Leveling Up by Seducing Milfs-Chapter 42. A Test of Worth

Sylvia let go of Rick’s hand and walked to the edge, where she reviewed out the city with a blank look on her face. Without turning around, she said, "You’re afraid of me."

"Yeah..." Rick didn’t see the point in lying. "You are a Dragon Queen who is a thousand years old and could kill me with a thought."

"Anyone who isn’t afraid of you is an idiot."

Sylvia laughed, and it sounded like flames crackling. "Truthful words... I love that."

"You do know me well because I hate liars." Finally, she turned to look at him. "Rick Rolland, do you know why I sent the Ancient Black Dragon to attack this city?"

"You said it was a note. A show of urgency..."

"It was, but it was also a test." Sylvia moved in closer and looked at him closely with her amber eyes. "I had to check to see if the prophecy was true."

"If you truly are the Hero of Mature Hearts and can unite the Seven Major Powers, then I created a situation that would force you to reveal your true self."

Rick’s fear was cut through by a flash of anger. "How many times should I say this, but... your test killed people."

"Yes, they did. And I apologize for that, even though I know my apology doesn’t mean much to those who lost loved ones." Sylvia’s face didn’t change. "But Rick, the other choice was worse."

"If I hadn’t tested you and confirmed that you were who the prophecy said you were, then when the real darkness comes in six months, millions will die instead of hundreds."

"Sometimes leaders have to make tough choices to stop worse things from happening."

"That doesn’t make it okay."

"I know it doesn’t, but it makes it necessary." She was very close now, so close that Rick could feel the heat coming off her skin. "During that test, you did something I haven’t seen a human do in three hundred years."

"You fought an Ancient Black Dragon by yourself, even though you were too young and weak to do so." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"You used your Spirit Bonds to push yourself to the edge of death, and you didn’t think twice."

"You didn’t think about the odds or compare your life to other people’s."

"You did what was right without thinking about it."

Sylvia reached out and put her hand on Rick’s chest, right over his heart. "That was the time you asked me out, Rick Rolland..."

"In dragon culture, this kind of action means something that makes their heart throb."

"It says, ’I am good enough to stand next to you, and I am brave enough to die for what I believe in.’"

"Not even that... I can also hear your actions that say, ’I am strong enough to keep safe what I love.’ And you know what...? Dragons look for those traits in their partners so that they can love them all over again until one of them dies..."

"F-Fuck me..." Rick said in his mind, and then he swallowed hard. "I-I-I... I... didn’t know..."

"I wasn’t trying to win you over... All I did was just try to save Carmilla and keep the dragon from killing more people."

"I know." Sylvia’s hand stayed on his chest, and he could feel his heart beating against her palm. "That’s what gives it a true meaning."

"You didn’t do anything to impress me, but you did what you think is right because of who you are."

Rick saw a heart symbol appear in both of her eyes for a second when she said, "That kind of honesty is... rare... and even arousing for me... especially for people who want to date dragons."

Rick said, "I need to be honest with you about something."

He had to look her in the eyes, even though the intensity there was almost too much for him. "I’m already involved with other people, or should I say partners... you probably know that by now."

"I have Spirit Bonds with three women so far... their names are Natasha Ravenscar, Carmilla Crimsonford, and High Priestess Liora Sunweave."

"In fact... I and Liora are getting to know each other better with... uh... maybe love...?"

"Anyway! I didn’t mean to date you, and I can’t just leave them because of a cultural misunderstanding unless you’re okay to share..."

He thought she would be very angry. Sebastian had said that dragons were territorial and possessive just because they didn’t share their mates. But Sylvia’s expression shifted to one that might have indicated approval.

"You keep your promises."

"You won’t leave those you’ve gotten close to, even when a Dragon Queen says you should." She took her hand off his chest and stepped back a little. "That’s the exact answer a good partner should give, Rick."

"A dragon may want you, but we value loyalty and strength above all else. I would have lost all respect for you if you had agreed right away to leave your other partners."

"W-What...?" Rick blinked. "So... you’re not mad?"

"Oh, I’m possessive and territorial, that’s for sure." Sylvia’s smile became dangerous. "The thought of sharing you with others makes my dragon instincts scream to get rid of the competition."

"But I’m also a thousand years old, and I’ve learned that the best things in life are worth being flexible for."

"Your honesty, loyalty, and bravery are worth more to me than my hurt pride."

She turned around and walked back to the edge of the observation deck. Her hair flowed behind her like a banner of fire. "Rick Rolland, this is what I propose..."

"Get to the Northern Peaks and then face my trials so that you can show me and my kingdom that you are not only worthy of my attention but also of standing next to a Dragon Queen as an equal."

"If you do well, I’ll accept your other relationships and help you bring the Seven Powers together."

"But... if you don’t succeed..." She looked back at him. "Then you were never worthy of claiming it in the first place, and I will withdraw my interest entirely."

"And what if I don’t come at all?"

There was a dangerous light in Sylvia’s eyes. "Then I will see it as an insult to not only me but also to my whole race!"

"You would be saying that you don’t care about dragon culture and customs and that you don’t respect the laws and traditions of dragonkind! And that would have consequences, Rick Rolland!"

The threat was there, but she didn’t say it out loud. Rick thought about Carmilla and Natasha waiting below, as well as Liora and the people of the capital who had already been hurt by Sylvia’s test.

He thought about the prophecy and how important it was to bring the Seven Powers together. "How long would I be gone?"