once I took the crown to which I had been schooled and bred

I found it heavy on the heart though light upon my head

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The Dragon was amused, surprised and annoyed all at once.

This situation displeased him.

He growled low in his throat as about twenty or so men lifted his cage carting it through a dark tunnel, he maintained his balance but was perturbed and though he would never admit it scared.

Dragons don't like dark places especially dark and cold ones lit only by a soldier at the front carrying a torch ablaze.

He wondered what they could possibly be taking him in for,

Torture?

Possibly.

He dreaded the thoughts though it never showed in his impassive face, perhaps they would use acid? He would heal fast enough but he didn't fancy the pain, drowning was a worse option he disliked water very much so, too wet.

They set the cage down with the grace of a flying bull, he stumbled but stayed up watching the faces of the soldiers in dim firelight, he looked them square in the eye they all looked away.

"What you suppose the Prince will do to him?" one with a bushy beard asked the torch bearer who smiled grimly a face filled with malice and a smile laced with cruelty he neared the cage Draen met him head on ignoring the heat that quietly burned his skin,

"Nothing the lizard doesn't deserve..."

He growled in response watching the man flinch he almost laughed...almost.

"I heard he got new blades,"

"Obsidian, cuts through anything," the torch bearer growled, "even dragon hide."

Draen refused to flinch but his jaw ticked he marked the man memorizing everything down to the mole on his neck, he vowed to eat him or at the very least burn him alive.

"You think he'll let us keep a tooth?"

"No, I will not."

a voice answered, it was clear but laced with a kind of energy he'd never heard, it was wild unconstrained dangerous lunacy.

He walked in head held high the torch bearer bowed as did everyone except the at the back he stayed back and it was too dark to see him.

"So this is the mighty dragon...what's your name?"

He didn't answer a hard glare on his face

"Quiet one aren't you?"

He didn't move, the prince chuckled reaching a hand through the bars fingers almost grazing the shifters unclad arms, Draen roared.

Even in his human form, his roar was frightening loud deep a hatred filled hiss of thunder,

The walls shook,

The soldiers ducked

The prince yanked his arm back, laughing like a lunatic.

"Ha! Aurum, I told you I might go deaf!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"Just for that you're staying here for a while, can't have my new pet biting me. I'll come back when I think you'll be in a more agreeable mood."

He turned and walked out pausing for a moment

"Sorry about the lack of sunlight, dragons hate that don't they?" he chuckled, "Makes you sick, ah, but whats a few weeks to a person with your lifespan, about five thousand years? If I had that time I'd rule the stars! What a waste...,"

The prince walked away, yapping. 

The soldiers followed but one remained, his hackles rose as the light began to fade it was dark now pitch black he couldn't even see his hands, dragons eyes weren't suited for the dark.

He heard a sigh and footsteps nearing his cage but they stopped about three steps away

"Sorry." he heard a quiet voice say before he heard something tossed at him he caught it easily thinking it was an attack but the owner of the voice was already leaving,

"Now you owe me twice," he whispered as Draen blindly examined the object; a box filled with little sticks, Matches!

He realized quickly lighting one the little light was a great improvement he caught a flash of coiled golden locks as they turned away from him,

"I'll be back in three days those are twenty-seven you used one already try limiting yourself to nine a day that's like fifteen minutes of light." the voice sighed

"Don't get me in trouble," he said and left.

Draen held the little box in his hand a calm in his heart as he sat for the first time in days, at least someone was looking out for him here, he smiled slightly wondering about his predicament 

how long would he be here?

Who was the being that gave him a smidgen of hope?

Aurum hurried to catch up to the prince,

"Aurum where were you?" the prince asked

"Wanted to see if he'd show his wings if I annoyed him, sir."

The prince laughed satisfied with the answer as the soldiers parted so that he could be near Blaine, not many wondered why the prince favoured Aurum, any fool who saw the Fae boy would favour him, a unique type of beautiful so blatant it hurt, dark skin that glowed when light hit it, soft locks the colour of spun gold and amber eyes wide and innocent but with a cunning light to them, lips everyone wished were on them soft and pouty dual tones of pink and red, he was warmth incarnate.

The prince's hand found his waist and again he was drawn close, much too close for his liking, it was a subtle warning unspoken but heard only by one who knew what he meant, a reminder that he loathed.

"You're mine."

A jealous pair of eyes followed the movement, the torch bearer slowed ever so slightly just enough to see Aurum glance up the prince's face, a frightened look in his eye that the eyes mistook for affection.

Aurum lowered his eyes to the floor he knew the hungry look in the prince's eyes to the soldiers he was being submissive, pliant, a dream they could never hold, a ray off sunlight they never could touch, kiss or bed.

A kings treasure.

He was steeling himself for the long night to come, deciding that focusing on the dragon would be a better distraction. 

What would he bring him then?

A candle would be better than matches the wax would leave evidence and he didn't dare think what the prince would do to them...well for himself he knew, he knew exactly what he'd get, he'd wear that stupid burning collar and earn a brutal fucking

He'd limp for days but what would he do to the dragon?

Obsidian blades.

The thought too dark to follow, he changed it to what else he could get him. A scarf, he decided remembering his unclad torso it was a pleasant thought but he knew he'd be cold...a sweater would be too hard to hide but a scarf wouldn't he drew up a list Scarf, matches, a candle or two, maybe an apple?

Did dragons eat apples?

He didn't notice they'd arrived at the prince's chambers not until the prince spun him around and pressed his lips to him, Aurum didn't fight, it was always less painful if he showed some enthusiasm.

He was led to the black as ink sheets Blaine thought made him glow, his shirt rode up as the princes cold hands trailed goose bumps wherever he touched unshed tears burned his eyes but he swallowed them along with the princes moans, the prince trailed tender kisses along the side of his face and smiled against his jaw before he flipped him onto his belly grinding against him,

"Soon I'll rule this entire world." the prince murmured hands moving down gripping the dip of his pelvis like a vice, it hurt it always hurt Aurum whimpered the sound beautiful and sad,

"And you'll be with me, always and forever..." Aurum didn't hear much beyond forever ice settled in his veins and he let the tears fall, forever as a toy the thought ended him as the prince tore away his pants.

He shut his eyes trying to think himself away from there, trying not to feel as the prince lifted his hips arching his back to him, the pressure that always spelt pain as the prince entered him, he held back a scream forcing his mind to go blank as Blaine rode him down, his rhythm as torturous as ever he didn't feel the tears as they fell nor did he hear himself beg for all of it to stop.

His hair was pulled back as the prince trailed kisses to his lips while he begged the gods for a death that would never come, a thought bubbled one darker than any he'd had Perhaps it was time he ended all of this himself.

Perhaps it was.

If he had the courage...

He would.

Outside the room the jealous eyes watched the door,listening to the Fae's cries wishing they were for him, sword at his side ear to the cold wooden door he heard everything, the strangled scream the quiet whimpers, the beautiful pleading that begged the prince to stop a cold heat ran through him when he caught the Fae's words, it was music to him,

Soon, he vowed.

He'd get what he wanted soon enough those golden eyes would be under him, lidded with want just like they should have all those years ago.