The White King's Favorite novel Chapter 3

"Ask Nebora if you need anything else," said Cassandra as Tessa took the bags from the servants' hands.

"I will. ...Are you s-sure this is f-fine, mom?" Muttered Cessilia.

Her mother smiled gently, and caressed her hair a bit more.

"I have a good feeling. Plus, you're going with Tessa. What should I worry about?"

Behind Cessilia, Tessa gave her aunt a confident nod, and walked up to the black dragon, leaving the poor old Yassim in awe. It couldn't be... Those girls were preparing to ride this beast? With him!

Cessilia gently hugged her mother, and walked up to Krai, gently patting his snout, while her cousin was already climbing on the dragon's back. Once on top, the young woman put down the two satchels, and held out her hand to help Cessilia join her.

"Hurry up, old man!" She suddenly shouted at Yassim.

"M-my Ladies, you're not expecting me to... mount this deity creature!"

"The deity creature will be twenty times faster than a horse," sighed Tessa. "And I promise he won't eat you unless we ask him to!"

Yassim let his jaw down without thinking, and turned to Lady Cassandra.

"...The d-dragons really eat humans?"

"Don't worry," chuckled the Princess. "This one's been on a low-human diet for a few years already."

Yassim needed a few seconds to process those words, wondering if she was simply toying with him. They wouldn't really have let a creature that could eat human beings near the Imperial children, right?

Seeing the two young ladies ready to go and waiting for him, Yassim had no choice but to move, and he did so very, very carefully. The old man took a long detour around the mighty black dragon, although Krai visibly had no interest in him. Instead, he was raising his head high for Cessilia to scratch behind his horns, making high-pitched sounds of satisfaction; Yassim had to gather all the courage he had left in his body to take Lady Tessa's help and set foot on the onyx scales. The height once on the dragon's back was impressive, but he didn't have time to look down; He was seated right behind Tessa, who quickly explained to him where to hang on.

"K-Krai, let's go," gently said Cessilia, patting his neck.

The dragon turned his head to Cassandra, who gave him a gentle pat on the hip before standing back.

Yassim was terrified, but he thought to himself he was a blessed mortal to ever be given a chance to climb on a dragon's back, and ride it! The large black wings spread far on the sides, showing off the dragon's unexpected width, and Krai flapped it twice before suddenly taking off. The climb was so sudden, it felt like the dragon had jumped up, and forgot to get down. Yassim gasped loudly, and held on, frozen by fear. He was riding a dragon!

"Close your mouth, Old Man," chuckled Tessa. "You won't like it if something flies in!"

"Lord Yassim," said Cessilia. "We can make s-stops if you need. D-Dragon flying can be d-difficult for Elders..."

"Our Grand-mother hates flying now," nodded her cousin. "She always says she'd rather walk all the way from the Diamond Palace to the Imperial Palace if she has to, rather than mount a dragon again!"

"I am alright, my Ladies," lied Yassim with a grimace. "I am honored to be allowed to... fly this wonderful creature. D-do you mind if I ask a few questions, though? The old man I am still holds much curiosity for the wonders of the Dragon Empire, and now that I have seen this, I can't help but to wonder..."

"Ask away," nodded Tessa. "Most people in this Empire don't get to see the dragons often either, to be honest."

"Only my little s-sister goes out with hers."

Yassim nodded. He had understood the young Lady Kiera was one to run away, but it looked like the younger siblings were usually watched by this adult dragon.

"M-may I ask about this... magnificent dragon? I wonder about the size difference with... The younger ones from earlier..."

"K-Krai is Father's d-dragon," said Cessilia.

"The dragons you saw earlier were babies," explained Tessa. "Dragons don't grow like humans, they undergo major growth spurt when their master matures, around teenage years. We don't know much about the reasons behind the size differences from one dragon to another, but the stronger their master, the bigger the dragon. You saw auntie Shareen's golden dragon earlier right? It's Glahad, our grandfather's dragon. He's getting smaller with the years because his owner passed..."

"When I was a b-baby, Glahad was much b-bigger than Krai... K-krai still grows, t-too."

Perhaps because of hearing his name, the black dragon let out a long growl, and Cessilia gently patted his neck.

Yassim was stunned. So this red-eyed dragon was the War God's Dragon itself? Moreover, if the Golden Dragon from earlier used to be bigger, he couldn't even imagine that mountain of scales moving like a creature! It was worth ten armies! The old man took a few minutes to re-think everything he had ever learned on the Dragon Empire's dragons, but he had just learned more in a few minutes than in years of study. Somewhere in his heart, the old Yassim felt incredibly grateful to have lived to this day.

However, he couldn't just be stunned by the moment, and forget his mission... As beautiful and impressive were the wonders of the Dragon Empire, his heart was solidly chained to the Eastern Kingdom's fate. Those dragons were a magnificent gift, but a much more important creature was riding it at the moment. He ought to be sure of who he was tying his fate, and perhaps his King's, to.

"Lady Tessa... M-may I ask how come you're also... Speaking as one of the former Emperor's granddaughters...?"

"My Father was one of his sons, and auntie Shareen's half brother," Tessa explained. "But like our other uncle and aunties, my dad abandoned his title as an Imperial Prince after auntie Shareen took the throne, to simplify the succession of Cessi' big brother. I have no title, I'm merely a relative of the Imperial Family and merchant's daughter, although Cessi and I are cousins from both our mothers and fathers' sides."

The two girls smiled at each other, looking as close as sisters indeed. Yassim was impressed. All of his teaching about the Dragon Empire had shown centuries of bloody fighting between all the previous Emperors' many concubines and children for the succession. For each new Ruler, a long trail of blood had to be spilled for him to access the golden chair, his hands dirtied by many of his siblings' blood. It was no secret that most concubines weren't afraid to kill to protect their progeny, when the said progeny didn't kill their own siblings instead once they were old enough. Even Empress Shareen's generation had been the theater of an impressive war between her father's six sons. Yassim thought he had come prepared, knowing that Empress Shareen had been placed despite three out of her six brothers still being alive, but now, it turned out this was all in a peaceful agreement between the remaining siblings? His scenario of the War God scaring his two younger siblings into obedience was completely wrong! As it turned out, both had willingly forfeited their lineage for their nephew to become the heir apparent? This was truly an amazing Empire!

"Isn't... his Highness your Father retaining any desire to return to the Imperial Palace?"

"My dad?" Scoffed Tessa. "He's better off away from it! He only goes once in a while to deliver our aunt her favorite alcohol from our Family Brewery my mother established, and that's it!"