Nithe: The Dragon Emperor's Love

Chapter 6: The Emperor is at Fault

A young boy sat on the war camp inscribing days into a stone. It was hilly terrain with no proper community living set up other than the war camp.

“Hundred days till I see my prince again.”

“Are you done practicing? Father is asking for you,” said Kharath.

“Yes, Yes.”

Nithe rushed over. Kharath stared at the rock for a while before leaving.

“Why are you late? Accept punishment for your lateness,” said his father and then Nithe was whipped 20 times. He clutched the red hairpin tight on his hands as he watched the people around him go about their tasks while he was just left to stay there.

It took Nithe a month to recover.  
By then they were travelling back to the capital. Even though Nithe was injured, he didn’t care. He wanted to see the prince. But unfortunately, this time, Nithe didn’t get to meet his prince. Drakar was sent on a mission by his father along with Tarako and Kharath who were called ahead.
Nithe spent the days with Cy. He didn’t mind. He would sit outside the prince’s mansion every day, waiting. As he sat, he wrote letters for the prince about everything he did in the capital. The day he left; he had left it in the room he stayed in.

When Drakar returned the next month, he found the write ups. Cy brought it to him.

“Your little satellite missed you,” said Cyrath.

“Nithe was here?”

Drakar was surprised.

“Yes. And waited outside your mansion every day too! So silly. But I stayed with him even though I didn’t miss you,” said Cyrath.

Drakar was quiet for a second and then grabbed Cyrath up.

“You didn’t miss me huh?”

Cyrath huffed and hugged his older brother tight.

“Not just me and Nithe, the little sunshine missed you too,” he said.

Then Cyrath led him to their youngest brother’s room. He is a newborn. The child squealed when he saw them.

Then Drakar saw the painting in the room. It was him from two years ago, as a 16-year-old. That’s how Nithe remembers him. Drakar realises Nithe probably grew too.  He read every single page of that diary and understood that Nithe liked him- as more than a friend, reading between the lines. But he only thought of it as a childish fancy.
---

Nithe fed Lala as Drakar fixed a bow.
“Ama, Baba, where is the gold?” asked Lala, touching their shoulders.

“It will come back, hopefully,” said Drakar.

Nithe turned away, but didn’t say an absolute no.

“Ama, Uncle said he doesn’t have children. I want brothers and sisters though. You are also not giving,” said Lala, petulantly.

“You do have a brother. Also, we can get your uncle married,” said Nithe.

“Nyr? But he didn't come. Can my big uncle marry Northern Dragons?” asked Lala.

“No, my little dragon. Your uncle is dense. He brought a flower dragon and left him at the palace with his ama, to take care of him,” said Drakar.

“A flower dragon? From?"

“Four years back the White Tigers attacked the Northern Flower Dragon Clan. He was among the very few who survived. Your brother had gone looking for medicines for your ama. He and the troops rescued them. He had Alyros stay in the camp with others. But this was the lone unwed omega dragon. It was difficult there till Kharath stepped in. When he came on this journey, he left him with your ama.”

“Are they together?”

“What do you think?”

“Hmm. My brother is indeed, dense. Can’t blame him, it’s the company he kept growing up,” said Nithe. Drakar raised an eyebrow.

“Lala, your ama is calling Baba dumb,” said Drakar.
“Yes, Baba dumb. Or why did you go away?” asked Lala, seriously.
Drakar could only hug his child and say, “
Yes, Baba is dumb. Is it not great that Lala and Nithe are clever?”
Nithe then extended a piece of bread to him. Drakar opened his mouth and let his omega feed him.
“When can we go home?” asked Lala.
“You want to go home?”

“Em. Baba and Ama’s home.”

“Even if your Baba and Ama are not mated to each other?”

“You said my baba and ama are still my baba and ama.”

“Yes, we did, my little darling,” said Drakar.
---

Next morning, Drakar took Lala out on a walk. Nithe was tending to the new protection barriers. The royal party that returned said that the mountains they crossed are now completely snowed in. It will be so for a month or so. There is no way for the royal party to leave. Nithe is afraid that this was exactly the plan of the attackers, to ensure that they can harm the emperor even if they miss the first time. So, there will definitely be more attempts.

Meanwhile Drakar and Lala were walking on the path leading to the Northern Clan’s housing area to look for Kharath. Well, Drakar was walking, Lala was hanging onto his arm and swung himself to the next destination. Drakar always wondered how he would be as a father. He always thought he would be an utter failure. But here they are. Drakar would burn the world for this little child here.

“Baba”

“Hmm?”

“Baba”

“Hmm?”

“Baba”

“What is it, my little dragon?”

“Nothing. Lala likes calling Baba.”

Drakar gathered his baby in his arms and they walked forward like that.

