"Are you serious?" Isla stared at her brothers and sister-in-law in shock as she tried to register the news. Dragons? Real dragons of their own? Was this real or was it all just a dream created by her deep fascination with the said creature?

It had barely been two days since the five special guests had arrived, but one of them wasn't pulling any punches when it came to increasing the mighty King Arthur and Queen Genuivere. After all, who wouldn't want to get married into one of the oldest and most well-known royal families in Eden?

However, this only served to leave a bad impression of their Haitian candidate on Isla. Camelot had banned the owning and trading of dragons following the war of the Dark Ages. Why had her parents suddenly relaxed the law that had ensured peace in the land for centuries?

Despite her apprehension, Isla couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have a dragon to call hers. Her love and curiosity for dragons had begun at an early age, inspired by the intricate murals and sculptures of the majestic beast around the castle.

"Izzy? Izzy? Izzy!"

Isla blinked as Jacob snapped his fingers in her face to get her attention. "Y-yeah?"

Jacob rolled his eyes and said, "Are you even listening? Yes, we really did see the group of Haitian dragon handlers bringing some in. Why would we try to fool you?"

"What did they look like?" she breathed.

Henry raised his eyebrows, a cheeky smile gracing his lips. "Who? The Haitians or the dragons?"

Isla smacked him. "The dragons of course!"

"Okay, okay!" Henry cried out, raising his hands in surrender. "I had to be sure we're on the same page."

"Anyways, the dragons were absolutely beautiful," Lucien said. Then he turned to Verity. "Not as beautiful as you, of course. Nothing could be more beautiful than you."

Verity blushed and playfully hit his arm. "Lucien!"

The youngest brother merely grinned and reached out for his wife. Then Isla cleared her throat, bringing their attention away from each other. Even though Isla found them sweet, she wanted to hear about the dragons and not their sappy romantic words only intended for each other's ears.

"You were saying?" she prompted.

Lucien laughed. "Well, Izzy, they were more beautiful than the paintings in the library. Their scales glittered like jewels under the early morning sun...onyx, amethyst, sapphire, you name it. And their wings! They were huge and majestic to watch. Furthermore-"

Sweet Merlin. Isla couldn't believe her ears. Real-life dragons in Camelot for the first time in centuries! And on her birthday, no less! Did her parents finally relent and allow dragons back after years of begging? Or was it one of the few passing circus shows that her parents had approved of?

Excitement coursed through every fibre of her being as a torrent of questions swirled on the tip of her tongue, ready to spill out the moment she opened her mouth. And of course, her brothers knew exactly what was going to happen so Henry hurriedly said, "Before you say anything, Father said that all of us are to meet him and Mother at the training field later after lunch. Don't eat too much, okay? And dress in simple riding clothes."

Isla pressed her lips together and nodded enthusiastically. Riding clothes? Did that mean they could see the dragons? And possibly ride them? In that case, she could control herself for a few more hours. In the meantime, she could go to the library and read up more about them to satisfy her curiosity...and to be prepared for what she thought was going to happen...

Isa's initial excitement about seeing the dragon died away the moment she stepped outside of the castle and onto the large grassy field. She had spent all morning fantasising about what meeting them would be like, but she didn't expect that the five "lucky" women, as she liked to joke, would be there as well.

"Of course, the dragons are for the Festival," she muttered sourly.

Henry raised an eyebrow at her and asked, "What did you think they were for?" Henry's amused eyes lit up like two fiery rubies in the morning sun as he regarded her downcast face. "Did you actually think Mother and Father would get us dragons for your birthday?"

Isa frowned and shoved her twin. Now that he said it out loud, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed for even hoping that her parents would gift her a dragon for her birthday. She should've known that they would never change.

"Children!" King Arthur beckoned their small group of royals over to where the other candidates were. When they approached, Arthur said, "Children, I'm sure you have heard rumours about dragons arriving at the castle this morning-"

"Rumours?" Isla whispered to Henry, rolling her eyes.

"Lady Catherine has so kindly gifted us a small weyr of jewel dragons. Izzy, dear, perhaps you would like to explain what jewel dragons are?"

Isla perked up the moment he called her name. This is my chance to showcase my dragon knowledge! "Well, jewel dragons are more commonly known now as the dragon's curse and is a form of punishment used in certain courts of judgement, one of the more prominent examples being Haitia. Basically, criminals with this sentencing will be transformed into a dragon where they'll live for millennia having to serve varimasters until their last breath. This means that they'll be doomed to be a servant for life."

Arthur sent her a small smile, his eyes glinting with pride, filling Isla with an unfamiliar warmth. "Thank you, Izzy. Now, you will get the opportunity to choose your preferred dragon. However, dragon bonding has to go both ways. For the dragon to be officially yours, it has to choose you too. Only then will you be cleared to start training with your dragon."

"But, Father, there are ten of us if you count the candidates, but only seven dragons," Lucien pointed out.

"Ah, Gen and I will be sharing the Amber Dragon, given that she's the more docile one," Arthur said, pointing to a red-orange dragon that seemed to give off a golden glow in the sunlight. Then he gestured to another dragon, a light pink one that seemed quite at ease, unlike the other dragons. "Meanwhile, the Quartz Dragon will go to Henry's new wife, as recommended by the handlers. Thus, all four candidates will be training with her. It's better to start early than after the wedding. Now, hurry up, go choose your dragon before."

Isla was one of the first to approach the dragons. There were five dragons for the four siblings and sister-in-law to choose from. The first dragon was the biggest out of the seven, with fiery red scales that rivalled the eldest royal brothers' eyes. The Ruby Dragon held herself with grace and confidence, standing tall among the weyr.

Beside her was the Emerald Dragon that looked the least interested in the humans. Instead, her dark mocha eyes were trained on the foggy mountains in the distance. She bore an uncanny resemblance to the Amber Dragon, save for the scales...

"Ah, I see you've noticed," one of the handlers remarked. "You're a keen one, princess. Amber and Emerald are twins."

That makes sense, Isla thought. She thanked the handler before moving on to the Amethyst Dragon. She was one of the more shyer dragons. Her sharp, calculating eyes eyed the Haitian handlers and royals, unwilling to socialise with them like some of her companions were doing. 

Standing a little further away was the Onyx Dragon, a magnificent black beast that observed the interactions between the humans and the weyr. He tensed as the Sapphire Dragon nudged the Amethyst Dragon and let out a playful roar before they both engaged in a friendly fight of pushing each other around. He may not be the biggest or the strongest, but Isla knew from his demeanour that he was the real leader of the weyr.

She wondered if maybe he was the one until she laid eyes on the Sapphire Dragon. The said dragon's dark blue eyes held a certain level of intelligence and curiosity that rivalled Isla's. And when the two made eye contact, a bond was formed that tied both the dragon and the rider together until death. It was an understanding that each had found a kindred spirit and a companion. It was then that Isla knew the Sapphire Dragon was the dragon that she was destined to ride.