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Chapter Text

Cedric watched from some distance as a series of carriages rolled into the courtyard, black and white horses trodding through a thin layer of snow as they went. The royal family - King Roland and Queen Miranda, Prince James, Princess Amber and Princess Sofia, and Baileywick off to the side - were all present and lined up despite the weather to greet the new arrivals to the kingdom. Cedric was vaguely aware of who occupied the carriages: the royal family of the kingdom of Wyrmdene, apparently. He didn’t know much about Wyrmdene, only that it was tucked away in some snow-filled valley somewhere. They’d be right at home in all this frost, he figured.

The carriages came to a stop, and the standard proceedings of any royal visit began. A footman opened the door of the first carriage, out of which came a man who was most obviously the king of Wyrmdene (King Nestor, if Cedric recalled correctly). He was a large, smiling man with a long, black beard, who was wrapped up in furs and expensive fabrics. His ever so slightly gaudy appearance seemed to match his jovial mood. He was typical of a great deal of kings that Cedric had encountered over the years. He was entirely disinteresting.

The woman who followed Nestor from the carriage, who must have been Queen Vanessa, was at first glance both as uninteresting as her husband was and lacking in the glamour he sported. She was a very simple-looking woman with a very unmemorable face, ordinary blonde hair and plain manner of dress. It was a rather contrary sight for a queen to be so exceptionally ordinary that it was actually rather interesting in itself when one actually stopped to think about it. Was Vanessa truly as simple as she looked or was her manner of presentation an implication of something else?

“Ah, King Roland,” Nestor greeted in what was almost a bellow, and he reached out his hand for his Enchancian counterpart to shake. Baileywick grimaced, obviously displeased that Nestor hadn’t waited for any sort of official presentation.

“King Nestor,” Roland nodded with a smile and took the other king’s hand, “It has been many years, hasn’t it?”

“Too long, good sir, too long,” Nestor grinned, “Allow me to introduce you to my wife and right hand, Queen Vanessa, and our dear children.”

On cue, another footman opened the door to the second carriage. The first children to step out of the carriage were a pair of rather glamorous boys who looked to be around Amber and James’ age. One had a very pale, rigid face, as if he was chronically in a bad mood. His hair was slicked back smartly and his blue clothes were crisp and clean. The other one had a sunkissed, radiant face, as if he spent much time playing in the sun. His hair was loose and curled, and his red clothes flowed elegantly. The two boys were strikingly dissimilar, with their dark hair and blue eyes being their only obvious similarities at first glance, which was why Nestor’s next sentence caught Cedric rather off guard.

“These are our twin boys, Lysander and Dorian,” Nestor gestured to the boys, “I doubt you’ll guess who is who.”

“Twins?” Amber gasped, nudging James, “Oh, just like us!”

“I thought you’d enjoy that,” Roland smiled.

“Would you like to guess who is who?” the sunkissed boy asked with a bow, “And make a game of it? Or would you prefer us to tell you?”

“A game, definitely,” James answered.

“Well, I think you’re Lysander,” Sofia guessed.

“As do I,” Amber agreed.

“I’m afraid you’re both wrong, Princesses,” the boy grinned, “I’m Dorian. My brother is Lysander.”

Lysander merely nodded, a frown permanently plastered on his face.

By now, a little girl quite a few years younger than Sofia was eagerly clambering out of the carriage. The sight of her was rather jarring for one simple reason; her hair was a vibrant shade of pink. Clearly, based on the reactions of her parents, it was not meant to be that way.

“Ah, and this is our darling Cosmas,” Nestor explained, feeling rather embarrassed, “I assure you, she’s usually a beautiful blonde…”

“Too much fun with Lenore, I’d imagine,” Vanessa commented.

Another figure stepped out of the carriage, chasing after Cosmas with their arms outstretched. They were an adult, dressed in long, billowing robes that were somewhere between lilac and cornflower in colour, a violet cloak lined with white leopard fur shielding them from the cold. A hood obscured their hair and a portion of their face. Cedric’s eyes widened. It wasn’t often that anybody other than sorcerers wore those sorts of robes. Was this person perhaps his Wyrmdenian counterpart?

“ Ah, ah, ah, shiqthe! ” the person cried as they quickly snatched up a now wandering Cosmas, “ Cosmas, fin dominus! ”

Oh, this person was definitely a sorcerer, Cedric realised. He knew the language they were speaking all too well. He had been educated in a few languages; English, Latin and the faintest bit of German. He was also fluent in the language being spoken here: Matra Magica, the language of sorcerers. Of course, the words this strange sorcerer were speaking weren’t exactly as elegant as they sounded - Hey, hey, hey, shit! Cosmas, fucking gods!

“My bad,” the sorcerer gasped, wrangling the small girl into place next to her brothers, “Oh, beg pardon, Highnesses, Cosmas is… Cosmas.”

“A wanderer,” Vanessa explained, “A wanderer, an escape artist and no doubt the death of all of us, give her the time.”

