Author's note; No, there is no sound John waited until the door was closed. “I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I love you so much.” “Tell me again. Maybe I can understand,” Carry requested. She moved to a chair near the bed. “I told you about my homeland and the war and I left after the war. That was all true. This place is my homeland. There was a magical explosion that knocked me from here to Earth. Nim brought you through a glowing tunnel. That was the result of the explosion.” “Nim’s hands and face changed. He said he was like you.” “He is. He’s a dragon too. We can go outside and I can show you what I look like.” “You should probably stay in bed. You were just shot.” “I’m fine.” He pulled up his shirt to show her his side. All there was left was a small scar. “The healers worked on me for several hours. I’m as good as new. If I were still injured, I wouldn’t change. That would cause the injury to never heal.” “Maybe we should talk to the doctor, just in case.” “They aren’t doctors. They’re healers. What doctors do is called patchwork healing here, though most patchwork isn’t as advanced. Healers have a special type of magic that actually heals injuries in a matter of minutes, or maybe hours, depending on the severity. That scar is really all that’s left of me being shot. They told me the only reason there’s even a scar is because the copper from the bullet caused problems. Copper destroys magic. It’s poison to dragons and other non-human mages. It burns us and makes us sick.” “Is that why you didn’t want those copper pans?” “It is. Now, let’s find a healer and see if I can show you my true form.” He paused in the hall for a moment. “Things have changed since the last time I was here. I think it’s this way.” “You’ve been here before?” John nodded, still looking around to make sure they didn’t end up in another patient’s room. “I told you I worked for my government as a messenger. My proper title was emissary. This was a summer getaway for the humans. I was sometimes sent here for work.” They found the offices and knocked. “Come in,” Thailyn called. John opened the door. Thailyn smiled. “John, it’s good to see you up. Is this your pledged?” John nodded. “This is Carry. This is Thailyn, one of the healers who worked on me. He’s Mishtali’s son.” “Mishtali?” Carry asked. “The one going by Mitch? How’s he doing?” “Quite well, thanks,” Thailyn assured her. “Did you need something?” “I wanted to take Carry outside and show her my true form.” “Go ahead. But take care if you fly with her. You’re a little out of practice.” John grinned. “A little? It’ll be short.” Thailyn went to the door. “Ivee?” He called. A girl appeared. “This is John and his pledged Carry. John used to be emissary for the high council. Would you show them down to the beach and stay with them? If I need someone, I’ll contact Norka to send me another page.” Ivee nodded. “If my Lord and Lady would follow me.” She led the way outside. “I’m no longer a lord,” John told her as they went. “Nim has the emissary job now.” “Master Thailyn indicated otherwise. He and Master Shunati are quite strict about proper titles. I have enough work between here and Master Nim’s class. I’ll do what I’m told.” “Wouldn’t it be Lord Nim?” “It should be, but because he’s my teacher, he said we’re to call him Master Nim. His wife is still Lady Jo.” Carry put a hand to her head. “This is confusing.” “It’s simple, my lady. The king and queen are ‘your majesty’. The rest of the royal family is ‘your highness’. The nobles are ‘lord’ or ‘lady’. Servants who outrank you are ‘Master’ or ‘Mistress’. For other servants we use their names. Something a friend told me, guess high. If you don’t know, call them my lord or lady, and then even if you’re wrong, they won’t get offended. Unless it’s a soldier. Then call them ‘sir’, if you don’t know their rank.” “Sounds like good advice.” Carry nodded. “Thanks.” “I wish someone had told me that when I first went to dragon castle,” John muttered. “It took me months to learn.” Ivee opened the garden gate. “I’ll wait here near the edge.” “We’re both of age. We don’t need a chaperone,” John insisted. “Master Thailyn said I was to wait. I don’t have time for the extra work he’ll give me for disobeying him. I’m sure he has his reasons. I’m just a page and don’t know much about healing. But very few injuries need Thailyn, Lamdi, and Shunati and still take as long as it did for your surgery. He wants to keep an eye on you.” John nodded. Those three were some of the strongest healers around. If his surgery had taken so long, there had been more damage than he’d realized. He’d need a chance to recover. And Thailyn would want to keep an eye on him. “Stay here. No eavesdropping.” “Of course, my lord.” “Darn servants repeat everything they hear,” he grumbled. “Not something I’ve missed.” “She said she wouldn’t,” Carry pointed out. “Maybe she won’t risk Thailyn finding out if she did.” She said that a little loud. John realized she wanted Ivee to overhear her so she wouldn’t gossip. He took her down close to the waves. He didn’t have as strong of aversion to water as most dragons did. “I told you I’m not human. I was going to take you somewhere where I could show you. This is what I really look like.” He stepped away from her and took true form. She stepped back in surprise and fear. He remembered the same reaction from his late wife, Isabella. He lowered himself to a crouch. “We don’t eat people.” She blinked. “What?” “I said we don’t eat people.” She smiled at the thought. It was absurd that someone would suddenly try to eat her after eight years of dating. “You’ve seen what I eat, and you know my favorite food,” he reminded her. “True, but you could still hurt me.” “No, I could never hurt you. We’ve bonded. Others, I could if I needed to, but you, never.” She looked at his scales. “You can touch me. You’ve done it plenty of times in the past.” She did tentatively. “I’m still John Masters. I’m the same man you’ve known for the past eight years, the nut that sat outside his car while a stranded girl kept warm inside waiting for her father.” She smiled at the reminder of how they first met. “Can I tell you a secret? I wasn’t that cold.” He breathed fire up in the air. “My bellyfire, the part