Cyrus glided gracefully through the clouds, his giant leathery wings cutting the fluffy balls of white in perfect half before it descended into the air. His rumble of breaths rattled under Lykos, his scales flaming red like giant rubies.

The red-haired prince narrowed his gaze at the endless sky in front of him, the rushing air zipping past him and he breathed in the cool air.

It has been more than 2 hours since they set flight from the Taivas palace in the sky and they have been riding their dragons since then.

The intense fresh air eased his mind for a slight moment, but the wandering thoughts of Diana's mysterious power still made him feel uneasy. It sent him to sit on uncomfortable position on piles of rough hay straw stacked by her.

He clicked his tongue subconsciously, the feeling of his power soaring through his veins made him realise that he was angry. Angry at the fact that so many mysteries are piling on top of each other, one after the other with no end and that he has to deal with all of it.

It all resulted him to go back to Lasair, Drakon's capital empire. It's not like the dragon prince has any hatred towards his empire, it was the one who sat on the empire's throne that he loathed entirely.

His father.

The scumbag of an emperor, Hakim.

A filthy man whore who has nothing better to do than to shove his dick in holes, the place where it shouldn't be in the first place.

It was the boiling range in the prince's blood that his father was a malevolent tyrant who killed many of Lykos' half siblings when they were just infants or newborns. The reason because the emperor believed the women he had slept with, were only trying to win a place and a title in his kingdom by falsely bearing a child of his.

However, Lykos knew that those newborns, infants the emperor had killed were in no other but Lykos' half siblings, Emperor Hakim his father's children. The emperor himself despised children, it was the force of the royal subjects that his wife, Empress Nerissa had to bare an heir, or the kingdom will go down without the next emperor.

That is where Lykos was born. The next rightful heir of Drakon and the future emperor.

However, Bedelia is a different story. She was nothing but an accident, a mistake made by his drunk father and Lykos' mother, Nerissa had to face Hakim's wrath in the end. All Hakim wanted was to sleep with as many beautiful women as he can, not wanting to take responsibility for his unlawful actions.

Empress Nerissa did not live through the punishment and Lykos was left all alone with a baby sister.

The anger and hatred of it all made him grip the scales of his dragon, tighter. The soaring of his hatred burnt deep and effected Cyrus as he huffed a rumbling groan. The dragon too felt the hatred and anger his rider felt.

Nevertheless, how many of those women were slaves who were once beautiful country women, living their lives with their family but to be captured from their homelands and sold to the emperor as sex slaves in order to please his lust.

He witnessed it all. As a kid, as a teenager and now, as an adult.

He didn't want to think what will happen if Hakim was to learn of Diana's power.

It didn't matter where or how she came to possess such power greater than his, greater than any magic to ever exist in the Kingdoms of Alphyria, Hakim will try in all means to have wrapped around his hands.

It disgusted the dragon prince to the core, making him shiver in pure disgusted.

Hakim will find a way to get that power for himself since he failed to do with Lykos. That bastard has his ways of shackling women to do his bidding, it's what his good at.

Of course, Lykos wasn't going to let that happen.

That is why he must get to the bottom of this power and prevent Diana from ever coming to Drakon.

Especially to the one thing that will expose her power.

Lykos was taken away from his train of thoughts when Neil had flown above him. Daenerys body twirled gracefully in the sky as it flew above Cyrus. She was upside down where Neil's silver touched the tips of Lykos spiky red hair.

"What was it you had implied last time I had declared my royal protection over Diana?" Neil asked, his silver eyes glowing a mischievous glint, eyebrow rising as he waited for Lykos to answer but only got an annoyed deep exhale.

With a grin, Neil twirled his dragon upright and flew down to fly beside Cyrus.

Neil already sensed that Lykos was already tasting his own medicine yet didn't want to state it aloud as his pride ego will down right fall.

The silver air head prince of Ventus began to annoy his best friend and brother in arm by stroking his non existing beard, humming thinking noises. From a single glance he could see the annoyed expression that was shadowed out forming on Lykos face. A heated glow beginning to surround the hot-tempered prince.

