Chapter 45: A House Prepared for a Family
Halven's residence was not what Dginnie had expected.
She had imagined a large, elegant house. Perhaps a little intimidating, perhaps filled with expensive furnishings and carefully arranged rooms that looked as though nobody was supposed to touch anything.
Instead, when they arrived, she found a place that felt as though someone had been waiting for a family to fill it.
The exterior was impressive without being ostentatious. The property had generous grounds, sheltered outdoor spaces and enough room for several people to come and go without disturbing one another.
Halven opened the door and invited them inside.
"Welcome."
Dginnie stepped through, looking around.
The entrance opened into a spacious living area. The furnishings were comfortable, the colours warm, and there were signs that the house had been designed for actual living rather than display.
There was room for several people to sit together. There were quiet corners, shelves, and broad windows looking out over the grounds.
Kael wandered a little farther inside.
"This is the house you prepared for having a family?"
"Yes."
"How long have you had it?"
"Several years."
Dginnie turned towards him. "Several years?"
Halven nodded. "I purchased it with the intention of making it my matebond household long ago and have been slowly renovating it as I thought of new plans. When I met you, Dginnie, I arranged to have that entire wing over there made just for you because I felt you deserved to have a beautiful space of your own. Asking you the other day was just me covering my bases."
She looked at the new wing built in the shape of an octagonal tower, decorated with balconies and arched windows. Then she looked at the manicured gardens and other parts of the house. She could even see into a courtyard space beyond the living area.
"You bought it before you had a mate?"
"I expected that I would eventually have one."
"That makes sense," Kael said. "But you prepared the entire house? It must have been expensive. Land in this area is worth more than my own territorial lands."
"As a dragon, I am in need of few things. Money is not one of them. I had the opportunity to do so and I saw little reason to wait until I had a family before considering what a family might need. I enjoy planning ahead where possible."
He led them through the house.
There were bedrooms, private sitting rooms, bathrooms and workspaces. Some rooms were already furnished, while others had been left ready for the household to decide how they would be used.
Dginnie noticed that several of the rooms were much larger and more numerous than she would have expected.
Halven explained that he had prepared for the possibility of having more than one other man in the household. He had not assumed that his eventual mate would be monogamous like his clan were. There were many beastman clans out there who had multiple spouses. He had felt the need to prepare himself to share if necessary, so that he would not miss out, especially if he found a female with whom he felt would share his heart. And indeed, he had found her.
There were larger communal spaces, additional private rooms and several rooms intended for children.
Dginnie stopped at the entrance to one of them.
It was enormous.
She stepped inside.
"This is a nursery?"
"One of them," Halven replied.
"One of them?"
"There are several."
She turned slowly, feeling slightly aghast and yet amused at the thought of having enough children to overfill even one nursery.
"How many children are you planning to have?"
"As many as you are willing to give me - us," Halven said, and then glancing at Kael, amended who he was referring to.
"That's right," Kael agreed, looking slightly intimidated and in a bit of a daze himself.
The room was large enough to accommodate multiple children, with space for sleeping, playing and storage. It had been designed so that it could be adapted as the children grew.
He showed them another room, then a playroom that was larger than Dginnie's entire apartment.
She looked at him.
"You really did think far ahead."
"I wanted a home that could accommodate a family without requiring us to move every few years."
Kael looked into the playroom.
"You prepared for quite a few children."
"I prepared for possibilities. I did not assume that every room would be occupied immediately."
Dginnie was beginning to suspect that Halven's planning habits extended well beyond his academic work.
He had not simply bought a large house.
He had prepared for a future.
And he had made room in that future for more than one mate and potentially a large family.
She felt a little overwhelmed by it.
Kael seemed to be having a similar reaction, although his attention had shifted to the furnishings and the size of the property.
"How much did this cost you?"
Halven gave him a figure.
Kael stared and then let out a low whistle.
Dginnie stared too.
She had already discovered that Halven was much wealthier than Kael during their financial discussions, but seeing the house made the difference tangible.
He was not just richer. He belonged on a different stratosphere altogether.
Kael looked at Halven.
"Your financial foundation is substantially greater than I realised the other day."
Halven gave him a polite smile. "I have had considerably longer to accumulate assets."
"That doesn't make me feel better."
"Who was trying to make you feel better?"
Dginnie laughed.
Kael shook his head.
"I thought I was doing reasonably well."
"You are," Dginnie said.
He looked at her.
"You are. You have worked hard, and you've managed to establish yourself while studying. You don't need to compare yourself with him."
Halven nodded.
"I agree."
Kael looked faintly uncomfortable.
Dginnie reached for his hand.
"I don't want either of you measuring what you mean to me by how much money you have."
Kael's expression softened.
"Thank you, Dginnie. That means a lot to me."
They continued exploring.
The kitchen was particularly impressive. It was large, well equipped and designed to accommodate several people working at once. Halven showed them the cooking equipment, storage facilities and automated household systems.
Dginnie noticed the cleaning robots first.
She stopped to watch one move quietly along the floor.
"Is that a cleaning robot?"
"Yes. There are several throughout the house."
