Once upon a time, in a land faraway, there lived a boy dragon...

- what? this should be gender correct? alright, alright, ahem -

... there lived a gay dragon...

- actually, he's so gay he's rainbow-colored? and like, not rainbow rainbow, more like he has a color each day of the week -

... who spends his days bored out of his mind attending classes or training, if not being made to sit on the High Dracon's chair...

- never mind that the rank doesn't give him benefits since a regent currently rules his lands -

... while his guardian, the esteemed Ruby Dracon Hangeng, managed the day-to-day affairs of the Draco Regnum as its regent.

It's a Thursday, and Hyukjae is decidedly green, from the ribbon tying his topknot, emerald studs on his ears, to his silken robes and silken slippers - an Emerald Dracon for the day. This puts him midrank during the midweek as the Ruby Dracon is the highest rank while the Amethyst Dracon is the lowest, and despite him being the High Dracon, his daily changes in color also subjected him to the color rankings of the dracons. Well, at least until he breaks through his Psychedelisis and properly take over ruling the kingdom.

Without even looking up and behind him from the Regent's throne, Hangeng admonished, "Sit up straight, High Dracon," and Hyukjae jerked to sitting up in attention, used as he was to Hangeng's clipped commands. He rarely resents the tone, as they've settled on a begrudging working and personal relationship that was a win-win for them both. Which mostly involved following Hangeng or else.

Moments later, the herald announced the presence of Prince Heechul. Who just happens to be Hangeng's consort. Hyukjae mentally snorted. He didn't need to see his guardian's face to know how whipped this particular Ruby Dracon is when it comes to his "wife", as the regent suddenly started fidgeting at his red robes, smoothing away the wrinkles from the silk material. All around the kingdom, it was no secret that the true power lay in the hands of the unconventional purple dracon.

A tall, beautiful man strode into the Throne Room, dressed in red robes as appropriate his rank being the regent's consort, never mind that as dracon ranks go, being a purple puts him at the bottom tier, indicated by the amethyst choker he wore. Hangeng had stood to greet him while the prince gracefully walked up to the thrones. At a designated spot, he sank to his knees to a respectful curtsy before Hangeng strode forward and assisted him back up to his feet. Hyukjae tried not to roll his eyes, as the pair continued holding hands.

"My dear, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" Hangeng asked, and Hyukjae liked to think the thickened timbre in the regent's voice is because Heechul rarely visits Hangeng in the Throne Room.

Hyukjae politely inclined his head at Heechul when the prince glanced at him. He could tell the prince was hesitating over what he needed to tell the regent.

"My lord," Heechul started. "It's the matter of the annual High Dracon's dance..."

Hyukjae mentally groaned, already drowning out what Heechul was saying. His twenty-sixth birthday was coming up and he always dreaded the annual ball they held for him, no matter if he detested the event.

When instead of really celebrating his birthday, everyone saw him as nothing more than a means to power and a crown. He hated the cloying, calculating stares, on top of the regent's efforts to find the High Dracon potential mates from among their allies. Of polite acknowledgments and fake greetings from people who are strangers, never mind if the dignitaries are prominent people working in his kingdom. Working for him.

He'd occasionally find a male to casually play with, but they all bored him to tears in the end, not to mention starting fires on scandal after scandal that the regent had to diplomatically put out.

It made him want to escape the Throne Room and the city and rip into his dragon skin, fly away to somewhere none could find him.

#

T'al Hasa screeched, causing Donghae to slightly cower away from that grating sound. His Aegila is the Lady Imperia, first ranked of the Eagle Army. He could imagine how the rest of her squad would be amused or irritated to differing degrees hearing the daily squabbles of the Lady Imperia and the Prince of Eagles.

Or since it's a Monday, his appropriate rank would be Commander of the Eagle Knights. Still, Donghae stood his ground in the face of his Aegila, which are by the way, giant eagles capable of carrying puny humans on their back... or shredding them to pieces.

T'al Hasa squawked again, sensing Donghae's stubbornness through the mental bond they shared. The prince and the giant eagle are standing in a clearing within the Elimwood Forest, where T'al Hasa had landed and dislodged Donghae from his perch on her back when an impending argument made T'al Hasa want to scratch the human and get him out of her head.

It is still a mystery for the whole Aegelous Aerie how a Prince of Eagles could have bonded with a female Aegila. In all of their history, the Aegilas Reveille, or the eagle army, have always bonded with same gender Eagle Knights, of which the royal family automatically belonged. So it was a wonder when nine year old Donghae bonded with T'al Hasa. But maybe their less-than-friendly first meeting should have clued them in to the fact that daily quarrels would still be prominent to their bonding sixteen years after that first meeting.

T'al Hasa screeched again, causing the rest of her squad to reveal themselves, flying up and out of the forest canopy with her command to scram. With her sharp ears, she could hear the various snorts and non-verbal reactions from her squad's bonded knights, all of which were nothing but derision for their particular human-Aegila pair. Her squad of Aegilas, thankfully, were silent as they heeded her command to leave and return to the capital.

Which did not stop her from actually raising a claw to Donghae's direction, the big, sharp talons nearing Donghae's standing form. Donghae is thankfully dressed in his padded leather armor over his red hanbok, and donning leather gloves that would help should T'al Hasa decide to really rip into him. But even at her berserker state, her bond with Donghae prevents her from inadvertently hurting him, so she settled the claw back beneath her and placed her sharp beak on Donghae's topknot and pressed down enough to make Donghae duck but not actually break his neck.

Away from prying eyes, Donghae giggled at his Aegila's actions. He reached up to touch the feathered part of T'al Hasa's face and they made up just like that, T'al Hasa hanging her face over Donghae's shoulder while Donghae scratched through the white feathers underneath her chin.

"I'm sorry," Donghae finally murmured to T'al Hasa.

The Aegila could only give the equivalent of a sigh. "I know. You didn't mean it." T'al Hasa replied through their mental bond. Only bonded pairs can speak to each other, translated in a language or form only the other can understand. Alternatively, the other can only hear or understand what others of their kind say only through the bond.

T'al Hasa's ire stemmed from her berserker nature clashing with Donghae's gift - an ability to calm beasts of all shapes and sizes. And only she knew of this. The gift is very inconvenient for her, especially as today is a war exercise, and as usual, she has yet to land first blood on an opponent. Donghae's calming influence is a rein on her beastly nature, and for today, he had yanked at it too hard just when she was about to win against an opposing squad leader. She lost, the squad lost, and she was very angry at Donghae. She had learned to weather the remarks about her only becoming the Lady Imperia due to her bond with the Prince of Eagles with nothing to show for it in terms of a kill, or at least drawing blood. Yet her being subject to the bond with Donghae is also what saves her from embarrassment, as the bigger question was how could Donghae be an effective Commander if he'd always hesitate to fight?

T'al Hasa could almost hear the story being told of this particular prince:
"Once upon a time in a land down under the brisk high-noon sun, there lived a prince so loved by the people who lived end to end of the valley known as the Aegelous Aerie. Though life was an endless series of observing proper decorum and behavior and a regimented schedule ever since he was small, he was somehow happy with his lot, still growing up kind, thoughtful... and naive."

She huffed, lifting her head away from Donghae. "But sorry still doesn't cut it." With a flap of her powerful wings, she lifted herself enough away where Donghae can't reach her no matter how high he jumped.

"Oh come on!" Donghae cried after her departing back, the flip of her tail feathers the only indication she heard.

Donghae could only grumble, wondering when he'd learn. T'al Hasa stranded him in the forest again.

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