The Queen or King's city is known to be glorious and expensive. However, if the colony suffers to allow this city to be grand, the claim the Queen or King has over the land is invalid.

This is Our Law.

~From the Dragonling Grimoire

Flying through the air with my mate at my side should have been a glorious thing.

It would have been, if there weren't half a dozen guards trailing after us to ensure we weren't attacked on the way to Queen Dominika's city, D'zastava. And if one of them wasn't Burian.

Ever since I had, as the other Ryns claimed, embarrassed him in front of Dmitri and the other well-respected Ryns, Burian had targeted me for endless harassment. Snide comments, a shove here or there, even going so far as to spread malicious rumors about me. I hadn't noticed before, too wrapped up in my own misery, but in the last few days, it had become rather conspicuous. He was relentless in his revenge.

It was weird, suddenly finding my own feet again. Alma had been practically holding me up for the past two weeks and suddenly, by Dmitri's insistence, she had stepped back to let me care for myself. And... I didn't mind. It felt good to get myself back together. Garik was thrilled, though the rest of my squadron didn't seem to even notice my absence. He stayed by my side as I got ready for our trip, gossiping and laughing with me as if nothing had happened. As we left, he hugged me goodbye and promised to come visit.

I tried to stay by Dmitri during the entire flight, but every once in awhile Burian would manage to wedge in between us. Occasionally he would even shoot a spurt of flame at me if he thought I got too close. Without the ability to continue his gossiping revenge, he had become an ever-persistent thorn in my side during the three days of the trip. Thankfully, we would arrive in the city tomorrow and I could finally be free of him.

Dmitri must have gotten tired of Burian too because he suddenly paused, flapping his wings to hover. "Burian, Summer." He called out. "I want you to scout ahead." Burian looked as if he wanted to argue, but Dmitri gave him a withering look and he sped off, the other Ryn at his side. Wow. Must be nice, getting peace and quiet with just a look.

As we began to fly again, I felt curiosity bubbling up in me. It would be a few sunleaps before sunset, so we had a while before camp...

"Dmitri," I said, speeding up to fly beside him. "Can I ask you some stuff?"

Dmitri tilled his head to the side so he could look at me over his shoulder. His eyes were slightly wary. Ouch. "Sure." He said slowly.

Trepidation made my scales tingle like lightning. What should I ask? After considering my options, I settled on the most benign one I could think of. "Uh, what's your weapon?"

Dmitri visibly hesitated, turning to look at me over his shoulder. "Excuse me?"

I felt slightly sheepish, something that had happened more and more since the accident. "I, uh, you know. Like my sword? Your weapon." Dmitri laughed quietly and looked forward again.

"I have a tessen. They're more popular in my old colony."

"A... what? Tessen?"

For a while, Dmitri was quiet, before mumbling something. The wind whipped his words away before I could hear.

"Say again?"

Dmitri sighed heavily. "A tessen is a... it's a fan, Anita."

I must have misheard. "It's a... what?"

"A fan." Dmitri sounded defensive. His weapon was a fan?! I couldn't stop myself from bursting into laughter, and Dmitri gave me a sour glare. "Stop that! It's normal where I come from!"

After a few candlemarks of breathless wheezing, I managed to ask my next question. "Where did you come from?"

Dmitri's demeanor changed immediately, and I suddenly found my laughter had dried up. His eyes became distant like he was remembering something. "It used to be called the Maplebreeze colony. It was to the southeast."

I racked my brain, trying to recall the name. Unfortunately, I failed horribly in history class and couldn't remember for the life of me. "What happened to it?"

Dmitri scoffed bitterly. "The Blazingheart colony happened. They wanted our land, and our Queen was sick. They struck at night, slaughtering hundreds." His black eyes burned. "Once it was sunrise, those of us who didn't want to join were forced to leave. Some of them tried to follow and... take care of us." He sighed heavily and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Of course," I replied softly, trying to think of more questions. "Ah, what's your favorite color?"

"Really? That's all you got?"

"What else should I ask?" I replied, half indignant at the amusement in Dmitri's voice and half pleased that the sadness was gone. "What your favorite season is? Do you have any other ideas?"

Dmitri just laughed, adjusting his flight so he was flying over me. "My favorite color... it's blue." I felt his claws brush against my spine, making my scales tingle. "How lucky I am."

I was speechless for a good few heartbeats. Was Dmitri serious? Was he flirting? If he was, was I upset? Huh... no. I was, in fact, not upset. A warm feeling buzzed in my stomach. Yeah... I think I liked it.

"You're absolutely shameless, aren't you?" I asked once I had found my voice. Dmitri just winked down at me.

I peppered Dmitri with dozens of questions, mostly just random ones like what his favorite animal was (hawk, by the way). As the sun began to set, Dmitri signaled to the others that we were going to land.

A herd of deer was grazing in a clearing and we landed among them, snatching a few up for our dinner as the others fled. Dmitri pushed his way over to me, sitting down and rubbing his cheek against mine. "Come on. Let's find a place to sleep."

