Ugh… These chains are so heavy, Kris thought tiredly as he lay against the smooth iron floor of the massive cage that now held him prisoner. He whined loudly as he attempted to shift his weight to somehow make himself more comfortable, but the chains wrapped tightly around him would not yield. The least they could have done was take these damned things off of me. I’m not going to fight anymore, he thought grumpily before he resigned himself to the fact that it was simply going to be a very uncomfortable ride. Trying to ignore his achy limbs, he set his draconic gaze on the head of the company. Above the dozens of silver helmets glistening in the moonlight streaming over the road and the jagged edges of lances and spears piercing the starry sky, the young prince could see the streaming black hair of his beloved princess shining as she rode with the prince at the lead. Kris could not help but snarl as he imagined what nefarious, lecherous thoughts Baekhyun must be thinking about Jang-mii. If he lays one finger on her, I’ll tear his entire arm off, he swore angrily. Thankfully, Baekhyun was so eager to parade his massive prize that they would not stop for the night, meaning the prince would have no time to molest the princess- at least for now. They were set to roll into the capital city right at down, and Baekhyun had gleefully dispatched an outrider to inform the king to ensure that the city was in a proper state of celebration, ready to greet the man who they thought had gallantly bested a dragon and rescued their missing princess. The poor fools don't realize how much of a snake he is. He only hoped that Jang-mii could somehow pull off something to reveal the dangerous boy for the villain he was.

Fuming as he was forced to sit in uncomfortable silence and only speculate as to what was to occur over the next few days, Kris just breathed heavily and focused his attention elsewhere so as not to anger himself. His dark eyes traveled the road, since there was little else to do, and after a while he began to realize how beautiful the forest actually was. For as long as he had been forced to reside in the wilds, he had never appreciated it. In the beginning, he had hated the wilds, even- the lawlessness, the lingering threat of danger from wild animals and unknown plants, having to live in dank caves. Eventually, he grew used to it, and saw the forest in mild indifference. Now, however, as he gazed between the iron bars, he finally understood why Jang-mii covered the wilds so much.

It's beautiful, he thought in awe. For the longest time, he had never thought anything could be more beautiful than Jang-mii, but he had to admit that the forest lands he temporarily called home certainly came close. The black night sky stretched above his horned head, dotted with thousands of stars that twinkled silently against the inky backdrop. The moon blazed brightly alongside them, spilling its soft light over the quiet forest. That light filtered through the leaves below, turning the dark green plant structures a silver hue. The serene light even made the harsh armor of the marching nights almost ephemeral, as it played over the shiny metal surface and made the entire road seem to glow as they pressed onward towards the capital city.

The beauty stopped there for Kris. He couldn't hear the sounds of the night he was so used to, the hooting owls and the singing crickets and the croaking frogs that made up the cacophony that had become his lullaby. No, the air was instead filled with the sound of clinking armor and boots crushing grass and dirt underfoot and the grunting of men. It was an ugly song. Kris despised it. If Baekhyun gets his way, all the wilds will be filled with this awful melody. He certainly didn't want that, and so once again he prayed that he and Jang-mii would somehow be able to foil the ambitious man's plans. It's up to you, Jang-mii… he thought sadly as he cast his gaze once again to the raven-haired princess several yards away. His strong, beautiful princess who was in the grip of another. Why is it that I always seem to be losing her? It was almost enough to think that they didn’t belong together after all.

No. Jang-mii loves me, and I love her. I don't care if the entire world wants us apart. I won't let that happen.

Kris had been brooding in his thoughts for so long that he didn’t realize how much time had passed until the forest abruptly fell away, revealing only the open countryside. In the distance, a black mass hugging the horizon indicated the sprawling mass of the capital city- Jang-mii's home, and Kris' new prison. Here and there along the great road, farmsteads were situated, and in some the windows flickered soft candlelight that marked the farmers rising to greet the new day within the hour. Already the edge of the horizon was beginning to glow as the sun prepared to shine upon the world, chasing away the blackness with warm hues of red and gold. Likely excited by the prospect of being hailed as a hero, Baekhyun ordered his company to increase their speed, and Kris grunted as the cage around him lurched when the soldiers whipped the oxen pulling the massive structure. Kris had to admit that Baekhyun thought the plan through well- the massive cage was being dragged along by an entire herd of the horned creatures, and together they managed to wheel his several-ton mass along the road without much strain. That's as far as his plan will go.

As they neared the capital, Kris could hear the excited shouts and cheers dancing upon the wind. A scout upon the ramparts had likely spotted the company and informed the city, which had promptly kicked into life to welcome their princess and her rescuer home- and of course gaze upon Kris' might. As the sky increasingly turned light with the rising son, Baekhyun led his company through the open gate, his head held high as the citizens of Jang-mii's home squealed with delight.

