Chapter Text
Autumn is near.
The leaves have started to redden and leave the trees barren.
“Mother!” A small child cries out, throwing themselves around the waist of a frail noblewoman. It is thanks to her husband that the two red heads do not end up sprawled on the floor.
“What about me?” Her husband asks, already pouting. He receives a glare from their son, causing him to wilt. Her boys.
She cradles the back of her son’s head. “Cale, be more careful. What would we have done if your father hadn’t been here?” Jour asks, her tone is stern. It does not match her soft gaze, full of adoration.
Cale, feeling scolded, huffs. His mother laughs, how could she ever stay mad when her son is so cute?
“I heard from the knights that you’ve been attending class. What brings the change?” Deruth questions. He’s referring to Cale’s habit of ditching his lessons. His parents allow him, as he is still a kid. It seems overnight, he changed his preferences.
”I want to be a knight! To meet a dragon.” Cale swings his hands, mimicking swinging a sword. His posture is wrong and there’s many openings in his stance. Yet, he swings with a lot of confidence.
Deruth laughs, “Oh? Not to save the princess?”
”Meeting the dragon is cooler!” Cale defends, clinging to his mother’s side.
Jour ruffles her son’s hair, ignoring his protest. ”I wish you luck on meeting a dragon. They are quite rare.”
The patter of her footsteps echoes through the grand halls. Servants smile in greeting, she pays them no mind. The princess almost trips over her own feet in her excitement. Had her governess been present, she would have been chided.
“Rok Soo!” She called out as she turned the corner sharply, stumbling as she did so. Before she can hit the floor, the princess with red hair is caught in the arms of her betrothed.
“Careful.” A soothing voice says. His grasp is gentle, steadying her on her feet. There’s a teasing glint in his wine colored eyes. “What would you do if I weren’t here?”
”You’ll always be here to catch me.” Rosalyn remarks, a bashful expression etched on her face. However, clashing with her bashful face are her confident words. She really does believe Kim Rok Soo will always be by her side.
That sobers him.
Yes, Kim Rok Soo will always be here. But will Rosalyn? She’ll play a fleeting part of his life. Humans can only wish to have the lifespan of a Dragon.
”Always.” He murmurs, yet it rings in Rosalyn’s ears. It’s a promise.
Kim Rok Soo. He is an outlier of the dragon race. While dragons are arrogant and prideful by nature, Rok Soo is lazy and does not boast about his achievements. He does not go out to look for fights, preferring to rot in bed. He wants a quiet life.
Rosalyn is amused by her fiancé, he wishes for a slacker life yet his actions beg to differ. There’s nothing peaceful about marrying the crown princess. Or being known as the dark elves savior. Rok Soo relayed to her that the elements were saying such scary things; having built him a statue in the center of their underground city. She never laughed harder in her life, ignoring the betrayal he wore on his face.
Rosalyn worries about Rok Soo. What will become of him when her time comes? She’s afraid of him closing himself off from the world, withering away in his lair. Who will be there to pry him out of bed?
Three years ago, when Rosalyn was thirteen, she suffered a horseback riding injury. She was bedridden for a few weeks, her aching back made it hard to stand. Rok Soo was glued to her side. She’d often have to soothe the crease between his eyebrows, teasing him about how he’ll get wrinkles before her.
She had scolded him about prioritizing her health instead of his. He had neglected his health in favor of watching her.
His dedication brought him in favor of her family. Initially, the Royal family had been hesitant to approve of their relationship. Rosalyn was the crown princess and he was a nobody. She had internally winced when her advisors emphasized Rok Soo’s lacking background. It’s not like she can tell them that she, their beloved crown princess, is the one lacking compared to her dragon fiancé. She’s glad that Rok Soo does not care about trivial things. In fact, he seemed so pleased that he didn't stand out. It aligns with his slacker life goal.
“Do you have everything?” Rok soo asked, tilting his head to the side. A strand of his black hair falls in front of his face.
“Who do you take me for?” Rosalyn laughed, knowing she was one to overpack than underpack. “The carriage is waiting.” She pulls him along, a gentle smile adorns her lips. Her eyes glittered with joy.
Kim Rok Soo’s lips quirk up in a subtle smile. Rosalyn will protect that smile, no matter how minuscule.
Time to save a baby dragon.
“…”
Stunned speechless by the magnificent statue of a dragon smack down the center of the underground city, ‘the city of death’ is crown prince Alberu.
A dark blue dragon was recently dubbed the savior of the dark elves. The dark elves had gone in the forest of darkness to collect dead mana when they encountered a swarm of monsters. Though overwhelmed in numbers, Obante and his crew overpowered them. By the time the first hour came to an end, a dragon swooped in, plummeted the monsters and tried to go on his merry way. Persistent, Obante and his team ended up catching a lift on the dragon's back. All the mature elementals in the City of Death had sensed the dragon-nim, it had caused an uproar.
Obante had bragged enough in his letters that made Tasha want to bring him down to earth with a beating. Alberu tagged along for the ride.
His great-grandfather, Mayor Obante grinned at him. He patted his back roughly, unable to control his strength in his excitement. “What do you think?”
Alberu, being a quarter dark elf, is unable to see the elementals boasting about the effort it took to make the statue. Though, those who were present in front of the dragon were bragging.
”I—“
”You’re right! It does not do the Dragon-nim justice at all.” Obante interrupts. “I’ll have to talk to our craftsmen after tinting the scales a dark blue.”
That is when Alberu notices the dragon scale he is holding up towards the statue. It is about the size of his thumb, it appears an obsidian color but the blue hues glint in the sunlight.
He turns an accusing glare to his great-grandfather. To have stolen a dragon’s scale, they should prepare for the wrath.
”Where did you get the scale? You didn’t just take it, did you?”
”Ahuu, what kind of man do you think I am?” Obante crossed his arms over his rest, fixing Alberu a stern look. His stern expression melts when he sighs dreamily, “I offered it back to the Dragon-nim but he didn’t seem to mind if I took it.”
Alberu’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Good.”
”Oh, he’s visiting sometime within the week. Said something about a dragon’s egg.” Obante smiles, all teeth. “I bet those hermit elves would have a field day if they ever found out. Hell, if they did, I am sure they would be marching here by nightfall.”
“What.” Alberu suddenly felt queasy.