“Thank you, Lenore,” Nestor waved his hand then turned back to Roland, “And that is our royal sorcerer, Lenore of the North Star.”

“Greetings,” Roland nodded to Lenore.

“ Rex, oy, ” Lenore replied with a bow.

Roland gestured to his own children.

“These are my own twins, James and Amber, and my youngest daughter Sofia,” he introduced them.

“Ah, Sofia. Your stepdaughter, no?” Nestor inquired.

“Yes, but she’s as much my daughter as Amber is,” Roland said, “Blood relation or not.”

Cedric didn’t have to see Sofia’s face to know what she was thinking. Roland might say that, but his actions told a different story. That was something Sofia had confessed to him herself.

“Well, three beautiful little charges you have,” Nestor grinned.

“I’m sure you and our own will become good friends,” Vanessa said to the trio.

Sofia smiled at the Wyrmdenian royals. She certainly hoped so.

“Shall we head inside?” Roland offered, “We can continue our visit in the warmth of the castle.”

“I assure you, we are no strangers to the cold,” Nestor chuckled, then upon seeing Baileywick’s glare continued, “Nevertheless, it would be more appropriate to conduct our business inside.”

The two royal families then began to make their way into the castle, moving in a great congregation up the stairs. Cedric made to duck behind a hedge, not exactly keen on being spotted. Nothing escaped the watchful eye of King Roland, however, and the pair made eye contact almost immediately. Shiqthe.

“Ah, Lenore,” Roland gestured to Cedric, “That there is our own royal sorcerer, Cedric. Perhaps the two of you would get along, if he’s interested in speaking to you?”

“Perhaps,” Lenore repeated, and as the royals continued up the stairs, the sorcerer instead chose to skitter over to where Cedric stood.

“ Cedric, oy, ” Lenore greeted, waving her hand in a relaxed motion.

“You know, you’re the first person I’ve met in a long time to use Matra Magica so openly,” Cedric mused, looking the sorcerer up and down.

Lenore paused and looked at Cedric for a moment.

“I’m loving the hair,” she commented, “Like two crescent moons framing your face in the night sky.”

Cedric was taken aback by this. Since when did people compliment him unprovoked? Asides Sofia, of course. And why the poeticism?

He took a moment to analyse Lenore’s appearance. Now that she was closer, he could make out her headband, the pink trim on her robes and the many pink opals she wore as jewellery, her eyes that didn’t know whether they were green or blue, and her hair, which was as silver as his.

“You’re… you’re something of an adra yourself,” he admitted. Adra - beauty.

“ Obvasa ,” Lenore smirked, and she tossed her hood back. A length of silver, curled hair tumbled down her back. As she moved, the hair began to shimmer in rivers of rainbow hues.

“H-How did you do that?” Cedric asked. There was no way such hair was not the result of magical interference.

“One of my favourite spells,” Lenore explained, waving her wand, “Tresses holographa. I can do it to yours, if you’d like.”

“Er, no thank you,” Cedric shook his head. He wasn’t a fan of letting people touch his hair, except if it was Sofia - or his mother. Not after the Incident. Too many bad memories.

He shivered. Now was not the time to think about that sort of thing.

“Suit yourself,” Lenore smiled with a chuckle, “I don’t blame you, it is a bit silly. I enjoy it, though.”

“I’m much more partial to sensibility,” Cedric peered down his nose.

“Which is why you have two white streaks in your hair?” Lenore teased, putting her hands on her hips.

“That was not my doing,” Cedric hissed, “I’ve never been able to fix those.”

“As I said, they look nice on you,” Lenore complimented, “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Yes, well,” Cedric grumbled, “We should go inside.”

“You may if you like,” Lenore shrugged, turning to face the sky, “I should ensure all my dragons arrive safely first.”

“Y-Your dragons?” Cedric stammered.

Lenore stepped up onto a small brick wall and laughed.

“So you lot invited the Royal Family of Dragon Valley to visit your kingdom, and you didn’t expect them to bring some reptilian familiars along?” she asked, savouring Cedric’s obvious ignorance.

“I had absolutely no idea…” Cedric mumbled as dark shapes began to appear within the shadowy clouds. The etymology behind the name ‘Wyrmdene’ finally began to click in his mind.

Then Lenore howled into the sky, and the dragons descended upon the earth, and Cedric was left to wonder what on earth the kingdom had gotten itself into.

Chapter Text

Cedric and Lenore weren’t in the ballroom where the two royal families had gathered. This was something Sofia had quickly noticed and had briefly taken note of before turning her attention to the visiting royals. Vanessa stayed well within her husband’s shadow while Lysandre marched along beside him. Dorian trailed behind, appearing rather uncomfortable with the processions. Sofia could certainly sympathise with him.

“I’ve had rooms prepared for you all on the upper floors,” Roland spoke to Nestor, “Baileywick will show you the way there, as he will to the dining hall. Shall we eat in an hour?”

“Certainly,” Nestor replied, “Perhaps I could have my sorcerer spice up dinner with a wee show as well?”