With a click of his figure as he pretended to remember what he was going to say, it had resulted a vein throb to appear on the corner of Lykos' temple.

"So, you're going to chase after her like a knight in shining armour, tell her you would stay be her side forever and protect her from danger or anyone who have ill intentions towards her and then kiss, kiss, fall in love, have a grand wedding, and then have mini-Lykos and Diana running around the castle in a few years" Neil said giving him a smirk as he continued to hold his chin.

It was a snap of annoyance that caused Lykos to attempt a murder in broad day light.

Daenerys following the dragon prince's order, swayed her body like a worm, her scales rattling as she did. It was a sudden startled that Neil lost his grip of her reigns and flew in the sky mid-air. His hands swagged, desperate to grab a hold of the edges of the saddle to buckle him back on Daenerys' back but she had twirled to the side and Neil was left falling rapidly down.

"LYKOS YOU FUCKING DOG SHIT!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Aureum Argentum~

The dark roasted lean meat cooked into perfection with a drizzle of sauce and a strand of thyme placed on top of the steak to add flavour and look appetising to the eyes of anyone, was platted perfectly on a white plate decorated in a beautiful floral pattern around the edges of the circular dish wear. To add more to the plate was a few seasoned and marinated shrimps, cooked and placed in the corner of her plate with a perfectly plated salad.

The plate lay on the huge dining table, untouched as it began to get cold.

No matter how delicious, well made it looked and presented to her, she didn't feel like eating. She could only stare at it with deep dark amethyst eyes gazing deeply at her plate, examining the sauce drizzle slowly down the perfect cut meat, how the slow of the dressing of her salad began to soak into the lettuce turning into a darkened state of mush and the tomatoes beginning to get all soaked into the watery state.

Just like an emotionless doll, she didn't move and stared with empty soulless like eyes.

Nothing around cut her long stares at the untouched food in front of her. Not the motion of her other around that made her forget her doll like position she sat. The only thing her mind continued to pay attention to the outside world than her own was the background noises. The long stroking cuts of the meat and the clanks of fork against metal was the only sounds audible to her ears.

"Dear sister, staring at your food like that won't feed you itself" a deep bored yet cold tone snapped her long expressionless stares, and she lifted her dull amethyst eyes up to see her older brother, Leonidas Courtenay, staring at her blankly and cold heartedly with the same amethyst eyes as hers.

He was the next heir to the count family of Aureum, after their father announces his retirement.

Leonidas had the same-coloured features as her, his younger sister Morana Courtenay. Dark black ebony hair like coal slicked to the side but a strand had escaped its place and hang down below his cold amethyst eyes that were once full of life when he was younger but because of the forced work and leadership training of the count had emptied those glittering eyes filled with an innocent child's life to be filled with nothing but heartless stare.

But that didn't mean Leo neglected his younger sister for his training and studying, he adored and doted on Morana from their young years till now but in his loving own way.

Morana's eyes suddenly gazed at the woman beside her older brother. Pale pink eyes looked at her worriedly, her hands had halted from cutting the meat and froze in its place. She was an elegant woman from a wealthy noble family from the neighbouring country, Terra.

Narkissa Lieven.

Her sister-in-law, Leonidas wife.

"Morana dear sister, is there something the matter? You look rather...pale" she questioned; the look of worry could be easily seen in her pale pink eyes. Narkissa always felt like an older sister she never had, a beautiful, elegant lady that adored Morana so much. She was the only person Morana would turn to whenever she had problems, and a person Morana trusted her whole life with anything.

Even her deepest secret that no one in the Courtenay family knew of except for herself and Narkissa.

Narkissa was now pregnant with Leo's first child and they are hoping it to be a boy.

Morana looked down at her plate again, and she felt her body stiffen as she raised her hand to grab the dinner fork placed with the rest of the other forks for other uses. Her fingers had gone skinnier, and the colour of her once usual porcelain colour became dull, and it made the girl feel sick to her stomach looking at her own figure.

The young daughter of the count turned her attention away from her hand and back on her food "Thank you for your concern, sister but I'm alright. I just...have a lot on my plate"

"You don't say" Leonidas said as he arched a thin dark eyebrow and glanced down at the plate of food that has not been touched and still the way it was when they had brought it.

