Free Sworn To Transfer by Terah Edun Page A

The ambassador had only been here for a few days, really, but she had already turned the palace on its head. Ciardis had heard of the shouting matches between the ambassador and the emperor. She had heard that the ambassador had emerged victorious in them all. Drowning out the human courtiers in her anger and contempt with her voice alone. Until now, Ciardis had assumed it had been the dragon roaring that had cowed the courtiers.
    Now, as she looked into the golden-flecked green eyes of the woman standing before her, she had to wonder if it was dragon in human form that had cowed the courtiers. 
    “Of course it was,” said the woman smugly. “I am Sedaris. I don’t need my birth form to cow you mere mortals.”
    She felt the weirdest sensations when speaking with the woman. It was like being connected to Sebastian but more intense. It was if she was falling into the dragon’s feelings. She could feel the vast depths of her pride in being a dragon, her disgust with the overpowering smell of the human perfumes around her, and a small core inside of her that was filled with worry.
    “What?” said Ciardis, feeling for that core, trying to navigate through the thick layers of memories slowly consuming her vision. If she could just see what made the dragon so upset, perhaps she could help Prince Heir Sebastian and get the people in the forest some help.
    The dragon gave her gentle push out of her mind. Gentle for a dragon. Harsh for a human. Ciardis was pushed back into her body so abruptly that she stumbled and would have fallen if it weren’t for the duke’s quick arm out to catch her.
    “My dear, are you well?” he questioned solicitously.
    As he leaned over her he tightened his grip on her arm as he looked into her eyes. His eyes sharpened, and just for a moment, she saw a flash of surprise, perhaps even fear. “Of course I am.” His lips tightened into a thin line. He visibly got a hold of himself and made sure to steady her with a solicitous hand on her back.
    The brittle smile on his face didn’t escape Ciardis’s notice. She flashed back to the dragon’s overwhelming mental presence – it had been as if she had been drowning in the mind and magic of Ambassador Sedaris. Perhaps the Duke had felt that?
    “ We will speak later, sarin,” was the last thing Ciardis heard from the dragon.
    As the duke watched the dragon glide away, he slowly walked Ciardis over to a nearby bench to rest. His eyes opened wide in surprise and worry as he heard the Ambassador call Ciardis “ Sarin ” while she walked away.
    “I’m too old for this nonsense,” whispered the duke as he helped Ciardis settle down on the couch. He put a sight and sound shield up around them just in case.
    He looked straight in her eyes. The serious expression on his face told Ciardis she wasn’t going to like what he was going to say.
    “What nonsense?” she questioned groggily as she took a sip of wine, hoping to shock herself out of whatever this was.
    The duke grabbed his own glass and knocked back a shot of whiskey before he answered her question.
    “A sarin . She called you her sarin ,” he said, “Being a sarin , in essence a representative and companion to the dragon, would turn the Imperial courts on its head. This would be a problem if any human became a sarin – they were generally troublesome figures even if powerless. But a Weathervane? It would be catastrophic.”
    “And?”
    “Do you know what a sarin is? It’s Sahalian for ‘companion,’ but not just any companion. A bond mate and representative of the dragon.”
    “I’m sure you’re mistaken,” Ciardis said politely. “We just met. Why would she pick me for such an important position?”
    “It’s not a position so much as a lifestyle,” he said as he took a second shot of whiskey.
    He looked over his shoulder and back down to her, “There’s a chance the dragon will forget. It’s best that you do as well. Nothing good can come of this.”
    Ciardis lifted a