Dragon King's Harem Chapter 596. Empty Thrones IV

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 596. Empty Thrones IV

I stared down at my hands for a while.

I had already made one decision earlier in the day.

The remaining nymph civilians inside dwarven territory needed to leave.

Not because they were guilty.

Because they weren’t.

That was exactly the point.

They were shopkeepers.

Workers.

Herbalists.

Families.

People who probably woke up that morning expecting a royal wedding and ended the day discovering their queen had tried to steal a kingdom through mass poisoning.

They didn’t deserve angry dwarves breaking their doors at night.

So I had strongly suggested, meaning I used my World Protector voice and made it sound less optional than it technically was, that every nymph civilian who wanted to leave should be escorted outside dwarven territory immediately.

Temporary relocation.

Until things cooled down.

Not perfect.

But better than corpses.

“I already ordered escorts for the remaining nymph civilians,” I said quietly. “They should be moving out tonight and tomorrow morning.”

Marissa nodded.

“That’s probably safest.”

“Yeah.”

I rubbed my temples again.

Because there was another ugly truth beneath everything.

A nymph family leaving their home because their queen committed crimes wasn’t fair either.

Their shops were here.

Their friends.

Their memories.

Maybe some had lived among the dwarves for decades.

Now they had to leave because rulers fucked everything up.

Crowns were expensive hats with civilian consequences.

Sela touched my hand.

Tiny motion.

Enough to pull me out of my thoughts.

I looked at her. “You’re doing that thing again,” she murmured.

“What thing?”

“Thinking until your face looks angry.”

“My face always looks like this.”

Marissa immediately said, “Not the same thing.”

Evelina laughed.

I looked around at all three of them.

Then huffed. “Anyway…”

I stood.

“That’s enough politics.”

Evelina blinked. “For tonight?”

“For the century.”

“You’ll be discussing it tomorrow.”

“I can dream.”

I stretched, feeling every muscle protest after the amount of violence I had forced through my body.

What remained was a very tired dragon who desperately wanted one horizontal surface and several hours without anyone trying to murder him.

“I need sleep.”

Marissa looked amused.

“Just sleep?”

I paused.

Looked at them.

Three exhausted women.

My wives.

All beautiful even with messy hair, shadows under their eyes, and enough emotional baggage from today to sink a warship.

Under different circumstances?

That question could become dangerous very quickly.

But tonight?

I reached over, flicked Marissa lightly on the forehead, and said, “Behave.”

She pouted.

Cute.

I walked toward the bed and dropped onto it without royal grace.

None.

The mattress dipped under my weight.

I groaned into the pillow.

“Wake me when the dwarves have selected a perfect king, the nymphs have elected a peaceful queen, every poisoned citizen has recovered, and nobody hates anybody.”

Then Evelina’s voice came sweetly from behind me.

“So… never?”

I raised one hand from the bed without bothering to turn around. “Then wake me when they’ve at least stopped trying to destroy each other.”

Marissa burst out laughing.

Sela actually giggled.

Even Evelina’s soft laugh joined them.

I smiled into the pillow.

Hearing the three of them laugh after everything that happened was worth more than any throne waiting for me tomorrow.

A moment later, the mattress shifted.

One body beside me.

Then another.

Then another.

Warmth surrounded me.

Sela curled close against my side. Marissa settled near my shoulder, still probably offended about the forehead flick. Evelina pulled the blanket over all of us with the kind of practical tenderness she somehow maintained even after healing half a kingdom.

I closed my eyes.

Tomorrow could have succession crises.

Tonight, I had enough.

And if someone tried to start another coup before breakfast?

I was burning the invitation.

At least, that was the last coherent thought I remembered before sleep dragged me under.

I must have been out for twenty minutes.

Maybe less.

Because suddenly I felt warmth against my fingertips.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

At first, my half-dead brain tried to ignore it.

Then the warmth became hotter.

Not body hot.

Fire hot.

I opened one eye.

A tiny flaming bird was standing on my hand.

-Peck.

I stared at it.

The bird stared back.

“…Right.”

I was awake now.

My wives were still sleeping around me, somehow undisturbed despite the fact that a miniature phoenix had decided my hand was a doorbell.

Sela was curled against my side.

Marissa had one arm draped lazily across my waist.

Evelina was closest to the edge of the bed, breathing softly with one hand tucked beneath her cheek.

I carefully moved Marissa’s arm aside and sat up.

The little fire bird immediately hopped off my hand and hovered in front of my face.

Its wings flickered without smoke.

Yeah.

I knew exactly who this belonged to.

I narrowed my eyes. “What do you want to talk about, Seraphel?”

The bird tilted its head.

Then made a tiny gesture with one wing.

Follow.

Apparently the Phoenix Queen had decided that sending a note like a normal monarch was beneath her.

The bird flew toward the balcony and slipped through the open doors.

I sighed, stood, and pulled on the first loose coat I could find.

Then I stepped onto the balcony.

Night had already swallowed the city.

The suns were gone, leaving only moonlight over dwarven rooftops. Fires still burned in several streets below where healers and soldiers worked through the aftermath. From this height, the city looked calmer than it really was.

Then I spotted the little phoenix.

Hard to miss.

A glowing ember in the dark.

I opened my wings.

The night air caught beneath them immediately.

One push.

Then I followed.

The bird curved around one section of the palace and descended toward the guest wing.

Another balcony.

I landed softly.

My wings folded behind me.

Seraphel was already there.

She stood near the railing in a dark red night robe, far less ceremonial than the gown she had worn earlier, though somehow that only made her look more dangerous. Her crimson hair spilled loosely down her back instead of being bound beneath royal ornaments.

The little fire bird landed neatly on her shoulder.

I pointed at it. “That was not a good way to invite a tired dragon.”

One corner of her mouth lifted.

“It worked.”

“It pecked me.” I stared at her.

She stared back. Then she smiled properly.

I stepped farther onto the balcony. “At least tell me this is important.”

Her expression changed.

Only slightly.

But enough.

The amusement faded.

The queen returned. “It is.”