She looked at it with considerable interest.
"And they clean everything?"
"They handle routine cleaning and maintenance. There are different units for different tasks."
Dginnie looked at Kael.
"I like this house."
He laughed.
Halven showed them the cooking robots next.
Dginnie was even more interested.
"So I don't have to cook every day?"
"No," Halven said. "You may cook whenever you want, but there is no expectation that you will."
"What if none of us wants to cook?"
"There are prepared meals and nutritional supplements available."
He showed them the storage area.
There were nutrient supplements, packaged meals and several kinds of nutritional tubes of paste intended for times when nobody had the time or energy to prepare food.
Dginnie picked one up.
She examined the packaging.
"I know these."
"Have you tried them?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"They taste awful."
Kael laughed.
"They aren't that bad."
"They are absolutely that bad."
"They are convenient."
"So is eating cardboard."
Halven looked between them.
"I see I shall have to make sure the household has better emergency food supplies."
Dginnie put the nutrient paste back.
"Please."
They continued through the house, discussing which rooms they might use, where their belongings would go and how they could make the residence feel like theirs rather than simply Halven's.
He had already considered much of it. There were spaces that could be used as private studies, places for hobbies, and enough storage that nobody would need to squeeze all their possessions into a single room.
Kael was particularly interested in the outdoor areas. He wanted to know whether he could use part of the grounds for exercise and whether there were suitable places for him to spend time in his full snow leopard form.
Halven had anticipated that too.
"There are sheltered areas where you can transform without disturbing the rest of the household. We can discuss any additional arrangements you need."
Kael looked impressed.
"You really have thought of everything."
"Not everything," Halven replied. "That would be impossible. But I have tried to anticipate the more obvious requirements."
Dginnie was in love with her wing. Some of the renovations were incomplete - particularly in the library study, but the rest seemed quite tasteful and elegant. Halven really had good taste. And he'd already bought all the entities and skin or hair care products he had thought she would want or need. There was even makeup he had picked out for her. They all matched her skin tone perfectly. She couldn't help but feeling touched at how much he had tried to prepare for her specifically.
"If there's anything you aren't happy with or want to change, just tell me," Halven said with a slap of his hand to his chest. "I'll get it done. Just tell me anything you want. As long as it's possible to arrange with money, I'll get it done for you."
It was both reassuring and frightening.
She wondered whether Halven had spent years imagining this household. Whether he had walked through the empty rooms and pictured the people who might eventually live there.
She did not know what to say.
Halven seemed to notice her expression.
"You don't have to decide how to use every room today," he said. "Nor do you have to feel that the house must become exactly what I originally imagined. It is our home now. We will share it. We can change it."
"Our home," she repeated quietly.
"If that is what you wish."
She smiled, and left a pecked kiss on his cheek, leaving him standing in a daze with a hand to his cheek where she had kisses him for a long moment.
"I think I would like that."
It took him a while to come back to the present.
Kael had noticed the stealthy kiss and badgered Dginnie for one of his own while they waited.
Once Halven was back with them, they began discussing the practicalities of moving their belongings. Halven had arranged for assistance, but Dginnie wanted to bring her own things rather than have someone else pack everything.
Kael agreed.
Kael would move gradually, due to having a lot of things. Dginnie would move in immediately and be able to come and go from the dormitory room she shares with Kael as needed due to her studies. The dorm room was in the academy after all. She could easily carry whatever she needed with everything in the folding space bag Halven had given her as a welcome gift.
Kael had glared at the space bag fiercely, and Dginnie assumed it was because he didn't have one and yet Halven had been able to gift one to her so casually. However, she would need to go with Halven to a registration booth to get it unlocked and keyed to her biological profile so that it couldn't be stolen or opened by anyone other than herself.
It was during this discussion that Halven noticed how little Dginnie actually owned.
Her belongings were modest. She had clothes, study materials, personal items and a few things she had collected over time. There was no large collection of furniture, no expensive equipment, no substantial household property to move.
Kael noticed too.
He looked at the theee boxes she had set aside after they had made the first trip to and from their dorm room using Halven's hover car.
"Is that everything?"
"Pretty much."
"You don't have much."
"I got used to needing to move a lot."
"I know, but…"
He stopped.
Halven looked at the boxes, then at Dginnie.
"How long have you been managing with so little?"
Dginnie shrugged.
"I didn't need much. I was studying, and I had to be careful with money."
Kael looked at Halven.
Neither man spoke immediately.
They had already seen her financial summary. They knew she had very little savings and no property. But seeing her belongings made the reality more immediate.
She had worked, studied and struggled to establish herself with almost nothing behind her.
She had managed her expenses carefully, avoided unnecessary purchases and kept going even when she had little time or money to spare.
Kael remembered how often she had stayed up studying, how carefully she planned her meals and how reluctant she had been to spend money on herself.
Halven remembered her academic record, had glimpsed at the hours she had spent working, and could see how much effort she had put into earning her scholarship.
They looked at each other.
There was no need for either of them to say what they were thinking.
She had worked very hard to get where she was.
