CHAPTER ONE: ORIOLE
I LOVE YOU, BUT YOU'RE STUPID

High above the city of Helia in the kingdom of Astrana, Oriole Rosen sat astride her dragon, running through training exercises. She was relegated to the east wing of the castle in order to prevent any guests in the west wing from catching sight of her.

She couldn't say it didn't offend her how King Pallas and Queen Despina were treating their guests as more important than the dragon riders they had requested come into their kingdom and work as elite guards so many years ago. The alliance they were trying to build was important, Oriole would never say it wasn't or that they hadn't put much time into arranging it, but she was a little put off by them not insisting the humans just get used to having dragons and wood elves around. It wasn't like it wasn't a known fact the high elven royal family of Astrana had dragon riders in their employ and everyone knew wood elves were the only ones who could bond with dragons to become riders.

In just a few days time, the Beaumont family of the Ironwood Islands and the Aquila family of Astrana would be family. The Aquila's had trusted dragon riders with the safety of their family and their kingdom since just after the birth of Princess Dione twenty-three years ago. The princess had grown up with a King's Guard and a dragon rider always at her side, it wasn't like she would ever dismiss them just because her betrothed's family didn't like them, to put it in kind terms. If the Beaumont family wanted an ally in Astrana, it included dragon riders and wood elves whether they liked it or not.

Truly, Oriole supposed, it didn't matter what King Julian and Queen Caerwyn liked or didn't like. It was Prince Sirius who would be moving to Astrana after his marriage to Dione and it wasn't exactly a secret to anyone who knew him that Sirius was, well, not the sharpest sword in the armory. He was a perfectly nice person and there were certainly worse matches for Dione. They'd be happy together, of that there was no doubt, both of them were completely and utterly in love with the other. Sirius would get over any aversion to dragons and wood elves he may have — not that Oriole had ever seen evidence of such an aversion — in time. Once he became Dione's consort, he'd be assigned a dragon rider of his own along with a member of the King's Guard, just like the rest of the family.

What did matter to Oriole was how the aversions of the foreign monarchs were getting in the way of her training. If she could only train above the east wing, it severely limited the kind of training she could do. Any agility maneuvers where she used the spires of the castle as obstacles she could not do. She couldn't do any speed training, either, as there was just not enough space to get her dragon going with the space she was given and she couldn't get in the way of the patrols over the rest of the city by going beyond the castle.

They just better hope there were no attacks while the Beaumont's were here, for if they could only repel attacks from above the east wing, well... they wouldn't be very effective.

Finally, after doing all the maneuvers she could, Oriole decided to cut her training short and turned her dragon towards the landing platform in the back of the castle that was put in just for the dragon riders. As she neared the ground, Oriole let out a sharp whistle and her dragon shrunk from beneath her. With a well practiced move, Oriole was able to orient herself quickly to land safely on her feet, holding out her arm for her dragon, Azar, to land on, now small enough to rest comfortably on her shoulder, which was exactly where she placed him.

Oriole looked up and spotted Queen Despina standing at the top of the stairs leading from the landing platform up to the castle. Despite not actually being one of her subjects, the queen was still Oriole's employer so she understood the silent summons and made her way up the steps until she was in front of the queen and bowed her head in greeting.

"Your Majesty."

"Captain."

"Is there something you need from me?" Oriole asked.

"My daughter is missing. That is, my eldest daughter," Despina explained.

Oriole understood immediately.

"The feast will be beginning before long. She must be ready when it's time. Would you find her? You always seem to know where she's hiding."

There was only one place in Helia where Dione would be if her mother couldn't find her and if Oriole found her there at this time of day, there would be hell to pay.

"Of course," she said, bowing her head once more.

"Thank you. I truly do not know what we'd do without you."

It was meant as a compliment so Oriole forced a smile onto her face until the queen had turned away from her, but she couldn't help a surge of bitterness at those words. They said they truly valued their dragon riders but their actions did not always reflect such sentiments. Oriole knew better than to expect such behaviour from most people she encountered in the city or even in the palace, but she still hoped, after all these years, she could expect better from the king and queen who wanted them near.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Oriole started making her way towards where she knew Dione would be. It didn't take her long to make it around the outside of the castle and to the front gates, where she passed out of them and made her way down the long bridge into the city of Helia.

