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Galo clutched his mother’s hand tightly as he stared through the bars of the cage and into a pair of cherry blossom irises. His father had told him of the sacred dragon kept in a private garden near the rear of the palace, but Galo had never before been allowed to see it.
“Galo, this is Lio,” his mother said.
“Lio?” Galo asked. His father had never mentioned that the sacred dragon had a name.
“Yes. Would you like to be friends with Lio?”
The dragon tilted its head up curiously.
Galo thought about it. He didn’t have any friends. The other children seemed intimidated by him. The sacred dragon certainly looked intimidating, with its gleaming scales and long, forked tail. Galo guessed it had sharp teeth, too.
As if sensing her son’s hesitation, his mother said, “Lio’s been here for a very long time, Galo. He doesn’t have very many friends.”
The sacred dragon dropped its head to stare into Galo’s eyes, its snout pressing between the bars of the cage.
“Okay,” Galo agreed. Having a dragon for a friend, especially a sacred dragon, was pretty impressive, right? Galo wouldn’t mind not having very many friends if the one he did have was so unusual and powerful.
The next time Galo’s mother took him to visit Lio, it wasn’t a dragon that waited for them in the cage. Instead, it was a little human boy with hair even lighter than the emperor’s.
“Where’s Lio?” Galo asked his mother, disappointed to find the dragon gone.
“That is Lio,” his mother told him with an amused smile.
Now Galo’s friend was a shapeshifting sacred dragon?
The boy in the cage looked both of them over, a faint curl of his lips indicating doubt.
“Hi, Lio,” Galo greeted him.
“Lio, this is Galo, the emperor’s son,” his mother said.
Doubt still lingered in the boy’s eyes, but he gave a small nod in response. Galo’s mother smiled down at both of them.
Galo visited Lio frequently. Though Lio remained caged, they found plenty of ways to amuse themselves. Lio performed tricks with fire, and Galo brought books to read to him.
Galo’s father, the emperor, was not happy with Galo and Lio’s budding friendship, but he did nothing to stop the visits, much to Galo’s delight.
During Galo’s sixteenth year, his father was assassinated. Galo, as his only son, became emperor. Along with the title, responsibility and wealth that came with the role, Galo was given a small key. Galo viewed this as the greatest boon.
Galo stood before Lio’s cage, key in hand. Lio stood on the other side of the bars, face impassive as he stared at Galo. He appeared to be in his teens as well, having aged alongside Galo since their first meeting. His clothes were as fine as Galo’s.
Galo had been warned by his father to never let the sacred dragon out of the cage. If he did, the sacred dragon might fly away, and Galo, along with the kingdom, would lose the blessings of health and prosperity that the dragon brought them.
Galo’s mother, on the other hand, had always told him to follow his instincts in regard to dealing with Lio. Arguably, no one in the palace knew Lio better than Galo.
Galo slid the key into the lock and turned it. He pulled the cage door open and Lio stepped out. Lio looked around himself, frowning. Then he turned his strange irises on Galo and smiled.
“Thank you,” he said.
Galo stepped back as wind whipped up around Lio. When the wind died down and Galo lowered his arm from his face, the teenage boy was no longer there.
Lio didn’t spare Galo a glance as he leapt for the sky, dragon wings beating the air. He soared over the palace’s high wall, paying no heed to the shouts of guards below.
Galo sighed. He’d hoped that Lio would choose to stay, but he couldn’t really blame Lio for leaving. Why would he want to stick around and risk getting locked in a cage again?
While Galo understood why Lio wouldn’t want to stay, he knew that he’d be lonely without Lio for company. Lio had been the only person other than his mother, who had died a year earlier, that Galo could be completely honest with. He was going to miss his friend.
Galo was just about to leave the garden when a shadow swept toward him. He looked up to see the pink dragon swooping down, wide wings outstretched. He ducked just in time to avoid Lio’s talons. Laughter bubbled up in his throat.
Lio landed on the cobblestones. He turned his head to stare at Galo for a moment before wind whipped up around him again. When it dissipated, the teenage, golden-haired boy was standing there, smiling. That particular smile was one that Galo had never seen on Lio’s face before. Lio’s smiles had always been reserved, a hint of sadness tainting them. This one was open and broad.
“Being able to spread my wings is so wonderful,” he said. “…But could you ask the archers to not shoot at me, please? Dodging arrows is fun, but only up to a certain point.”
Galo laughed, and hugged Lio.
