THEON'S POV

(Before nightfall...)

"Leonor said he will be reporting at midnight," My servant, Fish, informed as we stood by the crowd. I then glanced at the window with curiosity; it was still giving off evening signs.

"And what about the girl?" I asked next.

"I don't think she is here, sire." Was his reply.

Hmm.

She is a royal, yet she isn't here. But the party has not started though; maybe she will be coming by any time sooner.

The room was getting crowded as visitors were piling up. Everyone is clothed with nobleness. That it shone together with the dazzling light of the glow stones. The place was wide enough for four full-grown dragons to fit and quite grand.

Well-furnished maroon tiles, an old canvas of dragons and human beings painted together on the domed ceiling, and a kindled crystal chandelier in the middle. A throne is nowhere to be found, and the walls are elegantly displayed with dragon horns.

"Well, you came, Marquis Theon," I glanced in front of me only to meet two humans of noble birth.

"Greetings, Duke Granger," I bowed with my palm in my chest. "And His Majesty, King William Yulius.

"This is Theon, the new Marquis of Weinthwoods." Duke Granger introduced for me, "Since Marquis Don could not bear an heir, he thus passed his title down to his most trusted right hand, Theon Moriarty. He sure is intelligent and clever, and absolutely a man of honor."

"What a fine lad," The king praised, "He must be in the same age as my daughter. Why don't you join us at the table?"

"I am honored, your majesty," I replied with a smile.

The table was filled with laughter and chuckles, and the sun had already set. Appetizing viands and garnished desserts unknown to me are presented on the table, but my vigilant mind kept me from tasting one. I noticed that in this 12-seat royal table, there are three unoccupied seats.

The ball will be starting soon, but I haven't seen a sign of that intimidating lady.

As he wore his crown, I observed his features. The king must be somewhere in his fifties. He has his caramel-blond hair in a formal haircut, matching his thick beard and eyebrows. His pair of hazel eyes are of a regal bloodline. However, he has a full-figured body that is quite questionable for his age.

"Father," A woman from afar, shouted as she strolled towards our table.

Her long curly golden hair was loose and was ornamented with expensive pieces of jewelry. She has dazzling amber locks and a fairly pristine complexion. Her bulky cornflower blue dress with lots of embroidered baby blue flowers suited her nicely. Well, what can I say, she is a beauty.

From the background, a set of fine music was now in a play. Couples and maybe people who just met occupied the ballroom for a dance. The room was well lit, even though the sun wasn't up.

"Will you be my first dance?" She happily requested the King after she sat beside him. Another princess, I see.

"Where is your brother, sweetie?" The king asked, "He must join the table."

They kept blabbering about stuff that almost motivated me to leave the table. As much as I want to take his attention, let us do that later. I was about to stand up, planning to find that woman first when a grill caught my attention.

"Where is that auburn-headed kid?" The lady beside me mumbled. "Brother, I wonder where my niece went." She asked.

She looked like a middle-aged woman to me. Scarce of silver strands are already creeping out from her dirty blond hair entangled into a bun. Wrinkles were already showing off on her hands and face. And impressively, she is simply well dressed.

"Ah, that Rhys, don't worry, she will be coming by soon." The king replied before both he and the princess stood up and walked towards the ballroom.

Is she pertaining to 'her'?

I glanced back to the old lady, but she too stood up from her seat and took her leave. I almost tried to follow her when another conversation broke out, making me halt and stay to listen.

"Duchess Fiona's niece, you said?" Another woman, who sat in front of me, asked her companion, "You mean Princess Erhys Bescheil, the late Crown prince's only daughter?"

Wait, what?

"I heard the Prince was a traitor. He was the one who started the revolt thirteen years ago, freeing those treacherous dragons."

"Because of her father's deceitful act, the crown prince's castle--- the Beischel residence, was looted and almost everyone related to him was executed. They also decreased the number of maids serving that residence to one. I pity that one soul."

Her companion gasped, "But what about her?"

"The Old King died after the demise of the Crown Prince, and his half-brother, the current king, took the throne. The fact that Princess Erhys was but a seven-year-old child back then, he bestowed unto her the most shameful punishment ever."

"He stripped her from her title, from the High princess down to the least rank. I heard she is also a general now without a dragon companion."

"I also heard she already captured dozens of those unwanted serpents, well, she must. It is her duty to slay and capture the beasts her father unleashed upon this world."

"Yeah, thank goodness, we are not going to serve someone with bloodstained hands."

Their conversation ended with those words. I was speechless, knowing that they are indeed talking about her.

---That untamable beast herself.

But a rumor's just a rumor in the end. Only half of it was true, and the other half is fabricated to mislead people.

