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On the week before his twenty-first birthday, Satoru took flight amongst the clouds, traveling to a kingdom he’d not visited in years.
As the crowned prince of the his powerful clan, he was remarkable in his dragon form: a white so pure that it shocked even older dragons with brilliant blue eyes. He was vibrant during the day, his scales glimmering in the sunlight, and a terrifying creature in the night with his glowing eyes. Sharp claws and even sharper teeth made him formidable, his scales impenetrable by human weapons. His wingspan was massive, strong enough to create a gust of wind to knock enemies down.
No other dragon even came close to matching his speed and agility in the sky. He’d bested grown dragons even as a youngling. And if all other dragons were beneath him, then humans and their pathetic attempts at magic were even further below him.
Gone were the days when dragons ruled the land, but with Satoru’s birth, a new dawn was on the horizon. After being hunted down and shunted off to dark lands, he swore to bring dragons back to its former power and make all those who defied them rue the day they had turned their backs on his clan.
And it would all come to an end with the first kingdom who betrayed them.
There had been a brief time of peace between dragons and humans. Back when Satoru was little more than a youngling, just ten years of age, he had gone with his parents to visit other kingdoms and treat with the members of their court. Satoru had found human customs strange, if not a little boring. There were so many formalities to them, each kingdom with different ones that he was forced to learn. He didn’t mind the fancy clothes, though he found them stifling, and was amused by what humans flaunted as wealth.
Like many of the elder dragons, his parents had hoped to form diplomatic relations with humans in order to build a more settled version of peace, perhaps even gain more land. Dragons, after all, were not meant to be confined to small places. A caged dragon, for example, would never grow to the size and strength of a free one, and each generation seemed born smaller than the last.
Satoru had traveled to these kingdoms, mingled with their humans, and tolerated their customs. He hadn’t been known as a particularly polite youngling, alternating between a bored affect or mocking behavior. Right from the start, it was obvious to him that these humans were beneath him, so he could never understand the point of catering to them.
“Would you have us treat you with such disregard and rudeness in your own home?”
Her voice seemed to drift through the wind as he flew over the foreign kingdom. Five years had passed since he’d last crossed paths with the princess, but he could not shake her from his mind. Dragons were known for being selfish creatures, often hoarding what they believed was theirs, which was one of the reasons why humans had conspired against them.
Though she was not his, Satoru held the princess with the same selfish regard in his heart.
This far up in the sky, none of their weapons nor any magic would be able to reach him. He could safely coast the sky above their castle, his keen eyesight allowing him to see miles away. The kingdom was different from what he remembered: lusher, greener, and stronger. Even at this height, he could sense old and strong magic woven through the castle and surrounding land. He flew closer, curious to see what else had changed, only to be taken aback when a startling realization struck him.
It wasn’t just strong magic that was seeped into the very roots of this kingdom. It was her magic.
Landing this close to the castle would be too dangerous, not that Satoru had anything to fear. If he were to perhaps find somewhere more private to land, he could shift into his human form and sneak in undetected by hiding his visage, but with his massive size and well of power, it would be difficult to find. As eager as he was to see her now, he knew he had to be patient.
After all, she might not belong to him now, but she would be his in a week’s time.
Over the past three years, after he’d taken over as the head of the dragon clan, Satoru had made a series of calculated decisions that led him to this moment. His parents might have striven for peace, but Satoru knew that peace with humans could only come from conquering them. They had made their choice after betraying the dragons – using dark magic to kill and steal from them, pushing them out of their own homeland. It was Satoru’s birthright to deal the punishment for their crimes, and he had done so in spades.
Humans were not nearly as quick to spit at a dragon, much less attack one. His kind could fly a little freer these days without fear of being shot down. After the first two kingdoms were felled, others were quick to take the knee and offer tributes to them. Satoru was merciful. He only killed a select few while others were enslaved. The more important humans were used as gifts.
A dragon’s birthday was one of the most important days and occassions in his clan. It was the one time in which a dragon gave a gift instead of keeping something for themselves, and the higher in strength and status a dragon was, the more lavish their gift should be. Even in the darkest of their days, members of his clan had fought to give him the best gift for his birthday. He could spend days counting gold and jewels and make a nest out of all the fine furs and clothes he was offered.
