The Mateless Dragon King

Making Appearances

Valen's POV

A while after my mother left, Vehiron interrupted me while I was writing. 'Edric is at the door.'

I looked up from my parchment and put my pen down right as I heard Edric knock. Sometimes it is nice to have a dragon with exceptional senses.

‘You mean all the time,’ he remarked. I rubbed my large hand down my face.

‘No, just sometimes.' I retorted.

“Come in, Edric,” I raised my voice to carry through the iron-fortified door. The door opened and Edric strolled in to stand directly in front of our desk before he bent stiffly at the hips to bow.

“Your Majesties,” he greeted both myself and Vehiron.

Edric was tall and robust, standing at 6’ 2” with a muscular build. His hair was charcoal black and always kept short and neat, his earthy brown eyes shone brightly against his dark skin.

He was quite capable of fighting and made sure to train in both his human and elephant forms, but he chose to be a paper pusher. It is not like that is a surprise, elephants prefer to use their brains. Vehiron and I both trusted Edric and chose him to be our personal assistant after our first one was caught selling information found in my office to enemies. Elephants are very loyal, and we knew this one’s loyalty lay with us.

“What is it, Edric?” I glanced at the windows and noticed it was already dusk.

“Dinner is almost ready in the Great Hall, Your Majesty. Would you like to go down to join everyone or would you like me to send your dinner here?”

I looked around my desk at all the work I still needed to do. It was never ending.

'It is important for Caelorians to see us.' Vehiron was right. I spent too much time locked in my office, trying to ignore the world.

“We will come to dinner,” I responded, stretching my arms over my head as I stood up, my 6’ 5” frame looking down at my trusted assistant as he turned to fetch my cream doublet with gold embroidery from the oak stand by the door.

Edric held up the doublet to help me shrug it up over my broad shoulders over my white wool tunic. When I was in my office or private chambers, I preferred to wear just my tunic. In public, I wore a doublet over my shirt, as was the current style for men, or my golden armor. If we went outdoors, I always donned my golden cloak as well.

I grabbed my sword that was leaning up against the stone fireplace behind my desk and strapped it to my back while Edric grabbed my cloak off the same stand my doublet was on previously. He would carry my cloak as we walked to the same destination.

As we walked through the dimly lit castle corridors, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of restlessness settle over me. Vehiron was also silent in my mind as we made our way to the Great Hall, sensing my mood and choosing not to add any unnecessary commentary. Edric walked beside me, his presence a comforting reminder of his loyalty and support.

When we arrived in the Great Hall, the chatter and laughter of my people filled the air, lifting my spirits slightly. The warm glow of torches illuminated the faces of those who lived and worked in the castle, as well as those who wished to gain favor from my family, as they waited for their dinner to be served.

In the Great Hall, the royal family all sat on one side of a long table that was slightly elevated at the head of the room, so everyone could see and interact with us.

Immediately below the royal table were two tables, filled on both sides with chairs. A gap between the tables allowed anyone in the room to approach and speak to me while I ate, although it was rare that anyone ever did. At these tables sat council members and shifters with their families.

The rest of the room was filled with long banquet tables, where anyone could sit to eat or rest any time of the day. Between mealtimes, the kitchens often stocked a banquet table with foods that were easy for people to grab quickly and eat on the go as they went about their day.

My chair, taller than everyone else's and resembling a throne, sat in the center of the table, with a similar but slightly smaller chair to my right. Next to the empty Queen's chair sits my mother, the Dowager Queen Elara. She gently smiles at me as I approach them, not bothering to pause and interrupt the conversation she is having with my brother, Prince Lysander and his mate, Princess Consort Rowena.

Lysander’s short vibrant red hair was styled in a deliberately tousled manner, adding to his carefree demeanor. He was ten years younger than me, but when your life spans over centuries, ten years is a negligible difference. Lysander was tall, slightly taller than me even, with a slender athletic build. His dragon, Skorchaire, was also very slender, but that was why he was the fastest of all of us.

'I am bigger.' I rolled my eyes at my dragon.

'Not everything is a competition, Vehir.'

Lysander's mate, Rowena, also had a tall and elegantly slender build and her red hair was closer to a burgundy color.

She brought the best out of my brother, who always struggled with not fitting into the mold that men in our family were expected to fit into: strong leaders with a military background. Instead, Lysander was a patron of the arts and preferred to spend his time with the artists and musicians of the city, rather than at the training grounds.

Rowena had the most beautiful voice and was a professional singer before Lysander claimed her. She still occasionally graces our family with a song, but only at intimate family gatherings.

To the left of my chair sat my youngest twin brothers, Prince Cassian and Prince Lucian and their mate, Princess Consort Isolde.

My twin brothers had a unique appearance, with silver hair and gray eyes that contrasted drastically with their youthful appearance. They were completely identical, except Lucian has a slightly broader build than Cassian.

They both towered over their mate, whose curvy figure erred on the shorter side of average for a woman. Her curly black hair and caramel skin contrasted drastically with the tall silver-haired men sitting on either side of her. None of us dared to cross that small woman though, because she was a spitfire when she was angry. I guess it takes a certain temperament to be mated to not one, but two dragons.

All three of my brothers have dragons, to the surprise of everyone in the kingdom. Prior to our generation, only one male in each generation received a dragon. Since I had Vehiron already when they chose to enter the Trials, it was expected that they would receive different animals.

'Their dragons are my brothers too. I wanted them here with me and the Gods fulfilled my request.' Although it confused the whole country that my brothers also received dragons, it made sense to me after Vehiron told me that my brothers' dragons are his brothers, and they were inseparable in the spirit realm.

Dragons were usually more solitary creatures, so it was odd that they were so tight-knit that Vehiron didn't want to come to me unless his brothers were with him.

Their close bonds were why we never felt that our rule was threatened. According to ancient law, any dragon shifter could challenge the king for the throne. That is why the Gods in the past have chosen to only send one dragon to our realm at a time. No one wins in a battle between dragons.

'They swore oaths to the Gods that they would not challenge me, unless it was for the good of our people.' I frowned at his statement. He had never told me this.

'What situation would a challenge be for the good of our people? That would cause instability.' There was a long pause from Vehiron.

'They will challenge if I go insane from no Mate.' Vehiron’s voice was laced with sadness. If they had to challenge us, it would take all three of their dragons together to stand a chance against Vehiron.

We both knew it was a very real possibility that we could lose our minds without our mate. Luckily, 199 years have come and gone, and we seem perfectly sane, although I am not sure if either of us would be able to tell if we started losing our minds.

'You already discussed this possibility with them?'

'Yes. Your brothers don’t know though.'

I was glad Vehiron had the foresight to have this discussion with his brothers. I know it probably wasn't an easy conversation.