#half dragons

It was borderline unheard of for a queen to rule a kingdom unanimously without a king. News of the usurpation spread quickly throughout the surrounding kingdoms, the Red Queen making her presence known once she took the throne from King Frederick by force and changed the kingdom completely. You remembered the fear in your father when he heard of King Frederick’s death.

Rumours spread quickly. They say that the Red Queen made a pact with Ammar, the Red Dragon, destroyer of kingdoms, and bringer of fire and death. Ever since you were a young child, your father, the king of the Kingdom by the Sea, became overly protective of you. He forbade you to accompany him to any of his meetings with the Red Queen, but he always returned…perplexed? Angry? You couldn’t say for certain.

Either way, he always seemed confused and it upset him greatly. You could always hear him shouting in his study or muttering under his breath about some sort of trick, some sort of deception. A woman who would murder her own queen and fraternize with an evil Red Dragon could never truly be kind or courteous. That it was some sort of plot to undermine him and the other kingdoms.

Rumours of her connections to Ammar were only confirmed by the announcement of the Red Queen’s son, Prince Balmorn – a Red Half-Dragon.

Your father only grew more overprotective despite your growing curiosity. You were the princess, didn’t you deserve to know what was going on in your neighbouring kingdoms? Shouldn’t you have a say in interkingdom relations? Even now, as an adult, your father still forbade you from any business involving the Kingdom of the Red Mountain…until one fateful day when your father, brows furrowed and jaw set, met you with a most peculiar proposal.

One you would not have expected in all of your wildest fantasies. “The Red Queen and I have made an arrangement – you are going to marry her son, Prince Balmorn.”

You weren’t outraged, exactly. More than anything, you wanted to meet with the Red Queen and see for yourself why your father was so apprehensive when it came to her. But why marriage…and why now? Your father had always kept you away from most other children when you were young, the only other children you were allowed to meet were the children of other nobles or royalty from other kingdoms. Your father even said that it was likely you would marry one of them.

So why the Prince of the Kingdom of the Red Mountain? Why the son of the Red Queen? “Father, you have always been suspicious of the intentions of the Red Queen. Why marry me into her family?”

“I’m still suspicious, (Name).” Your father promptly reminded you, lips curled into a sneer. “But I’m no closer to figuring out her secrets or discovering that witch’s true motives or her plans…but she was curious about you, and she made a proposition. Our kingdoms would be united through your marriage to her son, Balmorn. But I know this is a trick.”

You tilted your head. Your father had always gone on and on about how everything the Red Queen did was a trick, but he was never able to procure any evidence to his claims. All he ever did was cast suspicion on her acts of good will, but to your knowledge, the Red Queen never made any threats to the other kingdoms nor did she act in a way you would consider to be duplicitous, at least from the accounts the nobles in the other surrounding kingdoms gave. So far, there was nothing to denote that your father was right about any of it being some kind of deception.

Naturally, you had your own reservations about marrying Prince Balmorn – you hardly knew each other, on account of your father forbidding you to accompany him to his meetings with the Red Queen.

Your father, however, was quick to reassure you. “That’s why I want you to marry her son.” He stated, shoulders square and head raised, crown glinting in the light of the sun, the sounds of the sea lapping on the nearby shore cascading into your ears as he spoke, the familiarity of home like a comforting blanket draped across your shoulders. “I want you to earn the Red Queen’s trust and discover her secrets within. I want you to discover what precisely her schemes truly are and report back to me once you do. And once you discover her true treachery, I want you to end both the prince and the queen’s lives.”

Audibly, you gasped, rising from your seat and raising your voice with a defiant tone towards your father. The king though he may be, had never asked nor demanded anything like this of you before and you didn’t have even the slightest idea how he thought you could do such a thing. “Father, I’m not trained in the art of skullduggery. I’m not a violent person. What makes you think I could accomplish this?”

“You will because I am asking you to.” Your father said sternly, sighing heavily as he took his crown off of it head and laid it in his lap, taking a seat in his throne. “The Red Queen is dangerous. Every day that her true intentions are a mystery is a day that the threat of her and that monstrous dragon hangs over our heads. She won’t even grant her name to us, insisting that we call her only by her title. Not even her knights, guards, or citizens know her name and even if they do not it, they will not speak it. A queen who rules alone with secrets held that closely cannot be trusted…I’m asking you to protect our kingdom.”

The fear of the unknown was a powerful one. Humans were not immune to it, truly. Your father was seemingly no exception, but you would be lying if you said you were not uneasy with the prospect of meeting the Red Queen and marrying her son. But it was not because of anything your father told you, but because these people were effectively strangers to you. You were never allowed to form your own judge of character about them because your father never allowed you to.

And, that was before asking the most obvious question. “And what if you’re wrong, father?”

Your question was met with a sharp glare, your father’s head lowering as he growled under his breath. “I am not wrong. A woman with secrets held that closely is dangerous and it’s only a matter of time before the knife in her sleeve is brandished and used to cut all of our throats.” He replied without yielding, reaching down to take his crown and place it back upon his head, staring you down. “It is why your mother no longer graces our palace with her presence.”

Right…your mother. Your father had told you that your mother had attempted to kill him in his sleep one night. Your father claimed she wanted sole claim to the throne, but the idea just didn’t make sense to you. Not from what you remembered of her.

But you accepted your role. If your father willed it, it was what needed to happen. And if he was wrong, then no harm would come to him or your kingdom and he would have nothing to be concerned about

Though…somehow…you couldn’t be entirely sure of that.

The carriage ride to the Kingdom of the Red Mountain was a long and anxious one, anticipation causing you to practically rattle in your draperies. You weren’t afraid of the Red Queen nor her son, but your fathers worries echoed in your head. You weren’t so sure you could go through with what he asked of you, even if he was right.

