Chapter 9- Friendly Relations
Crystalia stumbles as she spreads her wings, readying to take flight for the first time since she woke up from her drug induced coma. She unsteadily flaps her wings, crashing multiple times before she manages to make it into the air and fly up to the second level. As she makes it to the top, she finds Nol waiting for her by the edge. She grabs onto his paw and he pulls her over the edge, allowing her to focus on flying in general instead of moving forward. By the time Crystalia makes it to her bed, she collapses from exhaustion. She slowly moves over to one side of her bed and pulls on Nol's foreleg with her tail, inviting him to join her.
"I... I don't know if..."
"Come on, Nolaltro, there's room for the two of us." Crystalia coos sweetly, tugging more heavily with her tail.
"O-Okay. I guess, i-if you're comfortable with it." Nol stutters.
"Of course I am, Nolaltro, sweetie. Why would I invite you if I wasn't comfortable with it?"
Crystalia's heart thumps heavily in her chest as Nol gets settled in her bed. He lays down, facing Crystalia and locks his paws with hers, staring longingly into Crystalia's vibrant green eyes. As the day moves quickly along as they alternate between sleeping for a short time and inching closer to one another until they lay there, chest to chest, tails entwined, staring passionately into each other's eyes. As the day nears its end, Crystalia recovers fully from the effects of the paralysis drug and, leaving a note for the queen with the guards, takes Nol to a balcony where they have room to take off.
"Where are we going, Crystalia?"
"You'll see...", Crystalia replies cryptically.
She leads Nol around for a while before landing on a large dome, motioning form him to land as well.
"Why are w..."
Crystalia puts a wing up, silencing Nol.
"Just watch." she whispers under her breath, still loud enough for Nol to hear.
Nol traces up Crystalia's dazzling, sleek form and, upon reaching her head, follows her gaze out along the horizon, finding something that he knew he would never forget. As the sun sets on the horizon, its light refracts through dozens of crystals lined up along the top of the wall, each glowing brightly with a shifting aura that slowly fades between a variety of colors.
"Wow..." Nol breathes, "How did you know this existed?"
"I dreamt of it while I was unconscious."
"Leave it to you..." Nol replies sarcastically, smiling at Crystalia.
The two sit there, watching the light show until the sun fades over the horizon, causing the glow to fade from the crystals.
As they eventually return to the queen's quarters, something hits Crystalia.
"Where's Lasia?"
"She opted not to come with, she doesn't do blood."
"Oh, good to know." Crystalia replies quietly.
As they enter, they find the room deserted, the queen nowhere in sight.
Crystalia lays down just inside the doorway and begins to concentrate on the queen's aura, attempting to locate her. After a few minutes, she gives up, unable to find the queen anywhere. Crystalia heads to bed, slightly dejected.
Nol follows Crystalia up, turning away embarrassedly as he sees her undressing.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to." He puts his up wing between them.
He hears Crystalia chuckle lightly before he feels a slight downward tug on his wing.
"Come on sweetie, no need to be ashamed." Crystalia tugs down on his wing again.
Nol tucks his wing on his back, alongside the other, quickly admiring Crystalia's sleek, defined body.
"Come on now, don't be shy... show me you, the whole you." Crystalia coos, "I did it for you."
"I guess..." Nol sighs.
"It'll be more comfortable." Crystalia suggests kindly, secretly trying to bargain with Nol.
Nol slowly begins to undress as Crystalia gets settled in bed, getting comfortable on what she claims as her side of the normally oversized bed. Crystalia, respecting Nol's desire for privacy, closes the curtains that surround the bed, allowing him not to worry about any possibility of being watched. After a few minutes, Nol's voice comes from right outside of the curtains.
"Crystalia?" He calls.
"Come in, Nol." She replies
"Look, I'm sorry for..." Nol begins before Crystalia flares a wing to silence him once again; rolling over onto her opposite side to face the young male, she replies, "Look, Nol, I'm really not mad at you. If anything, I'm mad at myself for wanting you to see me like that..."
