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Ok, here we go, yay, I updated! Sorry it's been so long. Anywho, I want to point out something that someone pointed out to me a while ago, and I want to thank them, but Pthorin's color is red, that is why his hair is red, I just wasn't thinking when I described what color he was in chapter 8 so from now on he'll be red. Anywho, please review.
Pthorin, Zoram and Tonab landed on the edge of the cliff facing the keep, watching as human's and dragons in their human form made their way in and out. The two brother's looked at each other aprehensively before turning to follow Pthorin towards the entrance to the keep and watched as the people they passed stopped to bow to their prince.
"Prince Pthorin!" a voice called and they all turned to see a dark skinned, light haired dragon heading their way and bowing to Pthorin with a smirk on his face.
"Lord Dronis," Pthorin said, nodding, also smilng. Lord Dronis stood and looked at the two brothers, his eyes lingering on Tonab for a longer moment before turning back to Pthorin, but his eyes returning to Tonab a few times.
"Is this your mate then?" he asked looking at Zoram who was hiding halfway behind his mate and Pthorin grinned.
"Yes," he said, pulling Zoram out from behind him gently. "This is Zoram," he said and Lord Dronis bowed his head and Zoram nodded to him. "And this," Pthorin said indicating Tonab, "is Tonab, Zoram's brother." Zoram watched Lord Dronis' eyes go back to Tonab and lingered tehre even after he had bowed. "This is my closest friend, Lord Dronis," Pthorin said.
"Prince Pthorin, your father is waiting for you in the throne room," Lord Dronis said, finally tearing his eyes away from Tonab to return them to his prince.
"Thank you Dronis," he said before turning and leading the way to the throne room, Zoram, Tonab and Dronis falling in behind him. As they approached the doors, the guards snapped to attention and stepped forward to open the large doors. Pthorin turned to look at Zoram and entered, a man near the entrance announcing their arrival. They walked in, passing the lines of the dragon's courtiers all bowing and curtsying to their prince as he passed by. Pthorin's long strides took him to stand in front of his father who was standing before the throne smiling at his son. The procession who had entered the throne room dropped to one knee in front of the king, not moving until Garis walked forward and pulled his son to his feet and clasped his arm.
"I trust all is well?" he asked quietly, leaning forward a bit.
"Everything is fine father," Pthroin replied and turned to Zoram before taking his arm and pulling him forward gently so his father could see him. "Father, this is my mate, Zoram," he said and Garis turned to him smiling but when he set his eyes on him, the color drained from his face. "Father?" came Pthorin's worried question but Garis was not listening and took a step towards Zoram causing him to step back and the king blinked.
"Forgive me," he said turning to look at his son but his eyes turning back to Zoram a few moments later. "It is nice to meet you Zoram," he said quietly.
"And you," Zoram replied, feeling confused at the king's behavior.
"Father this is Zoram's brother, Tonab," Pthorin spoke up again and the king turned his eyes to Tonab and greeted him.
"I would like to speak to you further but we are in the middle of court," Garis said, turning back to his son, his eyes sliding to Zoram again, "I will see you tonight at dinner?" he asked.
"Of course father, we will be there," Pthroin nodded and they all bowed before taking a side door out of the throne room. "Dronis," Pthorin said turning to his friend and the other man looked up from studying the drake next to him and Tonab did the same.
"Yes highess?" he asked causing Pthorin to scowl.
"I need to check on something, will you show Zoram and Tonab to their quarters?"
"Of course sire," Dronis said, bowing. "Are Zoram's quarter's your quarters?" he asked, smirking, causing Zoram to blush and Pthorin to chuckle.
"Not until the sealing ceremony," he said, looking pointedly at his friend.
"Of course sire, where would you like them?"
"In the rooms next to mine will be fine," Pthorin said, touching Zoram's cheek before walking away.
"Come highnesses, this way," Dronis said turning to walk in the opposite direction. He walked to the other sideof the keep and stopped in front of a door made of dark wood. "Your rooms are connected by a sitting room," he said opening the doors and walking in, the prince's following. The sitting room was large with several large couches with a large table between them and the walls were lined with shelves with books on them. On the opposite wall were floor to ceiling windows that looked out onto the water that surrounded the other side of the keep. There were two doors on each side of the room leading to bedrooms as Dronis explained. They entered the room to the left and found a large four poster bed, another large couch and a table against the far wall below large windows. There were two doors also in this room and the young lord explained that one led to a bathing chamber.
"And the other?" Tonab asked and Dronis looked a bit uncomfortable.
"Leads to Prince Pthorin's rooms," he said.
"This will be my room," Tonab said looking at his brother, daring him to contradict him but Zoram stayed silent, exiting the room, walked across the sitting room and into the other bedroom. The room was set up like the other, the window's facing the sheer rock face that the keep sat against and also had it's own two doors. He opened one and found a bath chamber but the other seemed locked so he shrugged and returned to the sitting room expecting to find his brother and the young lord but neither of them were there.
"Tonab?" he called, walking back into the other bedroom and stopped at what he saw. Feeling horrified, he turned and walked back out again as he heard his brother calling after him. Both Dronis and Tonab exited the bedroom, both looking flushed and embarassed. Dronis bowed to them both and quickly left the room, leaving the brother's to talk alone.
"What was happening in there Tonab?" Zoram asked, not looking his brother in the eye.
"I am not sure Zoram," came the quiet response and they both sighed.
"What of Draovic?" Zoram asked and Tonab flinched, turning to look out the windows.
"I do not understand what is happening, I just find myself drawn to him." This caused his brother to chuckle, knowing how he felt but he sobered quickly and walked up to stand next to Tonab.
"I know how you feel," he said quietly.
"I'm not sure what I will do with this, I will be more careful, that is certain. I will let nothing happen, if it turns out that I am destined to be with Lord Dronis, so be it but I will not let ourselves be bonded before being sealed," he said causing Zoram to look away guiltily. "Zoram?" his brother asked, noting his behavior.
"Pthorin and I are bonded," he said quietly and could feel Tonab's eyes boring into him.
"When?" he asked, his teeth clenched.
"The night Carind died, when you came to me to yell at me about him, I had returned from being with him not long before." Tonab turned from him, his body language rigid.
"That is why father was so angry," he said trying to calm himself.
"Yes."
"That is why he wanted to kill you, to hurt Pthorin," he said, realization coming to him.
"Yes, that and because I had betrayed him."
"Why Zoram, why could you not have waited for the sealing ceremony?" Tonab turned. The sealing ceremony was the most important part in drakken eyes, to be bonded before was a disgrace and Zoram fought the feeling that threatened to over take him at the moment.
"If I had not, I would have been sealed to Carind, something I would have rather died than have happened," he returned heatedly, even now the thought sent shivers of revulsion through him. "And he is my mate, and I did not know if I would ever see him again at that time."
"So instead you bond yourself to him with the probabilty of never seeing him again and putting yourself in danger?" Zoram sat and sighed before running a hand through his hair.
"I do not regret it," he said quietly and Tonab turned to him and sighed.
"Are you carrying his child?" he asked quietly and Zoram looked up.
"Yes, it does happen when one is bonded." Tonab sat next to him and sighed.
"Then I assume congradulations are in order," he said and Zoram turned a small smile to him.
"Thank you," he said and his brother returned the smile.