“Our princess! Our princess is home!” one young man shouted from his window as his wife showered the company in flower petals.

“Bless you, Lord Baekhyun!” an old woman sobbed as she hobbled over to the mighty destrier the knight was riding. A guard moved to shove her away, but the prince, who was in gracious mood now that his ego was inflated, calmly dismissed him before reaching down and taking the old woman's outstretched hands.

“Of course. I would go to the ends of the earth to ensure that my bride-to-be remains safe at home among her people,” he smiled graciously and bowed his head, and the old woman blubbered some more gracious remarks before her teary-eyed husband led her away from the column of nights. A father held up his little girl as she waved the prince down to hand him a rose, which he took with all the grace of a knight and bowed deeply to the young girl. “I appreciate this token and will treasure it always,” he smiled smoothly, making the little girl blush brightly before he spurred his horse along.

Look at them groveling. Poor people have no idea of the viper hiding behind that pretty face, Kris thought acidly. He should be the one receiving a prince’s welcome, but here he was locked in a cage while that bastard stole his glory, his love, his kingdom. That rotten thief will get his…

It was at this point that the oxen hauled the cage through the grand entryway, and the crowd abruptly went silent as they gazed upon the crimson creature within. The silence was deafening as Kris was dragged along, the only noise the creaking of the cart wheels and the clinking armor of the marching knights. He almost wished that they would scream and wail in terror, or throw curses down at him. Anything but that long, painful silence. He did not get his wish, however, and the people just gawked at him in a mixture of terror and wonder all through the long road to the palace before the gates were shut behind him and he was at the mercy of Jang-mii's father. He stood in the courtyard with his wife beside him, and despite the early hour they were dressed in their finest wear to greet the young knight and their daughter. Kris watched levelly as Baekhyun swung off the horse before grabbing Jang-mii by the waist to lift her off, and the way he smirked when he put his hands on her made Kris growl. Jang-mii remained stoic as Baekhyun set her down and she turned to greet her mother and father.

“Mother. Father. I am home,” she smiled, but behind that smile Kris could feel the lack of true emotion. A princess who had been imprisoned by a fire-breathing dragon would have been hysterical upon her homecoming, but Jang-mii's ordeal was not harrowing in that way. She has become a queen, he thought for the hundredth time. Veiling her emotions, she regarded the royals calmly as they walked forward to embrace her with an equal level of regality and poise.

“My dear, you must be starved. We've had the cooks working all night to prepare a feast in your honor. And look at this dress! These are rags! We shall have you clothed in the finest gown we have at once. And bathed! You are filthy. You can't greet our guests in such a state,” her mother tutted. Kris had never liked Jang-mii's mother; she was all about propriety and rules and, most importantly, Jang-mii’s image.

“That's not important right now!” her father scolded his wife as he tightly hugged his daughter. “Our Jang-mii is home, safe and sound!” Kris definitely preferred her father. Perhaps he was biased because their fathers were great friends. I wish I could hug my father, he thought ruefully, then straightened up when he heard a familiar laugh.

“You two are daft! Have you not noticed? Jang-mii has grown up during her stay with the beast,” it rang. Whining as he strained to lift his head, he caught a glimpse of a man he never thought he would see again walking up beside the king and clapping him on the shoulder. Of course, this man was a king too, with a golden crown upon his brow that glowed brightly against his dark hair, and warm eyes filled with happiness but yet swimming with wisdom. He was tall, broad, everything a king should be- and all Kris had ever wanted to be. Father. “Look at her! When she left, she was a selfish child mourning a prince once lost, but now- she is different. She has every mark of a queen.”

“Oh, posh. Jang-mii is still but a child. She has much to learn about proper etiquette and works affairs before she can be a true queen,” her mother snorted in dismissal.

“It takes more than reading a few books and balancing a teapot on your head to be a queen,” his father mumbled in response, but the elder woman was too busy fussing over her daughter to take notice. It seemed that the king shared his son’s sentiment concerning the proper woman. Kris froze when the man's eyes flickered to rest on him, and then suddenly he was crossing the courtyard to stand in front of the prince-turned-dragon. “He certainly is an impressive beast,” he whistled as he looked him up and down. “What do you intend to do with him?”

“We have not yet decided,” came the response from the other king.

“I say we kill it!” Jang-mii's mother snapped haughtily, to which Jang-mii immediately voiced her abhorrence at the notion.

“No! You can't!” she gasped, then turned red when she realized how strange it sounded. As the adults in the courtyard stared at her quizzically and Baekhyun's regarded her with a warning look, she hastily swallowed and continued, “Dragons are an endangered species. Killing it would be a waste. Surely there is much we can learn from him.”

