"Right." Her mother's eyes narrowed the tiniest bit, but she didn't question eibhear, which seemed strange since one of Briec's biggest complaints about his mate was that she asked too many damn questions.

"Well," Talaith said, going on her toes as eibhear came down a bit so she could kiss his cheek. "Both of you be careful. And I hope you'll be back in time for the harvest festival." She kissed Izzy's cheek. "Good luck, luv."

"Thanks, Mum."

Talaith stepped back, looked both over again, then said, "Yeah, well . . all right then." And off she went, cutting around eibhear and his horse to head out the door.

Once her mother was gone, Izzy faced eibhear and stared at him.

He smiled. "Well, you ready then?"

Aidan yawned and wished, again, that he was back in bed where he belonged. Honestly, the things he was sometimes forced to do for friends . . . which was probably why he didn't have a lot of them.

He glanced over at Uther, watched the dragon in human form stick his nose against his horse's neck.

"You can't eat it, Uther."

"I know."

"Then stop smelling it."

"It's not my fault he smells yummy."

"We'll find you something to eat once we get on the road."

"Why are we doing this again?" Caswyn asked. Instead of sniffing his horse, he merely laid his crossed arms over its back and his head on his crossed arms. A few times Aidan was sure he'd heard snoring. Then again, Caswyn was one of the few dragons he knew who could sleep while standing up . . . and with his eyes open. Aye. It was off-putting.

"Because eibhear's a desperate idiot," Aidan replied to his comrade's question.

"That's what I thought."

The gorgeous Lady Talaith walked out of the stables. And, gods, she was gorgeous. If her mate wasn't a clearly unstable monarch whose brothers were even more unstable, Aidan would at least display his wingspan. He'd always found there was something about gold dragons in the early-morning suns with their wings unfurled that could entice any female. But he'd heard enough from eibhear and his own kin-when he was still forced to talk to them-about the insanity of the Gwalchmai fab Gwyar and Cadwaladr bloodlines to know that there were some females simply not worth the risk.

Although if there was one who might possibly be risk-worthy. . .

As she walked by them, Aidan saw a mother's concern on that beautiful face and felt the need to assure her. "We'll take very good care of your daughter, my Lady Talaith."

She stopped, looked at each one of the M-runach, smirked, and said to Aidan, "When my daughter is being a general, her legion's well-being is of utmost concern to her. However, when she's doing things without her legion, she'll take risks that most would consider highly dangerous. Hence the name, Izzy the Dangerous, that she'd received long before I'd met her. So I say this as someone who is sure that all of you have someone who cares for you the way I care for my daughter-whatever you do, don't let her get you killed. Because something does tell me . . . she's really going to try with you lot. She's going to try very hard."

They watched the royal walk off.

"What was that about?" Aidan asked his comrades. His stupid comrades.

"Don't know," Uther sighed. "But I do like that dagger she's got holstered to her leg."

"Aye," Caswyn agreed. "Very sexy. I think it's her thighs."

"Could anyone," Aidan asked, "be as stupid as you two?"

"Before you get upset-" eibhear began, but Izzy cut him off with a slight wave of her hand.

"No, no. I'm not upset."

eibhear forced himself not to shield his head with his hands. He just knew she was going to throw something at his head. "You're not?"

"No. It'll be good to have Aidan along with us if he truly knows his way around the Desert Lands."

"He does. Even knows where to find the Nolwenns."

"And the M-runach as protection? Could a general ask for more?"

"I guess not."

"Then that's fine. Let's get going."

She turned and he took a quick step back, but she merely grabbed the reins of her horse and his and headed out of the stables.

Beginning to panic, eibhear looked around, expecting to see an arrow flying at his head or an assassin with a poisoned knife hiding in a corner. But there was nothing.

Shaking his head, muttering to himself about being foolish, he followed after Izzy. He'd just stepped outside the stables when a smelly, drooling, snarling mass of dirty, disgusting fur collided with his head, knocking him to the ground.

Izzy watched her dog express exactly what she was feeling without her having to do anything. Say anything. Dagmar had to give orders to her perfectly bred dogs. But that wasn't necessary with Macsen.

eibhear grabbed hold of both sides of Macsen's neck, holding him tight, but the dog kept snapping, kept trying to rip his face off.

"Call him off!" eibhear yelled. "Or I'm setting the bastard on fire!"

Izzy gave a short whistle and Macsen pulled back. eibhear released him and the dog jumped off his chest and walked around him, snapping at his head once more before going to Izzy's side and sitting at her feet.

"See?" Izzy said, pointing at the dog. "That's loyalty. Loyalty and he listens to me. I find that invaluable."

eibhear got to his big feet, brushing dirt off his leggings and fur cape. "He's a dog, Izzy."

"Yes. Just a dog. And yet he still manages to be better than you."

She mounted Dai, patting his big neck once she was seated. "I won't try to stop you from coming with me, eibhear. But if you get in my way, I'll crush you and the M-runach scum with you. Clear?"

She didn't wait for him to answer, simply turned her horse around and, with Macsen running by Dai's side, she went off to the pub where Celyn had taken Brannie for a little late-night drink.

eibhear went out of his way not to look at his comrades, focusing on Izzy riding away from them. Besides, he didn't need to see his fellow dragons' faces to know exactly what they were thinking.

