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"No, no! It's not right!" Shyal snapped in Drakin, clawing at the ground in agitation.

The light dragoness was sitting in front of a large mirror. Her golden scales twinkled with polished brilliance. Strings of silver adorned her outstretched wings and golden brambles laced with jewels curled up the base of her horns. The talons on each of her paws were long and sharpened to a razor edge. Flower essence had been rubbed into her scales, creating the scent of a sunny spring day. But it still wasn't enough. Her scales didn't shine enough, and her jewels, while beautiful, seemed to lack the quality she needed.

The three human servants working tirelessly around her flinched as she spoke, but continued to work, rubbing polish into every crevice of her scales. It frustrated the young dragoness as she tilted her head, looking at herself in the mirror with narrowed and studying eyes. She got up from where she was sitting, causing the three servants to back off for a moment as she turned around, studying herself from every angle and gritting her teeth.

"You... you look beautiful, mistress," stuttered one of the younger servants, a young woman with shabby brown hair and a simple green dress.

"You think I don't know that," snorted Shyal, not even giving the woman a glance, "But it's not enough. My scales aren't glowing! I want them to glow! Like... like Yila's... or Pedria's!"

It was unfair how naturally stunning the two of them were. A biproduct of the equilibrium they achieved with their elements. They didn't even have to polish their scales or adorn themselves in jewels to stand apart. Their scales were jewels, a golden brilliance that put all others to shame. Something that seemed impossible to replicate. It agitated the young dragon because she had tried so hard to reach her own equilibrium. Then she would be the one that everyone would look at with awe and fear. Then she would be perfect.

She sat down again, look at herself in the mirror from the side, second-guessing the thought for a moment. She did look pretty perfect. Many of the upper-class drakes were all over her, vying for her attention. She didn't know how many times she had been asked to join with one as one of their mates. The dragonesses were always slightly jealous of her as well, either following her or hating her. A fact which she relished in. But still... it wasn't enough. None of the really important dragons paid her any attention at all. That was to change tonight.

She snorted, looking at her servants who stood, soaked garments and dripping cloths, seeming a little unsure of what to do next, "What are you all standing there for? Clean this place up. There is nothing more you can do now."

They rushed to her command, dragging away the large wooden buckets of water and putting away the great assortments of jewels that she had pulled out in preparation. She winced a little at the squealing of the bucket against the white pearl floor.

"Pick it up you fools!" she growled, followed by several apologies as they struggled to haul the bucket up from the ground, their heavy breathing only slightly less annoying than the grating of the bucket against marble ground.

She turned back to the mirror with a frustrated 'humph', studying herself again with a practiced eye. There was nothing left to fix. Nothing that she could think of that would give her the extra wonder that she was looking for. Nothing except perhaps bursting into equilibrium. She flicked her tail in annoyance. It would have to do. At the very least Pedria already had a mate, and Yila didn't seem interested in finding one, yet anyway.

She took a deep breath and nodded her head, before twisting around and walking out of her room. The pearl castle she lived in had been made by her parents several centuries ago. A massive pearl building that stretched high into the sky. Not as amazing as the royal palace of course, but it was pretty close. As she walked she had to hold her wings out somewhat so the silver strings on her wings didn't get all bunched up. Beams of white and yellow sunlight pierced through glass windows with celestial radiance. Stone statues and carvings lined the walls each depicting different light dragons in a myriad of poses. The roof stretched several dozen dragon lengths high, and the hallway was wide enough to comfortably fly through.

There were a couple of other light dragons milling through the hallways. They gave her polite nods as she walked by, giving her the reverent that would be expected toward the most recent daughter of her father's first mate. Many dragons that lived there were either her half-siblings, or one of her father's twenty-three mates. She got along with most of them well enough, as long as they treated her with the respect she deserved.

She walked out the entrance of the castle and let out a smile as she saw her mother waiting for her. Her mother was an elder dragoness, just over her fourth century, and was rather prominent in the upper circles of the kingdom. It gave Shyal a lot of connections that allowed her to get whatever information she needed at any time.

"Mother," she nodded her head with polite reverence.

"Shyal, you look beautiful," smiled the elder dragoness.