But he was so sure that because you weren’t the woman your mother was that you could. You had no idea how that made any sense, so you simply put the thought away and focused on rehearsing your manners and pleasantries. You didn’t want to make a poor first impression, after all.

Once you promptly arrived in the kingdom, the Red Queen was the first to greet you, her knights standing at attention and opening the door to your carriage, allowing you to step down and offering a hand for you to take, of which you accepted out of politeness.

Facing the Red Queen had you…surprised. She did not wear lavish draperies nor expensive jewelry, nor did she seem to carry herself any higher than her knights. The only remotely expensive thing she wore was her crown. She did wear a suit of armour, but it didn’t look any different from that which the knights wore.

You remember your father mentioning that King Frederick’s throne was usurped by one of his knights.

And off by her side was a large humanoid Red Half-Dragon, tough scales practically glowing like rubies in the light of the summer day, eyes glowing a burning amber as fierce as a raging hot fire. His horns curled gracefully behind his head, though the fins protruding from behind his head seemed flattened against him. What struck you as particularly odd was that this had to be Prince Balmorn, yes? So why did he seem so…meek? His head was ducked, wings resting on his shoulders like a cape, and his tail was curled around his feet. He even refused to meet your gaze.

Was he…nervous? Well, I suppose the feeling is mutual, then. Clearing your throat, you bowed and performed a curtsy as was customary when greeting royalty, head lowered to show respect to the Red Queen. “Your Majesty,” you said with a pleasant tinge of honey to your voice, “I’ve been anxious to meet you for some time.”

To your surprise, the Red Queen put up a hand and shook her head at you. “No, please. You do not have to bow to me. You are Princess (Name), yes?” She said, encouraging you to stand tall once again, which you did. You did not want to disrespect her in her own kingdom, after all. “I’ve been just as eager to meet you, but your father, King Richter, has been adamant in not taking you with him to meet with us. I was quite surprised to hear he accepted my proposal for you and my son to marry.”

“Yes…quite surprised.” Prince Balmorn spoke, voice low and unsure as he tucked himself a bit lower, still attempting to avoid your gaze. Even when he was trying to appear smaller, it was clear he was much bigger than his mother.

You nodded in agreement as you walked up, approaching her. Your father was so suspicious of her, but you could sense no trace of malice from the Red Queen, nor her son. In-fact, he seemed more afraid of you than you were of him. How odd. “I was rather surprised, too. But I understand that it would be advantageous for our kingdoms to be united by marriage, given outside threats to our kingdoms across the mountain pass.”

“Yes, it would be advantageous to be united as one, especially given your father’s famous naval fleets.” The Red Queen said plainly before shaking her head. “However, this agreement is not binding. It would be a blessing for you and my son to be wed, but if the both of you don’t find the arrangement agreeable, I will not force it and I will send you back home to your father and we can negotiate some other avenue for unification.”

Finally, Balmorn nodded and met your gaze properly, standing up straight and squaring his shoulders. Stepping forward, he knelt onto the ground, looking up at you as he gently took your hand in his. Your heart was beating in your chest once his scaly claws met yours, his rough, yet polished scales against your skin and his talons grazing it. Yet, he handled you so delicately, keeping his claws carefully tucked so that he would not hurt you by accident. You could even feel him tremble as he brought your hand to his snout, placing a tender kiss on the back of it.

You did not expect his lips to be so soft when they met your skin, but they felt warm. “I would hate for us to be bound in a state of dislike. Her Majesty emphasizes that a marriage should come with mutual respect and…an appreciation for each other’s company.”

That caught your ear, and you could not help but tilt your head. “Not love?”

The fins on the sides of Balmorn’s head twitched at your words, a hint of warm amusement behind his amber eyes, slitted pupils rounding ever so slightly when he gazed up at you. “Love is…most ideal.” He replied, rising up to stand, gazing down at you. A small smile tugged at his lips, creasing his maw as he took in your features. You were smaller than his mother, which meant you were very small compared to him. Even the thought of handling you made him feel anxious. Too harsh or too rough, even by accident, and he could break you. You were not a knight like his mother, nor were you raised among the common folk.

No, you were a delicate flower. Though he never attended meetings between your father and his mother, he could hear clear as day that he treated you as such. That he thought you were too fragile to be in the presence of the Red Queen and her son. Of course, King Richter never said as such, but it was what Balmorn could discern through the veiled meanings and subtext your father often spoke in.

It was something that quietly irritated the Red Half-Dragon. His mother spoke plainly and openly, never veiled, and yet King Richter always hid his intentions behind secret meanings and coded language. A dishonest man…it was what had him so anxious to meet you.

That didn’t mean he held any ill will towards you. If anything, it only motivated Balmorn to show you his true nature, that he truly harboured no desire to harm you or anyone. “But sometimes marriage doesn’t come with love and I cannot expect that from you.” He admitted, ducking his head a bit and glancing down at his feet. “I don’t want us to marry if you dislike me. I could never forgive myself if that happened. So, instead, the best I can hope for is that…you like me and…enjoy my company, at the very least.”

You did not expect the Red Prince to be so meek, but you supposed it was a pleasant surprise. This was the man your father was so afraid of? It was somehow both shocking…and unsurprising.

Allowing him to continue holding your hand in his, the Red Queen cleared her throat to get both your attention and nodded. “Well, now that we’ve made ourselves acquainted, why don’t I show you to where you will be staying and we can become more familiar with each other over dinner this evening?”

Nodding in agreement, you allowed the Red Queen, Prince Balmorn, and her guard to escort you to the palace. Though, once you arrived at the palace, the guard simply returned to their posts, allowing you to be mostly alone with the royal family of the Kingdom of the Red Mountain.

