Orange light flowed through the window, basking the cavernous room in a pale glow. “Asca, hurry, Alinedharwen , get up, today is the day, we have a busy schedule. First, bath, then riding attire, then the bonding ceremony, bath, royal attire, your coronation, festive attire, and then a party.

Morning already? “Ugh, Lethiel, the first three are okay, but all the coronation does, is tell whole Kingdom “I’ve gone through puberty! Quick someone marry me! And the last is just pompous brandishing and skylarking” I said pouting, “It’s not funny!”

Still laughing, to my chagrin, Lethiel said “You are too bold, Alinedharwen. Quick you must hurry the ceremony is in one mark. Get yourself cleaned up, I’ll meet you outside.”

“Five more minutes” I sighed and rolled over. I heard the mumbling of an incantation and with a pop my eiderdown was gone. Knowing what ice came next I bolted upright and glared at my lady in waiting.

“Don't look at me like that, I know you have been looking forward to the bonding ceremony since you were four.”

It was impossible to stay angry with Lethiel, my glare quickly softening into a gleeful smile, “You're right, I’ll be down in twenty.” I said as she yawned. I really was excited, I have been waiting for this day since Daddy took me to see the High Drakes. I am just not a morning person, I like to call myself a “day girl”. Sunrise not included. I don’t sleep till noon either, I just like to get up when the last vestiges of night have been devoured by the light. That's a whole half a mark after sunrise.

I undressed as I walked to the bathroom, As I entered, I noticed the large bath was already full of hot water. Silently thanking Lethiel for thinking ahead, I got in and washed myself quickly. After my bath, I dressed myself in a blood red tunic, black pants, my favorite velvet cloak, a reversible green and dark violet cloak with the violet side out.

Leaving my room, Lethiel muttered a quick spell to dry my damp silver hair and proceeded to braid two ladders, one from each side of my head that came together in the back with a fishtail.

“That violet matches your eyes very well, are you sure you are not trying to attract a husband?”

“Stop teasing Lethiel, you know I wear this almost every day.”

“Yes, I know you look for a husband almost everyday.” Lethiel declared while handing me a mirror.

“I will not marry any of those “nobles” who feed off the chaos of the coming devourers, that's even if we are to believe the Einshidar.” Looking in the mirror again astonished at Lethiel’s skill with hair. “How do you do that, and so quickly?”

With a wave of her hand the mirrors vanished and she said, “Practice lots and lots of practice. And if you don't believe the Einshidar, believe the Mithrin, their prophecies are always true.”

“I do believe the Mithrin, but I still don't like it, the nobles and their sons are stirring up trouble all across the galaxy and Father does nothing. He even presses me to marry one of these utinuin en lokirim.”

“Alinedharwen, That is not language becoming of a lady!”

“If being a lady requires me to marry one of those vile toddlers, then I would rather be a whore!”

“If your Mother…”

“Leth, if my mother were here she would understand my plight and stop this insanity. My father was not forced to marry. He did not have to worry about being forced to marry someone he did not love. With all this havoc stirring with the anticipation of the coming of the Devourers, the nobles are pressing a marriage. An arranged Royal matrimony has not occurred in ten thousand years.”

“Your father, the King is doing his best in these trying times, and ever since the Queen died, he has had a lot more responsibilities to take care of, without the support of loving wife.”

“Yet he wants to deny me the sanctuary of a trusted husband?”

“You may be right but he is your King, his word is law.”

“Then I will fight the law!”

“How about you wait till after today, remember do not make promises when you're happy or decisions when you are angry.”

“Very well.” I said as I stepped outside the palace onto a platform where a shuttle was waiting for me to get to the Galcrist. My family’s ship is old, four thousand years old. A outrageously long, bumpy, rectangle. To be fair it was also the most advanced ship in the Royal Fleet. It was a ten minute ride to the Galcrist. Once aboard I went straight to my quarters on the ship.

Thirty minutes later, I get back in the shuttle and head down to Draegamor, home planet of the Dragons. They are the oldest sentient beings in the known universe. Dragons were interplanetary before we Elda existed. They play more of an advisory and law enforcement role in galactic society. They no longer care for leadership though they might as well. If the dragons want something to change, it changes no matter what the King says. It is not really out of spite though, it’s more of an agreement. Dragons being old and wise are tired of the stress of politics, they prefer the stress of fighting pirates. Dragons also tend to form a bond with other sentient species. That's why I am here. All princesses bond with a dragon. For everyone else, young dragons will go on a Pilgrimage from planet to planet, to find their bond. A Bondmate is always the same gender as their dragon with few exceptions.

This is why I am here today, to receive my Bondmate.

“Can't we postpone this ceremony till a later date.” I hear my father's whispers echoing through the corridor.

“Your highness, please do not ask such as things of the dragons, if they heard but a whisper of question such as that, they would see it as a treasonous transgression.”

“Yes Silus. You are right, I shall let it go. It seems some things no matter how inconvenient, are just unavoidable.”

Waiting for a few seconds, I approach the loading ramp. After pressure destabilizes the ramp drops, giving view of three dragons. A very large red, of well over a hundred meters in length. To his left, a small green, barely twenty meters, and on the other side of the red was a blue, her length was thirty meters. The differences in the size of dragons depends chiefly on age. Thus the red was very old and the green young. The blue was an exception, they were never over fifty meters. Only females could be blue, and it was very rare, in fact she was probably the only one in existence. To even glimpse her was an honor.

“High King, you insult us in landing in an assault shuttle. For twelve thousand years, the crown princess has arrived on a personal cruiser, with her prime family alone. You break thousands of years of tradition, what do you have to say for yourself.” The red spoke.

Trembling my father said, “I knew of no such tradition.”