“Oh, yes!” Dorian clapped, “Lenore’s awesome!”

“Lemon!” Cosmas chimed in.

Lysandre said nothing grumbled. Roland turned to Miranda.

“I’m sure the children would appreciate that,” Roland said, “Your thoughts?”

“That sounds splendid,” Miranda agreed.

“Could Mr. Cedric help out?” Sofia asked, tugging at Roland’s sleeve, “He’s been practising lots of new spells recently.”

“Er, I think one sorcerer will be enough for tonight,” Roland replied, gently brushing Sofia’s hand away.

Sofia frowned. Gosh, why was Roland always so quick to dismiss Cedric like that. Well, she knew why, but still. It wasn’t fair. Cedric was a great sorcerer. They just couldn’t see that.

“I’m interested in hearing more about Wyrmdene,” Roland went on, turning back to Nestor, “I understand that your coal exports are some of the best quality on the market, which we will discuss come morning, but what else is there to your kingdom that we might find of interest?”

Without warning, Lenore appeared next to the royals in a puff of blue smoke, making everyone jump ever so slightly. There was a sly smirk on their face, as if they were plotting something.

“Roland Rex,” they bowed, “You want to know Wyrmdene, yes? I can tell you all you’d ever want to know about our valley.”

“Lemon! Lemon!” Cosmas cried, and would’ve bolted right across the floor to the sorcerer if Vanessa hadn’t snatched her up.

“By all means,” Roland offered, appearing rather stunned by Lenore’s sudden arrival. How had they known what he’d wanted?

Sofia was the only person to notice Nestor’s grimace as Roland allowed Lenore to speak. That was odd. Did Nestor not appreciate Lenore’s assistance? Perhaps? Perhaps they and Cedric would get along better than anyone would’ve thought…

Lenore revealed their wand from within their sleeve and began to sway around erratically, hypnotically, telling a story with their movements.

“Wyrmdene,” they narrated, conjuring above them an illustration of the kingdom, presented as a magical constellation, “Dragon Valley, or originally, Thokaheill Dalr. The first thing you ought to know about Wyrmdene is that it is not our land to claim. We are mere guests in Thokaheill Dalr, subject to the rule of the dragons, whether or not we believe it.”

“Th-The implication there is a little more extreme than the truth,” Nestor stammered, “Wyrmdenian history is, well, muddy.”

“A land rich with culture, history and magic, riddled with resources and life,” Lenore described, “A populus stretching from the frozen summit of Mount Polaris to the snow-cloaked trees of the Forest Franz, from the mists of the Black Sound to the depths of the deepest caves. And then the people came.”

The constellation began to warp and change as Lenore danced. Sofia gazed at it in wonder.

“Thokaheill Dalr became Wyrmdene. The dragons were exiled from their own lands, forced to hide away in the maddening solitude of the valley’s deepest depths, while their highland home was invaded by we cruel humans,” Lenore explained as the constellation shifted shape, “For decades the settlers went on with their pioneering ways, slowly stripping the land of its natural resources, mining ribbons of coal from its rocks and felling acres of trees from its forests. The dragons were left with nothing, shunned away from their own home. It was only when Rigel, the legendary Elder Dragon of the Siriuskind, first stole away my elder, Anastasia of the Bright Star, that wrongs were able to be righted again. Anastasia was raised by the dragons, as were all my elders, and as was I. Anastasia was the first Wyrmdenian to learn Malkind, the language of the dragons, and was the first to unite the dragons of Thokaheill Dalr and the Wyrmdenian kingdom as one people. For generations since, chosen children have been stolen away by the dragons to be raised among them, so as to ensure peaceful relations are maintained. I am the present Dragonchild, Lenore of Polariskind. Sorcerer by coincidence.”

Lenore bowed, and the constellation above fractured into a shower of sparkles which rained down upon the royal families before fading away. Cosmas squealed in delight.

“Wait, so you were raised by dragons?” James gasped.

“Indeed, by the dragons of Polariskind to be precise,” Lenore replied, “Until Nestor Rex decided to take me to the palace and train me to be a sorcerer.”

“And you can speak to dragons?” Sofia asked, habitually grasping her amulet.

Lenore smiled at Sofia, then let out the strangest little combination of noises the princess had ever heard, like a bird from some foreign land. An instant passed, then a bright green dragon the size of a raven appeared on Lenore’s shoulder.

“This is Timewhence,” Lenore introduced the little lizard, “He is the youngest of my dragon family.”

Timewhence chattered something in Lenore’s ear and peered at the royal families with mild disdain. Lenore chattered something back, to which Timewhence responded curtly. Little did either of them know that Sofia could understand their every word.

“ Are dees da monarchist pillocks yas was telling us about? ” Timewhence whispered.

“ Yes, but spare the children if you please, they have done no wrong. It is the adults we have grievances with, ” Lenore replied.

“ Wees certainly do, ” Timewhence hissed.