Helia, as the capital of the high elven kingdom of Astrana, was busy and lively, and shone like the very sun and stars they worshipped. In the modern age, it was just as likely to see a human living among the high elves, talking to their neighbours as if there wasn't anything different between them. After all the generations the high elves had been living in their shining cities, there weren't that many differences left between them. When the high elves had left the forests where they had originated alongside the wood elves, their long lifespans had started to shorten. So while it was still true that high elves lived longer than humans, it wasn't all that much longer and didn't compare to the lifespans of the wood elves. Oriole herself was over a hundred and thirty years old but she didn't look more than a few years older than the princess, who was just twenty-three years old.

There were many things to see in Helia, from the variety of shops to the shining white temple dedicated to the goddesses Hesperos and Astrophel to even the street performers in the parks who entertained passersby for a few moments in exchange for a few spare coins.

Unfortunately, it was none of these places Oriole was headed towards.

There was one grand hospital in Helia, the largest in all of Astrana, though most cities and villages had working infirmaries, usually attached to the temples. Since receiving her posting in Helia, Oriole had visited the hospital more frequently than she ever expected. Not because there was ever anything wrong with her, of course, she would not have turned to the nurses of Astrana when her own health was in decline, preferring instead to visit the healers of her own people even though it would take longer for her to get there. Instead, the reason for her visiting so frequently was entirely because of her posting.

Inside, Oriole stood in the entry hall, looking around for any sign she was in the right place. Further back, standing guard outside an archway which led to a room full of beds occupied by the sick or dying or Helia, Oriole spotted Ser Leva Oriane, a member of the King's Guard, the branch of the knighthood who directly served and protected the royal family and the castle. Leva had been assigned to Princess Dione for three years now and she was a very good knight — she had to be in order to get assigned to the heir to the throne — who wouldn't hesitate to lay down her life for Dione, but she was also prone to letting her wander where she wished. Where other guards may have put their foot down to the princess, told her it wasn't safe to go wandering into town whenever she pleased, Leva allowed it, believing it was better to let Dione do what she wished and accompany her to avoid her sneaking out alone. While Oriole questioned how good of an idea it was to let Dione go into town at her leisure and not inform anyone, she did know if someone tried to stop her, she would simply sneak out and go without any protection.

Leva caught sight of Oriole as she approached and they shared a look they had many times, the kind of look only those who had to put up with the princess' antics as often as they did would have.

The room Leva was stood outside of was even more full of sickbeds than Oriole thought but as she looked inside, she spotted a familiar head of blonde hair knelt down next to a bed. Though she wore a veil over the lower half of her face like the rest of the nurses to protect herself from catching anything, her bright blue eyes were immediately recognizable as they looked on with kindness to the person she was helping. And if knowing the appearance of the princess wasn't enough, it was quite clear she didn't belong among the other nurses just from the way she was dressed. Though she also wore an apron like the nurses to protect the front of her gown, the material, colour and quality didn't compare to anything worn by anyone else in the entire building.

A nurse near the doorway tried to offer Oriole a veil as well when she entered the room but Oriole waved her off, knowing it was more than likely unnecessary, and made her way over to the princess.

"Your mother was looking for you."

Dione turned at the sound of her voice, a smile lighting up the features she could see beyond the veil covering her face.

"And she sent you to fetch me, of course," Dione responded easily, turning back to her patient.

"There are few people who are brave enough to tell you how... unwise it is to sneak away from the palace."

"Yes, and I wish there were less..."

Oriole rolled her eyes. "Today of all days, Princess, was an even worse decision. In fact, it hasn't been even a remotely good idea since before your betrothed and his family arrived. There are more people in the castle than ever who will notice when you aren't there."

"I doubt they noticed my absence."

"That is not my point, Dione. Honestly, I would have rather found you sneaking around the palace with your betrothed than here, in a room full of sick people. Do you even understand the sickness you could be bringing back into the palace after being here?"

Finally, the princess turned and stood up to face Oriole as she responded.

"And I have told you time and again how important the wellbeing of my people is to me, I don't understand why you continue to treat me like a child on this matter."