Full.

And cold.

"Someone get Morana another plate of food. Hers has gotten rather cold" Leo ordered anyone who was nearby to obey his command. He didn't want his sister to eat cold food that had already lost its taste.

A maid stepped in, obeying her lord's command.

"Thank you, but it is alright. It hasn't gotten cold yet" Morana put her hand up as refusal, not gazing away from her food.

However, her words were a lie. The food had already gone cold, but it was a waste to throw good food away when it was her fault that it had gotten cold in the first place. Morana was going to eat it and avoid wasting the food that probably be worth so much to the eyes of the commoners and peasants.

Cutting her meat gracefully into a small piece to fit her mouth and then to stab her fork into the meat, Morana shoved the cold meat into her mouth and slowly began to chew it. Tasting it's cool leaner meat beginning to ooze out it's juice.

There was no emotion to be seen on her face, not a single glitter of life in her lavender eyes that reflected back. It was just a plain dull stare, like a blank piece of paper that cannot be written on.

Leo had always kept a close eye on Morana. As much as he wanted to make his sister happy and give whatever she pleases just to see his little sister grow up happy and loved but Morana had wanted nothing.

His little sister took the role as the perfect daughter, an image she created in the aristocrats social circle as the perfect woman, the perfect wife material.

She has been doing what father had told her to do without questioning, studying fine literature, the arts and music but he knew she only did them in hopes she would get something out of her father but in return she got nothing but 'You will make a fine wife to a noble household one day'.

He had watched all hopes drain from her eyes, her smile was no more and that was left but a doll strung high with the strings controlled by her father, the aristocrats social party.

It had broke Leo's heart to a million pieces seeing his sister the way she is right now, but he held no power to bring his little sister back, to give her what she wanted, however he did no what she wanted and when he had asked her, she glanced away from his gaze and only responded with 'What is there that woman can have'.

Leonidas did not know what she had meant and only left her be, waiting patiently for his sister to come to him and ask for what she had desired, one day, just one day.

But that day never came.

She would stay in her room and stare out through her window with her cheek against her hand. Her lavender would stare emotionlessly into the beautifully presented garden of the Count Courtenay's household without turning her gaze away. Morana would sit in the same spot for hours, gazing silently outside her window until it was the hour for her lady classes, and she would turn away, wistful eyes that do not want to turn away from the beauty of the flowers.

What did Morana desire so much that had turned her the way she did?

He did not know and feared he will never know till the day she will leave her home and to a new home as a married woman.

Leo turned his attention from Morana who quietly chewed her meal and back to his, he realised he had lost his appetite to eat the moment he gazed away from his little sister. He had became full of a sudden and couldn't place another forkful of meat into his mouth and now it was him who began to stare blankly into his half-eaten dinner.

"I have heard his highness the Crown Prince, Damon has annulled his engagement with the eldest daughter of the Grand Duke, Diana Glacies" Cyprian Courtenay, Morana's father, the count suddenly spoke, his brown eyes shifting to Morana who didn't respond or was fazed. "What a pity" his voice tone was of mockery but cold at the same time.

"Yes, yes it is" Morana replied, still not fazed. She already knew about this and Morana envied Diana more than anything. Diana had escaped her father's hands, escaped her engagement with ease and now she's out there, somewhere in Alphyria problem enjoying her lavish life in the wonders of Alphyria than being cooped in a house forever before marrying some guy you do not love.

Morana wished to be in Diana's shoes right now.

Cyprian wiped his mouth with a cloth and continued to speak "Damon doesn't have a fiancé anymore. Not one that I know of" he spoke as he place the cloth down on the table. he had already finished his meal and the butler with a courtesy took the empty plate.

"Father, are you implying that your taking another chance of getting Morana in engaged with the crown prince?" Leo questioned; eyes widened in shock.

Cyprian looked straight dead into his oldest son's eyes.

Leo didn't need a straightforward answer from his father, he could read in the Count's brown eyes what it was.

He could not fight his father though the decision he has made.

