Treasure Of Dragons, Royal Dragons Book 1 Chapter 49

Drago

We had all talked at length, including Natalia, about a remaining problem we wished to help resolve. So, again, we made a decision, and again, we paid for it. Maybe someday we will learn that we can never predict how she will react to a situation.

We had been doing really well with our agreement about toggling the children’s visits to the Cafe and town, and Ria’s visits. It seemed to be doing well with everyone’s dragons as they now had a chance to see her. I know she has a different relationship to her dragon, so she doesn’t feel the pull to the social aspect of dragons. We all need each other, especially they need to see that their leaders, whom they depend upon, are thriving and safe. 

I looked around the living room where everyone was seated. This was the family living room, which just means it’s not the casual laid-back, let's watch TV or play a game living room. This was where we held family meetings, it was comfortable, but not filled with distractions. So, for today, we felt this was the right atmosphere. 

Ria was up in the nursery, where she mostly is, and she was feeding Brand when I walked in. She looked up at me in curiosity, but there wasn’t the blankness, or even a huge amount of animosity right now. Which, I was glad for, meant we were going into this meeting in a better place. 

I just watched her with our son, again, marveling at how wonderful a mother she was to our children. I know she has issues with her pregnancies, but once the child is born, she is a very loving, hands-on mom. 

When she’s done feeding Brand, she changes his diaper, and then I approach, “Hey Ria, we need to ask you to come have a family meeting with us.” She shot me a surprised look and nodded. 

Isobel took Brand and carried him into the toddler side of the nursery where the girls were currently playing with their toys. She looked at me curiously, but didn’t say anything. She never really said much to us. She talked to Ria all the time, and they had a very good friendship, but she was more perfunctory with all the rest of us. 

“We’re in the family living room,” I told Ria since I was walking down the stairs behind her, by design, although she didn’t know that. 

She walked into the room and looked around at everyone. Then she went and sat down in the armchair, which she normally chooses to do. Then I turned and nodded at Ash, who then stepped into the next room. I closed and locked the main doors leading to the house from this living room. 

When Ash returned with our guests, Ria’s face went red and she jumped up from her chair. She looked at me standing in front of the now closed doors, and I saw the rage directed at me.

“What the ever-loving fuck are you doing?” she growled at me.

“You need to talk to them and resolve what is hanging over your heads about all of this,” I told her.

She got an almost creepy smile at that, “I swear to you that you will not like, nor want to hear what I have to say to them. If you force my hand, just know that I am not responsible for the truths I reveal or anything I say to them. If it breaks your heart and causes you pain, you have no one to blame but yourself.” 

I took a deep breath, and let it out. I was actually much more apprehensive than I had been a few moments ago, but we had committed to this, so I felt we had to follow through. So, I nodded. 

She turned and went back to the armchair and sat down, not hiding her anger and disgust at seeing the Stoicas sitting in front of her. 

I spoke, “When we invited the Stoicas to the Christmas celebrations before the girls were born, you were angry and lashed out. They were confused and hurt and have repeatedly reached out to us inquiring about how you are doing. So, we thought maybe being here, without a large crowd of onlookers you could explain to them your point of view and hear theirs.” 

She didn’t acknowledge what I had said, but I knew she heard me. The Stoicas looked at me and smiled, but we had talked many times since Ria had come home. 

Mrs. Stoica looked at Ria and asked, “Why are you so angry? You are home, you are with dragons, you have mates who love you, you have children.”

Ria looked at them steadily, “Do you remember the day you met me?” Both Stoicas nodded.

“Do you remember the girl I was with?” Both of them nodded again. 

“That was my sister. I loved her with a fierce love unlike anything I had ever felt before except for the other members of my family. They loved me with that same love, which had never happened before for me. I was happy, finally, for once in my life, I was happy. You all facilitated having all of that brutally ripped away from me.” 

Mr. Stoica looked puzzled, “We don’t understand.”

“Well then how about I tell you a little story to explain it to you, then see if you understand.”