“Woah!” James exclaimed, “She really can talk to dragons!”

“That’s our Lenore for you,” Dorian grinned.

“What did he say?” Amber asked.

“He says that he’s pleased to meet you,” Lenore translated - rather incorrectly, naturally.

Lenore turned to Roland, a smile plastered on their face.

“Any questions?” they asked.

“I think you’ve answered more questions than I initially had,” Roland replied.

“You’ve been very informative, thank you, Lenore,” Miranda said.

“Sanka,” Lenore bowed.

“Er, Lenore,” Nestor interrupted, “Both Roland and I would much appreciate it if you were to-”

“Put on a little magic show over dinner, yes?” Lenore finished.

“I’ll never understand how she does that,” Dorian whispered to Sofia.

“Ah, yes,” Nestor confirmed, “Nothing too over the top, of course, fear not. Will you be able to arrange a little something in, say, forty-five minutes?”

Lenore laughed.

“Will I be able to?” they scoffed.

“That’s good to hear,” Nestor replied, “Until then-”

“Um, Lenore, do you have any more dragons with you?” James interrupted.

“A few, yes,” Lenore replied, kneeling down so as to be at James’ eye level.

“Can we meet them?” James asked.

“James, manners,” Amber rolled her eyes, “But yes, Lenore, may we meet them? Please?”

“You can meet then right now, if you’d like,” Lenore offered.

“Oh, yes please!” Sofia gasped.

That was all the convincing Lenore needed. Before either kings or queens could object, the sorcerer was striding out of the ballroom with five of the six children in tow like some sort of pied piper.

“ Why do yas play into day every whims? ” Timewhence hissed, “ Day noble nuffings. ”

“ Oh, leave them be, ” Lenore reassured him, “ What harm can bringing some delight to a few kids do? Besides, one of them isn’t even blood royal. That one in the purple. She used to be a village girl, I hear. ”

“ Class traitor! ” Timewhence growled, “ Blood don’t mean nuffing, she still a pillock. ”

“ Come now, ” Lenore scolded, “ She can’t exactly control the actions of her mother, can she? ”

“ Guess not, ” Timewhence shrugged, and that was that.

Chapter Text

“Damn, it’s good to be outta there,” Lenore sighed as she haphazardly shoved the doors to the palace open and stepped out into the fresh air. Light levels were dipping lower and lower, and light snow had begun to drift down from the sky above.

“Too right,” Dorian agreed.

“So, where are your dragons?” James asked, sneaking out of the palace behind her.

“Down on the drive, I think,” Lenore replied, “Unless they’ve moved.”

“I see them,” Amber said, pointing to a group of winged reptiles laying in the middle of the courtyard.

“Just be careful how you treat them,” Lenore warned.

“Yeah, we know,” James shrugged as he darted down the steps towards them, “They’re fire-breathing dragons after all.”

Dorian took  off with a start, keen on following James. Sofia and Amber chose to stay with Lenore, interested in what she had to say about the dragons.

“Actually, I was gonna say that they’re my family,” Lenore mumbled, following James down the steps.

“What are their names?” Sofia asked, following closely behind.

Lenore pointed to the largest dragon in the group; a huge dragon with tough, dark grey scales and wings that had a fair portion of tears within the membrane. This dragon looked too big to fit inside even the largest horse stable.

“See that big one there?” Lenore replied, “That’s Grimald. He’s the eldest warrior dragon in our family.”

“He looks fearsome,” Amber commented, analysing the dragon’s yellow-green eyes and the thick layer of spikes that trailed down his back.

“ Yous bet yas ass, ” Timewhence growled.

“He’s an absolute sweetheart,” Lenore said, “You just gotta hang around him a little bit before you figure that out.”

“Lenore thinks that every dragon is a sweetheart,” Dorian added with a grin.

“Because they are!” Lenore defended.

Sofia pointed to two smaller dragons, both the size of large leopards, who both had silverish-grey, speckled scales. One had sky blue eyes and was slightly bulkier. The other had indigo eyes and was considerably  sharper.

“What about those ones?” Sofia asked.

“Oh, those two are Pluto and Sound,” Lenore explained, “They’re my riding dragons. Pluto is quite strong, so he’s good at flying long distances and in bad weather. Sound is faster than you could possibly imagine, and she’s really good for maneuverability and stunt flying.”

“Oh, neat! I do a bit of stunt flying with my derby horse,” Sofia added.

“It’s fun, isn’t it?” Lenore grinned.

“Really?” Dorian asked, “You ought to show us.”

“Oh, but certainly!” Amber said, “Sofia is the best stunt flyer in the kingdom, I assure you!”

Suddenly James let out a shout. A flurry of blackbird-sized, butterfly-looking creatures with buzzing wings and colourful scales were darting around him and Dorian like dragonflies. Dorian wasn’t too phased, choosing to instead laugh as they dove into his dark locks of hair.

“Woah!” James gasped, “What are these?”