“He is a liability,” Baekhyin responded with a wave of dismissal. “He is restrained for now, but who is to say he may not break free? My country excelled in dragon-hunting, especially my father. I should have him taken back to my country, and we can hold a splendid execution,” he said as if it were a rational idea, but the maniacal grin he shot Kris betrayed the madness swimming beneath that dark hair and fair skin. He truly intends to kill me!

“I think we should ponder this,” Jang-mii interjected quickly with a pointed look at her betrothed. “We should not act hastily on account of revenge. I'm tired from my night on the road. Let's get this feast over with as soon as possible so I can rest,” she sighed, letting the weariness show in her expression as she beseeched her parents. Thankfully, they relented, and ordered the matter of Kris' fate closed for the time being. As she glanced over her shoulder at him, he finally saw the fear and sadness she had been veiling, and that was enough to break him.

He whined miserably as he strained once more against the chains, and his roiling emotion gave him strength. He managed to push himself up, ignoring the heavy weight of the iron as he butted his head against the bars of the iron cage. The oxen immediately became startled as the cage lurched, baying and stamping their feet as they threatened to take off. Kris' tail lashed between the bars, throwing up sparks every time the bone spikes crashed against the metal. They’ll take her from me! Jang-mii! He went to wail, but all that came out was a strangled roar, like that of a pitiful dog. The knights poked at him with their spear tips and lances, but the blows bounced off harmlessly as he continued to mournfully whine and paw at the iron and bang his head against it. Strong as he was, the structure would not yield.

“Marvelous. The ironmaking of your country is truly impeccable,” the king told Baekhyun as he watched Kris throw his fit to no avail.

“Of course. That iron is nearly a foot thick! He’ll never get through it,” Baekhyun mused and waved at his knights. “Take him behind the palace, where he is out of sight and where we can't hear his miserable whining. I want a full squad posted at all times in case he gets a little feisty,” he ordered before following the fellow royals into the palace. Jang-mii repeatedly cast glances in his direction as she was ushered inside, and all Kris could do was wail and thrash about in the frustratingly sturdy cage. When she was gone, he tiredly collapsed back onto the cage floor, whining while the oxen were calmed down enough to wheel him around the back of the castle.

It's Jang-mii's garden, he recalled glumly as they made it around the backside. He recalled it from when they were young. Really, Jang-mii had always loved nature, especially flowers, so it was really no wonder that she enjoyed the wilds so much. It had grown more impressive in the ten years of Kris' absence, but he had not the heart to enjoy it as he was wheeled to a large paved patio. The oxen were unhooked from the cage and driven back to the city, and a squad of guards took their place on each side of the cage. Really, they were just there to make sure Kris didn't get any ideas when he was transformed. With nothing to do but sulk, he pondered his situation as the sun slowly sailed across the sky, until he felt that familiar sensation that he both relished and dreaded.

Suddenly, it felt like fire burst in his veins, and he could not help but release a pained roar as the magic began its work on his body. His tail lashed and his head thrashed as the pain soared every nerve he had, and the squad of knights exclaimed in shock at his sudden outburst. He squeezed his eyes shut, but the bright light bursting from his body still blinded him. Then, his body began to shrink, but he felt like he was being crushed, like the weight of a mountain was upon him. He gasped for breath, his screams slowly becoming more human. Around him the heavy iron chains slipped off his body, landing on the metal floor of the cage with repeated thunderous clangs. After what felt like an eternity, he lay panting and curled up amongst the iron shackles. Slowly, he rolled himself onto his back, only to be greeted with a spear tip at his throat.

“Don't try anything funny. If you move to escape, we have orders to cut your legs off, and if you try to tell anyone who you really are, we cut out your tongue,” one of the guards sneered as he stood over the exhausted man. The bars of the cage were quite spaced out, easily enough for a man to slip through. Kris wasn't even going to attempt, though. He knew that as long as he remained Baekhyun's prisoner, the princeling wouldn't dare harm her. If he did, there would be nothing from stopping Kris from storming the castle single-handedly and killing Baekhyun where he stood. So, he wasn't in the mood to entertain threats.

“Shut up,” he growled and pushed the spear roughly away before sitting up and gathering his breath. The knight blinked as his bravado was so easily cast aside before huffing and hopping back out of the cage to resume his guard. It seemed that the royals knew about the curse, as they apparently had come to watch the show. They were walking along the path now, the king and queen in lead with Baekhyun and Jang-mii behind, with his father in the rear. “Well, this out to be fun,” he huffed as he forced himself to his feet and tried to look as dignified as possible- standing tall, shoulders apart, hand resting on the hilt of the sword strapped to his waist.

I am not defeated yet. I may be caged, but I have my honor.

That's more than Baekhyun will ever have, at least.