of me that allows me to breathe fire can help keep me warm. About the only part of me that got cold were my feet.” “Really?” He breathed fire again and sat up. “Feel my belly.” She hesitated. “You’ve touched it before,” he reminded her. She reached out and touched him. “It’s hot.” “Hot enough to ignite the air. I can’t breathe fire in alternate form. I’ll burn myself. But I can warm myself. He hunched down again so she wouldn’t get a stiff neck looking at him. “Do you want me to take alternate form?” He offered. “No, I’ll get used to it. You’re rather pretty.” “Pretty?” If he hadn’t spent so much time working on not growling, he would have growled at her. “Not like a girl, like a jewel. Why do you say alternate form rather than human?” “Because not all dragons take human form. Some are elves or dwarves or gnomes. Some can do more than one. I tried dwarf once. I got stuck halfway and needed help turning back. That hurt enough I decided one alternate form was enough.” “It hurts to change?” “No. Until you get used to it, it can be uncomfortable. Joints pop and muscles move. But it only hurts if you abort the change before your done. “Would you like to go flying?” He offered. “I don’t know.” “Do you mind if I stretch my wings?” “Go ahead.” He took off. He rarely flew. Most of his time spent in true form was in the basement of his studio. He flew at night occasionally, but it was dangerous with the airports near where he lived. To fly during the day and feel the sun on his wings was a delight. He let off a few plumes of fire before landing. “Would you like to go up?” He offered. Carry hesitated. “I can hold you in my arms rather than have you ride on my back, if you want.” Reluctantly, she nodded. “Maybe for a little bit.” Gently he picked her up and cradled her in his arms. He took off and flew for only a few minutes. She was nervous. It would take time. “Thank you,” He said as he landed. He nuzzled her. She giggled, amused by the action. He chuckled too. “What?” “It just seems strange.” “Well, I can’t kiss you in this form. I figured you’d prefer that to me licking or biting you.” “Biting?” “Dragons have a tendency to bite their lovers. I won’t bite you. Your skin is too delicate. Our scales protect us.” He settled into the sand. She sat with him. “You can sit on my arm if you want.” “Are you sure?” “Dragons are very physical. It’s in our nature. That’s why I always want to put my arm around you or touch you.” She moved to sit on his forearm and leaned back against his bicep. “Emma used to sit like that when we stargazed.” “Who’s Emma?” “She’s my late wife.” “I thought her name was Isabella.” “She was too. I’ve been married twice. The first time was for sixty-three years, the second was for fifty-two. Dragons age slower than humans do. I’m 2200 years old. I was on Earth for 500 years.” “The country isn’t even that old.” “No, it’s not.” He decided that was enough surprises for the time. He’d tell her the rest later. For now, he’d just enjoy what little time he had left with her.” “Are you warm enough?” He asked. It was a cool day. “With as much body heat as you give off? You don’t really have a higher body temperature, do you? That’s your fire.” “My bellyfire. Dragons are naturally warmer than humans, but I can increase it more with my bellyfire.” “What about caffeine? Is that a dragon thing too?” “It’s a mage thing. Our magic gives us energy and makes us hyper. Having an extra stimulant isn’t good. Since I can’t cast, I’m more sensitive than most. Most dragons can eat chocolate. They could probably handle decaf too, but they didn’t have that when I was here.” “Why can’t you cast?” “Too much copper on Earth. Carry, I’ll answer any questions you have, but if you try to ask them all now, your head will explode.” “I’m sorry.” “It’s okay. I knew these questions would come. I just don’t want to overwhelm you.” “Maybe you should tell me what I need to know.” “I did that eight years ago. I love you.” “John, or are you changing your name back?” “No, I think I’ll stay John. I’m tired of changing my name. It’s a pain to change the labels in my underwear.” She did a double-take that made him laugh. She smiled too as she realized he was joking. She stroked one of his horns. He closed his eyes. “Is it okay to touch you there?” “You can touch me anywhere you want.” She pulled away. “It’s okay. It’s not erotic or anything. I just enjoy your touch. For most dragons, the head, neck, and arms are okay to touch. Like I said, dragons are very physical. Even dragons you don’t know won’t mind being touched there. For dragons you’re close to the back is okay and the end of the tail. The underside of the tail is sensitive, so most don’t want to be touched there, except during intimacy. And our wings are fragile so we get protective of them.” He bent his tail around and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and he wrapped it around her. She gasped. “Sorry.” He started to pull away. “No, you’re okay. It’s just, we came out of there?” She pointed to the palace. “We did. When I came for help, Ann brought me here. It used to be a summer place, but it’s not summer now. Ivee?” He called. The page hurried over. “Is everything alright my lord?” “Ivee, I’m a dragon. We don’t like titles. Please don’t call me that out here.” “As you wish. Did you need something?” “Only to ask a few questions.” Ivee was able to tell them what had happened in the four kingdoms since the war John had been involved in. She told them how the King’s Council had dissolved and each race had retreated back to their respective lands, mostly isolating themselves, the elves being the worst of the group. That saddened John but didn’t surprise him. He’d seen indications of that happening long before the war. She also explained about the foster home that Sapphire started with the encouragement of Emeton and Remtani. Children on the streets hadn’t been as much of a problem when the kingdoms were together. There were enough dragons around to watch out for them and encourage others to do the same. Carry didn’t want to end their engagement, but she asked for time to adjust. He had been so sure she would want nothing to do with him. John was more than willing to give her that, at least for the little time they had left together.