The dragon's harem

The people of the capital all gathered in the streets. Men pushing against each other, kids jumping behind them, and women looking out of the windows of their homes. Today, Queen Aella was getting crowned. Just earlier this morning, she fended off a massive, six-headed Hydra.

In this world that is plagued by vicious monsters and countless disasters, power was everything. Demons, dragons, devils, monsters, beasts, abominations, and countless horrors beyond mortal comprehension. With all of those threats around, the only thing that people cared about in their rulers was the ability to keep them safe.

The people wanted assurance that as long as the walls stand, and as long as their kings and queens drew breath, the monsters won’t breach the lives of the people. Buying a house inside the city walls was almost ten times as expensive as one outside the walls, all due to the constant threat of monsters.

A Hydra like that would usually mean total destruction, and if Arad didn’t already kill Vlad in the past, the people living here might’ve panicked once it attacked.

Hundreds of fully armored knights marched across the streets and then stood at the sides, forming a shield wall. The Queen was about to march through the capital, and the people all fell silent for a second as they saw her walking out of the castle’s gate.

That gentle-looking and graceful elvish woman, tall, beautiful, and noble in her look. Looking at her white and emerald dress, her long, silky hair, pale skin, and soft-looking hands, no one could even believe that just this morning she was bullying a kingdom-destroying Hydra on her own.

But while they couldn’t believe Aella could hurt a fly, even though they saw it with their own eyes, the man walking beside her was a different story. One glance was enough for everyone to feel it: a powerful sense of dread, an oppressive aura, great magic, and an undying will of power.

Arad Orion stood at over three meters tall, towering over his Queen, over his guards, and even over the horses of their escorts. Which reminded the people, he isn’t going to have Queen Aella walk all around the city, right?

This entire parade was so the people could see Aella and recognize her face. They must know how their queens look. At that moment, a tall and beautiful white steed marched out of the castle with quick steps.

This was the horse that Isdis picked up for Aella to ride, a rare breed of powerful and beautiful warhorses. It was specifically picked up because its color matches well with Aella’s clothes.

But in that moment, a scream was heard from the inside of the castle, and seconds after, a guard was sent flying outside with a pained groan. The people gasped, the white steed froze, and Aella looked at the gate with an exhausted face.

As the gate was smacked open, a large, dark brown moose trotted out with an arrogant snore, and he threw a nasty glare at the white steed, the white of its eyes showing, its lips curling upward, and a snarl escaped its throat.

“Tell him! Tell him!” Zephyr was sitting on MC’s head, and she waved her tiny hands. “Get that scrawny one out! Out!”

“STOP HIM!” The two guards standing at the gate rushed to restrain MC, but they were powerless against him. MC bit one by the head, lifted him up, and threw him into the water-filled moat, and the other guard, the poor soul, was kicked so hard that he flew through the gate and disappeared into the bushes inside the castle’s garden.

Both of them were still alive. The first one survived thanks to his helmet, and the other thanks to his plated armor.

“Zephyr, what are you doing?” Aella rubbed her eyebrows and approached MC.

“What do you mean by what am I doing? Are you really going to ride that coward of a horse? He’ll stand his ground in a war, right, but he’ll run away at the sight of the first monster. It was terrified earlier when the Hydra attacked.” She shook her head. “Unlike this one, he broke the door of his stable, and if not for the castle walls, he would’ve charged right after you to fight that Hydra.”

“He would’ve died. Animals can’t win against monsters, even if they are buffed by Arad or you.” She patted MC on the head. “Don’t get yourself hurt. I can keep myself safe.”

“That’s the part you don’t get.” Zephyr flew down and sat on Aella’s head. “What matters is the spirit, no pun intended. While all horses would run to save their lives, MC here would pick a fight with a god if it meant standing by your side. He fears no god, demons, or horrors.”

“Isn’t that just being reckless?” Aella sighed as she took a step forward, her foot landing on the air. Using her wind magic, she could solidify air and create footing for herself, and so she could climb onto MC’s back with ease.

“It’s called having a creed. And, probably since you fed him a lot.” Zephyr slowly turned her head and looked to the side, seeing Arad standing by their side. Even though Aella sat on the back of a massive moose, her head still barely reached Arad’s.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter.” Arad sighed and looked at one of the windows, where Isdis stared at them with an exhausted face. She had spent a long time trying to find a suitable horse for Aella, only for MC to steal the spot. But what could she do? MC had been Arad’s mount for a long while, and it takes a crazed beast to carry Arad around.

In reality, MC took pride in being Arad’s mount. For MC, and even all the animals and monsters that live in Arad’s domain, being Arad’s mount, the mount of the Absolute dragon ruling the lands, was probably the highest standing beside being Arad himself.

Arad was the alpha predator in his domain; he was the conductor of the ecosystem, and everyone followed his whims. When MC trots through the forest, all monsters and other animals now show him respect, because if anyone draws his ire, they’ll have Arad eating them on his next lunch.

Aella might’ve bribed MC with a lot of food, but he didn’t insist on carrying her just for that. This parade was so the people could see her, and MC wanted the same thing, for all the monsters and animals of Arad’s domain to see him being the Alpha predator’s mount, to see him carrying the mates of the great dragon, to show that he is a part of the ruler’s family.

And so, the parade started. From the castle’s gate, through the lively streets, Arad led Aella on a tour riding their mighty ste…moose. The people cheered, and many threw flowers at them. The guards at the sides of the street seemed to have a bit of trouble keeping all people at bay, but Arad didn’t mind.

Events like this were the perfect opportunity to assassinate someone, but in reality, who could try to take his or Aella’s life? No one would be so foolish, and even if they existed, Eris already rules most of the assassins, so she’ll know of such a thing before it happens.

But what Arad didn’t expect was what happened next, and even gave him a scare. The sky turned black, and he could feel a flood of magic so powerful that it could blow the entire continent to the moon.

The people of the city screamed, and many ran into the houses, unable to believe that another disaster was about to happen right after the Hydra’s sudden attack.

“I told them not to come, but they don’t listen.” Zephyr scratched her cheek, and Aella sighed.

“Those are fairies, trillions of them. Wind, Fire, Earth, Water, and even mixed ones like Plant…” She looked up.

The fairies’ swarm was like that of locusts, untold numbers all moving in a single swarm large enough to cover half a kingdom, and they had come out of their forests and groves to see Zephyr, the Queen of their Queens, as she parades her herald.

“There are more fairies in this world than there are humanoids combined. Those are only the fairies and spirits; the pixies can’t fly that far, so they couldn’t come.” Zephyr flew up and went to get the fairies to land since they were scaring everyone.

Aella had heard from Plum how the fairies ripped and tore through Fernanda’s world, so seeing them all marching like a cloud, she could just imagine them deciding to attack and kill everyone. “They sure have a lot of numbers, and each of them is far stronger than the average human.”

Arad shrugged. “If they wanted to attack, then they won’t come anywhere near me in a single swarm like that. It’s burnable with a single breath.”