Chapter 119: 119-Their death
"Where’s Sseraphis?" Nytherael made an inquiry with Aeltharion.
The dragon shook his head. He had no clue where their scheming snake had gone to. Last he checked with him before going to chat with his mother, the snake was getting ready and Aenyra had gone over to assist.
Knowing those two and their tight bond, he had no doubt that the two of them were off gossiping or catching up.
"He’s going to be late," Nytherael said, he’d attended enough parties at the Zhen royal house to know that it was rude to arrive after the host. And Aeltharion’s mother was going to arrive soon and it would spend trouble if Sseraphis isn’t at the party by the time she arrives. "Why don’t you go and look for him?"
"He’s a grown snake. Why does he need someone looking after?" Madam Zhen commented, though unlike other times when she spoke, this time her eyes seemed full of warmth.
"Aunt, why don’t you go back to your scroll. It looks important," Aeltharion nervously suggested. He leaned down to Nytherael and whispered, "Perharps we should move tables."
"I heard that," she said. But she didn’t bother with them anymore and returned to reading her scroll with utmost concentration.
Aeltharion and Nytherael breathed a sigh of relief. Having to converse with a little girl who looked and sounded like she was older than the two of them both was stressful, especially since her eyes held so much expectations from them.
Nytherael sipped on his wine, Aeltharion never removed his hand from his back, but dragged his chair closer so they sat together, arms touching.
Aeltharion translated the party to Nytherael, introducing new dragon families that had risen to glory and earned a seat among nobles in the time that Nytherael was away. He pointed at influential figures and made a notable introduction for them.
Nytherael listened keenly and nodded every time to show that he understood. He enjoyed that Aeltharion had to whisper next to his ear in order to avoid drawing attention and the feeling of sitting so close to each other.
It was the first party since his return and being able to just drink, sit and enjoy a good chat with his dragon was more than enough to kick out his earlier boredom.
He could picture himself spending his days like that. Living it up and not worrying about any straining responsibilities.
"How many dragons do you think hate me?" He leaned back and rested his head of Aeltharion’s strong arm.
The answer was most of them and they both knew it however, on such a happy occasion, Aeltharion didn’t wish to ruin the mood by focusing on the bitter past.
"Their is a dragon here whose waited a year and a half just to be close to you again," he whispered, sliding his long masculine fingers around Nytherael’s waist and embracing him.
Nytherael blushed. He raised his head towards the guests to make sure that they weren’t being watched and found every single one was busy with their own thing. He breathed out but before the ease could settle, his eyes landed across the table and unexpectedly, the girl’s icy eyes were locked right at him.
Nytherael swallowed. Lump after lump, he felt like as long as Aeltharion kept holding him, he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions.
He avoided those pressing eyes and inhaled deeply. Filling his lungs with air seemed the only reasonable thing to do. His heart was already in his throat.
Aeltharion watched his troubled self and smiled. Every day with Nytherael, getting to see every version of him come to life in different lights were the reason that life was worth living, that and his scheming snake.
Thinking about Sseraphis, he looked up to search for him in the crowd. He refused to believe that his sister would entertain the idea of missing out on the party.
Then he remembered the VIP guest in the east wing and felt like the possibility of the two not making an appearance was high.
"Do you think that Sseraphis decided not to attend the party?"
Nytherael doubted Sseraphis would do that, the Zhen family adored him and would notice his absence. Plus, the dramatic snake liked to make an entrance to a party, so Nytherael was certain he was on his way.
"He’ll be here. Just give him time," he said, dazed over the bubbly feeling of being in Aeltharion’s arms.
"Perhaps I really go look for him."
"I’m sure you are worried for no reason. Any minute now, Sser..." he bit his tongue.
Because speak of the devil, and he shows up loudly. The doors that were slightly open were forced wide open. The door frames swung and hit the wall.
BAM!
All eyes were drawn to the door. In the middle of the grand door frames, Sseraphis stood in a white two-piece knitted outfit with silver edgings and decorations.
The top part was backless with strands for hands that were softly tied at his nape and at his waist. The lower part was a mermaid skirt that stretched down to the floor with silver chains and beads added to it to give it an extra glow.
With a few tinkering, the outfit shaped his finger without feeling forced, and the silver on the outfit glowed with a soft violet light that matched his eyes, his hair and the taint on his skin.
And the crazy soul in the outfit stood with his arms at his waists. He adorned silver rings in his fingers that marched the silver on the outfit. His hair was held in a half-high ponytail with a silver hair pin, and silver earrings in the shape of dragon wings dangled down his ears.
Nytherael and Aeltharion’s jaw dropped. Both of them rose from their seats, too stunned to speak.
The guests were also stunned. Not because he wore knitted outfit they’d usually see beastwomen wear but because he wore that specific outfit.
Who in Drakheiron didn’t know that dragon winged earrings were Madam Zhen’s signature ornaments and she was the only dragoness in the capital allowed to wear knitted dresses, she made it a law as it was her signature look because once at a party, another stunned similar outfit to her and she didn’t like it.
But that specific outfit on Sseraphis was knitted with rare dragonflame thread made of the webs of even more rare dragonfiresflies. It takes years to gather enough thread from such webs to make yarn and even more years to have enough to spin into yarn balls to craft a dress from it.
The yarns were a gift from the former dragon emperor as a blessing to Aninma when she took a seat and it was knitted together by the head matriarch, Aeltharion’s grandmother. The silver touch was added by Aeltharion’s mother. And since receiving the precious gift, Aninma had only worn it once, at her coronation, and never again.
So stunned was an understatement when they saw Sseraphis wearing it.
"He’s going to be the death of me," Aeltharion felt a thousand years shake off his future lifespan.
"You and me both," Nytherael added, dying for a completely different reason.
Madam Zhen felt the commotion and, against all thoughts, raised her head to see what the commotion was about. When her eyes landed on Sseraphis, the scroll in her hands fell from her hands and dropped to the ground. Her eyes twitched.
Sseraphis smiled, flashing his whitened teeth. "I hope I am not late!" He thought loudly.
"He is courting death?"
"He is Sseraphis Noxveil. What does he have to fear?"
"I can’t believe how audacious he is?"
"This generation!"
The guests reacted. The horror on their faces settled deeper. And Sseraphis drank it all in.
Beside him, Aenyra wanted the ground to open and swallow her whole. She wished she had gone with Sseraphis inside the house and atheist chosen a less suicidal outfit for him to steal.
"Drink it in, buddy. They hate me," he said with a smile.
"How is that a good thing?"
"It is since it’s what I want. Now, let’s go in."
"No!"
Aenyra rejected the proposal, but to whom she was refusing, Sseraphis didn’t give her room to object. He took her hand and confidently strolled inside.
"You are going to be the death of me," Aenyra cried out in whisper, but she kept a polite smile on her face and acted composed.
The walk to Aeltharion’s table felt longer than necessary. All eyes followed the two of them, and the silence in the room was so loud that one could hear their thoughts uninterrupted.
When they arrived, Sseraphis took Madam Zhen’s hand and pressed it to his forehead. "Greetings, auntie," he greeted without bothering to kneel. His eyes glistened with violet venom.
Madam Zhen softened her gaze and sighed. Every beast held their breath and waited to hear him get cursed out.
However, what she did surprised them every soul present, "You won’t have peace until you stir my heart, will you?" She asked, touching his cheek softly.
"If I don’t stir the calmest waters... what’s the point of living?" Sseraphis teased.
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