Chapter 6

Laurel stood in front of Lady Joan trying to look contrite but she certainly didn't feel that way. "You cannot go around beating up footmen and page boys, my dear it just isn't done, I can understand your provocation but I'm sure a sound slap would have been sufficient, certainly not breaking Ben's nose, or leaving Hershel to limp about for a week." Laurel tried not to sigh "I did ask them repeatedly to leave me alone, Lady Joan, but they just wouldn't listen or take no for an answer, I finally lost my temper." The moment it was out of her mouth she knew she was in for a lecture about how ladies didn't lose their tempers, they simply did not lose their tempers it was not done. Lady Joan sighed she knew it wasn't all Laurel's fault the girl was just to stunning for her own good, her long strawberry blonde hair hung down in curly waves to her waist, her green eye's seemed to hold a world of secrets that made men want to find out what those secrets were, her high cheek bones and small pert nose gave her a look of elegance and full lips drew men to her, wanting to taste that luscious usually smiling, laughing mouth.

Laurel was tall for a young woman her age, with shapely legs that seemed to go on forever, to add to the effect was her very full bust. To top it off Laurel rarely wore skirts, she usually strode around in men's clothing which only emphasized her figure. Lady Joan honestly didn't believe that Laurel was trying to bring attention to herself, this was just the way she was, she had dressed in boys clothing for so many years she found skirts a hindrance, the girl didn't simper, flirt or try and attract attention, she was just Laurel.

Later that night Laurel lay on her bed telling herself it just wasn't fair the restrictions put on women. " Marti'en?" Laurel called silently. "Yes child, is it bed time all ready, I had not realized it was so late" Laurel chuckled to herself. Marti'en saw her still as a little girl, "why is it Marti'en that men can dally with as many women as they want, calling it being manly. Yet if a woman has more then one man then she is a whore? It doesn't seem very fair now does it? And yet don't women have the same urges men do? Why should a woman have to wait but men don't? Do dragons have the same unfair code of so called honor? Why should I have to remain a virgin but men don't?"

Marti'en frowned listening to Laurel's rambling "child, can you leave for awhile and come here so we can talk face to face, you sound angry and confused." Laurel thought for a minute "I don't see why not, Jacob is sleeping and should not wake till morning, but I've never tried to go that far only from the cottage to the Manor House when the weather's bad." Oh my thought Marti'en, so little Laurel can transport herself, we will have to work on that, "I will bring you here, dear that's not a problem." Laurel smiled "all right I'm ready" she told Marti'en as she pulled on her boots.

Laurel found herself in a very large comfortable lair, looking around she grinned at Marti'en, walking forward she hugged the old woman. Marti'en 's mouth almost dropped open seeing a grown Laurel, oh my thought Marti'en, Nedra would scratch her eye's out if she saw Laurel, who exuded sensuality. Hearing male voices Laurel grinned "is Mar here?" Marti'en nodded saying that Mar, Virlane, Rav, Brand and Hank were all there having a meeting about the up coming gathering and whether to take the younger children, the gathering having been postponed several times because of very bad weather in the last month. Laurel smiled asking if Marti'en minded if she said hello before they sat down to talk. Marti'en chuckled wanting to see the looks on the men's faces when they saw Laurel, told her to go ahead and say her hello's.

Hair and hips swaying with each step she took Laurel walked into Mar's large visiting area where everyone was sitting. Every male mouth dropped open, Marti'en laughing to herself said "you all remember Laurel, she has come by to visit with me for the evening." Laurel gave Mar a big hug and smiled at the others asking Virlane to be sure and give his Lady wife her greetings, Laurel turned her dazzling smile on Rav "please tell Re I said hello and hope to see him when they finally hold the gathering, it's been a long time since we've seen each other." Cackling Marti'en silently told Rav to shut his mouth and say something intelligent. Rav snapped his mouth shut then told Laurel he would be sure and relay her message to Revanche.

