Three weeks passed since the day Sooyeon met the queen. When the town had been told that Baron Lee had been removed from the barony later that week, they had been utterly shocked – then they rejoiced. Even though taxes had already been lowered back to the kingdom's normal rate earlier that year, most people in the barony had feared their return – especially around the time of the harvest when money would be a bit more abundant. There was also some fine-tuning of the way the estate was run with the help of the count and some court officials. Salaries were doubled for most workers that lived at the manor and nearly tripled for those that lived in town.

Taeyeon, though, had decided to hold back revealing that he was Yul – mostly under the suggestion of the queen herself. She had said that staying as a human nobleman for a while longer would allow him to court his beloved more openly and that it would draw far less attention and questions to the young woman before her next birthday. He agreed, but swore to drop the guise after that, for he wanted Count Kwon to be able to finally grieve the way he should have been able to years before.

The town seemed like a different place now with Woori in charge. Everyone in the town was pleased with the switch. He did not hide up in the manor the way Lee and the rest of his family had for generations. He would go out and help with work on the manor grounds – in the gardens, the farm, the stables. He also frequently journeyed into town and mingled with people there, especially at the pub where everyone quickly learned his favorite drink was spiced mead. All-in-all, he acted like he was a normal member of the community. He laughed and joked with the townspeople. He even took a fancy to one of the daughters of a wealthy winery owner on the edge of the barony and sought to court her.

Sooyeon had begun to go up to the manor for dinner many times with Taeyeon. Over the past few months she had grown accustomed to riding up the winding drive that went to the manor's front doors. It no longer made her feel awkward to wander into the entrance hall in her plain clothes. A lot of the opulence that had been present the first time she had entered the manor had been removed. The expensive vases and ornate frames on portraits and landscapes had been removed and sold to wealthy people around the kingdom. The golden candlesticks had been replaced with cast iron ones. Hyoyeon had bought the gold ones and sent them to her dwarf friend for him to make some jewelry for her to sell with her dresses. Much of the gilded marble accents that had been added over the years were also sold or, in the case of a few, pulverized and added to the rose garden's path. Woori said the gold gave a lovely shimmer to the trail that lead to his favorite secluded spot for when the young woman he was courting came to see him.

It was after dinner at the baron's manor one night that Sooyeon slipped up to Taeyeon's lair with him. Her parents did not really approve of them spending so much time together, especially in that manner. They warned them both that it would be improper for Sooyeon to get pregnant before they were married. It was then that Taeyeon pointed out that, according to the rules of his race, they were already married. He also brought up the fact that now, for whatever reason, only his sleeping side-by-side with Sooyeon would keep their dreams away. Her parents had finally been told what their dreams were about and understood the terror they inflicted. Sooyeon's parents had relented some, but still urged them to be cautious about their lovemaking.

The young woman enjoyed the peaceful nights of sleep she gained from sleeping beside her dragon. She knew they did not make love nearly as much as her parents feared they did, but their constantly reminding her of it made her start thinking of children more and more. She knew she could have children with Taeyeon and that they would be called drakoons and looked like Taeyeon in his human form. She wondered if they would retain his white hair or if her golden brown hair might present. She had had a few dreams of being pregnant and of having a baby in her arms – usually looking more like a baby dragon in swaddling than what she knew a drakoon should look like. She liked the peaceful dreams like those coming to her... but tonight her dreams would not be so sweet...

Sooyeon found herself embroidering by the hearth. Hyoyeon had only recently taught her how to do fine needlework. It had taken her months to get it near the standards the elf had for her own work. She paused for a moment and looked at the tiny outfit she was decorating with a lovely vine pattern. The white cotton outfit was the perfect size for a newborn. She smiled at it, tracing the lines of the vines she had stitched onto it. At the end of each branch of the vines was a yellow flower bud.

It was oddly quiet in her family home, but she did not pay much attention to that fact, for her mind was wholly filled with the little outfit. As she picked up the needle with the yellow thread on it, she froze. She listened. There was something not quite right, and it had nothing to do with the silence of her home. She slowly stood, setting aside her embroidery. She walked to the door and opened it a crack so that she could look out. She watched and listened for a moment. What was making her heart race?

Then she saw the reason and she nearly screamed. She slammed the door quickly. She leaned against it, breathing rapidly. There was a trio of dragon flying down over the northern mountains, swooping down into the valley. She had no doubt in her mind they were blue dragons. Panic flooded her. Why now?

Once she gathered herself somewhat, she crept to the nearest window and gazed out. The attack had already started. There were people screaming as they tried to flee into the forest. Everyone knew that these dragons were deadly. They had destroyed nearly half a dozen towns in the past three weeks. All the guardian dragons had been killed – except for one that had literally just vanished. Now they were here. Now they were after Taeyeon and his town.

The dragons were faster than the people trying to flee them. They seemed to like snatching up the fastest of the runners first, too. The dragons were spitting acid, as well, catching some of the people with it making them scream in pain. It was a foul smelling substance that Sooyeon could smell even within the house. She covered her nose and tried to calm her queasy stomach. Her eyes widened when some of the acid struck the wooden side of a building and caused the house to burst into flames.

Her mind started seeking Taeyeon's. He had not told her anything since she first saw the dragons. She was worried. Her worry grew the longer she went without a response from him. What was happening to him? She knew the three dragons she had seen come over the mountains were all in town. What was keeping him from coming to their rescue?

As she planned how she would escape from the house and then rush up to his lair without being seen, the roof came crashing down nearly on top of her. She screamed and ran out the back door, heading into the forest that she knew so well. She could hear the dragon growling. She did not need to look behind her to know it was following her at the edge of the trees. She begged her legs to run faster.

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