Chapter 15

I inhaled sharply.

"What the hell?!" I said before I could stop myself.

"Language young lady!" my dad reprimanded and took the ice pack my mom offered him and pressed it against his brow. Hiro seemed fine.

Mom brought in a tray with hot cocoa for all of us and we all sat down. Hiro came and sat down next to me and took my hand in his. Mom smiled at the gesture, but dad scowled a little bit.

"I guess there is some explaining to do," mom said after she took a sip of her hot cocoa. Dad and Hiro seemed to be having a stare-down.

"Anneke...Cathy..." she started, but my dad cut her off.

"I will tell them..." he grumbled.

"I...we..." he suddenly didn't seem able to find the right words.

"Your dad is a descendant of a dragon-human blood-line," mom said simply.

Anneke almost dropped her cocoa.

"What?!" she asked in disbelief.

It turns out that my father was a third generation dragon and was supposed to marry another third generation dragon descendant, but he fell in love with mom who was human. They decided to live in the human world. That means Anneke and I both have dragon blood in our veins, though weakened. Perhaps that was why our eyes were hazel with a bit of gold-brown around the irises.

"So what are you?" Anneke asked Hiro.

"Anneke!" mom said, but was interrupted by Hiro.

"I am a third generation dragon-human as well."

I suddenly realised something...Verona's words popped up in my head... "I still think you are making a mistake..." Did she say that because I wasn't a third-generation dragon-human?

After we all finished our cocoa Anneke left to got the shop for some ingredients.

"I take it that you will be staying over tonight," mom said to me and Hiro and then glanced at dad.

"In separate rooms!" he said and then walked off.

"He just needs time to wrap his head around things," mom said cheerfully," you know how dads are about their daughters, especially the youngest," she said winking at Hiro. He smiled back at her, but I could see it was somehow forced.

Later crowds of people showed up for my party. Lights were lit all around the back area and some people went swimming in the pool. Fires were lit and soon the delicious smell of meat filled the air. Hiro kept to my side as much as possible. He and dad seemed to have reached...a truce of some sort. They conveniently avoided each other. This saddened me a bit, because I would have loved for them to get along. At least they weren't fighting anymore. I blew out the candles on a cake that was quickly modified to show 18 instead of 17.

When I finally retired that night mom came to have a chat with me in my room.

"How are you, honey?" she asked as she picked up my brush and started brushing my hair like she often did before I went to bed.

"I'm well mom...there's been a lot that happened...I don't even know where to start..."

I told her about my time in the Shadowlands, but omitted the parts that involved me being naked. It was too embarrassing. She listened patiently while she kept brushing my hair. Eventually I told her everything that I felt comfortable telling.

"So, when did it happen?" she suddenly asked. I thought I didn't hear her right.

"What?"

"You know... dragons have a very keen sense of smell. Your father would not have attacked your boyfriend if he couldn't tell..."

I blushed tomato-red. My mom was too clever for me...

"It happened the night of the ball...only once..." I said very uncomfortably, "and he's not my boyfriend, he's my fiancée."

"Right, sorry dear. I can see...you still have a lot to learn about dragons..." she said a bit sadly, "your father and I had hoped that living in the human world would sever any connection you had to the Shadowlands with each generation until there was nothing left, but now... I have some books that could help you."

"Someone also gave me a book at the castle. I haven't finished all of it yet though, it is quite thick and has a lot of boring history in it too... speaking of which...I failed my exam..."

"We know dear."

"What?!"

"Your result letter came in the post and since you weren't here to hide it..."

"Oh..."

"So, what do you plan to do now?"

"I'm not too sure...what am I expected to do as a dragon's wife?"

"Apart from bearing children...let me see...there isn't much else expected of you than supporting him in his official duties, but you could still pursue a career."

"Mom... I don't think I want to become an accountant."

"But you did so well up till now?"

"I know, but it was not what I wanted, I did it because I wanted to make you proud."

"You'll always make us proud honey, no matter what you do," she said and lovingly stroked my hair.

"Mom?"

"Yes darling?"

"I am scared..."

"What about? You've already crossed the scariest bridge," she said while squeezing me. I was thankful that she wasn't judging me too harshly.

"I know...but I've read...that dragons don't have the same feelings humans do...that they might leave after a while?"

"It is true that according to the generation born in dragons have more or less feeling or human emotion if you want to call it that... though I don't think your dragon will leave you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"He fought your dad and was clearly stronger than him. Don't tell your dad that," she quickly said to me softly with a wink.

"Traditionally when dragons fight they will fight to the death."

"Mom!" I almost yelled. That means that if Hiro fought like a traditional dragon he would have killed my dad...

"He shows mercy where other dragons would not. This is uncommon. I think he truly loves you darling."

I felt so relieved and happy and couldn't help but cry. Mom held me until I felt better. She eventually left and I fell asleep. During the night I woke when my bed moved.

"Shhh!" Hiro said as he got in and put his arm around me. I scooted up a little, but my bed was a single bed. We slept like that until a soft knock woke us up.

"Wha?!" We were not supposed to share a room...if it's dad... I looked at Hiro with panic.

"Let him come," he whispered in a voice that said he didn't care. I got up and went to the door and opened it slightly. I was relieved to see it was mom.

"You might want to use the opportunity while your dad is in the shower to let Hiro return to his room," she said conspiringly.

"Breakfast will be ready in 30 minutes." She smiled and handed me some men's clothes and then went downstairs.

I closed the door and sighed.

"That was close," I said.

"I have gotten his consent to marry you," Hiro suddenly said quietly.

"You did? Then why is he still staring at you like he wants to turn you into vapour?"

Hiro smiled faintly. "When dragons fight for the right to marry a daughter one of them usually dies, which means either yes or no for the prospective husband. Your dad decided I was worthy of you."

