"This is a most interesting year, isn't it Darling?" a mature womanly voice purred.

In a room high above the Grand Arena on a balcony sat a draakin whose horns were decorated in jewelry and who wore expensive clothing fit only for the highest of nobility. It wasn't uncommon for nobility to attend. This was the best way to recruit and spot potential adversaries and rivals power early.

Sitting down next a broad shouldered man was one who was considered the most stunningly beautiful of all the draakin Queen Cithri with long flowing red hair and two slender smooth horns that subtle protuded from above her temples. In draakin society it was considered beautiful for a female to have smooth horns that came to a sharp point often requiring them to polish and sharpen the horns. The males preferred more pronounced dragon-like features.

The man she sat near who looked down at the Cithri who was clinging to his arm had a firm smile on his face as he enjoyed the comfort of his Queen. "I didn't expect a wyrm to show up this late into the game, but I'm quite pleased. This will surely make those greedy nobles squabble." Looking at the various noble clans that were basically ready to jump from their seats to nab the girl was amusing.

"Ukaskon surely you heard from our scouts prior to it?" Cithri said.

Huffing slightly letting out a small bellow of smoke from his lips, Ukaskon looked down at his wife and snorted "I would have known, but they didn't catch her. That can only tell me she is a country girl with no opportunity to be tested."

King Ukaskon was tall and lean at the waist, but broad in the shoulders and well muscled; he had almost black horns that curved into a half moon shape that sprouted from his forehead. Besides the usual features of a dragon class of the highest tier, Ukaskon would be considered handsome even among humans as he had a chiseled and firm jaw line. His eyes were an emerald green and he had a long set of lower and upper canines that was common in his bloodline. His hair was a shorter, but wild looking mane of red hair.

Some thought he looked like a manticore from a distance, but he took it as a compliment as they were one of the few beasts that could stand toe to toe with dragons. Even if they lacked the pure strength of a fully grown dragon most manticores were something dragons simply would not want to tangle with or risk being poisoned by their scorpion like stingers.

"What do you plan on doing then?" the Cithri said, her eyebrow raised.

Ukaskon looked down at his wife who wore a devious smile. The woman was ever the plotter "she will naturally be snapped up, but I plan on letting one of our branch clans take care of her for now. I don't want her too exposed to the politics of the royal house which could spoil her mood to us." Ukaskon paused with a smile. "No. I plan on being the shelter for her from the branch family feuds. That should allow her to land firmly in our camp. From there...we will see how she develops."

"Hehehe" the Queen giggled which sounded off based on her own looks "This is why you became King my dear husband always so clever."

"Cithri you are attempting to boost my ego. Is there something you would like?"

Looking up at her husband, Cithri gave a look that screamed allure "why dear husband considering this wyrm is a girl...I would like to bring her into my side palace court. After all, you gained the last two for your personal retinue."

Ukaskon chuckled inwardly, his wife always was adept at politics and knowing when to lay low and when to strike. If not for them having five of their own children he would suspect her of desiring his throne. Loyalty even in Draakin society was hard to come by when you were at the top of the world.

"I will give you the world if you so desire my Queen." Ukaskon smiled while saying that, but Cithri and everyone who had heard knew this was no mere boast. Ukaskon was not one to make idle promises he couldn't keep.

The next round was going to be exciting and while he didn't expect too much from a country girl he still suspected she may give them a good show.

"Tell Fenmiar to make a move for her'' he said without looking to the aid behind him "I don't want the Dragon temple to snap her up. I can see the glisten in their eyes from here."

The Dragon temple had been a thorn in his side for years. While he himself adhered to the Dragon path he was never one to let it get in the way of leading a nation and people. In the end the only thing that mattered was the future of his people. Ukaskon looked down; he had already spotted at least ten to fifteen potential recruits into the royal household. It was his preference to get small clan youth or commoners; they tend to feel a greater degree of loyalty to their benefactors.

Ukaskon's emerald green eyes peered down as he eagerly awaited the next round to begin. The fact was the draakin were going to need strength and unity sooner than later. War was on the wind and he was unsure how much longer he could maintain peace.