"Your Majesty!" Sevastian greeted his king with a bow, who replied with a questioning gaze.
"What is it Sev?" Azrael asked Sevastian, who kept tailing around his as they walked through the corridor.
"How did it go, Your Majesty?" He asked, his eyes looking at his king naughtily. Azrael glared sharply at Sevastian, causing him to clear his throat. "Lord Dargan just arrived," he announced he had expected Azrael to be in shock, but here this man was, just staring at him with nothing in his eyes.
"Where's he?" Azrael questioned, making his way out of the corridor.
"He's currently in the courtroom, Your Majesty."
---
Azrael walked into the courtroom, everyone present in the room stood up and bowed in respect. The room was silent except for the shuffling of feet. Only Dargan remained seated, flipping through the pages of a book.
"Ah, Your Majesty" he greeted with a bow, pretending as though he didn't see Azrael enter earlier.
"What brings you to my kingdom, Dargan?" Azrael asked, not beating around the bush, making his way to his throne. He lowered himself onto the seat, his gaze never leaving Dargan.
"Straight to the point, I see." Dargan said, clicking his tongue. The two nobles, locked eyes with each other, despite how calm they seemed, the aura emanating from the Dragon Lord and Dragon King was oppressing, they both seemed to be fighting for superiority, alas, Dargan's aura was overpowered by Azrael's, causing a smile to grace on Azrael's handsome face.
Dargan's expression turned serious as he relayed the message. "Two dragons were captured recently. They have been subjected to experiments by an unknown person, which has driven them rogue. They have already killed ten humans."
"Experiments on dragons?" Azrael echoed, his voice growing cold. "I'll send my condolences to the families and my apologies to the King," Azrael stated, turning his gaze to his advisor, Sevastian, signaling him to arrange for that immediately.
Dargan said, "The dragons don't seem to act normally. They appear to be hybrids of human and dragon, with golden eyes and visible scales on their skin."
"Dragon experiments!" Azrael mused thoughtfully. "Dragonism isn't understood by many, it's a complex field of study known only to a dragon. Of course, It could be that human is behind this, this would only mean, the human has been studying their whole life about dragons," he added.
Dargan leaned back, absorbing the information, "I don't think a Dragon would want to harm their own kind, what do they gain from this?" He shrugged his shoulders. He believed a human was behind this. It was no new information, the hatred humans have for dragons. The human King, Calum, would stop at nothing to bring down King Azrael and the Dragon Kingdom. This could be a setup leading to sanctions or, worse, war.
A dark menacing chuckle reverberated across the walls of the courtroom. "Don't be foolish, we both know our kind better than anyone else" Azrael stated as a matter of fact.
The room fell silent leaving everyone to ponder on the King's words. Dragon's were indeed known for being beastly and barbaric and that was the reason why they were feared.
Breaking the silence, Dargan asked, "And what do you suggest we do next?"
Azrael's expression hardened. "We need to investigate the hybrids to determine the nature of the experiments and if they can be reversed. We must also find out who is behind these experiments." He paused, his tone darkening. "For now, keep a close watch on your people, Dargan," he added menacingly.
Dargan felt a shiver run down his spine at the menace in Azrael's tone. Steeling himself, he cleared his throat. "I'll be staying in the kingdom for the next two days. The captives will be brought soon, and I want to be here when they arrive."
Dargan waited, expecting the king to respond with interest or disapproval, but the Dragon King seemed unfazed. Azrael simply nodded, his expression indifferent. "You'll be given a place to stay in the palace. Make yourself comfortable."
Dargan nodded, feeling slightly unsettled by Azrael's calm demeanor, but he knew better than to push further. "I will be needing your men, to bring the captives here!" He said, again expecting the king to question, But Azrael remained composed, his eyes cold and calculating as he regarded Dargan.
Azrael gave a slight nod, his expression unreadable. "That will be arranged. My men will assist you with whatever you need," he said, his tone sharpening just enough to remind Dargan of his earlier warning.
Dargan swallowed, the weight of Azrael's words heavy in the air. He knew the dragon king well, and didn't want to step on his tail. "Understood, Your Majesty," he replied, bowing his head slightly. "I appreciate your hospitality."
Azrael simply waved a hand, dismissing the formality. "Make yourself comfortable in my palace"
Dargan got up from the plush couch, a servant coming to him to direct him to the place the king would arrang for him. He was stopped when King Azrael cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention.
"And about the Lady—" Azrael trailed off, his fingers tracing the intricate design on his throne. "She is mine now!" he added possessively, a cunning smirk etched on his face. He could see Dargan clench and unclench his fist, but there was nothing the man could do. The thought alone brought a mocking smile to Azrael's face.
"Of course, Your Majesty. I wouldn't dare. I was already informed you bought her," Dargan explained, trying to suppress his rage. The look on the King's face could make anyone go insane. He wouldn't let this go, he would get the Lady no matter what it took.
"Very well then, you may leave," Azrael dismissed, sinking further into his chair.
As Dargan made his way out of the courtroom, the doors creaked open once more. Sevastian entered, his footsteps echoing softly on the marble floor as he approached the king.
"Your Majesty, a letter arrived, it was sent by King Calum concerning the current issue," Sevastian said, with a bow.
"Cut me some slack," Azrael grunted in frustration, running his hand through his thick locks. There was a lot on his mind currently and he needed to air things out. Azrael's frustration seemed to melt away as a thought crossed his mind. A devilish smirk tugged the corner of his lips. "Enough of this. It's time to play with my pet," he said, his tone dark with anticipation.