>>20234526
>The doorbell rang at exactly noon, the real bronze bells in the small entrance tower announcing the arrivals over the entire block.
>Ned looked over himself one last time in the silver vanity. He wore a black velvet cape over his embroidered double-breasted jacket and pleated breeches in the old style of the realm.
>It still felt like a costume. No, the quality was there. It was the real thing. He was the imposter.
>"So what?" He puffed out his chest. If he was a fake, then he'd be such a good fake nobody could tell the difference. He would be better, not for them, but for her. Because that's what his wife deserved.
>"Did you say something?" Tasha called from the sitting room.
>"I said I'm coming." Ned answered. He swept his cape like a villain as he left the room.
>It took Ned two hands to haul open the front door. Though carefully balanced, it was a foot-thick piece of green oak and steel braces meant to withstand a battering ram.
>He barely got it halfway before it door was thrown open the rest of the way and he was tackled to the sound of "Uncle Neddy!"
>Ned's nieces, Azara and Adara -barely five years old- could still toss Ned around like a toy.
>Luckily, they were good girls and didn't squeeze too tight.
>Their dad, husband of Tasha's sister Anni, gave Ned a hand up, the twin dragon pups still hugging and their tails hanging a foot off the floor.
>Ned smiled with genuine surprise. "I didn't know you were bringing your family Olly."
>Olly returned the smile and gave a hearty hug of his own, then grabbed his girls under his arms to get them to let go. "We happened to be in town for Anni's work. I couldn't resist a surprise visit to my favorite younger brother-in-law."
>The muscular man tilted his head back to the van in the driveway. "I even brought my famous custard pies."
>Hanging behind everyone else, Ned saw his parents-in-law. His dragon-in-law looked so happy when Tasha appeared, she was almost crying, while his father-in-law seemed as unreadable as always.
>It was then that Ned realized he had to feed five dragons when he had only planned on two.
>'I see your test, old man. And I'm not going to fail.'