"You fucked her, didn't you?" Aidan demanded.

eibhear shrugged, still not looking at them. "Maybe."

"Do you know how I can tell? Because she hates you."

"It's not hate. It's confusion. I've overwhelmed her with my-"

"Stupidity?" Aidan shook his head. "When your brothers find out-"

"Let's deal with one nightmare scenario at a time, shall we?" eibhear snapped.

"Are we really going to do this?" Aidan asked him. "Because from what I can tell she hates you; her mother just gave us dire warnings; and you had what I can only term as a pathetic, love-sick look on your face even while she was threatening you and all of us."

"Was that what I was looking at?" Uther pulled back his top lip in disgust. "I find that disturbing."

Fed up and unwilling to talk about any of this, eibhear strode to his horse. "Mount up, M-runach. We ride!"

Chapter 25.

Brannie opened her eyes and briefly wondered when she'd gotten on her horse. And why she'd gotten on her horse. And why she seemed to be riding somewhere on her horse.

She blinked, trying to clear her vision. She was so tired and a little sick, the motion of her horse not exactly helping with that.

When her vision was a little more clear, Brannie looked around. Izzy was riding ahead of her, eibhear behind. Both seemed to be pouting.

Surrounding Brannie were the other M-runach.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To the Desert Lands," Aidan said, sounding annoyingly chipper this early morning. And loud. Why was he yelling?

"Why are we going to the Desert Lands?"

"To face witches and possibly kill a treacherous Iron dragoness, unless this is all an elaborate trap and they kill us first, of course."

Brannie let out a long sigh. "I kind of knew I'd regret drinking with my brothers last night-I just had no idea how much."

First meal was a mostly silent affair, with everyone concerned about . . . well, about everything.

Even Dagmar, who tried not to worry about little things since Talaith and Morfyd were so good at that, was concerned. Concerned that Annwyl would be plunging them into a war with the Kyvich. Although now that she thought about it . . . that wasn't really a little thing, was it?

Rhi charged down the stairs, dressed in a pretty gown, a fur cape around her shoulders and her bag with all her art supplies over her shoulder.

"Good morn, all!" She reached around her mother, taking a loaf of bread. She tore off a piece, shoved it in her mouth, and cheered, "I'm off to draw!"

"Stay near the castle grounds," Briec ordered. "And away from the Kyvich."

"I will, Daddy." She kissed him on the forehead and walked out.

Waiting a few extra seconds, Dagmar nodded at one of the female guards and she followed Rhi out.

Unbeknownst to Rhi, Dagmar always had the girl followed once she was outside the castle gates. She'd tried to do the same with the twins, but the guards kept losing sight of them. Although it took some time for Dagmar to find out about that because the guards had always been afraid to tell her. So, instead, they'd finally told Annwyl and she told Dagmar. She tried not to think too much about the fact that the guards had been less worried about telling Annwyl the Bloody they'd lost track of her children than of telling Dagmar.

While the guard went out the door, Frederik was coming in. Only one of the double doors was open and Dagmar watched the poor boy try to move around the well-armed and well-armored woman. It was kind of like an awkward dance.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, the guard moved back and allowed Frederik through. He came in quickly, heading for the stairs.

"Have you eaten, Frederik?" Annwyl asked him, causing the boy to stumble over his own feet. But at least he managed not to fall on his face.

"Uh . . ."

"That sounds like a no." She pointed to the table. "Food. You need to eat."

He walked over to the table, then walked into it, stepped back, then sat down in a chair across from Dagmar.

"Good morn, Frederik."

He nodded, but didn't look at her. "Auntie Dagmar."

Talaith got up from the table and proceeded to get him a bowl of hot porridge and some bread while Annwyl widened her eyes at Dagmar and motioned to Frederik with her head. Dagmar didn't like to be ordered by anyone to apologize, but Annwyl was queen and since she didn't stop nodding at the boy, Dagmar could only guess that the monarch was serious.

Letting out a little sigh, Dagmar began, "Frederik, about yesterday . . . about what I said-"

"Good morn, my wonderful family!" Keita announced as she walked into the Great Hall with Ragnar. "How is everyone this beautiful morning?"

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Briec's eyes narrowed. "Who did you kill?"

Laughing, Ragnar walked around Keita and sat at the table, reaching for one of the platters of meat.

"How dare you?" Keita snapped at her brother. "To suggest that I-"

"Oh, aye," Annwyl laughed. "Someone's dead somewhere."

Keita walked over to Frederik and placed her hands over his ears. The poor thing, he was beginning to look completely traumatized.

"Must you say such horrible things around the boy?"

Gwenvael chuckled. "I very much doubt the boy cares." He focused on Frederik and yelled, "Do you, Frederik?"

Dagmar glared at her mate. "Why, by all reason, are you yelling?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Leave the boy alone." Keita moved her hands from his head and leaned down, yelling at the boy, "Are you enjoying your time here, Frederik? Is there anything we can do for you?"

Dagmar slammed her hands on the table. "Why are you both yell-"

"That reminds me," Ragnar cut in, his calm, reasonable voice snapping her back.

"Reminds you about what?"