The Arrangement

Wow, I did not expect chapter 2 to be this long. I hope you all don't mind! I have so many ideas for this story and the best parts have yet to unfold. Please share your love and thoughts!

Also, please try not to hate Tohru too much in the beginning. I found it odd at how quickly she fell in love with Kobayashi in the anime, especially considering her hatred towards humans who nearly killed her. I still love the series and their bond, but I found myself wanting a story where Tohru slowly grows to trust Kobayashi and eventually humans in general.

In this story Tohru is a proud dragon warrior with a great hatred towards humans, it'll take some time for her to accept her arrangement with Kobayashi.

Chapter 2 The Meeting

Tohru wasn't happy with her father and she hasn't been happy since the agreement to this peace treaty. It isn't enough that they weren't allow to part-take into battles against the humans anymore, but now she is being forced to marry one!?

How could her father of all people agree to this?! He has hated humans longer than most dragons could even imagine, seeing as he is one of the oldest living dragons. He has seen the worst of humankind. He has seen them cut up their kind for their meet; he has seen them use their teeth and claws to make weapons used against them. He has even seen dragons turned into slaves by the humans in the other realm, even used on as science experiments.

Tohru rolls her fist up tight as they hung at her side. She was currently pacing in her closet at the castle she resided in. Her father had expressed her to dress nicely for the human. It was dire that the human took interest in her appearance, and she was forced to be in her human form to make it more comfortable upon this human's arrival. The only trace of her dragon linage were the horns on her head.

Tohru didn't care, she wanted to charge in with her dragon form. However, her father promised a severe punishment if she did. She was half tempted to just do it anyway. It wasn't as if she was scared of her father, deep down her father knew she was much stronger now. Being the oldest dragon, didn't mean you were necessarily the strongest. In-fact he is getting slower with his age, having reached nearly 2000 years in age! The record being her grandfather to reach 5000 years in age. Usually, a dragon slowly starts to lose their magic after 2000 years, and she was already seeing that happen with her father. Not only was he getting slower, but his ability to use magic was reducing in time during battles as well. When a dragon can no longer use magic, they lose the ability to change back from human to dragon. Eventually remaining in their dragon form until their dying days.

His age played a huge role for him to finally agree to a peace treaty with the humans. Her father claims that he doesn't want her to have to continue on with these battles, especially if he could no longer participate in them at her side. He wanted Tohru to see what peace could offer if they could all just stop fighting. But Tohru didn't want to stop fighting and wait for old age to set in, she was a warrior princess. She lived to fight for her kind. For her family.

However, that lifestyle was now over, thanks to one stupid treaty her father had agreed to. To stop this endless bloodshed, it was deemed that both species would have to form a unity, a unity in marriage. Tohru shakes her head in disgust, just what kind of scrawny human did they pick out of her?

A knock at her door interrupts her thoughts. Glancing one last time at her oval mirror, she sees that her dark forest green dress will have to do for this day. It was a simple dress with some pink butterflies throughout the hem of her dress. She also wore flat matching green shoes.

Tohru sighs at being in a dress as she walks out of her walk-in closet. While in battle the only attire she wore would be a simple dark brown cloak that covered the important parts of her body if she was forced into human form. There wasn't need for much else, as she was often in her dragon form during battle.

"Father" Tohru's tone isn't a warm welcome one as he entered her room. She could tell just from the sent who had knocked on her door.

Her room was rather huge for a place she hardly used. Often Tohru enjoyed sleeping outdoors in her dragon form, very rarely did she actually reside in the castle. However, that was about to change. Where before she didn't even have a bad, now was a king size bed in her room. It has a dark green cover set, and the pillows had leaves designed on them. There was also a green see-through light green curtain canopy that circled around the king size bed.

He gives her an unsatisfied gaze, but Tohru does not care. He should be grateful she is doing this much for a human she has not even met yet. Damn how she hates the shoes beneath her feet, she loves being barefoot, feeling the stone floor of the castle. She would never get use to them.

"You look lovely Tohru, but you must have fancier dresses?" He raises an eyebrow.