"Because you act like one," Oriole said. "You are going to be Queen one day, not a healer. You should act like it. There are other ways to help your people."

"I can be both."

Normally, Oriole could have easily kept this argument going, they both could, but today was not the day for circular arguments. Maybe after the wedding they'd have time again.

"It is time to go," Oriole told her sternly. "You will need to change completely as soon as we get back, and quickly, so you are ready before the feast tonight."

"The feast!" Dione exclaimed, eyes widening in realization as she looked towards the far wall and the windows set high up near the ceiling to see the light coming in. "I didn't realize what time it was, I meant to be back in time to—"

"You always do," Oriole said.

Dione's face fell. "Oh, don't say it like that. You know I'm not doing this on purpose."

"I do. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen."

"You could at least say it with a tone implying you mean it," Dione said as she started towards the exit, untying the apron.

"I can still be disappointed it happens even when I know you try your best not to let it," Oriole explained, stopping Dione near the archway out and beginning to undo the apron for her. "It is my job to keep you safe and you aren't exactly known for making it an easy job. You will not be able to help your people very well if something happens to you because you refuse to take all of the necessary precautions."

"I always take Leva with me," Dione argued, turning to face Oriole once the apron was off. "And you're not making me feel any better."

Oriole hung the apron up on one of the hooks on the wall next to the archway leading into the room. "But it is your kindness and love for your people which will make you a great leader. Greater, perhaps, than your father. And it is for that reason which I don't tell your mother where you always sneak off to so she can make it harder for you to do so."

"I won't be better than my father..." Dione protested, a flush rising on her cheeks.

"If sneaking out of the palace doesn't get you killed one day, I believe you very well could be. Now get moving, Princess, or we really will be late."

Dione sighed dramatically and turned, making her way towards the door out of the hospital. Leva and Oriole fell in step beside each other as they followed after the princess.

"One day I'll figure out how you get her to listen to you so well," Leva said, sounding amazed. "She hardly ever listens to me."

"I've been with her longer," Oriole admitted. "And I am much older than both of you, after all."

◈◈◈

As soon as they returned to the palace, Oriole and Leva escorted Dione quickly back to her room. Knowing time was short, Dione immediately made her way across the room, disappearing but for her silhouette behind a screen. A moment later, the dress she was wearing appeared over the top of the screen and Leva took it, passing it to a maid who had come in upon seeing the princess coming down the hall, telling her to make sure it was cleaned very well.

Sensing there to be a somewhat calm moment, Azar hopped down off of Oriole's shoulder and made himself comfortable on Dione's bed, his attention going between the princess and surveying the room with as attentive a look as Oriole herself. The bond between dragon and rider was a strong one and Azar had grown to care for the princess as much as Oriole herself had in the years she'd been assigned to her.

"Was my gown for tonight dropped off?" Dione asked.

"You are the only one behind schedule, Princess," Oriole said.

"If you would fetch it for me, I'd be quicker to get on schedule than with just your attitude."

Rolling her eyes, Oriole crossed to where the dress was hung and grabbed it just as there was a knock on the door. Leva went to answer it and a moment later, the door opened to reveal Prince Sirius Beaumont himself, dressed completely — as Dione should already have been — for the feast that night.

The human prince was handsome, Oriole supposed, in the way princes were expected to be. His hair and eyes were a dark brown colour and the sun of his home kingdom had brought out many freckles on his skin. Though he was tall, he didn't have much muscle mass on him, not that a prince needed as such, but it left him with a slightly ungainly appearance. The clumsiness she had witnessed on many a supervised visit between prince and princess told the dragon rider he had grown quickly and never quite got used to the reach of all his limbs. Oriole couldn't count how many times she'd been forced to listen to Dione go on and on about everything she loved about her betrothed, from his freckles to his smile to how much taller he was than her and even the flecks of colour in his dark eyes.

"Prince Sirius to see you, Princess," Leva announced, gesturing him inside and closing the door behind him.

"Oh!" Dione said, sounding delighted. "Well, make yourself comfortable, I'll be out in just a moment!"