However, the most important gift a dragon received, given to them after their eighteenth birthday, was a bride. It wasn’t in the same conventional sense that humans lived. A bride was not a wife; they were a sacrifice. Some lived, some died. In the times of old, when dragons reigned supreme, kingdoms across the land would choose a bride amongst their people to be sent to the crowned dragon king and prince. The weight of their sacrifice decided the importance of their gift and how they would be rewarded in return.
A lady of nobility, a young woman of great beauty, a girl with exceptional musical talents, a knight of well-renowned, and even sometimes a princess or prince.
What a dragon of nobility did with their bride was up to them, all of which depended on a few factors: what kingdom they were from, the weight of their sacrifice, and the dragon’s whim that day. A pretty girl with a beautiful singing voice was nice, but did they hold the same price as a princess? The wrong bride could be considered a slight. His own father had once been gifted an old farmer’s wife from another dragon who wished to usurp him.
Satoru had been gifted multiple brides since he’d turned eighteen and taken over the clan, all of which had varied in importance, but he had his heart set on only one this year.
Princess Utahime.
*
Brides were presented in a different manner of fashions: sometimes they were dressed in resplendant gowns, designed to be shown off as an expensive gift; other times, they were weighted down in chains as the spoils of war. It all depended on the bearer of the gift and the message they wanted to convey.
Satoru pictured Utahime bound in rope, her arms trapped tightly against her sides, with her mouth gagged with cloth. She would no doubt put up a fight with any dragon that attempted to capture her, and as small and weak as humans were, she was clever. She would not go quietly or easily. He dreamed of her wounding the dragon, spitting venom at them, seething with a fire only dragons could normally bellow, only to be dragged kicking and screaming before him.
Therefore, when she approached his throne with her wrists free and her head held high, Satoru was suprised.
And secretly delighted.
Utahime had brought herself to him of her own accord.
She was dressed in a simple gown, but that didn’t make her any less beautiful. In their youth, she had been forced into beautiful dresses fit for a princess, but he noticed, as she bowed before him, that she was fitted in a plain dress that befitted more of someone in the lower court.
It was a slight against him – and he loved it.
“My kingdom wishes to grant its utmost congratulations,” Utahime declared as she curtseyed, “for your twenty-and-first birthday.”
Satoru leaned forward on his throne. “And what is their gift for me?”
Utahime lifted her gaze to meet his through her dark eyelashes, still lowered in a bow. “The highest gift they could offer.”
A shiver ran down Satoru’s spine, a tingle of Utahime’s magic rippling in the air. Humans may have originally stolen magic from dragons, but it was buried deep in her bones. He could sense it, struggling not to shift in his chair as it flowed around him. The other dragons and humans in the room would be able to feel it as well, the slight swell making them suck in a breath.
It was a game. Her kingdom was the last to fall. He had meant for it to be the first, but his pride had gotten the better of him. He wanted her to come to him, and she had done it. There were a few other dissenters, but they would follow suit once her kingdom fell. He had conquered them all, and she had come to him. His princess – the one he’d been hoarding for so many years in his heart.
Satoru raised a hand. Everyone in the court watched, dragons and humans alike.
He smiled. “I accept this offer.”
Princess Utahime, in her plain gown and no crown, did not bow just yet. “And of my kingdom? My people?”
Satoru tilted his head. “What of it?”
“They will not be harmed?” Utahime pressed. “If this gift pleases you so, will you spare them the suffering you have wrought upon the surrounding kingdoms?”
“Suffering?” Satoru clicked his tongue. “I only took back what was rightfully ours – what humans stole from my clan. If anything, I returned to them what was done unto dragons.”
Utahime clenched her hands into fists at her side, the first flicker of her true personality peeking through. He fought back another grin at the sight. Though respectful and obedient, she had a temperamental streak hidden underneath the surface. It burned as hot as his fire, and he had loved stoking it whenever they crossed paths. Try as she might be the perfect princess, she couldn’t hide who she was.
Nonetheless, she must’ve realized just how much of a precarious position she was in, especially surrounded by so many dragons, so she didn’t allow herself to slip up as she’d done in the past.