"Like what? Half dressed? That wasn't anything new to me, I had to help my sister dress and change when she was really young. I feel like I disrespected you is all, you trusted me enough to undress where I could easily watch and I..." Nol's voice trails off as Crystalia grabs his forepaw, locking claws with him.
"You really are blind." she chuckles, "the reason I did that is I knew you were likely to fly up and see..." Crystalia chokes, her soothing, fluent speech suddenly cutting off as a wave of embarrassment runs through her body, causing her to shiver a little. A few seconds pass as Crystalia works up her courage to finish what she was saying, "...under my tail."
They both blush a deep shade of scarlet, embarrassed at her private admission.
"So, you really wanted me to catch a glimpse of... you?" As he finishes, Nol gulps in fear, worried that he said something wrong enough to put off the female whom he loves.
"I guess, yes, I did." Crystalia returns, speaking unsurely at first but quickly gaining confidence as she speaks.
Nol climbs up onto the bed next to her, settling in, making himself comfortable.
Crystalia pulls Nol close to her so she can whisper into his ear.
"I know you don't feel comfortable with this, your posture betrays that much but we can work on that, can't we?" She kisses his forehead, pulling it onto her chest, inviting him to cuddle in a little closer. Crystalia sighs contentedly, angling her head towards his ear.
"See love, I'm here for you." Crystalia coos sweetly.
Nol whimpers as Crystalia finishes speaking, nuzzling her chest submissively.
"Nolaltro, you don't need to be so submissive, I don't bite... much." Crystalia murmurs into his ear, lightly nipping it afterward. The contact makes Nol shudder and groan happily, bringing a smile to Crystalia's face. Nol looks up at her smiling face before curling into a ball about 10 feet in diameter and resting his head on his body.
"So, am I gonna freeze here or are you going to help?" Nol questions teasingly.
"Shouldn't you be warming me up, peasant?" Crystalia replies with a tone mocking regality.
"Didn't you say you were here for me?" Nol asks mischievously.
"Sure, why?"
"Well, I need you to keep me warm tonight." Nol responds thoughtfully.
"Well played, Nol... Well played." Crystalia curls protectively around the similarly sized male, shielding his side with her wing.
...
It isn't long before Crystalia wakes as the sun rises over the horizon, groaning happily as she finds Nol still cuddled in her warm embrace.
"Morning sleeping beauty." She pokes.
Nol growls as someone wakes him up, purring once he realizes that Crystalia had awoken him.
"Hey sweetie." He groans as he stretches, allowing Crystalia to drink in his entire form.
Crystalia notices the deliberate display, and does the same, drawing particular attention to her hind thighs, grinning cheekily as she sees the awestricken glare Nol gives her display.
"What, dragon got your tongue?" Crystalia pokes jokingly.
"You're... Wow, just... wow." Nol stutters, words continuing to fail him.
"I could say the same about you Nol." Crystalia replies, laughing cutely at Nol's sudden inability to speak.
"Your beauty is beyond what words can express, my sweet."
Crystalia blushes, openly enjoying Nol's flattery.
Crystalia turns around, keeping her tail between her hinds, preventing Nol from catching a glimpse as she walks over to the dresser, picks a few pieces of clothing, and goes to the bathroom, locking the door behind her as she enters.
Nol picks his clothes up off the floor, where they had been abandoned the night before, putting them on before laying next to the bed to wait for Crystalia. He lays there for only a few seconds before Crystalia, adorned with a beautiful, flowing, silken dress with gradient red and blue running down its length. Crystalia grins as he scans the length of her body, soaking in the beauty of her form.
"Hey, Crystalia!" A familiar voice hollers from below.
"Adinia!" Crystalia cries out joyously, running down to see the queen.
"Sorry, I forgot to tell I wouldn't be in last night, I wanted to give you two some privacy to do whatever you were going to do."
