Still grinning, Rhona tilted her head and said, “Maybe.”

Brannie tossed the two-handed sword away—barely noticing that the only thing that prevented Aidan from getting his head cut off was his speed at ducking—and jumped off the cart in front of Keita.

“O’ Keita!” she loudly intoned. “Much loved cousin—”

Keita glanced at Rhona. “What’s happening?”

“—I am sorry for ever doubting you.” She grabbed Keita’s hand and the She-dragon desperately tried to pull it away. “You are a Protector of the Throne and our throne and queen could not be in better claws than yours. I pray to the gods I never again offend you and that our familial love and adoration spans the centuries—”

“All right! All right!” Keita yelled, finally yanking her hand away. “I get it. You’re sorry. But whatever you’re doing is making me nauseous. So stop it.” She turned, but tossed at her, “And put some clothes on. Those giant tits of yours are making Aidan the Divine drool.”

“Actually,” Aidan said softly, “I think that was simply a reaction to my near-death experience.”

“I missed your head, didn’t I?” Brannie demanded.

“Barely!”

She dismissed the whining dragon with a wave of her hand and turned back to her cousin. “Tell me what you have, dear Rhona. Tell me. Show me what you have.” She made a little squealing sound in her excitement. “I must see!”

Laughing, Rhona put her arm around Brannie’s shoulders and led her to another cart. “That apology was so epic . . . let’s see what we can find for you, my dearest cousin.”

* * *

Aidan watched Brannie and Rhona walk away. He was laughing because he couldn’t believe how excited the army captain was. Who got that happy over weaponry but a Cadwaladr? No one, that’s who.

To the rest of them, weapons were merely tools to perform their jobs in the best and quickest way they could. But to a Cadwaladr, and especially to Branwen the Awful . . . they were like the finest jewels.

It was rumored that Cadwaladr didn’t stock their caves with jewels and gold like most dragons. Instead, they used their spoils to purchase new weapons, and that’s what one would find piled high in their caverns.

And after seeing this . . . Aidan now believed that rumor.

Aidan watched the two She-dragons open a crate and begin to dig through it. He didn’t know what they were going to get, and he became completely distracted when he realized he was surrounded by three females.

Slowly turning, he nodded and greeted them. “Triplets.”

One of them frowned. “We have names.”

“Yes. But you all look alike and I can’t tell you apart.” He shrugged. “So I never bother to learn your names. It’s easier for me that way.”

“You’re very honest,” another said.

“I am. Much to my mother’s great annoyance.”

“We met your mother when we visited Devenallt Mountain. She’s very . . . um . . .”