"Thank you," Shyal replied warmly, feeling satisfaction at the compliment, "Did you get confirmation... will he be there this time?"

"I did. And yes, he will."

She let out an excited breath, yet nervous breath. If everything went to plan tonight then not only would she have a mate, but she would be the first. A prestigious position for any dragoness, especially to the dragon that would likely be the next king. The thought made her shiver all over. The two of them already had a connection, having spent a lot of time together as hatchlings. They had already talked about becoming mates once before... he was the perfect mate. Sure, they hadn't talked in several years, but that hadn't been any fault of hers. He had reached equilibrium after all and had been spirited away to some other location to train his heightened abilities. This would be the first time in a while he would be out in public again.

"He'll be all over you Shyal," encouraged her mother, "There will be no way he'll be able to say no."

"I hope so," she said, "But I better get going, or I'll be late."

"Go," said her mother, "And have fun."

Shyal nodded and into the sky, giving a couple of soft beats with her wings. She forced herself to glide as much as possible on the way to avoid messing up her perfected look. The main capital of the light dragon nation was a massive city, stretching into the horizon with beautiful pearl white buildings and neatly grown forests. The sun was falling low on the horizon, casting stunning orange and purple light over the city, the white buildings reflecting the colours in a near blinding light.

"Shyal! Found you!"

Shyal looked to her right as another dragoness fell in beside her. This other dragoness had scales that weren't quite as polished as Shyal's was. Pearls were clipped to her horns and silver wires were wrapped around her tail. Her white teeth flashed in an excited smile and her yellow eyes shone with curiosity as she studied Shyal.

"Hello Serilla," Shyal allowed a smile of welcome.

"You look stunning today Shyal. Really going all out for this one," Serilla said with hinting curiosity.

"I always look stunning," snorted the dragoness as she turned her gaze to the high towering castle in the middle of the city.

"You know what I mean. Is someone special going to be there?"

"Well..." Shyal was slightly loathed to reveal what she already knew, but she didn't think Serilla would be interested in trying to take the prince away from her, "Kibre is apparently returning for this feast."

"Kibre! Oh my. I haven't seen him in years," the other dragoness said, "And you two were somewhat close before that... incident... right?"

"We were practically already mates," Shyal replied, "We just hadn't taken that step yet."

"That's right! Everyone thought you would be as well. Then he reached equilibrium... and they took him away."

"Yeah... but he is the only one of the king's sons to reach that power. It'll make him next in line to be king."

"That's right! Oh my! Shyal! You're going to be the First Queen! Oh, I am so happy for you!"

Shyal only smiled in response, daydreaming for a moment about the prospect. To be the first mate of a king would make her one of the most powerful dragons in the kingdom. Her word would be law, and everyone who brushed her off as unimportant would severely regret their decision. The thought made her body shimmer with satisfaction.

"Unless... he has already chosen a mate. Though I guess being the second wouldn't be a bad position either," Serilla said with innocent thought.

Shyal narrowed her eyes at that. It was of course a possibility, especially since it had been such a long time since the two of them last saw each other. But she refused to believe it. She would be his first.

"I doubt that," said Shyal, "We would have been invited to the celebration if that was the case."

"Are, you are right Shyal. As always. Oh, I wonder if Tuvil will be there. He's so handsome. I think I'd be happy being his second..."

Shyal allowed Serilla to continue talking as they flew, not paying too much attention. The closer they got to the castle the more anxious she got. What if he had found a mate and had kept it a secret? It wasn't unusual for that to happen among the royal family, but the traditional ceremony was a little difficult to ignore if one was next in line for the kingdom. But Kibre had never been the one to shy away from ceremony.

She shrugged the thoughts away as she landed with clattering claws against the marble stone of the massive castle's entrance. The building top hit the clouds and still went up further. It was triangular in shape, a mountain made of marble, with an entrance nearly the height of her home. Hundreds of light dragons were gathered at the entrance, waiting to be let in. Human servants hurried in between them, tidying up scales here and there, picking lost pieces of gold to be given back to their owners.

Shyal looked over them for a moment, attempting to find Kibre. The two dragonesses landed, and were immediately swarmed by several others, all greeting each other and chatting excitedly. They gave Shyal more compliments, but she found herself not listening, trying to pierce the crowd with her gaze.

