Dragons of Fraidel Ch. 06 Pt. 04

A/N: Hey there everyone! I just got back from vacation. I had to wait for my new editor to get caught up with this story, but I was able to email Todger the next part before I left. Anyway, here's the next part. I hope you enjoy it!

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By the time the ladies made it to their destination, everyone was there, even Meridian. Glancing at her future sister-in-law, Galeena noticed something different about Meridian. Soon she realized what the difference was. It was her appearance. Meridian's normally wild hair was pulled up with combs showcasing her slim neck. Tendrils of hair curled down and she wore earrings. Was she wearing pink rouge on her cheeks? Galeena had never seen the young lady look so feminine before, not even at the banquet the night she arrived. Saying nothing, Galeena headed past her to where Torrence was. When she passed Meridian, she caught a whiff of a flowery smell and figured it was perfume. Even though Galeena's mind was filled with questions, she remained silent. Suddenly she remembered that she had a telepathic connection to Verdius. Ankor and Torrence taught her how to use it, so she'd take advantage of it now.

"Verdius, did you notice the change in Meridian's appearance?" she asked telepathically.

Verdius looked at Meridian before replying back through their private link.

"Yes, I do now."

"Do you know why?"

"Oh, Meridian is in love with Rowan, the Fire Dragon Clan Ruler."

"Really?"

"Yes. I once caught Meridian sneaking off to meet him near the border when Torrence and Ankor were on Earth. She was originally traveling to the area to visit Icarus' family, but meeting Rowan was the real goal. I promised not to tell Lagina or the Council if she promised not to sneak off again. She did and told me Rowan was her soul mate."

"That's wonderful. But why did she sneak off in the first place?"

"No one else knows they are mates and tensions are a bit high between our clan and Rowan's, especially since Torrence's father, brother, and my dragon kin were found dead near the border."

"Oh. Still though, I would think Meridian and King Rowan's union be a good thing."

"I am with you there."

Minutes later the group was outside waiting for the next arrivals. Unlike the last party, this one didn't have as many due to the distance. In fact, Torrence was expecting less from the other clans because of that very reason. There was a part of him that hoped the rulers of the Light and Golden Dragon Clans would show up. As the Fire Dragon Clan entourage descended, Torrence felt himself tense up a bit. He could feel his partner react the same way. Even though the two clans were semi-friendly with each other, it did not stop Torrence from wondering if someone from Rowan's clan killed his two family members and their partners.

Galeena saw how Torrence stiffened up and said the same thing he said earlier, "It'll be fine."

Torrence turned quickly to Galeena, saw her encouraging grin, and relaxed a bit as he returned her smile. Happy she was able to calm her love down Galeena turned her attention to their new guests who had just landed. The Fire Dragons were mostly red with some maroon and orange coloring. They also appeared more gruff and fierce than their Water Dragon counterparts, even though they were about the same size.

The duo in front was two more from Galeena's Elements series that she painted. Galeena recalled that King Rowan's painting had been particularly hard because she felt different emotions coming from him every time she dreamt of him. She ended up painting the side she felt most at peace with; a guardian. Rowan was the exact same height and build as Torrence. His hair was scarlet red with long bangs that split at the top of his head and framed his face. The rest of his hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and his eyes were maroon. His skin was bronze and Galeena could spot a few scars on his arms and legs.

His clothing was a bit more simplistic than the other two clans. Where the clothing of the Wind and Water Dragon Clans looked like they were from the middle ages, the Fire Dragon Clan members' clothing looked to be inspired by Ancient Roman times. There was a reason why their clothing was minimalistic. It was due to the hot climate of the Redstone Mountains. On the other hand, the accessories the clan wore were more ornate and grand due to the clan's specialty in metal making. A prime example of this skill was Rowan's scepter holding the Fire stone, which looked like a ruby. The scepter was made of different colored metals that twisted together beautifully and looked like a torch.