And she had done much of it without anyone looking after her.
Kael felt a familiar ache in his chest.
He had known she was independent. He had admired her determination and the way she refused to give up when things became difficult.
But he had not fully understood how much she had been carrying.
Halven was quieter than usual.
He had spent years preparing a home for a family, considering how to provide for people he had not yet met. Now that Dginnie was standing in front of him, he could see how much she had needed someone to offer her security long before she had ever considered accepting it.
Neither man wanted her to feel that she owed them anything.
Neither wanted her to believe that the support they offered was a purchase of her affection or obedience.
They wanted her to have choices and to have anything she might have wanted.
They wanted her to be able to study without worrying about whether she could afford food or rent. They wanted her to have a home she could not simply be removed from. They wanted her to have enough personal money that she could buy something she liked without calculating whether it would leave her short for the week.
And they wanted her to know that she could still work, study, make decisions and build a life of her own.
Kael looked down at the boxes.
"We'll make sure you have everything you need."
Dginnie smiled.
"I already have everything I need."
He gave her a doubtful look.
"I mean, I have enough."
"That isn't quite the same thing."
She looked between them.
"I don't want you buying me an entirely new life."
Halven answered calmly.
"We aren't trying to replace the life you built. We want to give you room to continue building it."
Dginnie considered that.
Then she nodded.
"Alright. Anyway, don't I have the both of you now?"
Kael drew her into a hug. She leaned against him, resting her head against his chest.
Halven stood nearby, giving them a moment.
After a little while, Dginnie looked around the house again.
She could imagine living here with Kale and Halven. The men allowed her to wander by herself while they discussed moving logistics.
When Dginnie returned, she looked at Halven.
"Thank you for preparing all this."
He inclined his head.
"I hope you will be happy here."
"I think we will."
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Chapter 46: A Wing of Her Own
Dginnie had thought that seeing the whole house would be enough to overwhelm her for one day.
She had underestimated Halven.
"Now," he said, turning towards the octagonal tower adjoining the main residence, "shall we see your wing properly?"
Dginnie brightened immediately.
"My wing?"
"Your wing."
Kael glanced at Halven. "You really are calling it that."
"Would you prefer I call it her tower or her suite?"
"No, I think she likes wing better."
"I do!" Dginnie said, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
Both men looked at her.
She cleared her throat.
"It's just that a wing sounds rather grand."
"It is rather grand," Halven replied. "I thought you deserved something special."
There was no teasing in his voice. That made it harder for her to dismiss the remark as an extravagant joke.
He led the way towards the tower.
The entrance to her wing was slightly separate from the main living area, with a short passage that opened into a bright sitting room. The room had tall arched windows and doors leading onto a balcony. Beyond the windows, the gardens spread out beneath the afternoon sun.
Dginnie stopped just inside the doorway.
It was beautiful.
Not merely expensive or impressive, but somewhere she could imagine sitting with a book, drinking something warm, and allowing the world to carry on without demanding anything from her for a while.
There was a comfortable sofa, several armchairs, a low table and shelves waiting to be filled. One wall had been left relatively bare, as though Halven had deliberately avoided deciding what should go there.
"That wall is unfinished," he explained. "I thought you might want to choose what goes there yourself."
Dginnie approached it.
"I could put bookshelves here."
"Certainly."
"And perhaps a display cabinet for little things I've collected."
"That can be arranged."
"Maybe some pictures, too. I don't know what kind yet."
"Let me know when you do."
She looked back at him.
"You really don't mind changing things?"
"Not at all. I bought and renovated the house because I wanted a suitable home for a family. I did not buy it to preserve an exhibition of my own taste."
Kael snorted.
"You say that now. Wait until she decides to paint something bright pink."
Halven looked at him with mild disdain.
"If Dginnie wants a pink room, she may have a pink room."
Dginnie giggled.
"I don't particularly want a pink room. And since when did I have a preference for bright pink? My favourite colours are pastels, I'll have you know."
"Crisis avoided."
Kael shook his head, but Dginnie could see the smile he was trying to hide.
Halven showed her the entertainment room next. It was spacious, with a large viewing wall and comfortable seating, but it could also be configured for interactive entertainment. The equipment had been installed, although some of the settings and furnishings could still be changed.
Then came the study.
Or, more accurately, the room that would eventually become her study.
It had a broad desk, several storage cabinets and an entire wall of shelves. Some of the shelving was already filled with reference materials, while the rest stood empty.
Dginnie ran her fingers over one of the shelves.
"I could spend hours in here."
"I suspected you might."
She glanced at him. "You really did prepare this for me, didn't you?"
"Some of it. The study was already planned, but I arranged for the wing itself to be adapted after I met you."
"Because you thought I'd agree to become your mate?"
"Because I hoped you might."
Dginnie wasn't entirely sure why she was warmed by that distinction, but it didn't matter. She loved it.
Dginnie turned back towards the shelves.
"I want lots of books."
"Consider it done as soon as you provide me a list of your preferences."
"Actual books, not just digital copies."
"I gathered that from your reaction when I mentioned the library the other day."
She smiled.
