Lilly stood on a log addressing the small force of her followers attached to Alayse. As part of Gersius's plan not to interfere with Alayse and her operation, they limited themselves to just Lilly's small group of seventy-two soldiers. Many were barely trained in the faith, but all knew who Lilly was, and her presence bolstered their convictions.
Gersius had already addressed the group and even brought volunteers from the forces of Astikar to help train them. They spent the last hour going over drills and being shown various techniques to improve their chances on the battlefield.
Now they were resting, and Lilly was very concerned about their well-being. She wanted to assure them that she, Gersius, and Thayle would be with them when the attack began to help ensure their victory. Afterward, she led them in a prayer to Balisha, praising the queen of dragons and asking for her protection during the fighting.
She then walked among them, treating them all as if they were family. She was particularly fond of those she had given her blessing to, especially because they had changed drastically. For reasons they did not understand, nearly all of them now had silver or white hair and eyes nearly as blue as Lilly's. The transformation had taken a few days for most, but in other cases, it took just a little longer. It caused some alarm, especially from Sarah, who had never seen such a reaction before.
Now Lilly looked at these special chosen and wondered if Sarah might be right. Was emotion the key that allowed humans to unlock the weave's power and the might of the divine? Was it why they could reach heights of power that even dragons could not hope to gain? Was it perhaps why Lilly’s blessing, given out of love for her followers, had caused such a drastic change?
There was no denying that Lilly now possessed strong emotions and, in many cases, excelled at them even above a typical human. Could it be that she was somehow tapping into that power and using it by accident?
They had debated that for hours, with Sarah growing concerned that there could be other side effects, especially for their human lovers. Gersius and Thayle understood her implication but denied feeling anything out of place, except for Thayle, who has having the occasional stomach ache. The only proof they had so far was Lilly's chosen and the reaction to her blessing, so the matter was set aside until they could learn something more.
Lilly smiled and greeted her followers, praising the name of Balisha and thanking them for choosing her goddess. Many wanted to touch her hands, eager to say they had been so close to a dragon even if she was in human form. Lilly always reminded them that Balisha wanted humans and dragons to work together and build a new world for both. She often exclaimed that her goal was to make the sight of a dragon so common that humans didn't bat an eye to see one.
It was a happy moment, and Lilly was grateful because earlier that day had been terribly sad. She had gone with Thayle to seek out the woman Taylin who was deeply in love with the dragon Numidel. Thayle told her the news, and the woman collapsed, falling apart in a shower of tears. It took Thayle nearly an hour to console the woman, but she was still very distraught and unable to function. Thayle had taken the liberty of alerting Alayse to what she was about to do and was given permission to relieve the woman of her duties for a few days.
Lilly hated to see anyone so upset, but nobody took Numidel's loss as hard as Sarah had. Numidel had been her partner for over a thousand years and the one who always encouraged her to seek love. If not for him, she might never have considered the path she chose that eventually led her to Lilly's arms. He was also intensely loyal to her and the father of her children. Until recently, Sarah hadn't appreciated what that meant, but as her emotions began to grow, so too did her understanding. Though she was now married to Gersius, Numidel held a special place in her heart, and his loss was as deep a wound as could be inflicted.
Until Lilly came to embrace emotions, she had no understanding of what it meant to cry. Even that dreadful day in her valley, where she lay broken and dying, hadn't been enough to move her to tears. It wasn't until she was bound and able to feel emotion across the bind that the first tears started to fall. Sarah was older and wiser, with a gift for being as strong a rock as Gersius. Still, when she heard the news, she fell apart like Taylin did and cried for nearly two full days. She was recovering now, but the shock caused her to doubt and brought up some of her old dragon nature. She couldn't bear to be apart from the others, feeling a need to have them close so she could protect them. She also forbade Lilly to take the field in her dragon form for fear the enemy would single her out. Lilly understood the enemy had a stated goal of taking her head but still didn't like the idea of using her human form. It was only because Sarah promised a surprise that she agreed, and now she awaited her gift.
Lost in her thoughts and the attention of her followers, she didn't even notice Gersius's approach until he swept her into his arms. She was lifted from her feet and cradled to his chest before she could utter a word of response.