Galeena turned her attention to Rowan's partner, an orange and red male dragon named Ferric. He appeared just as stern as his partner. After Rowan and the human members of his clan dismounted, they approached the others. Torrence and his group bowed or curtseyed first before their guests did the same. After that, they stood there, the silence and tension growing. Finally, Ankor intervened.

"Rowan! It's good to see you again." He said coming forward to greet the ruler.

Rowan turned to the sorcerer and grinned a bit.

"It's good to see you too Ankor. I hope the humidity here hasn't caused you too much trouble."

Ankor chuckled before Torrence replied, "We're at a high enough elevation for that not to be an issue, Lord Rowan. At least it doesn't scorch here."

"The heat only makes my clan stronger though."

For the next minute or two, Rowan and Torrence threw little insults at each other. Galeena wondered if anyone was going to stop them. She herself felt growing frustration towards both of the rulers, especially when she saw the looks of embarrassment from Lagina, Daphene, Meridian, and a matronly-looking woman from Rowan's group. Normally, Galeena was a patient person, but even she had her limits. Finally she snapped.

"Would you two cut it out already?! Both of you are full grown men, not children!"

This reaction caused the two rulers to stop arguing and all eyes turned to Galeena. Torrence saw Galeena's face flushed with anger and instantly regretted his actions. Rowan felt the same way and sought to rectify the situation.

"Forgive me, my lady. Lord Torrence and I tend to be at odds."

"Well next time you two act this way, wait until you are in private and away from an audience."

Rowan nodded, admiring the lady's spirit. He figured this was the Lady Galeena who was betrothed to Torrence. All rulers received invitations to the upcoming nuptials, as it was customary.

"I shall do my best to heed your advice, my lady. My name is King Rowan Drake of Molter." Rowan replied before bowing again.

Galeena curtseyed and answered, "It's an honor to meet you, your majesty. My name is Lady Galeena and I am Lord Torrence's betrothed. Would you be so kind as to introduce me to the other members of your party?"

Rowan smiled and did so. There were only four dragoons, their partners, and the matronly woman. One of the dragoons was Rowan's younger sister, Fiona, and her partner was a red-orange female dragon named Eris, who was Ferric's sister. The matronly woman was Rowan and Fiona's mother, Queen Catherine. Her partner was a male dragon named Pyros. His scales were orange and he appeared to be the 'gentlest' of the Fire Dragons, even though his voice had a bit of growl to it.

After introductions were finished, everything seemed to have gone back to normal. As Lagina led Rowan's group into the palace, Galeena noticed how Rowan and Meridian looked at each other. Torrence saw this look too and it took all of his control not to frown. He did not like anyone seeing his youngest sister, let alone the ruler he got along with the least. It was pretty ironic, seeing how his father and Rowan's father, the late King Rolland, were best friends. Torrence wondered why he and Rowan never clicked. He wished things had been different, but the past was in the past and he must focus on the present and future.

Seeing Rowan's group settling in, Torrence and Cerulos went to check on the status of the other arrivals. As king, Torrence had to keep tabs on scouts in the kingdom. They were situated at towers with detector stones in them that could locate magical signals and movement. The palace had its own detector stone and it was the biggest one in the kingdom. Located in the highest part of the palace, it was heavily guarded. There were four dragoons and dragons situated around a door, leading to the chamber the stone were in. Torrence and Cerulos entered the chamber. The stone was an oval shape, ten feet tall and grey in color and was held on a stand. Several people were observing it. The stone had to be constantly monitored; hence, there were five shifts that rotated so no one became tired. The ones who watched it at night were all singles who didn't have families to take care of yet. All monitors used the stone for communication purposes too. Ankor created the stones in his youth.

When Torrence and Cerulos entered the room, everyone stopped and bowed.

"Any news on the other guests?" Torrence asked.

"Yes your majesty. Lord Garrison and his entourage just passed the town north of us and will be here in ten minutes." A female monitor replied, referring to the leader of the Earth Dragon Clan.

"That's good." Torrence replied.