"Really? Did he say that?"

"More or less. He's probably still sulking because I've hurt his honour."

"You mean to say that he is upset because he couldn't kill you?"

Hiro grinned.

"That is more or less it."

"How barbaric!"

Then I heard footsteps coming down the corridor. It was definitely dad. He had a way of walking on the floors that woke up the whole house, even though it was tiled. I held my breath as it seemed like the footsteps stopped outside my door, but then continued downstairs.

Hiro was looking at the picture frames I had on a shelf.

"This is one of you and Este...you look very young here?" It was a picture of us sitting on a jetty with our swimsuits on.

"Oh, yeah. We were nine. Those were the days we were best friends."

"What changed?"

"I'm not too sure...she started dressing funny and coloured her hair white and got piercings and stuff. Dad didn't want me to be close friends anymore. I guess he thought she was mixing with the rough crowd and would be a bad influence on me."

It was amazing to think how much things between us has changed in the Shadowlands...

"And this one?"

"That is me with a group of friends from primary school on a summer camp. It was about when I was 12."

Este stood on the other side of the group to me. Back then she was already labelled as a rebel. She didn't smile at the camera.

"I used to have crush on this guy," I said and pointed at a boy in the row in front of me," but I have always been too shy to speak to boys and he never noticed me. He did like Este, though."

"That's his loss," Hiro said smiling at me and put the picture back. There were others of me with my family and our terrier, Wuffles. And one of me with Denushka.

"16th birthday?" he asked.

I nodded.

My room was pretty much a girly room. I had posters of boy-bands on the walls and anime figurines...it all now seemed embarrassing...

Hiro seemed very interested in everything in my room. He walked over to the figurine shelf.

"A dragon?" he asked and picked up a dark red dragon figurine.

"Heh, I won that in a competition on an anime website."

"Looks a little like me...though I think I'm prettier," he said smiling and put it back.

A thought suddenly stuck me. I wonder if Hiro could tell that I have dragon blood in me?

"Hiro, did you know about my dad?"

He was silent for a bit.

"Yes."

"And you still decided to come...why didn't you tell me?"

"Dragons are very private. It wasn't my place to tell you things that he chose to keep from you. I came because I couldn't bear to see you unhappy."

"Oh...thank you. I really appreciate it."

"At least it turned out better than I had expected."

"What do you mean?

"If your dad didn't relent it would have been a bit of a problem, wouldn't it?"

I never realised all of the complications there were...

"Um...thank you..."

I changed into some of my clothes from my cupboard and Hiro put on the clothes mom had lent him. He hadn't packed an overnight bag. We made our way downstairs. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted to us along with the smell of waffles. Mom was going all out this morning...

We seated around the dining-room table and dad sat at the head of the table. He greeted everyone and looked at Hiro for just a slight second too long, but then took a sip of his coffee and acted normally. When we've all had enough dad decided to speak up.

"So, are we going today?" he asked and was looking directly at Hiro.

"Yes," Hiro said flatly.

"Going where dad?" I asked, trying to keep things cooled.

"This lad promised that he would make this old man happy and marry you legally in the human world."

"What?" That was quite sudden. Was that possible? Would Hiro even be registered on the system?

After breakfast we all got into Dad's Mercedes SUV. Dad and Hiro had another chat outside before we left. I wondered what that was about. We drove into town and stopped by the shopping mall. Hiro asked me to go with him. I followed him into a jewellery store. Was he going to buy me a ring?!

"Choose anyone you want," he said to me.

"Anyone?" I asked in surprise.

Hiro smiled.

"It will only be temporary. When we marry in the Shadowlands I will replace it with our family heirloom."

"Oh...in that case, I'll just choose something simple..."

"No, choose something that would make your parents happy."

I was touched by his thoughtfulness and chose a ring with a row of diamonds set in it. He picked out a ring for himself and then took out his wallet and paid by card. I was dumbfounded. I didn't expect him to do something so ordinary... what was I expecting? That he would suddenly pull out a bar of gold?

I couldn't help but chuckle.

"What is it?" he asked smiling too.

"It's just...this is so...normal," I said and I could see that he understood what I meant.

"He-he... I do have to come...this side for business you know."

That would explain the human world things I've seen in and around the castle.

We married in the court and exchanged our rings with my parents and Anneke as witnesses. Then we went to a restaurant to have lunch. Hiro looked like an ordinary young man. Well, as long as he wore his sunglasses. He refused to put contacts in like dad did. I never knew dad wore contacts...

That evening it was hard to say goodbye. Wuffles seemed to have taken a liking in Hiro which was quite funny. She would go and lie on his lap so that he could scratch her tummy. Mom hugged me tightly while Anneke sort-off tapped me on the head. She wasn't too into the touchy feely stuff.

"Take care sis."

Then it was dad's turn. I have never seen him look so emotional. He then hugged me fiercely.

"If you are unhappy, you come home right?" he demanded and I knew he was looking at Hiro over my shoulder. I nodded.

"Take good care of my girl, Hiro," he said and then shook hands with him in a business-like manner.

"I will sir," he replied.

"Dad," my dad said in a flat voice. He was being pushy.

"Dad..." Hiro repeated and smiled at my family.

I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding as we drove off.

"You...have a nice family," Hiro said after a while.

"Thank you..."

We drove in silence for a while.

"I want us to have a happy family too," he suddenly spoke up again, "I have been raised by my more-dragon parent so there are things...that you'll have to teach me."

I put my hand on his thigh and he let go of the steering wheel with one hand to hold onto my hand. It felt so right, the two together like this.

"I have things to learn from you too Hiro. I guess we'll help each other?"

He nodded and then a naughty smile formed on his face.

"Mmm...I can already think of something I can teach you when we get home..."