Tohru just shakes her head and shrugs, a smirk graces her lips. "Sorry father, but you know I don't often wear dresses. This was the best one out of the few I do own," She says honestly, though with a taunting tone.

He sighs, "Never-mind then, I've been informed that our guest has arrived. Are you ready to meet your fiancé?"

Tohru frowns as her father turns to leave, "Well, it's not like I seem to have a choice in this matter,"

"Not if you still wish to rule the dragon world as queen," Her father reminds Tohru.

The only reason she is complying to this whole ordeal is so that she remains the rightful ruler of her people. Should she decline this marriage, it will fall onto her younger sister Kanna. Then the same arrangement would be forced upon her.

Kanna wants nothing to do with ruling the dragon race, and she is stills so young. Forcing the crown onto her would be cruel. Kanna isn't someone who likes to fight, though she has fought at her side in many battles for the sake of their kind. While Tohru knows Kanna is nothing like her and wishes the fighting would stop, the older princess wonders if she could truly live in a peaceful world. She doesn't know what peace is like, won't it be boring if there aren't battles to be fought? As much as she loves the battlefield, she loves her little sister more. She can see what this war is doing to her, often giving the girl horrible nightmares and very few nights of peaceful rest in between.

Could this treaty really help her little sister? But then what of her? What will she do if she isn't fighting humans, or protecting her kind, will she simply sit and wait for her old age to come without complaint?

Tohru sighs and shakes these thoughts from her head as she follows her father. The dragon will simply have to find a new hobby if she can no longer attack the horrid humans anymore. She will do whatever it takes to be the best queen she can be for her people, even it means to be stuck in some loveless marriage.

The walk through the long corridors felt far too fast pace for her liking. She gazes at the ancestors of the kings and queens before her, as they headed for the throne room. There were portraits of her ancestors in their dragon form and human form. A flaming torch would stand tall between each portrait, lighting the dark corridors during the cold nights. However, during the day the fires were not lit. For the windows were able to shed enough light through the corridors during the day.

With the king in his human form, he opens the doors leading to the throne room. Walking in with grace as he stops for a moment to see the humans waiting in front of the throne, their backs turned toward him and his daughter. One man was clearly a dragon slayer from the human realm. The human realm that was created thousands of years ago, to escape this treacherous war. Not all humans were able to escape there, leaving them at the mercy of the dragons to rule over the ones left behind.

However, the dragons were able to learn enough magic overtime and eventually cross over to their realm as well. Of course, by the time they arrived, their technology and army had grown stronger with time.

The other human must have heard them first as the king watch the human turn with curious eyes, now facing the royal dragon family.

The king frowns, "What is the meaning of this?" He marches over to the human, Tohru was following beside her father "Why have you brought a female?" He looks over at the dragon slayer, giving the young lad an intimidating glare. "My daughter is supposed to be marrying someone of high status from your realm, preferably a male so that they could produce an heir,"

"Ah, well you see your highness," The young man explains how many high celebrities, and families of rich backgrounds were asked to partake in the peace treaty agreement, but things just didn't work out. Every males of the families were too afraid or grossed out at the thought of marrying a man-eating dragon princess.

"We don't eat humans," Tohru shakes her head in disgust at the thought. "We just kill them," She smirks manically, glancing at the female before her. She had hoped to send a shiver down the woman, but instead she got a blank stare. Just what is this human thinking?

"She's the only person who agreed to this arrangement, we even tried asking high ranking females. But everyone else refused, we apologize," The man bows down innocently.

The king sighs and shakes his head in annoyance, "How do they expect us to agree to this?"

"Relax father, it is not like magic can't help me produce an heir. It doesn't matter who I sleep with," She shrugs the heir issue off easily enough, however she isn't happy about this either. "Still, if I am to have a human mate, it would be nice to not have such a scrawny one," Tohru huffs. She walks up to the human who doesn't seem to be bothered by her current situation. "So, what's your name? I'm sure you already know who I am," As the princess of dragons, she has caused much chaos in the human realm.

