hand. “Tell me, do you collect Transformers?”
He nods. “Yes, of course.”
I look up at him. “Really?”
“No, not really.”
“It would have been weird. I mean, how would you even get them? Anyway, what are your thoughts on non-Hegalian determinism?”
He frowns. “Very complicated and unconventional, of course. Disturbing, some would say. Are you sure you want to hear them?”
I grin. “No, not really. Save them for a rainy day when we’re inside and we have nothing to do.”
He reaches down and innocently squeezes my butt. “I doubt you and I will ever have nothing to do.”
I grin up at him. “You only think of one thing, don’t you?”
“How true,” he thoughtfully admits. “Non-determined hegemonism is on my mind at all times. As well as the transformations that I collect.”
I laugh. “That’s not what I meant, you terrible rogue.”
“Oh, you mean something else?” He pinches me again, making me squeal. “You might be onto something.”
“I definitely am. It’s the same with me.” I innocently stroke his bulge outside his pants.
“Such a horrific, all-consuming affliction we suffer from,” he sighs. “But it is better to suffer together than apart, I always say.”
I kiss his chest right where the hole used to be. It’s now barely visible as a scar. “You’ve never said that before.”
He frowns. “Are you sure? Sounds like something I’d say.”
“It really doesn’t.”
“No, that’s true.”
I examine his wrists, which are now also healing fine. “My love, that first day, after I punched your wound… were you a little bit afraid of me?”
“Perhaps. I never dreamed pain would be so... painful. Yes, I suppose I found you a little bit scary.”
I reach up to stroke his silky beard. “Boo.”
We don’t actually eat that many snacks at our reception, and before long we make our goodbyes and make our way through the ship. We pass several cavemen on the way, tensely guarding all the entrances.
“It feels a little bit like wartime,” I whisper as we leave the ship through the main door and go out on the ledge, bathed in sunshine. “Like we could be attacked at any time.”
Caronerax Changes, and I climb up on his neck.
We could. I do believe there is a war on.
He beats his powerful wings once, and then we’re airborne and soaring into the sky. Beneath us is planet Xren, with its jungle and lakes and mountains.
The feeling of freedom and sheer joy is overwhelming, and I grin into the wind that forces tears from my eyes. I totally get why dragons prefer this over walking.
Like the view?
“It’s wonderful.”
I always thought so. But I have never seen it like I do right now. It feels even better when we can enjoy it together.
“I love you,” I tell him as we climb higher and higher.
He laughs into my mind. And I love you too, my extraordinary wife. Oh, that’s nice to say. I love you. I love you. I love you!
I laugh too, because how can I not? “Are we going anywhere special?”
I thought we could look at swamps.
“Really liked that swamp, huh?”
Not the swamp itself, perhaps. But this love thing feels so good that I want everyone to have it. So I think we should inspect several swamps and see if perhaps they have inhabitants that might want to meet our tentacled friend.
“Marshie? Yeah, cool! We’ll find another monster for her. I never knew you were such a romantic, Caronerax!”
I am a dragon and a prince. Some romance was bound to seep in.
“I see what you mean. You pretty much come straight out of the pages of a fairy tale.”
I’ll take your word for it.
I hold on to his scales while we zoom across the terrain, covering miles in what feels like seconds. “Can we stop somewhere else first?”
Where?
“Somewhere where there’s soft grass. Maybe a crystal clear creek. A safe place where we can get some privacy.”
My love, I had the exact same thought. We should find a place to discuss the hegemony of determination as soon as possible.
“We really should. And then maybe have some sex?”
Or! Stay with me, this could sound crazy: we’ll have the sex first.
“Yeah! That’s how we will do it. First the sex, then the sex.”
And I would suggest that we finish with some lovemaking.
“A stroke of genius! Yes, that’s it. You got it. We’re newlyweds, after all. And I do have a place in mind. A secluded island, a lot like ours, but without a curious Marshie spying on us. It’s really Aurora’s island, but I asked her and she’s fine with us