“Oh, those are the pixie dragons,” Lenore replied, “Pika, Titi, Juno, Seek and Starsprite.”

“They’re everywhere back home, little swarms of them,” Dorian added, “They’re adorable, really.”

The pixie dragons were chattering away as they danced around James, hissing and chirping and spitting and popping. Sofia listened carefully to their words, but couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. Their accents were too thick, and there were too many of them talking all at once.

“Don’t feel threatened by them,” Lenore reassured the children, “They’re more so afraid of you than anything else, because you’re so big and they’re so small. They’re only aggressive out of necessity, a bit like a chihuahua except not as unhinged.”

Amber went over to examine the pixies and Dorian went to say hello to the bigger dragons. The sharp dragon with indigo eyes, Sound, padded up to Lenore and nuzzled against her leg, blowing thick trails of smoke as she went.

“Woah,” Sofia murmured. Of course, she’d seen dragons before, but never one like this.

“ These are the royal children, I presume? ” Sound spoke, gesturing her head towards them. Her voice was low and gruff, which contrasted with her cutting elegance. She continued to walk in circles around Lenore, her serrated claws leaving distinct tracks in the snow.

“ Amber, James and Sofia, ” Lenore replied, “ I think Sofia may take a shine to you. She’s a derby stunt flyer, apparently. ”

“ Really? ” Sound pondered, “ We’ll have to show her what we’re capable of, then. ”

“ Yes, but remember not to show off, ” Lenore rolled her eyes with a smile, “ We don’t want to scare off the poor kid, do we? ”

“ I thought showing off was your favourite aspect of stunt flying? ” Sound teased.

Lenore laughed.

“You know, I’d love to watch the two of you do some stunt flying some day,” Sofia chimed in, winking at Sound.

“ D-Did she know what we were just…? ” Sound murmured.

“We could show you at some point during our visit,” Lenore offered, “Not tonight, obviously, but another day, if the weather’s still as good as it is now.”

“I can’t see it getting worse,” Sofia shrugged.

“Yeah, you and I probably have a very different definition of ‘worse’ weather,” Lenore said.

“ A clear sky has its merits, you know, ” Sound rolled her eyes, “ Bad weather isn’t the only decent time to fly, though I know Pluto would disagree. ”

“Oh, so you like flying in bad weather?” Sofia asked Lenore.

Sound jumped back in shock.

“ Oh, stop that! ” she hissed, “ Oh, that’s so creepy, it’s like she can understand me! ”

“I can understand you,” Sofia said to Sound and gestured to the purple pendant that sat on her chest, “My amulet gave me the power to talk to animals.”

Sound’s jaw just about hit the gravel below. Lenore’s eyes widened too, if only briefly.

“Ah,” she said, “Oh, so… so you can understand dragons just like I can?”

Sofia nodded. Lenore paused, then shrugged as if it was the most natural thing in the world. To a person raised by dragons, it probably was, Sofia realised. Suddenly, Sound let out a barking laugh.

“ Oh no! ” she screeched, “ Oh no, Timewhence! Timewhence, you’re fucked! ”

“ Whaz dis? ” Timewhence’s ears pricked up. He’d been hunched over on Lenore’s shoulder, not really paying attention.

“ She can understand Malkind! ” Sound wheezed, gesturing to Sofia “ You can’t shit-talk the royals in public anymore! Your only hobby is buggered! ”

Timewhence’s scales turned a bluish hue.

“ Wells, ” he said indignantly, “ Wells, if she haz any sense, she let us speak our minds anyway. Otherwise she be proving wees dragons right! That all da royals are hiztory censoring bugwaffles! ”

“I’m not sure what you mean by that,” Sofia admitted, “But I’m not gonna stop anyone from speaking their mind, I promise.”

“Don’t worry about him,” Lenore reassured her, “I admit, us dragonkind don’t exactly favour the royals, but we’re not going to disturb the peace and happiness of your kingdom unless we are provoked. Timewhence is rather verbal about his thoughts compared to the rest of my family, but he’s no more hostile than me.”

“You don’t seem very hostile,” Sofia raised an eyebrow.

“Exactly,” Lenore winked.

A shout from Amber suddenly interrupted the pair. They looked over to see the aforementioned princess being swarmed by pixie dragons as James had been. This time, however, the small dragons were tugging at the jewels she wore, trying to snatch then away from her and claim them for themselves. Amber was struggling to shoo them away, clutching her jewellery tightly and fighting to get away from the pixies as they droned in her ears.

“Lenore!” she cried, swatting at the dragons, “Hey, leave that! Er, how do you get them to leave you alone?”

A low whistle rang out across the courtyard, and Sofia looked over to see Lysandre with two fingers between his lips. She watched as the pixie dragons began to buzz rather aggressively, then slowly hovered through the air towards him. He held out his spare arm, and all five of them landed upright on his arm like obedient falcons, gripping his sleeve with their pinprick talons.

“Bravo, Lys,” Dorian clapped.

“That’s how,” Lenore answered, placing her hands on her hips.