"Hey, I know this might be a lot to ask but, would you be able to get some nicer clothes for Nol? I know we're too young to be mated but, I just want to treat him well."
Adinia chuckles thoughtfully.
"Only if you admit it- you love him."
"I don't...", Crystalia pauses, "Fine, I love Nol."
Adinia chuckles once more before giving Crystalia a set of directions; she calls Nol down and the two young dragons set off.
After winding down several staircases and through countless hallways, Nol stops Crystalia, smiling as he speaks.
"So, I have a question for you."
"Yeah, Nol, what is it?"
"I was thinking, after last night, I don't know how you feel about this but, I love you and I..."
Crystalia jumps forward, kissing Nol before finishing his thought, "I would love to be your mate when we reach that age, but, until then, let's just stay as we are", Crystalia says calmly, something that surprises Nol, considering the situation.
Nol smiles, obviously holding back tears as Crystalia continues forward, walking a little more before she stops in front of a large, ornate wooden door.
"Here we are."
"Where are we?" Nol asks, still completely in the dark about why they are there.
"You'll find out soon enough..."
Crystalia opens the large door, allowing Nol to enter first, smiling at him as he passes.
"Hello, Crystalia", a raspy voice calls from the side of the dimly lit room.
"Good morning, Evinil, here's the one the queen told you of." She lightly pushes Nol forward, causing him to stagger a little before he catches himself, walking towards the strange dragon, carefully stepping over the minefield of fabric rolls strewn around the room. Crystalia follows him closely so he wouldn't feel unnerved.
"So, you need some newer clothes, huh?" The seamstress asks politely.
"No... Is that what you brought me down here for, Crystalia?"
"Yes, he does." She replies to Evinil, ignoring Nol's question.
"I'll need to get some measurements before I can get started with anything." She grabs a light fabric strip with dark markers sewn into it and approaches Nol.
"I don't know..." Nol mutters to Crystalia.
"I don't bite, just relax and I'll be done in no time", Evinil says, trying to soothe Nol.
Nol's body loosens once Crystalia grabs his paw and smiles at him.
She keeps to her promise, quickly measuring around Nol's stomach, legs, chest, and neck, muttering to herself as she does.
"Come back In a few days, this'll take some time, I like to be thorough with my work", She says, stepping back.
"Thank you", Crystalia says, bowing respectfully towards the royal seamstress.
As they exit, Nol shoots Crystalia a strange look.
"Why do you think I need new clothes, I may not have jewel-encrusted everything like you do but I'm not wearing rags either!" Nol snorts in disgust.
"Let me explain, please." Crystalia pleads.
"Fine, but only because I trust you have a reason for this beyond what you told her." Nol replies, his voice wavering slightly with uncertainty.
"Thank you, Nol... As I was getting at, I thought you would want something to take home with you, to show off to everyone."
"I appreciate the gesture, Crystalia, but I don't want to rub something like that in other's faces..."
"I still want to give you something, as a 'thank you' gift." Crystalia flicks a paw around slightly as she says 'thank you', emphasizing her point.
The two chat happily as they head to the the throne room, Crystalia intent on assisting the queen in any way she can.
"Ah, Crystalia, Nol, please, make yourselves comfortable." The queen motions towards the two dragon-sized cushions that sit beside her throne.
They each sit down on their own pillow, entwining their tails as they wait patiently for their service to be required.
The day passes by without much happening, they only once retrieve a small loan of golden coins from a courier, sitting next to each other for the rest of the day.
The three return to the queen's quarters as dusk arrives, ending the Queen's day on the throne.
"Nol, please, stay with me for a few more days, I still have one more thing I want to do with you." Crystalia says, grabbing his paw as he begins to leave.
"I don't know, my parents are expecting me back tonight."
"Nol, is it?" Adinia calls from below.
"Yes, your highness." Nol replies respectfully.
"I will send word to your parents that you will be back in two days after today. Does that sound good?"
"Yes, thank you, your highness."
