This chapter is almost 10k words! I hope you enjoy!!!

Namjoon's POV

"Please give this to my sister and... tell her that we'll be waiting for her, no matter how long it takes. Thank you for granting our family a doctor, Sir Namjoon, we will do our best to repay you for your grand generosity".

I smile to myself as I hold the handmade charm in front of my eyes, the wooden dragon clearly hand-worked with care, it must have taken the young lady a long time to make it. I'm sure her big sister will be touched by her love.

"Here you go, Sir Namjoon, the sword that you requested. I added your scales to the bottom of the hilt just like you wanted and the blade is made of the lightest and sturdiest material we currently have access to. Do you want to give it a try?".

I tuck the charm back into my pocket before accepting the elegant sword to have a closer look at the line work engraved into the blade, a finger slid along its edge to test its sharpness, and when it cuts through skin smoothly, I make a pleased noise before glancing at the scabbard that comes with it as a set.

It is done just as delicately as the sword itself, and my scales can be found once more decorating the leathery length in an elegant and feminine way that I hope will please her eyes, just as the previous swords I had made pleased my six dragon mates.

"It is perfect, Garry, I expected no less from you. Thank you for adding the charm holder, it will do the job just fine once I tie it properly" I thank the proud blacksmith with a satisfied nod of the head before leaving the heated forge to be on my way.

I would normally prefer traveling by horse since I know that Y/N will travel on land once her transfer authorized by the King - his signature is needed since she will reside in the castle with us - but since it would take too long, I took some time yesterday evening and asked Wymond, my attendant, to bring Epona for me along with my other mate's squires so that everyone would have their horses for the needed trip.

They would throw a tantrum if they realized too late that they didn't bring their mount like Taehyung did. The trip to the capital will certainly be an occasion to bond with our newest mate and none of us want to miss on that opportunity.

The servants of the castle should have enough time to clean the room that she is to use in our wing in the meantime, it was kept for storage so there is a lot to be done before it can be appropriate for her, but I believe they can get it done before our arrival. The King assured me that it would be perfect so I trust him.

Once in one of the capital's clearings reserved for when we need to either shift or land, I sit on a tree stump near the fence to work on fixing the charm on the scabbard's hook that was made in the form of a loop, and I make the prettiest bow knot I know to do before testing the sturdiness with a tug.

Giddiness begins to fill my heart when I take in the final look, the golden glow of my scales adding that touch of possessiveness that I need to see on my mates. It will surely be her first time holding a special sword, and the fact that it will be hers only will also be a new concept for her, which makes it all the more exciting for me.

At her rank, having such a unique weapon is unheard of to say the least as they are very expensive to make, but we have lived long enough to have a fortune behind us that has started to gather dust so if this isn't an occasion to make use of it, when will it be?

I would have an armor made for her as well, but these are a bit more tricky since we need to measure her body to make it fit well - it will be better if we wait until she has settled in the castle first. We can then let her choose the scales that will adorn the pieces of her liking before giving the job to Garry.

I wonder whose colour will catch her attention the most. Will it be Yoongi's obsidian night, Seokjin's rainy grey, Jungkook's aquatic tones, or maybe Hoseok's fiery flames? Not to forget Jimin's stormy blue and Taehyung's blooming forest, there is much to choose from.

"Ah, thank goodness, you haven't left yet, I feared I'd be too late".

I look up from the sword still resting in my hands to find my eldest mate coming over with a cotton bag over his shoulder, an overjoyed smile on his face as if we hadn't seen each other in ages when we, in fact, woke up in the same bed this morning.

"I sped through the documents until the last one to make sure I could leave with you today. Jungkook had to leave the capital earlier with a few other knights to escort the people from the Aellyn Empire to the border safely, I didn't want to be alone in the castle so I ran as soon as I could" he explains as he sits in the grass in front of me to have a look at the sword.

"You didn't waste your time, I see, it looks beautiful, Namjoon. That's a lovely charm, where does it come from?".

I hand him the weapon so he can see for himself. "Y/N's sister gave it to me this morning when I visited with their new doctor. Told me to give it to her sister along with a message, I thought it would look good on her sword, was I wrong?".

He turns it in different angles before shaking his head with a gentle noise. "You made a good decision, I think it looks great. She can always remove the charm if she'd rather put it somewhere else, but I think it will stay there".

He then stands up with a hum and a stretch.

"I'm too lazy to fly, I'll hold the sword so let me travel on your back, Namjoon, I could do with a nap before we get there".

I huff, I was expecting something along those lines to happen when I saw him enter the clearing, but I still cannot resist the small laugh that leaves me when he does his pleading pout, as if I could ever say no to him.

"I don't mind, Seokjin. Just make sure you don't go rolling off my back in your sleep, I don't want to lose the sword and the charm".

Seokjin sputters some unintelligible words before releasing an affronted exhale.

"I can't believe you just talked to me like I'm some careless child. I'm not even going to get mad over the fact that you would let me fall for the sake of getting the sword first, but I beg, do not put me under the same label as you. I am not clumsy".