“The pixies possess a tendency to seek out jewels and other valuables. They often try to steal them away for themselves,” Lysandre explained. It was the first time they’d heard him speak all day. His voice was deep and mature, and dripped of black oil.

“A low whistle usually gets them to stop,” Dorian added, “We’ve trained them so that they’ll fly right up to your arm and sit there when you whistle, kinda like a messenger bird.”

“They haven’t really been trained ,” Lenore corrected, “And they’re not stealing. They’re just trying to take back what was once theirs.”

“What do you mean?” Amber asked, “My jewellery was never theirs, was it?”

Lenore sighed.

“It’s kind of a difficult topic,” she said, “Jewels such as your own are incredibly important to pixie culture. They’re one of the most valued things in pixie society.”

“I can understand why,” Amber commented, “They’re so rare and beautiful, after all.”

“Moreso than that, they’re sacred,” Lenore explained, “It takes an unfathomably long time for a single crystal to grow, and they can be so easily damaged to irreversible extremes. To break, remove or even touch growing minerals is tabu. It’s the same as someone cutting down a thousand year old tree. Totally reprehensible.”

“So the pixie dragons don’t like it when we take minerals and turn then into jewellery?” Sofia asked, “Because it damages them forever?”

“Precisely,” Lenore nodded, “Of course, crystals that break naturally are considered fair game, so you’re allowed to take those that you find merely lying around or whatever. But then, it’s also considered distasteful to hoard them all for yourself. If one doesn’t have an intended use for the mineral, then a dragon will usually leave it alone.”

Lenore strode over to the pixie dragons perched on Lysander's shoulder and spoke to them softly. They peered up at her with gold-green slit eyes, maintaining an unblinking gaze.

“ These jewels are not yours, ” Lenore said gently, stroking their heads and gesturing to Amber, “ They have never belonged to the dragons; they did not originate from Thokaheill Dalr and are thus not sacred. ”

Sofia listened as one of the pixies hissed something in a thick accent. Lenore smiled softly at the little dragon, and it was a sort of sad smile.

“ I know, Starsprite, but Enchancian culture is different to that of our own. They do not consider their jewels to be sacred as we do, and we must respect that if we are to be respected ourselves, ” she comforted, “ Amber’s jewellery is her property. If you stole it from her, you’d be no better than Nestor. No matter your good intentions. ”

The pixie dragon hesitated, then nodded contently. It gazed over at Amber and purred, muttering something to Lenore - a question, Sofia realised.

“ Yes, she does appear to value her crystals, doesn't she? ” Lenore smiled, “ I believe she must take good care of them, and that’s the best that we can ask for. ”

“I don’t get it,” James interrupted, “So, the dragons own the crystals in your kingdom?”
“Not ‘own’, necessarily, but close enough,” Lenore replied, “Dragons don’t believe in owning the natural, but for all intents and purposes, let's just say that they do.”

“So, the people stole the crystals from the dragons, right?” James asked.

“Mm-hm,” Lenore nodded, “Remember how I told you about the settlers? They decided to take Wyrmdene for themselves partially due to the rich mineral deposits from which they could mine rare and valuable crystals. The first royals of Wyrmdene knew that amassing such wealth would allow them to engage in economics and trade. The mineral trade was one of the key cornerstones of the formation of the kingdom.”

“Which is why there’s a diamond on your coat of arms?” Amber commented, who now looked very interested in what Lenore was talking about.

Lenore nodded.

“And that diamond is why I wear the opals gifted to me by my first Elder dragon, Azoni,” she replied, “Azoni was Frigo’s older brother, and was the Elder of Polariskind before he was taken from us.”

“What do you mean?” Sofia asked, “By opals, I mean?”

“You ever heard of birthstones?” Lenore asked.

“Oh, yeah!” Sofia’s eyes lit up, “Mine is an opal. Yours must be too, right?”

“Yep,” Lenore nodded, “October also happens to be on the opposite end of the year from April - the diamond month. So the opal is, like, my petty little way of rejecting the kingdom's influence.”

“You really don’t like Wyrmdene, do you?” Amber frowned.

“They really don’t,” Dorian chimed in.

“I love Thokaheill Dalr,” Lenore clarified, “I love the land; it really is a beautiful place. I love the dragons who live there. But I hate the kingdom of Wyrmdene. I hate the royals, and I hate the things that people have done to it. 

Lenore strode over to Pluto and Grimald and stroked their heads in greeting before turning back to the children.

Of course, I’d never leave,” she said, “Because it’s the home of the dragons, and I am of dragonkind, no matter my species. It’s my home, and I’m not going to be forced out of my home by invaders.”

“The settlers really were like invaders, weren’t they?” James commented, still working things out in his head, “Taking over the land and stealing the dragons’ stuff and all. But surely things have changed now, right? Why don’t the people give back what their ancestors took? I mean, it seems so unfair. The people have a kingdom and a home now, so why don’t they repay the dragons as a sort of thanks and a ‘we’re sorry’?”