"Do beastmen really not keep many libraries anymore?"
"Public libraries still exist, but most people use digital collections. Physical books take up space, require maintenance and are inconvenient to carry around."
"They're also wonderful."
"I wholeheartedly agree."
He said it so seriously that she laughed.
They continued through the wing, examining the rooms and discussing how she might use them. There was a private sitting room, a dressing room, a spacious bedroom, and a small kitchenette with its own refrigerator. A holodeck where she could play interactive games and stories by herself without anyone else to judge her.
There were storage spaces, too, including a room that could be adapted for hobbies or any equipment she might acquire later.
Halven had arranged for her to have her own cooking and cleaning robots, separate from the main household systems.
Dginnie was delighted.
She could have privacy without being isolated. She could spend time with the others whenever she wanted, but she would not have to negotiate for every quiet hour or worry that asking to be alone would be interpreted as rejection.
It was a thoughtful arrangement.
And the more she saw, the more she began to understand that Halven had not merely prepared a place for a mate.
He had tried to prepare a place where she could be herself and feel at home.
They reached the bedroom balcony.
Dginnie stepped outside and looked at the space.
It was broad enough for chairs and a small table. The railing was decorated with elegant details, and there was room along one side for a row of planters.
She leaned against the railing, looking towards the grounds.
"I want lavender here."
Halven came to stand beside her.
"Lavender?"
"Yes. In planters along this side. It smells lovely, and I think it would be nice to sit out here in the evening with a book."
"Then lavender it shall be."
Although when she wasn't looking, Halven and Kael were frantically looking up what lavender was on the internet. It seemed to be a mythical plant.
This one simple request was going to be quite the test for them. Kael made a gesture to Halven who shook his head to say he didn't have a solution. It seemed they were going to have to work together on this without Dginnie finding out.
"And perhaps some other flowers. Nothing too crowded. I want to be able to see the garden."
"I can arrange that."
She glanced at him.
"You don't have to agree to everything I suggest immediately."
"I am not agreeing because you suggested it. I am agreeing because it sounds like a good idea."
Dginnie smiled and returned her attention to the balcony.
She could imagine the lavender growing here, the scent drifting through the open doors on a warm evening. She could imagine herself sitting outside with a book while Kael lounged nearby, perhaps in his snow leopard form, and Halven worked in the study.
It was an unfamiliar sort of daydream.
Not a desperate wish for somewhere safe to sleep, but a picture of ordinary happiness.
She had not realised how much she wanted that.
Halven left her to enjoy the balcony for a moment before showing her the bedroom itself.
The bed was beautifully made, with soft linens and a neatly arranged collection of pillows. The room had been furnished in colours that suited her, although Halven explained that the final decorations could be changed to her preference.
There was a spacious dressing area, a full-length mirror and cabinets for clothing and personal belongings.
Dginnie walked around, examining everything.
Then she looked at the bed.
"What kind of mattress do you like?" Halven asked.
She blinked. "What?"
"The mattress. Do you prefer something firm, or something softer?"
"I don't know. I've never had much choice."
He regarded her for a moment.
"Then you should try the available options."
"Available options?"
He opened a storage room adjoining the bedroom.
Dginnie stared.
It contained a collection of mattresses.
Not a few samples or a catalogue, but an entire range of full-sized mattresses, each arranged so that she could lie down and test it properly.
She turned to him.
"Why do you have so many mattresses?"
"I wanted to ensure that the one selected for your bedroom would be comfortable for you. I purchased a range of options rather than relying on a description or a brief trial in a shop."
Kael appeared behind them.
"You bought an entire mattress collection?"
"I bought a range of mattresses."
"That is not a meaningful distinction."
"It is a perfectly meaningful distinction."
Dginnie was laughing too hard to intervene.
Halven gestured towards the first mattress.
"Try whichever appeals to you."
She did.
She sat on one, pressed her hand into another, and lay down on a third. Some felt too firm. Others were too soft. One seemed pleasant at first but did not support her properly when she settled into it.
Halven listened carefully to her comments, asking what she liked and what she disliked. He explained the differences between the materials and construction, but did not try to steer her towards any particular choice.
Eventually, Dginnie lay down on the mattress already on her bed. It was one of the softer mattresses.
She stretched out, sighed, and closed her eyes.
"This one's nice."
"Would you like to try it for a little longer?"
"Just a minute."
Halven smiled.
"Take your time."
Kael wandered off to examine the storage system while Halven continued explaining the available options.
Several minutes passed.
Then several more.
Eventually, Halven glanced towards the bed.
Dginnie was asleep.
Kael looked over.
"Did she just fall asleep?"
"It appears so."
"So fast?"
"That was the purpose of the exercise."
Kael stared at him.
Halven looked perfectly serious.
Then Kael started laughing.
Dginnie slept for about ten minutes before stirring, blinking at the two men who were doing their best to look as though nothing amusing had happened.
"What?"
"Nothing," Kael said.
She narrowed her eyes.
"You're laughing at me."
"Never."
"You're a terrible liar."
"Only when necessary."
Halven offered her a hand to help her sit up.