“Baba”

“Hmm”

“I love ama and baba the mostestest- and Uncle too.”

“Hmm, Baba loves you, your ama and Nyr. Maybe your uncles and aunts too because they are mine,” said Drakar.

“Uncle is ama’s brother.”

“He is my brother too. He was my brother first.”

“Silly Baba,” said Lala and kissed his cheeks and nose and everywhere he could find, loud smacking kisses.
Tarako watched the duo.

He had been checking the area out, with the help of a few soldiers.
The emperor’s face went impassive when he spotted them.

“Your Highness the Emperor. Your Highness the Crown Prince”

“Leave”

The soldiers dispersed. Tarako looked at him.

“Your Highness. I know I have wronged you in many ways. I cannot do anything to repair any of that. I selfishly wanted to know if the emperor consort’s thoughts about the bond were true. I thought if you hated me so much, why didn’t you punish me? That- maybe you would love me enough to forgive me. But we were both wrong.”

“The one at fault has always been me. I should have asked you to back off the very first time you tried to overstep your role in the palace. Even before I put my mating mark on my omega, I had made it clear to you that since Nithe is the one I will live this life with, you should forget me. I always thought I knew you too. I was wrong. Driving my omega away- that was wholly done by me. Why else would you dare to step into the emperor consort’s room where the crown prince slept without direct permission from the emperor himself? Don’t think of me not punishing you as my weakness. I did not punish you because the one who deserves all the punishment has been me. Not you. I was the one who gave you free reign in the court. I was the one who disrespected my omega every chance I got. I was the one who gave you all the respect. I was the one who belittled him to the world. I was the one who turned a blind eye to the disrespect he faced except when I couldn’t stand it. I was also the one who didn’t stop your passive aggressiveness towards him too. Therefore, the one who needs punishment is me, not you. If you think you deserve punishment, dragons believe in karma. I am reaping mine.”

Tarako smiled.

“The first day your highness spoke about the emperor consort to me- I knew I lost. Much before any race even began.

“The first day your highness spoke about the emperor consort to me- I knew I lost. Fools never learn.”
“He was a child then. I didn’t have any romantic thoughts about him.”
“You were just out of childhood too. Has there ever been anything that he has wanted and you have never given?”

“There was. It was my heart and respect. Because I promised you. You on the other hand, you yourself know what you did. There is no reason to try and absolve yourself. But you are right, there is nothing in this world that I will never not give him. I knew that the day he bent down before my father to request to annul our bond, carrying my fresh mark. So, your intention is secondary."

“Really? You believe that you loved me at any point in time? Heh. Who did you have Thorne recognise as the second rider? Who did you give the Solstice Heart that you found? Who did you make the Starlight Terrace for? Was it for me? I don’t like open spaces or gazing at stars. You made that terrace after you promised me. You don’t have a preference for the night sky either. Then who did you make it for? And the adjoining Ember Pool? And why did you still have everything that he gifted from the random books from South to the shells he found from the sea shore somewhere even at the age of 25? Yes, it was this very worshipful regard you had- have for him is exactly why I asked for your promise earlier. That is exactly what scared me. And he deserves all this. After all, I know the limitations of the love that I have to offer. It was only him in the army of hundred thousand and all of Drakonaar to come get you from the Bloodstone Summit, breaking formations after formations, month after he delivered your child. I did go into his pavilion that day and pick up his child. I was wrong, but I did. I was desperate. I am sorry,” he said and stormed off. Tarako saw Chief Fafnir was not too far from where they are. He probably heard everything they spoke about.

“Chief Fafnir, I have let you witness something embarrassing,” said Tarako.

Fafnir didn’t say anything for a moment.

“Some wars cannot be fought because the winner will be clear even before it begins,” he said.

Tarako nodded.

“True. You are right.”

Fafnir then walked off to meet Drakar.

“Your Highness”

“Crown Prince”

“No. No. No. Lala. Uncle Faf’s Lala”

“Call him like you are used to.”

Fafnir let the child he had hoped to help raise climb on him. Lala pressed plenty of kisses on his cheek.
“Baba said, if we go back home also, Lala can come back to learn the Northern Clan’s Centaur Mounted Archery when I am a big boy. You will teach me, right?”

“Of course. Anything you wish to learn,” said Fafnir.

“Thank you for your trust, Your Highness,” said Fafnir, looking at the emperor.

“We will discuss it in future. Have you been observing the clan?”

“Yes. I fear there are more than we speculate and perhaps some more left in the royal party too.”

“Hmm, Kharath is keeping watch over them. They will not harm your clan.”

“Your Highness, the emperor consort seems like an unexpected equation in this. Those who planned don’t seem to have expected him to be here.”

“True.”

“The emperor consort really did smash the Bloodstone summit?”