Your bedchambers were quite comfortable. It was much more modest compared to your own, but you didn’t actually mind that so much. You got the sense that nothing in here was meant to be superfluous or opulent. Everything here was meant to be comfortable. You had your bedchamber and then a lavatory through a door within your bedchamber.

One thing you noticed was that though the bedsheets weren’t expensive, they were incredibly comfortable and clearly well-tended to. It was evident that the Red Queen cared very much about her guests’ comfort. Your clothes almost seemed excessively gaudy compared to all of this.

Dinner went quite amicably, the cook attempting to be conscientious of your more expensive tastes, but quite honestly, you were more curious about what the actual local cuisine was. You were surprised to be greeted with something like a stew. Though it didn’t look too fancy, it was immensely flavourful and quite filling.

The Red Queen was naturally interested in your upbringing, given that throughout all of her dealing with King Richter, she knew next to nothing about you. Balmorn, of course, was curious about you as well. And, naturally, you couldn’t help but be curious about him, too. As he spoke about himself, his muted and more demure demeanour began to make sense.

Naturally, as the son of the Red Dragon, Ammar, and the kingdom’s new queen, the people were skeptical of him. Some still were left uneasy by Balmorn’s status as the prince. But, as the people grew used to the new rule, the majority got used to Balmorn as well.

And when the Red Queen gave you a proper tour of the Kingdom of the Red Mountain, you immediately began to understand why. The people’s spirits were bright, they greeted the Red Queen eagerly like she was an old friend, like she was one of the townsfolk. Given that she was a knight before she was a queen, that was likely true.

But what struck you was that none of the people lived in squalor. None of the people’s homes had holes in their rooves, none of the people’s clothes were ragged or torn, and none of the people seemed to struggle to eat or make a living. Indeed, none of the people seemed to be left behind.

It was a stark difference between the Red Queen’s kingdom and your father’s kingdom. The difference between the nobility and ruling class as compared to the common folk was…glaringly obvious, even when you were a child. Though your home was the palace, it wasn’t hard to see the state of things from your tower window as a child.

The days were quite pleasant as you spent your time with the Red Queen and her son – your fiancé, you supposed. However, it was not only them that you spent your time with. Your sheltered life led your inclinations towards the common people and the people who worked for the palace. It was quite easy to get to know the people as they were quite eager to share.

They could tell you were a bit out of your element and treated you quickly with kindness. The cook that made the food for the Red Queen and the knights was eager to share her family life with you. The food she made was often the favourites of her children when they grew up, and it was well liked by those that inhabited the palace and those who came to the palace gates to take what was left.

The cook was very quick to tell you that any food that was left was given to the townspeople to share. Thus, she always made a little more than was necessary so that more of the townspeople could have a hearty and healthy meal.

The townspeople remarked often about how young you were, and thus commented that you were probably too young to remember the scourge of Ammar. You replied that your father often frightened you with stories of the Red Dragon when you were a little girl, but the people here actively lived those nightmares for a very long time through the generations.

It was not until the Red Queen took over the kingdom that the people no longer feared the shadow of the Red Dragon over their heads. And it was now that they did not have to fear losing their homes or means to live, thanks to being freed from the rule of King Frederick.

That struck you as odd. Your father had always said that King Frederick was a good man, but every time his name was uttered by the people, the life would die out in the conversation and they were rather quick to change the subject.

You wanted to know more, but you weren’t sure who to ask. Though, your father did say your mission was to discover their secrets.

So, you asked, attempting to ask in a veiled way as to not give yourself away as a potential spy. However, the Red Queen knew what you really wanted to know right away, and to your surprise, she was not only unoffended, but quite quick to tell you her story.

The version of King Frederick that the Red Queen spoke of was not the one your father had told you. The King Frederick that the Red Queen spoke of was nothing short of a tyrant who bled his people dry, sent them to die in a battle they could not win, and executed those who survived to fight another day.

And that was only in his kingdom. The Red Queen was quick to pull out a map of the kingdoms King Frederick had conquered. She had wondered why the other kingdoms seemed amicable with the Red Queen while her father constantly distrusted her – the nobility of the other kingdoms had their power restored by the Red Queen after King Frederick had conquered them.

You had to wonder what kingdoms your father had conquered in much the same way for him to still hold King Frederick in such high regard. Come to think of it, you remembered arguments between your father and the other nobles when he thought you were asleep at night…perhaps that had something to do with it.

The Red Queen told you of how the Red Dragon Ammar had spared her to teach her a lesson about her own kingdom and her own king, as well as a lesson in what it truly meant to slay a monster. And…his attempt to force her to marry him in exchange for her life.

You couldn’t help but wilt. It was no wonder she was so adamant about your choice in this arrangement with her son…and you had to admit, you had found him quite pleasant, thus far. Throughout the week, he often presented you with small gifts, things that you either told him you liked or things he overheard you speak of. Or even small things that reminded him of you.

Something of a small hoard began to accumulate in your bedchambers. The dresser was the perfect space to display the trinkets Balmorn found for you. You never thought of a hoard as something that could be so sentimental, but seeing it all together changed your opinion of dragons in a small way.

The Red Queen finally told you the end of her story – how she took the kingdom and the throne from King Frederick for herself to free her people and the Blazing Star made a proposal to her – marriage, not unlike the proposal the Red Queen made to you and her son. And, just like with you, Ammar made it clear that the choice was hers whether or not she wanted to pursue peace through marriage and begetting a child or through some other avenue, and the Red Queen chose marriage.

So, the Red Dragon now protected the kingdoms that were under King Frederick’s rule. Now you knew why your father was so anxious about the lack of activity from the Red Dragon and the Red Queen’s dealings with him. And why the Red Queen proposed marriage.

If their kingdoms were united through marriage, there was no risk of them being at odds and your kingdom would be under the Firewyrm’s protection as well. But if not, and for whatever reason your father decided to attack the Red Queen and the kingdoms she was allied with…the Red Dragon would not take kindly to such an offense.

