My Husband, The Dragon Prince

King Keahilani and Prince Nakoa of Ainaokala

The dragons arrived the next morning, a small swarm of massive creatures approaching from the west.

The dragons began to touch down in the main castle courtyard, with all of the usual stalls and bustling activity being pushed away to make room. The dragons had large bags, barrels, and luggages held onto their backs by rope and woven nets. When they landed, the baggage was gently shaken off before the dragons changed into their more humanoid form.

The size change between their draconic and human forms were almost laughable. When they were in their true forms as dragons, they towered over nearly everything, their wings casting massive shadows. But then they shrank, and while they were all quite large and still towered over most people, widely built, they were not even an eighth of their original size. Though, they still kept their leathery wings, their curved horns, and long lizard-like tails. They also had a spattering of scales on their limbs and faces, though they were almost unnoticeable. 

King Keahilani and Prince Nakoa were some of the largest, so they were the last ones to land. 

Keahilani’s scales were deep black, though the ends had a red hue to them and his eyes burned like embers fresh from the flames. His horns were long and black, ending in a deep red that matched his long, black and red mane, and he looked much like the volcanoes of Ainaokala – sleek black rock sitting on top of lava. His wingspan covered nearly the entire courtyard, and he was quick to change to his human form. 

The clothes of Ainaokala were similar to those of Waipahu, as they came from similar climates, though quite different in style. In Ainaokala, both men and women were shirtless, though most female nobles did wear a feathered shawl when visiting Elaria. The women typically wore wide, bright floral skirts called pa’u. The men meanwhile, had simple loincloths that covered the important bits known as a malo. 

As King, Keahilani stood out from the rest, with a sweeping cloak of red and gold feathers fashioned into triangular patterns and a matching red and gold malo with a gold band across his chest. Upon his head sat a curved red helmet, like an upside-down crescent moon. The edge of the curve was a shining gold, glinting in the sun as Keahilani grinned.

Nakoa, meanwhile, was covered in blood-red scales, his eyes a bright yellow. He too was large, though he still stood a fair bit shorter than his father.

When he shifted, Lucia bit back a gasp.

Well. He really has grown into his wings.

Last she’d seen Nakoa, he’d been a gangly boy, barely a man, with wings that dragged on the ground, large red horns that seemed too big for his head so he was always tilting forward. His smile was as goofy as she remembered, his shoulder-length red dreadlocks still haphazardly tied back, but Nakoa had certainly grown up, his dark skin shining in the sun.

His wings no longer dragged – instead, they clasped at the clawed tips at his chest, resting like a cloak. He stood up straight and proud, his horns finally supported by a fully-grown body. 

Nakoa had also grown to be a very large man – wide-set and rippling with muscles that flexed as he moved baggage visible even under his royal ahu’la cloak, Lucia couldn’t help but think that he was built like a prized bull. Of course, a well-dressed, attractive bull in a red and black crown similar to his father’s.

“King Jude!” Keahilani greeted with a wide grin as he spread his arms, “Oh, your city is as beautiful as I remember!”

“It’s good to see you, King Keahilani,” Jude said, beginning to bow before being grabbed in a tight hug. After a moment and a slight groan of complaint, he hugged back. 

“And look at all of you! Why, every time I see you all, you seem to grow even more! Especially you, Masina!” Keahilani stepped forward and bowed deeply before her and Amaruq, “My deepest respects to a mother of a future Chief.”

“Thank you,” Masina said with a small laugh, “it’s good to see you too, Your Majesty.”

“Of course! And Titania! As independent as ever! How are things in Tir Na nØg?”

“As mysterious as ever, Your Majesty.”

“Never change, my Queen. And ah!” Keahilani turned to Lucia and bowed again, “Hello there, Princess Lucia. You look as lovely as ever, and the sight of you fills my heart with joy!”

“Oh, well, thank you!” Lucia managed, finding herself rather flustered. Originally, she’d been rather upset with Keahilani, but she found that anger dissipating the more he talked. Keahilani wasn’t especially clever, but he was intensely friendly, which made it hard to dislike him.

“I’m sure you must be eager to see your betrothed. Nakoa! Come here, son!”

Noaka, who’d been helping with the baggage, stopped what he was doing and jogged over. He stopped and bowed before King Jude, but he stood with a wide, toothy grin that showed off his sharp canines. 

Immediately, he turned to Lucia, “Hello, Princess!”

Lucia curtsied and held out her hand, “Hello, Prince Nakoa. It is good to see you.”

Nakoa then grabbed her hand. Lucia was expecting a gentle kiss upon the back of it, as was custom in Elaria. Instead, Nakoa pulled her in for a tight hug, much like his father.