I snort before waving a hand in his direction, this is what he's getting mad about? Some things really don't change.

"Of course, it would be terrible if our baby mate came to hear that you did fall off Yoongi's back once after you fell asleep. Don't worry, my love, I got you".

A grumble.

"Just shift now so that we can get going, it will already be morning by the time we reach Orton and Jungkook will get there before us if we wait any longer. Come on, up up! Stop being lazy, I'm the lazy one today!".

---

Flying over the desert, though usually boring, fills me with anticipation this time.

From darker to lighter as the moon works its way through the sky along with the sun, Seokjin makes it a point to let me know every ten minutes that we are getting nearer to Orton, his mind turning restless with every passing hours - it was hard to know that most of our mates are already with our newest addition while we had to stay behind to finish our tasks.

I glide over the clouds with a deep inhale of the cold air that refreshes my fire core, the burning in my chest reaching higher heats up here because of the drop of temperature, which is not a problem for Seokjin since he has an ice core, it functions differently from ours, just like Jungkook's water core.

It was surprising to find out that two of our mates had a different elemental core from the rest of us, but they have proven to be more than helpful as we found ourselves in many different situations over the last centuries.

Entire forests and burning cities have been saved by Jungkook's torrent of water and Seokjin often found himself helping groups of refugees to flee from the war by icing a thick layer of the surface of rivers to reach the other side unscathed, amongst other things.

Fire is good for fighting but sometimes, fighting isn't all that is needed from dragons.

There's even a very rare dragon at the castle that has a healing core, which grants her the ability to heal grave wounds. It cannot heal illnesses, but it can stop intensive bleeding and that in itself is already pretty impressive.

It does often leave a very visible scar over the skin when the wound is particularly bad, which can leave many feeling uncomfortable about their physique once they wake up, but being alive is what matters the most and the ones who survive thanks to that special breath are more often thankful than they are mad.

There is so much still left to be understood about dragons despite how old we have gotten, and us having a human mate only serves to prove that maybe we will never understand everything after all.

This power that we were granted... how much different would this Empire be if we had decided to keep our distance from humans instead of protecting them? How much of this land would remain if we had decided to attempt to wipe them out from existence instead of coexisting?

Imagining that kind of world happening elsewhere makes my guts sink to the ground, that sounds like a nightmare that I want nothing to do with. I like this teamwork that we have going on right now, we both gain from helping each other.

Humans are so determined to better themselves, they take something small and make it into something bigger that has impact, they do their best to make the most out of what they have despite having such a short life span and it is fascinating to watch happen.

New generations take over the previous ones and they keep improving what already was, new draining systems to purify the water for daily use, new laws to keep the capital clean and thus reduce sicknesses that would otherwise ravage every houses, laws to protect the weak, no matter how lacking it remains - things are getting better and that is all thanks to their efforts.

Preventing wars and watching over them seems like a small price to pay to enjoy the fruits of their hard-work. This is the responsibility we took upon ourselves, not only for them, but also for ourselves.

"Are you lost in your thoughts, Namjoon? Look below us, we have reached Orton".

Seokjin's voice pulls me back into reality as the sun begins to shine in the horizon and I look down to find that indeed, we have finally made it to the town and its fortress. It's crazy how fast time goes when one takes some time to think.

I make a soft grunt to apologize for being so out of it, which earns me a gentle pat on the neck, then begin our descent towards the ground inside the tall walls, large wings keeping us from going too fast as I make sure to land in the empty open space that serves as the training ground for the knights.

At this hour, it is not surprising that most people would still be asleep, it is very early in the morning after all, but that didn't seem to stop the area from being cleared of any equipment, which leads me to believe that someone must be waiting for us down there.

It all happens in silence, with no one to welcome us except for one small human who seems to have made sure to clean out the space for us, and once Seokjin lets himself slide down my flank to reach the ground first, I shift into my human form, the transformation nothing more than a slight itch as magic does what it knows best to do.

I take some time to stretch my limbs after this long flight before glancing at the young lady who keeps a shy distance from us, her outfit looking like she just got out of bed after being unable to remain asleep, and it takes me a few seconds to realize who she must be, just like Seokjin.

"Y/N Aithne Shields" I muse softly, the feeling of her name on my tongue like a warm hug for my soul as I observe the way she slowly walks over, her arms hugging herself because of the cold temperature, she should've worn something warmer before going outside.

Seokjin and I observe as she finally walks into the early sun's light, and when our eyes fall on her face, hearts and souls melt straight into adoration.

This is our human mate? This precious little woman?

"Welcome to Orton, sirs... I hope the travel was well" she murmurs softly as she stops a respectful distance from us with a light bow, a sight that lets us know of her current discomfort.

It shouldn't be surprising considering that the two of us together is enough to make an army of human knights second-guess themselves during a war, she's honestly handling herself pretty well right now. Spending time with the others surely must have helped to get her used to a dragon's aura.