There was no doubt that there was a reason to fear the Red Dragon…but the Red Queen was nothing but kind to you since you arrived and given how highly her own people and even people affiliated with her spoke about her, you were inclined to believe her.

At the end of the week, the Red Queen announced her departure from the kingdom, leaving it in the care of the captain of her knights. She needed to converse with her husband at the top of the mountain where he dwelled and she trusted her knights to keep a careful watch and guard over you. So, you took this opportunity to spend some alone time with Balmorn.

It was easy to approach him. He often spent his time in the palace garden, tending to the flowers, there. Though, you noticed that he paid special attention to the flowers you pointed out were your favourite since you told him – Salvias, specifically the blue variety.

And once again, that was where you found him. He knew your presence immediately. You made no effort to hide yourself and your presence was warm and welcome to him. And he knew that his questions were not unwelcome. “What’s it like by the sea?”

Blinking, you tilted your head at him as you approached, putting a hand on his powerful shoulder. “You’ve never been?”

“No. I’ve never been outside of this city.” Balmorn replied, a hint of solemn sadness to his tone of voice as he answered. “My mother thought I would be…safer if I stayed in the city, at least until I could prove I could establish myself. Both to my mother and my father.”

You were glad that Balmorn had grown comfortable enough around you to stop referring to his parents by formal titles, at least when it was just you two.

Sitting next to him, you leaned against his side. You didn’t know a lot about his past, but his nature told you a lot about who he was. He was sensitive, careful, and incredibly considerate, always putting your comfort first. He paid close attention to not only what you liked, but what you disliked. Indeed, it seemed his first priority was ensuring you never felt unsafe, uncomfortable, or even like you were disliked.

In-fact, that was one of the first things you noticed. He seemed to like you very much and you didn’t have to perform for him. He was to be your husband, after all, and at this point, the Red Queen was going to be your mother-in-law. The thought made you feel…comforted. It had been a long time since you could call anyone a mother. It felt…nice. “It’s…cool.” You replied, taking in a deep breath and remembering the time you spent on the seaside as a child. “The ocean breeze against your face, the sun on your face…the soft and warm sand beneath your feet. The smell of the ocean isn’t like anything else.”

Balmorn hummed at your answer. It was hard for him to picture, but it sounded lovely. He hoped he would be able to see it, someday. Though…he wasn’t sure your father would be happy to see him with you on his doorstep. That led him to his next question, since his mother was going up to convene with his father. “What’s…your father like?”

You raised an eyebrow at him. “You mean you’ve never met him?”

“No. I’ve overheard his meetings with my mother, but I’ve never attended.” Balmorn replied, throat rumbling as he tried not to let his displeasure for the man be too obvious. “I had a feeling we…wouldn’t get along.”

“From the way he speaks of you, he makes you sound like some creature dragged in from the streets.” You confessed, your walls down after you spent so much time with him. The prince looked a bit wounded, his fins drooping sadly and eyes glittering with disappointment. Though…he didn’t seem surprised. “He…always made it sound like he’d seen you, at the least.”

Balmorn shook his head. “No…not once. Not in-person, anyway.”

Regarding him for a moment, you sighed through your nose. You were sure there was no way to fake the deep sadness and disappointment he seemed to feel in that moment. The way his shoulders sagged and his hands fell in his lap…your heart ached.

You put your hand on his, having grown used to the texture of his scales and his claws. Glancing down at you, his tail then curled around you, pulling you closer to him, draping his wing over your shoulders. The warmth he gave off was comforting. You were almost tempted to fall asleep like this. “My father is…a cautious man.” You admitted, seeing no reason to hide your secrets, given how open both Balmorn and his mother have been about theirs. Even calling them ‘secrets’ was a bit misleading – they were so open about their pasts that they weren’t even really secrets at all.

It was even common knowledge to the common folk in this city. “He refuses to believe in the kindness my mother has consistently shown him.” Balmorn pointed out, a small nervous laugh behind his words as he spoke to you.

“He’s convinced that your mother’s hiding some sort of nefarious secret, that she has plans to conquer him and that her kindness is a front.” You continued to admit, laughing yourself. It was only now after you had spent some time away from your father that you realized just how ridiculous he had been about all of this. “He simply refuses to believe that any of her kindness is genuine and that her secrets make her dangerous.”

Laughing more light-heartedly, Balmorn let out a small ember through his snout as he snickered, utterly beside himself. “If your father refuses to believe anything my mother says is the truth, I can see why he would think we’re hiding something.” He replied, the corners of his mouth tugged up by his eyes creased with laugh lines even underneath his scarlet scales. “Such a shame he lives his life that way…I can’t imagine he has many genuine allies if he believes that transparency is a farce.”

You nodded in agreement, sinking into his muscled arm. Your other hand held onto his tail that was draped over your lap. You felt him rest his chin on your head and felt his chest heave with every breath. Another thing you noticed was how affectionate he was towards you, at least away from prying eyes. Never enough to make you uncomfortable or to seem like he was claiming you, but enough to make you feel like your company was liked.

Though, you couldn’t help also being curious about him and his upbringing. “What’s your father like?”

Fins twitching in response to your question, Balmorn hummed as he contemplated it. It was very difficult to describe his father…but he supposed he should try. After all, you did when he asked about your father. “Tired…” Was his response, looking up towards the mountain where his father lived. “Larger than life…intimidating…older than old…aging gracefully. He wasn’t involved much in raising me, that burden fell to my mother. Though, his expectations of me can be…heavy to carry.”

Looking up at him, you furrowed your eyebrows. People seldom spoke of Ammar as an individual, mostly seeing him as a presence. The Red Queen and Prince Balmorn were the only people who knew him as anything more than that. “What sorts of expectations?”