“Can’t...breathe…” she managed.

“Oh!” Nakoa let her go, but he gripped onto her upper arms as he looked her over, “Why? Are you hurt?”

“I’m wearing a corset,” Lucia said tightly, beginning to get a little frustrated with the childish antics.

“Oh! Is it that thing that makes you thinner and your boobs bigger?”

“Why don’t we finish unloading?” Keahilani interrupted, putting a hand on Nakoa’s shoulder as he let go of Lucia, “We have brought many gifts for the wedding as well as Lucia’s birthday, and I can imagine it will take some time to sort through it all. Gracious of you to greet us at our landing, but we musn’t make a mess of your courtyard for much longer.”

“Of course,” Jude said, “Let us know if you need anything.”

“Will do!” Keahilani said with a smile before steering Nakoa back to the baggage, and the two began their work. The other royals began to go their separate ways, but Lucia grabbed Amaruq’s arm.

“He’s matured, huh?” She hissed.

“I never said he was mature,” Amaruq argued, “just that he got better.”

“Asking about my undergarments is not better!”

“To be fair,” Masina interjected, “we don’t have such clothing items in Waipahu or Ainaokala. It’s a very Elarian design.”

“So?! I don’t ask if he’s wearing anything under his malo! It’s rude!”

“Well, you’ll find out soon enough.”

“Amaruq!” Lucia snapped.

“Oh dearest,” Masina sighed, “you shouldn’t’ve said that.”

“Bad joke?”

“A terrible one,” Lucia said, “I want to think about the wedding and what follows as little as possible.”

“Speaking of…” Masina said, a sympathetic smile on her face, “Don’t you have a dress fitting right about now?”

“Oh, you’re right,” Lucia sighed, letting go of Amaruq, “I really wish I was more excited to try on my wedding dress.”

“Word from the wise,” Amaruq said quietly, “Fake it until you make it. Eventually, it’ll feel real.”

“Thanks, but I wish it was real now.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Lucia sighed as she got dressed again. 

Her wedding dress was going to be beautiful but she just couldn’t find it in herself to be excited. It felt as though every single time she tried to remain optimistic and think about the positives, she was rudely reminded that a day that was supposed to be one of the happiest in her life was being taken away from her. Lucia’s wedding dress would be everything she dreamed, as would the wedding, though it was meant to be a combination between Ainaokala and Elaria traditions. The only issue was with the groom – arguably the most important part of the whole affair.

When Lucia left the dressing room, she was surprised to see Nakoa sitting on a windowsill overlooking the sea, his tail flicking back and forth. His ears flicked as the door closed behind Lucia and he turned to her with a wide grin.

“Hey, Lucia!”

“Hello, Prince Nakoa,” she said, standing up a bit straighter. She glanced around, “Is...anyone else with you? Where is your father?”

“He’s speaking with your father,” Nakoa replied as he hopped off the windowsill and approached. He was still shirtless.

“I don’t think it’s proper for us to be alone together, especially so soon before the wedding.”

Nakoa c****d his head to the side, his handsome brow furrowing in confusion, “Why? It was never a problem before.”

“Yes, well, that was before we were engaged, when we were children. Things have changed.”

“Oh. Well, I kinda wanted to talk to you alone, if that’s alright.”

Lucia eyed her fiancé up and down, but he looked as genuine as ever. Nakoa was definitely a mischievous soul, but his smile seemed kind, his eyes pleading.

“Alright,” Lucia sighed.

“Alright!” Nakoa cheered before looping his arm with hers and beginning to walk down the hallway. She really wished he would put on a shirt, especially as they passed a couple of servants who giggled and whispered.

“So…” Lucia said, looking around at the woven tapestries on the walls that she had seen a thousand times, “what did you want to talk about?”

“Well...I think you’re mad at me.”

“W-what makes you say that?”

Nakoa laughed, “C’mon, ‘Lus! We’ve known each other since we were little kids! You’ve been kinda cold to me since I got here….and everyone else has ripped into me.”

“I’m sorry,” Lucia said, feeling rather embarrassed. She had been loose about her frustrations lately, though to be fair, Nakoa was the one who wanted to marry her.

“I didn’t really wanna marry you, y’know?”

Lucia’s heart stuttered as she tried to recall if telepathy was a draconic trait, “E-excuse me?”

“Well, not that I don’t wanna marry you!” Nakoa quickly corrected with a sheepish smile, “But it wasn’t really my choice either.”

“What do you mean?” Lucia asked, “My father said that you had taken a liking to me.”

“I think that was a bit of a misunderstanding,” Nakoa admitted, “My dad and I were talking about marriage, and he asked me what I thought of you – mostly since you’re really the only eligible bride out of all of the kingdoms.”

