As the passage of time brought the night closer to its zenith, the moon's glow bathed the world in a luminous embrace. The hours had whisked by, the revelry around the campfire waning into silence as the humans settled into small groups, murmuring words of comfort at the prospect of life under the wing of the benevolent Red Dragon.
Little Mira, sated, had found rest upon Caesar's belly. Their blood bond kindled a closeness that transcended time, their forms entwined in an image of strange yet intimate warmth. The sight of the dragon father and his small child would bring a smile to any beholder's face.
Diana's eyes shimmered with the light of contentment as she watched them, her legs gracefully supporting Caesar's head while her fingers tenderly massaged Mira's overfull tummy, coaxing the little one into the arms of sleep.
Moments later, with Mira fully succumbed to slumber, Caesar beckoned the head maid, appointed by Diana, to gently carry the child back to her chambers for the night.
Beyond the grand hall, there lay a number of smaller annexes, constructed by the Jackalmen and the Gnoll laborers, a haven for the humans to reside.
The grand hall was Caesar's domain, a forbidden realm to all but Caesar and Diana, his consorts. None could step within without his express permission.
With the night still young, Caesar lifted Diana effortlessly, peeling away the vestiges of her girlish simplicity. The princess of the Silvermoon Kingdom had blossomed into mature allure, her lavish gown easily parted to reveal her undulating curves. Perfectly sculpted, she was a statue brought to sighing life.
"O Caesar," Diana gasped, a flush of color painting her cheeks at the memory of past embraces, her body speaking a bold and honest language of desire.
"My Diana, grace me with another heir," Caesar murmured, his hand tracing the slender waist and climbing the peaks of her being. Drawing her near, his lips found her delicate cheek.
Diana's gaze grew hazy with emotion, her willowy arms encircling his neck, she whispered as their bodies spoke without words, "As you command, my lord."
Their kiss ignited the night, a passionate dance that wove through grass, cloud, and beyond...
The palace grounds lay quiet, stars twinkling above. The occasional call of a night bird punctuated the silence. Ignoring the rhythmic surges that rippled through the evening air, one might think it a serene painting, a tableau of silent beauty.
...
The waters of the palace pools stirred with the murmur of dawn, elements of water and fire intertwining to create a shimmering oasis. Fragrant mists rose as water and light danced, casting a picturesque scene of warmth. A battle of another nature unfolded within the steaming waters, echoing with the power of Caesar's once-restrained desires.
The cleansing spell rose, and the sparring ceased.
After a month of continence, release was finally upon him. Caesar basked in the afterglow, embracing his royal consort, his draconic indulgence unabated. A dragon's virility, it seemed, was boundless, a fact that played out over the persistent courtship of Diana.
Depending on past experiences, such fervor might last weeks, perhaps a month, and soon perhaps another progeny would be conceived.
Unconcerned with timelines, Caesar's newfound stature as a behemoth of dragonkind left him unchallenged among the mid-tier creatures of the Aerlan World. Only those of superior might held any interest to him. Already his prowess rivalled that of the elder dragons, a stance typically reserved for a more mature age.
Yet even with his soaring strength, Caesar was not complacent or brash. He sought refuge in the prudence vested by his former human life, his pride as a Red Dragon viewing this as but a temporary concealment before his ultimate ascendance to legendary status. When that day came, his name would thunder across the breadth of the Aerlan World, with even the Emerald Continent shaking beneath his mighty claws.
For now, he sought no exodus from the Karl Mountains, a natural hunting ground abundant with both beast and magic. A forbidden land for humans, but paradise for apex magical beings. With cunning subjects at his behest, he lived a life of decadent ease, occasionally dispensing promises that kept his followers fervently loyal.
Amidst the intrigue and splendor, Caesar contemplated augmenting his retinue with another consort. Such were the trials of a Red Dragon's robust constitution. Aurelian, too, had undergone the transformation through the dragon's bloodline, and now required rest to assimilate her newfound powers of fire and wind.
In these times, Caesar mused with a touch of amusement, an additional companion might indeed be a necessity.
In the world of the Emerald Continent, no creature posed a threat to a dragon of his size, a status befitting the ancient and venerable at a stage where Caesar was merely adolescent.
And so the Red Dragon dreamed, poised to await the time when his legend would unfurl across the world like a great and unstoppable fire.