Book 3 - Ravlyr
Chapter 1

Rav watched her walk across the ballroom, no he corrected himself, she didn't walk, she floated across the floor. Her hair was so black it seemed to have blue highlights, she wore it in a braid wrapped around her head several times, giving him an idea at its length. she was a tall woman, he guessed she must be at least 5'9". She stood out among the days popular petite blondes, with their ringlets and elaborate hairdo's. Her skin was alabaster, like the fine porcelain of a china doll, her dress was black like her hair, tapered tightly down to her waist, then flaring out over her hips. He wondered if she was in mourning or just defying convention that called for young girls to be dressed in pastel colors these days. He wondered what color her eye's were, but had no doubt he would find out soon enough. She was accompanied by a rather short stout lady, wearing an outrageous turban with feathers in it. The older lady was chattering away, the vision in black smiling and nodding as the older woman stopped from time to time to speak with a friend or an acquaintance. Carington, one of Rav's friends had also noticed the vision in black and commented "they say she is destitute, her uncle having gambled away the family fortune, now the aunt is trying to marry her off to anything with a title and money." Medfort standing next to Carington laughed "a lot of good that will do a man, all that beauty and as cold and frigid as they come, they have started calling her the Snow Queen." Carington seeing the look on Rav's face chuckled, "planning on trying to thaw her out are you? Rav." Rav merely smiled and turned the conversation to another topic. Natalie knew what they were all whispering behind their fans about, once one entered London society it seemed as if every prying gossip had to say something rude and uncalled for, usually lies that only fueled the gossip and rumors. She stiffened her back and kept a smile on her face no matter how much she wanted to scream at them and run back home. The worst were the leering, speculating men, looking at her as if she were on a slave block. Which to her way of thinking was pretty appropriate, she was up for sale to the highest bidder, she knew she had no choice. Her uncle had drunk and gambled away everything, the only thing left was the property entailed to her younger brother, but they were heavily taxed and falling into ruin, once again thanks to her uncle. Laughing bitterly, she knew they called her the Snow Queen, she had even heard them taking bets about who would actually pay her families outrageous debts simply for the honor of having her, cold or not. Natalie was 19 but she felt all of 90. Natalie had seen the extremely tall handsome man talking with his friends watching her. As she had walked into the room, a shiver of awareness ran up her back and she had turned and seen the man looking at her, he had watched her as she crossed the room with her Aunt, no matter how many times she told herself not too, again and again she found herself glancing in his direction. Telling herself he was more then likely a poor younger son, and she couldn't even afford to give him a thought, she put him out of her mind. Over the next few weeks, Rav found out everything he could about the Lady Natalie, where she lived, her bank account, the properties held for her younger brother Henry, called Hank by his family. Henry was only 10 and wouldn't come into his majority for another 11 years. It was also said that the boy was a cripple and was rarely seen in public. He found out about the uncle who had drowned about 8 months ago, some say he was tossed into the river because he could no longer pay his gambling debts. Jacquilt watched Rav staring pensively out the window, and waited patiently, as usual Rav would say what was on his mind in his own way and in his own time. Rav had grown into a fine figure of a man, well over 6'4", muscular, he wore his black hair long and tied back, his dark green eyes compelling, he loved physical activity and was always riding, practicing his sword play with his father, walking for miles in the forest when he was with his cousins, Chadrey and Kimberly. The growing up years had not been easy for Rav, at times fighting the human in him and remaining the dragon for weeks at a time, then rebelling against the dragon and remaining human for weeks. The dragon Rav had grown and matured faster then the human Rav, causing emotional conflicts that at times was almost painful to watch. The teenage years were the hardest of all, as hormones between human and dragon became confused and caused Rav endless misery. During those years it was often that the forest folk would hear the roar of a dragon raging at the skies.

