Prologue:

Part 1: Kanani

My name is Kanani, and I live in an Inn called: Calker's Inn. Calker is a very old man who runs it with the help of his son, the middle aged Jeavy. (Or Jeavaelon as those who aren't his friends know him) Calker rarely leaves his room due to his old age, and is old, bitter, and sarcastic. His son couldn't be more different; he's kind, gentle…and easily panicked. Calker and Jeavy balance each other out. Sometimes Jeavy over thinks things, and sometimes Calker has no caution. They always spend Saturdays off together because they love each other so much. This is the only time of week Calker is guaranteed to leave is room, and usually they go fishing in the middle of Avian Lake.

My father is the middle aged cook whom is not actually related to me. He was a good friend of my papa when he was killed, and so I've lived in Calker's inn since then, which was when I turned six.

I take care of Calker, like bringing him food from the kitchen (He always gets to eat first, and he always gets the best portion) or doing little quests for him like bringing him books from the library or occasionally buying them, maybe even sending a message to a friend. This is the only real time I can leave Calker's inn. I'm sixteen, but everyone outside of Calker's inn is…bad. I remember when I was 15, I was serving some men, and one of them thrust me onto his lap and started whispering dirty things into my ear. I started screaming for my Father after about 30 seconds of shock. Father came running, and the two men were told to leave; no refund what so ever, and they let without their luggage. After that, I decided not to question my father when he told me not to go outside without Jeavy or him with me.

Calker says he likes me because I'm sweet and pretty, and that pretty girls didn't talk to him anymore. I would have and say, "Well, you're out of luck then. I see no pretty girl here; only a Cook's daughter talking to the king of the world!" He would laugh, and smile, and say, "Of course you don't see any pretty girl; what person can ever see themselves?"

I am sort of pretty, I think. I have dark blue eyes that have depth and brown hair that swirls down my back…But just like any other girl, my hair gets messy, and it looks like a bird nest ever morning. I have a tiny nose that is slightly upturned and unblemished skin. But I'm not beautiful. I'm might be pretty, but never beautiful.

We aren't the only ones who run the inn. We have three maids who see to the guests every need: Kyrin, Abele, and Deshevon. They are all young, bubbly girls who are all at least 4 years my senior, and unlike me, they seem to like the attention that men give them. Especially Kyrin who is the most beautiful of the three. She loves how the stable boy who is two years older then me fawns after her. She breaks his heart weekly, and he keeps coming back for more. I find his disgusting and avoid their company as much as possible.

At the end of each day, we all gather into Calker's room and have listen to the magical stories Calker tells of King Eviden and his White Dragon. They are filled with suspense, terror, romance, and happy endings. Calker used to know King Eviden as a boy, but Calker are about 30 when the boy was born. But King Eviden thought Calker was dead now, so we received no royal guests. Calker didn't want to let King Eviden think otherwise. He said it was because he was afraid King Eviden would take me away and make me marry his son because only I deserved him. I don't ever reply but I know that Kyrin, Abele, and Deshevon would be taken away if any. In truth, I just think that he's afraid that the middle aged king was as great as he remember, and he doesn't want to face disillusionment. It's hard for older people to admit that they were wrong on any matter usually; but to have told a little girl stories about a fraud for 10 years was depressing. In a way, he was also protecting me.

I slept in a pile of hay in the corner of the Kitchen. Not that Calker hasn't given me a room; far from it. I argued with him constantly; I was a full time kitchen and I was going to sleep like one! I had plain, unflattering clothing and I was actually perfectly happy. Not for an unselfish reason though. It was the fact that my Father had bought these ugly clothes for me, and that he knew I wouldn't mind wearing it!

And that was not it. Before Jeavy came back to help Calker manage the inn, he was put in a position to learn all about the "fancy ways of the world," as he always told me. So ever dinner I learn etiquette fit for King Eviden himself! Deshevon took me aside and taught me all about things ever girl should know, and taught me how to sow and cook. Father has been working on a dowry for me since I was seven years old. I was trained to marry a peasant to the Prince Codagon himself. Sometimes I wonder if that is actually what they all have planned for me. They all have the connections to get me there, and it's kind of creepy. But I comfort myself with the fact that I still had one more year before I had to think seriously about marriage.

Part 2: Codagon

Every guy wishes they were the son of a powerful king who has a dragon who comes at his call, to be able to know that they would actually have a dragon too, to have his pick of princesses all over the world, to have every girl fawning over you for your good looks and money.

Life isn't like that. Any rich, clear minded guy could tell you. But that never stops you from wishing until you've lived it.

I've lived it my whole life, and it gets old. I'm sick of all the balls, of all the pompous nobles or all the rude, hypocrite nobles who believe I am actually the spoiled brat. And you know what? I'm tired of trying hard to prove them wrong. I'm 21 years old, and I'm sick and tired of being of Prince, and nobody gives a pile of dragon's dung what I want.

And you know what? I stopped caring about that to.

Oh, you want a proper introduction? Hello, I am Prince Codagon, call me Cody, but of course, you'll end up calling me Your Highness instead. I live in a castle with the legendary King Eviden, who is oh so mighty with his white dragon who eats 12 cows a day, and somehow manages to move. Oh, and something you should know about me is that I am the stereo-typical spoiled brat boy who doesn't know what he's got till it's gone. Yeah, well I wish it were all gone, and that I could miss it, instead of hating it more then I hate my father's stupid dragon who loves to leave 5 foot mounds of waste in my bed, which I sleep in that very night.

I learn to cope with a lot of things, but believe me when I say: some things…well, things like that you don't learn to ignore easily.