龙巢 (Dragon's Nest)

Chapter 6

As Raiden walked into the hall, he saw his parents sitting together at the dining table. His father happened to be home today. 

"Father," Raiden greeted. "I assume you are aware of the news." 

The former emperor of Draconia looked up from his plate of food. "Yes, I am well aware. Congratulations on finding a mate. You have finally matured and decided to listen to your parents' wishes. This is the kind of behavior we expect from you from now on." 

Raiden rolled his eyes. His parents were always more concerned with baby-making rather than other duties of the palace. It was like they put so much trust into the era of peace that they wouldn't expect anything bad to happen - this irritated Raiden. 

"What I really came here to tell you was the fact that I don't believe a celebratory dinner should take place tonight. I need some... time with my new mate. I would like to have that celebratory dinner tomorrow night instead. Would that be possible?" Raiden eyed both his mother and father, expecting an agreement in return. 

Raiden's father drank his tea and looked up. "Yes, that's fine, but you should know that your mother and I are growing old now. Noble beings like us do not live forever and despite us being the purest of dragon hybrids here, our dragon blood does not simply sustain our lives for more than 200 years longer than the average human. That being said, it would be best if you find a mate and have them quickly take over the empty vacant seat of empress that resides next to you." 

"Your father is right, Raiden," states Raiden's mother with a warm smile, something that shocked Raiden. He never sees his mom smiling at him. "We're happy you have officially found a mate, but you must hurry. We also want to meet your mate tomorrow night at dinner. Are they an alpha or an omega?" 

"Omega." Raiden felt sheepish. He knew his parents wanted an alpha in order to continue their alpha lineage. Alphas were always just more preferred in noble families because alphas, regardless of gender, were always able to carry out their duties without any hindrance whatsoever. A simple rut wouldn't take them down, but it was different for an omega. An omega's heat could very well become a nuisance and hinder their effectiveness in performing duties. 

Raiden's mother began looking at her husband with a confused expression. It seemed as if she didn't know whether to approve or not. 

"Well, as long as you have one alpha child... the bloodline is sustainable," Raiden's father stated, looking at his son with a rather grim expression. 

--

--

Raiden took a breath of fresh air. Talking to his parents about Nobu gave him anxiety. As he was walking out of the palace, he saw Akane. 

"Akane-"

"Raiden! It's great to see you," stated an ecstatic Akane. 

"It's great to see you, too," said Raiden. Seeing Akane always made Raiden feel better. Akane was always enthusiastic for some reason. It seemed as if he always had a carefree life and his parents were always spoiling him. After all, he is an only child. It was expected that he would be spoiled, but Akane got so lucky - he had nice parents to top it off. 

"You look stressed, are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Remember that omega from yesterday?" 

"Yeah, the one you bought?"