Humming, Balmorn softly nuzzled you with his chin, softly putting his arm around you, leading you to sit in his lap between his legs and only persisting once he was sure you were allowing it, wrapping around you for comfort. “I am…not my father.” He said quietly. “I have no desire to own land. I have no desire for great riches. I have no desire for great battles or to rule kingdoms. I am not the heir to my father’s legacy, but my mother’s. He always knew that…and I don’t think he begrudges me for it, but…sometimes I can sense that he regards me with…something like disappointment.”

Glancing up at him, you craned your head to regard him closely. His words rang true and more than anything…you wanted to know who he was rather than who he was not. “And…what do you want?” You asked.

Meeting your gaze, amber eyes glowing with an affectionate warmth towards you, he smiled. “I want…to care for the land.” He stated, his chest burning deeply with something he couldn’t quite describe. “I want to make maps. I want to travel and know more than this. I want to plant gardens and create new life. I want to write stories, paint pictures. I want to do more than just own, I want to give to the world.”

Then, his gaze burned hotter when he looked at you. Before you arrived, he wasn’t entirely sure about you. He wasn’t sure if marriage to you was what he truly wanted. You seemed pleasant, and he didn’t want you to be afraid of him. He wanted to like you, at the least, and he did.

He liked you very much.

Gently tracing his claws along your jawline, he held your face tenderly in his rough hands, his smile soft as he gazed down at your delicate beauty. How a human could seem so…harmless, yet so hauntingly beautiful he would never know. Was this how his father felt about his mother? He dared not ask.

He knew what he wanted…now more than he ever did, before. “And…perhaps selfishly – please forgive me for this…” He swallowed before making his proclamation clear, tilting his head as you followed his gaze. “I want you, (Name). You’ve been…kind, patient, and understanding. But you were never afraid of me…I never had that.”

Every sincere word that tumbled out of his lips made you feel guilty. You knew what your father wanted from you and you knew you couldn’t do it. You never could, but now being faced with the possibility that your father would expect you to murder this man, your future husband and mother-in-law?

You couldn’t do it…and you owed it to him for him to know the truth. He had been so forthcoming to you thus far…it was what he deserved. “Wait…Balmorn, I…have something I must confess.” You interrupted shakily, taking a deep breath. The Red Half-Dragon pulled back a bit, giving you space to collect your thoughts and say what you needed to say. His face betrayed only concern and worry for you, and that just made this more painful to admit to.

But…he needed to know. He needed to know the pretenses upon which you were here. “My father…the reason he agreed to this…was because he believed I could learn your and your mother’s secrets…and…” It was so difficult for you to admit to out loud, but you needed to…you needed to no matter what. If you were going to be married, you needed full transparency with one another. “My father told me…to kill the both of you once I learned. But I could never go through with it, that’s not who I am! I’m not…dishonest. I’m not violent…I could never do such a thing…”

You couldn’t meet Balmorn’s gaze, fearful that his sweetness and his kindness and gentleness would fade away. Truthfully, you were afraid – afraid that your father had been right all along and you would meet your fate, here. “I can…understand if you don’t want to marry me, knowing that. But you deserved to know –”

Pulling your face towards his, claws still as gentle as they had always been, he traced your chin, tilting your head up towards him. His lips were merely a breath away, his eyes on yours. There was a heat behind them you hadn’t seen, before, and for a moment you were afraid he was angry with you.

But instead…his voice was gentler than you had ever heard it, before. “I know you would never hurt me…” He murmured, thumb softly tracing your bottom lip before he softly pressed his snout against your nose. “Thank you for telling me, (Name). I trust you…”

Before you could even realize what was happening, he pulled you close, lips pressed against yours as he gingerly kissed you. You gasped through your nose, eyelids falling closed as you sunk into it. His lips were very warm and inviting and he smelled pleasantly like a bonfire. The half-dragon didn’t dare move to elevate the kiss, letting you be free to pull away if you wished.

You didn’t move. Instinct, instead, pushed you to climb further into his lap, seated down comfortably on it as you grabbed his head and tilted it, deepening the kiss and feeling him rumble from within his chest. You had no idea what propelled you to continue like this, but tender turned heated as breaths turned heavy and grip turned firm. You could feel him grow hard from between your legs and when he pressed against you, you whimpered at the sensation you had never felt, before.

Balmorn’s hands grabbed hurriedly at your rear as he pulled you against him, you grinding down against him in response. You were holding onto his horns as you had opened your mouth to let him in, his long tongue filling your mouth and almost tempted to reach down your throat.

When he pulled away, fearful for your sense of safety and comfort, his breaths were heavy, mouth hanging open as he drank you in. His deepest instincts demanded that he make you his mate right then and there, breed you in that garden and fill you with wyrmlings that belonged to him.

But he would not do so. His mother taught him better than to follow his baser instincts like that. No, he didn’t even have the first idea whether or not you were even a virgin. He had to be gentle with you, ease you into this.

And the first thing he needed to do…was make sure you really and truly wanted this. “Should we…continue this in the privacy of my bedchambers?”

Just as short of breath and feeling unbearably warm, you nodded, arms wrapped around his neck. You had never felt anything like this, before, and you were sure you would never feel this way about anyone. Whatever your father said about your union, you didn’t care. Balmorn’s heart was pure and you wanted him just as much as he wanted you.

You wanted to be his wife. You wanted him to be your husband.

And – right now, more than anything – you wanted him to deflower you. “Please, my prince…” You purred, meaning that now and truly.

Groaning lowly, Balmorn’s rough clawed hands were on you, hoisting you up and carrying you bridal style in his arms, wings flared open as he lifted off from the ground and flew up. You had never flown before, so you naturally clung to him, knowing that he wouldn’t dare drop you.

