Above ground in a castle of black stone, a Fae sat resting his head on the prince's lap, cold fingers running through his hair as he listened to the guard's report.

The Prince wanted to know how his latest addition to his army was faring.

"Its been two days your majesty, he hasn't shown any change its like he's not even there."

The guards were concerned for their latest prisoner, The dragon king of the lands they had invaded, by all accounts this would count as a victory but the sister queen still stood strong, though he knew she knew nothing of war,

And when faced with an army as difficult to beat as that of the dragons it would be best to have them fight each other, thus the prince sought to use the Dragon King, unleashing him on his own people, though one needed cooperation on both parties for it to work.

"He has pride..." the prince mused as his eyes flitted to his most prized possession, the golden fae he had come to care for, in his own twisted way,

"Much like you Aurum."

The Fae stayed still as the princes hands slowed more from routine than anything else, fear played some part of it but it was not difficult to fear evil incarnate that was the human prince Blaine, ever at war with the world expanding colonizing conquering and destroying new land for their ever-growing underfed, sick and dying populous, as they had done to his home they would do to the dragons and soon if anything he was watching was proof to go by.

The man was a monster, crushing all in his way.

He considered allowing his thoughts to roam away from those lines for a moment before the demented prince called to him, with him it was always something.

He had just begun a pleasant fantasy about a delicious pound cake he had smelled in the kitchen that morning when the prince called him,

"Aurum,"

"Yes," he answered, a smile that did not reach his eyes plastered on his face

"What say you to this predicament?" The prince asked cupping his chin tilting his head up to meet his gaze.

"Pardon, master Blaine?" he asked

"How do we fix a sad dragon? Can't have him moping about when I need him to fight and I can't enchant him I could collar him but that only worked on you..." he trailed off as the Memory of burning iron around his neck served to make him much more compliant, he was a perfect doll now, he'd do anything never to feel that again,

"Can't torture him either, need him at full strength...well we could I have a new set of obsidian blades I've been dying to try, I hear they heal fast. I wonder how loud a dragon can scream? Suppose id go deaf hmmm no..."

the prince was just rambling at this point but each idea was getting darker and darker

"Or perhaps he just needs to bed someone..." his gazed flicked over Aurum who felt his bones chill, "Aurum you're Fae, you can take a good pounding..."

Aurum felt sick, but he didn't dare show it but the smile as fake as it was fell away.

"Seclude him." he heard himself say.

"What?" Blaine asked

"Seclude him he is a proud beast won't look weak in front of his enemies put his cage in a solitary place, he'll be nicer to you easier to turn especially when he hasn't seen the sun in a while, I hear dragons like sunlight."

The prince mulled this over for a moment his eyes moving fast around the room as if assessing every possible outcome of his suggestion and knowing Blaine he probably was.

The prince paused after three gruesome seconds a wide smile so bright and dazzling it almost masked the lunacy in his eyes, almost.

Fingers tightened in his hair pulling his head back pressing a harsh kiss to his lips, he'd scrub them raw later on.

"See! This is why I didn't let all my men fuck you to death three years ago!" the prince laughed allowing Aurum to stand.

Aurum felt worse, the feel of the prince's lips on his own yet to fade it called up many, many memories that he struggled to shut out trying not to go into a panic at the unwanted thoughts, life as the prince's mate was hard enough.

"Come on Aurum Arius lets go see the mighty dragon!" he hopped off the pillows with the erratic energy of a child Aurum rolled his eyes.

He followed the prince who yelled orders for the dragon to be moved further into the dungeons caves, Aurum felt bad for the Dragon, he knew they needed sunlight to function up to some degree but better a dark place with silence than a prince with his blades.

A sad weight settled in his stomach when the prince drew him closer to his side, that dragon owed him,

owed him his life.