It should've been scary, but it wasn't. Not on Ethan.

She felt like she would die of happiness.

"Dearly beloved." Anthiel began, after taking the Book of Light from Rachel. "We are gathered here today in the sight of Illuminar and these witnesses to join these two in holy matrimony."

Taloni barely heard most of the service.

She was too stunned, too shocked, and too amazed at what everyone had done to pay full attention. By the time Anthiel got to the vows, Prayla had to nudge her to make sure she was ready for them.

Anthiel cleared her throat. "Do you Ethan, with full knowledge and consent; take this woman, Taloni, to be your wife in the covenant of marriage? Do you swear to keep and provide for her all of your days, committing to treat her with honor, love, and respect in all circumstances to the best of your ability, and allow only death to separate you?"

"I do." He gave her a wide smile. It reached his eyes and she knew it was genuine.

Anthiel turned to Taloni. "Do you Taloni, with full knowledge and consent, give yourself to this man Ethan, to be his wife in the covenant of marriage? Do you swear to follow and obey him for all of your days, committing to give yourself only to him; and to the best of your ability treat him with honor, love, and respect in all circumstances, and allow only death to separate you?"

"I do." Taloni said, barely able to breathe.

"Then in the name of Illuminar, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ethan, you may kiss your bride."

Taloni's breath caught.

He gave her a lopsided grin, put his hand around her waist, and pulled her close. Her entire front was pressed up against him, which made her tremble in anticipation. She was bent backwards slightly as he leaned over her. She sucked in her breath in surprise at his boldness. The ache in her loins which had plagued her for days returned in full force.

Before she could even think, he was kissing her.

It was amazing.

She instinctively reached her arms up and hooked her elbows around his neck as his tongue touched her lips. She parted them with a silent moan, but his tongue didn't enter; he just played at the edges of her lips. Just as it felt like he was about to enter, he suddenly pulled back, ending the kiss abruptly.

"Huh?" She sighed as the wonderful sensation abruptly ended.

He had a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Somehow, she knew that he'd done it on purpose to tease her. A tiny part of her didn't like it, but the rest of her nearly screamed in delight. She didn't understand it, but the denial made her shiver in delight and anticipation...

And he knew.

Somehow he knew.

At that moment, she realized that he would be doing this for the rest of her life... and she loved it. She knew he would tease her mercilessly to heighten her arousal before taking her and making good on his sensual promises. A tiny part of her hated it, but that just made the rest of her love it more.