Laurel

2:24 Sky

I felt a change come over Auris as he suddenly stopped crying, standing up straight again. Composing himself faster than the crack of a whip. His eyes were glowing a bright gold. Ah, the dragon has come forward. That would explain the pressure in the room. I look behind me to the closed door where I can feel Laurel still sleeping peacefully. She doesn't get enough sleep. I hope we don't wake her.

"Prime, join me at the table, won't you?" The voice was so much deeper, wiser sounding than Auris. The difference between the man and his beast was shocking. Especially feeling the authority and power rolling off the dragon in Auris's body. He gestured for me to follow him to the table, I did as he asked. Staying quiet, letting the dragon continue to come to me. If he had pressed forward, he had a reason.

"You may call me Basalt." The dragon introduced himself, using the surname Laurel had used earlier.

"Why have you come forward?" I stared into his eyes. Not intimidated. If he wanted me dead I would be dead. He wanted into Laurel's heart and killing me would not serve that end.

He sighed, a deep extended one. "Auris is trying his best. He was never as bad as it sounded to Laurel. He was being a braggart. He really loves her, and I" He paused, "I was perfectly resigned to never have one of my own to treasure. But now, I covet. So I will do what I must to try and obtain what I now desire more than anything."

"That is up to Laurel. Basalt" I said, concern and a flare of protectionism rising in me.

"Obviously. I don't even think I could overpower her if I wanted to." I made a face at him and the dragon had the sense to look shamed and look down, "I would never, I'm... Proud. Covetous. And for once out powered. She is unlike anything I knew existed." He looked into my eyes, "No one else is worthy of my devotion. She has all of me even if she never accepts me." So it wasn't just Auris, but the dragon had fully chosen her as well. It gladdened my heart. Though I did not feel the same urge towards the dragon as I did Auris.

"The council. Can you explain them more? Dark elves did not get much education into the secret dragon leaders group growing up." Or much that turned out to be factual about the surface world in general.

"They want to maintain the status quo. They have amassed hordes of wealth, more than all the dragons in the world could ever spend. Even with their long lives. Still they want more. They have always sought to control power, or break it. Auris was still a child by any standard when his powers manifested. He was taken from his home, given everything he wanted without limits. Until things were suddenly asked of him. Until he was spending his nights fighting off women trying to rape him while he slept. Their hope was to conceive a child of his bloodline, on the off chance their child would be like him. While his days were spent being tortured to test the limits of his power.

He spent one hundred years tortured every moment of his life, never able to find peace. He was weak and broken before the princess seduced him and convinced him he should devote himself to her. He stopped laying with anyone else but her. She fell with child and chose still another over Auris. Leading Auris on until he declared his desires in court, in front of everyone. She denied she cared for him, denied it was his child, and laughed him out of court while his heart broke." He had no internal resources left to cope with the embarrassment, shame, and heartbreak she inflicted on him.

"How could he pick someone you did not for a mate?" I asked, confused.

"He can't. The fool wouldn't listen to me. He was a sweet dreamer who saw a life with a princess as an escape from being under the council. She was never ours. Just a distraction."

"I can understand how he ended up in the cave. But all the people he told Laurel he had taken and killed?" Just because he had been hurt did not make it ok for him to hurt others in turn.