Seokjin joins my side to hand me the sword before walking elegantly over to her nervous form to kneel at her feet, her hand brought to his lips for a kiss that makes her face flush beautifully, he never liked doing things normally, that old dragon.

"What a pleasant welcome we have been granted in this early morning. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, young mate. You may call me Seokjin, I am the eldest of the pack, and this is Namjoon, fourth in age and also our pack's representative. You must have been surprised when you saw me jump down from his back" he muses softly as he gazes up at her, and she nods her head with an embarrassed crease of the eyes.

"Indeed... I knew it was going to be Namjoon when I saw the colour of the dragon's scales, but I didn't know another mate would be traveling along with him in human form. It's nice to meet you, Seokjin, and you as well, Namjoon. Should I go fetch the others? I'm sure they would be happy to know you here" she offers shyly, probably seeking some temporary peace for her heart, but I shake my head as I make my way to her sweetness.

"That's not necessary, darling, we will see them later. If I may ask... it is still early, why are you not sleeping? Most knights are still being lazy in bed at this time of the day" I ask her, relieved when the heat of my body begins to warm up her skin, something that Seokjin's is not most efficient at doing - he is naturally colder, though not uncomfortable to the touch.

She rubs the back of her neck at my question, eyes a little avoidant before she shrugs.

"I always wake up before everyone, this morning is no exception. I thought I could get in some training before the others would wake up since I am still lacking in the art of dueling, it has been hard to get the upper hand on talented dragon knights".

My lips stretch into an amused smile as she states the obvious with a disappointed pout, I would have been surprised if she was in fact able to get the upper hand on them, she's a funny little lad.

"Do not fret over such a matter, young one, you will catch up to us with time, patience and perseverance. Please do not occupy your mind with things of little importance, not being able to win against a dragon is not what you must focus on, it is rather whether you are able to remain standing on your feet that will speak for you" Seokjin speaks up as he abandons his kneeling position to instead tower over her, something that makes her gulp lightly.

"I- I remain on my feet... most of the time. It is hard to follow such a rapid sword dance with my current incompetence, but I do feel like I am beginning to understand the work behind it, that was what I was hoping to work on before your arrival" she admits and I quirk an eyebrow, what could she have understood in such a short amount of time?

"Do enlighten us, dear, maybe we could offer some guidance".

She looks around her in search of something, only to then sigh when she does not find it. "I have yet to get my sword from the armory and I fear the knights have been rather useful in their cleaning up as of late - there is nothing within range that I can use. If you would be so kind as to give me a few... minutes?".

Her eyes fill with confusion when she notices the sword in my hand held over to her, the warm glow of my scales on the surface making her hesitate about whether she is even allowed to touch such a weapon, she looks adorable when she makes that face.

A deep purr begins to resound from my chest as I gently part her fingers to settle my gift onto her palm, and Seokjin leans his weight against me as he smiles down at her with a pleased hum, it does fit her well, that makes me incredibly happy.

"Namjoon had this made for you, hun. You could consider it as a courting gift, one that welcomes you within the pack" he explains in my stead, her mind in need of some clarity, and indeed, adorable is what she is when she gapes at me, pure shock spreading all over her face.

"F-for me? But this- those are your scales, Namjoon, this must have been so expensive to make! I have never held such a light weapon in all of my life, even the fit in my hand is perfect... I cannot possibly accept this, the craftsmanship of this sword is too advanced for me" she utters in panic, only too eager to have one of us take it back, but I close her fingers around the scabbard before wrapping my own over them.

"If you refuse this present, you are in a way rejecting me, young Aithne. This sword was done with the intent of officially inviting you as part of our pack, as our last and youngest mate. A sword, because you are, just like us, a knight who shall have to risk her life during battles that we will not always be able to supervise. This is my way of keeping you safe without having to remain by your side at all time. I would be most grateful if you would accept it willingly".

Not ignorant to the importance and sincerity of the words I am speaking, she lowers her gaze back to the weapon resting in her hands, the one I am not holding slid against the scales covering the hilt, a caress that I feel within my soul, if only she knew.

"Dragons only offer such important gifts to their mates... there will be no hiding it anymore if I wield it openly" she eventually murmurs, and Seokjin straightens up at her statement, as do I.

"You speak the truth. Have you had a conversation with the others about this?".

She nods slowly.

"They told me to take the week to think about it. That there will be no more going back once we let others know, and that I will perhaps be in danger countless times outside of the capital. It was two days ago when we had that conversation".

I observe her in silence, the tension that I can feel from her fingers alone letting me know more than she would probably feel comfortable speaking aloud.

"You can accept the sword but leave it in my care, if that is what you wish. You do not have to make that step if you are not ready" I assure her, eyes glancing around us when I begin to hear movements, knights are waking up and it will not be long before this place is busy with life.

She does not answer, but she does not let go of the sword either.

I release my hold from over her hand, wanting nothing more than to give her space to think about her options, but when Seokjin and I notice the way her shoulders sag at the lost contact, we instinctively take one step closer to her, fingers hesitant before settling at her waist.

