Chapter 598: How big are we talking?
The shopping trip was a success in Cass’ mind. Not only had they made connections with several small merchants who specialised in weddings and large gatherings, they had also been very receptive to doing things the fairy way.
Cass had gotten their foot in the door, but he had let the fairies speak because he had no idea what a grand fairy wedding meant. Especially since most of this would be done at his other estate, he made sure to clarify that they would handle the transport and if they needed more carriages they could reach out to his aide in town, Mr. Collins.
He was going to have to have Mr. Collins hire a few more people just to help him manage this, but Cass had a feeling that Mr. Collins wouldn’t be upset, he’d be grateful. More people who he could hire into safety. Under the Blackburn umbrella, who would harm them?
Certainly not Cass if they were loyal.
Aunt Alysora had also been rather impressed with the smaller merchants that they had spoken to, and had offered a few serious meetings about working with the fairy kingdom, at least her faction of it, after and before the wedding.
Cass was delighted to help them make more connections, to grow the influence of the fairies in the city. It was important to Cass that they did, especially since the fairies were going to need to dig their roots in, metaphorically and literally. For their safety, the safety of their children, and of the nursery tree.
Cass could provide help, he knew that he could do that easily, but he also knew that his family wouldn’t appreciate that as much. They would want to do it on their own so helping them in subtle ways was important.
Like visiting a leather smith.
That was...for two reasons. The first was connections, the second was to ask his Aunt to make another set. She had blinked, blank as Cass felt his face warm.
"If Lucian finds out we have a matching outfit he is going to be very upset." Cass admitted to her. This was the man she hadn’t met, the one who had trained Byron, practically saved his life, kept Cass safe, had bonded to Cass temporarily and had left to go shed.
Edgar had gasped, as if realising that Cass was right and Gideon had let out a low breath.
"Very upset is putting how he will react mildly." He deadpanned. Sam, who was delighted to have the attention away from him, gave a slightly hysterical laugh. Byron, who was keeping a warm eye on his lovely bond partner, pulling Sam even closer and nuzzled against him in open dragon affection. His dark gaze was warm, smoldering, and Sam hiccupped.
"H-He’ll light the house on fire!" Sam exclaimed, then clapped his hands over his mouth in shock. Byron was the first to respond, a slow, rumbling sound coming from his chest that was familiar to Cass, but different. It wasn’t the same as Lucian’s, but it was clear that Byron was pleased with Sam. Cass felt himself smile at that.
"He wouldn’t do something so careless. Our Lord would be too angry at him if he did that. The forest, however, might not be as safe." Byron countered. Sam nodded enthusiastically, his brown gaze darting to Cass. Cass chuckled while Aunt Alysora frowned.
"Oh no. I’m sorry, I didn’t even consider that before now. Do you have his measurements, Byron?" She wasn’t even hiding who she had gotten her information from in front of him. Cass shook his head in disbelief, rolling his eyes. There was something hot and fluttery in his chest that wasn’t anger or anxiety. It actually felt nice there, but Cass wasn’t sure what to do with the information he had about it.
So he didn’t do anything about it.
Byron shifted, looking rather thoughtful for a second.
"Well, he’s shedding, so the measurements I have for him are probably going to be wrong." Byron said. Cass blinked.
"What?" Cass said out loud and everyone looked at him. Byron smirked.
"My Lord, why do you think dragons shed?" Cass shrugged. He had no idea. He wanted to say it was something along the lines of a snake since that was one of the creatures that he knew for sure shed, but he couldn’t remember why they did. It had to do with their different skin textures, didn’t it? The difference between scales and how non-reptilian skin worked.
"Well, you have scales." Cass said, gesturing to Byron who was nodding at Cass’ statement. "I know that you have a different texture compared to us, but I just don’t know how that is pertinent to Aunt Alysora’s question." Cass told him. Byron was still smiling.
"We shed when we’re happy, when we’re well fed, and when things are going well. I’ll probably have my first shed in the next few months. It usually happens when you find a bond partner as well." Byron said with a shrug. "That’s what Lucian told me, and I believe him since he’s lived long enough to see it happen a lot. There’s a reason behind the shed though, my Lord." Byron looked a little apologetic. "This might sound a little gross, but we’ve grown too big for our skin."
Cass felt his jaw drop, as did Edgar’s. Cass felt his mind race as he began to piece everything together. With horror, Cass exclaimed,
"You mean he’s going to get bigger?!" Before he slapped his own hand over his mouth in shock. Byron laughed.