Through all the years his family had given him love, understanding, humor and firm control. The two hellion twins as Jacquilt called them gave Rav laughter, dragging him into endless pranks, they filled his hardest times with endless patience and devotion. One day Rav had walked into his fathers study and announced that he was going traveling, he wanted to explore the world and the people in it, he had been 20 at the time. Rav had been gone for three long years, when he had returned, he was a mature young man who had finally found some calm in his life. Now at 25 Rav was enjoying the social rounds of London. Used to making friends easily, Rav always seemed busy, coming and going constantly. Rav turned and looked at Jacquilt, his friend, his mentor, his tutor. "I think its time I built a home of my own, perhaps something on the other side of the forest. I'm also going to be on the look out for a good place for a lair." he got up and clapped Jacquilt on the shoulder, "its a time for a new growing." then he left the room. Jacquilt wondered what changes were in the wind. "If only you could get him to dance with you, Natalie, perhaps he would take a liking to you, can't you flirt just a tiny bit, it wouldn't hurt and it might stop that awful nickname everyone has started calling you." Patricia said with a sigh. Natalie looked at her Aunt, "Who do you want to dance with me? and you know I detest flirting, I always look like a fool when I try." Patricia sighed again, she had tried, she really had tried to get the girl to unbend a bit, she knew Natalie would have much preferred to be curled up with one of the few books they had left, but she just didn't have that luxury any longer. "The Viscount St.Clair, the one with the odd name Ravlyr, that's who." she said in exasperation. Looking towards the man leaning against a wall, with an amused look on his face, talking with his friends. Rav felt her eye's on him, he turned and looked straight at her and winked, then went back to the conversation. Surprised Patricia looked at Natalie, "the two of you have already met? why didn't you tell me, this is wonderful, he seems smitten with you." Natalie looked at her aunt "no, we have not met, no he isn't smitten with me, and why is this so wonderful? all he did was wink, and probably was mistaken and had meant it for someone else." Just then Lord Barkley came up to request a dance, Patricia fawned all over the man and of course he should dance with Natalie, how kind of him to ask and almost shoved her into the mans arms. Natalie smiled politely and went out on the dance floor with the man, she disliked him intently, he had been watching her all evening with his little beady eyes, his hands were sweaty and he reeked of some perfume or other. Rav watched with a raised eyebrow as Natalie danced with Barkley, if possible she was paler then usual. Carington, sneered "Barkley has been sniffing at her skirts since she arrived in town, pity that actually, he is old enough to be her grandfather, and the rumors about the way he treats tavern wench's is enough to turn a mans stomach. He has money though and will probably pay for the Snow Queen, he has out lived three wives already, odd how they all have died in accidents." The music came to end and Natalie tried to pull her hand away from the Lord's. "You look a bit winded, my dear, a breath of fresh air is just what you need," he said almost tugging her in the direction of the balcony doors, "not at all my Lord, I really must be returning to my Aunt Patricia now, thank you for the dance." Natalie said with a polite cold voice. With a nasty laugh, he assured Natalie that her Aunt wouldn't mind if she took a walk in the gardens with him. Natalie was just about to refuse again when a voice came from behind her, "I believe the next dance has been promised to me, Lady Natalie." Rav held out his hand to Natalie and bowed slightly to the Lord "another time perhaps, Barkley." Natalie placed her hand on Rav's, inclined her head politely to Lord Barkley and followed Rav out onto the dance floor. Neither spoke a word during the whole dance, but each time they came together and his hand touched hers, Rav purposely sent a tiny shock through her fingertips, each time she would look up at him with a little start of surprise. Rav smiled to himself, her eye's were deep violet, her lashes long and framed her slightly almond shaped eyes to perfection. They reminded him of the flowers his Aunt Bitsy had planted around her oak house. The dance ended and Rav bowed over her hand, he brought it to his lips and touched it with a brush of his lips, "thank you for the pleasure of the dance, Lady Natalie" he said and walked off before she had a chance to reply. In the carriage on the way home, Patricia asked Natalie about how her dance with Lord Barkley had gone, that she was hoping for an offer soon, one of her suitors had to make an offer soon, their creditors were hounding her for payment. "We can't keep up this pretense much longer, dear, if we haven't received an offer by the time of the Carington masquerade ball, we will just have to hide out in the country and pray they don't come hunting us there." sighed Patricia. Natalie hugged her Aunt, "I know how hard you've tried Aunt Patricia to make things right, surely an offer will be coming soon, but please don't accept an offer from Lord Barkley, I just can't stand the man, he turns my stomach." Patricia sighed again at Natalie, "I wish I could promise, my dear, but the man is very wealthy, has a London town house, several homes in the country. He desperately needs an heir, the poor man loosing his wives so unexpectedly." Patricia who had been in the dining room when Natalie had danced with Rav, asked about who she had danced with and what she thought of the men, Natalie told her about several of the young and not so young men, she never mentioned the Viscount of St.Clair. Before going to bed for the night Natalie looked in on Hank, she brushed the hair back from his forehead and tucked the covers around him. He didn't deserve the hand life had dealt him, she thought, not for the first time as she left his room. As she fell asleep she put a pair of dark green eyes that seemed to see right into her very soul and tingling fingers out of her mind, she couldn't afford to think of such things.