“It is true that humans betrayed the dragons and tarnished the peace between us, and we owe a great debt for our crimes,” Utahime said, bowing once more. “I have hope this gift will be the first step in healing this rift between us.”
This sacrifice – that was what she truly meant. She had sacrificed herself for the sake of her people.
“It will suffice – for now.” Satoru waved a dismissive hand. “Take her to my quarters.”
Utahime jerked upright, a frightful look flashing across her face, but she was taken out of the room before she could question him or protest. Satoru languished back in his chair, waving at the next round of presents shown to him, but his mind was locked on Utahime. The determined look on her face, the glimmer in her honey eyes, the sinew of her lithe body – he wanted to eat her whole.
And he would, all in due time. He had learned to be patient in order to savor his meals.
*
Much later that night, after all his gifts were presented to him and they partook in the first night of festivities, Satoru made his way to his quarters. The castle he lived in was ancient, built into the side of a mountain that overlooked a valley, with winding passages that were easy to get lost in. He had grown up here, though it had been emptier in his youth. It was filled now with the spoils of war, his victories painted on the walls admist the tellings of his clan’s history.
Tomorrow, they would have a grand feast where all of Satoru’s gifts would be on full display to the other dragons, but for tonight, he only craved one.
Selfish creatures, dragons were. He was not above his own nature.
The first thing he noticed upon entering his expansive quarters was how quiet it was. Only a few candles had been lit, giving the room a dimly warm feel to it, the flames flickering from a breeze through the open doors that led to a large balcony. Instead of overlooking the front of the castle, the balcony was tucked on the side, giving it a unique view of the land below, along with a waterfall that was hidden from the eyes of others.
Utahime stood on the balcony, her hands draped on the railing. She was still wearing the plain dress, though she had tied her hair up halfway with a bow. He liked that even more. It made her look like a present he had to unravel. She wasn’t her kingdom’s gift to him. It was her. She had given herself to him, he knew it. Her father, the king, would have been loathed to give her away, too greedy as well.
“What do you think?” Satoru asked as he walked up behind her. “Do you like it?”
“It’s…beautiful,” Utahime admitted, her back still turned to him. “It is not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
Utahime turned slightly to peer at him sideways. “Perhaps a river of lava.”
Satoru laughed. “Do you think all dragons must live in such doom and peril?”
“Dragons are fire reborn, are they not?” Utahime looked him over. Her expression was difficult to read. She had struggled to hide her emotions when she was younger, but she had grown into her role as a princess over the past five years since they last met. “I have seen what your fire is capable of doing – villages raized to the ground, castles reduced into little more than burnt out shells, soldiers turned to ash.”
“It is true that a dragon’s fire is dangerous and destructive.” Satoru held out his palm, using only a fraction of his magic to conjure a blue flame in his palm. “But fire also gives the gift of life.”
A reflection of the flame glimmered in Utahime’s eyes, giving them a strange glow similar to his own eyes. She did not flinch away, not as she’d done when he used to tease her with it when they were younger. Instead, she stared it down, as if she was had to face it, lest she show any weakness.
“Are you truly pleased with this gift?” Utahime asked quietly, her vulnerability appearing through the cracks of her steel reserve. “When we heard tales of what you and your clan did in other kingdoms, I could hardly believe it at first. You? The young dragon prince who threw mud at me and mocked us for our stuffy customs? You were an obnoxious brat, not a cruel monster.”
Satoru chuckled, leaning back against the railing of the balcony. “And what do you think now that you have seen the consequences of your kind’s actions?”
“You have struck fear in the hearts of many across the lands,” Utahime said. “I witnessed your wrath myself. I could not…” Her gaze lowered to the valley below. “I could not heal the damage you had done. It was too great, and I realized after a while that there was nothing we could do to fight you.”
“Ah, so you finally see how weak you are compared to me.”
“I’ve always known how strong you are,” Utahime told him, lifting her eyes to meet his again. “Everyone did – people feared you more than they respected you – which was why they turned against the dragons. They feared the power they could not understand or come close to matching, so it was safer to douse the flames before they grew too hot to control.”
Tilting his head back, Satoru looked to the stars. Already, he could feel a tug in his heart, the sky calling to him to join it. “It was already too late. They should have killed me when I was born.”
