The Dragon Queen

Jealously

It was odd to see Ragal being relatively nice to anyone else who wasn't herself. But when Lucia entered the dragons stables, pulling on her riding gloves, she smiled at the sight of Thomas stood by Ragal's stable door, cautiously holding his hand up to her snout for her to inspect. The fact that Ragal didn't immediately try to burn him to a crisp was amazing in itself, let alone finding the prince alone in her stables. "I'd be careful if I were you" Lucia told him, the typical sharpness gone from her voice so as not to scare her dragon.

"She seems nice enough" Thomas hummed, his fingertips barely grazing over the small scales inbetween her nostrils.

"She must like you" Lucia replied, coming to his side. With a grin, she happily cradled Ragal's large head in her hands and lovingly kissed her scales. "Don't you, my darling?" she cooed, earning a laugh from the man beside her.

"Of all the beasts in the realms you choose the most dangerous to treat like a puppy" he observed mockingly "Does the famous Dragon Queen have a heart after all?". Lucia couldn't resist the challenge in his deep blue eyes. She knew she shouldn't, not in a place so public as her dragon stables, but how could she not kiss him as fondly as she had her dragon? If anything she did it only to wipe the mocking smirk from his face. "Is that enough of a heart for you?" she challenged, gleefully aware of the rising red beneath his collar. He was quick to regain himself if that delicious moment of uncertainty had been there, like a jewel covered by dirt to be found again. "Lucia-" he began.

"Your Highness" a familiar voice called, and the two were quick to part as Dominic walked up to them, Kiaru stood feasting on the remnants of a poor fence a little way behind him. Lucia only just managed to conceal a wince at that. No doubt her gardeners would be overjoyed at the sight of smoking wood on their well kept lawns. Even so, she offered the prince a smile and nodded to Thomas beside her. He was frowning slightly, watching Dominic approach as though he could only see him through a thin sheet of fog, or like a headache was suddenly hurting his eyes too much for him to see clearly. "Prince Dominic, meet Prince Thomas of Assar" she introduced, taking Thomas' hand in her own "Thomas, this is Prince Dominic from across the sea and his dragon, Kiaru". Despite his apparent confusion, Thomas politely inclined his head, barely, like Dominic was nothing to him, but that was his treatment for most nobles. "A pleasure to meet you" he said so tonelessly Lucia could have laughed.

"Likewise" Dominic returned stiffly. He suddenly took Lucia's free hand in his own and offered her a smile that, for some reason, strongly reminded her of a dragon's fangs. Thomas' grip instantly tightened on her other hand, as if scared she would be ripped from his grasp, as if Lucia would allow that! "My queen" Dominic purred "Why not ride out with Kiaru and I? The weather is so fine".

"The queen is busy" Thomas barked. Lucia fixed him with a glare that he scowled at.

"I would love to ride" she said firmly. She thought she heard Dominic's strange laugh, but it was so quiet it could have just been the wind. "But I want Thomas to ride with me" she added.

"What?" Dominic asked, his courteous manners suddenly gone along with the wind.

"Yes" Lucia nodded "Its been so long since we've spent any time together. Come on Thomas. Help me saddle up Ragal".

Two glorious dragons tore through the white clouds like bullets, side by side, nothing more than mere crimson blurs in the sky. The wind was like daggers against Lucia's skin, howling like a pack of wolves in her ears, but, despite how her hands were numb with the icy chill, her hair damp with rain, nothing could wipe her smile away. Nothing could compare to riding her beautiful Ragal as fast as she could, Thomas sat right behind her, smiling as she had never seen him on land. For in the sky they were free, or so it felt. "Movorais utres! (Come on!)" Lucia roared, kicking her dragon's sides, and her beautiful beast easily shot past Dominic and Kiaru. She howled with laughter at the look of insult on Dominic's face, and spread her arms wide, adoring how Thomas' hands on her hips instinctively held her in place. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked mockingly, his voice so silky that she easily deciphered it over the rough wind.