#sovereigns

Caelus!MC is still self conscious about the inky blackness covering his body, but thankfully Nibelung is a supportive hubby who has no problems praising the body of his mate while massaging him. Nibelung is a dragon. It'll take more than a curse to make him even think of leaving the treasure he greatly desires.

He's also not against... physically demonstrating it, if you know what I mean ;). These instances are few and far between because of the eggs. Nibelung doesn't want to hurt Phanes!MC or their unborn children.

When Phanes!MC finally goes into labor, the Sovereigns sitting outside who are eager to meet the eggs are forced to hear Phanes!MC cursing his heart out, threatening to cut their king's lengths off if he ever got Phanes!MC this pregnant again, and screaming. Lots of screaming. It certainly gives the dragons a healthy fear of pregnancy and birth with humans. It is NOT easy at all for humans.

This does not phase Nibelung in the slightest. He's not blaming Phanes!MC for anything that is said because his mate is in pain. The dragon king knows that he was the one responsible for the pain Phanes!MC is enduring now.

Luckily, the eggs don't tear Caelus!MC open, but he is absolutely drained after birthing four eggs. He goes to sleep after ensuring that the eggs are close and safe. The Sovereigns meet the eggs and immediately coo over them, leaving after some time before their mama wakes up.

Then the waiting game begins.

Caelus!MC watches the eggs a lot. He's happy to have his babies close. Nibelung spends a lot of time curled up in the nest watching his family.

After a few weeks, Caelus!MC wakes up to squeaking and watches as the eggs roll around the nest as his children fight their way out. Once all four of them are free, Caelus!MC dries all of them off. Nibelung chuckles afterwards.

"Four daughters. Our girls are beautiful, are they not?"

"They are, my king."

Caelus!MC holds the girls who wobble so cutely as they swarm their mama. Nibelung is the one who gives them their dragon names (canon names) while Caelus!MC gives them names which can be used amongst humans without giving their names.

The names are:

Asmoday - Odilia - "heritage" or "wealth, fortune"

Ronova - Hrefna - "raven"

Naberius - Áine - "radiance, brilliance"

Istaroth - Síthmaith - "peace" or "fairy mound, tumulus" and "good"

Nibelung does not complain. Smart dragon.

The baby Shades are here! And the names Caelus!MC gave them are so pretty! I bet they're adorable little beans! 🤩

...But now I'm worried. For all this fluff and happiness, there is always some angst hiding somewhere... but I'm sure its ok! At most I think the only thing we have to worry about is whether Aether and Stelle!MC/Akivili!MC might kill Nibelung onxe they come looking for Caelus!MC.

Nibelung's rut lasted a total of four days, only being satisfied when the dragon sensed that he had successfully bred his mate. Caelus!MC was practically an invalid once they were done and buried himself in the furs.

Nibelung dotes on his mate afterwards, feeding him, bathing him, and clothing him. Getting his desires out really did wonders for his attitude since he wasn't repressing anything anymore.

Caelus!MC is asleep one evening a month later when he sits up and feels like he pulled a muscle. He pulls himself into the bath and just sits there, wondering why he feels so uncomfortably heavy. So, he presses on his stomach and nearly vomits when he feels something shift inside of him. Four somethings... Oh Sovereigns, are those eggs inside of him?!

Pressing on the eggs harder actually makes him throw up because they feel like heavy weights against his stomach. It's while he's feeling queasy that Nibelung comes in, finishing a talk with Leviathan. Both dragons smell the vomit and look to see Phanes!MC attempting to climb out of the bath while looking disoriented and queasy.

Nibelung is quick to grab his mate and dry him off while Leviathan cleans up the mess with Hydro. Both dragons can smell the pregnancy and seeing how sick Phanes!MC looks makes Leviathan feel a sense of respect and pity for his king's human mate. Carrying dragon eggs certainly won't be easy on a human body. He also sees how concerned Nibelung is about his human mate, nuzzling him gently. His king treats Phanes!MC like he is delicate... No doubt he is while he's carrying eggs. Then, Phanes!MC proceeds to speak.

"Four..."

"Four? What is it, my gem?"

"Nibelung, there's four..."

Nibelung immediately realizes and is purring up a storm, nuzzling Phanes!MC. Leviathan takes a moment before he realizes... his king went overboard! Can a human body handle bearing four dragon eggs?!

Leviathan is dismissed and Nibelung immediately starts fixing up the nest for his mate's comfort. Phanes!MC will need plenty of rest to carry the clutch, after all.

As soon as Nibelung gives the announcement of his clutch, the Moon Sisters are taking Phanes!MC and making him clothes that won't be hellish on his pregnant body. Nibelung hovers near constantly, watching Aria, Sonnet, and Canon make new clothes for their new mother.