“I knew we would fall just as every other kingdom before us if we were to fight you,” Utahime said. “I thought, perhaps, if we bent to your customs, if you could be appeased, if I gave myself to you of my own free will, then maybe…”
“Then maybe your people would be spared.” Satoru glanced at her. “Do you think so highly of yourself that I would forgive the fact that your kingdom was the first to turn against us?” She stared back at him, that frightful yet perturbed look from before appearing again. “You remember what happened the last time we saw each other, do you not?”
Utahime swallowed, but she didn’t look away in fear or shame. “I do.”
Satoru reached out to brush her hair away from her face. “You lured me away from the others.”
She shook her head. “I did not–”
“You separated me from my parents and convinced me to lower my guard,” Satoru continued. “You tricked me into believing you were my friend.”
“No, I–”
He snatched her hand, making her gasp and pull back out of instinct, but instead of jerking on her or dragging her into his bedroom, he pressed her hand against his chest, right over his heart. “And then you watched as I was nearly killed.”
Dragon scales, especially his, were nearly impenetrable. Conventional weapons could not hurt them if they were in their natural dragon form. But in their human forms… They were more vulnerable. A knife could pierce their side, and a sword, especially one imbued with magic, could slice clean across their chest and through the flesh of their soft skin.
He still bore the scar five years later. It was a nasty piece of work, no magic able to heal it fully.
At sixteen, he had been cocky as they came, but when Utahime made mention of a place she liked to sneak off to whenever castle and royal life became too much, he was too curious. He wanted what she had, and the thought that she had something of her own didn’t sit right with him. Plus, he was bored with all the pomp and fanfare, so he demanded she take him there.
It was little more than a pond, tucked away in a small hidden section of the castle grounds he’d never seen before, but it was beautiful, the crystal blue water reminding him of the river that flowed by his home. The water looked perfect for a swim, and he’d teased her, grinning at her blushing face when he took off his shirt. So entranced by the tempting water, by her, he hadn’t noticed they weren’t alone, not until a guard from the castle appeared out of seemingly thin air and attacked him.
He managed to survive the assassination attempt, and after he killed the guard, he turned on Utahime, covered in blood. She ran away before he could think to grab her, his wounds keeping him from transforming back into his dragon form and capturing her. By the time he managed to make it off the grounds, it was too late, and his parents were dead. He was the sole survivor of the massacre.
“I didn’t know,” Utahime whispered. “If I had known, I would have told you to fly away and never return.” She curled her fingers against his chest, grabbing a handful of his shirt. “If I had known what my father and the other kingdoms planned, I would’ve argued against it.”
“Why did you run away?” Satoru questioned. “You could have helped me.”
“I was afraid.”
“Are you afraid now?”
“Yes,” Utahime admitted.
“Do you think you are enough to make up for what was done to my clan?” Satoru demanded, stepping in closer to her. “Is your life worth that of all of what we lost?”
“No, but I could think of nothing else to do that would not result in more needless suffering and death.”
“Except your own?” Satoru countered.
Utahime dropped her gaze to their hands on his chest. “It is a price I am willing to pay. Even if my sacrifice is not worth enough to make up for what my father did to you, it is enough for what I did by running away.” She was afraid – he could tell by the way her magic fluttered anxiously – but she was also determined. “I will not run from my fate nor you. I will bear whatever punishment you see fit.”
“You cannot take responsibility for what you did not do yourself,” Satoru pointed out.
“I can for my shame,” Utahime told him. “I may not have betrayed you, but I still turned my back on you.” She pulled her hand away from his chest, and he let it, watching her fold her hands together in front of her like a proper young lady. “I am your bride, and you may use me however you wish.”
Satoru hummed thoughtfully, touching his lips with a finger. “Hm, I suppose it would be amusing to have you work as a servant – dress you up in rags and force you to wash the ground I walk on.” Though she kept her gaze lowered, he caught the way her jaw tensed as she gritted her teeth. It would be embarrassing and grueling, but she would do it. “Considering how little experience you have in such work though, you’d probably do a poor job.”
“I can learn,” Utahime said.