“What about Titania?”

Nakoa barked a laugh, a puff of steam releasing from his mouth, “HA! My dad wishes Titania could be his daughter-in-law, but if she wanted to get married, she would have done so by now. Nah, you were the only one that was in the running.”

“Well, that makes me feel special,” Lucia grumbled.

“If it’s any help, I’m also the only eligible groom.”

“I...guess that’s fair,” Lucia admitted, “But what did you mean when you said you liked me then?”

“I meant that I liked spending time with you as a friend. I know we haven’t seen each other in a few years, but I like talking with you and being in your presence. I guess our fathers took that to mean that I had a crush on you. Which, I don’t.”

“I have to admit...that is a relief,” Lucia said with a small smile, “I’ve been feeling a bit guilty because I wouldn’t be able to reciprocate your feelings. Of course, I’ve also been rather angry, because it felt as though your desires were being prioritized over my own.”

“Nope!” Nakoa assured, “Neither of us really want to do this, but here we are.”

Lucia giggled a bit, then sighed, “I’m really sorry. I’ve been speaking ill of you and this upcoming marriage to everyone. I’ve just been so upset, but I know that’s no excuse.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know that this has been a pretty stressful time, it hasn’t been too easy for me either. Father keeps trying to remind me what I’m expected to do as a husband and it’s stressing me out. Who knew weddings could be so complicated?!”

“Right? I mean, a royal wedding is always an extravagant affair, with a feast and following festivals, not to mention the procession. I think the planners are still trying to figure out the best way to combine our two cultures.”

“At least the food will be good,” Nakoa offered with a grin, “We brought all sorts of fresh fruit from Wana’ao.”

“Has the harvest been good this year?” Lucia asked politely.

“So far, yes! We still have a while to go, and then another season will begin….”

From there, Lucia and Nakoa wandered the grounds of Rema’s castle, with Lucia

leading him through the gardens. Eventually, she came to a grove, tucked away from the main area. There was a gazebo beside a small pond, with wisteria crawling up and over it. She sighed as she moved forward, removing her arm from Nakoa to hold some of the flowers in her hand.

“This is my favourite place in the garden,” she told him, “I’ll miss it dearly.”

“Why do you like it so much?” Nakoa asked, eyeing the blossoms, “I mean...it’s pretty, but it looks like everything else in the garden.”

“My mother used to come here,” Lucia explained as she moved inside the gazebo and sat down on one of the marble benches with violet pillows. After a moment, Nakoa sat down beside her, leaving lots of room, “We would sit here for hours as she read to me and some of the other children who lived in the castle. We’d feed grapes to the fish and make flower crowns. I think it’s the place I feel closest to her – she always said it was her favourite too.”

“You really miss your mom, huh?” Nakoa asked gently.

Lucia nodded, “Yes, very dearly. I think about her almost every day, and I always wonder what she’d be doing.” Lucia laughed, perhaps a bit bitterly, “I can’t help but wonder if had she been alive, would she have allowed our fathers to make this deal? Surely she would have stepped in. But then...we’ll never know.” Lucia sighed and then shook her head, turning to Nakoa with a gentle smile, “What about you? Do you ever miss your mother?”

“A little,” Nakoa admitted, looking around at the gazebo as he scratched his neck absently, “but it’s hard to miss someone you never really knew, y’know? I mean, she died so soon after I was born, so I don’t really remember her. It’s just always been me and Dad. I’m sad I never knew her, but I never felt like I needed her? I dunno.”

“Perhaps there’s a kindness in that – in not needing to long for her. Especially since your father was always there for you.”

Nakoa frowned and he opened his mouth, noticing the bitterness in Lucia’s tone.

However, before he could say anything, an Ainaokalan servant appeared and knelt before them, their tail flicking anxiously.

“Prince Nakoa, Princess Lucia, pardon my intrusion!”

“It’s fine,” Nakoa assured quickly, “can we help you?”

“Your father requests your presence in his chambers, Prince Nakoa.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll be right there.”

The servant nodded their head before standing and running off.

Nakoa sighed as he stood, stepping out of the gazebo to stretch his wings.

“I’ll see you at dinner, Luse!” Nakoa said with a smile and a wave before pushing off the ground and taking to the air, beginning to glide towards the castle. Lucia watched him go before sighing and pulling her feet up on the bench, leaning against the rails of the gazebo to watch the fish glide lazily in the koi pond.

It must be nice, Lucia thought to herself, to be a fish in a garden. You swim around all day until someone feeds you food, and you needn’t care about a thing. 

Lucia was not happy that she was suddenly feeling jealous of a fish.