Beautiful Torture *Book Two of the Beautiful series*

31) Fire-filled Queen

Greynar was some distant relation to the late king, his reputation with women was known even at the manor. That was before Lucy knew what he was, which was only more baffling to her. Despite having been told dragons could not impregnate anything but another dragon. Rubbing her belly, that was enough proof otherwise.

When they had come through the first time, Alexander had not allowed him to catch a glimpse at her. Out of fear his far-off relative would try to seduce her away from him. But now that she was far enough along with his heir, he did not seem to have the same concern this time. Now she was standing just being him, half hidden from where Greynar was picking through different berries and cheeses on the table at the front of the lord's council room. He did not seem all too concerned with his guests, paying them no more attention than he would commoners.

Hunter cleared his throat, clearly less patient than the dragon king, who was accustomed to all of his relatives' quirks. The local lord only glanced their way, picking up a particularly plump grape and pushing it between his cleanly shaven lips. "Did we interrupt your breakfast?"

Finally picking his head up to acknowledge them for more than half a second. Greynar's eyes brushed over the impatient familiar, not interested in his presence in the slightest. Then they hesitated on Lucy, and her growing belly that was not as hidden under her cloak as she would have liked. Finally settling on Alexander, who seemed bored more than anything. "Cousin, I do believe your manservant forgets I just saved his ass minutes ago."

"Man servant?" Hunter scoffed, but was ignored by both dragons.

Tilting his head back and forth dismissively, "He is not mine to command, therefore I can not warrant his words."

This seemed to amuse Greynar as he picked up a bright red apple, plopping down into a chair and taking a large bite. While he chewed it, his eyes dropped back down to Lucy. "He is yours then?"

Her familiar opened his mouth, but she cut him off with similar words, "Hunter does not belong to anyone. He is his own person and does as he wishes." Shooting him a sideways glance as she added in amusement, "Within the king's law." 

He allowed this to stand, that way he did not start anything during this time of negotiations.

The lord just let out a noise of acknowledgement, finishing his apple. It was not until he tossed the discarded core into a basket of waste that his eyes returned to his cousin. "Why are you here, Alex? I thought this little matter had been resolved."

'Little matter? How could he call the end of the world a little matter?' Lucy could not help but wonder.

"The death of the king, my father and your uncle, is no little matter, Grey." Alexander's tone stayed neutral, although with her grip on his arm, she could feel him tense. His words drained a minimal amount of smugness from him, but just barely any. "You told me the last time we spoke that if there was a way to ensure the victory for..." He hesitated, looking around at the human servants who were taking things in and out of the room. "Our family." In other words... Dragons.

Cocking a thick eyebrow in challenge, leaning back in his chair lazily, "And have you?" Waving his arms about before settling them together on top of his own flat stomach, "Ensured our families victory in battle?"

Looking down at the queen by his side, giving her the slightest of nods, Alexander waited for her to retrieve one of the Flames from the bag hanging by her hip. Reluctantly handing it over to him, even for a short time, she kept her eyes on it. Strangely protective over it, even when it was in the hands of her very own dragon.

"Is that...?" Greynar shot out of his chair and moved around the table with supernatural speed that did not seem to surprise the people serving him.

Lucy's hand twitched, wanting to grab it when she thought the stranger was about to reach for it. Thankfully Alexander was sure to think the same thing, pulling it back and dropping it to his side. Where she could snatch it up and put it back in the satchel with the others. All now humming in unison at her side.