"What is it that you want to do, dear? We need to know before everyone gets here" I try to urge her as gently as I can manage, a claim that is confirmed by our grey-eyed mate as he nods his head softly, he is himself getting restless from not knowing how he must behave once this place fills with curious eyes.

If it were only me, I would have her in my arms immediately to take her to a more private room so we could converse to our heart's pleasure, but now is not the time for such reveries and I do not want to keep her from the respect she deserves.

"I..." she begins before looking up to us, it is clear as day that she is trying to find reassurance within our coloured eyes, and after a few seconds of uncertainty, at the exact moment when the first group of knights enter the training ground to get started with their morning patrol, she pulls back and unsheathes her sword.

With the posture of a dignified knight, she offers us a small smile before beginning a very basic form of Taehyung's personal sword dance, and as the sun shines down on her, as the golden of my scales catch the light to make her into a goddess, I am left speechless, fascinated by her beauty and skills.

She memorized that much? Her moves certainly are a bit rough and untrained, but there is no denying that she is a fast learner.

People begin to observe her from a distance, eyes that widen when her twirling reveals the mark on her nape, and when she ends the dance with her blade pointed at Seokjin, it is not hard to see that he would let her do anything to him, without a second of hesitation.

"That is what I wanted to work on earlier. I know that it's very far from perfection, my agility is not developed enough for this kind of performance yet, but I want to believe that with enough training, I could render a more perfected version during a future fight" she explains with cheeks that turn a bright red when she finally takes in the way we are staring at her.

"You were absolutely beautiful, young mate. Consider us stunned, did you learn that from fighting against our mates during the last two days?" Seokjin asks her first, and she blushes even more as she nods her head, suddenly unsure of herself, a worry that I want to burn down to its core.

"You are a fast learner. I have no doubt you will master all of our different dances in the blink of an eye, dear. Give yourself time and rest, I assure you, you have no need for a hurried process, you will rise in talent without even noticing it" I praise her with a caress to her hair, and the visible melting of her body makes me lean down to kiss the crown of her head.

Such a pretty mate she is.

"Oh? What have we here? Did we just miss an incredible sight?".

We all turn around to see Taehyung, Jimin, Hoseok and Yoongi coming over to join us, their eyes curiously taking in not only our closeness, but also the unsheathed sword in her hand.

Knights around us begin to murmur and talk between themselves as they run to their posts, and as I share a nod with Yoongi and Hoseok, we instantly know that there is no stopping the movement anymore - news of her being our new mate is already flowing on the wind for all to hear.

"You did miss a lovely rendition of your dragon sword dance, Taehyung. She had a little more than half of it memorized and with enough practice, she will be able to match your steps with her eyes closed. You should watch your back, she will not be a knight to underestimate" Seokjin muses proudly, and Y/N looks down with a bite on her bottom lip, too embarrassed to meet anyone's gaze anymore.

"It's not... surely you jest, Seokjin, I have much to learn before I can even be considered close to your great prowess" she utters, but we are six to deny her statement, and Jimin smiles before pulling her into his embrace - it did not miss his attention that there is no need to hide the truth anymore.

"You will too be a great knight, dear Aithne, have faith. Now let's have breakfast before we are left with the last of the food, today is another day and being hungry is not a part of it. Knowing Jungkook, he'll either get here today or tomorrow and I already know that he will want us to spend some time outside of the fortress, he is not a big fan of this place".

I release a laugh at his words, I had almost forgotten about the incident that made him swear to never come here ever again.

"The shower incident really traumatized him. That was more than fifty years ago and yet, I somehow know that he still gets nightmares over it" I let out as we begin walking to the dining hall, and our young human mate stares at me with a concerned gaze.

"The... shower incident?".

Hoseok turns her face back to the front before sliding an arm over her shoulders.

"You don't want to know, sweet Aithne. You don't want to know".

Your POV

I hold the charm between my fingers, unable to tear my gaze from its beauty.

I can't believe Maite made this for me, it must have taken her... so much time and effort.

When did she learn to do such a thing with wood? She did every details with such precision that I can only see this as natural talent, yet a part of me worries that she might have found herself a job to work, because neither mom or dad could've shown her the art themselves.

I am growing terribly impatient to head back home, and I dearly hope that the dragons will not keep me from going to my family first when we arrive in Goldwyn because I will not hesitate to flee from their grasp if I have to.

It has been too long and I have yet to see the face of my dear little sister, something that I want to change as soon as possible.

I look up from the charm to observe the sandy horizon in front of me as I sit right outside of the fortress' stone walls while Eclipse trots around nearby in the grass, it had been a while since I last took her out - Taehyung's arrival brought a stop to the patrols that I would normally do around Orton and if I began to feel restless, then nothing stops her from feeling the same.

Jungkook will eventually appear somewhere over there just like the others and there will then be exactly seven dragon knights around me, dragons who call me their mates.

They are mighty dragons who try to catch my attention whenever they can, affectionate touches that I am not used to receiving finding my skin whenever it is appropriate, especially since I accepted to reveal the bond earlier this morning.

