Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [122]
“When we leave Rumbard City, I’ll go back to my parents’ farm and herd sheep.”
“Never. Ellicinderpart Clarenbessipawl, I want you to be my wife.”
She had expected this, but not in a dark and gloomy man-made tunnel with exuberant giant children just a few yards away. She’d already decided what she’d say. She had to turn down his offer to marry her because her reputation was now tarnished by their stay in Rumbard City without a proper chaperone. But she had hoped the proposal would be a little more romantic. It was probably the only one she would ever receive. She steeled herself to do what she must.
“No, Bealomondore. I won’t marry a man who has to ask me to marry him.”
He stopped, and though she resisted, he turned her to face him and lifted her chin so she had to meet his eyes.
“Ellie, I am going to drop all my defenses so that you can experience exactly what I’m feeling. I will not hide any of my thoughts. Are you ready?”
For a moment, she didn’t think her heart would allow her the experience. Looking into his eyes melted her resolve not to let him be a martyr and marry the country lass he’d been stuck with. The love she saw in his expression filled her with a surge of like emotion. There was more?
She nodded.
The full volume of Bealomondore’s emotions struck her.
She gasped.
Oh yes, there was more.
She felt as if she were drawn into his soul. In an instant, her being melded with his. Her tentative belief in Wulder burst like fireworks into full-blown awe. The sparkling background became a jumble of giddy feelings, elation, and jubilation.
As this myriad of emotions danced in ecstasy, a solid base formed beneath them. She felt like she could skip on the edge of a precipice with no fear because Graddapotmorphit Bealomondore loved her. He loved her.
She willingly went into his arms. He kissed her, and a kaleidoscope of bliss swirled through her. Because of their special bond, she felt her own pleasure and his. Happiness doubled and twined a ribbon of color between them, through them, and all around.
“Hey!” Cinder hollered at their shoulders. “What are you doing? We found the door.”
Reluctantly, she and Bealomondore pulled apart.
“Well?” said Cinder. “Are you coming?”
Bealomondore pulled the keys out of one of his deep pockets. Orli had sorted the dozens of keys brought in by the children. The minor dragon eliminated those that were too small, too plain, or too shiny according to his memory. Bealomondore banked on the fact that dragons have long and accurate memories. Seven old, cumbersome keys remained. Each looked like the others with only slight variances in the etched design along the shank.
The light dragon now sat on Bealomondore’s shoulder, as eager as any of them to see the door open. Only Tak seemed disinterested. He sat off to the side, refusing to be a part of the press of onlookers gathered deep in the subter. Ellie stood at Bealomondore’s side, and the crowd of witnesses pushed forward, each trying to see as he placed one key in, gave it a twist, and tried the door. He handed the used keys, one by one, to Carrie.
He came to the seventh key, and the group as a whole held their breath. This would be the final attempt. The door would finally yield to the hand unlocking the plain mechanism.
When the knob did not budge for the last key, a disappointed sigh escaped from them all.
Bealomondore shrugged. “I guess tomorrow we’ll search for more keys.”
“Couldn’t we kick it in?” asked Grim, bouncing his foot against the stubborn door.
The tumanhofer laid his hand on the solid wood. “Son, a tumanhofer craftsman fashioned this door. Not only does the lock work, but there’s probably a simple device that also prohibits entry.”
Carrie stooped, examining the design across the bottom of the door. “Hey! These look like keys.”
She took one key and placed it in the first indentation. It fit. The children who could see cheered.
Porky jumped, trying to see from his position at the back. “What happened?”
Ellie glanced over her shoulder,