My instinct was to climb onto the larger one despite it being difficult to. I did it because I had a dream
like this before. Did I think I was dreaming now? No, it was too real but the memory of a dream like this
was comforting. My adoptive parents stared in horror as we took off. I wanted to leap off and try flying
myself, but I couldn’t convince myself this was a dream. In the dream I would leap off and shift into a
dragon. Dragon shifters were a well believed myth for so long especially in my town. So much so that
we learned about them in school. Some people still believed in them, and now I was on the back of
one. I was on the back of the dragon claiming to be my father for fucks sake. “Am I going to be able to
go back?!” I yelled with a smile across my face. I did care about my siblings who I left behind. They
were the only good thing I had in my past life. It felt like a past life already.
Cade shifted back into his human form midair and landed on Konn’s back next to me. It caused me to
slightly jump. “Why would you want to?” he asked as he laid back. “I know you’re probably confused
with a lot of questions but you’re one of us.” Confused with a lot of questions, that didn't begin to
explain how I felt. “You don’t belong there.” If I didn’t belong there, then why did Konn leave me there?
Laughter escaped from my lips. “I can’t shift into a dragon so how could I be one of you?”
Cade rolled his eyes before he answered, “You will, Father had to seal your shifting abilities when he
brought you to the outside world. He’ll explain everything when we get there. You’re going to need to
know everything before you meet the royal family.” So, they lived under a king and queen. I found that
interesting.
For the rest of the flight, I hurt my head over how much I thought. At one point we just kept flying
upward as if they lived in the highest mountains. I felt a pop in my ears as we passed through a barrier
that separated the two worlds. We flew for a little while longer and there were dragons of every size
everywhere. Some flew in groups while others soared through the sky alone. We flew towards the giant
castle. This was where my dream would end, and I would be back in a world that didn’t want me once I
woke up.
I didn’t wake up and now that scared me. I didn’t know anything yet, and I was about to find out
everything. I felt a final gust of wind as we landed. Cade helped me down and Konn shifted back into
his human form. “So?” I started, “let me hear it, why’d you leave me and when are you going to unseal
my shifting ability.” I was straightforward with everyone except men who I liked. I can never seem to
find the right attitude with them.
“That’s not how this is going to work Aqua,” Konn looked at the castle. “I’m going to tell you this once,
I’m only telling you what’s necessary, and everything else will come later. We work for the royal family.”
He gestured to himself and Cade. “Which means you work for the royal family. I went to get you
because it was the king and queen’s order. You might have inherited abilities that run in our family, so
they need you here. They only manifest in one person every few generations,” he explained. “You’ll
meet the king, queen, princess and prince in half an hour. It’s important that you make a good
impression on the prince because he’ll be king soon and you’ll likely serve him most your life, If not all.”
This didn’t sound as good anymore, but it doesn’t matter if I had nothing to lose. “Cade’s going to show
you where you’ll be staying.”
I turned to Cade as Konn left through the castle entrance. “Sorry about him,” he apologized for his
father. “You’ll get the hang of things quickly.” He led me down one of the paths. “To answer one of your
questions, he’ll probably unseal your shifting abilities when he’s ordered to. I don’t think I can really
answer your other question though...” He cleared his throat, “You’ll love the royal family, especially the
princess and prince. They’re both my really good friends actually, we all grew up together.”
I followed Cade into the side of the castle. I wanted to ask about our mother, but I was afraid it was a
sensitive subject. I wondered if my adoptive parents hated me now or if they were looking for me. I
wondered if they’d tell my younger siblings that I was taken away by dragons. Would they want to come
rescue me? “What exactly do we do here?”
Cade looked down at his phone. “Shit.” He looked back at me as we walked into a room. “Sorry, my
girlfriend started up an old argument with me over text and it’s a mess.” He put his phone away. I
wondered if dating here was anything like back at home. “We serve in any way we are asked. My- I
mean our father,” he corrected himself, “is the advisor to the king and queen. Sorry I’m used to calling
him my father. Anyways I grew up being taught to do the same for the prince.”
I looked around the large plain room. “That doesn’t sound too bad, but I guess I need to meet them
first.” Then I’ll know if I’m better off here or not.
“We should go then, try to remember what room number yours is.” He gestured the number 202 above
my room door when we left. We walked across the castle into a place Cade called, “The Great Hall.”
I looked at the royal family who were already there with Konn. My eyes first saw the king and queen
then their young daughter. Lastly my eyes fixated on the prince. He looked more like a king than a
prince. I felt a wave of romantic desire, infatuation, and lust wash over me while electricity coursed
through my entire body. The only thing I could think was;
Mate
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