"Lord Hugo's group arrived at our southern port an hour ago, so they should be here within the hour." Said a male monitor.

Even though the majority of Nordina was one landmass, it still had islands around the mainland. Riviral was the closest area to it, but it still took almost a month to get there by ship. By dragon it took several weeks. Centuries ago it was by mutual consent that no conferences would be held in the two hidden clans as well as Nordina and Cystralla. The latter two were too far to travel to for the Dark and Ice Dragon Clan Rulers. With the two hidden clans it became too hard to find them. With the Light and Golden Dragon Clans incognito for years now, it did not cross anyone's minds.

"What about Lord Vyx's party?" asked Torrence.

"We just got word that they've past the Enigma Cliffs' border. By the rate they are traveling, I say they will be arriving about the same time as Lord Hugo." Said the third monitor, which was a dragon.

"It amazes me how fast Vyx's party travels." Commented Torrence.

"It's because they always leave early, especially this time of the year when they get blizzards." Cerulos said.

Torrence nodded and turned to the monitors.

"Thank you for everything. Keep up the good work." Torrence told the workers before he and Cerulos left.

It wasn't long before Galeena found herself greeting new arrivals. The party from the Earth Dragon Clan consisted of King Garrison Harold of Tagon, his partner, two dragoons, their partners, Garrison's father, retired King Carter, and his partner. Garrison was the oldest of the rulers, already in his mid-thirties, married with three kids, all boys from ages five to twelve. His wife would have come, but their youngest was ill with a high fever, so his father came instead. Garrison almost did not come, but his wife made him come because of the conference's importance. Introductions went without a hitch this time, until Verdius was introduced as Galeena's partner.

"What? This little pipsqueak is your partner Lady Galeena?" exclaimed Garrison's partner, an emerald green male dragon named Grogar.

Much like the Wind Dragons, the Earth Dragons looked like Eastern dragons from Earth.

Once again, Verdius almost lost his temper, but Galeena replied calmly, "He's still growing good sir. Cerulos believes he'll be bigger than him at some point, at least twenty feet tall. Are you still growing? You're about the same height as Verdius."

"Um, no."

"Oh I see. Well it was a pleasure meeting you Sir Grogar. Next time can you please not insult my friend." Galeena requested with a sweet smile, but anyone could detect the edge in her voice.

"Yes, ma'am." Grogar replied, blushing in embarrassment.

This earned a chuckle from Garrison and the rest of the new arrivals.

"Don't mind my partner Lady Galeena. He's known to say the first thing that pops into his head." Garrison explained.

The ruler had a grounded demeanor about him that made Galeena comfortable in his presence. This was helped by his appearance. His chocolate brown hair was straight and came down an inch below his shoulders. His complexion was peachy in color and his eyes were light brown. He was of medium build and his height was in between Zephyr and Torrence. The Earth stone looked like an emerald and its scepter was made out of wood. Garrison and the other humans in his party dressed simple like the Fire Dragon Clan so their clothes wouldn't get snagged in the trees of the Emerald Mountains. Like Grogar most of the other Earth Dragons had different shades of green, but they were darker and one was all brown. That one was Carter's partner, a female dragon named Sienna.

After Lagina made sure the Earth Dragon Clan members were settled, she and Galeena checked the kitchen to see if lunch was almost done. One of Galeena's future duties was to make sure big meals were served on time.

"About time, I was starting starve here." Verdius replied when he learned lunch would be served on time when the other rulers had arrived.

"Really, Verdius, you need to be more patient." Scolded Lagina.

"Seeing how this is the first time he mentioned food Lagina, I'd say he has learned to be more patient." Added Coreal.

"Yeah!" shouted Verdius.

"On the other hand, he still needs to work on his voice control." Said Coreal, causing Verdius to lower his head.

"Don't worry Verdius. You'll get better." Galeena encouraged, earning a small smile from Verdius.

