Indebted

63

While The Sovran court planned a war, the so called traitors were making their own plans. Knowing they had already crossed lines that Magnus would never let stand, they all knew they needed to tread carefully. Lord Fowler and Lillybelle held hands as they looked over the gathered crowd in the main chamber of the cave that was serving as their community center, and the only place they could trust they would be safe now.

Dragon's had been flying overhead, dropping boulders, trees, and firebombs from the sky the past week. A new escalation in the violence Magnus was willing to impart against the people of the dragon kingdom. Fowl looked down at Lillybelle. His claiming mark on her throat for all to see. Dammit all if Fowl didn't want to just turn away and run away from all of this, turn back time to their honeymoon.

Reality was bleak, Fowl needed to keep fresh the memory of how much better life could be; and the reasons why. Fowl had never had as much fun as he had while honeymooning with Lillybelle.

Fowl had always gone into cities as a tourist. Big hotels, everything needed always available on site. Set itinerary. Everything solidly planned, thought out and researched. Curated and manufactured experiences, Lillybelle, well her family that is, had real apartments, all over the world. She knew how to blend in, Live in the cities, actually live like a human, cooking small meals for only two people. By herself!

Fowler was madly, hopelessly in love with his mate. Lillybelle was perfect. Smarter than he was, worldly, and just so bright. Lillybelle had quickly become the sun in Fowl's life. He needed some sunshine now. Court was an absolute mess. Zinnia and Holly were both still inside the castle much to Lillybelle's distress. Mace was technically still residing in court, but thanks to her more than skilled hand at magic, she was able to move between the two factions unseen and unnoticed for now. Sharing valuable information.

Mace was skilled and talented Fowl had to admit. That was the problem really. Mace was special. Fowl didn't want her crossing no man's land any longer. Not since the dragons began to rain hell from the skies without warning. Fowl both respected and liked Mace. She was a more than good witch, she was great. Had almost unprecedented natural talent, across so many types of magic. Aside from her power Mace was a good person. Mace had a kind and generous heart. Fowl did not want to think about what would happen if Mace was injured trying to bring the Modernists news of the happenings at court during the divide.

Mace was probably the single, most eligible bride in her cohort. A better match than Fowl's own sisters even with their new, elevated rank. Mace had deep wells of magic. Magic that was strong and skilled at a young age. Not only was Mace prime because of her innate talents. She was also from a good family, with a more than adequate income from her family's various enterprises. Mace had no siblings. No cousins. No other family. She was the end of the line on her father's side. Worth an endless fortune in titles, rank, and position.

Mace was an absolute catch on paper and a knock out when any living man put his eyes on her. Just five foot six, with a sweet hourglass figure that promised healthy, hearty, and numerous offspring. Natural honey blonde hair any starlet on Hollywood would kill for. Paired with Mace's lightning quick green eyes, she was a knockout no matter what metric anyone used to try and quantify her. Mace was valuable. 

Fowl was already on edge. He had messaged the Fitzprince Caspian and asked Magnus's current, obvious favourite descendant to come and join him for a masculine retreat. Caspian had been raised largely outside and away from court since his mother had been murdered. An effort to keep him safe from the same fate. Fowler felt even worse that the clinch he had used to lure his actual friend to the wrong side of his father's war, was an exclusive update on Estella Mountblanc Ice Wind. Even in isolation, the Fitzprince had heard about the most scandalous gossip at court and was positively enraptured.