>>6078708One thing you absolutely CANNOT tell the Prince Consort about is your clone, or Izirina’s clone. It would be easy, oh so easy, to foist this problem off on Ayla and ‘Veigar’… But what kind of person would you be, to do that? To create life (sort of), and to promise them a chance to make a life for themselves, only to paint a target upon their backs and to sic a serpentine swordsman upon them?
Nor are you ready to share the secret of your Keep’s tunnels, and your knowledge of them and access to them. Even now, the Dragon King’s accession to peace-talks is predicated upon a future war; less true peace than patient bloodlust. You’re beginning to think you’ve misjudged how much ‘Man’ is in this lizardman
(…Or maybe, thinking of his ‘cousin’ Izirina, this degree of dangerous and obsessive behaviour is simply characteristic of the Yosef bloodline? No wonder it so worries your one-time countrymen…)
All this leaves you with one option. Thankfully, it’s one you don’t entirely mind, at least at the outset.
“I’ll… I’ll make sure that our bloodline continues. Mine and Izirina’s, I mean. Before I do.”
The Prince Consort stares blankly at you for a moment. Then, he opens his mouth and produces a choking, rattling sound. His throat vibrates erratically, and his chest quakes. You’re concerned for a moment, first suspecting a medical emergency of some sort, and then fearing this is preparation for some sort of… Of breath weapon, perhaps, like a dragon-of-old. But then he puts his hand over his mouth and leans forward slightly. With a pout of displeasure, you recognize the noise for what it is: a burst of lizardly laughter.
“I apologize, Acrhmage’sss Apprenticce,” he says without any actual apology in his tone. “It iss jussst… I believe your people call it ‘déjà vu’? I have been where you are: journeying forth on a quessst, unccertain of itss outcome, and hedging my future—the world’ssss future—on an heir yet unborn. I would not have exxxpected to find ssuch common ground with…”
He trails off, regarding you coldly, but not with disrespect.
“All I ask in return is that, if I don’t come back, or if I’m… Delayed… That you and your agents keep Izirina Henzler safe, and Costella Fanucci as well, and their families… And especially our child. I leave them in your care.”
“Of courssse,” the Dragon King rumbles, almost a purr. “It isss in all our interessstss, iss it not? We are… Family, in a way.”
You try not to let it show how much that makes your skin crawl, and instead nod.