We walked side by side to a swath of newly sprouted clover, settling down together. We were only a few bites into our deer when a couple of other dragonlings began bickering from across the clearing. Surprise surprise, one was Burian. He was yelling at an older wyk about her not sharing the stag she had caught, despite the fact that he'd gone scouting and couldn't hunt.

Dmitri sighed heavily. "I should deal with that." He made to stand and I grunted my annoyance. Dmitri sighed and nuzzled my head. "Come on. Someone has to do it." There was a touch of pride and affection in his voice. Did... did he like being the leader? Huh. I was learning a lot about my mate today.

"Enough bickering," Dmitri called, walking over to the others with his head high. They shut up immediately, watching Dmitri warily. "The two of you knock it off. Burian, you're able to hunt well enough. Why should Samantha give up her share?"

Burian sat down and pressed his wings close against his side in a show of submission, even though his eyes were mutinous. "Fine." He grumbled.

Dmitri turned to the other dragonling. "Go on, eat your food." As the wyk walked off, deer clutched tight in her jaws and eyes triumphant, Dmitri shook his head and returned to my side. "Honestly. It's like they never grew up."

I thought about my old squadron, surprised to feel a pang of regret. I was so absorbed with thinking they were incompetent that I hadn't bothered to get close with any of them except Garik. And then no one even noticed when I was gone.

"Maybe you shouldn't judge." I blurted out. Dmitri glanced at me in surprise and I hurried to explain. "Who knows? Maybe they just think you're a jerk."

Dmitri regarded me silently for a moment before snorting. "Whatever you say, Ani." He laid down beside me, taking a mouthful of his deer and chewing slowly. I wrapped my tail around one of his legs before curling into his side, my meal already gone, before closing my eyes. My mate's body was solid and warm against my own, and I slowly drifted to sleep.

The next day was getting increasingly more exciting. We finally made it to the bustling city, a grand affair made entirely of marble and what I suspected was diamond. Dragonlings either winged their way through the sky in groups or hurried on the ground as humans into the shops lining the road.

Three of our guards turned back once we reached the edge of the city. Unfortunately, Burian was not among those leaving, and he further validated my theory that he lived to annoy me by insisting we land and walk through the streets. Even less fortunate, we had to do so in humanoid form.

I clung to Dmitri's arm the entire time, not wanting to touch anyone. Cities like these were filled with diseases like Black Scale and Wing Rot, not to mention thieves and grubby-fingered draggies. He found this hysterical. I wanted to slap him.

"Scared of the crowds?" Dmitri murmured, before pushing me into a group of draggies. With several hurried apologies, I ran back to his side.

"Asshole," I muttered. "I hope all your claws fall out and your teeth rot." He just chuckled and pushed me along.

Soon, we reached Queen Dominika's compound. Unlike Lord Edik's, this was a true palace. It matched the rest of the city - dazzling white marble with animals carved of diamond embedded into the walls. It was grand... and a giant waste. Diamond made good weapons. Not architecture.

Dmitri tugged me along behind him. "Come on. Let's get away from the rest of them." He murmured.

"Oh, you're actually doing something in my favor? Surprising." I grumbled once I was able to walk alongside Dmitri without stumbling. Damn his long legs.

Dmitri snorted and let go of me once he realized I could keep up. "Hush. I brought you here, didn't I? Now, let's go find our room." He had obviously been here before, as he quickly led me through the halls without erring.

To my surprise, we had quarters inside the castle itself. It was like my old rooms - a large bedroom and eight additional bedrooms for my mates - but this one was fully decorated.

The walls were white wood inlaid with gold and the floors were covered in soft white pelts. Plush white velvet sofas with gold silk cushions filled the main room. In each bedroom was a large canopy bed with feather mattresses and heavy white quilts, along with white wooden dressers and desks. It was gorgeous.

"What kind of blackmail did you have to get this?" I breathed to Dmitri, running my hand over the satiny furniture. He just winked at me and held a finger to his lips.

I wandered into my bedroom, admiring the white and gold curtains hanging off the canopy. Silently, Dmitri slipped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "We have some time." He murmured softly. "Why don't we settle in a little?"

It wasn't too hard to figure out what Dmitri was talking about. I felt my skin heat up at the suggestion. Yes, we hadn't hesitated when I found out who he was, but it was still embarrassing. I hadn't missed the fact that he was rather experienced in what to do, whereas I was completely at a loss. Well... I guess there was only one way to gain experience...

After our rendezvous, Dmitri helped me get dressed and led me out of the room. I was already regretting letting him have his way with me. Every step I took sent a small stab of pain through my body, and Dmitri found it hilarious.

"Come on, it's not like this is the first time." My mate teased me, hand on my arm to help steady my walking.

"Every other time I got to sleep afterward, so don't even start with that you son-" a group of draggies walked by and I quickly censored my words, "sour apple." Dmitri cracked up laughing and the draggies hurried by with bewildered looks.

"I'm going to kill you, Dmitri."

Dmitri just patted my back. "If you can, Ani."

It was as we were walking through and bickering the halls that Dmitri dropped the bomb on me.

