Chapter 2: The Decree

The other three men present, were Prince Jodi from the Wale Kingdom, King Razak N’Jaka, King of the Iron Kingdom of Jaka. And Prince Terneal N’falo of the Falo Kingdom.

Out of all of them only Razak was king, and hopefully before the end of the day, so too would Kren.

"Look sister, you’ve not married them yet, but look how they fight each other over you? Exactly like wild beasts over a scrap of meat." Princess Maneline spoke up with a mischievous glint in her eyes, yet the insult landed all the same.

"Enough with the noise, sister make your decree! And let the high priestess carry out the ceremony so that we can be done with this farce. The throne has sat vacant long enough with you spending a year mourning!" Princess Derava sneered at her sister, animosity laid bare for all to see.

With the emperor dying and having no male heir it fell to the eldest daughter to rule. But there were rules, traditions that governed ascension. She would not be allowed to ascend the throne until she has been wed and has delivered an heir.

And as is tradition, when a new emperor or in this case an empress ascends. They are to take new spouses from their vassal kingdoms royal family. But to take it further only one out of all of them would have the title of Prince Consort of the empire. The rest would either be decoration and playthings for the empress, or killed off in political games between the harem members. Except the last emperor had done things differently, at least for the woman who had become the mother of princess Elyvara. She had been a member of another draconic Empirical bloodline.

Princess Elyvara still said nothing. She has pushed this day back for a year, but she could do so no longer. The empire had pretty much been brought to a halt with no ruler and the other empires were already sniffing around.

Regardless of what story that pretty Mural outside the audience chamber told, the 9 dragon empires were not friends, much less allies. It was not in the nature of dragons to share power or have friends. But still given the current lack of sitting ruler for over a year, Something needed to be done.

"Very well then. I shall speak, but after there will be no ceremonies. I have no intention of keeping a harem of lesser beings."

"But-" Devara tried to speak.

Elyvara raised a single hand with poise, cutting her sister off.

"I will get straight to the point. War is coming, and I need a man beside me that can lead the troops of our empire to victory. It could be anyone of you," she paused for a second, to let her words land with the intent she wanted. "Or none of you at all."

The atmosphere thickened, Elyvara might not have the same sense of presence like her late tyrant of a father, but everyone here could and would attest that this was not a woman to be messed with. Even Kren knew better than to say anything right now, though for him it was more about her, getting whatever decree she wanted, over with. So he could claim his kingdom’s crest and get the fuck out of here.

"So this is my decree, I shall marry the man who conquers and unites the vassal kingdoms and the roaming tribes around us under one banner... under my banner." It sounded like a bomb had gone off in Kren’s head. Conquering the vassal kingdoms? And the roaming tribes? This bitch just decreed a fucking civil war.

"Of the Five of you, the man who conquers the rest will stand by my side not as prince Consort...but as Emperor of the Zar Draconic Empire."

"Sister!"

"What!"

"Your Highness are you serious?"

Elyvara slammed a single palm on the hand rest of the throne. Releasing a wave of aura that made the atmosphere even thicker. It was obvious, princess Elyvara was more than just a pretty face. She was a Beastform-High Grade Realm Dragon Beast. And she was not even 30 yet.

"You all have six months to turn this broken empire into one single organism. The time of vassals are over, there will be no more kings, or queens. Only the emperor whose bloodline will intermingle with mine and create a new bloodline and a new future for this empire. This is a chance for you all and your kingdoms to rise...or forever fade into obscurity." As she said that last part she turned her head and looked directly at the smoldering Kren. And he did not back down, his golden eyes held hers even as his chocolate brown skin developed sweat from the pressure of her gaze.

He was the weakest here without a doubt. But he was a lion! They feared nothing, ran from nothing, not even the fearsome dragons themselves.

"You should leave now. In six months, the person that has made the most leeway, conquered the most territory, will become my husband and ascend the imperial throne by my side. And the others?" this time she unleashed the full force of her Beastform realm aura, the entire audience chamber seemed to shake from the intensity of it.

"The rest of you will fall in line, assuming you’re still alive by then. You will serve as ministers and generals holding positions within our new empire, your bloodlines, will be the basis of noble houses and you will rule in my name, over my territory and over my people. That should serve enough as a reward and a pride that the power you hold now would not be completely lost. I will hear no arguments, this is my will and it shall be so. All of you but Kren... Leave."