I do not particularly dislike such an attention, it feels... nice, to be wanted that is, but I am getting a little overwhelmed by it all, hence why I decided to take a break with Eclipse by going outside. I did warn Taehyung firsthand, and I am not too far so they can find me easily if they want to.

I sigh deeply into the silence, then bring my gaze towards the scabbard resting at my side, a gift that I would have never ever dreamed of receiving like this before.

Anything that is decorated by real dragon scales... costs a fortune, and quite honestly, unless it is given by a dragon themselves, owning something of the kind is more likely to be impossible since acquiring the scales is not an easy matter.

We thankfully have a strong relationship based on respect and partnership, but sadly, that is a particularity found mostly here in the Stainad Empire. It is otherwise unheard of to be so friendly with the strong creatures that roam the skies and its mountains.

I heard that the Aellyn Empire's people, while not fully cooperating with dragons, are coexisting rather peacefully, which is already better than trying to kill each other off, but I have heard terrible stories coming from other empires.

Dragons don't have the same relationship with the people everywhere, and there are some faraway lands where endless wars are constantly happening between the two races. It makes me feel lucky that I was born in such a peaceful empire - I don't want to imagine being told to fight against such kind beings.

I might even have been revolted by the idea of being a knight then. My dream was never to fight against dragons but to fight by their side, I always wondered if one day, I too could be made a dragon's partner if I trained hard enough.

Things might not have worked that way for me in the end, but getting seven dragon mates feels like a sort of... success either way. It's like getting seven partners, and each of them are willing to help me get better by training with me, which is not given to just anyone.

I would have laughed at anyone telling me such a story in the past, and yet, here I am currently experiencing it on my own. I would not be surprised if I one day end up surrounded by jealous knights who are seeking answers. Will they accuse me of witchcraft then?

Maybe I should prepare should such an occasion occur.

Eclipse eventually pulls me out of my thoughts by blowing some air against my cheek to speak of her happiness before running back to her favored spot and I chuckle. I love when she acts like this, always so cheerful and curious about the world, it gives me hope that not everything in this world has to be bad.

If I were to take her for a walk right now, she would probably take all of the roads we usually avoid just for the thrill of it, uncaring that it might bring us danger because she believes that I can keep her safe, or that she can outrun the danger.

People told me that she was a coward and not worth my time when she was still a young baby, but I needed only one look at her to see that they were wrong, and just as I did, she proved everyone wrong, right by my side.

She's one of the bravest souls I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and I'm so thankful that I could choose her as my partner. She cheers me up like no one else can, though she sometimes can be a handful to handle.

"Ah, so that's where you were" I suddenly hear a soft voice chime into the breeze, and when I look behind me from my spot on the green little hill to find Jimin walking over, I smile at him before patting the space besides me.

"It took you longer to come find me than I expected. I thought someone would come running within the first ten minutes but I've been here an hour now" I admit with a small laugh that he echoes as he sits down next to me.

"I apologize for taking longer. We were in a meeting with Commander Rayner, we wanted to go over a few things and it took more time than we anticipated. Yoongi was searching for you too so I'm thinking we'll get to see him soon, but the others decided to gather different groups of knights for some serious talks so we won't see them for a while" he explains softly, and I hum lightly before turning my gaze back to Eclipse who's pretending to ignore me now that one of my mates is here.

"Do these serious talks have anything to do with me?" I ask him, and his awkward silence tells me that yes, it has in fact everything to do with me, which should not be too surprising. I huff a little before shaking my head.

"Orton's knights will be traumatized by the time we leave. They'll never accept another girl here".

Not that it's a bad thing. I only feel sorry because that'll reduce the chances of others like me who dream of being a knight, but... if I could make it, then so can they. There are other places where they can be trained.

"They did that to themselves, if I'm honest" Jimin comments simply before taking in the clear blue sky.

"But them talking to the knights is not about making them apologize to you personally, it's about reminding them of a knight's purpose, which they seem to have forgotten. Commander Rayner was the one to make that request. Bullying and putting others in danger... that's not what they promised to the King when they accepted their title, you would know that".

I follow his gaze towards the sky with a long sigh.

"Very few knights from Orton have given their pledge to the King in person, Jimin. I myself never met him, we were made to kiss a piece of paper during the pledge for my ceremony. The people here wouldn't even recognize him if he suddenly came for a surprise visit, that's how much disconnected from the world we are".

The dragon falls silent again, brows furrowed into a frown. He knew that the King has been busy as of late, but to determine the Empire's future with a piece of paper? Has he simply forsaken Orton despite being behind its current state?

He knows for a fact that the King sometimes leaves the castle to meet with the future generations of knights around the capital, so to hear that I was amongst those who were left out this way... it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

Jimin doesn't like Orton, but if they are treated that way by the King himself, then he understands better why they act like complete idiots half of the time.

"That's not how it should've happened, dear Aithne, I'm sorry that the King didn't take any time to come visit you for the ceremony. It's such an important thing for aspiring knights, it's bad enough that we ourselves couldn't be there for you" he mumbles finally, disappointment in his voice as he sighs again.