Just as the monitors predicted, the parties from the Silver and Dark Dragon Clans arrived at the same time. Both groups were greeted simultaneously since they landed at the same time. The dragons of the Dark Dragon Clan were Eastern in appearance and all black. The Silver Dragons were silver, although a few of them had blue coloring to them. Both groups had three people and dragons each.

The two leaders made Galeena uneasy. King Vyx Ivan of Xanus reminded her of the tales of the Ice Queen, only he was male, and he did look like the portrait she did. Just as she wondered, Vyx's eyes were grey and fox like. His hair was silvery blue, with short hair in the back and longer in the front. His skin tone was almost white. Even though he was the shortest of the rulers, he had that aura about him that screamed stern. This is why he made her feel uneasy, even though he was very polite. His silver partner Blitz had the same feel. The Silver stone looked like a diamond. In Vyx's party there were two dragoons and their partners.

It was the same with Hugo's party. King Hugo Evan of Samson had skin as pale as Vyx's, but that's where the similarities ended. Hugo's hair was comb back and was a coal black color. His eyes were just as black and he was the same height as Garrison. The Dark stone looked liked an onyx. When Galeena met him, he did greet her cordially, but there was something off about him and his partner, a male dragon named Weston. She wouldn't worry about it now.

"Well, now that we're all here, everyone can freshen up and we'll have lunch soon." Replied Torrence.

Everyone else nodded and Lagina led the way.

Lunch was served in the larger dining room. Galeena noticed the seating arrangements. The Silver and Wind Dragon Clans were seated with the Water Dragon Clan on one side. The fire Dragon Clan sat on the opposite end, with the Earth and Dark Dragon Clans near them. Ankor opted to sit next to Rowan to help keep the peace. Something told Galeena that the peace wouldn't last long. The conference itself only consisted of the rulers and their partners. They would talk about events that happened that year as well as current and upcoming events that affected all clans. Ankor was allowed to attend the conference, but only as an observer and could only interfere if things got out of order. The dragoons and dragons that came with the rulers would guard the room they would be in.

Galeena would be helping Lagina host activities for the rest of their guests. After the conference was over, there would be some free time before dinner. Tomorrow a dance was planned for the guests to help them relax and to help create camaraderie between clan rulers. Galeena was looking forward to it.

At the moment, she was talking to Beatrice and Zephyr, who were asking her about her wedding plans. Tallisa was sitting next to Galeena, followed by her twin. They helped give out the details that Galeena could not remember.

"Have your seamstresses started on your gown?" Beatrice asked.

"Yes. The day after the twins arrived we went to the seamstresses and they helped us come up with a design." Galeena answered.

"So you're having a winter theme huh? Where did the idea come from?" asked Zephyr.

"Well, it was the color scheme that inspired the theme."

"You ought to visit Cystralla for some inspiration." Beatrice recommended.

Galeena never thought of that and immediately turned to Torrence with a hopeful look. The twins turned to Torrence also.

"That is actually a good idea. What do you think cousin?" Tamera asked Torrence.

"And just what do you plan on doing there exactly?" Torrence asked in return.

"Oh get a few extra things." Tallisa smiled.

"Well, as much as I would love the idea of travelling to Cystralla right now, unfortunately the wedding is less than a month away. Travelling wouldn't be good right now because we're all busy enough as it is."

Galeena was sadden by this, but knew he was right.

Seeing the disappointment in Galeena's eyes, Torrence added, "However, we can go to there for our honeymoon."

This earned a bright smile from Galeena.

"Thank you Torrence. I miss seeing snow." She said.

Torrence took her hand and kissed the top of it, causing her to blush and everyone else around them to smile.

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A/N: The next part will be the last section of Ch. 6. And no worries we will be exploring more of Fraidel. It was really fun coming up with the different personalities of these rulers. You'll get to know their dragon partners better. Comments are appreciated, but no flames please. I do hope ya'll will continue to hang on with me. Next submission will be for Stones of Incienda. I hope ya'll check that one out too.