Lenore was silent for a long moment. It was as if her body had frozen up, and there was an indecipherable look in her eyes. Then she laughed. It was a great, sudden laugh, and then she was barking as Sound had been, clutching her sides, quite unable to stand.

“Oh!” she gasped, “Oh, you amuse me, boy! Give back what they stole? Compensate for their actions? Oh, that’s brilliant!”

She rightened herself, and she was still smiling, but all could tell that she wasn’t in a good mood. Her next words dripped with resentment despite the grin on her face, and in all honesty, Sofia was a little fazed by it.

“Shit has not changed. Wyrmdene isn’t that old, you know,” she cackled, “ Nestor no chin is only, what, the fourth king? And lemme tell you, he’s just like his great grandfather. A completely unforgivable cunt if there ever was one. The jewels on his very crown were stolen. You think he’d ever give them back? You think he’d ever return the land or the stolen sacred items back to the dragons? You think he’d even, perhaps, be open to the idea of a dual dragon-human society? Nai, sanka nai. Jakka ne!

Lenore let out a sigh, and then she wasn’t smiling anymore.

“I mean it when I say he’s unforgivable, by the way,” she said, “The man’s done a lot worse than steal some sacred objects and force the dragons out of their own land.”

“What do you mean?” Sofia asked, although she was afraid to find out. What could possibly be worse than that?

“I mean, Princess Sofia,” Lenore said with a glare of hatred in her eye, “That when I was but a child, he mercilessly slaughtered Azoni, the Elder dragon of Polariskind, right in front of me.”

Chapter Text

The dining hall was decorated in a simple yet grand manner. The table was set with shining cutlery and shimmering plates. The chairs were cushioned with goose feathers, the chandeliers had been dusted, and a red carpet had been rolled out. Everything was fit for a king, which was just as well, because the kings of Enchancia and Wyrmdene were presently seated at either head of the table, their families sitting beside them. Everyone was present and accounted for, at least in the case of Nestor’s family. There was an empty seat next to Miranda - Sofia appeared to be missing. Baileywick checked his pocket watch and considered going to look for the princess. She did make a habit of being fashionably late.

Nobody occupying the room noticed the flicker, the faint sound of scuttling claws or the rustle of the tablecloth…

“Why were you not keen on having your own sorcerer give us a show tonight?” Vanessa asked Roland with an icy gaze. It was such a sudden question that it caught him off guard.

“Er,” Roland pondered how best to phrase it without being rude, “You see, I wish for only the best in terms of both entertainment and safety for a royal visit such as this, and our sorcerer is… not necessarily first rate.”

“He’s a wonderful person, I assure you,” Miranda chimed in.

“He just has a bad habit of creating as much mayhem as he does magic,” Roland explained. Though he knew he should make up a lie and ease the blow on his kingdom's reputation, he couldn’t quite bring himself to under Vanessa’s gaze. Something told him that she’d catch on to his untruths as soon as they left his mouth. To be called out for lying would be an even greater shame.

“A second-rate sorcerer?” Vanessa mused, “Well, I believe he’d find himself much appreciated in the kingdom of Wyrmdene.”

“Oh, we couldn’t possibly get rid of him,” Roland said.

“We wouldn’t merely spirit him away, if that’s your concern,” Vanessa replied, “We’d offer a trade. Your sorcerer for ours.”

Miranda raised her eyebrow knowingly.

“Why, Queen Vanessa,” she gave her counterpart a smirk, “Are you trying to pawn off a third-rate sorcerer for our second-rate sorcerer?”

“Oh, goodness, no,” Vanessa shook her head with a sly grin, “No, that sort of scheme would be far too obvious, as you have just now proven.”

“What my darling means is,” Nestor interrupted, “Lenore is by all means first-rate, and that is precisely the problem. She’s too good, too powerful, and unfortunately bears a particular distaste for the Wyrmdene monarchy due to, shall we say, bad blood. We consider her a threat to the throne; though she has yet to act in any way that would pose a real danger, she absolutely has the power to do so.”

“We would be willing to take your sorcerer off your hands,” Vanessa concluded, “If it meant separating her from ourselves. I’m sure she’d bear no ill-will towards your kingdom, so she’d be no danger to yourself. It’s us she has a vendetta against, not you.”

“That is certainly quite the predicament you’ve found yourselves in,” Roland said, “Though, I’m sorry, but we cannot be rid of Cedric. Despite his shortcomings, he grew up here, and Enchancia is his home as much as it is ours. We cannot displace him in such a manner. It would be cruel and inhumane.”

“Besides, Sofia would miss him too much,” Miranda added.

“And his family has been a critical part of this kingdom for generations,” Roland finished, “His father was Goodwyn the Great, though you wouldn’t know it.”

“Then perhaps you’d take Lenore off our hands anyway?” Vanessa asked, “We’d even offer you a price.”

Again, there was a rustle of the tablecloth, a faint sound of scuttling claws, and finally, a flicker.

