Claimed By A Dragon Prince

Lily spent the better part of a day checking the villagers making sure they were healing and had enough food. Dimitri went to check out the battalion of dragon soldiers and the supplies that were brought with them. Everything he asked for was here as well as a few extra’s with a note. "I thought some of this might be handy and the king let me send it along. Trinee~"

Dimitri smiled knowing Trinee made sure to send extra dragon moss and some amendments for the soil. They came in large bundles and sat away from the food supplies. Lily was still making her rounds when she came to see him noticing the bundles. "What are those?"

"Trinee sent them saying they might come in handy." Lily wondered what she sent going to check them, one bundle was diatomaceous earth and the other was dark rich soil that smelled strongly of minerals. This must have been the dark soil she seen her working on before she left. It had no traces of the toxic slug in it. She must have used the antigen in the soil to help repair what was damaged.

"This will help the farmer’s get their crops growing again. Trinee made sure to add the antigen to the soil." Dimitri smiled understanding now why Trinee sent this soil amendment. "How much will each farmer need?"

"That will depend on how much land the sow. I will ask each one and add the amendments myself. I want to make sure they are in the right amounts, plus I wanna see what my power can do." Dimitri was hesitant to let her, but she would do it anyways if he tried to tell her no.

"I want to be there when you do it. You push yourself to hard and there is no fixing the soil. You need a back-stop." Lily pouted at him before nodding in agreement. She would push herself with out thinking about the cost at least he cares enough to stop her. "Fine. I’ll finish checking the residents and ask the farmer’s about their land."

Lily went about the rest of her home visits checking with the farmer’s who still owned their land and even those who lost it to paying taxes. She told the ones that lost their lands to farm it again and not to worry about the repercussions. "I will make sure that no one takes your crops. I know what the king is like here that is why I left. I am trying to help those I can along the way. Part of this is my fault, but I am fixing what I left behind. Please forgive me."

The farmer’s all tried to wave her off saying it wasn’t her fault, but she still wanted to help them and give them their lives back. She fought for hers and now she fought for those who weren’t strong enough for the fight. They accepted her help telling her how much land they had between them.

After her last home check she went to sit under a tree to work the numbers to spit up the amendment properly. She may need to ask for more, but for now she could tell who was ready by checking the farmlands. Marking each farmer’s amounts she closed her booking needing to survey the lands to give her a better idea of how much to spread between them.

Finding Dimitri he was speaking with the blacksmith who also had a store in front of his business. The man bowed walking back into his shop as Lily approached him. "Everything okay?" "Yes, there are certain metals he would like access to if we can clear a passage into Bear territory. The mountains there are rich and his family used to mine them years ago. But when the fall of the Clan happened monsters roam it freely now preventing them from mining it."

Listening to the hardship the people here have gone through only reminds Lily of how important their expedition is. "I need you to fly me over the farmlands to gain a better idea of how big they are and the terrain itself. That amendment Trinee sent is powerful and I don’t want to add too much just because the math tells me to."

"Let me finish up with the patrol schedule then we will go. Have you eaten yet? You’re looking tired again." Her stomach growled at that moment making her chuckle nervously. "That would be a no. I will go get some lunch from the main house. I get you something to and meet you over by the river there just past the main house."

He nodded pulling her close leaning in to kiss her lips making her toes curl from the action. Dazed and enticed by his kiss she almost forgets they are in open view. Dimitri pulls away seeing the glowy look on her face, turning her around and giving her butt a good slap. "Hey!"

"Get us some food, woman." She turned back to see the smirk on his face, blushing slightly going to get that food that was supposed to be more important than chasing him down. *That man is going to be the death of me*.

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The young dragon prince finally made it to his mother’s family home in the east, looking ragged and beaten. He had fought the elements of the mountains he had traveled to get there. Seeing his ancestral home gave him hope that his nightmare of abandonment and hunger was over.

Walking up to the main gates he beats on it waiting for someone to answer. The butler for the mansion opens the door looking at the ravaged prince repulsively. "Who are you? What business do you have here?" The young prince got very agitated hearing this. "Who am I? I am the queen’s favored prince! Let me in at once!"

The butler pushed him back the rotten smell of the man permeating his skin and clothes. "The young prince is locked up! How can you make such claims?! Guards!" Several soldiers showed up surrounding the prince who looked angry at the actions. "I was imprisoned, but I escaped. Mother told me to come here if I ever got out!"

The soldiers closed in spears drawn as the prince shifted to his dragon form his red and gold scales shining bright as he roared at them. They all drop their weapons as the butler quickly opens the door the prince storming in as the head of the house rushes out sword in hand. "My Prince! We were not expecting you!"

He roared again shifting back looking pissed off. "I need a bath, food, and a direct line to my mother! NOW!" People scrambled to accommodate his requests fearing he would tear the place down. The prince followed a servant who led him to a bathroom with a pool set into the ground in stone. Stepping after stripping his tattered clothes the water felt like heaven.

The servants brought him food and wine setting it next to the edge of the pool on a low table. Some fruit and meats were set out as well as desserts. Two female servants step into the pool and begin cleaning his body of all the dirt and debris. "Now this is what I needed. You pass me a grape."

The girl fed him while the other cleaned his body as he sat against the edge. The butler from earlier came in with a looking glass. "My prince, we have the direct line ready." He set it down next to the pool as the girls moved away from him. "Don’t leave, and keep your mouths shut." They nodded cleaning themselves as he made a call to his mother.

The glass changed showing the inside of his mother’s rooms. "Mother are you there?" It took a moment for the queen to answer, but she sat down looking stoic as always. "Yes, my son. How did you escape?! They are looking for you! I can’t be on here long."

"I went where you told me to. I just arrived. Those pirates you hired busted me out. The weird thing was it was at the Wolf king’s request, as well as yours." The queen thought this strange as well. "Did he say what he wanted for your release?"

"He wanted them to kidnap Dimitri’s mate. He is desperate to have her back." The queen knew she could be a real asset if controlled, but she was a force unto herself. And the queen already tried to get rid of her once. Any trust there would have been is now gone. She still have the mirror to get a hold of them, she may make another request of them.

"Stay where you are. Renfeild?" The butler came into view. "Protect my son. Keep him safe, that is an order from your queen." "Yes, Your Majesty. We will do as commanded."

"You get well and rested my son I will need you for the fight ahead of us." The mirror cut out at that moment leaving the young prince to wonder what his mother had in store for him.