After standing in the courtyard for several minutes, Kagome decided her room was the last place she wanted to be, so she collected what was left of her dignity and strode purposely toward the southwest tower. It was only slightly better than the dungeons and had one sole occupant, but she needed someone to talk to.
Someone who couldn't talk back.
The doors were never locked—no one in their right mind would venture within—and she waited until the guards left for their meal before slinking inside. Sunlight filtered through the roof and the spaces between the stones, illuminating pearlesque scales.
"Hello," she whispered, offering the beast a small smile. Amber eyes glowed through the darkness, his body coiled around itself in the confined space. She'd never understood the need to cage animals, even the domestic ones, and it pained her every time she visited him.
Protecting the kingdom was one thing. Harbouring a dragon was another.
He looked like a snake with legs, though a deep magenta fringe trailed from his illustrious mane to the tip of his spiked tail. And his claws were more like talons, matching the set of ivory fangs he kept hidden, even when they'd captured him. It was an odd combination of scales and fur, and Kagome longed to get close enough to examine the texture, but even she knew that would be pushing it.
Akitoki thought to quell the villagers' fears and superstitions about the royals' deaths by procuring the service of a dragon instead of preventing the spread of his parents' illness.
She'd happened upon him by chance, as he'd arrived not long after she had, but in the few moments it had taken her to back out of the room, he'd done nothing but stare, the intelligence in his eyes belying the lethality of his species.
Questions had overflowed the next time she'd come across Akitoki, unable to hold her tongue at the knowledge they'd captured such a legendary beast. She'd started spouting off information about his breeding and the various uses of discarded dragon parts, hoping the healers were open to new ingredients. The shocked expressions from his court told her she'd overstepped, and Akitoki had publicly advised her to leave the fairy tales section of the library for the children.
"I brought you a treat," she said, taking her usual place in the corner of the room. She couldn't even call it a corner, especially with how much space he took up, but it was where the most sunlight was, and if she was going to visit a dragon, she would do her best to pretend they were out in the open. It was diluted, especially with the stagnant air, but he didn't seem to mind—he always seemed to know when she was coming and adjusted his position accordingly.
He raised his head in question, eying her carefully as she opened the basket. She kept the fruit and pastries for herself, offering up the bits of dried meat she'd taken from the kitchen. He leaned closer, sniffing her hand, then laid back down without partaking.
Kagome couldn't say she was surprised. "You probably enjoy hunting it yourself, right?" She looked around his cage. "I wish you wouldn't let them keep you here. It isn't healthy." There were chains around his neck and front legs, and though Akitoki forced the knights to check them regularly, the beast had never given them any reason to worry. Plus, the rumours that a dragon resided within the castle walls were enough of a deterrent for anyone seeking to attack them.
She offered him a piece of peach, wondering if she'd misread his dietary needs somewhere, and he raised his chin. "It's really good, I promise." She bit into one, holding up the remaining half as she chewed. "See? Delicious!" His eyes took on an odd gleam, slitted pupils dilating, and he slowly lowered his head, tongue sliding across her hand as he accepted the gift.
Her smile was fleeting as she repeated the action, breaking each piece in half for them to share. "At least you appreciate it," she said, tears welling up. She brushed them away angrily, but they were quickly replaced, and she covered her face with both hands. Something brushed against her leg, and she let out a choked sob before latching onto his face. The beast rumbled softly, fur and scales a strange combination for comfort, but Kagome would take what she could get.
"I have no reason to be upset. I know he's busy, but I was hoping—" She sighed, gripping him fiercely. "But then, who am I to hope for anything? I should be grateful that he picked me, right? Anyone else would kill to be in my position." There was another rumble, and Kagome closed her eyes, focusing on the scent of pine and wilderness instead of what her life would become.
She listened as the wind whistled through the holes in the wall, pretending they were lounging in a field instead of trapped within a cage they couldn't even see out of. "I wish I could free you," she whispered. She snorted, running her hands along the bridge of his nose, taking care to avoid his whiskers. "Then again, I might just ask to accompany you, so that's probably not a good idea. There'd be an uproar."
A snort ruffled her hair, and she patted his nose. She tried to force a smile, but it wouldn't form, and he wasn't someone she needed to impress, so she wallowed in her melancholy. The day had started out so promising, and now she was confessing her heart's desire to a dragon.
Sucking in a steadying breath, she pressed her forehead against his before pulling back. "Thank you for listening. I hope I haven't ruined your day by crying all over you." Amber eyes regarded her, scrutinizing, and her expression softened. "I'll remember to bring more peaches next time as payment for keeping my secret." Brushing herself off, she tucked in the curls that had come loose, then gathered up the uneaten parts of her picnic.
Casting one last look into the tower, she waved, then slid through the door, mindful to walk in the same direction as the guards' rotation to avoid getting caught.
Maybe she'd spend the rest of the day in the gardens.