“So this is the Southlands,” Marina Aleksandrovna said as she stood, turning in her own circle to look at the hall.

“This,” Tatyana Shestakova announced with awe, “is the seat of power of Queen Annwyl.”

“I bet,” Kachka whispered in his ear, “that she wishes she’d landed in the queen’s lap, the way you landed in the arrogant dragon’s.”

Gaius dropped his head and chuckled just as Zoya Kolesova demanded, “Where is your mother, boy? I will barter with her for you.”

Briec quickly placed his daughter safely behind him. “Why is there a giantess in this house?”

“Why are you looking at me?” Talan asked.

“Because she’s holding on to you like she owns you.”

“That is plan!” Zoya cheerfully announced. Then, she suddenly looked at Briec. “I will take you as well, pretty one. I have older daughters who will like you, too.”

“Older? What does that mean?”

Rhi jumped in front of her father, both arms out to block Zoya. “No. This is Prince Briec and he has been Claimed by my mother. An incredibly powerful witch.” When the giant smirked, Rhi added, “She can turn your blood to glass.”

Actually, from what Gaius had seen of Talaith’s magicks, no, she couldn’t. But he understood Rhi’s need to protect her father from Zoya. He would need that protection.

Zoya stared at Briec, apparently debating the pros and cons of all this when Talwyn suddenly pried the woman’s arms off her brother and said, “You need to see our mother before any decisions are made.”

In panic, Gaius quickly glanced at Kachka, but she only smirked.

“I do?” Zoya asked.

“Oh, yes. She’s the queen and Talan is her favorite. You need to go to her before you do anything else. Right now. Right this second. And make sure you are bold and pushy. And make sure you’re in her face about taking her son. The queen likes confidence.”

“Thank you, evil Abomination!” Zoya cheered, arms thrown wide. “Your help is truly appreciated!”

“Tal—” Rhi began, but Briec placed his hand over her mouth to silence her.

“I believe the females are down by the big lake.” He glanced over. Saw one of the squires walking by. “You there. Boy. Take this extremely large female down to your queen. Immediately.”

The boy stared up at Zoya, his mouth open, before he finally nodded his head and started walking. Quickly.

Zoya followed, the Khoruzhaya siblings, Tatyana, and Marina going with her while Nina toddled off in the opposite direction so she could deal with whatever wounds she had. Gaius had smelled the blood earlier, but thankfully he’d already eaten.

“Aren’t you going to warn Zoya about Annwyl?” Gaius asked Kachka.

“I didn’t invite her here, so . . . no.”

Kachka tracked her sister down. Took a bit. She started off outside, assuming Elina was hunting. But she was in bed. Kachka was ready to be disgusted, but when she found her sister on top of that dragon, she understood more. When one had to fuck, one had to fuck.

Without knocking, Kachka walked into the room her sister shared with no one but the dragon. Such a big room. Could get a whole tribe in here.

“When you’re done,” Kachka said to her sister, “find me.”

“Get out!” Celyn ordered, his body covered in sweat, his big hands around Elina’s waist, but the sisters ignored him.

“Why are you back so soon?” Elina asked. She, too, was covered in sweat, her white-blond hair stretched down to her hips in drenched ringlets, her back straight, small tits out proud, nipples hard because of excitement. Yes. She’d been giving the dragon quite a ride. “You were to go off and face death after rounding up team.”

“Woman!” the dragon snarled. “Get out of this room!”

“Team I got,” Kachka replied to her sister, “but was sidetracked by your Iron friend. The one missing eye.”

“The Rebel King?”

“So many titles with these royals.”

“Kachka,” her sister pushed.

“Yes. Your precious Rebel King. He had been captured. We rescued him and I beheaded priestess.”

“Good. I owe him.”

“Well, your debt has been paid. Death almost had him, but he is healthy again.”

“Get out!” the dragon roared.

“Whine you do,” Kachka accused the dragon. “Like little boy.” She looked at her sister. “When you are done. Come. Meet team.”

“I will.”

Kachka began to close door and she heard the dragon sigh in relief, so she pushed the door back open. “One more thing—”

“I will kill you!”

“What?” Elina asked.

“Zoya Kolesova invited self on trip.”

“Gods, why?”

“Because she is annoying. I wanted to warn you before she got you in hug. But we may not have to worry long.”

“I am going to tear the walls of this castle down!”

Elina covered her dragon’s face with her hand. “Why no worry?” she asked.

“We came back with Annwyl’s boy. The pretty one.”

“He is pretty.”

“That’s my cousin,” the dragon complained behind Elina’s hand.

“Well, Zoya has set her sights.”

“She cannot be foolish enough to—”

“She is foolish enough. Even now she goes down to lake to tell queen to give the boy to Zoya for one of her precious, oversized daughters.”

“And you let her?”

“I do not really like her.”

“Kachka!” her sister chastised, pulling herself off the dragon’s cock, to his great anger.

“Where the battle-fuck do you think you’re going?”

“Zoya Kolesova is favored among her tribe, Kachka. If Annwyl takes Zoya’s head, the Kolesovas of the Mountain Movers of the Lands of Pain in the Far Reaches of the Steppes of the Outerplains will start war.”

“We have alliance with the Anne Atli,” Kachka reminded her sister, and the look that Elina gave her was pointed and rude.

Grabbing clothes off the floor, Elina said, “You are not stupid, sister. Who will stop the Mountain Movers? You? Me? Even the Anne Atli will not stop them. She will allow them to rain giant stones upon this ridiculous house!”

“Then perhaps you will learn to live like you were meant to. Instead of whiling away hours in soft bed with this lizard.”

“Hey!”

“I was not whiling. I was fucking. I had needs!”

“Och! You and your needs! Were you going to take a bath after?” Kachka taunted. “In your tub?”

“Again with the tub!”

“You look like decadent Southlander when you use it!”

“I like it!”

“Your weakness sickens me!”

“Hey!” the dragon bellowed. “One of you needs to fix this!” he ordered, pointing at his hard cock, which was directed straight at the ceiling.

Since Elina was just pulling on her boots, Kachka shrugged and began to walk toward him, but the dragon quickly held up a hand. “Not you! Her!”

“But you said—”