"Would you like to choose this one?"
Dginnie considered the mattress again.
"Yes, please. I think I could sleep very comfortably on it."
"Then it is settled."
She took his hand.
It was a small gesture, but she did not withdraw her fingers as soon as she was standing. For a moment, she simply held his hand while looking around the room.
Halven remained still, allowing her to decide what happened next.
She gave his hand a little squeeze before letting go.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
He sounded pleased, though he did not make a fuss about it.
They continued the tour.
By the time they reached the bathroom, Dginnie had begun to feel rather attached to her wing.
The bathroom was larger than she expected, but at the same time seemed just right for when she wanted to spend time going about her personal care slowly. She saw the racks of products and felt she would need to take time to sit down and go through them carefully later, reading the labels and working out what each product was for. There was more than one brand.
The dressing table also had little cabinets and drawers for various accessories and an impressive array of makeup and colours.
Wow. Halven had truly gone all out.
She tested a few colours on the back of her hand and was surprised to find that these were all colours that matched her skin tone. She looked up at Halven, unable to disguise her amazement and wonder at how he had managed to pick all the right colours that would be perfect for her.
His smile deepened.
"You have been incredibly observant," Dginnie told him, feeling a little breathless from joy.
"As I ought to be," Halven replied with a little smug grin in Kael's direction, making Kael slightly bristle.
"Even I would have taken ages trying to figure out what colours and tones suite me. And yet you..." Dginnie's voice trembled. "Thank you. I've never had this many beauty products before."
"You deserve them," Halven told her gently, laying a hand over hers that after a moment, she turned to clasp in both her hands. "You deserve all the best I can buy."
"Thank you," Dginnie said in a thick voice and Kael stepped in to help her dab her eyes dry. "And thank you, Kael," she gave a soft laugh at the snow leopard who seemed proud that she hadn't forgotten him.
The walk in wardrobe already had a few articles of clothing, each more beautiful than the last. The rest of the space, Halven said, was for her to fill up. He'd supply the credits and the bag carrying service, making Dginnie laugh and hug him.
"I'm almost afraid to wear them," Dginnie said, holding up a dress to herself in the mirror, "in case I ruin them. They're so beautiful and look so expensive. How did you know my size? And the shoes. They're my size too."
"An unobservant dragon doesn't deserve a true mate," Halven said.
"Agreed," Kael added," but a true mate brings his mate out to make her own decisions."
The eyes of both males clashed for a moment, but then, they both smiled.
Competition on.
"Of course," Halven gave Kael a slight bow. "These were only welcoming gifts because I haven't had the chance to bring my mate out on a shopping spree yet. I do have an advantage of being able to let her have whatever she sets her eyes on after all, unlike some beasts."
"Stop fighting," Dginnie said, holding up another outfit to herself after having pinned her hair up using a hair accessory from her dressing table. "Look at this. What do you think?"
"So cute!" Kael squeed.
He wanted to hug her in his arms and bury his face in her scent.
"Lovely," Halven said with a soft and dreamy expression. "Just perfect."
"Halven, you have excellent taste," Dginnie said, putting the things away and tiptoeing to give the beastman a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for my welcoming gifts and for being so thoughtful and observant. I love it. I love it all."
Halven was left in a daze, touching his cheek for a moment while Dginnie and Kael continued the tour without him for a brief moment.
Eventually, he caught up, but not without Dginnie noticing how red the tips of his ears were and how the blush had extended from his face and down his neck.
She chuckled. What an innocent little - ahem, big cutie.
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Chapter 47 - Lunch in the Garden
Halven led them back into the main house and to a round outdoor table that had already been set with lunch by a robot.
Each plate had been decorated into a work of art that Dginnie couldn't bear to destroy.
"My dear mate and fellow male spouse, please," Halven gestured with a bow to the table, helping Dginnie into her seat with a gentlemanly manner. He waved a welcoming hand for Kael to take a seat, taking the last one himself once Kael was seated.
"Please have a taste of the produce grown in our very own gardens here on the estate. The meat was sourced from a reputable farm nearby who are known for producing the best quality table meats. They also have some wild game, if you ever wish to go hunting or wish to change your taste. I have unfortunately been unable to stock up sufficient game reserves on our estate to allow hunting for sport just yet as the populations are still settling in."
Halven introduced each dish in detail, telling them how he and the cooking robot had gone through many trials and errors to produce what they could now see on their plates.
"Please accept this token of my love."
Dginnie felt a bit overwhelemd. The layout and the garnishing was so pretty that she didn't want to ruin it. But because she hadn't taken the first bite, neither Kael nor Halven were willing to take the first mouthful either.
"It would taste best while still warm," Halven coaxed.
Dginnie stared at her plate with obvious conflict.
"What's wrong?" Kael asked, touching her on the arm. "No, Dginnie. Why are you crying?"
"Crying? No, Dginnie. Did I do something wrong?" Halven half rose in a fluster. "Tell me if I did something wrong or if you're unhappy with something on the table. I'll change it. Immediately. Should I have the robot take the food away and prepare something else?"
