Dragon Matchmaker

Chapter 19

   Courtney I'm not sure if you'll love this chapter or hate it. Respond and tell me what you think.

   A little under three weeks passed and they only saw Audrey one more time and that was on a very similar night and he'd been riding the same silver dragon. Kinsey was sitting down in the cave, taking a light nap when suddenly, it felt like Iris was becoming riled. Kinsey sat up and laughed. "You okay, Iris?"

   Before she could get an answer, she felt a violent wave of nausea. She bent over and managed to hold back her lunch, but she couldn't rid herself of the nausea.

   "Aldwin? Aldwin!"

   Her lover came running into the cave and paused only once, but then was at her side, supporting her shoulders and holding her hair back. "You okay?"

   The nausea slowly eased away and she nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. Iris? Do you know what that was?"

   Iris's voice came back, happy and excited. "That was your baby making itself known."

   Kinsey gasped and she felt Aldwin's grip on her shoulders tighten. He spoke first. "Baby? As in the result of our sex life we've acquired over the last couple weeks?"

   Iris laughed and her voice held a humorous tone. "Yes. I've been helping it along and urging Kinsey to conceive. I guess it finally happened."

   Kinsey smiled and tears emerged onto her cheeks. "I'm gonna be a mother!"

   Aldwin, although shocked, hugged her and smiled into her hair. "And I'm gonna be a father. This is big for me. I thought it would never happen. Not with the girl of my dreams at least. I always pictured myself ending up married to some servant girl who'd already had her round with Audrey."

   Kinsey sighed and stood up slowly, walking out of the cave and kneeling by the pond. "Yeah. I always imagined myself married to some man my dad found in the upper soldier squadrons. I don't even wanna think anymore about Audrey."

   Aldwin sat beside her and kissed her jaw, resting his forehead on her temple. "It's alright. As long as we live here and can hide, were safe from him."

   "That and we can go into dragon form too."

   He nodded in agreement, kissing her jaw again while letting his lips linger. She smiled and turned her head so their lips could meet. "I love you. I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize it."

   He smiled and rubbed his nose against hers. "It's fine. Hey, we're still young and we've got a baby coming. Life couldn't be better for us could it?"

   Ceruleo suddenly growled over our mind link. "Hide! That dragon is coming!"

   Kinsey sighed and ran into the cave with him. "Yeah. We're living the dream alright."

   They crouched down inside the cave and peaked out of the opening, watching the skies for the silver enemy. The dragon winged out of the clouds and suddenly began descending towards the valley. Kinsey gasped and they shrank away from the opening, keeping a sharp eye on Audrey as he swung down from the dragon's back. He hit the ground and looked around, studying every area thoroughly. Then he began walking towards the cave. Aldwin gasped and hauled her towards the back. Ceruleo suddenly spoke. "Go to the very back. There should be a tunnel just big enough for a human to fit through."

   They rushed to the back and ducked down into the tunnel, hiding a short ways into it. Audrey's footsteps continued to draw nearer and nearer until they sounded like they were coming down the tunnel. Aldwin took her arm and pulled her down the tunnel until their progress was suddenly stopped by a rock wall. Kinsey gasped and then whirled around.

   Audrey's shadow on the tunnel wall continued to draw nearer. He stepped around the bend in the tunnel and he smiled an evil smile. "Ah! Just the two people I was looking for. I've gotta hand it to you Aldwin, you can really get away with kidnapping can't you. At least, that's what my kingdom thinks. They believe you stole my fiance, taking off with her into the forest. How do you suppose you can convince them otherwise?"

   Kinsey snarled and held Aldwin's arm. "They'll believe me. Or I'll get dad to make them believe."

   Audrey laughed and put his hands in his pockets. "Oh, how pitiful that you don't know. Cedric was a great man, full of promise as my advisor, but once he discovered what I'd done, he denied my proposition. That would be been a danger to my plan and so he was dealt with."

   Aldwin slowly hid Kinsey behind his body, shielding her and their unborn child. "What have you done?"

   Audrey smiled and reached up, taking his crown from his head and polishing it on the silver cloak. "Let's just say me and the king had a disagreement and he had to be taken care of as well. After the king was out of the way, I melted down the last part of the dragon's horn and forged it into a sword."

   Here, he pulled the magnificent golden sword from his belt. It glimmered in the dim light and its edge was razor sharp. "Apparently when humans possess a dragon's tail horn, it can be used to control certain dragons. That would explain my pet Argentine if you hadn't already noticed."

   Kinsey sucked in a breath and then snarled at him. "Well you're not the only one with a dragon to help you."

   "Yes, but I don't see a dragon down here. How do you expect a dragon to help you while your down here?" Iris gave her a quick mental note. "Kinsey. We can't change you into a dragon here. It's too small, we'd all be crushed."

   Audrey chuckled and held up the sword, pointing it at them. "Now here's the plan. I'll give you two a choice. You can go with plan A and surrender easily, allowing me to return to my throne with Kinsey at my side. Or you can go with plan B, Aldwin can be killed and Kinsey can return home as my bride, chained to the bed of course."

   As he spoke those last six words, Kinsey felt her nausea come back for a whole new reason. "No! I've married you for Aldwin once. I refuse to do it again."

   Audrey shrugged. "Well it's your choice. What else do you expect me to do?"

   "Die!"

   Aldwin suddenly yanked his knife from his belt and drove it towards Audrey's chest. Audrey, always the slippery one, jumped back and knife hit his foot. He screamed and then roared down at Aldwin. "Aagh! Damn you!"

   He kicked out and Aldwin managed to catch his foot, tripping him up. Once Audrey went down, Aldwin grabbed up his knife and drive it again towards his heart. Despite his determination, Audrey caught his wrists and held the knife away. He kicked up and his knee met Aldwin's stomach. Her lover yelled and rolled to the side, clutching his stomach.

   Audrey ignored him and rushed over to Kinsey. He shoved her to the wall and pinned her wrists above her head with one hand. He chuckled and kissed her neck, licking up the line of her throat. "Don't worry, my sweet. We'll be home soon and you'll be able to finally have that child we were planning. Won't it be great for me to finally take your virginity?"

   Despite her position and the fact that she was  helpless, she smiled and stared into his eyes. "Too late. Aldwin's done both of those things."