The dragon's harem

When Arad and Zephyr reached the entrance to the royal quarter, they had to stop their night quest. The door, windows, vents, even the floor itself. Everything is enchanted with several spells that detect intruders and immediately alarm the whole castle. No one can even enter or leave the quarter without a royal imprint, and even when they do, that entrance is announced to the castle guards.

Even if Arad were to bring Tyal in, her entrance would be announced, and the guards would know that something is off. She is supposed to be asleep in the guest room with Arad.

This level of security made Arad aware of two things. He should make the security in his castle better, and if he is to find anything useful, it must be kept in Gale’s royal quarter, away from everyone’s prying eyes.

Arad and Zephyr retreated to the guest room before anyone could notice their absence… well, no one would ever have the chance. There should be only one Arad, and they don’t even know that Zephyr is here.

As Arad stood in the guest room, Tyal looked at him with a surprised face and then back at the one still on the bed. “Of gods! There are really two of you!”

“It’s actually four.” Arad approached the bed and suddenly disappeared into nothing.

Arad, who was still on the bed, looked at her, “Who do you think flew with the carriage all the way here? I was with you inside the carriage, and I was also in my dragon form flying with it through the storm.”

She smiled, “It’s fun. Isn’t it? To have more than one of yourself.”

She dropped back on the pillow, “Do multiple things at once, do one thing with multiple bodies, for a better… experience, hmm?”

Arad looked at his hands, “Now that you mentioned it, magic would work better if I tried to cast it with more than one body at once. More scales and all.”

Tyal glared at him for a second with a dumbfounded face, clenched a fist, and dropped it down on his chest. The bed cracked, and she rolled back to sleep.

****

Morning came and went quickly. After breakfast, Arad found himself finally about to have an audience with King Gale. But it wasn’t the normal kind of audience with the throne and all of that. They were meeting in a normal room. Arad soon would be a part of their family after all.

Now, Arad was sitting on his chair on a table across from Gale, The Eye of the Storm.

“This is the first time we’ve met face to face like this.” Gale looked at Arad with a smile, “Introductions are in order. I’m Gale of Thundercloud, the current Eye of the Storm.”

He leaned forward, picked up his large mug and took a greedy gulp from it, and then smacked it back down on the table.

“Welcome to my humble kingdom. I hope you liked it, and liked Tyal even more.” He threw a glance at his daughter. He didn’t expect her to bring Arad here.

“I really didn’t expect that I’d be coming here so soon.” Arad smiled, “The last Storm Titan I’ve known was Zeus, your father. I’ve heard of what happened.” Everyone froze.

“He must’ve told you about me. I’m Arad Orion of Alina, the Nuclear Chaos.” Arad took a sip from his drink and smiled, “As you can see, I’m a dragon, and one that blew Vlad’s whole kingdom to ash and then killed him. A Void Dragon, we’re quite rare and powerful.”

Gale studied Arad for a second and then spoke. “Vlad was indeed a pain; such a monster was destined to die one day. Father had indeed told me about you, said that he smelled the wind of change.”

Gale sighed, “It’s quite sad that we didn’t meet like this before my inheritance. But let’s not dwell on the past.”

“Indeed, I did want to fight Zeus at least once. Such a powerful, wide, and old titan was bound to be a well of knowledge and experience.” Arad’s eyes shifted back to Gale and burned with purple fire.

“I wonder. Can you be the same? You’ve defeated him after all.”

Gale stared at Arad in silence for a few seconds and then burst laughing, “Of course, why not? But brother, no, my son. You’re barely as tall as my knees. I can kick you across the kingdom. You’ll manage as long as you fly around me and attack from afar, but that’s it.”

Arad laughed with him, making Gale’s wives grow more and more worried. “I’ve killed things hundreds of times bigger than me, bigger than you even by a lot.” At that moment, one of Gale’s wives, who could tell lies from truth, spat her drink. Arad wasn’t lying.

He did blow a whole world while facing Gamond, so he did kill a thing. This gotta throw a rock into how they see him.

“But that doesn’t matter, does it?” Arad spoke before Gale’s wife could speak and looked at Tyal. “We’re here to discuss Tyal’s case, right?”

Gale nodded, “Indeed, that’s why you made the long journey all the way here.” He then looked at Alice, “And I guess I know why.”

“Tyal isn’t strong enough to beat Alice, not even close. I’m also not the one who decides who my wives are now; my current wives have more of a say than I do, just due to numbers. I’m one, and there are many.” Arad sipped his drink slowly and then looked at Claug.

She spoke in a cold tone, “Tyal can only be a concubine at best, the one beneath Alice, since they are both Storm Titans. Of course, unless she can prove herself stronger. Or show herself to be worth more than Alice and the adventurers’ guild.”

“It takes time for someone to grow stronger. Even if she were a concubine today, she’ll become a wife if she defeats Alice later on, right?” Gale looked at Alice, and she smiled. “I’m not going to bid my time and let her overtake me. No matter how strong she grows, I’ll grow stronger than her.”

Alice then leaned back and looked at Tyal, “The possibility is there, but I won’t let it happen. Otherwise, it will be just me giving up.”

Gale sighed, “And I suspect that being a Storm Titan princess is worth less than the whole adventurers’ guild… so speak up, how could she qualify for a wife?”