Crystalia undresses beside Nol, making herself comfortable in her bed, allowing Nol to do the same.
The sun sets rather quickly as the two roll around endlessly, wrestling playfully with one another, simply enjoying each other's company.
As they eventually exhaust themselves, they settle on their sides, facing each other, smiling.
"Hah," Nol pants, "That was fun." He nips playfully at Crystalia's coarse neck scales one final time.
Crystalia laughs musically, pulling Nol's head closer to hers, resting them both on her pillow.
Nol purrs deeply as he makes his head comfortable on the pillow before closing his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. Crystalia gently kisses his forehead before closing her own eyes, soon falling sound asleep herself.
...
They awake the next morning, having barely slept enough after their playful wrestling match.
"Good morning, Crystalia."
"Good morning to yourself, Nol."
Once Crystalia crawls out of bed, she grabs a new set of clothes and heads to the bathroom, dressing in private. When she exits, she is wearing a beautifully decorated, gold-colored, silken tail guard and an ornate, close fitting, teal fabric piece covers most of her body.
"Why such little clothing?" Nol asks.
"We are going on a flight today and this makes it easier to fly for long periods of time."
"Oh, would you happen to have another one for me?"
Crystalia walks over to the dresser, sorting through some random pieces of clothing, eventually producing a large, green cloth and handing it to Nol.
"Here you go, now go get it on, I've been itching to get out of here for a while."
Nol walks behind Crystalia's bed, closing the curtain around it before putting on the clothes Crystalia had handed him. When he appears from around the bed, his entire body is covered with a silky, forest green cloth similar to Crystalia's.
"You look handsome in that, Love."
"Thanks, Crystalia, you look great too." Nol says, struggling to hold back the sudden heat overtaking his face.
They run to the balcony that Crystalia had shown Nol before and take off, play fighting as they wander aimlessly through the sky, once again enjoying each other's company.
"So, how are you?" Crystalia asks after a while, making conversation with Nol as they drop to rest in the soft, green grass beneath the shade of a large tree.
"I'm great, I just wish we were a little older. I love you, I want to be your mate but I know you don't want to get into a relationship."
"Oh, Nol..." Crystalia begins to say, an idea suddenly hitting her and stopping her train of thought. "Follow me, I want to find a lake or river or something."
The two take to the sky and search for a few minutes before they find a large lake with crystal clear water. Removing the tight fitting fabric, Crystalia jumps in, splashing Nol playfully as he jumps in himself.
"So, Nol, I wanted to think about how to answer your comment earlier, about how you thought I didn't want a relationship."
"Yeah..." Nol says tentatively.
"I hate that I would ever let you think that. I love you more than anything else, I just don't want to do anything illegal."
Nol stops swimming around and just looks at Crystalia for a few seconds. "I get it, you're worried we'll get caught, but look around, there's no one for miles!", Nol says suggestively, smiling at Crystalia.
"I guess we could try, a- as long as we're careful", Crystalia says, blushing cutely.
The two swim over to the shore, shaking off excess water before walking to the shade of a nearby oak tree.
Crystalia lays down on her side and waits for Nol to do the same. She then allows him to roll her onto her back; they smile at one another before their instincts kick in, causing their worlds to go black.
The two young dragons find themselves resting back on their sides about an hour later, panting heavily. They giggle and laugh as the realization of their actions begins to don on them.
"Wow, I guess we're mated now, huh?" Crystalia huffs, still panting lightly.
"I guess we are, yeah." Nol says thoughtfully, "Though it's sad that none of this ever happened, right?"
"I guess that is pretty sad", Crystalia says, nudging Nol lightly. "I suppose now we should clean up and head to the castle?"
"I suppose we should." Nol replies, smiling at his mate.
They swim around, cleaning themselves up before they don their clothes and head back to the castle.
The sun sets as they finally return to the castle, leading them to head to the queen's quarters.
They quickly shed their fabrics before jumping into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.