"Out in—?" As soon as the prince's eyes landed on Dione's silhouette behind the screen, his eyes went wide and his entire face turned red. "Oh. I can— I can come back."

"No, no, stay. I'll just be a moment."

Behind the prince's back, Oriole and Leva caught each other's eye, both of them trying to fight down their smirks at the scene unfolding before them. Dione seemed to delight in making Sirius flustered and the two guards found it endlessly amusing.

"What brings you by?" Dione asked.

"I, uh... I wanted to see you before the feast," he admitted, eyes darting all around the room before they were inevitably dragged back to Dione's silhouette. "Before— before there were so many people and eyes on you— us, eyes on us."

"How sweet! Oriole, isn't that sweet?"

"Yes, Princess," Oriole said, fighting down her smirk.

"Leva, can you come help me with my dress?" Dione asked.

"Of course, Princess."

The knight made her way around the screen and they watched as the silhouette of Leva began to help Dione with fastening the back of her dress. Oriole made the mistake of glancing at Sirius and had to immediately turn completely away so she wouldn't start laughing at the wide-eyed expression on his completely flushed face. She knew Dione was doing it on purpose, trying to make him as flustered as possible, but this was an entirely new level the princess had never reached before. If Oriole continued looking at his face, she was sure to break her composure and begin laughing.

When Oriole heard Dione thanking Leva for her help, she turned back around and saw the princess coming out from behind the screen in her dress for the feast later. She did a little twirl for Sirius, the smile growing on his face as the flush slowly started to recede.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"You look... beautiful," he told her.

"Thank you. You look very handsome yourself."

Dione crossed over to Sirius so she was standing directly in front of him and they both reached out for the other's hands as soon as they were within reach. The height difference between them was stark and Oriole always thought the princess looked so much smaller than she really was when standing next to him. Dione wasn't tall by any means, in fact shorter than most people, but standing next to Sirius, she always did look quite small. Oriole wondered if she even realized how stark their height difference was when she got such a lovestruck look in her eyes whenever she looked at him. It had been a long time since Oriole had seen anyone look at each other with as much love in their eyes as Dione and Sirius, though even longer since she'd had anyone look at her with such love in their eyes.

"Will you save a dance for me tonight?" Sirius asked.

"I would save every dance for you if I could," Dione told him.

Sirius smiled. "Just one dance with you would be more than enough to make my entire night."

"Then we shall endeavour to do better and have more than one dance."

"I will be the happiest man in the world then."

"Until the feast then, my prince," Dione said.

"Until the feast, my beloved," Sirius said.

He stepped back and bowed low, pressing a kiss to Dione's hand before rising again. The smile on Dione's face was blinding as she watched Sirius step away from her and turn towards the door once again. He spared her one last look as if it pained him to look away from her, before leaving out the door.

As soon as he vanished from sight, Azar jumped off the bed and bounded out after the prince. Oriole's brow furrowed and she whistled, trying to call her companion back but he didn't listen to her, continuing after him. Even when she called his name, he didn't return to her, finally prompting her to follow after him into the hall.

Oriole found him in the hallway, following after a guard who was following after the prince. Just as the dragon caught up to the guard, Oriole caught him, grabbing him around the middle and picking him up. As she went to turn away, she spotted how the guard had done up his armour and frowned.

"Hey, knight!" she called. He froze. "Yes, you there, turn around."

The knight, somewhat reluctantly, turned to face her. Apart from his silver and gold cloak being fastened wrong at his shoulder, he was in his complete armour, from his helmet down to his boots, though it didn't look to be polished up to standard with the rest of the knights.

"Your cloak is fastened wrong and your armour hasn't been polished recently, I can tell," she chastised him, reaching up to fix the cloak's fastening. "And not only that, but you are behind in the patrol of this corridor. You were supposed to be through here five minutes ago."

"My apologies, ma'am."

"That's Captain," Oriole reminded him. "You must be new so I won't report this to your commander, but if I catch you again, I will take you straight to him, understand?"

He nodded and turned away, resuming his patrol. As Oriole made her way back to Dione's room with her companion once more on her shoulder, she decided she would be having a word with the commander regardless. She wouldn't say why, but it was definitely going to be her first stop in the morning. She'd have to survive the feast first.