Dginnie turned into Kael's embrace while he carefully dabbed her eyes dry.
"Come on, Dginnie. Tell me what's wrong," Kael comforted her, stroking her back and putting his fluffy tail in her lap so that she could fiddle with it as she might wish.
Dginnie clutched his tail, feeling embarrassed. She looked up at the brilliant sky and fluffy clouds and choked out a few words.
"It's too beautiful. It's too much. I'm so touched that I don't know what to do!"
"Is it the house and the entire etate that's too beautiful?" Halven ventured and Dginnie nodded.
"Is it Halven that's too beautiful?" Kael teased and was surprised by Dginnie's nod.
"Is it Kael that's too beautiful and fluffy?" Halven asked, not to be outdone, feeling himself blush.
Dginnie's nodding once again made Kael blush this time and the beastmen exchanged smirks, looking down at this mate that was just too cute for words.
"Then can you eat? Is there anything wrong with the food?" Halven hesitated.
Dginnie shook her head again.
"Then why can't you eat?" he asked in confusion.
"Because it's too beautiful!" Dginnie said and burst into tears again.
The two beastmen laughed and couldn't stop laughing despite Dginnie's watery glare.
Laughing, they helplessly fed Dginnie from their own plates so that she could continue to look and admire the perfectly arranged and garnished plate in front of her. She could barely see who was feeding her through her tears and their gentle teasing.
"So? How was the taste?" Halven asked when Dginnie held up a hand to stop them from feeding her anymore. She was full.
"Delicious. Halven, you've outdone yourself," Dginnie sighed.
"You really have," Kael added. "Dginnie, if you're not going to finish your food, do you mind if we..."
"Go ahead," Dginnie pushed her plate forward and then covered her face. "I can't bear to waste the food but I can't bear to see such a work of art being ruined and eaten either."
Kael and Halven exchange little chuckles and divided Dginnie's plate between them.
Following lunch, Halven brought them for a leisurely walk to look at the vegetable and herb gardens.
Dginnie pointed out a nearby broad stretch of lawn nearby.
"That would be an excellent spot for a picnic one day. We could bring some food out, lounge on the grass, breathe in the nice scent of the herb garden. It'd be wonderful."
"Just say the word and it will be done," Halven gave Dginnie a slight bow, making her grin up at him and then take his arm, linking it with hers.
"I feel like you're spoiling me too much," Dginnie said in a loud aside. "Spil me too much and I might get used to it. I'll never be able to leave."
"That's the plan," Halven crinkled his eyes in amusement and patted her arm, admiring how it was now linked with his.
"Insidious," Dginnie said.
"Treacherous," Kael chimed.
"Wholehearted," Halven replied.
"Pernicious," Dginnie sniffed.
"Crafty," Kael sighed.
"I do believe we're all going to get on with each other wonderfully, don't you think?" Halven laughed, his entire body seeming to relax another notch, showing that he had been quite nervous himself until now.
"I agree," Dginnie said.
"I agree two," Kael said, linking arms with Dginnie on the other side.
"I agree three," Halven sighed. "I'm so relieved. You two have no idea."
"I think we do," Dginnie said.
"I concur," Kael patted Halven's shoulder from around Dginnie's shoulder. "Like our mate said, you've outdone yourself."
"All the best for our friends and allies," Halven shrugged.
"And terror toward our enemies," Kael finished for him.
Dginnie looked up at the both with a quizzical tilt of the head.
"The informal, unwritten motto of the dragon clans," Kael told her. "Everyone knows it."
"Oh. Then what's the formal motto?"
Halven spoke a long rhyming phrase in a language Dginnie could make neither heads nor tails of. Whatever language it was, it had sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't know how Halven's tongue and throat had managed to produce such a variety of sounds and trills.
"That sounded beautiful. What language was that? I want to learn it," Dginnie lightly nudged Halven with her elbow.
"That was one of our most ancient formal dragon languages. If you would like to learn, I would be honoured to teach you."
"Amazing. I can't promise I won't mangle the language."
"Few who are not dragon can learn to speak any of the languages or dialects of the dragons without mangling them," Halven gave a slight one shoulder shrug. "You need not fear. You will be in good company. No dragon will take offence at your attempts, but will be pleased that you were willing to even try in the first place. The dragon tongues are amongst the most difficult to learn in the world, after all."
"Wow. Kael, does that mean the snow leopards also have their own language?" Dginnie nudged Kael this time.
"Yes," Kael said. "But it's more a form of communication we use when we are in our full beast forms, as we need to use body language as well. It is extremely difficult for human forms to reprouce it. It is not like the languages of the dragons which have written and properly documented verbal forms."
"I see," Dginnie mused. "What does the formal dragon motto mean then?"
"In all things, dragons are sovreign," said Halven.
"Wow," Dginnie gasped. "Sounds like something a royal family or kingdom might say."
"The dragons were once the undisputed rulers of the world," Halven said. "We ruled the sky, the land, the sea and even underneath the ground. But as time moved on, our clan has dwindled due to the lack of suitable mates. Over time, we ceded rulership. So in a manner of speaking, I am indeed a prince or royal blood."