He carried you up and up and up, to the highest room in the tallest tower of the palace. Lighting down on the balcony, he opened its doors and carried you inside of his bedchambers, closing the door behind him and locking them promptly. You had never seen so much red, before, and it was a deep wine red. In his room, a pile of treasures was haphazardly kept in the corner of the room, a nest made of comfortable and worn blanket and pillows taking the place of a bed just across from a fireplace that was not lit.

Until Balmorn set you down in his nest and turned away, leaning forward and blowing a flame into the fireplace, taking the poker to stoke it before closing it promptly, letting its warmth and its light fill the room. All of the curtains were drawn and the only other door into this place was closed and seemingly locked.

You looked up at him, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. “No one will interrupt us, right?”

“No.” Balmorn replied gruffly, shaking his head. “The only way that leads to my chambers is from the lower levels. There are secret passages along the stairwell if I need to get somewhere quickly, but only I and my mother know them. No one else. So we will not be bothered unless it’s truly important.”

Nodding at him, you sighed shakily. You supposed that made sense, but this sudden domineering attitude was…unexpected. And it made you uneasy. “So…what happens now?”

Raising an eyebrow at you and seeing how you curled in on yourself, Balmorn took in a breath and let it out, trying to calm himself down so that he would not accidentally hurt or frighten you. After all, you may be his bride-to-be, but you were only human.

You were still fragile…he needed to be careful with you. “Now,” he said, wings flared as his tail began to swing languidly back and forth as he approached you, broad shoulders making him appear even larger as he leaned over you, arms propping him up on either side of you as he gazed down at you with eyes that blazed brightly in the dim light of his room, “I make love to you.”

Your heart practically leaped into your chest when he said that in such a low and husky tone. You had never felt anything like this, never felt so…desired. You whimpered when he leaned in, pressing his chest against you as his snout buried itself into your neck, the half-dragon deeply inhaling your unique scent of sea breeze.

The moment your arms threw themselves around him, Balmorn had to fight every instinct not to bury himself in you right then and there. He was a prince and you were a princess. He needed to conduct himself with manners. You were to be his wife, for gods’ sake.

Restraining himself, he pulled back, gazing down at you with all the affection in the world, admiring your flushed cheeks and the way your eyelids fluttered at him. He felt like his heart would stop if he looked at you any longer, but he needed to persist. For your sake. “I must ask…for your sake, my dear: you do want this, yes? You want me? You want me to bed you? To mate you? To make love to you?”

Smiling softly at his meekness coming back just to ensure you were safe and comfortable, you giggled sweetly at him, putting a finger up to silence him and reassure you. “I wouldn’t allow anyone else but you to deflower me, Prince Balmorn.” You said, holding his draconic face in your hands as you pressed your forehead to his, basking in the tender intimacy of this for the moment while you had it. It was necessary…to take a moment to bask in the warmth before it became an all-consuming blaze. “So yes, I want you to make love to me. I want you to claim me as yours. I want to be your wife. I want to have sex with you and I want to marry you and share our lives and our kingdoms together.

“And most importantly…I want to show you the sea, someday.” You added with a cheeky grin.

Laughing a little, you could hear a deep rumble in his throat as he pressed himself into your touch, Balmorn practically melting into you. You had never felt him be this pliant and relaxed, but he still had himself propped up on his elbows. It was then that you could hear him start to growl, his maw right by your ear as his hot breath rolled over your sensitive skin. “Then…I have one last question, my princess…” He hissed, claws tugging at your clothes as he practically pawed at them. “Do you care about these rags?”

Chuckling at his impatience, you gently stroked at the scales on the back of his head and shook yours. “No. Tear them off, if you wish…they’re not important to me.”

With a low hungry bellow, Balmorn could hold himself back no longer, growling as his claws quickly tore apart your blouse and ripped apart anything else that laid underneath, leaving your chest bare and on display for him to admire and gawk at. So much tender beauty encased in supple flesh and it was his.

You were his. You had given yourself fully to him and, with your enthusiastic permission, he was going to take all of you and mark you as his inside and out. Not an inch of you would be left untouched by him. Normally, it was customary to wait for marriage to initiate the consummation, but he didn’t want to wait. This was a consummation of sorts, of their commitment to this relationship and this marriage, but he could just keep this as their little secret from his mother and pretend the night of was their first for her sake.

After all, Balmorn wasn’t going to complain about ravaging you again. Your soft and supple body was nothing short of exquisite.

All at once, your groom-to-be’s long tongue and teeth were everywhere they could find purchase, nipping and lavishing at your neck, holding your body still as you tried to hold onto him for dear life, to grasping at and fondling your soft and plush breasts in his rough hands. He was rutting against you and all of your senses were filled with nothing but him.

Words were beyond you as he began to ravage you, your senses overloaded with pleasure and sensation, but you didn’t mind. It was Balmorn. He could have as much of you as he pleased and then some as far as you were concerned.

His lips and tongue were on your breasts immediately, the soft flesh pliant under his attention and your whimpers and whines music to his ears when he found that your nipples were especially sensitive. Suckling one and rolling the other in his fingertips, he alternated, getting you writhing and riled up as he handled you.

He could tell that you were trying to stifle your noises, but with a wet pop, he scolded you, but not before grabbing your face harshly and stuffing his tongue into your mouth, again, gladly swallowing him down as you grabbed onto his horns, making him hiss and harshly thrust into you, pulling away and leaving a string of saliva connecting you. “Don’t stifle yourself. No one will hear you but me, and I want to hear you sing for me when I make love to you.”

Nodding, you were barely even given a second before your pants and remaining undergarments were torn off of you, leaving you completely bare for him as he suddenly hoisted you up by your hips, your legs slung over his shoulders and his claws pulling your thighs forcibly apart.