Marti'en taking Laurel's hand said they could talk in the study, she would fix some nice soothing herbal tea for the two of them. The men watched Laurel's hips leave the room, "good grief" breathed Virlane, the rest just sighed in unison. Mar started to laugh "I can't wait to see Revanche's reaction to the dirty child he got in a fight with once." Rav groaned remembering his son's reaction to Laurel as a dragoness, if the human looked like this, heaven help them all if her dragoness was just as sensual.

Laurel curled up in one of Mar's large chairs drinking her tea, "it was nice to see them again it seems like it's been forever." As Marti'en listened to Laurel talk she could see that Laurel had no idea of her impact on the men. Marti'en settled in her own chair "now then why don't you tell me what started this whole situation with things not being fair towards women." Laurel set down her cup; "I'm tired of men jumping out of dark hallways at me, grabbing at my chest and trying to kiss me, when I got tired of Ben always trying to stick his hands down my shirt I punched him and broke his nose, the same with Hershel I didn't break his nose I just kicked him in between his legs like Patty in the kitchen said I should do." Laurel grinned "dropped him in his tracks that's for sure." Marti'en filled Laurel's cup again "and all this started you thinking about your own feelings and needs?"

Laurel blushed "there was a very nice footman named Saul, he was very sweet and never tried to grab me or toss me down, he asked me if he could give me a kiss, so I said it was ok, it was very nice Marti'en " Laurel blushed even more "I let him put his hands on my chest a few times when he was kissing me, I didn't see anything wrong with it, I'd given my permission. Well someone saw and told Lady Joan, who told Jacob, Lady Joan was all upset she said a good woman didn't allow such things until they were married, that a good woman went to the marriage bed a virgin. She sent Saul away to some estate she has somewhere else, Jacob got all upset and told me only whores laid down for a man that wasn't their husband." Laurel sighed and took a drink of her tea "the confusing part is, the human part of me found kissing and touching enjoyable and wanted to experience the rest of it but the dragoness, she wants more, so much more and sometimes at night all I want to do is fly through the night until I find a male dragon to mate with, when I'm not even sure what mating is really all about, does that make me a bad person? A bad woman to feel that way, I don't understand," what she didn't say was that her dragoness wanted Revanche."

Marti'en sipped her tea and chuckled for a minute wondering what the cat Nedra would have to say to all this. Marti'en was startled to hear a purrr and a silent voice "would you feel more at ease if Nedra talked to Revanche's ohh so adorable one? Marti'en frowned "Revanche's?" Nedra purringly chuckled "he calls her name in the midst of his release, Nedra knows these things." Marti'en told Nedra she would try talking to Laurel first and if she bungled it too badly then Nedra could take over.

"No dear it doesn't make you a bad woman or person, you have to remember that male and female dragons mature much more rapidly than human's do, the instincts to mate are much stronger especially in the young dragons passing into adulthood. The human morality of the day is such that a man when he marries must be sure that his heir is of his body, because of that the woman he marries must be virginal so the man knows he is the only one who has been with his wife."

Marti'en frowned hearing Nedra hiss a snort in a very unlady like fashion, without thinking Marti'en snapped out loud "you think you can do better?"

Laurel looked at Marti'en in surprise and giggled asking who she was talking too. Marti'en sighed "I was talking to Nedra the cat, who has been adding comments on our conversation, would you mind if she joins us my dear?" Seeing Laurel blush Marti'en assured her that frank talk would certainly not phase Nedra if anything Nedra would probably have Laurel blushing the rest of the night but she shouldn't worry about being embarrassed around the cat. After a bit of hesitation Laurel nodded and said she didn't mind if Nedra joined them.

The males all stared as Nedra the cat padded by with a deep purr in their direction "later my scrumptious ones, Nedra goes to talk and teach the little adorable one." They all groaned at once "dragon kind will never be the same again." Virlane laughed "it should be an interesting gathering this year."