The four weeks until the wedding seemed to fly by. It was like I had blinked and now it was to take place in two days. Two short days. I grew more anxious by the second. I couldn't focus on anything. I could hardly eat without feeling sick. I was tired of hearing people congratulating me on my engagement.

On top of all that Krislar, the one person I needed by my side the most, had closed himself off from me. He wouldn't talk to me like he used too. Granted, I wasn't very helpful in getting him to open up. He was putting on this mask of indifference while I tended to uncharacteristically blow-up about his silence. But a little bird revealed to me how he actually felt about the situation. He was hurting just as much as me, but his damned pride wouldn't let him admit it.

I let out a long sigh as I stared off into space. Propping my elbow on the arm of my chair, I dropped my chin into my hand. My desk was littered with documents, paperwork, and last minute things I needed to sign off on for the wedding. I had tried to stay away from anything and everything I could that involved the dreadful ceremony.

A knock came at the door, and I groaned in annoyance.

"You may enter!" I called without bothering to sit up straight and look presentable. I intended to make as clear as possible that I did not agree with this "most joyous event."

A servant girl shuffled into the room. She quickly dropped into a curtsy before closing the door behind her. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear before clasping her hands in front of her. Her uneasy stance screamed that she did not want to be here. I didn't blame her. I made everyone uncomfortable these past few weeks with my short temper.

The servant girl fiddled with the front of her apron as she kept her gaze glued to the floor. "Forgive the intrusion, your Highness." She said quietly. "The King has requested your presence in the throne room."

I rolled my eyes at the girl. With an exasperated sigh, I straightened up in my seat. "Tell him I'm busy."

The girl began to shift uncomfortably on her feet. "I'm sorry, your Highness, but the King instructed me to bring you to the throne room as soon as possible."

"What could be so important that he must speak to me in person?"

"I do not know my Prince. But I think it may pertain to your engagement with Miss Elora." The young girl peeked over at me. She quickly returned her gaze to the floor when she saw the cold look I'm sure filled my eyes at the mention of the ceremony.

"You can tell my father that I have nothing to discuss with him on that matter nor did I wish to talk about that matter with him!" The girl flinched at my harsh tone.

The poor girl was on the verge of tears as she pled for me to go to my father. "Please, your Highness! The king will surely punish me if you don't make an appearance."

I felt a pang of sympathy for the girl before me. I stood abruptly, making the chair screech across the floor. The girl began to panic as I strode towards her. "I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I should not of raise my voice towards you like that." Her hands folded in front of her chest as the tears began to fall.

I stood in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She nearly collapsed to the ground. "Do not apologize," I said in a much softer tone. "You have done nothing wrong." She peered up at me with a confused expression. "I should be the one apologizing," I continued. "You were merely following your orders. I should not have taken my anger out on you. For that I am sorry."

I grabbed the door handle, and she stepped out of the way as I pulled it open. I waved for her to go first and followed her into the corridor. "I will go speak with my father."

The relief on the girl's face was clearly visible as she dropped into another curtsy and hurried down the hall. I trailed after her but at a much slower pace. We made our way to the Throne Room, and it took everything in me not to drag my feet like a child.

When the Throne Rooms grand double doors came into view, the servant girl was already waiting patiently for me. She had her hands folded in front of her and her eyes shifting from me to the floor. As I drew nearer, the two guards posted quickly moved to open the large doors for me. Honestly, I wish they had left them closed and given me a few more minutes to prepare for the argument I was sure to have with my father.

I nodded to the three elves as I walked past. I squared my shoulders, straightened my back and clasped my hands behind my back. My eyes drifted around the room to take in the decorations. The right side of the room was decorated with orange and gold flowers. Those were the colors of my family. Our family crest hung over every window. The balaur head stood out on the orange and gold color of the flag.

The left side of the room was decorated identically, but instead of everything being orange and gold, it was all baby green and charcoal grey. The Eshoss family colors. Their family crest, the head of a stag, hung above every window.

I skimmed over the preparations being made before finding my father standing at the front of the room. He was speaking with a man I didn't recognize. The man had on exquisitely tailored clothes. He was close to my father's height of six foot five. The elf's waist-length blonde hair was pulled back into a braid that bounced every time he nodded his head to something my father said. The two were holding a long piece of paper between them and speaking animatedly about something.

