The Dragon Prince's Forbidden Affair

Aqua’s POV:

“I’m not trying to hurt you, Aqua.” That’s what he said after he broke up with me, not that it helped at all.

“You’re just too submissive and that’s not really what I’m looking for.” Maybe he was right, but I wish I had known that before I wasted all that time with him.

“I thought it was hot at first but I'm a little bored with it now. I had a good time with you, but I can’t picture this going anywhere.” They always got bored, so why do I bother dating at all? Maybe because I thought love would save me from my depressing life.

I couldn’t help the tears and he couldn’t help wiping them away before he walked out of my life for good. Later that week, my therapist had to dive deeper into the situation in every way. I didn’t have much to rely on now for happiness but that was nothing new. I thought things would look up soon because I was with him, but you can’t put all your hope in a relationship. My parents knew it wouldn’t last, but that’s because they thought that not everyone was cut out for relationships. I was one of those people to them.

When I came home from my therapy appointment, we had guests. No one I’d ever seen before, but I didn’t think too much of it since I didn’t know all my parent’s friends or co-workers. I was supposed to be on my way to class, but I dropped out of college a few weeks ago. I didn’t tell my parents since I didn’t really drop out. Well, not officially. I just stopped attending my classes and a few already dropped me. Sometimes I wondered what this was all for because I don’t know if I was living for myself or just to fit into social structures and economy. Maybe it was my ADHD that made me feel so disconnected or maybe it was more than that.

“Aqua, you should join us,” my mom said when I almost slipped away to my room. 

It seemed like they were arguing before I came in. I walked into the living room where they were seated on two separate couches. On one were my parents and on the other were two oddly dressed men. One looked a little older than me and the other could easily have been his father. The older man looked familiar, but I couldn’t figure out why.

“I’m Aqua, their oldest daughter,” I introduced myself since nobody else wanted to speak first.

The younger man muttered, “That’s up for debate.”

A faint sigh came from the older man. “I’m Konn, and this is my son, Cade.” They seemed different from anyone I had met before, and I wasn’t talking about just their appearance.

“We should tell you something first, Aqua,” my father blurted out. “I’m ashamed we haven’t already had this discussion. We should have had it in private a long time ago.”

I didn’t want to have this conversation because I already knew. “You mean about how you found me when I was a baby—” I wanted to get straight to the point since anticipation was frustrating for me. 

“You know, but how?” My mother cut me off as usual. “We made sure you wouldn’t know…well, not this soon.”

I didn’t suspect anything until I was fourteen or fifteen. Somehow, I knew, but I hoped every kid felt that way. It’s not like I looked that different from my parents. Sure, we didn’t look identical, but from what I had seen not all families did.

Konn stepped forward. “It’s the intuition. We don’t have much time approved, so I have to cut to the chase.” He looked down at me. “I’m your birth father and I left you in this world nineteen years ago. I didn’t plan on coming back but now I don’t have a choice. I must bring you back with me. I can’t say anymore in front of them.” It shouldn’t have felt as real as it did. 

“Father, we need to leave. We don’t need anyone's understanding or permission.” Cade looked down at his watch nervously.

“Of course, you need permission. We raised her.” My mother wasn’t going to just let me go with them but it’s not like I was a minor. If I wanted to go, I could. In fact, I felt drawn to them. “You don’t have any proof that she’s your daughter. You’ll get a test done, then we’ll figure the rest out.”

Konn didn’t pay my adoptive mother any attention. He looked at me as if it was my decision. I couldn’t stop thinking about how he said he left me in this ‘world’ as if he lived in another. A lot hit me all at once and I wasn’t even over my breakup yet.

“Can we slow down?”

Cade scoffed. “No, we can’t.” He started to pace. “They told us we had an hour to get here and back with the possible holder of the almost-lost abilities. The outside world is already insufferable enough.” 

I’d be crazy to disobey my adoptive parents and go along with them, wouldn’t I? I would be stupid, naive, and gullible. I turned to my parents and really saw them. I saw what they represented in this moment and how I never really felt a family bond with them. I had my chance to start over somewhere new.

If someone asked me now why I was even considering leaving with these two strange men, I’d smile and say I had nothing to lose. I’d say nothing could be worse than existing the way I was in an empty day-to-day life where I never felt whole or satisfied. I looked away from my adoptive parents and up at Konn. He looked like the clean, responsible type and not like someone I’d even get along with. If what he was saying was true, then he abandoned me with no plans to come back. The only reason he was here now seemed to be an order from someone they saw as important. For some reason, I knew I’d be fine. Call it ‘intuition’ like Konn did, but I knew.

“Get me out of here,” I said with exhaustion.

Konn simply nodded and my parents followed us outside yelling. My mom went back in after threatening to call the police as if I wasn’t over eighteen.

