NGE: the isekai navy

CHAPTER 10

her father was right, this man wasn't like the others who tried to lay claim to her, it was clear that if she wanted him, she'd have to prove herself to him, not the other way around as it had been for all the others

"princess, if you intend to become my captain's dragon, the first thing i would recommend you do, is to disinherit yourself of the throne, my captain has no desire to take it, and will refuse to claim you if that is something that could potentially be held over his head" matthius said

"i need to figure out what this initiation is" she said

"it's a lot simpler then you'd realize, all you have to do is think in reverse" he said

"what does that even mean" she asked

"that's for you to figure out your highness, only the members of the reliant's crew know, your father most certainly doesn't, all he knows is that the initiation was created by syrania, not the captain, if you want to fill her shoes, your going to have to walk in them a bit, i would recommend, that you look at the captain's academic history" he said, she sighed

"he isn't going to make this easy for me is he" she asked

"nothing worthwhile is ever easy, the captain has severe trust issues, he was betrayed by the people he was supposed to be considered family after all" he said

"i'll remember that" she said

"you do that, it could be useful" he said

"can you tell me anything about this initiation" she asked

"it needs to come from you" he replied

"i see" she said

"i am sure you don't, you are not the first, there is a reason that my captain doesn't have a mount of his own, it's because no one has ever figured out what i mean" i said

"it doesn't mean that i have to figure it out on my own" she asked, but he shook his head

"you do.... you do" he said, not saying anything else, so she decided to go see the captain himself, taking off her boots and joining him in the house

"good you remembered" i said

"what is that robe you where" she asked

"it is called a kimono, it is the traditional wear of my people, usually most only wear kimonos on festivals and such, but this is different" i said she nodded

"what happens if i pass your initiation" she asked

"i will claim you, should you figure out my initiation, then i will know that it is the only course of action i can take, i do not think you'll pass it however, after all the initiation was created by her, it was her wish that all of my dragons, follow through, she taught me how to be a rider, and to enjoy the privileges therein" i said

"how can your mount teach you" she asked

"you'd be surprised, what they can teach us, if we let them and they are so inclined, i learned more from her then i did from the quote 'experts' unquote, and you will know i was a model student, so it wasn't from lack of my attention, it was simply that they weren't good teachers in that field, if they can find one, a dragon can teach you more then any other, after what else are you learning about, then how to be a good rider to them" i said

"what was she like" the princess asked

"syrania" i asked, she nodded, i paused

"stubborn, she knew what she wanted, and she didn't stop until she had it, at first she believed me to be like my colleagues, in other words a stuck up asshole with no redeeming qualities whatsoever" i said

"why" the princess asked

"because i ignored her, i ignored everyone at the time, i wasn't there because i wanted to be, i was there because my father and yours expected it of me, so i went, i wasn't there to make friends, i was there to follow the expectations placed upon me, and i have been told that i surpassed them, but i digress, as you know that during training dragons choose their preferred partner, no one wanted to partner with me, not only did ignore everyone and everything, but i was an unknown, no one knew me or what i was capable of, i was a duchy heir that came out of nowhere, literally" i said

"but you were chosen" she said, i nodded

"syrania was intrigued, because of my mystery, she went from intrigued to amused when she learned i had no prior training or experience, she giggled when she learned it, to my surprise at the time this did not deter her, she was a very patient teacher, as you know during the partnership, the rider gets all the benefits that they would have should they have claimed the respective dragons" i said, she nodded

"i am aware, i quite enjoyed putting my mount through the wringer" the princess said, in memory

"yes, well, i was different, i went in with no knowledge of the privileges whatsoever" i said, her eyebrow raised

"really" she said

"i was a tad busy learning the politics and such for my new position, i didn't have time to go joyriding on a dragon, and while my cousins may have their own mounts my father does not, and he is the only one i have lived with" i said, she nodded

"what may surprise you, is the fact that, syrania seeing my ignorance of the situation, she decided to teach me of everything i could do to her" i said

"she really did that, i'm surprised she didn't milk your ignorance, so that you'd treat like a queen or something" the princess said, but he shook his head

"she was honest, she told me that i had responsibilities to any dragon i would claim, and that their were privileges to go with those responsibilities, so she taught me, and i will be honest at first, what she had me do to her made me uncomfortable, but i soon got used to it and started to enjoy the power i had over her, but what was surprising was two days before graduation, i was preparing to say goodbye to her, when she came out and asked me to claim her officially" i said

"wait she asked you" the princess said in surprise, that was never how it worked, the rider made a demand, and the dragon would accept or decline, the dragon never to her knowledge straight up asked to be claimed

"yes, she told me that, i was a better master then she could ever dream of having, i took liberties with her like every other rider does their dragon, but she held a far greater position then most did, i treated her with respect and dignity, and when i graduated and was offered my captaincy, i named her my adjutant, and as i recall telling you, i had every intention to marry her, well that is if she accepted" i said

"what do you mean" the princess asked

"syrania was a proponent to the order of things, i was her master first, her friend second, that was how she saw, it saw it in reverse, she was my friend and confident first, my dragon second" i said

"will i have that same relationship" she asked

"no, if i claim you, you will be my mount, but in time we could also become friends" i said

"then claim me" she said, he eyed her

"that's what the initiation is, you won't go to them, they have to come to you, fine i'm here, claim me" she said

"do you know how many people i have told that story to" i asked with a chuckle

"and i take it none have figured it out" she said

"you understand you will receive no special treatment, you will be mine and i will do with you as i wish" i said, she nodded, i smirked

"go tell matthius, i want a twelve gun salute, and then disinherit yourself, but tell your father, i will be moving, and taking up the name ashford" i said

"ashford" she asked

"your father wanted me to create my own city state within the empire, now that i have a reason to do so, i am preparing for it" i said, she nodded

"then i shall leave you master" she said, i nodded

"indeed" i said