"Lyla, I heard your brother, Kibre, was back," she asked one of the dragonesses innocently.

"Oh! He is! He came back nearly a month ago, but da... I mean the king wanted to keep it a secret as to not overwhelm him. I guess the secret got out huh?"

Shyal shrugged her wings, "Do you think he's gonna be here tonight?"

"He should be. Tonight was supposed to be the big reveal. It's strange though. He's so different than from a couple of years ago."

"Different? How?"

"I mean... his mother was killed when he reached equilibrium. That and apparently equilibrium changes dragons... well... he just is. You'll see when you meet him."

That worried Shyal a little bit. She was quite confident in her ability to entice him into courtship, but that was the old Kibre. If he truly had changed as much as his sister seemed to think, then perhaps it wouldn't so easy. She shook her head. Well, she hadn't changed. If she was perfect for him back then she was perfect for him now.

Slowly the crowd of light dragons milled into the castle. The inside was no less grand, with a ceiling as high as the sky. The falling sun reflected from the many different crystals adorning the palace walls, making the inside brighter than the outside. A large crystal ball hung from the roof, glowing soft yellow light. Inside was the shadow of another light dragon, lighting up the castle for the night their only purpose of being there.

Enticing smells of roasted meat wafted through the castle, causing Shyal's stomach to grumble slightly. She lowered her wings slightly when she felt that, glancing around at her friends rather embarrassed, but no one seemed to have noticed. She hadn't eaten before she came, as she had been far too nervous to swallow anything. Now it may be her downfall. Another agitated flick of her tail came out.

As she looked around the room she attempted to find the drake she needed to see. Still, he was nowhere to be found. She spotted several of the drakes that had been his friends and even spotted one of his nest sisters, but he was nowhere to be found. She was beginning to get rather worried that he wouldn't be arriving at all.

A hush suddenly fell over the crowd as all heads turned in the same direction at once. Shyal turned to see the king Lumiane emerging from a passage in the cavern's walls. The elder dragon was one of the largest dragons in the kingdom, at nearly twice Shyal's size. His golden scales radiated his element, and the soft warm aura that surrounded him spoke of his immense power. It made it difficult not to lower her head to his pure celestial presence.

Emerging behind him came the First Queen, Saetre. Another elder dragoness who was well respected within the kingdom. She ruled alongside the king with stern honesty and ruthless conviction. She wasn't a dragon of equilibrium, but even still she radiated light from within that only a dragon with centuries of experience could manage. The dragon Shyal, and most dragonesses within the kingdom, looked up to.

The drake that emerged beside her made Shyal's breath hitch. There he was. Prince Kibre. A rare feathered light dragon, with golden feathers that seemed made from the sun itself. He was only half the size of his father, but his presence was no less noticeable. His eyes were hard and stern. His posture confident and stoic, with only the tip of his tail flicking from side to side to show inward anxiousness. As his gaze studied the room of light dragons, Shyal found herself falling into brief eye contact. She beamed a smile at him. He didn't respond, continuing to look over the dragons that would one day be his subjects.

'Of course, he can't smile back at you, you fool,' Shyal thought to herself, 'It would be a lot of trouble for him to single out one dragon deserving of his attention. I'll just talk to him later.'

The king began the night by offering a quick speech, his booming voice filling the room as he welcomed everyone to the castle, before moving on to talk about his son, which had many dragons chatting excitedly. Shyal wasn't really listening and could only focus on the feathered prince as he absent-mindedly scratched at the ground.

He definitely looked different. Not different enough to be unrecognisable of course, but different enough that it was noticeable. His horns and neck were slightly longer, and more regal looking, with regal lightly folded wings, whose width was nearly equal to the length of his body. His tail was longer as well, though this was rather hard to tell as he had curled it up to keep from fidgeting. Obviously, his feathers were different as well. They had always been golden yellow, but never did they hold the colour so regally. It was as though they were laced with gold by themselves. He wasn't wearing any jewels at all in fact, which rather surprised Shyal. The thing that had changed the most about him, however, were his eyes. He had always been a mischievous dragon, enjoying the light fun and teasing that he could get away with at his role. But his current eyes only head a slight disinterest to the proceedings before him, and deeper still was a whirlwind of pain that seemed to want to pull the dragoness into its depths. It caused Shyal to shiver slightly.