Out in the hallway outside the dining hall, a short distance from the doors, Lenore sat on the carpet looking over a piece of parchment, cushioned by their violet cloak, which they’d since taken off and folded into a pillow shape. They only looked up at the sound of clicking heels echoing ever closer, and smiled when they saw who it was that was approaching.

“Cedric, oy pa pa ,” they waved, “Are you here to watch my marvellous acts of magical majesty?”

“What are you doing?” Cedric peered down his nose.

“Magic act kinks, working them out. Uh… fuck, I’m thinking in like, three different languages at once at the moment, bear with me. Roland asked me to put on a show tonight,” Lenore explained, gesturing to the parchment, “I was given forty-five minutes to prepare, but I spent almost half of an hour introducing the kids to my family, so I haven’t got much time to sort it all out.”

They shrugged.

“She’ll be right,” they said, “If I can put together an improvised show on zero notice, I can certainly toss one together in ten minutes. If all else fails I’ll just break out the combination indoor fireworks and snowfall display, that usually keeps people happy for a while.”

“That’s hardly very professional of you,” Cedric commented.

“If Nestor wanted professionalism, he should’ve got a different guy for the job,” Lenore snorted, “He could’ve got you to do it, even. Why d’ya think Roland Bocha Paina didn’t want you involved in the show tonight anyway?”

“Sorry?” Cedric raised his eyebrow.

An instant passed, and then Timewhence was perched precariously on Cedric’s shoulder. The sorcerer let out what could almost be considered a shriek and dove to the ground to get away from the dragon. Timewhence, who appeared rather pleased with himself, leapt from Cedric’s shoulder and fluttered down to Lenore and began to fume.

“ I’s told yas! ” he cried, “ I’s told yas day no-good, treacherous, traitorous little- ”

“What the fuck is that?” Cedric cried, sitting up and pointing at Timewhence.

“Dragon,” Lenore shrugged.

“Where did it come from?!” Cedric breathed, “It was just ‘ere outta nowhere!”

“Oh, Timewhence can pause time,” Lenore explained, “Hence the name. He died in his egg prior to hatching a few years ago, but I was able to use time reversal magic to revive him and ensure he hatched. Turns out that sorta shit has consequences, at least in dragons. He pauses time whenever he sleeps, so he’s technically almost twice as old as he should be.”

“ Day talking about yas! ” Timewhence interrupted.

“ Oh? ” Lenore asked, “ What are they saying? ”

Cedric flinched.

“You talk to ‘em?” he asked.

“ Day saying stuffs about yas like, Lenore iz a threat to da throne! ” Timewhence detailed, “ Trying to trade yas away for a fella name Cedric. Nuffing yas ain’t heard before, buts… ”

“ What, him? ” Lenore gestured to Cedric.

“ Wha? Mistah Noseylonk over deer? ” Timewhence asked, peering at Cedric, who looked rather bewildered at present.

“ What were they saying about him? ” Lenore asked.

“ Day don’t wanna be rid of hims, ” Timewhence shook his head, “ Buts day saying stuffs like hims second-rate and talking of hims numerous shortcomings. ”

Lenore took a moment to think, and they found themself glaring at nothing in particular. It was at this moment that Sofia skipped down the hallway towards the dining room and spotted the trio.

“So sorry I’m late,” she apologised, “I got distracted in the library. Good to know your show hasn’t started yet, I’d hate to have missed it.”

“ Ya shiqthe mamla de Rex alla na? ” Lenore suddenly asked, turning to Cedric.

Does the King always treat you like shit?

Cedric was stunned by the question, and fumbled for an answer for a moment.

“ Alla, ” he replied, “ Sofia nai, ni alla shiqthe mamla de nyapon. ”

Always. Everyone always treats me like shit, except Sofia.

“ Le fin baska ne, ” Lenore hissed.

What a little fucking bastard.

“What are you two talking about?” Sofia asked, looking mildly concerned.

“Don’t worry,” Lenore shook their head, “Cedric, do you know a spell that can conjure water or rain?”

“Several,” Cedric replied, the bewilderment not once leaving his face, “Why? What are you planning?”

“I might know of a way you can partake in tonight's show, whether Roland likes it or not,” Lenore explained, “Wouldn’t that be nice, Sofia? You were certainly keen on him joining in on the fun, weren’t you?”

“I was,” Sofia nodded, “I am , but…”

She shot a worried look to Cedric, who shrugged, as in the dark as she was about what Lenore was planning.

“Alrighty,” Lenore smirked as they stood up and gathered their things, “I reckon it’s about time for showtime, ne? ”

“Er, Lenore,” Sofia murmured, tugging on the sorcerer's sleeve, “You know what you said earlier? About not making trouble in other kingdoms?”

“I don’t make promises I can’t keep, Sofia,” Lenore said in a soothing voice, patting Sofia’s head gently, “I promised never to disturb the peace unless I was provoked, and I always keep my word.”

“That’s not reassuring at all,” Cedric commented.