Cici wasn’t even aware of the pull they had. They also weren’t aware when the King finished up his duties because Cici had become absorbed in the tea tasting with their helpers.

Cici had finally learned the names of the two girls who had been helping them. The blonde was named Uriya and the brunette was named Tyra. Uriya was a bit more authoritative compared to her counterpart, who was more shy and reserved. Uriya was the one who kept nudging more teas at Cici, asking what they liked and preferred. That was how Cici lost track of time, until the King himself came to pester them.

“Celestine, are you enjoying yourself?” Cici nearly jumped at his sudden appearance. Of course, to anyone who was paying attention, his appearance wasn’t sudden in the slightest. Cici was a little odd in that regard.

Normally, no one of the royal family would be able to sneak up on anyone. Unless they were with another member of the royal family. Cici, because they had a member of said royal family strapped to their chest, was able to be sneaked up upon. This was also not common knowledge, so Cici jumped nearly a foot out of their seat when he spoke.

The King’s smile was unrepentant as he watched Cici scramble to gain a single grain of composure. Cici would have glared at him if he had been anyone else. Instead, Cici huffed, pushing their hair out of their face, a protective hand hovering over the egg.

“Y-You scared me, your Majesty!” Cici accused and swallowed when the dragon bent, stepping closer. The helpers stepped back, making themselves invisible in comparison to the King. Then again, there were very few humanoids, let alone dragons, who could compete with the appearance of the King. Or the presence.

“My deepest, sincere apologies, Celestine. To make it up to you, would you like to go on a walk with me through the palace? I would be delighted to show you around my home,” he said, a sparkle in his green eyes. Cici stared into his eyes, hesitant and a little confused.

Cici was expecting that they would be meeting up with officials to discuss what Cici was going to receive as a reward. Not…a walk around the palace.

“Is that allowed?” Cici asked, confused, and the King’s smile grew.

“Of course it is! I’ve finished my morning duties, and even King’s are allowed to have a moment of rest. So? Would you join me, Celestine?” Cici swore he was blinking his big, green eyes at Cici as if to tempt them, but Cici wasn’t sure.

The King wouldn’t do something so ridiculous. No, never.

Cici was just…a humanoid. He wouldn’t be trying to do anything besides having a good working relationship with them.

Cici coughed, clearing their throat awkwardly.

“I-If you’ll allow it, I’d like that,” Cici admitted quietly. The King stood up, grinning and holding out his hand to Cici. Cici stared at it, unsure what he was asking of them.

“You’re supposed to take it, Celestine,” the King told Cici, still grinning. Cici, flustered, quickly placed a trembling hand in the King’s, uncertain if this was the right thing to do.

They were even more uncertain as his larger hand closed around Cici’s smaller one. Swallowing it whole. Cici wasn’t sure why, but a shiver ran down their spine. However, when they met the King’s gaze, he was smiling.

There was nothing wrong with this. He was just helping Cici up. Cici swallowed even as their heart began to race in their chest.

Cici’s feet hit the ground as Cici pulled themself to their full height. The King towered over Cici, Cici’s head coming up to his bicep. Cici knew that they were short, but this felt…ridiculous. The King smiled, angling his face in a way that it wasn’t shadowed, but that it was clear that he was looking at Cici.

“Is it more comfortable to tuck your hand into the nook of my arm, or do you want to hold my hand as we walk?” he asked. Cici blinked. Was that…normal?

Tragically, there was no one around Cici who could offer Cici that kind of information. Cici had a very severe lack of knowledge about dragons as a race, and only had information on them as an enemy.

“Uh, I’m not sure?” Cici suggested and the King kept his grip on Cici’s hand.

“We’ll go like this then, hmm?” He seemed to be asking Cici, but he didn’t wait for Cici’s response. He tugged Cici to his side, much to Cici’s surprise.

“Have a good walk, my lord,” Tayner said, bowing to their backs as Cici looked around, confused as they were practically dragged out of the room by the King.

“We will!" he called, waving his free hand as his guards opened the door for them. Cici wasn’t sure what was going on, and it wasn’t until several minutes had passed that Cici realised, with a shock, that they were walking, hand in hand, with the current Dragon King.

Cici felt faint suddenly.

“I saw that the maids I assigned you were having a good time taking care of you. Do you like them?” The King’s question shook Cici from their incoming panic attack and Cici turned to look at him. He was facing forward, the profile of his face on full display.

There was one thing that no one could ever say about dragons. Anyone who said they had met an unattractive dragon was a liar and had never met a dragon before.

“You…assigned them to me?” Cici asked cautiously. The King’s lips curled up slightly, his gaze focused on the path ahead of them.