I smile softly at his admission, it sure would've felt a lot more special if the seven dragon knights had been there on the day of my pledge. I worked hard during so many years to reach that goal, and yet that day felt like it was but a loss of time for the King's representative.

Not quite like the stories you hear growing up in the capital. The knights there are used to receiving a parade to congratulate them for their new title, so what we got felt like we weren't really needed. I'm sure many people in Orton resent that reality.

Honestly, I probably would have felt the same if my family hadn't filled in the gap with their love. They have always been a reminder of why I took on that path to begin with, and they are why I try so hard to be a good knight even if that has been hard to do here.

"We can't change the past, Jimin, nor should it be wished for. Despite everything, I was made a knight on that day, and to be allowed to go back home to my family is a big enough reward in my opinion. When I think of my parents, I still imagine them being so tall, like I am still that young girl with an impossible dream to accomplish. I long to change that image".

The dragon slides one hand over my own before gazing at me, our arms propped back on the soft grass to support our bodies as we lean slightly backwards. With the wind that sends a breeze in our direction, I could almost believe that an era of peace has begun, where war and death no longer need to shed a tear for the people they are forced to take.

"It will happen, dear Aithne, sooner than you think. Next week, you are sure to have met them at least once" he muses gently, and I close my eyes to better process those words that I have always wanted to hear one day.

By the time we reach next week, I will have met my parents and my little sister. This brings me so much comfort.

"Can I ask about your own family, Jimin? I have never stopped to think about that before, but now I can't help but wonder about how it must be like to grow up as a dragon. Did you have both parents by your side? Did you have a lot of siblings?" I eventually dare to ask aloud, and his fingers resting over mine gently intertwine to lock his palm to the back of my hand.

"I will answer your question because I know that it is asked by a lack of knowledge, my love, but I will have to ask you to avoid doing the same with our other mates, for we dragons do not like talking about our past much, unless we approach the subject ourselves. There is not much happiness to be found where our story begins".

As he speaks, my curiosity instantly merges into a guilt that flares to life with strong waves of heat climbing all over my body, and it takes the dragon to squeeze my hand tightly to keep me from digging into the ground with my forehead, what have I done?

Seeing the ashamed glowing red that now sticks to my skin makes him smile softly, how could he and the others ever be mad at me when they know that I would never ask anything out of malice?

He's instead content to have that matter be handled by him now rather than much later and by someone else, that is how learning goes after all - with questions asked and answered.

"Please, rest easy. You would not have known otherwise, we tend to be secretive when it comes to ourselves and our customs so do not take it personally, you have done no wrongs. When a dragon hatches from its egg, especially when there are siblings... it is not rare to have one or two newborns die in a fight for dominance".

My eyes widen in shock as he begins to explain a side of being a dragon that I did not know. We are so busy giving glory and love to their kind, that we end up forgetting that in the end, we know absolutely nothing about them.

Jimin's smile fades into a frown, and my heart pinches from knowing that I was the one who forced him to remember this past. I will never ask that question ever again, that much I know to be true.

"The weaker dragons cannot survive if they can't defend themselves within the nest, and often times, they die within the first two hours of hatching. The mother watches over the fight in silence, and when there is a clear winner, she takes the strongest of her children before abandoning the others. I was amongst those left behind. While I was not the strongest, I still survived the fight, and I remember watching as my dead siblings were swallowed up by the earth, not knowing anything about the world that surrounded me".

"That's... that must have been terrifying" I utter quietly, do all dragons go through such a terrible process? They must all fight for survival within their own nest?

He nods slowly before exhaling deeply, as if he can still remember exactly how that felt back then, and maybe he does.

"It was. Not only did I have to deal with being rejected by my own mother, I was also overly aware that my siblings were not given a single chance to survive in this world. I remember when my strongest sibling stared me down during seconds that felt like forever... and I felt chills go down all the way to my fire core.

All he wanted was to be the chosen one, even if that meant killing all of us. I don't know why he spared me, but maybe I wasn't worth the effort when he had already proven to be worthy of her time... I was indeed lucky to survive" he says the end with a powerlessness that makes me incredibly restless, and I turn my hand to hold his own properly.

"You survived because you had all of us to meet, you had much to accomplish and much joy to experience. I don't know why he spared you when he did, Jimin, but maybe there was some power at work that day to keep you safe, someone who knew that you would be needed elsewhere" I say without even knowing if what I'm saying could comfort him when it was so long ago, but he smiles nevertheless, eyes creasing with adoration when he turns his gaze back to me.

"Do you think so? I spent centuries trying to come up with an answer that would never come to me, but if you are right, then that would certainly warm my heart. Maybe my fallen siblings were the ones to save me that day, so that I could live the life they were so quickly denied" he muses, and the relief I can see in his brown orbs at that hypothesis makes me feel a lot better.