Embarrassed, you instinctively tried to shut your legs, but Balmorn would not allow you to hide his most precious treasure from him. And there it was, glistening, wet, hot, and puffy for him. He could smell the musk you were giving off, taking a deep breath of your scent before blowing hot air on your plush and soft mound of flesh.

You felt strange and a bit sheepish when he was examining your most sensitive and private area with such hungry intensity. He didn’t even give you a moment to realize what he intended to do before he pressed his long tongue against you, licking a stripe up your plush and soft folds and causing you to yelp when he dragged it up along your clit.

Once Balmorn got a taste of you, your hot searing silky sweet wetness on his tongue, his appetite was ravenous. His lips formed a seal over yours and his tongue plunged deep inside of you, claws tightly digging into your soft skin as he suckled hungrily and roughly at you, growling and groaning into you as he practically devoured you from the inside out.

Wriggling tongue and suckling lips had you writhing and whining, unable to escape his grip but somehow wanting to draw him even deeper in, even when it wasn’t physically possible. Your entire body was set alight with fiery blaze running red hot through your veins, sensation after sensation wreaking havoc on you as you fought to maintain any coherent thoughts.

Your hands found purchase on his horns, squeezing them in your hands as you fought to ground yourself to something, and it only spurred Balmorn on even further. He suckled even harder at you, swirled his tongue around and pumped it in and out of you even faster. He could feel you dripping down his chin, feel your walls twitching and clenching around his tongue. He was almost tempted to drive you over the edge and finish you, but he wouldn’t.

Not here…not like this. If there was a time you should unravel, it should be while he’s properly mating you.

Breaking the seal his mouth had over you, he pulled away, sliding his tongue out of you at an agonizing pace, maintaining eye contact with you as he allowed you to see just how much of his tongue was inside of you. Your eyes widened as his tongue rested on your naval, your own fluids dripping down your skin and past your breasts.

Before you could even bashfully comment, he kissed you again, snaking his tongue soaked in your fluids into your mouth and letting you taste yourself as he grinded you against his leg, the rough scales making you whimper and jerk in his grasp.

Pulling away from you, he leaned back and began to properly disrobe, shedding his clothes almost as hastily as he tore yours off of you. It didn’t take much to be completely nude, crimson scales glinting like rubies embedded in his hide in the light of the fireplace, his cock standing fully erect as you admired the twitching, leaking, angry looking thing.

It was a fleshy pink colour, and you could almost feel its heat rolling off of it as you stared at it. It was thick, thicker than you thought you could reasonably fit. The tip was tapered at the end to a point and along the underside of it were several fleshy, spiny ridges that formed an unbroken line down to the base where it protruded from its slit. The base was somewhat bulbous in nature where it protruded from.

Nervous, you curled in on yourself, an action that Balmorn took notice of before he sighed, looking over at you and purring affectionately at you, pressing a kiss on your cheek and nuzzling you. “Don’t worry…I won’t hurt you. You can take it nice and slow, a bit at a time until you don’t think you can take anymore. And then we’ll go from there.”

As he softly lapped at your neck affectionately, you relaxed. Even at his most primal, at his most unhinged and most beastly, your safety and wellbeing was his highest priority. What else could you possibly want from a husband?

Nodding, you put your arms around him, holding him close. “O-okay…I trust you.”

Smiling, Balmorn purred softly pulling your arms off of him as he met your gaze hotly. “Turn around, on your hands and knees. Present yourself to me.” He murmured, whispering softly into your ear. “It’ll be more comfortable that way.”

Doing as he told you, you turned around, spreading your legs open for him and resting on your elbows, looking back towards him. “Like this?”

Smirking as he admired the position you were in, he approached you from behind, hands on your hips and hot erection pressed against your naval when he started to feel up your side and your back. “More like,” suddenly, he grabbed you by the back of your head and forced your face down into the blankets and pillows of his nest, releasing his grip and gently running his hands along your back as he hummed contentedly at you, feeling incredibly dirty and indecent presenting yourself to him this way, “this.”

Pressing his hand on your shoulder blades, his other hand kneading at your hip, he then let go of you to line his throbbing hot cock up with your sopping wet entrance, the tapered end allowing easy penetration. Once you felt the intrusion, you gasped, moaning loudly when he started to fill you properly. Once his head was firmly inside, he hissed through his teeth. Fuck, you felt so hot around his cock. Were he not made of fire, you would have burned him.

As he began to press further in, you whimpered, hissing as the painful sting of the stretch proved sharper and more unexpected than you anticipated. Thankfully, Balmorn was quick to soothe you, leaning forward to press his chest against your back and leave kisses and licks along your neck and jawline, whispering encouraging and gentle words into your ear. “Easy, it’s alright…just relax, I’ve got you. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.” He murmured, hand reaching down as he circled your clit with his fingertip, making you involuntarily grind on him, earning a soft hiss from him. “That’s right…I won’t let anything hurt you, just relax…and feel me reach deep into you.”

Slowly in increments, he pushed his way into you. You could feel the ridges of the underside of his cock bump against your clit on its way inside, making you yelp and whimper as you ground yourself even more on him. The stretch was painful, but his cock felt so good. His gentleness with you helped the pain melt away with each inch he pushed into you.

Bit by bit, he sheathed himself into you. It wasn’t until your lips met the base of him that you decided you were ready.

Once you gave him permission, Balmorn wrapped an arm around your shoulders from underneath your chin with one arm, the other gripping your hip tightly in his hand. His wings tented around you, serving to help hold up his weight as he prepared to rock his hips into you properly. He had every intention of making this well worth it.

His thrusts were slow and methodical, his focus on dragging himself slowly against your walls, making you feel every inch of him. You had never felt anything this good, every bump on the underside of his cock bumped against your clit with every pull and push of him. It practically had you seeing stars, shuddering and wriggling your hips so you could feel more of him. The more you moved, the more impatient you got. The pain didn’t even seem to matter much, anymore.