As the king finished his speech, he announced the beginning of the festivities. Large silver platters filled with hundreds of different meats were carried into the hall on the backs of human servants. Shyal's stomach growled again, and she quickly decided that it would be better to grab something to eat just to settle herself down before speaking with the prince. She didn't take her eyes off him, however, as several of the more important light dragons came up to greet him. He seemed to nod and talk as easily as he once had, but his eyes told that he was elsewhere.

After having a couple of legs of one of the roast gazelles, something that was usually one of Shyal's favourites, she turned and braved her way toward the prince. A snarl escaped her when she saw another dragoness with him, flirting so blatantly that even he seemed a little put off. The dragoness's parents were busy talking with the king and queen and seemed to be almost stalling to allow her a chance.

Shyal's tail gave another agitated flick. She quickly walked through the crowd of dragons toward the prince and his overly friendly companion. Her heart jumped a little when he saw her coming and almost seemed to relax in relief. The other dragoness saw her coming as well and narrowed her eyes in obvious annoyance.

"Shyal," the dragoness nodded with courteous disdain.

"Elaya," Shyal nodded back, before turning to Kibre and giving him a smile, "Hello, Kibre. It has been a while."

"It has," he replied, looking over her with what could only be a mild attraction.

She inwardly smirked, "I've missed you."

He didn't respond with the same enthusiasm, "As have I."

Elaya looked between the two, before giving a soft huff of disappointment and storming off into the crowd.

"You're going to have to catch me up on what I've missed?" Shyal asked, sitting on her haunches and casually twisting her tail in front of her claws.

"Oh, it hasn't been much really. The king has only really been preparing me for my future role."

"That must be rather exciting though, isn't it? You get to be king one day! We never imagined that."

"No... we didn't," he said, though she could tell from the barely hidden pain in his voice that he wasn't all that happy about it.

She hesitated a moment, before quickly putting in her stride and trying to bring back up some happier memories, "It was strange, not having you around. I certainly wasn't able to get up to as much mischief as usual. That and mum seems to have it in her head that she needs to train me into being a proper dragoness."

She earned a smile at that, "I guess our time spent apart wasn't so different after all."

"Not at all," he agreed, seeming to think for a moment, "Would you like to get something to eat? I'm hungry, and I don't think the king will mind if I catch up with some old friends?"

Kibre glanced at his father as he spoke, who gave barely a hint of a nod in response, not missing his beat in his current conversation. Something about the fire queen's visit to the light nation not long ago. The two of them made their way through the crowd to where the food was being set out. Shyal wasn't at all hungry anymore, but she didn't want to miss the chance to spend more time with Kibre.

He was constantly stopped as they walked, greeting other dragons with polite conversation and soft words. It felt rather surreal for Shyal, seeing him in this setting again. Before he had been noticed but ignored. As a young prince, it seemed he would never be of that much importance. Now as a dragon of equilibrium and next in line to be the ruler of the nation, everyone wanted to have their chance to make their impressions. Old Kibre would have reveled in the attention, but new Kibre seemed almost... lost. As though his replies were simply automatic while his mind disappeared to some other world entirely.

He talked about his time away, his time training with his new abilities. The power of elemental equilibrium seemed breathtaking, and apparently, he had improved far beyond his father's expectations in only a couple of years. But the way he spoke about it was as though it was something he was duty-driven to do. As though he wanted to be anywhere else. It was strange, as before he had been willing to do anything to gain his father's attention.

The two of them ate, continuing to catch up. Shyal seamlessly wove into the conversation the fact that she had had many suitors ask for her over the past couple of years, but none of them really ever interested her. A pretty solid hint she thought, but she guessed that he may have needed some time before he considered finding a first mate. He had been gone a long while after all.

They caught up with some of his old friends, who seemed to be able to draw out a bit of his old self as he allowed genuine laughter to fill him. But that was quickly gone as he fell back to his withdrawn state, more being talked at than having anything to say to his friend's tales of adventure. Eventually, he was swept up with several of the older dragons who wanted to talk, and Shyal lost him again. She didn't mind so much this time. It was good for her to go and greet other dragons as well, just to keep up appearances if anything. It wasn't good for a dragoness to spend so much time around a single drake she wasn't mated to.

