Chapter Text
In the courtyard of Hiryuu Castle, a very young girl with crimson hair ambled through the garden and hid under a blooming flower bush. Moments later a maid rushed by frantically glancing around.
“Princess Yona! Princess Yona!”
The royal toddler giggled but then quickly covered her mouth. Once the caretaker had left to search another area of the palace, little Yona scrambled out of her hiding spot. Hoping unevenly from foot-to-foot, she skipped over toward the koi pond. Once there she sat on a smooth rock and dipped her tiny fingers into the water. The koi – orange, black, and spotted – nibbled them in interest, expecting food. The princess’s laughter chimed. She leaned forward to take a closer look at the fish. She leaned too far, losing her balance and tumbling head first toward the rippling water.
“Aaah!-”
An arm looped around her waist and stopped her from falling in. The person holding her sunk back into a sitting position, pulling the princess into his lap.
“You gave Zeno a bit of a scare. There’s a reason little children aren’t supposed to wonder off by themselves.”
The crimson haired princess squirmed around to see her rescuer. He was a man-dragon made of sunlight. That was the impression left on the small child. His hair was a golden mane. His smile and eyes were warm. And even though he didn’t look like the dragons that decorated her home, little Yona just knew he was a dragon.
“Zeno supposes it is your first time being a child”, the man-dragon rambled with a touch of amusement, “You don’t know any better.”
She stared up at him, hands gripping tightly to his sleeve. Her mouth scrunched up as she struggled to find the right words.
“O-ou…wyuu.”
Zeno ignored the water welling up in his eyes and nodded, “Yeah. Zeno is Ouryuu.”
The princess frowned at the sight of tears and reached her arms up, hugging him around the neck. His blue eyes went wide in shock. After a moment Zeno returned the hug with one hand resting on the crown of her head.
“Yona!”
The calling of the Queen’s voice broke the moment. Zeno fought his reluctance – the dragon’s blood urging him to stay along with his own wishes – and moved the child from his lap. She looked up at him in confusion, just as reluctant to part as he was. Zeno patted her unruly hair one more time.
“Go on”, he smiled, “Zeno will be here.”
It was both a lie and the truth.
She nodded and then toddled off toward the sound of her mother. The Queen rounded the corner as her daughter ran up to her. The two shared the same violet eyes. However, where little Yona’s hair was a mess of crimson curls, the Queen had straight black hair that reached down to her hips.
“There you are”, the Queen sighed in relief, “What are you doing near the pond by yourself? You could have fallen in!”
Not appearing the slightest bit ashamed, little Yona grabbed her mother’s hand and tugged her toward the pond.
“What is it, sweetie?”
“Ouwyuu!”
They turned back around the corner; the koi pond once again in view. The spot Zeno had been sitting was empty. He was nowhere in sight. Yona’s eyes brimmed with sadness as if she understood it would be a long time before she saw the sunny man-dragon again.