Leonidas was stunned in his seat, draw nearly dropping to the ground "But why him again? Why can't it be someone else other than Damon?" he said as if his soul left his body. "There are so many other fine noble men who would love to have Morana's hand in marriage"

Morana clenched the hem of her dress, digging her long nails deep into her materials that she could feel it against her skin. Her throat tightened and her tears stung the corner of her eyes. The younger daughter of the count wished her brother to shut up. She wants everyone to shut up.

She doesn't want any of this.

Why can't they ask her what she wants?

Why was it so hard?

She doesn't understand why daughters are treated like political marriage to every father's eyes.

"All the men who wanted Morana's hand in marriage were either to incompetent or had their noses fair up in the air. Not to mention few of them were rejected by your mother who despised their household"

"If so what about other nations? What about Prince Edmund of Terra?" Leo suggested quickly in desperation.

Narkissa nearly dropped her fork at the mention of her prince from her country. It wasn't bad an idea but Edmond? Was that really a good decision?

Cyprian looked at his eldest son in disgust.

"Prince Edmond? That forgetful rascal who only likes to play with dirt." He said so shockingly, staring at Leo as if he said the stupidest thing the Count has ever heard.

Narkissa nearly snorted out her food and Morgana held a napkin over her mouth to pretend to wipe her mouth but only hid her snickering smile.

"Yes. Edmond may be a little odd in the head but that doesn't defies his utmost loyalty. I've seen the prince, his a gentle young lass who will treat Morana with utmost respect. He will look after bett-" Leo didn't finish his sentence when his father burst out chuckling.

"Don't be such a fool Leonidas, the moment his engagement will be tied with Morana he will forget about it the next day, completely clueless that his even engaged." He said pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration "Next you see on his wedding day my daughter will be standing on the wedding isle waiting for her husband to show up, but he is nowhere to be find and then to realise his playing with... playing with SQUIRRELS!" Cyprian explained, already seemingly annoyed and angry at the thought of it even though it hasn't even happened.

"I have already sent a letter of declaration for Damon to become your husband, Morana" Cyprian continued, eyeing coldly at Morana whose fork stopped just by her mouth, her sudden eyes wide open in shock as her pupils dilated.

"But darling if he refuses it again, how household would be in state of mockery" Morana's mother, Morgana spoke suddenly. The concern across her lavender eyes glanced at her husband who did not once look away from Morana.

"It's the emperor who gives the final statement not the crown prince"

"And what if his royal highness refuses this engagement as well, all over again just like 10 years ago" Leo burst out with fury, standing up from his seat and glaring at his father "what will you do next?" Leo demanded with a frustrated hiss. "Morana the daughter of the Count Courtenay who was rejected by the emperor twice. How many more humiliation does our family needs to go through?! How many does YOUR daughter needs to go through?!" Leo slammed his hands on the table, bloodshot eyes glaring at Cyprian who was containing his anger well better then Leo was.

Morana only sat in her seat without a word, her body trembling as she prevented herself from crying. It was the sudden burst of emotion that build inside of her but all these years of containing them came suddenly rushing down and she couldn't stop it.

Her throat ran dry, and she slapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out.

"Sit down Leo" Cyprian growled under his cold tone, brown eye darting death threats at Leo who held back his word, clenching his jaw shut. "I do not you to lecture me of my decisions. Look after your pregnant wife instead"

Cyprian took a sip of his wine to ease his anger however Leo continued to glare at his father, fist clenched to his sides wishing he could punch his father some senses.

"And you should stop making rash decisions by yourself and consult this with your family first" Leo said coldly and angrily before pushing his chair aggressively to the side and storming away and out of the dining room, slamming the giant doors behind me, resulting the chandelier above to rattle and shake.

Morana rose from her seat quietly, her head down low and a shadow had covered her face, with a soft weak voice she spoke "Forgive me father but I will excuse myself now" without a response from her father, Morana left the table and the room then.

The remaining family members, Morgana, Narkissa and Cyprian said nothing, not an even a word.

A defeated sighed escaped from the Count as he rubbed his face and with a mumble under his breath he said, "Was I maybe rash with my decision?"

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