“What is this?” Lilly nearly shouted as the onlookers laughed.
“I hope you will all forgive me,” Gersius said as he addressed his flock. “But I have need of this dragon, and I fear I must take her away.” People laughed and bid them farewell as Gersius walked off with Lilly, who was still surprised.
“And why do you need me so badly?” Lilly asked as they passed through the camp.
“I always need you,” he answered with a smile. “But this particular need is special, and I do not want to spoil it.”
“I see,” Lilly replied and settled in to be carried. “Does this have anything to do with the surprise I was promised?”
“I have nothing to say,” Gersius replied with a broad smile.
“You and Sarah are terrible liars,” Lilly pressed.
“That is because we do not lie,” he replied and looked into her eyes. “We simply choose not to answer.”
“Which is the same as saying yes or no,” Lilly pointed out. “Thayle has forced the truth out of me that way several times.”
“She has done the same to me,” Gersius admitted as they entered the tents and headed to the one set aside for their use.
Lilly smiled and nestled her head as Gersius carried her through camp. She loved being held and wished they could do it more often, but there was never enough time. With a sigh, she stroked his cheek, the contact giving her such access to his thoughts that she could see through his eyes. He was happy for a change, and she thought maybe a bit excited. Something about her surprise was lifting his spirits, and now she wondered why.
“You should carry me more often,” she said as she relished the moment.
“I should?” Gersius replied and looked deep into her eyes.
“Yes,” she stated. “I do most of the carrying in my dragon form. It's nice to be carried by you once in a while.”
“I would carry you a lot more if I didn’t have to maintain my image before the camp,” he replied.
“So, what's different now?” Lilly asked as she gestured to the camp around them.
“I want to show you something,” he replied. “It’s something Sarah and I worked together on to have made for you.”
“You did?” Lilly said with a smile. “What did you make me?”
“You will have to wait and see,” he replied with a slight chuckle.
“Oh, don’t keep me waiting any longer! Tell me what it is now, and I will act surprised,” she offered.
“You will have to wait,” he repeated and cleared his mind so she couldn’t see anything.
“What if I tell you that I love you?” she offered and batted her eyes as Thayle had taught her to do.
“You tell me that a dozen times a day, and I can see the light of your aura,” he pointed out.
“You’re going to be mean, aren’t you?” Lilly asked with a frown and folded her arms.
“You only need to wait a minute more,” he said and carried her into the meeting tent.
Thayle and Sarah were standing by with smiles as he returned her to her feet and took her hand. Lilly looked around but saw nothing out of place, so she questioned Gersius about where it was?
“Are you ready to see it?” he asked.
“Of course I am,” Lilly said as she grew impatient.
“She is going to melt when she sees it,” Thayle said with a smile.
“She is a dragon and will do no such thing,” Sarah said with a haughty tone.
Thayle laughed with a shake of her head. “Lilly is a love dragon, and acts of love deeply move her.”
Sarah lost her smile and folded her arms as she agreed that Thayle was probably right. “Very well, let's get her silly behavior out of the way.”
Gersius nodded and led Lilly across the tent to the passage that went to the landing tent. He held her hand as he opened the flap, and she peered into the sunny ring just beyond.
There it hung, suspended on a pole in the center of the ring. It was a dress of magnificent beauty, made from blue fabric woven with silver patterns to appear like scales. It was decorated with white underlays and arms of metal running down the skirt. There was a firm belt of polished silver, etched to appear like a chain of dragons. One shoulder had a plate of the same metal, with Balisha's silver moon prominently displayed. The other arm was completely plated, all the way down to the glove. On the chest was yet another dragon, woven of silver and holding the fanged blade. The top was cut low enough to show the shape of her chest, causing Lilly to Look at the others as Thayle admitted that part was her idea.
“This is beautiful,” Lilly cried as tears started to roll down her cheeks.
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“I told you,” Thayle said as Sarah smiled.
“I suppose she has the right to be so happy,” Sarah admitted. “I am grateful I played a hand in it.”
“Is this for me?” Lilly whispered, still unable to believe the dress was here.
“It is,” Gersius said. “Your very own battle dress.”
