Dragon Knight-Commander (A Cullen Rutherford Shapeshifter Romance)

Chapter 21

A flash of steel soared through the air. Whip-quick, Cullen's hand reached out and grabbed the sword before it struck my face, point first.

His brow lowered. He jumped out of the bed, landed with both feet on the ground, faced Aurora and blocked my view of her.

She sashayed inside and said, 'Giving the mage a good send off?'

She walked up to my naked Cullen, way too close and laid a hand on his arm. She stroked him there. 'When we're married, I will expect you to be faithful to only me. If you don't agree to that, our betrothal is off.'

I blinked. Why was she here? Why did she try to kill me? Why was she saying that they were betrothed? All I could say was, 'Why?' in a whisper. I pulled my top on and cautiously climbed out of bed on the side furthest from her.

Cullen's voice was gruff. 'Deal's off. I said I'd consider it. I did. Decided against it.'

'Well, I'll take my prisoner and I'll be off then.'

Cullen reached out and held a talon up against her neck. 'You forget what I am.' He bent his head to the side. 'I wasn't expecting you to bring her personally.'

'The prisoner is suddenly the most powerful weapon in my arsenal against you.' She brushed his hand away, but he kept it there. 'Cully, take your potion. We need to renegotiate.' She looked down at his crotch. 'And you're in quite the state.'

Cully! He was so not a Cully. She was insane.

She smiled. 'If I don't return, my Chancellor has been instructed to wage war on the Inquisition and tell everyone you command that you're an abomination. What would the Inquisition say if they thought their army was led by a dragon? I think you'd be out of a job. Take your potion. We need to talk.'

Cullen didn't take his eyes off her but he said softly to me, 'Kitten, would you bring me the potion please? It's in the bag.' 

I walked around the bed towards his tote bag, attempting a nonchalant gait. The first thing I removed from the bag was my dagger belt. I strapped it on. I took out the glass vial, thinking he must be mad to bind his dragon with the evil Snow Queen in the room. Who, by the way, was impossibly beautiful and also a crack shot with her sword. Not wanting to get too close, I indicated I was going to throw it to him, tossed it over and he caught it in one hand.

He turned, released his fist and deliberatly shattered the bottle against the fireplace. 

Aurora tutted. 'You're thinking with your libido. She'll be gone tomorrow. I thought she was leaving at the equinox?'

'I've decided I can't allow it.'

I blinked. 'What?'

'Don't interrupt. You have the same manners as your sister,' Aurora said to me and placed her hands on her hips. When she spoke next I heard the slight difference in cadence while she talked in a language she thought I couldn't understand. 'Cully, I've already told my council that I want them to start a motion to let the dragons back in. They looked at me like they wanted to stone me. I did that for you.'

Cullen's head jerked up. 'You revoked the outlawing of dragons?' His voice was loud and animated. He looked back at me.

'Consider it almost done. And I have spoken to my Military Commander and said I will require soldiers and horses to march with you in Thedas to help the Inquisition. When your war is over I will require you to stand by my side as King and help run my kingdom - but until then I will aid you in your war efforts.'

'How many soldiers?' Cullen asked.

'Two thousand.' She said it with a  smug grin. 'And let's face it, if you fly to Circle Mountain and offer the peace treaty in return for their help to win the war against demons in Thedas, the dragons aren't going to say "no". As King of Eden and Commander of the Inquisition, with the dragons by your side, the chantry, both sides of the civil war, they will submit to the Inquisition.'