"So, where are we going to be stationed?" I grumbled, shifting away from Dmitri's grip. The soreness in my hips had eased down to a bearable ache.

Dmitri cleared his throat, crossing his arms. "Well. I'm going to be stationed as a palace guard. You... you're going to be a student."

"What?!" I said loudly, making a few dragonlings look over at us. "No. No, no, no. Only Liras go back after the Trial."

Dmitri shushed me and started pushing me towards the door of the school inside the castle. I struggled against him, but it was no use. His grip was like iron. "There was only one available position for guards. You only have to be at the school until another spot opens up, I promise."

"Dmitri. Dmitri, listen to me." I cupped my hands on either side of his face. "I'm not going back to school. You can't make me."

Dmitri mimicked my movements, the rough calluses on his palms scratching gently on my cheeks. "I bet I can." I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off. "You live with me now and you're here by my recommendation."

"I wouldn't have to be here if-"

Our argument was cut off as someone cleared their throat. Dmitri dropped me and I turned around to face my savior.

It was a fyn about my age. He was awkwardly glancing between Dmitri and me, shifting on his feet. He was kind of cute - lovely big aquamarine eyes, tan skin speckled with freckles, curly brown hair. A piece of paper was clutched in his hands.

"Um, are you Miss Rhyan?" The fyn asked.

My initial reaction was scorn. This fyn was scrawny like he could be pushed over by the faintest breeze. Typical Lira. Then I remembered my thoughts on my old squadron and swallowed down the snarky reply rising to my lips.

"Er, yeah. I am. My name is Anita." I said, standing straighter. "Sorry about... that." I gave Dmitri a quick glare, which he ignored.

"I'm Lyosha." The fyn smiled at me. "I'll be showing you around. We have the same professor."

"Thank you." To spite Dmitri, I stepped forward and hugged Lyosha. I could see him stiffen out of the corner of my eye. Mission accomplished. Lyosha laughed awkwardly and pulled away.

"Come with me. I can answer your questions as we walk." I nodded and followed after Lyosha, not bothering to say goodbye to Dmitri. As we turned the corner, the look he had on his face made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Oh... maybe that wasn't the best idea.

Thankfully, Lyosha pulled my attention away from my jealous mate. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Oh." I grasped for questions. "Um, what exactly am I studying? Dmitri didn't tell."

Lyosha nodded. "You're in my class, so you're studying Dragonling Biology. We need to pass it for Medic Training." He glanced curiously at me. "Did you not know? You had to of passed anatomy to join."

I shrugged. "Ah, Ryns study anatomy before our Trials. So we know the easiest way to, you know, kill."

Lyosha looked a bit pale. "Oh. I didn't know. Um, anything else?"

I had forgotten how squeamish Liras were. Though there was no way I would ever be a medic - quite literally the opposite of what I was born to do - it would be fun to tease them. Maybe being a student wouldn't be so bad after all. No. I chided myself mentally. Try to fit in with them.

"How far behind am I?"

The color of Lyosha's face was slowly returning. "Um, not that much. The semester just started at the end of winter. We've been reviewing anatomy."

I nodded glumly. Reviewing? When Ryns are in school, we simply learn. If you didn't remember, you were left behind. How did I get myself here?

Suddenly, Lyosha grabbed my arm. I jumped and reached for my broadsword, but relaxed a few heartbeats later. Lyosha's face had gone pale again. "A-ah, we're here. Are you allowed to have that?" He eyed my sword warily.

"Yes," I said defensively, hand dropping to the hilt of my blade, "every Ryn has a weapon. This is a sword so it's kind of hard to hide. Dmitri had his tessen in his sleeve." I still couldn't get over the fact that my mate had a fan as a weapon. He had shown me before we left the room per my insistence. It was razor-sharp and diamond-tipped, of course, but still. The awkwardness that went with explaining that a fan was a reasonable weapon - it wasn't, but Dmitri had lectured me about it enough - made me call it by its fancy name. Hopefully, Lyosha wouldn't recognize it.

"Oh." Lyosha ducked his head sheepishly. He probably had no clue if I was telling the truth anyway. "Sorry. But, ah, this is our room." He motioned to the door. It had a silver fox carved into the heavy wood. Lyosha pushed it open and motioned me inside.

The classroom was no less grand than the rest of the castle. About twenty three-sided desks formed a semicircle around a tall, dark oak podium stood beside two bookshelves. Along one wall were shelves full of jars with various herbs and salves, while a row of animal pens lined the other. There were horses, goats, foxes, and various animals I didn't recognize, like a large white cat with gray spots. They were roaring, bellowing and bleating out wildly, creating a terrible cacophony.

Despite the terribly loud clamor, no one seemed to have a problem hearing the door. Everyone stopped what they were doing immediately once they noticed me. Some of the students looked confused, others were curious, and a couple gave me downright hostile stares. I inwardly cringed. So much for fitting in.

I stood there awkwardly, Lyosha at my side, staring back. The tense stare down stretched out uncomfortably long, no one saying anything. Finally, someone asked the question they were all probably dying to know.

"What the hell is a Ryn doing here?"