Lilly turned about, her eyes full of tears, and ran to his arms with cries of I love you. She practically tackled him and hugged him tightly as her tears soaked the hem of his shirt.
“I saw how beautiful you looked in Sarah’s dress,” he said as she clung to him in joy.
“And we all felt how happy you were to be wearing it over the bind,” Thayle added.
“I am so happy!” Lilly cried and had to wipe her eyes.
“It is alright, Lilly. We just wanted you to have one of your own,” Gersius said and took her back to the dress. “Now, try it on.”
“It’s so beautiful,” Lilly cried as she lifted an arm. “How did you make it?”
“It wasn't easy,” Sarah admitted, then explained how they used Sarah's dress as the model and one of Lilly's dresses for sizing. They then hired several metalsmiths to do the fine work of copying the intricate joints that made up the metal arms. Thayle found some women in the order of Ulustrah, who were experts at fabrics to do the fine needlework creating the dragon and scale effect.
“That silver thread was terribly hard to find,” Sarah added. “But I would do anything for my wife.”
Lilly looked up and smiled at Sarah as she pulled away from Gersius.
“A thank you will be good enough,” Sarah said as Lilly ran at her and threw her arms around her.
“Thank you!” Lilly cried as she squeezed Sarah tight and wet her hair with tears.
Sarah smiled and put her arms around Lilly in a warm hug that she never wanted to end. Lilly read her thoughts and settled in to let the hug go on until Sarah started to laugh.
“Child, I can’t hold you forever,” she finally said and released the little dragon.
Lilly nodded but chewed at her bottom lip as she looked into Sarah's eyes pleadingly. Sarah sighed and welcomed her back in while also planting her lips on Lilly's to share a passionate kiss.
“Sarah is starting to really enjoy kissing,” Thayle whispered to Gersius.
“That’s not all she’s really starting to enjoy,” Gersius whispered back as Thayle started laughing and called him a bad man.
“That’s enough,” Sarah insisted as she pried herself loose. “Now go to your dress already.”
Lilly wiped her eyes as she rushed to the dress and practically bounced as she ran her hands over the fabric. She took a few moments to walk around it, admiring the look and fine detail.
“It has one of those straps to open it,” she said when she noticed the back.
“The point of a battle dress is so you can get out of it quickly if you need to change,” Sarah said.
“I can think of other reasons why I would want to get Lilly out of a dress quickly,” Thayle added as Gersius smiled in agreement.
“Quiet, you little harlot,” Sarah grumbled as she watched Lilly pick the dress up and hold it to her chest. She watched Lilly spin and dance as she felt alive with warmth and love. “Why does this make her so happy?” Sarah whispered to Thayle.
“Haven’t you ever been given a gift purely out of love?” Thayle asked.
“I have been given gifts in exchange for my blessings,” Sarah said.
“Those are payments for services or gifts to curry favor,” Thayle corrected. “This is a gift meant only to symbolize how much Lilly means to us.”
“This hardly expresses how much she means to me,” Sarah admitted.
“Nothing we have to give ever could,” Gersius agreed.
“Can I try it on?” Lilly said excitedly, drawing all attention to her.
“Of course, you can,” Gersius said. “Sarah will show you how.”
Sarah nodded in agreement and stepped forward to show Lilly how to get into the dress properly. Lilly responded by hanging the dress back up and quickly began to pull open the one she was wearing. By the time Sarah reached her, Lilly was sliding the garment over her shapely hips, and Sarah was struck by a sudden emotion. She realized that she wasn't just in love with Lilly; she desired the beautiful little dragon. She craved that smile and loving embrace, needing it more now that Numidel's death had opened her eyes.
“Is something wrong?” Thayle said as she came to Sarah’s side and took her hand.
“I just realized how much I love her,” Sarah replied. ‘I couldn't bear to lose her.”
“Numidel’s passing has truly hurt you,” Thayle said and leaned into Sarah’s side.
“I suppose it has,” Sarah agreed. “But I have made up my mind to put it passed me so I can focus on those I have left.”
“But you seem overly fixated on Lilly,” Thayle pointed out. “You even insisted on bringing her dress instead of giving it to her when we got back.”
