Beneath his touch, she seemed to melt. It was as if they were truly made for each other, so comfortably did her slim figure fit beneath his neck, so easily did his crown hold her near. The vibrations that rumbled soothed her more, the familiar sound of a content dragon did not seem unusual to her, so used to having only a dragon for company that she was. Akaith trilled a colourful chorus of her own now, far more upbeat and exciting than the previous slow and steady melody of the songs that were sung before. The golden one flew low down to them, not swoopingly, but simply to show her happiness of their finally realising and embracing what had laid between them for some time, at least in her eyes. Then the dragon was off, away from the scene entirely, off to feed the growing clutch of eggs within her, or perhaps to scout out more potential nesting areas – either way, she would keep herself busy and allow the equines some time together. As it was, Akaith was always-present anyway, through the mare with golden eyes.

His voice uttered a query, and the raven maiden wanted immediately to deny it, yet she knew that something as precious as this love may get mixed reactions. To those she trusted, she could not hide it, especially from those who knew her well enough to read her without her even speaking – her siblings may react harshly, or unpredictably at first, but the mare knew them just as well too, and knew that they would respect her wishes and choice in a life mate, eventually. The thought of her other dear friend, the gilded steed Torasin, caused some worry, but she could not deny the truth to him either. Her love for him was as real as her love for Vikram, and for her siblings, but now she recognised, it was a different kind of love. Her emotions had shifted a bit since the other stallion’s mate, Brooke, had returned, and Mirage wanted only for his happiness. She refused to be the cause of tension between the pair, though she longed to shake Brooke and ensure the mare would stop blindly cause him pain. And so she had stepped back, and allowed them to make the decisions for themselves. Though she would never understand Torasin’s capability to love the difficult mare, she would not think herself to have such an influence over him to sway his mind in a way that she might prefer; no, love was something for the individual to discover and recognise for themselves.

“As with anything dear to me, I hold it close always, and hidden, and only reveal to those I trust and love.” Warm voice replied to the one she held dear, honest and sincere. “My siblings will know as soon as I see them next, without my even speaking. They probably knew before we did.” Wry tones informed him. The connection she had with her siblings was intimate, they didn’t need magic to communicate without words. Each was an expert at reading the others, even when Mirage held her façade of stony indifference, they knew what was going on within her. As she thought about their mutual friend, Torasin, the little shadow lifted her tiara from Vikram’s nape, though was still leaning her shoulder against his broad chest. “You must know that I love him too.” She didn’t think Vikram would have to guess who she was talking about. A small sigh rolled through her lips as she considered her words, and her feelings. “But it’s a different love, one that prevents me from ever hurting him; though I fear some hurt may eventuate in the future. I… don’t know how to express it.” It was not often the mare was unable to explain exactly what she needed to.

“Vikram, I feel like our souls walk the same path, our hearts beat as one. When I am with you, little else matters, and when I am not with you, only the memory of your presence sustains me.” Was it the same for Torasin? The mare considered it, and while it was a little similar, it was again, a different kind of feeling. “He is a friend I do not wish to lose.” It was difficult for her. For some time now she had consciously held both stallions to the same regard, but it seemed that her subconscious (along with Akaith), had successfully nudged her regard for Vikram to escalate to the next level. Suddenly she lanced out at him with flashing teeth, aiming to bite his nape and tug on strands of his mane at the same time. “Do you see what you have done to me?” Amusement curved her lips into a coy grin once more. “Only when I am with you does my tongue run away from me.” Longing to hear his deep voice breach the silence that fell, her ears pressed forward, and her muzzle leaned against him, willing the stallion of few words to reveal what thoughts whirled through his cranium to her.