“Of course I did. I wouldn’t let someone stay as a guest in my home without assigning someone to take care of them. I truly wanted to assign many people to you, especially since you are so important. You’ve done the Kingdom a great service so it is only appropriate that you get the best treatment possible. It was only after discussing it with Ellandra that I decided on only two maids.” The King did glance at Cici then, the full force of his face making Cici’s face feel warm. “There was quite a strict competition for who would serve you, Celestine. I was worried a couple of times that things could get violent.” He was smiling at his comment, while Cici felt like they had heard something that they shouldn’t have.

“Violent?” Cici repeated, sounding horrified. The King laughed. He squeezed Cici’s hand, surprising Cici. Cici had almost forgotten that they were holding hands. Cici wasn’t sure how that was possible, but they had for a second.

“Don’t worry, the maids who work in the palace know better. I was just teasing. They would never resort to violence, especially where I could see it.” The King said with a wink. Cici stared at him in silence. The King gave an awkward chuckle. “That might be…not the best thing to say, but, I shouldn’t hide the true nature of dragons from you either. Especially with the little one strapped to you.” The King said, his gaze sliding to Cici’s chest. His expression softened in a way that was easily detectable to Cici.

It was the love one had for their child.

“Is there something I don’t know about dragons?” Cici asked, knowing that there were several things Cici didn’t know. The King smiled. He pulled them to a standstill, tucking Cici against a wall. Not crowding Cici, but pulling them out of the way in case others needed to move past them.

“I think it is no secret that dragons are large beasts, true monsters in a sense. Everyone tends to know that,” the King told Cici, squeezing their hand again. Cici didn’t jerk this time, but they did nod, staring up into the King’s green eyes.

“I-I think that saying dragons are monsters might be a bit…much, but seeing Lord Ellandra, I wouldn’t say dragons are small.” Cici countered. Cici wasn’t exactly comfortable agreeing with the King and at their strange response, the King smiled.

“Mmm, that’s very kind of you, Celestine, but I know my people. I know what I am, and it’s okay to call us monsters. After all, there are very few races out there that would be able to almost completely subjugate another race with a much larger population in only a few weeks, right?” The King’s smile was kind and soft, but the reminder was chilling.

That was right. Even the kind man before them was a dragon. He was known as the kind King when compared to his father. Cici felt a chill in their bones at the reminder. The King watched Cici as the realisation washed over them and said nothing as Cici paled and shook slightly.

“Violence is a rather common thing for my people, Celestine. It’s not…condoned, but it’s not feared, either. Most of us are hardy enough to take a few hits, a few tumbles. Even the child, once out of their shell, will be more hardy than you are. Not that I would ever want anything to happen to them,” the King said, his pupils elongating at even the suggestion.

“I-I understand.” Cici whispered, wanting to pull him from that thought trajectory.

“What I am trying to say is that you might see some things that could be shocking to you going forward. As you remain here, you might come across dragons doing things that would send other humanoids to their leaders in protest. I tend to give the dragons a bit of freedom to tend to their more wild natures. If there is anything that you need to tend to your own wild natures, please let me know. It could be something as simple as a sparring arena, a specific type of pool, a large, grassy field, things that speak to you. I want your stay here to be a good one,” the King told them, and Cici blinked.

He was being very thoughtful. Almost suspiciously so. Cici knew that this kind of kindness didn’t come freely, but Cici just wasn’t sure what he wanted from them. Cici had already brought back their egg? Were they looking for Cici’s help to locate the kind of humans who had taken the egg? That was unfortunate, as Cici had no idea how to locate where they had been, and the bodies had long since been looted.

By the group that Cici had been traveling with, no less.

“Oh no, I don’t need anything like that.” Cici told them easily. That was the one part that Cici could speak to right away. Cici didn’t have anything that ‘spoke’ to their monster. Cici didn’t find an environment that felt better or worse to the beast that they contained. They just…didn’t like being kept inside as much as they were, but that wasn’t something that Cici was going to change.

“Well, I’m not going to take away my offer, Celestine. If you think of something, please let me know. I would be happy to help you in any way that I can.” He grinned, staring at Cici in a way that made Cici a little uncomfortable. “Now, shall we continue? I have a few places that I would like to show you that I am sure you didn’t get a chance to see yesterday. Tayner may be an excellent aide, but he lacks a certain…talent,” the King said, winking at Cici before pulling them along again.

Cici had no idea what he was referencing, and wasn’t exactly sure if they should know it either. That didn’t seem to matter. The King pulled Cici down the long corridor, anyone who passed them shocked, but hiding it behind their hands. Cici was very flustered in the face of the King’s warmth and kindness.

This was not what Cici had expected at all.