“Oh, I’m sure you can,” Satoru laughed. “What if I treat you like a pet? I could put a collar and leash on you and show you off to all my guests. Princess Utahime, my most treasured kitten.” A dark look flashed in her eyes before she could hide it. That would humiliate her even more. Falling on a sword for her people was one thing, but being lowered to such a pathetic depth would be mortifying. “I could dress you up in the finest of gowns or” – he grinned sharply – “nothing at all. After all, what do pets need of clothes?”
When he tugged on her dress to make a point, her reserve finally broke and she took a step back, just out of his reach. Instead of getting mad though, he laughed again and shook his head.
“Is that to be your punishment?” Utahime demanded. “Humilation?”
“Perhaps, but I’m not in the mood for that right now,” Satoru stated. Utahime furrowed her brow in confusion. He turned away to look over the balcony. “It is a nice night, is it not?”
Though he could sense her hesitation, Utahime agreed, “It is.”
“I have been celebrating my birth all day today, but it is not a true celebration unless I’m in the sky where I belong.” With an agility unknown to humans, Satoru jumped and lifted himself onto the railing of the balcony, standing on the edge with ease.
Utahime stiffened. “What are you doing?”
Satoru grinned. “Going for a fly. You said it was a nice night.” He held out his arms. “I want to spread my wings a bit before I retire.”
Her eyes widened, and before she could say a word, Satoru closed his eyes and fell back off the balcony.
“Satoru!” Utahime yelped, jumping forward and leaning over the railing – only to stumble back when he blew past her in his dragon form.
The moment he was in his true form, that rumbling sensation fled away from him. Seeing Utahime again had stirred something in his heart that he’d long since forgotten about, stoking a flame he could not easily tame. He had been furious with her for a long time, certain she’d betrayed him first, but now as he flew freely in the sky above his domain, he could remember the way she cried out his name and the fear written across her face when he’d come out bloodied and victorious.
Though he was massive compared to her in his dragon form, the balcony was large enough for him to land, the gust from his wings nearly knocking her down. It had been built for the dragons of old, befitting of him. Utahime stared at him with wide, stunned eyes. The fear was there again, but also awe. She’d seen him shift from his dragon to human form before, but that had been years ago. He’d grown even more since then, turning him into a fearsome creature.
“Come, Utahime,” he commanded, his voice deeper and richer.
“I-I don’t–”
“I wish to fly with you,” he insisted.
Utahime was trembling, but her magic was singing in her blood. It was singing to him. He could sense it, feeling almost drunk with the power she promised him. It must have somehow know she belonged to him now. It was a call she could not ignore.
Satoru grinned, a dragon’s sneaky and charming grin. “Come along, princess. I will not let anything befall you. I am far better in the air than on the ground. You need not be afraid.”
“That is easy for you to say,” Utahime mumbled, though she did take a few steps toward him. “Where…?”
“On my back.” Satoru lowered himself to lay on his belly, stretching out his front leg to give her a means to climb onto him.
Utahime furrowed her brow. “Is that not belittling? To have me ride you like a horse?”
Satoru had to laugh, the booming sound loud enough to startle her. “I will allow it – because you are a princess and my bride.”
He didn’t want to admit how much it pleased him when she finally laid a hand on him. Though he was eager to be in the air again, he took joy in the way her soft palms slid over his pure white scales, her touch gentle and reverant. Dragon scales were worth triple their weight in gold, and no doubt Satoru’s was worth enough to flood an entire kingdom in riches. He had to bite back a pleased rumble as she climbed onto him, chuckling when she awkwardly stumbled in her dress.
When Utahime finally sat down upon his back, she took in a shaky breath. “There. Are you pleased?”
More than I can say, he thought.
“Hold on tightly,” Satoru told her instead.
“What–?” She cut herself off with a shriek when he flapped his wings and jumped off with his legs to lift himself into the air. Lowering herself onto him, she clung to him as best as she could and muttered some sort of prayer under her breath.
Satoru laughed again as they climbed higher into the air together, her magic seeping into his skin, and though he carried Utahime’s weight on his back, he could not remember a time when he felt lighter and stronger. Her kingdom may have been the last stronghold to bend the knee to him, but this was just the beginning. He would rebuild his clan into something even stronger, and he would do it with her.