Rav was grinning to himself as he entered the study some hours later, he thought the evening had gone quite well. He could have just gone and made an offer to the Aunt, that he knew she wouldn't of refused, but he didn't want to do that, he wanted Natalie aware of him, he wanted her to look around a room to see if he was there watching her, he wanted to feel her violet eyes on him when he walked into a room and be aware that he was there. Jacquilt looked up as Rav walked in, he could feel the excitement in him, just under the surface. Rav walked over to the window and opened it, looking out into the night, he turned to Jacquilt and smiled, "don't wait up for me." then he was gone. In the early morning hours Jacquilt woke to the roar of the dragon off in the distant night skies and listened carefully, there was a new tone an almost purring quality to it, that gave him pause for thought, it was time to find out what was going on with Rav. It was early afternoon when Jacquilt suggested they take a walk, which was not all that unusual since he walked often, he disliked riding horses and only rode in carriages when he absolutely had to. It was a sunny day, the air brisk and fresh, they walked towards the park, a place he enjoyed and went to often. "Care to tell me what's going on?" Jacquilt asked easily, the two had never had a problem talking to each other. Rav grinned "her name is Natalie, I intend to marry her." Ahhh thought Jacquilt, a female is involved, I should have realized, "have I met the Lady in question? the name doesn't sound familiar." Rav shook his head "not yet, you will in time, she has no idea yet that I am going to marry her." Caught off guard Jacquilt stopped and looked at Rav "she has no idea? why is that?" Laughing Rav was about to answer when he noticed a group of boys, kicking and tripping another boy, who was fiercely trying to fight back and hold onto his kite at the same time. Rav growled at Jacquilt, "humans at their very best" as he walked over and tossed the boys off the younger boy. The boys ran off yelling at the younger one "cripple, cripple, can't even fly a kite." Rav looked down at the boy who was holding onto his kite, his face bruised and bleeding, his clothes dirty and ripped. The boy looked up at Rav, his look defiant, angry, but Rav saw the hurt and pain in his eyes and heart. Squaring his shoulders the boy said "thank you sir for your assistance." then he turned to go, but Rav put his hand on the boys shoulder and smiled "how high did you get your kite?" The boy with an angry look responded "I couldn't get it up, I wanted it to fly in the clouds, but I couldn't run fast enough." then he started to limp away, dragging his right leg behind him. Rav stripped off his coat and tossed it to Jacquilt, then reached for the boys kite "then you just need a hand, and it will be up in the clouds in not time at all." As the kite was taken from his hands, the boys fists came up, Jacquilt calmly said "easy son, he is just a boy in a mans body and likes to play." The boy watched wide eyed as Rav ran pulling the kite behind him, the wind caught the kite and up it went, farther and farther into the sky. Only Rav and Jacquilt knew the kite had gotten a little magical assistance. Rav handed the twine to the boy and steadied him as the two kept the kite up in the air, flying high. Rav picked up the boy and the two ran across the park keeping the kite up. the two were laughing and the boy was gesturing and grinning. Jacquilt sat down under a tree on one of the many park benches and watched the two, chuckling to himself, when the two finally pulled the kite down and walked over, there was a large picnic basket sitting on the bench. Jacquilt grinned at Rav "growing boys need food to keep up their energy." silently saying to Rav "the child is much to thin. Laughing Rav pulled out the food and passed some to the boy, seeing the hesitation Rav said "eat up, lad, kite flying is hungry work." and was pleased to see the boy start to eat. As if suddenly remember his manners the boy stood up and bowed to the two men "my name is Henry Valmet, pleased to met you both." Rav bowed in return "Ravlyr, Viscount St.Clair, but you can call me Rav, all my friends do, and this funny looking gentleman next to me is Jacquilt." The three had a pleasant conversation as they ate, Jacquilt asking the boy where he lived, he pointed to a rather shabby looking town house several houses down. "I live there with my Aunt and sister, she is trying to find Natalie a husband, but Natalie doesn't want a husband, all she wants is to go home, but our Aunt says she has to do her duty and marry so we don't have to go to the poor house." the boy said with youthful candor. Hearing the name Natalie, Jacquilt looked over at Rav, who simply nodded and kept on chatting with the boy. Realizing how late it had gotten, Henry stood up and once again thanked the two men, then started to walk across the park, he turned and looked shyly at Rav "my friends call me Hank." Rav smiled back, "I'm sure we will meet again, Hank" and was pleased to see the smile on the boys face as he left. Interesting coincidence that, running into the Lady Natalie's brother in the park, remarked Jacquilt casually. Rav looked at him with a serious look on his face "not coincidence, fate." he said as they walked home. Both men said little, each deep in his own thoughts.