The late crown prince, he was Cart Leonor's late master. Leonor is one of the oldest among the old. He has served this mortal kingdom for fourteen generations already as their royal dragon, and as my spy.

His wisdom and knowledge make his judgments accurate. And if that person won his faithfulness and trust, I guess I will give his intuition a chance.

My gaze slanted, only to stare at my wrist that was covered by my white sleeves. It would have been better if she followed her father's footsteps. But if I were her, I wouldn't either.

"Sire," Fish suddenly whispered, "A breach."

I immediately left the table and took a pace towards the exit.

"How come there's a breach?" I sharply asked Fish with my quietest voice possible as he walked by my back.

"Leonor informed that someone is attempting to murder his---"

We are about to reach the door when an unexpected figure appeared in front of me.

"Marquis," The king happily uttered, "Why don't you give my daughter a dance?" He requested, or should I say, commanded as she held her daughter's palm. She formally bowed at me as I did the same.

"Greetings, your majesty, your highness," I greeted, "I apologize, but there is an urgent matter I must attend." I simply reasoned.

"I see, go on then." Was his cheap response, compelling me to rest easy.

I gave another bow before leaving them behind. Damn, that was close.

We headed to a secluded area by the castle before Fish turned into a dragon. We flew swiftly and soundly towards the borders, but as soon as we saw crumbs of colorful light coming from the murky forest, we knew we are too late.

This the first time, in this generation, I saw that lively tints of yellow and orange that depict happiness and contentment. It only made me feel worse, knowing who's emitting such colors.

We descended a bit farther from the location and waited for the light to dwindle. I wonder what happened. How come this happen?

Now that Leonor is gone, damn it!

As I took the darkness as a hint, I sauntered alone towards the spot to investigate. With the help of the crescent moon, I could be able to perceive my surrounding. The place was rocky and quite dusty too. Signs of complication like logs and freshly slashed branches are lying on the ground and on the middle---

I halted as I stare at the humanoid figure lying silently on the ground. It didn't take too much time for me to realize who it was. With a sigh, I continued to stroll towards her pitiful body and immediately halted by her feet with a considerable distance between us.

The moon failed to hide her like before. She has a tired-bitten body. Her brown coat and white blouse were soiled with dirt, together with her bandaged hands. She has her long, straight reddish-brown hair messily displayed on the ground.

After knowing a wee bit about her, the way I perceive her started changing.

Even if she lost someone important to her, she still wore that same frozen face like nothing happened. I can't help but pity her.

---How much suffering and pain have you kept and endured for yourself? That it even caused you to feel this broken and dead?

It's unimaginable.

"Pray tell me demon," She muttered without leaving her distant gaze from the starry sky, "What sin did our ancestors made for us to lose our wings? What made us lose the right to be bound to the sky, to go home straight to the sky?" She gradually lifted her right hand, reaching for the heavens.

---So she knew about it all along.

"You humans are born from the sins of the once wisest of all." I generally uttered, "And you will be bearing that sin until every last one of you dies."

"Sin, cuss that out." She slightly hissed as she acceded to descend her right hand to the ground, "Aren't you sinners yourself?"

---I know you are aware of what I just meant. So, why can't you live with it? Why can't you live with the truth?

"Why are the sins of the grandest the only thing that matters?" She then inquired.

Yeah, to be honest, she has a point.

Why indeed?

Was it because they were who people rely on the most? Was it because they are ought not to create any mistake?

But then as I stared at her, she wasn't that splendid and loved either, but she too was suffering from her wickedness. It is not just the most grand who's suffering from unwanted choices.

"Punishment," I finally replied after a long pause, "Those who seek evil are doomed to be sentenced to maintain what is ought to abound this world."

"Hypocrite, you have all the strength to kill me, but you didn't. I wonder if every dragon's sense of justice is as broken as yours."

"I won't deny it, I hate you." My face grimaced.

Let my hatred burn in your mind, anguish your soul, and burden your heart. "But I won't be that chosen hero who's going to free this world from those villains with wicked schemes."

"Don't pity me, bastard, this heart has no room for kindness." She snickered, "---and I do things without a second thought."

"I know," I sighed as I bowed my head and closed my eyes for a second. "That's why I decided to use you instead."

I straightforwardly made my intentions known to her. I quite regretted it actually, being rude, I mean.

"Oh yeah," She curved her lips a bit, creating a smirk, "How scary, but go ahead---" Her tensed temperament suddenly softened, but did she meant what she just said?

Is she letting me do 'that' easily?

"--After all, I was born for that reason." She finished with a faint smile. A fake one, I presumed.

I watched her move her right hand and rest her bandaged wrist on her forehead with no further movements. She wouldn't even bother to look at me.

Going back from what she said, where she is being used for something.

"Just like Thirteen years ago, huh."