“There is nothing left. He crushed it and pushed back the white tiger forces with just himself and his 50 number elite force. He levelled the entire summit and had our camp built there.”

Fafnir saw a small twitch of the emperor’s lips. He seems to be thinking of that day, ruefully.

“I was heavily injured because of the war camp poisoning. He flew with me, our wings entwined. Lala was only a month old.”

“You are a very lucky dragon and an emperor, your highness, if I may say so.”

“Indeed, I am.”
---

Nithe was clearing their yard. He then picked up Drakar and Lala’s daily clothes to wash them. Dragons are notoriously self-sufficient. Drakar had helped him wash the previous day. Nithe shook his head, a little amused. Then his hand reflexively reached for his left shoulder and he froze. His mating mark was gone. It has been gone for a few days now but somehow, he only felt it now.

Nithe couldn’t stop his tears. Kharath found his little brother like this. He sat down beside him and didn’t ask anything. Nithe leaned turned into a dragon and laid with his snout on his brother’s lap.

“If you are this distressed about it, why ask to break the bond?”
Nithe looked away.

“Alright, don’t fight with me now.”

The two halves of Nithe’s heart came back to this sight. Both rushed over.

Lala turned into his dragon form and started licking his ama’s tears away.

“I will keep an eye on the camp. You guys take care,” said Kharath and stepped out.

Drakar looked at his azure dragon. He looked tired.

“What happened?

Nithe rubbed his snout against the emperor’s shoulder and Drakar understood.

“If you would accept it, I can put it back there any day,” said Drakar.
Nithe snuggled on his lap, still in dragon form. There was a desolate pain in it.
-----

Nithe was very sad that he couldn’t see the prince when he went to the capital. Now he needs to wait another two years. He practiced hard to aid the prince in the future. One day he was standing on his knees in the war camp practice arena, everyone watching as his father scolded him for missing aim.

“My classes are utterly wasted on you,” he said.

“His Highness the First Prince is here.”

All went on their feet. Nithe was so happy and embarrassed.
“Stand,” said Drakar.
Everyone except Nithe did.
“Why is my little warrior down?”
“I missed an aim, your highness.”
“Hmm. Well, how about I punish you by having you accompany me today. Come,” said Drakar and finally lifted his face up. They looked at each other, happy.

Nithe looked at his father who didn’t stop him and got out of the room, following the prince.

“You have grown taller.”

Nithe forgot all decorum and hugged him tight.

Drakar smiled and ruffled his hair.
“Looks like I was missed.”

“Very much. Did Cyrath also come?”

“No. He didn’t and before you ask the little monster is also fine and so are my sisters. Now show me around. “

Nithe huffed but led the crown prince around.
----

Nithe felt better the next day. He looked at the emperor who was giving instruction to his aids outside their yard.

“They can come in,” he said, standing at their door. Drakar looked at him, the subordinates still had their head bowed. He gave a small nod.

“Make sure to do rounds around the clan. There are probably many moles lying in wait. There should be no error,” said Drakar.

All bowed and then bowed towards Nithe and left.

“Are you sure?” asked Drakar.
“I was venting my personal anger. They are the brave warriors of Drakonaar, they deserve dignity and respect,” said Nithe.

Drakar nodded.

“Yesterday, you said you met Tarako. How is he?"

“He seems fine."

“Why did you fight?”

“The first time I distrusted him was when he followed me back to the palace from the trip to South when I was rushing back in time for your delivery. It was supposed to be just us. I had confronted him about it and he said things that I can never forgive him for. The day you left, I hated him. I hated myself more but I hated him too. I had explicitly told every single staff member that no one other than myself or our family was allowed to see you and our baby. He went in there because my sisters thought he needed closure. He knew you can’t bear it and still went in. Why shouldn’t I hold it against him?”

Nithe looked at him.

“Before I left, he had told me that you told him before our wedding itself that he should move on. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Then, why did you ask me to ask the royal father to annul our bond?”

“I wanted to know if you would.”
Nithe turned to leave.

“Omega-

Drakar got water splashed from his omega’s palm, slapping his face.
Drakar wrapped his tail around his omega.

“I was wrong. I should have listened and believed you. I was too angry and blinded.”

“I always thought you knew me the best. But I was wrong and you proved it that day when you accused me.”

Nithe broke off and left.
Drakar went to find Kharath.

“Do you know how to prepare Fish with sauce?” asked Drakar.

“You can ask the chefs. Why?”

“The ones you make down south.”

“I do know but what for?”

“I want to make it for him.”

“For Nithe? He hates it though. I have to force feed him if we had fish and sauce.”

Drakar stared at him.

------

Ahaha, so what do you think?
Who is Nyr? You will find out next chapter. Keep in mind it's non-linear. 💋