Still, she found herself at the corner of the room, nibbling at a leg bone as she thought about the prince and what had happened to him. From what she recalled he had reached equilibrium trying to stop several shadow dragons from sneaking into the kingdom to assassinate the king, and his mother had been caught up in the resulting chaos. Nothing else was told, however, and from everything that Shyal had been told about equilibrium, it required great mental and physical strife to reach. What could have caused him to push himself that much?

"Shyal, what are you doing on the outskirts like this?"

The dragoness looked up, and let out a huff, "What do you want Trael?"

Trael was a drake nearly three decades older than her and was one of the many sons of the king. He was a handsome drake, nicely toned, with sleek scales and a head of arrogant confidence. He was a popular dragon, a natural in a fight, and was well on his way to being on the pedestal for next in line to the throne before Kibre reached equilibrium. He also seemed to have an odd infatuation with Shyal. Not that she minded. It was always fun to turn down a prince, especially when he already had three mates.

"I just saw a lonely dragoness by herself and I wanted to make sure she was alright," he replied, laying down beside her, almost a little too close, "Is Kibre not what you remembered him to be?"

"He has changed," she admitted, "But that doesn't change anything between us."

"No? Hmm..." he seemed to be in thought for a moment, "I mean, don't you think something has changed? It has been a long time after all, and he never expressed any sentiment for you during that time."

"And I'm sure you know Kibre very well," Shyal rolled her eyes, "He's been planning on taking me as his first since we first got to know each other. Then you will have to respect me as the First Queen."

"Ah yes. Every dragoness's dream," Trael replied, "Many would be lucky to even have an offer to join with one of the drakes of the royal family. Especially with one as revered as myself."

"If you think I'm going to settle to be a fourth you are sorely mistaken," hissed Shyal, "Especially with you."

Trael's eyes danced with amusement, "The offer is always open. When Kibre lets you down, you will know who to run to."

He got up before she could say anything else, quickly leaving her to gnaw on his words. Words that had her far more worried than anything else he could have said. She quickly looked across the room, trying to find the feathered drake in amongst the crowd, and failing. She looked up and managed to spot the flick of golden feathers as the prince disappeared out one of the open ledges along the castle walls. She flapped her wings, following what she had seen, fearing what she would find. She settled down on the ledge, relief flooding her as she realised that Kibre was all alone, staring out across the now darkened city. He turned, seeming a little startled, and hesitated when he saw her.

"I saw you come up here. Was wondering if everything was alright," she said, softly padding over to him.

A sigh escaped him as he looked over the city, "I'm fine... just a little overwhelmed."

She could tell he was lying, "You know... we used to be able to tell each other everything."

"I know."

She let out a smile, "We shared a lot... you know."

"...I know."

"And the king likes me."

"..."

"We used to talk about being mates one day. I never forgot that."

"Me neither."

Shyal went silent for a moment, wanting him to continue to where the conversation was leading. Even if he wasn't ready, she was happy to wait. One couldn't become the First Queen overnight after all. But he was just so hesitant. Old Kibre would smirk and kiss her with instinctual ferocity, to the point where they had to break apart for fear of going too far.

"Shyal there is something I need to tell you," he said, almost painfully.

Her tail twisted at the tone of his words.

He sighed again, "I... I've been promised to someone."

"P...promised? What's that supposed to mean?"

"There are still some things that need to be sorted out... but I have someone set aside to be my first mate."

"W...what?" Shyal felt her heart fall, "W...who?"

"You wouldn't know her."

The dragoness stared at her talons, feeling her chest constrict with emotional rage and despair. It was like all the hope she had built all these years, the dreams of being queen, the longing to be with Kibre... she was watching it all shatter into a million pieces.

"What about your second?" she almost begged, desperate to just be with him.

"The way it's looking... there won't be a second."

"What?! She can't demand that?"

"It's part of the deal. She... she isn't from around here."

"Not from around here? You mean she isn't a light dragon?"

"She isn't."

"Then why...?"

"I have to do it Shyal. I don't have a choice," Kibre suddenly growled, "It's part of my duty... as the future king... to maintain alliances with other nations."