The red glared for a moment befor it softened, then exploded with laughter. “I never get tired of seeing that face.” Red replied, after composing himself.

“Rest at ease King, Elder Rancor, likes to tease the King every time a new princess arrives. We let him do it because he is old, and senile. I am Sarissa, welcome to Draegamor.” The blue bowed her head, to which my father and I returned with a bow of our own.

“Hey my name is Aracor, not Rancor, young people have no respect, or sense of humor.”

“Greetings Princess, High King, I am Trogheron, shall we get started?” The green finally spoke, with Aracor and Sarissa bickering in the background.

Before I could stop myself I said, “so you must be the wise one. After you.” Gesturing to the large hallway departing from the hangar.

At this, the bickering stopped, all eyes were on me. For a few beats, nothing happened, but the silence was broken by Aracor’s laughter once again. “I've changed my mind, the young have a sense of humor. What they lack is patience. To quick to stop and smell the roses.”

“Aracor,” I say. “Do not include me in such rabble I would love to partake in conversation after the ceremony, and you two lovebirds can bicker all you want tomorrow.”

A strange silence came over the dragons, and I got the feeling I said something I shouldn't have. What I did not know at the time, and wouldn't know for a while to come, is blue dragons only soulmates are grays. And one hasn't been born in so long that they have been passed to legend.

“Well, you are right, banter can idle, but I'm holding you to your promise of conversation, after the ceremony of course.” Aracor as always was the one to break the silence.

We walked for what seemed like miles. Aracor used the time to impart some of his knowledge of the history of dragons. Eventually, we stopped at a towering mithril door covered in ornate gold plated carvings. Aracor opened the Titanadoora as if it was part of a doll house. “Alright in you go, walk around a bit, feel for one that calls to you.”

“That's all, I was expecting a long speech about the regalia of dragons.”

Aracor chuckled and said “Even though it is called a ceremony, we don't stand on it anymore. Of course, if you want to hear about the majesty of dragons, I remember the speech well enough to orate it.”

“Nope, I'm good!” And I quickly enter the room and only Aracor follows. “Why don't the others follow?” I ask confused.

“Well, your Sire cannot view a ritual for the Princess, as for the dragons, seniority.”

“So you get to come be cause you are the oldest. That seems unnecessary.”

“I believe there is a misunderstanding, when I say I am the oldest, I mean I am the oldest. Now, disrobe”

“Excuse me!” I dignify, appalled at the very notion.

“My fire, you other sentients still hold sentiment to your accoutrements. A barrier protects the Eggs anything not living is destroyed, so it's nude now, and keep your clothes or nude and no clothes, your choice.”

Silently cursing I quickly take of my clothes. As step through the barrier I feel a little tingly, then I feel clean. In fact I never have felt so clean in my life. Skipping, I forget all about being nude in front of an enormous dragon.

“So you gonna just run around or are you gonna find your Bondmate.”

Blushing, I wander amongst the hundreds of eggs, taking my time to examine each egg I pass carefully. Every egg in the room looked the same, bright red of color, thin like serpent eggs, and as tall as my waist. After about an hour of searching, I stood up and stretched my sore back. Taking the time to look around, I noticed an egg in the back. It seemed slightly shorter than the one next to it. For that matter, all of the eggs were the same size, except this one. Curious, I walked over to it. As I got closer, the egg started to glow!

“It seemed you found one, that glow is fledgling’s fire. It burns the inner membrane of the egg and makes the shell brittle. Don't worry about it, the fledgling will burn itself out getting out. It won't have fire again till it is three months old.”

Only half listening, I ran to the egg and reached for it.

“DO NOT TOUCH IT!” Aracor boomed, a voice so thunderous the ground trembled. Then, in a quiet voice, more to himself, “Why do they always want to touch it?”

Shocked out of my mind, I kept backward. “By light, why?”

“The breaking free is a right of passage for the fledgling helping it will not only bring shame to it, it may stunt his growth.”

“I…” Crack! Immediately I looked at the the egg. It had a crack right down the middle, and smaller fractures snapping from the center. Then two holes opened up about five inches wide. Two little emerald horns came out. Then a the head followed with the small piece stuck on its head. It supposedly used its mouth to crack the egg more. I couldn't tell because eg was still in the way. Then it lifted its head and I found myself staring into to eyes of golden color affixed on the face of a blue. And she was magnificent.

“My fire, a blue is quite a blessing.” Aracor’s words brought me happiness, but the way he said them, it was as if there was also a curse. “You may approach her now, it will take a short time for the bond to take.”

Bang! The Titanadoora opened, and a large gold came in, maybe three quarters of Alacor. He gestured to him, Alacor dipped his head as the gold whispered something in High Drake.

Aracor flinched almost inscrutably but I notice it. Something happened, something big, but he did not share it. “Princess, I have an important matter to take care of. I'm afraid I am going to have to postpone our conversation. Please, take a few moments to get to know your bond, then a pink, Vastera, will come to take her. She must be raised by dragons, for the first month that is.”

After my nod, he left, and I turned to more important matters, he dragon that was to become my bond. She snuggled in my lap. The size of the egg was quite deceiving, for the dragon before me was only the length of my forearm. It took awhile for me to notice a small sound, like tiny metal balls rolling on a table. A strange sensation of tingling starts in the back of my head, the sound gets louder, and the pressure grows. It gets louder, and tighter, pounding in my head, till I can't even hear my own screaming. Just when I think it cannot get any louder, or the pressure any more intense, it does, though only a little, and only for a second.

Then it all goes silent with a loud pop. The most excruciatingly painful experience I've ever had, was occurring in the back of my head, and... Nothing, the pain went away and in its place was a presence. This was the Bond. The last thing I remember was a pink dragon, likely Vastera, came in and took Mirikest.* **