It didn’t take very long before Balmorn started to fuck you like he was going mad, your sonorous voice echoing around his bedchambers as he plowed you into his nest. Rapid wet slaps accompanied the songs of pleasure and carnal desire, the half-dragon snarling as he bred you and mated you like his deeper draconic instincts demanded that he do. The ridges on the underside of his cock were no longer bumping against your clit one-by-one in slow long drags, but pulled all together against it with his rapid punishing pace.

You had never felt anything like this before, nothing this good. You were practically screaming wildly as he fucked you madly, chasing his high like he would die if he didn’t fill you with his seed. You wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer, twitching and jerking like mad as the assault on your senses began to build to a breaking point.

With a snarl, Balmorn paused for a moment, pressing himself as harshly into you with a sudden snap of his hips as he stilled, his cock pulsing and throbbing into you as something hot then began to spill into you. The thought of pregnancy never occurred to you before or during your act of lovemaking, but before you could think any further with what little thought you were capable of having, the half-dragon suddenly fastened his teeth into your neck and bit down, tongue lavishing at the site as he started a punishing pace once more. Even after he had already cum, he still wasn’t empty.

No, his loins still burned and he had a need to put out the fire by any means necessary.

The sounds and smells of sex only intensified as he fucked wildly, fast, hard, and deep. You could hear how wet and sloppy this was becoming with his fluids added to yours and you could feel his base popping in and out of you, your body managing to stretch enough to accommodate his full size, somehow.

It wasn’t long before you were wailing, your insides pulsating, spasming, and contracting as you came and came hard, fluids practically leaking and dribbling out of the both of you as he still continued to fuck you, desperate to chase his second release.

Your mind was mush, your thoughts nonexistent, and your words incoherent as Balmorn made an absolute mess of your insides, snarling by your ear as he grew closer and closer to release.

Then, finally, while you were still cumming on his cock, his second orgasm followed swiftly after, Balmorn fucking himself as deeply inside of you as he could as rope after rope of white hot cum stained your insides and cascaded out of you, the half-dragon reaching down to circle your clit just so he could hear you shudder and clench around him as he came.

The both of you were shuddering messes, hot, sweaty, and filthy with the scent and slick of sex on the both of you. You were both breathing heavily as you came down together, Balmorn feeling satisfyingly empty and you feeling satisfyingly full. More and more fluids trickled out of you as you remained locked together, the half-dragon scooping you up in his arms and rolling on his back with you still impaled on his cock. You were completely limp, barely weighing anything as he held you in his arms, you going completely slack against his chest.

You stared down at yourself, your belly looking slightly swollen when you examined yourself. You could see the growing trail and puddle of fluids forming on the ground, feeling so embarrassed and trying to curl in on yourself, but having no strength in your arms or legs.

Balmorn noticed and laughed, wrapping his wings around you to cover you and kissing at your neck and your cheek, purring softly as he held you in his arms. He never would have expected to be able to have this with anyone and of everyone in the world…he was glad it was with you.

Licking at the bitemark he left behind on your neck, he nipped at your ear, getting your attention. “Did that feel good? Did you enjoy that?”

Sharing his sentiments, you laughed softly, nodding blearily as you kissed the tip of his snout, nestling yourself as best you could under his chin, suddenly feeling quite tired and sleepy once the fervour had died down and you were basking in the afterglow.

Softly, Balmorn rumbled, happy with you in his arms and feeling completely safe and pliant against him. He was glad he made this a good experience for you. “I’m glad…I can’t wait for us to be wed.”

But just as he started to pull out of you, you whined, wriggling your hips in an attempt to stay sheathed on him. At this, he couldn’t help but laugh, amused by your refusal to be separated from him. “What? Can’t get enough of me now that you’ve had me twice?”

You shook your head, clinging to his arms as you pressed as much as you could against him, mewling softly. “Just a little longer…wanna…enjoy this for longer…”

Enjoy this for longer, you said? Now, what a lovely idea. “Well, now…if you’re not in a hurry to get off of my cock, then…” He purred, pulling your legs up so that your knees were pressed against your shoulders, his hands locking behind your head as this angle made his cock feel so much deeper inside of you, whimpering as your inside involuntarily shuddered around him. “I don’t suppose you’d mind if I…indulged for a bit? I’ll be gentler, this time. Nice, soft, and slow…would you like that?”

Eagerly, you nodded yes. Anything to not be separated from him. You were perfectly content to just let him use you for a little while to relieve himself of everything he had pent up all this time. You were safe in his arms. You knew it, so you surrendered yourself to him completely, head rolling back against him.

Purring at you and nipping your ear affectionately, he planted his feet into the floor and let his tail assist in lifting his hips. “As you wish, my princess.” He murmured sweetly, voice dripping with honey.

Just like he promised, he languidly began to thrust up into you, the position allowing him to reach deeper into you as he kissed you, nipped at you, and licked you while rocking you on his cock.

If this was what you could expect for the rest of your life, you had no complaints. Fuck everything your father said, Balmorn was a good man and you were certain that no man would ever make you feel this good, this warm, this loved.

The rest of the evening continued like this. You drifted in and out of consciousness, feeling completely safe in his arms as he gently rocked his cock in and out of you. He was no longer in any hurry, so he could take his time with you until you both grew tired and fell asleep.

He had two more climaxes left in him before he decided it was time to get the both of you washed up and ready to sleep, as tempted as the both of you were to fall asleep with his cock sheathed in you. Though, as you cuddled in his nest together, that somehow ended up happening anyway, Balmorn’s cock slipping out of his slit in the night and directly inside of you, involuntarily having sex with you while you both slept and achieving one last climax before he fell into deep sleep, nestled deep inside of you and twitching as it slowly softened during the night, still buried inside.