"What are you doing as a professor in the academy then?"
"A matter of interests. I have an interest in academics and intellectual pursuits."
"Your family weren't against it?"
"My family encourage individuality and interests in scholarly pursuits. No need to worry."
"I'm glad that you're doing something you love and enjoy then," Dginnie said. "Not every royal or noble family encourage that."
"Indeed. Well then," Halven twitched his shoulders straight, "shall we continue the tour?"
"Yes. Let's."
Halven led them back into the main house into an enormous room he hadn't shown them to earlier.
"This," he gestured at the room containing a bed so big that Dginnie was sure more than five mammoths could lie down on it and there'd still be room to spare, "is our shared mating room."
The bed looked so huge and inviting that Dginnie couldn't help herself. Surprising both beastmen, she took a running leap and flopped face first onto the huge fluffy looking bedspread, rolling and luxuriating in the softness. She gathered an armful of the quilt and breathed in the wonderful fragrance she could smell emanating from it. And then she took a few more deep breaths.
"What smell is this? Is it the laundry detergent?" she asked Halven. "It's amazing."
"It's from a flower called sweet boran blue," Halven said. "I thought you might like it. It's a scent said to encourage relaxation and sweet dreams, and so I had the bedsheets and covers treated with this scent for you."
"Thank you," Dginnie took another deep whiff and snuggled her face into the bed. "I love it."
"I'm glad."
Kael gave Halven a thumbs up of admiration to which Halven gave him a slight nod.
Seeing how happy Dginnie was and how much she loved the big bed, their fears that seeing the shared mating bedroom would increase her anxiety levels were allayed.
After a moment's hesitation, both beastmen lay down on the bed alongside Dginnie, smiling as they listened to her chirp and roll around on the bed between them.
"How did you manage to find such an enormous bed?" Dginnie asked. "You must have gotten it custom made. And then gotten the linen custom made, otherwise there's no way it would fit on a bed this big. It must have been so expensive. And how many other beastmen or children were you expecting our family to gain? Are you planning for us all to sleep together on the one bed?"
"Only if you wish for us to all share the bed," Halven took her hand in his and when she didn't reject his touch, he played with her hands in his where they could both see, holding up the entwined hands into the air with delight. "And the bed is only slightly larger and more robust than the largest family bed in the furniture stores. I felt it would be wise to modify it for the smallest size and weight I am able to transform into when I take up my beast form. Just in case you ever decide to accept that side of me one day. I won't force you. When you're ready."
"Oh. Halven, I'm sorry. I can't promise, but I'll do my best."
"I live in anticipation."
Dginnie sat up but didn't release his hand as she looked at the size of the bed and tried to imagine the size of one dragon filling up all this space.
"You must be huge," she blurted out.
"Yes," Halven said in a matter of fact manner. "I am huge."
"But this size would be small for a dragon," Dginnie continued with some awe, looking at him with wide eyes. "That means your true size is enormous."
"Quite," Halven said, glancing down.
Dginnie looked down at his lap and made a strangled sound, trying to look anywhere but there.
"I thought you said dragons were masters of self-control," Dginnie gasped, suddenly feeling very hot and using their combined hands to pat her cheeks.
"We are," Halven replied solemnly, "but that does not mean we are ashamed of our biological urges around our mate."
Dginnie gasped and covered her eyes.
"Put it away. Please."
"Very well," sighed Halven. "As you wish."
After a moment, Halven sighed again.
"Dginnie, you may open your eyes again. There's nothing to offend your eyes now."
"I'm quite big too," Kael offered from Dginnie's other side. "Would you like to have a look?"
"Kael, don't you start too."
"Let's take a look at the shared bathroom then, shall we?" Halven offered, helping Dginnie back up off the bed. The moment they had gotten up, the caretaker robot whirred over to straighten the bed and smooth out the wrinkles.
"Hard working little thing," Dginnie murmured, watching the fastidious robot with some fondness.
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Chapter 48: The Shared Bathroom
The bathroom was enormous. It contained a large spa that was big enough to be a swimming pool, a separate shower room with rows of multiple shower heads, a drying room with shelves of towels, hair and fur dryers, moisturisers, conditioners, Combes and brushes. There was an extensive collection of grooming products and a dedicated household robot for maintaining the bedroom and bathroom. Halven explained that it could manage routine cleaning, monitor the water quality in the spa, and notify the household if any maintenance was needed.
Dginnie stared at the pool.
"This is a bathroom?"
"Yes."
"This is practically a private bathing facility."
"That was the intention."
She walked around the pool, looking at the controls for various kinds of water jet pressure, water aerators, water currents, wave sizes, ripplers and so on. There were so many options that it made her fingers feel itchy to try what each mode was like. She really wanted to jump in the pool to try them out right now.
"And I can use it whenever I want?"
"Of course. And you can share it with your mates at the same time when you feel comfortable to do so as well."