"I would love to believe that they did, and if that was possible, I would thank them with all of my heart for allowing such a kind person as yourself to stand before me" I let him know genuinely, only to then be surprised with a kiss to the cheek when he leans over.

"Your words mean a lot to me, dear Aithne, thank you. Perhaps it was good that you asked me that question after all, I do feel somewhat soothed despite the past still being the same. I want to believe that I carry some of my siblings' warmth wherever I go" he says softly with creased eyes and a beautiful smile, and I blush a little before nodding my head.

"I'm sure you do, and I'm also convinced that they are immensely proud of you for all that you have achieved".

Yoongi closes his eyes as he leans against a tree a small distance away, a deep breath to calm his racing heart, for what he just heard both hurts and heals at the same time. Have he and his mates ever taken the time to talk about their beginnings in the past?

He cannot say that he ever felt the need to mention something that he knows to be horrible for everyone, but the relief that he could hear in Jimin's voice makes him believe that it might be necessary after all.

The sound of his feet walking over the rustling grass grabs our attention immediately, and I find myself smiling once more when I find the black-haired dragon joining us, just as Jimin had predicted.

He sits down by my other side before lying down on his back, and the sight of the sunshine on his skin makes me want to touch it for some reason, as if I would end up with melted gold against my fingertips.

"This place is great, there's just enough breeze to be comfortable in the heat" he comments after a silent minute, and I make a noise before waving at Eclipse when the sight of my second mate makes her jump in excitement.

Why does she always look so happy when I am with these dragons? It's almost as if she knows something that I don't.

"The fortress keeps the wind from getting in, that's why I like to go outside sometimes. Going on patrols used to be my favourite thing here, but ever since Taehyung arrived and took me under his wing, we've been training, reading, eating and then sleeping. It feels weird not participating in the knights' tasks as I usually do" I let out with a sigh, and they bite slightly on their lips at the revelation.

"You should've told him how you feel, he thought he was doing you a favour by freeing you from having to work with the others".

I glance at Jimin, and we share a small laugh before staring back at the sky, feeling content with everything that's been happening so far today.

"It's not that bad, truly. It is a blessing to not have to hear condescending comments anymore, it's just that I'm used to being outside of these walls more often than never. Eclipse needs a break from being locked in her stall as well, she's an energetic girl who needs to move more than what I have been allowing her as of late".

"We will be sure to make use of that new knowledge starting tomorrow, it would be a blessing for us as well to get a break from the fortress, we're not used to such a cramped space anymore. Once you get used to a castle, everything else feels too small" Yoongi says with a boring tone that I have learned to know doesn't mean he is bored whatsoever, and I turn my head in his direction to meet his gaze.

"The castle of Goldwyn... that is where you reside, right? I've never had the chance to get too close in the past since our house would be too far" I reveal, and he eyes me in silence for a moment before a corner of his lips curls upward.

"Tell me, sweetheart, where do you think will be your residence once we are in the capital?".

I stare at him blankly for a minute too long, not because I cannot answer his question, but rather because I am only now understanding the extent of how being their mate will affect my future as a knight.

I had not taken into account that I will too reside in the castle with them, and now, I do not know how to process that information.

"I think our young mate has fallen into a state of shock, hyung" Jimin utters with a giggle, and Yoongi's smirk grows larger as he observes the look on my face, he can see that I have understood what he indirectly implied and he's having more fun than he should probably admit.

"What kind of knight will I be when we reach the capital, Yoongi?".

His smirk digs into both of his cheeks before he lays on his side to observe me with more ease, and his fingers begin to tease my hand still holding me up, something that has my heart stuttering and turning messy, what kind of knight will I be in Goldwyn?!

Why is the transfer taking so much time? I had never taken the time to wonder why, but now I am scared to know.

"It is unheard of for dragons to have human mates, but generally, when a dragon brings a mate to the castle who is willing to become a knight, they are immediately promised the title of dragon knight until the end of their training. You are already a knight, but you are human. Modifications had to be applied, and yet, rules remain strong".

I gulp at what this means, this cannot be true, he is simply messing with me, isn't he?

It appears not, as Jimin soon explains for me.

"What Yoongi is saying, my love, is that you are going to be made into the equivalent of a dragon knight in the castle, but without certain tasks that a dragon would normally oversee. I think they are still working on a title, but you will be given jobs similar to what we are normally doing so they are trying to come up with a system that will facilitate your integration. In other words, you will stand amongst the knights as a dragon's partner, but with the authority of a dragon itself. I am imagining that you will be teaming up with one of us regularly depending on what tasks we are assigned".

That's it, I am dreaming.

Yes, that must be it, I'm still sleeping in my bed, or I must have hit my head in the middle of the night and I am now hallucinating.

Me, with a title equivalent of a dragon knight? It makes no sense!

I haven't even been a knight for a whole year yet, I cannot possibly be given such a high title! Other knights are going to kill me, they'll make me regret taking my first breath into this life, there is no way they'll accept someone like me!

Jimin and Yoongi take in the way I begin to shake right where I am, and their amusement dissipates within the next breeze that flows our way, eyes slowly filling with alertness because they hadn't expected such a strong reaction from me due to their teasing.

