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Chapters (49)
  1. Given
  2. CONTENTS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. Acknowledgments
  44. About the Author
  45. Copyright
  46. About the Publisher
  47. Backad 1
  48. Backad 2
  49. Backad 3

But my biggest news is that I have met a dragon by the name of Weysh Nolan, and we are promised as Given. This means I am his one true mate in the world, and he is mine. Iyaya, N’baba, my brothers and sisters, I tell you: at first I thought this dragon-man a lunatic, and his interest in me to be the work of that trickster, Father Esh. But over time my heart has softened to him in a way that can only be worked by the gentle hand of Mother Shu. I am forever loyal to our tribe, and I want nothing more than to bring us glory and prosperity, and yet I cannot give my heart, my soul, or my body to another. So if you have designs for me to wed someone else, I have no choice but to object.

Weysh Nolan is part Creshen and part Southern Islander. He is technically the only Island dragon known to this world. I believe that one of the reasons I was compelled to undertake Orire N’jem was to meet him, and eventually to marry him, for in truth I don’t want to marry anyone else. I cannot guess what blessings our union will bring to the Yirba people; I can only trust in the divine wisdom of the Mothers and Fathers.

I pray you will not find this news distressing, because above all, I am happy.

All my love and blessings,
Yenni

37

The circus was in full swing.

It took perhaps three days before news of Yenni’s attack and Devon and his famous mentor’s arrest hit the news. At first it was only poor Yenni being harassed and questioned. She was stopped outside classes, and when academy security put an end to that, they pestered her on her forays into the city. Sketches of her—some flattering, others not—showed up in every daily. They painted the sad story of an exotic princess of the Isles come to experience the majesty of Cresh only to be horribly attacked by a deviant professor. But when that well ran dry, the dailies shifted their attention to Weysh.

He was utterly baffled when one day, at the gate to his townhouse, a man and a woman with notepads ran up to him. The woman squinted and sketched while the man bombarded him with questions. How does it feel to go from delivering packages to being a prince? Where will you two live, the Moonrise Isles or Cresh? We’ve learned you have Island heritage, officially making you the only known Island dragon—do you think it’s fate that your Given is a princess of the Moonrise Isles?