Looking at the rows of shower heads in the dedicated shower room with most of them being a variety of hand held shower roses that looked as if they all sprayed water differently. There were also wall controls, some of which showed various modes of showers or fountains. Fountains that came up out of the ground? Dginnie examined the tiled floor but couldn't couldn't see anywhere from which a fountain of water might spray out.
Suddenly, she imaged herself in the shower room full of boisterous beastmen playing with water and teasing one another. A flush went straight to her head and her nose tingled. Dginnie pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to get the image of all those wonderful muscles and bodies out of her mind.
While she was lost in her own world, the two beastmen smelled the change in her scent and exchanged glances. Halven beckoned Kael over, showing him a cupboard and drawers full of intimacy supplies, including condoms of various sizes, some toys, lubricants and so on.
"Better to be prepared and safe rather than sorry."
"What size are you so I know which to procure more of during the nest supply order?"
Kael pointed and Halven nodded, making a note in his wrist e-brain.
"I think it's safe to say that she likes the bathroom," Kael commented while the two beastmen watched Dginnie pinching her nose while she stared around the bathroom in a daze.
"I'm glad that she doesn't seem that adverse to intimate contact in here."
"I wonder what she's imagining?"
"Something that quite strikes her fancy, it seems. We will need to find ways to make her comfortable and coax the information of what she likes out of her."
"I wonder how adventurous she'll be after seeing all the supplies you've prepared," Kael glanced at the cupboard and drawers that were now closed.
"We'll find out. We're not in a rush. Her comfort and safety come first."
Dginnie eventually woke out of her daze after getting her imagination under control. Her roaming eyes stopped on the wall of grooming products and she moved over to examin them next. There were shelves of hair products, skin care, body care and other things she had only occasionally been able to afford in her previous life.
Some were unfamiliar. Others were brands she recognised.
There were hair masks, exfoliating scrubs, moisturisers and treatments for different skin and hair needs. A large selection of facial products stood in array. There was even a selection of bath products that produced bubbles.
Dginnie made a small, delighted sound.
"Bubble bath!"
Halven looked pleased.
"I thought you might enjoy it."
She picked up one of the containers and read the label.
"You bought all these for me?"
"I selected products I thought might suit you. If there are any you dislike, or if you prefer different brands, we can change them."
Dginnie looked at the shelves again.
She had not realised how much pleasure there could be in simply having options.
She had spent so long buying only the bare minimum of what she needed that the idea of choosing things because they were pleasant, rather than necessary, felt almost extravagant.
Halven watched her examine the products.
"Would you like to try a few of them?"
"Oh, yes."
"Then perhaps I could offer you something else."
She turned towards him.
"What?"
"A full grooming service. Hair care, skin care, massage, nail care. Whatever you would enjoy."
Dginnie looked at him uncertainly.
"You know how to do all that?"
"I do."
"How?"
"I took classes."
She stared at him.
"You took classes?"
"Yes."
"For this?"
"For the possibility of pleasing a mate who might appreciate it."
Dginnie felt something warm and unfamiliar spread through her chest.
"You really went to learn all that?"
"I wanted to be able to look after my mate properly. It seemed sensible to learn how to do it in a professional manner."
He paused.
"Of course, if you would prefer a professional service, I can arrange that instead. You are under no obligation to let me do anything."
Dginnie looked at the products, then at Halven.
She had been nervous around him for so long. He was elegant, powerful, wealthy, and a dragon. There had been so many things about him that made her feel small and uncertain.
But here he was, offering to wash her hair and help her relax.
It was unexpectedly difficult to remain intimidated by a man who had apparently spent time learning how to give a good scalp massage.
"What would you start with?" she asked.
His expression brightened.
"Your hair, perhaps. A scalp treatment, followed by washing, conditioning and a massage. I will make your hair feel like silk and shine with radiance. Then we could see whether you would like a facial or some skin care."
"And the rest?"
"Only if you want it."
She considered the offer.
Then she held out her hand.
"Alright."
Halven looked at her hand for a moment before taking it.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Then let us make an afternoon of it."
He drew her gently into an embrace.
Dginnie stiffened for a fraction of a second, more from surprise than fear.
Halven immediately loosened his arms.
"Is this alright?"
She looked up at him.
Then, deliberately, she relaxed and leaned against him.
"Yes."
His expression softened.
He held her for a little while, without trying to turn the embrace into anything more. Dginnie found herself enjoying the warmth and the quiet steadiness of it.
It was different from being held by Kael, whose affection was familiar and easy. Halven's embrace felt more tentative, more carefully offered.
She could feel that he was waiting for her to decide how close she wanted to be.
That made it easier to stay.
When she eventually drew back, she did so without embarrassment.
Halven smiled at her.
"Shall we begin?"
Dginnie nodded.
"Please."
And somewhere behind them, Kael quietly turned away, his shoulders slumping for a moment before he busied himself examining the bathroom's automated temperature controls.
He understood that Dginnie needed the space and opportunity to build a relationship with Halven.
He wanted her to feel comfortable with both of them.
That did not mean it wasn't painful to watch.
Still, when Dginnie glanced back at him, he smiled and asked whether he should help prepare anything.
She smiled in return.
"Yes, please. I think I'm going to need both of you."