Alric barked a laugh, his eyes crinkling up in an adorable way. “Indeed. Why don’t you come in? I still owe you a tour, and I think you want to sit down again.”
“Yeah,” Cameron agreed faintly. “Sitting down. Great idea. Let’s do that.”
“This way, please. Ravi, if you’d put the car away?”
“Sure.”
Cameron went where Alric led, turning toward a side door that he could see on the opposite side of the rather massive courtyard. Well, that made sense, didn’t it? The courtyard would have to be huge in order to accommodate a dragon’s wingspan, or several dragons coming in and out all at once. Cameron felt like he’d stepped back in time, seeing the little nicks and claw marks in the grey paving stones from where claws had dug in. Striding along with the dragon king at his side, who was dressed in modern clothes, didn’t seem to dispel the image much.
Oh damn. Alric. King. That was just now really sinking in, and really? The man who had charmed him into taking a tour and eating dinner with him was a king? Cameron couldn’t really wrap his head around it. Alric didn’t act kingly—not like you saw in the media, at least. Alric was entirely too...was human the right word?
There was a suspicious sound behind them that may or may not have been a car being physically lifted off the ground.
“You scratch my paint, you buy the car!” Alric called over his shoulder.
Ravi didn’t even sound concerned. “Pfft, like I’ve ever scratched your paint.”
Cameron couldn’t help but peek over his shoulder. Ravi had literally lifted the car up, hauling it like an oversized toy toward…the garage, he assumed. So, dragons were insanely strong. Check. Don’t piss off a dragon.
“Baldewin,” Alric greeted in a warm voice. “Come and properly meet Cameron.”
Oh, this was the other guy—dragon?—who had been with Alric the day before. He stood just inside the door leading into the castle interior, content to watch them come to him. If a wall could be given human form, then this was the man. He wasn’t particularly tall, a little over six foot, but he had a solid build that made him imposing. Cameron irreverently wondered if all dragons were good-looking, as Baldewin was no slouch in that department. He had a very different look than either Alric or Ravi, with amber skin and gorgeous grey-green eyes. The closely trimmed stubble beard and square dark glasses made him look like a hot college professor in search of a blackboard.
Not that any of Cameron’s professors had been that attractive.
Baldewin held out a hand, which Cameron took. He spoke in a deep voice, smooth on the surface but with a gravelly undercurrent that tantalized the ears. “Cameron. I’m very happy to see you. We all wanted to come out and greet you, but I think you’re overwhelmed as it is.”
Cameron managed a strained smile. “Yeah. You can safely say that.”
“I’ve hot tea and brownies waiting inside. Some comfort food might make it easier to adjust your world view.”
“Even if it doesn’t, I turn down brownies exactly never.”
With a subterranean chuckle, Baldewin turned and led the way.
If the exterior of the castle wowed Cameron, the interior threatened to melt his eyes. It was so incredibly detailed—every molding, every tile. Just stepping into the connecting hallway that led inside was full of carved wood paneling, wooden floors laid out in a cross-square pattern with inlays, and breathtaking murals painted on the walls depicting people feasting, riding, picnicking. Of dragons flying and soaring through skies with billowing white clouds. He could spend a year in this hallway alone trying to see every detail of it.
Just how much time had it taken to really build this castle? He felt like Alric’s answers before were too vague. Wait, should he be calling him King Alric? His Majesty? Cameron had zero clue on how to address dragon royalty. Which hadn’t seemed an oversight until precisely now.
He had no chance to ask before he was led into a room where Baldewin had obviously set up in. It was, like everything else, filled with carved wooden panels on the bottom half of the walls, the top section with gold filigree over the white in ornate contrast. The very center of the room held a round table with a red velvet tablecloth, a two-tier tray of brownies set on little paper doilies, and a tea set of white porcelain with gold trim ready to serve.
Alric pulled a chair out for him, which Cameron took thankfully. He really needed to sit and process all of this. Baldewin took the last empty chair after Alric settled next to Cameron.
Alric sat and poured a cup of tea before asking, “Sugar, cream?”
“Two sugars, thanks.” Should a king be serving him? The expression on Baldewin’s face said no. But he wasn’t about to argue.