For the majority of the incubation, Nibelung guards the den like a beast, eying everyone who interacts with Phanes!MC. Caelus!MC just wishes his children would stop rolling around in their eggs. It feels like hell against his gut because the eggs keep shifting.

One night though, Nibelung wakes up to find Phanes!MC not in the nest. He panics at first, but the scent of cacao, lavender, and sandalwood directs him outside to where his Beta is looking up at the stars. Nibelung wants to get closer, but then he pauses.

Phanes!MC has black veins, running across his body, the inky color staining the whites of his eyes black, his arms are black and clawed, and his legs are an inky black too. One of his hands is hovering over his belly and it trembles before the Beta sets his hand down.

"No, I can't... I can't curse them like this..."

"Phanes!MC?"

Nibelung watches as his mate jolts, whirling to face the dragon. He watches horror dawn over his beloved gem's face.

"Don't look at me...! Please, just don't look...! I'll change back in a moment...!"

"Phanes!MC, stay as you are. Just come back down. You need to be in the nest. The eggs could come any day now."

Caelus!MC reluctantly gets down and goes into the den, settling in the nest as Nibelung settles next to him in his humanoid form.

"You do not have to speak of this, Phanes!MC. It will not change the fact that you are my Beta, my queen, and will become a mother of four. Our hatchlings are still yours and mine no matter what."

"... It's a curse."

"Hm?"

"My body, this inky black... It's all a curse. My body is deathless. I can't die. Every time I've come close, my body mends itself back together. It may seem like a blessing, but it isn't. It's a curse that my father carries that he gave to me and my twin sister. I nearly thought about giving it to our children..."

"Phanes!MC..."

"But I can't do it...! Our babies are innocent...! I... I don't want to give them this curse...! I don't want them to suffer as I do, unable to die and just watching as everyone around them leaves...! I know they still will, being dragons, but at least dragons can die...!"

Nibelung embraces his mate tightly and listens as Phanes!MC sobs loudly, digging his nails into the dragon's back. His heart aches for his mate, deathless and unable to cope with it without assistance.

"Shh... My gem, you are so brave... You don't have to do anything to our hatchlings besides love and care for them. The fact that you think about them this strongly means that you will care for them wonderfully."

Caelus!MC listens to Nibelung's words and lets out a broken exhale.

"I love you... and our daughters..."

"I love you too, my beloved... our daughters included since they are a part of you."

"They're a part of you too."

"Of course they are. No other dragon was allowed to touch you while we were courting."

Caelus!MC chuckled, wiping his eyes as he smiled at Nibelung.

They'd be fine until the birth came. Then Nibelung may get introduced to Caelus!MC's more... colorful vocabulary.

It was an amusing thought.

Oh... oh I almost forgot about the curse. 😱

I take it this means the Shades will also have the curse like their mom, aunt, and grandfather? Poor babies... but at least Nibelung doesn't care? He still loves his mate, so that means he'll love his hatchlings just as much!

...But he's definitely worried. Makes me imagine he might try to figure out to free Caelus!MC from this curse without telling him so...

https://www.tumblr.com/cap00chino/804015372850364416/hes-gone-through-many-a-iterations-but-i-think?source=share

Secondly, it's finally time to get into the good stuff. It's going to be very spicy, so fair warning.

Nibelung manages to last several months of courting (by remembering that Apep can and will beat him up if he rushes his treasure) which impresses the Sovereigns. Apep is just glad that her king has enough self control and sense (Apep can and will throw hands) to not terrify Phanes!MC.

However, the dragon king's rut is coming soon (forgot to mention this but Nibelung is an Alpha) and because Nibelung feels Phanes!MC isn't ready for him, he makes arrangements for his treasure to stay with Apep.

Phanes!MC surprises Nibelung by digging his heels in upon hearing the dragon king's plan. They get into an argument about it which leads to Phanes!MC storming out and teleporting. That makes a horrendous feeling coil in Nibelung's chest because now he can't smell where his treasure went and he fears he's screwed everything up.

Caelus!MC teleports to Apep and proceeds to let out all of his frustrations. Apep listens calmly and only speaks when he is done venting his frustrations.

"Have you considered that perhaps my king fears he won't be able to control himself with you in his rut? He doesn't want you away because he feels you are inadequate to help him. He wants you away because you are the crown jewel of his hoard and he doesn't want to badly hurt you. It doesn't matter what your designation is because it doesn't change the fact that my king is large. He would never forgive himself if he hurt you."

Caelus!MC listens to her and his anger dissipates. Going to Apep helped a lot more than one would expect. He supposes that he didn't think hard about that. Apep isn't done though.

"If my king had the opportunity and a lot less patience, you would already be nest-bound with a clutch of eggs and mated to him. However, it takes a reminder from me and others to calm him down to an extent. He is a king, not some feral young dragon with less control of their hormones. That is why you have been spared the brunt of his affections. We have to stop him from overwhelming you."