"Your father didn't have to do that."

"It's important for the sake of an alliance."

"Why!?"

"It just is."

"You can't want to do this!"

"I don't."

"Then don't! You can mate me right now. If you get me gravid they can't separate us."

"What? No! That would jeopardize everything."

"Who cares?"

"I care!" growled Kibre, "You don't understand! We aren't strong enough as we are. We need help. It's the only way... it's the only way..."

"It's the only way for what?" hissed Shyal.

"It's the only way I can get revenge for my mother," Kibre's words dripped with such deep-seated hatred that it caused a cold shiver to run down her spine.

"But... but we are the perfect mates. Us... as king and queen."

"That doesn't matter anymore. Nothing else matters."

There was a coldness in his eyes, one that couldn't be the old Kibre. It was like all the joyfulness of his previous life was gone, replaced only with desperation and despair.

"F...fine," she stammered, struggling not to let the tears fall from her eyes, "If I don't matter to you anymore... then fine."

Without a second thought, she flung herself from the castle wall, catching herself with wide-open wings, trying desperately to blink away the steadily rising tears. It wasn't fair. She was his perfect mate, and he hers. How could he do this to her? She deserved to be his mate. After waiting so long... she deserved it! She deserved to be the queen! Not some random dragoness that wasn't even part of the nation! It should be her!

A roar escaped her as she landed in amongst one of the many tree groves. She spun and tore large chunks of bark out from them, not caring for the dust that covered her scales, nor the breaking from her over-sharpened claws. Not the blood that ran down her leg from a rather rough scrape against several branches as she had come in from her landing, or the ruined silver strings coiled up on her wings. It was all for nothing anyway.

"Well," the voice startled her out of her fit of rage, "I'm guessing it didn't go so well."

She spun around to see Trael standing at the edge of the grove, seeming rather impressed with her attempt of ruination, "You knew, didn't you?"

"Of course. How could I not?"

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"I was told to keep it a secret by the king. So was Kibre as well, but it seems he couldn't keep his mug shut."

Shyal sat down on her haunches, her wings falling limply by her side, a helpless sob escaping her as the aching in her heart increased, "W...why?"

"I told you. Kibre has changed," Trael said, "He no longer cares for friendship... or love. Once he gets over his lust for revenge... he'll make a good king."

"But I was meant to be his queen! His First Queen! We should have been... we would have been... it's unfair," she cried.

Trael stepped toward her, gently wrapping his wings around her. She let him, crying into the drake's chest with great heaving sobs as her life's dreams were washed away with every tear. He gently nuzzled the back of her head with affection.

"This isn't the end for you, you know. You can still be something, as the mate of a prince."

She looked up at him, a shuddering whimper escaped her. She knew what he was doing. She could see it in his eyes. The feigned concern, and acted genuineness. This was all for his own gain. His own personal standing within the kingdom. The drake that wooed the dragoness meant for the future king. But at that moment, she couldn't care less. She wanted to feel something... anything except the pain that was cracking open her heart, and if he could take that away, even for a moment... In an act that surprised even him, she leaned forward and gave him a dragon's kiss. He let out a muffled grunt, before returning the kiss with the same eagerness.

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Hey guys! Sorry, it's a little late, this ended up being far longer than I thought it would be. It is the longest, and if not close to the longest, Chronicle so far. I hope you enjoyed. It is far different than what I usually do. But it was surprisingly enjoyable to write... purely in a story sense of course. The end just came out of nowhere and was kind of a shock even for me lol. Hope it worked for you all as well. As always, tell me what you thought about this chapter, and vote on the next Chronicle down below! We got some exciting ones to choose from this time.

The Price of Loyalty: Vitto, Spirit Drake, and Athaer, Fire dragoness - 20Yrs BTA

Love and Duty: Ember, Fire dragoness - 15Yrs BTA

The Dark: Vyt'al, Lightning drake - 31Yrs BTA

Cascading Earth: Vigon, Ice drake - 44Yrs BTA

The Hidden Side: Aurum, Metal drake - 29Yrs BTA

Next week I don't know if I'll get the Chronicle out as I have exams, but I'll try my best. See Ya!

Pennator^^