Jacquilt who rarely joined Rav when he went out socially, decided it was time to see the Lady in question and was with him at a dinner dance that night, when Natalie and her Aunt Patricia entered the room. he made sure that the seating arraignments were changed so the Lady Natalie was seated next to him, without letting his hostess know that the change had been made. Walking past him once Rav grinned "subtle aren't you." Jacquilt just chuckled "I do my best." Going into dinner, Jacquilt could have throttled Rav, who was now seated next to Natalie and her Aunt Patricia seated next to Jacquilt. Rav gave him an innocent smile, as he pulled out the chair to seat Natalie.

After they were seated Natalie turned to Rav and spoke quietly "I have to thank you for helping my brother Henry this afternoon, it was very kind of you." Rav could hear the bitterness in her tone, no matter how hard she tried to keep it out. "It was my pleasure, Hank is a good lad, I enjoyed meeting him, although I wish it had been under different circumstances." Then he said just as quietly "you can't be with him twenty four hours a day, the lad needs to fight his own battles, he will learn from them and grow to be better for it." Natalie knotted her napkin in her lap and smiled politely "I am very well aware of the fact that I can't be with him all the time." Rav laughed "you will be ripping that napkin to shreds soon, why don't you just tell me to mind my own business, it will make you feel better." Natalie gave him one of her haughtiest looks and in a voice dripping ice said "mind your own business My Lord, I will see to my brother." Rav grinned "very well done, but you need to sneer down your lovely nose a bit more, it would add to the look." "Oh dear" muttered Patricia seeing the look Natalie had just given the Viscount. Jacquilt who was also watching what was going on across the table looked at Lady Patricia "is there a problem? My Lady" She smiled a bright smile at him "not at all sir, I understand you're a friend of the Viscount." Jacquilt chuckled as the lady then proceeded to pry every ounce of information about Rav she could out of him, he grinned to himself as he watched her become more and more frustrated at getting no useful gossip out of him. Across the table Rav was suggesting that Natalie try the soup, "I don't care for cold soup, thank you" she replied, smiling he picked up the serving platter and put some meat on her plate, then added potatoes. Smiling politely Natalie said "I am quite capable of serving myself thank you." putting the meat back on the platter. Rav started to laugh as he remembered from long ago when he was a small child, sitting at the dinner table watching his Aunt Bitsy and Uncle Brand shove a plate back and forth at each other, then his Aunt Bitsy shoving the food in her mouth and his Uncle Brand standing up yelling at his Grand father, Stephen, "pregnant ladies are allowed to stuff their faces." With another haughty look at Rav, Natalie said "you find my eating habits amusing? sir." Rav grinned at her "not at all, my sweet, I was simply remembering a family function and wondering what you will look like pregnant with my child." Natalie who was taking a sip of her wine, grabbed her napkin as she started to choke, the wine coming out her nose and dripping off her chin. The ever courteous Ravlyr slapped her on the back and whispered in her ear "I will require at least three sons and two daughters, I'm an only child, which was a sad disappointment for my parents, I think we should give them lots of grandchildren, don't you." Natalie threw down her napkin and stood up, with every intention of slapping the smile off his face. Rav reached out and gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist "I wouldn't advise it" he said smoothly, then winked at her, "everyone at the table is looking at you." Natalie sat down quickly, putting a smile on her face, and picked up her fork, not daring to look at the man sitting next to her, as he chuckled. Her fingers curled tightly around the fork, she was sorely tempted. He grinned at her, then turned to the lady on the other side of him who had been watching the whole incident avidly, Rav knew she was one of the towns worst gossips. "Don't mind us, my lady, just a slight disagreement on the number of children we are going to have." Natalie leaned around him, "please pay him no mind, Lady Summers, he is demented and not to be taken seriously." An elderly lady sitting across the table from them, looked intently at Rav "isn't your Uncle Viscount Sheringham, when Rav nodded, she looked at Lady Summers "the whole family is rather odd, you know, his uncle keeps pet rats in his shirt." Rav smiled at the Lady Helen, "not rats, just one single pet rat he is extremely fond of, they are still living happily together." Lady Patricia who was close to fainting with the way Natalie was behaving, turned and looked in shock at Jacquilt, "rats? oh dear, this just won't do at all." Jacquilt said calmly "it's merely a family joke, there are no pet rats." Patricia let out a loud sigh and fanned herself, frowning at Natalie. Natalie's sense of the absurd finally got the better of her and she started to laugh, Rav smiled at her "you should laugh more often, its as sweet as honey, almost as sweet as the taste of your lips, which I intend to be kissing very soon." Natalie gasped "I don't kiss strangers, sir!" Rav leaned over and whispered so no one else could hear "but I won't be a stranger, I'll be the man between your thighs, thrusting into you, listening to the sweet music of your moans."