... Well, that explains a lot. Still, Caelus!MC knows what he wants. So, gripping the fabric of his dress, Caelus!MC speaks.

"I want to spend Nibelung's rut with him... I know it's dangerous, but I didn't go into this courtship expecting everything to be normal. I... want to be with Nibelung."

The Dendro Sovereign is quiet as she looks at him before she huffs.

"Then tell His Majesty what you want and don't back down. He will definitely be worn down if you get stubborn about it."

Caelus!MC stays with Apep for a few days discussing everything he'll need to know. Once he's done, he teleports back to the cave. Only to realize that Nibelung isn't there. It makes him a little bit miffed, but he just goes to the nest and lies down.

He drifts off, sleeping in the nest. He sleeps until he's woken up by growling. Caelus!MC opens his eyes and looks up, seeing Nibelung. The dragon king looks both relieved and upset. Caelus!MC sits up and places his hands on Nibelung's snout.

"Nibelung... I'm not leaving. I'm staying for your rut. Don't argue with me on this."

Nibelung growls in response.

"You are my crown jewel. I will not have you stay only to get hurt. Even now, it is a challenge to stave off the urges of my rut."

"Then stop holding back! I don't want kindness! I want everything you have to offer!"

The den is silent for a long time. Nibelung exhales before he morphs and shifts into a human form while keeping his horns, wings, and tail out, his hands clawed. Nibelung stalks forward, no clothes covering him.

"I will not be gentle."

"I know, my king."

"I will take you again and again until you are begging for mercy I will not grant."

"I know."

"You will not be allowed to leave my nest unless it is necessary. You will not be allowed to leave my den at all."

"I understand."

"I will make you my mate and breed you."

"I will welcome it."

Nibelung inhales and exhales, looking at Phanes!MC before deciding it was about time he stopped holding back. So, Nibelung strips his treasure and proceeds to prepare him... thoroughly. His long tongue comes in handy for this. And he enjoys the sound of his treasure gasping and moaning as his insides are stimulated.

Once Phanes!MC is sufficiently prepped in Nibelung's eyes, the dragon king pushes his Beta's chest to the floor and proceeds to let all restraint go. He moves the hair and bites the back of his neck, anchoring himself as he marks his mate. While doing that, he shoves in with just one of his two lengths.

Nibelung feels at least a little bad as his treasure cries, but the instincts of his rut are ruthless as he drives in again and again, making Phanes!MC cry out for him.

"My king, please...! It's too deep...! Oh, fuck...!"

Nibelung's only response is to bite harder as one of his hands grabs the length of his Beta and jerks as he touches Phanes!MC everywhere. His instincts go feral when his human wails at the extra stimulation, writhing beneath the humanoid form of the dragon king.

When Phanes!MC goes limp after cumming, Nibelung considers a break. He doesn't have that sort of mercy though and instead finds a way to get his second length in.

Caelus!MC feels the second length at his hole and just accepts his fate. At least he won't be able to die. Death by fucking seems like a way to go.

"My king... I can't take it..."

"You can and you will. You are my Beta, my mate. You will take everything. It will all be yours."

Caelus!MC cries out as Nibelung gets the second length in alongside the first and is then fucked within an inch of his life because Nibelung is a beast without restraint. He blanks out after the next two hours without a break. Do dragons not have refractory periods?!

When his mind finally reboots, Caelus!MC is numb below the waist and Nibelung is still inside of him. Nibelung feeds Caelus!MC, stroking his mate's hair as he does so.

"My rut will last a few more days. I'll take care of you as much as I am able to. When it gets close to the end of it, I'll put a clutch in your belly."

"A clutch?"

"Did you think one egg nestled in your body would be enough for my instincts? Three or four sounds better."

... Caelus!MC was going to pray that he would be able to walk some time after the rut. He didn't want to be completely invalid!

And that was how the 4 Shades was made, children. Holy moly- 👀😳

Also, sorry Caelus!MC, I don't think you'll be walking for a LONG while if Nibelung has any say in the matter. 🤭

I won't lie, I got stole this idea from @optimisticgrey who has a system set up for who wants to be tagged when new works come out. I think this is brilliant as I want those who care to know there's something new but I have too much anxiety about tagging people.

Soooo here's the plan: If you follow me and want to be on the list to be tagged when new parts of my little stories come out, let me know! In the comments, tell me what you'd like:

-Just chapter updates (posted here and on AO3)

-Chapter updates AND drabbles here on Tumblr (will mostly be ideas that strike me and may or may not end up in the official story)

-Just the smut....yeah...I see you. ;)

-ALL OF THE THINGS!!!

Let me know if you have a specific story you'd like to be tagged for.

Okay, everyone. I think that's all I have to say for now. If you have questions let me know so I can clarify.

~Aoife

PS: Some screenshots I didn't know I got that made me spit my drink when I was going back through....you know, for reasons