CHAPTER 47: PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PRIVATE MISTAKES

Who could blame them?

Who, in their right magical mind, would have the gall to ask about the Dragon Lord’s relationship status?

More importantly, how could anyone even begin to explain the horrors they experienced when even the person directly involved had no idea how it all came to be?

That day, Eryndra descended into utter chaos.

The meeting hadn’t even officially ended before the first whispers turned into screeches.

By the time the treant ambassador turned his branches toward the hallway and wheezed, "Did you see that?" the news had already spread across three territories and into who-knows-how-many languages.

From the tiniest hole-dwelling creatures to the mightiest dragons perched on crystal cliffs, and even the sentient plankton beings who normally only discussed water temperatures—Riley Hale’s scandal was on everyone’s lips. And leaves. And roots. And very confused antennae.

Because if elves and fairies were infamous for their love of gossip, they were still amateurs compared to the trees.

Honestly, the moment the treants witnessed it live, it was over. So in this case, it was over before it even started.

Somewhere in the great enchanted forests, bark split in excitement and leaves rustled in collective hysteria as entire networks of gossip were launched into motion. Information travelled at the speed of pollen. There were live translations. Tree-to-tree commentary. Possibly even reruns.

The only advantage? Not everyone had a photo because even the trees couldn’t exactly show what they all saw.

Well, not right away.

But by midnight, Riley’s poor phone—which had only ever been used to set alarm clocks, buy sale-priced detergent, and video call his brother on weekends—had entered its first and only era of celebrity abuse.

It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

Even his voicemail gave up and went on strike. And it didn’t help that all of it came the moment he attempted to go home.

And his small and quiet apartment, which was actually close to the damned hangout of the merfolk, had become ground zero for what could only be described as a full-blown magical paparazzi siege. Because they couldn’t possibly do this outside the ministry, it was his home that ended up taking the brunt of the damage.

Reporters floated in bubbles. Drones hovered with glowing sigils. There was a literal crowd of creatures pressing themselves against the magical barrier around the building, all waiting for him to show up.

Riley stared at all of them from the window of Kael’s protected and hidden vehicle.

He thought he would be fine earlier, and even insisted on going back when the dragon lord told him it wasn’t a good idea in cruder words.

The likelihood of things being bad was high, but he never imagined it’d be to this extent.

He sighed.

And that was how Riley Hale, age twenty-five, average human, proud owner of a barely functioning kitchen and an unverified haunted rice cooker, ended up in the middle of a continent-wide PR meltdown.

He also ended up with a forced sleepover.

With two dragons.

Yay.

Only that wasn’t even the worst of it because the crisis started long before his feet touched the ground.

When that forsakened meeting ended, Riley barely had the time to say, "My lord, we need to talk." Before Kael was swept up in meeting after meeting.

For some reason, Eryndra had entered a full-blown crisis mode. The kind where people held onto their enchanted hats and started requesting emergency audiences with the Dragon Lord, like he was the only man left who could save the world.

Where was all this attention when Riley needed divine intervention just moments ago? And now? Suddenly, it was like someone hit a cosmic play button, and the entire realm decided that today was the day to bother Kael.

Which, under normal circumstances, should not have been a problem.

Because Kael hated meetings. Hated guests. Hated people. Hated anything that involved forced small talk and protocol bows.

That was exactly why Riley had started panicking.

Because the man who would normally set entire appointment rosters on fire just to clear his afternoon to work on things he deemed important had suddenly decided to accept every single meeting request that came in.

All of them.

"Yes. Fine. Approved."

It didn’t make sense. None of it did.

When Riley heard about the first emergency meeting, he actually thought he was being blessed. A gift from above. A perfect escape route. He was sure it was the start of his long-awaited freedom from the suffocating presence of a certain golden dragon who had been holding him hostage for over an hour now.

Riley had claimed he was only going to greet the delegates. You know, just doing his job.

"No," Kael said.

"..."

So he tried and offered—very professionally—to go ahead and prepare the necessary documents.

"No."

Riley tried again. Maybe if he just took down notes?

"No."

By this point, Riley had already resorted to staring openly at Kael’s face like it held the answer to a cursed riddle. Because something was clearly wrong. Very wrong.

"My Lord," Riley began carefully, "I don’t think this would be good for your reputation, and I truly apologize for earlier—"

Kael looked down at him, expression unreadable, eyes like fire and judgment in molten gold. "Isn’t this what you wanted?" he asked. "Didn’t you start this?"

Riley choked. "Sir, I swear I didn’t think it would be like this. I just... I couldn’t think of another option fast enough. I panicked. That...all of it was really out of desperation. A professional lapse."

In hindsight, he realized he had so many other options.

He could’ve waved Kael off like a persistent debt collector. Or maybe claim he was a magical relative five times removed.

Anything. Literally anything other than pretending to be in a relationship with him.

Now that he was out of the danger zone, he could see all the alternate routes he didn’t take. So many, in fact, that he felt he should genuinely consider cutting out his own tongue for the rookie mistake.

But dwelling on it wouldn’t help now.

There was a new disaster unfolding, and he had to fix it before it got worse.

Unfortunately, the main obstacle standing in his way was also the same man everyone else called "My Lord."

"Even you should know it’s too late now," Kael said quietly.

"Dragons mate for life. And you just declared all that."

Riley blinked. "All what?"

"This reputation you’re worried about," Kael continued, "how else do you expect to fix it?"

He tilted his head slightly, as if daring Riley to come up with an answer. "I drop you, then what does that make me? What message does that send? That I couldn’t hold on to one little human?"

Riley stared.

What.

Kael’s tone remained even. "Wouldn’t that diminish the chances of getting a proper mate?"

Riley’s mouth fell open.

What the hell was he talking about?

Kael didn’t even like people breathing near him. He rejected suitors on sight. He once skipped an entire banquet just to avoid a matchmaking ceremony. And now he was talking about mates like he was a lonely bachelor on a romantic deadline?

Riley wanted to scream.

But instead, he went with the safest possible rebuttal.

"My Lord," he said, "I’m human."

"Exactly," Kael replied without blinking. "So imagine the image of a dragon who couldn’t even keep a relationship that short."

Riley nearly keeled over.

It sounded so casual coming out of Kael’s mouth. Like he was reading a grocery list. But to Riley? It sounded like a life sentence dressed in gold and madness.

"My Lord, you can’t possibly mean—"

"Lord Dravaryn," came Lyra’s voice as she knocked politely on the double doors, "the delegates have arrived."

Kael didn’t react. He simply glanced at Riley and added one final warning.

"Also, you may want to focus on your image. It’s your performance that will determine how many people will be after you later."

Riley blinked rapidly.

"After me?"

"For your survival," Kael said, "I suggest clinging better."

Riley’s entire brain short-circuited.

His eyes widened. His jaw dropped.

He must be joking.

He had to be joking.

Right?

Well, if only.