“Aqua, I’m so disappointed in you for leaving like this. You don’t care about your siblings, or us, the people who raised you, or anyone else but yourself!” I’d be lying if I said those words my adoptive father said didn’t hurt. I didn’t reply to what he said because after a heavy wind, the ground shake, and a loud noise, I turned around to see two large… dragons in our front yard. Thankfully, we lived outside of town and there wasn’t another house for miles, but nobody would have even believed their eyes.

My instinct was to climb onto the larger one despite it being difficult. I did it because I had a dream like this before. Did I think I was dreaming now? No, it was too real but the memory of a dream like this was comforting. My adoptive parents stared in horror as we took off. I wanted to leap off and try flying myself, but I couldn’t convince myself this was a dream. In the dream I would leap off and shift into a dragon.

Dragon shifters were a well believed myth for so long, especially in my town. So much so that we learned about them in school. Some people still believed in them, and now I was on the back of one. I was on the back of the dragon claiming to be my father for fuck’s sake.

“Am I going to be able to go back?!” I yelled with a smile across my face. I did care about the siblings I left behind. They were the only good thing I had in my past life. It felt like a past life already.

Cade shifted back into his human form midair and landed on Konn’s back next to me. It caused me to jump slightly.

“Why would you want to?” he asked as he laid back. “I know you’re probably confused with a lot of questions, but you’re one of us.” Confused with a lot of questions didn't begin to explain how I felt. “You don’t belong there.” If I didn’t belong there, then why did Konn leave me there? 

Laughter escaped from my lips. “I can’t shift into a dragon, so how could I be one of you?” 

Cade rolled his eyes before he answered. “You will. Father had to seal your shifting abilities when he brought you to the outside world. He’ll explain everything when we get there. You’re going to need to know everything before you meet the royal family.” So, they lived under a king and queen. Interesting.

For the rest of the flight, I hurt my head thinking so much. At one point, we just kept flying upward as if they lived in the highest mountains. I felt a pop in my ears as we passed through a barrier that separated the two worlds. We flew for a little while longer, and then there were dragons of every size everywhere. Some flew in groups while others soared through the sky alone. We flew towards a giant castle. This was where my dream would end, and I would be back in a world that didn’t want me once I woke up.

I didn’t wake up and now that scared me. I didn’t know anything yet, but I was about to find out everything. I felt a final gust of wind as we landed. Cade helped me down and Konn shifted back into his human form. “So?” I started, “Let me hear it. Why’d you leave me and when are you going to unseal my shifting ability?” I was straightforward with everyone except men I liked. I could never seem to find the right attitude with them.

“That’s not how this is going to work, Aqua.” Konn looked at the castle. “I’m going to tell you this once. I’m only telling you what’s necessary, and everything else will come later. We work for the royal family.” He gestured to himself and Cade. “Which means you work for the royal family. I went to get you because it the king and queen ordered it. You might have inherited abilities that run in our family, so they need you here. They only manifest in one person every few generations,” he explained. “You’ll meet the king, queen, princess and prince in half an hour. It’s important that you make a good impression with the prince because he’ll be king soon and you’ll likely serve him most your life, if not all.” This didn’t sound as good anymore, but it didn’t matter if I had nothing to lose. “Cade’s going to show you where you’ll be staying.”

I turned to Cade as Konn left through the castle entrance. “Sorry about him,” he apologized for his father. “You’ll get the hang of things quickly.” He led me down one of the paths. “To answer one of your questions, he’ll probably unseal your shifting abilities when he’s ordered to. I don’t think I can really answer your other question though…” He cleared his throat, “You’ll love the royal family, especially the princess and prince. They’re both my really good friends actually. We all grew up together.” 

I followed Cade into the side of the castle. I wanted to ask about our mother, but I was afraid it was a sensitive subject. I wondered if my adoptive parents hated me now or if they were looking for me. I wondered if they’d tell my younger siblings that I was taken away by dragons. Would they want to come rescue me?

“What exactly do we do here?”

Cade looked down at his phone. “Shit.” He looked back at me as we walked into a room. “Sorry, my girlfriend started up an old argument with me over text and it’s a mess.” He put his phone away. I wondered if dating here was anything like back at home. “We serve in any way we are asked. My—I mean our—father,” he corrected himself, “is the advisor to the king and queen. Sorry I’m used to calling him my father. Anyway, I grew up being taught to do the same for the prince.” 

I looked around the large, plain room. “That doesn’t sound too bad, but I guess I need to meet them first.” Then I’ll know if I’m better off here or not.

“We should go then. Try to remember what room number is yours.” He gestured to the number 202 above my room door when we left. We walked across the castle into a place Cade called, “The Great Hall.” 

I looked at the royal family who were already there with Konn. My eyes first saw the king and queen then their young daughter. Lastly my eyes fixated on the prince. He looked more like a king than a prince. I felt a wave of romantic desire, infatuation, and lust wash over me while electricity coursed through my entire body. The only thing I could think was:

Mate.