Lio attended Galo’s coronation, which was held a month later, standing at his shoulder throughout the entire ceremony. The officials whispered about his presence, and stared at his pink eyes, but no one dared to openly comment.
Lio was there, after all, and it was clear that he had no intention of leaving Galo yet. The kingdom’s blessings were safe for now.
And if Lio did choose to leave one day, Galo suspected that he’d have a good reason for doing so. Why should he bless a kingdom that treated him poorly? If he did leave, Galo would wish him the best. Lio shouldn’t have to be miserable for the sake of everyone else’s happiness.
Now that he was older, Galo could understand why his mother had introduced him to Lio all those years ago. She’d realised that holding the sacred dragon captive for the sake of his blessings was wrong. The blessings were a gift, not something to be taken by force. They were a gift that Lio had the right to withdraw, should he want to.
So Galo’s mother had encouraged him to befriend Lio, hoping that one day, the relationship between the sacred dragon and the emperor of the kingdom would be different.
And it was. Galo would make sure that his own children would treat Lio with the respect the sacred dragon deserved.
After his coronation, Galo searched for Lio, who had disappeared some time during the feast. He found Lio pacing the garden where his cage had formerly been located.
“Lio?” Galo inquired. Though he was tired from the festivities, he had something to take care of—something that involved Lio. He wouldn’t be able to rest until it was done.
Lio turned to face him, robes fluttering around him. Red looked nice on him, Galo decided. Actually, any colour looked great on Lio, in Galo’s opinion.
Lio bowed his head upon realising who Galo was. “Emperor,” he murmured.
“Hey, don’t do that.” Galo tilted Lio’s chin up gently. “Nothing’s changed between us.”
Lio met his eyes, Lio’s own glittering like jewels. Galo kissed him gently.
Lio turned his face away just enough to dislodge Galo’s lips from his. “Galo, don’t. Someone might see,” he murmured.
“Who cares?” Galo asked, turning Lio’s face to his. “I’m the emperor now. It doesn’t matter what they think.”
Lio sighed. “It matters more than you think,” he murmured. But when Galo kissed him again, Lio didn’t pull away.
Lio’s lips were soft and pink as lotus petals. Galo wished that he could spend all night kissing them, but he did have a reason for seeking Lio out. He reluctantly broke away. This time it was Lio’s turn to be disgruntled.
“There’s something I wanted to show you, Lio,” Galo murmured.
Lio’s eyes sparked with curiosity. “What?” he asked.
Grinning, Galo pressed his finger to Lio’s lips. “I’m going to show you,” he said.
Lio followed Galo through the garden and toward the rear of the grounds. He attempted to elicit details from Galo on the way, but Galo remained staunchly evasive. By the time they arrived at Galo’s destination, Lio was looking less than pleased.
Galo guided Lio into a building which had previously fallen into disrepair. It had once been the residence of Galo’s mother, the former emperor’s consort, but upon her death, it hadn’t been put to use. Galo intended that to change.
The building was small, but private. The garden surrounding it was lush with Galo’s mother’s favourite plants. Water features added to the peaceful atmosphere of the place.
Lio peered around curiously as Galo showed him to the bedroom. It had been completely redone with a large bed covered by soft fabrics, and beautifully decorated furniture and hangings. A platform had been built by the massive window. Moonlight streamed through, casting the room in a magical aura.
“Why are we here?” Lio inquired, his furrowed brow indicating that he was very confused by Galo’s little tour.
“Lio, this is yours now,” Galo announced.
Lio blinked, stunned. “Mine?” he questioned.
“Yours,” Galo confirmed, smiling widely. “You need a space of your own.” Not that he hadn’t enjoyed the nights Lio had spent sleeping in his room, but the space wasn’t suitable for a dragon. Galo had gone to great lengths to ensure that dragon-Lio as well as human-Lio would be comfortable here.
Lio turned in a slow circle, face contorting as he struggled to comprehend the weight of Galo’s words.
“Mine?” he repeated. “This entire building?”
Galo nodded eagerly, already noticing the flush of happiness blooming on Lio’s cheeks.
“Thank you,,” Lio whispered, his eyes bright. He touched the dark covers on the bed, their blue muted by the night.
“It’ll always be yours,” Galo promised. “No more cages. I promise.”
Lio turned and approached him. He leaned up on his tiptoes to kiss Galo’s mouth gently. Galo took hold of his hips, hands slotting into place like they belonged there.
“You’re a wonderful person, and you’ll be a wonderful emperor,” Lio murmured.
And that was the only blessing that truly meant anything to Galo.