Kren raised an eyebrow at that, but considering the simmering looks on the face of the other princesses, and the looks of greed and worry on the face of the other princes. They all trooped out of the audience chamber, and Prince Selvin made sure to ram his shoulder into Kren’s as he moved past. Kren had to hold back a grunt of pain. Without his kingdom’s crest he was unable to cultivate forever stuck at the low grade of the first Awakening Realm. Forever able to feel his inner beast but completely unable to cultivate it.

Selvin might have actually popped Kren’s shoulder out of its socket as he moved. But he kept a straight face, the serpent prince frowned but hurried out. Bernice had a worried look on her face, but wiped it just as quickly. She leaned in to whisper to Kren before she left. "Please, behave yourself. Just get the crest and come out, do and say nothing, for all our sakes." Kren locked eyes with her, then gave her a swift nod. "I’ll be fine, go on." With that exchange done, she nodded and stepped out, soon there was no one in the audience chamber, not even the guards.

Kren had to be honest with himself, he was all of a sudden very nervous with all of princess Elyvara’s attention on him. All of his earlier bravado had come from a place of extreme rage. But with her announcement pretty much ensuring that his kingdom would be wiped out for good, he had no idea how or what to feel other than the growing horror in the pit of his stomach

"Come closer."

Kren swallowed but moved closer until he was at the bottom of the dais. He could not fathom why this audience chamber was built like this. He had seen the throne room, it was almost the same only much larger...with enough space for a dragon to sit comfortably and control the lives of millions at their whims.

"The last time I saw you, you were just a boy. Yet you’ve grown into quite the handsome man...and from what I can see, you seem to have inherited your father’s roguish charms." Kren frowned, cut off guard by how... free the princess sounded, yet it was not enough to smother the discontent in his chest.

"Forgive me your ’Highness’ but are we friends? Sure we crossed paths quite a few times when I was younger, but we never interacted beyond a passing greeting. And do not speak to me about my father!" His voice dropped into an angered baritone. "The last time we saw each other, his head was chopped off and placed at my feet. All because you decided you wanted to climb into his bed."

Princess Elyvara flinched, Kren almost smiled. With everyone here she looked so perfect, so unbreakable. But there was a chink in that armor, a weakness that he had noticed and quickly latched onto.

"I want nothing to do with you beyond the duties expected of a vassal king. Your father, the late emperor had decreed that I return to claim my kingdom’s crest on the day of my twentieth birthday, the same day ten years ago that he killed my father. So forgive me your highness, but today is not a good day to hash up old memories. Just hand over the crest and I will be on my way to prepare what’s left of my people for the genocide you just cursed us with."

Princess Elyvara cocked her head to the side, a slow smile spreading across her face. "I told you to come here." She said, and Kren had to blink. The weakness he had noticed was gone, instead she had a predatory gaze on her face that was both incredibly dangerous and incredibly... arousing?

’Focus Kren!’ he quickly thought to himself as he stepped a foot on the first steps, going up to meet her. Yet each step he took felt more and more like he was walking to an execution. He stopped, 5 feet away from her. She curled her fingers at him instead, forcing him to move closer until he was right in front of her.

She was still sitting down, so he was looking down on her while she looked up at him. But there was no doubt who held the power between the both of them, regardless of their current positions. The languid smile on her face stretched wider as she got up, her bountiful breasts almost spilling out the side of the dress she wore, Kren moved his gaze elsewhere, but it was too late, she’d already noticed.

They were close, too close and then she sniffed, taking a long deep breath that sent chills down Kren’s spine. "You smell almost like him too." And then she suddenly stepped forwards and captured Kren’s lips.

His eyes shot wide in shock as she sank her tongue deep into his, wrapping his own with hers as she moaned into his mouth. The kiss was like a shock of thunder as every nerve in Kren’s body came alive. Elyvara was precise and relentless, she took every inch of him, every taste and gave no quarter. Kren had no idea when he kissed back, he was a lion, no dragon woman was going to dominate him, even if she’s supposed to be his empress. Then she pulled back, leaving him longing as his lips chased after hers.

She placed a finger on his lips a victorious smile on her face, as she delivered words that made Kren feel that he was dealing with a monster in the flesh.

"You taste a lot better than your father did, boy. I like it." Then she shoved her hand into his pants, grabbing a hold of his member and feeling the length of his cock and the width of it.

"Hmmm, and you’re quite bigger and longer too." She pulled her hands back, leaving something behind, in his pants.

"You have your crest, now get out of my throne room and go do as I’ve told you too. And don’t worry about my little game, I’ll make sure the other big bad princes don’t mess around with you my kitten. At least not until I’ve had my fun with you. Now go, mama has a war to plan."