“I just wanted to see her happy,” Sarah replied. “I can't help how I feel anymore. I look at her, and I just feel so…” she cut off and looked ashamed as Thayle read the answer in her light.
“There is nothing wrong with being attracted to her,” Thayle said.
“I know, but sometimes I can’t believe that I do such things with other women,” Sarah replied.
“From what I know of dragons, you don’t exactly look forward to doing those things with males either,” Thayle replied.
“We don't approach such things the way you humans do, but….” Sarah said and stumbled on her words.
“But what?” Thayle pressed. “Sarah, tell me what’s bothering you?”
“Numidel's death has made me look inward,” she admitted and looked at Lilly, who was now happily discarding her undergarments. “Not only do I mate at an alarming frequency, but when I look at that dragon's beautiful human body, I feel what I can only describe as desire.”
“That’s because you love her,” Thayle said with a reassuring smile. “Lilly is your wife. You have every right to desire her and want to satiate that desire with her.”
“I am aware of this,” Sarah said and smiled at Thayle. “You have explained it before, and I understand. It is just that recent events have helped me truly take these matters to heart. Now they conflict with deeply rooted beliefs and my nature.”
“Lilly went through this too,” Thayle assured her. “We told you the story of her struggle to accept that she loved Gersius.”
“Many times,” Sarah agreed with a sigh.
“I'm ready,” Lilly called out as she stood there naked and smiling, waiting for Sarah to help.
“Well, it looks like you will have to attend to your wife,” Thayle said and urged her on. “Get over there and help her get dressed before I lose control and take advantage of the situation.”
Sarah smiled and went to Lilly, who was playing with her beautiful dress. She swept Lilly into another hug, firmly embracing the tender creature before stepping back and asking for the dress. She showed Lilly how the back strap worked to open the dress and allow her to step in. Then it could be pulled tight to seal the garment until it was released to fall away in seconds.
Lilly danced in a few spins, causing the metal arms to rise. She was particularly pleased by the armor and tested the arm's flexibility. With that done, she took a combat stance, practicing a few moves as if she had her swords.
“It’s a little heavy,” she said and twisted her shoulder. “But it fits so nice.”
“You will get used to the weight,” Sarah assured and straightened the top. “The shoulder pad is on the opposite side to balance the weight. As you have already seen, turning in the skirt causes the arms to swing-out. I will teach you how to use these as weapons in the dance of swords.” She went to pull the dress up a bit and had to grab the front as Lilly blushed and twisted in under her care.
“Will you stop thinking that,” Sarah said with a smile.
“I can’t help it,” Lilly said as she tried not to smile. “You are touching me in a funny place.”
“We should never have cut this so low,” Sarah said loud enough for Thayle to hear it.
“I happen to like the cut,” Thayle replied and looked to Gersius, who nodded in agreement.
“I like it too,” Lilly agreed and wiggled as Sarah accidentally tickled her and caused her to think of Sarah’s chest.
“Why are you so attracted to that?” Sarah asked as she read her thoughts.
“Why wouldn't I be?” Lilly asked. “They are so soft, and Thayle likes them too.”
“You and that minx like to use me as a pillow,” Sarah stated as she finished the adjustment and stepped back. “You look so beautiful.”
“Gersius taught me that word,” Lilly said as she reached up to touch Sarah's face. “And I am glad he did because now I have a word to describe you.”
Sarah was struck speechless as Lilly leaned in and gave her another kiss. The moment was soft and tender as Sarah began to clutch at Lilly, pulling her into another hug to smother the loving dragon.
“Is there some reason our emotions are running so wild?” Gersius asked as she turned to Thayle.
“It’s Sarah,” Thayle replied as she admired the tender moment. “This is her pain over Numidel coming out as she cherishes the love he helped her find.”
“And we are feeling it over the bind,” Gersius said with a nod. “I have to admit this display touches even me.”
“I am so jealous of Lilly,” Thayle said and looked at Gersius. “She is wonderful and lovely. You already had her; why did you even think of loving me?”
Gersius smiled and took Thayle’s hand while leaning over to whisper. “Because you are the only woman in the world who can match her beauty.”
“I am rewarding you for that comment later,” Thayle said with a smile.