She shakes her head, "I'm afraid I don't. I never kept up with the dragon war, I'm just a simple office employee, well I was. My name is Kobayashi,"

Tohru wears an unreadable express as she studies the woman before her. This human wasn't particularly ugly by any means, but she was pretty scrawny and small. It's only natural for a human like her to stay out of the dragon war. There is no way she would survive in a battle, even if she had dragon slayers protecting her. She looked completely helpless. If she had a male partner, they may have a higher chance at survival in comparison to this woman. She sighs at her sad looking future.

Kobayashi gives a bored gaze ignoring the insulting look from the princess, "Look, I didn't really want to take part in this," She folds her arms under her chest. "But I wasn't given much of a choice in the matter,"

Tohru gazes at her curiously, 'So, we are the same then. Forced to play as pawns in this game,' she thinks to herself. "Right then, my name is Tohru. I'm the future queen of this world and I guess you'll be my wife, just so we are clear I will never love a human,"

Kobayashi feels a part of herself break inside, though she doesn't let it show upon her face. Naturally, she wasn't expecting this to be a happy marriage by any means. But to hear it said aloud, it suddenly made her feel more alone than ever before. When was the last time she felt an ounce of love from anyone? Guess she should get use to this empty feeling inside, it hurts so much she actually wants to cry for a moment. But she doesn't, she hasn't cried real tears in a long time. Why should she? She doesn't have anyone to cry for.

A frown graces Tohru's lips when she senses something strange from the human, the look in her eyes looked so empty. As if her soul wasn't there anymore. But it was gone so fast she wasn't sure if she saw it right.

"That's fine, I just want an easy simple life. That's all," Kobayashi shrugs.

"Now, now girls. Don't assume you two have to hate each other, I know getting to understand one another will take time…." The king started to say, but then Kobayashi cuts him off.

"I don't hate Tohru, or dragons. I have no reason too," Her tone is flat without much emotion to it.

This surprised everyone, the dragons and the dragon slayer alike.

"What do you mean you have no reason to hate us?" Tohru questions the girl doubtfully.

"It's not like the dragons have done anything to me personally," She shrugs.

"But Miss. Kobayashi, they have attacked our lands and killed our people!" The dragon slayer argues. "Are you really so nonchalant about marrying this monster?!" Kurt points an accusing finger at Tohru. While he tried to remain professional about this peace treaty, he couldn't hold it in when a human just said dragons weren't a bother to them. They were monsters in his eyes, as they should be to every human.

Tohru growls and slightly shows her fangs as she can feel the urge to transform take over her.

But she pauses her actions at Kobayashi's words. "As I stated, they've done nothing to me personally. I was living a peaceful life as a simple office employee," She raises an eyebrow at the dragon slayer with an annoyed look. "It was a human who came into my apartment and basically threatened me to agree to this whole arrangement. While she didn't say it directly, she mentioned her work occupation was with the government. Stating it would be in my best interest to agree to all of this," she waves a hand about the area to emphasize her situation.

"She didn't have a choice Miss. Kobayashi, we were running out of options," The dragon slayer argues.

"Never-mind all that, you're here now and we have a wedding to plan. It'll take place in a month from now, this should give you two sometime to get to know each other," Damocles interrupts the argument before it can escalate. Kurt seemed to be very hot headed and angry at Kobayashi's opinion on dragons. "Tohru, why don't you show her the room you two will be sharing,"

Tohru sighs, she simply turns around and starts walking. Not even acknowledging as Kobayashi grabbed her rolling suitcase to follow behind the dragon princess.

"I'll walk you out young dragon slayer," Tohru heard her father before the door closed behind her and Kobayashi.

"Just because we are sharing a room, don't you dare try any funny business human," Tohru growls as she glances over her shoulder. "You won't be my mate until the wedding night and not a day sooner,"

Kobayashi simply nods. For some reason this annoys the dragon, how does her growl (albeit a soft growl, not intimidate this human woman in the slightest?).

She is surprised by one thing from this human though. Her words still plaguing her mind. This human was in a sense, betrayed by her own kind. And even before that, she had no ill feelings towards dragons. It doesn't seem to matter that they had killed thousands of her kind before her. This didn't make sense to Tohru. Whatever the case maybe, Tohru has certainly been forced upon a strange human.

To Be Continued