Zephirion’s Castle – Throne Room

Zephirion sat stiffly on his throne, arms crossed, his crimson gaze locked onto the two people currently ruining his life.

Aeris and Valerion.

They had met five minutes ago.

And in those five minutes, they had become inseparable.

Valerion, the Red Dragon, had declared Aeris his new little sister. Aeris, in return, had found an instant best friend. And the two of them? Well, they were now teaming up against Zephirion.

"You mean to tell me," Aeris said, leaning against Valerion with a smug grin, "that I’ve been calling him stupid lizard this whole time, and there were so many better options?"

"Oh, absolutely," Valerion grinned. "And lucky for you, I have plenty of names for our dear brooding king!"

Zephirion’s eye twitched. "Valerion—"

"Let’s see," Valerion pretended to think. "There’s Zeffy."

Aeris gasped. "Oh, that’s perfect."

"I know, right?"

Zephirion let out a low growl. "Do not—"

Valerion continued. "Then we have Dark & Grumpy, Dramatic Overlord, and my personal favorite—Your Royal Moody-ness."

Aeris snickered. "That last one is perfect. Your Royal Moody-ness, could you pass me some tea?"

Caelum, the White Dragon, stood off to the side, watching this unfold with a face of pure exhaustion. He had been mentally prepared for Zephirion’s marriage to be chaotic.

He was not prepared for this.

"Are you two finished?" Zephirion asked, voice flat.

"Not even close," Valerion said cheerfully.

Aeris grinned. "We still have a whole list of names to go through."

Caelum sighed, rubbing his temples. "I am begging you both to stop. I can feel my lifespan decreasing."

"Don’t be so dramatic, Snowflake," Valerion said, slapping Caelum on the back.

Caelum closed his eyes. "I am suffering."

Meanwhile, Zephirion was glaring daggers at his new biggest problem—his new wife and his oldest friend joining forces.

Valerion grinned. "Don’t look so mad, Zeffy. You should be happy! You finally have a loving, affectionate family!"

Zephirion’s voice was deadpan. "I will throw you off this castle."

Aeris smirked. "Aw, don’t be mad, my dear Royal Moody-ness."

Valerion snapped his fingers. "Oh! What about Little Brood?"

Zephirion’s jaw clenched.

Caelum looked to the sky, whispering to himself. "I need patience. I need strength. I need new friends."

To be continued