He nodded and led her to the two women glowing with love for one another.
“How does it fit?” he asked.
“It fits wonderfully,” Lilly said as she danced about to make the dress sway.
“I will teach you how to fight in it,” Sarah said as Gersius took her hand with his free one. “There are a few principles you need to understand to use it effectively.”
Lilly nodded and jumped into a hug with Gersius, giving him a kiss before sweeping up Thayle to hug and kiss her too.
“Thank you for getting your women to help. Tell them I love it,” Lilly insisted.
“I will be sure to let them know,” Thayle said.
Lilly danced away, swaying her hips to make the arms move, then turned back to the others.
“Can I wear it for the battle?” she asked.
“If you wish,” Gersius replied and looked to Sarah. “Does she need to know anything first?”
“Nothing I can’t teach her in a couple of hours,” Sarah replied.
Lilly jumped in happiness and went on to spin, playing in her new dress with the joy of a child. Sarah wanted to begin the instruction immediately, so Gersius and Thayle parted with a final kiss and headed out to see to other details.
“I can feel Sarah’s need for affection pushing on me,” he said as they entered the meeting tent.
“She will need a little extra attention, especially from you,” Thayle said and swung his hand. “She just admitted a minute ago that her dragon nature was fighting back.”
“It must be hard for them to make the change of perspective,” he agreed.
“I doubt we can ever fully understand it. Not only is a dragon that is thousands of years old feeling new emotions, but she is feeling them for two humans and a female dragon. That's a conflict on many levels, and I have to say she is handling it well,” Thayle said.
“Numidel meant a lot to her,” Gersius said as he suddenly felt sad.
“Oh, don't start thinking that,” Thayle said as she read his mind. “They only mated because they had to. There was no love in it, and she had told us many times how much she regretted it. You are the only man she has ever loved, and let's not forget she has recently agreed to have a child for you if you want it.”
“I am aware of all this,” Gersius said. “I suspect this is her uncertainty over the bind.”
“I am sure it is,” Thayle agreed. “Her sudden reflection on the past and mistakes she made in ignorance has even dredged up feelings I had for Alayse.”
“You never told us why you left her,” he said.
“Because she was controlling,” Thayle replied. “She makes Lilly's possessiveness look like negligence. When my promotions started to come, she feared they would take me away from her, so she stood in the way.”
“She must have really loved you,” Gersius said.
“You know what? Let's not talk about this,” Thayle said and waved the topic away. “This is all coming from Sarah, and we would do well to get through it without making any mistakes. All we can do is be as supportive as possible and allow her all the moments of love and affection she needs to regain her balance.”
“There is something I wanted to ask you that might make you pleased,” he said.
“And what was that?” Thayle replied and looked up to see him smiling.
“I was just wondering if you knew yet,” he said and put a hand on her stomach.
“Oh,” Thayle replied and let out a sigh as she remembered the night weeks ago when they mated. “I hate to say it, but I think we missed. I don’t feel anything happening.”
“Maybe it is for the best,” Gersius said as he took his hand away. “The war might very well go on longer than we expected.”
“Gersius, I will try again the moment you want to,” Thayle said when she noticed his aura dip. “I know how important children are to you. I will place a blessing of fertility on myself, and we can try again tonight.”
“No,” he said and put a hand on her shoulder. “It was silly of us to take such a risk. I would only wish to do this if you were absolutely certain you wanted one now.”
“I do want a baby,” Thayle admitted. “I am just afraid that now is a terrible time.”
“As am I,” he agreed. “Let us focus on the battles ahead and worry about adding to our family later.”
“I agree, but promise me that you will come to me the moment we can settle down,” she said.
“I give you my word,” he replied with a nod.
“Good, now I want to check on Taylin,” Thayle said as she looked down. “She was so upset about Numidel. From what she was saying about him, I think he was about to ask her to marry him.”
“I am sorry about her pain,” Gersius said and agreed she should go.
He watched Thayle go, then went back to the landing ring. He paused at the flap to peek in and see that very little training was going on. Instead, he watched his two dragon wives share another kiss as Sarah pulled the strap on Lilly's dress to get at what was inside.