Master of Dragons

Hughes could summon dragons, and there was a time when everyone with any standing knew the name. Then he gave up the whole of that power and let it go quiet, so that his wife Irene, who once saved his life, would not be a target for anything that came looking for him. He did not explain any of this to her. What Irene sees is a husband with no job, no money, no prospects and no ambition, and Karl has been working on that impression for a while, feeding her the version in which Hughes is a waste of her time. She has divorce papers drawn up. Karl brings her to a grand ceremony where the city's wealthy are gathered, and Hughes comes too. One after another the guests take turns humiliating him in front of her, none of them having any idea what he set aside or what he can call back.