"Yes, and I will get bigger too. He explained that I’ll probably go through a few sheds closer to each other compared to someone of his age. You rarely shed anymore when you get to his age, but because he met you he’s going through one in a long time. I think when you get to his age you can mostly choose when you shed. Mostly. There are still some of the finer details I am fuzzy on since we were in a bit of a rush when he was explaining all of this to me. It was right before you left for the dungeon." Byron confirmed before he swallowed. "He wanted to make sure that I knew everything for the moment in case I felt a shed coming on while he was away. He didn’t want me to panic."
Cass felt the care that Lucian had shown Byron through his words, while Cass was still grappling with what he had heard.
Lucian was going to come back bigger.
"Even his human side?" Cass asked, feeling a little stupid for even saying the question out loud. Byron laughed.
"Yes. He made sure to let me know that that meant every aspect of my body would grow larger." Cass bent in half, gasping as the reality of his words hit him.
He’d been fucking worried about Lucian and their damn size difference before now, but he was going to be even bigger? Cass wanted to pester Byron with more questions, get more answers. Was it by a small increment? Just a few centimeters? Half an inch? Or was he going to jump up another foot in height and his already monstrous body smother him?
What about his cock? Would that grow too?
When Cass raised his head, he found the answer in Byron’s eyes. There was a sparkle, a knowing, and a flush across the normally stoic dragon’s face. Cass gulped.
"By the gods." Edgar exhaled on a shaky breath. He was thinking about the same thing and had caught the look in Byron’s eye as well. Gideon, who hadn’t seen Lucian fully erect, had no idea what the two men were trembling and shaking about.
"He wants to kill me." Cass mumbled. Byron laughed.
"I think that is the last thing on his mind." He countered but Cass let out a shaky breath, shaking his head.
"No, it’s not, if he wants to split me in fucking half." Cass said out loud, in a shop, and the air still. Then Byron’s Mom started laughing. It wasn’t who Cass expected to break the silence as she bent, wheezing before she turned to her son and wrapped both Sam and Byron in a warm hug.
"My darling son, please stop this conversation now. And you, Cass, don’t have so little faith in your dragon. Do you really think he would just hurt you like that? I doubt that he would. Have more faith in him." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as Cass felt his face warm.
He’d just had a freak out over how big Lucian’s already big cock was going to ruin him. In public. Cass felt the warmth sneak up his neck and he turned his face away from the others, wanting the ground to swallow him up.
The fairies’ laughter followed him as Gideon reached out and tucked his head against his shoulder and neck, protective of him and hiding him from their laughing gazes.
"It’s alright, Bunny. We’ll know the truth soon enough, anyways. Lucian will be home soon." Gideon spoke like a man who knew the truth. Like he’d been given a revelation from the gods. While Cass knew that wasn’t true, it was comforting. Gideon would have said something sooner if he had, but that didn’t matter at this moment. He was just happy he wasn’t making fun of him.
"Anyways," Aunt Alysora continued, wiping tears from her eyes. "I’ll have a leather that I think will match the three you brought up, and enough of it that we can make something rather quickly. We’ll have it made to his current size when he shows up. That’ll appease him, won’t it?" She asked, looking between Edgar, Byron and Gideon. Cass and Sam weren’t looking at her.
"It should." Edgar said softly. "He might be upset temporarily, but he’s reasonable enough that once we explain why, he’ll calm down. We just can’t wear them again close to the time that we think he’ll return." Edgar told her. She nodded, her eyes warm.
"Understood. I won’t take offense now that I know that. Alright, let’s go check out the wares here and see what we can use. We’ll have to make a rather large order to keep their mouths shut about such an intimate moment being spoken about in the open." She said with a wink, poking fun at the embarrassed Cass.
Cass grumbled, giving her the middle finger. While she might not fully understand the intent behind it, she was a smart woman. She understood an annoyed symbol when she saw one.
~
They ended up going to a cafe to finish off the evening. Sharing tea, snacks and lots of laughter out in a little garden area on the street. They selected this spot because the plants taken care of by the humans inside were flourishing and happy. That was a good sign to the fairies, and the humans were actually delighted and a little scared to have fairies join them in the cafe.
They had said that they weren’t the first fairies to come, and each of them had complimented their flowers. One of the owners came over and chatted with them, revealing that they were a few flowers that her grandmother had tended to and that she had transplanted a few cuttings from because she had adored them so much.
The fairies stared at her, watching her movements and actions before his Aunt eventually told her that she had a little bit of fairy blood in her. Likely from her grandmother. That came as a bit of a shock to the poor, mostly human, but upon hearing that she grinned widely. She was delighted to know that she shared something with her grandmother, and now to them as well. She said it felt like a secret club and that she was happy if people liked her cafe for the flowers and their food.
It was a wonderful way to end the day, leaving everyone with a positive outlook on the outing. Even the people who had been watching Cass and his family interact.
Well, except those who wanted to harm them.
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