I came to a halt at the bottom of the small flight of steps leading up to were the Throne sat. When neither of the men noticed my arrival, I cleared my throat louder than necessary. My father looked rather annoyed at first as he turned to look at me, but that annoyance quickly turned to joy. His eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his face. "Octavian!" He greeted. The king waved for the man he was speaking with to leave us as he made his way down the steps to me.

Once at my side, My father clapped me on the shoulder and said, "There you are! Where have you been? Your wedding takes places in two days. I imagined you would be much more involved in the planning and preparations." Before I am able to give a response, the King continues. "No matter. You are here now. Come! I have a few things I want you to look at." He says as he begins to steer me up the steps.

"The Eshowss family arrived last night, but I did not see you there to great them." I could hear the question in that sentence. Where were you?

"Yes, I had an important matter to attend to," I replied. Truthfully, I had been trying to get Krislar to talk to me, but I won't be telling father that.

"An important matter you say?" The king paused at the top of the steps and stood beside me. He kept one hand on my shoulder as he peered down at me. "More important than greeting your soon to be wife?" I could hear the disapproval in his voice, and it made my teeth grind.

I kept up my impassive appearance as I replied. "I'm sure Miss Elora will forgive me. She understands that I have duties I must fulfill."

"Yes, I'm sure." My Father stared at me for a moment longer before continuing to lead me towards a few elves standing off the side of the Throne. All three of them were waving their arms and nodding their heads. I had a feeling they were discussing where everyone would stand during the ceremony.

"Speaking of Elora and duties," My stomach churns at the thought of where this is going. "I expect to hear news of an heir on the way within the year." I knew what was about to come out of his mouth, but it still made my feet freeze in place. My hands clenched into fists behind my back. Just the thought of touching women in that way makes my skin crawl but to think of doing it with Elora, the girl I have more or less grown up with? That makes feel sick.

My father turned back to look at me with eyes that said this is what you are meant to do for the good of the Kingdom.

I ground my teeth to keep from saying anything. I wished I could say no and stand up for my own happiness for once, but deep down I knew that I could never do that. I could never go against my Father. If I refuse to produce an heir, then the king would put that responsibility on Sorey, and I was not going to let that happen.

Sorey wasn't like me. He was a dreamer, and unlike me, he did everything he could make his dreams come true. Sorey's big dream was to enter Bane Academy - a top belaur school- and join the army. He would never be able to do any of that if the responsibility of an heir was given to him. I intend to do anything and everything I can to help my brothers reach their goals in life.

Kieran has yet to voice what his dream is but you can bet I'm going to do everything in my power to make it come true.

For the sake of my brothers' happiness, I'll keep our father focused on my and bend to his every whim.

That thought alone is what gets me through this meeting with my father. I listened to everything he had to say and agreed to all of the plans for the wedding. The sun was starting to fall by the time I managed to escape the Throne Room.

I made a B line for the front doors of the castle and went straight to the stables. I brushed past every servant, guard, and stable hand with hardly any word or sign that I had noticed them. If they greeted me, I might have given them a quick nod as I passed by but I'm not sure. My only focus was on getting to Lanxisys and feeling the wind take awake all of my thoughts.

Once inside I scanned the barn for my belaur. The place was filled with the grunts and snorts. A few hisses and growls here and there. I brought my fingers to my lips and whistled then watched as every dragon, drake, and wyvern poked there heads out of their stall or loft to see which one of them was being summoned.

I heard a high-pitched screech and quickly noticed a familiar flash of orange dive from one of the lofts at the back of the barn. Without much thought, I turned and ran out of the barn towards a twenty-foot high ramp several yards away. I ran up the structure as fast as I could and launched myself off of it. I landed on the orange scaled back of my wyvern, Lanxisys.

"Fusur, Lanxisys!" I commanded the beast. My words answered with another screech as the wyvern beat his wing harder to propel us farther and faster into the sky. I carefully maneuvered myself around on his back so that I was sitting on the saddle that was strapped to his back near the base of his neck. Once my were secured in the stirrups I held onto the horns(?) along Lanxisys's neck and spine.

When Lanxisys leveled out and began to just glide, I sat up, closed my eyes and extended my arms on either side of me. I took a deep breath of fresh air and sighed in sweet relief as all my worries just seemed to disappear in the wind.

This was my small taste of freedom. This and my time with Krislar. So long as I could have Krislar by my side and be able to fly with Lanxisys, I could do anything my father asked of me.

At least I thought I could.