"Are you trying to make her run away before we make it to the capital? The poor girl, of course she will be terrified if you drop something of that importance on her like this" a gentle voice speaks up from behind us, and I look desperately over my shoulder to see Seokjin walking over with a shake of the head.

I do not know what my eyes tell him as he stares at me on the way, all I know is that he sighs softly once in front of me before offering me a slender hand so that I can stand by his side, and I take it gratefully because at this point, I need to move if I do not want to throw up on the two dragons still sat on the grass.

I must further explain myself - I will throw up, I just don't want it to happen on the two dragons still sat on the grass.

Once standing on my feet, I quickly run away from the group to hide behind a large tree where I almost immediately empty the content of my stomach, guts lurching because the shock was too great and I was not ready to withstand the truth so suddenly.

I was hoping to one day be a dragon's partner, but was it ever going to happen? Probably not, I always thought that my skills would never get me this far.

To make that jump so abruptly, without being deserving of such a high title? It feels wrong in so many ways, am I going to be up for the responsibilities that will befall me? What will they be? How am I going to handle everything?

What if I can't?

"Oh, hun. These silly dragons did not ease you into it at all, did they?" Seokjin murmurs as he stands behind me with a hand rubbing up and down my back while I try to recover, and Eclipse sounds upset when she comes over running to see what's going on, for she went a bit further away to give us some alone time.

She was not expecting for me to get sick though, maybe she will have to remain nearby for some time until she can trust the dragons again.

"Were they saying the truth, Seokjin? This can't be real" I plead to the tall man who smiles softly at me, a hint of apology in his grey orbs because there is not much he will say that will please me at the moment. He gently walks me away from the tree before exhaling deeply.

"I'm afraid that they were indeed saying the truth, hun. That is how rules were made to accommodate dragons and their mates, and you fall right into that category. Your being a human will certainly demand that others adapt to this strange circumstance, but I promise you that everything will be fine. We are not going to leave you on your own, you will be guided through these changes, and when not by us, then by other warm and good people" he soothes, and though not what I wanted to hear, it does... help a little.

Yoongi and Jimin are now standing with puckered lips and guilty eyes, especially when Eclipse glares at them with a foot stumping on the grass. They didn't know that it would be taken so badly, they had no idea I would be physically sick and they wish they'd taken another approach to this.

"A-are you okay, dear? Maybe we should go fetch some water-" Jimin begins while patting his belt in search of his canteen fully knowing that he did not bring it with him, nor did Yoongi for that matter, but that is where my girl comes in as she trots in my direction before showing me her side that holds the satchel.

"Thank you, Eclipse" I utter softly as I search inside for my water, and once I've gotten a hold of it, I spit out the first wash before drinking the rest under the four's gazing, slow enough that it won't get me sick again, though I doubt I will have anything to throw up for a second time.

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, then put the leather container back in my satchel before taking a moment to just... feel and assess my state.

Yeah... so that went well.

"I'm sorry. That was a rather humiliating sight to show you" I finally mumble while trying to hide behind one hand in shame, but Yoongi quickly shakes his head before taking a step forward to hold both of my hands apologetically.

"You don't need to apologize for a mistake that was ours, sweetheart. Seokjin is right, we did not do very well here. I will be honest, I thought the information would have been more exciting to learn for you, but I can see why that was instead perceived as scary and I'm sorry that I could not notice it sooner. I feel bad that you got sick because of us" he speaks up with a guilty puppy look on his face, and I can only look so much with some kind of resistance in my heart before it melts away into acceptance.

I sigh before looking down at the grass beneath my feet, then shrug.

"I never told you that I get sick when I'm very nervous so it's not really your fault, Yoongi, nor is it yours, Jimin. We're just... ripping off bandages really fast one after the other these days and it's sometimes more than I am able to handle with a straight head. There should come a day when there is no more bandages to remove. Or so I hope".

Seokjin caresses my head gently and I look up at him feeling slightly bashful.

"You're having to adapt to a lot of changes in a short amount of time because of us and thus, I would like to apologize as well, Y/N. Our bond is forcing you into things that you did not decide yourself and while I would like to give you as much freedom as possible, this situation is not one where we can decide for ourselves. I know that it is a selfish request, but I ask that you hold on for a bit longer still, things will be calmer once we have made it past the first few months".

To hear him speak my name while gazing at me with such loving gentleness... what is there to say except "I... I'll try my best" ? It's not like I'm suddenly going to tell them that I want to stay here after all, that's not part of the plan.

"Thank you, hun, what a brave girl you are being for us" Seokjin croons smoothly while dropping a kiss to my forehead, and Eclipse takes her leave once more when she sees me blushing intensely with a few stuttered noises past my lips before I give up speaking, for she can at least trust this dragon.

The others will have to redeem themselves though.

Jimin and Yoongi observe my reaction from the side and... holy flame and all that is crispy, they really want that blush to be directed at them too.

They'll have to do better than this, a lot better.