Elric watched the princess be taken away by Carter, who had so terribly bad mouthed her in the time she was gone. He was careful since that night to avoid Carter, but often if he found himself out training and Carter happened by the butler would make sure to come to him and try to speak with him as if nothing had been said. Occasionally he would let out snide remarks about the princess under the guise of conversation and amuse himself as he watched Elric boil with anger.

He only had a few short moments with her before she was whisked away by the butler, to be flaunted to the party goers who came to celebrate her return. He couldn’t help but wish he had just given her lips the quickest kiss before he was interrupted…

The door knocked and he rushed to it, hoping to find her behind it again. But he was greeted by Augustin, the drunk man smiled and stumbled into him.

“Son!” He cheered joyously, “How are you my boy!”

“I’m good, Father… Are you okay?”

“Of course boy!” He said as he stumbled past him and collapsed onto a pile of hay. His rosy cheeks were hardly hidden by his greying beard.

Elric rolled his eyes, “You’ve become a drunk…” he breathed impatiently.

“I have not!” His father roared, “I’ve simply been enjoying time with the palace guests!”

“When was the last time you’ve been sober in a year and a half?” Elric asked, taking a deep, irritated breath.

“I…”

“You haven’t stopped in almost 2 years…” Elric scolded, “When was the last time you visited mother?” He asked “did you wish Grace a happy birthday, or did you even remember?”

Augustin couldn’t answer, he only shook his head and stood clumsily, “boy, don’t talk to me like a child…” he slurred angrily. “I am an adult, I can drink when I want to…”

“You’re a drunkard Augustin…” Elric hissed angrily, “You’ve left me alone for months here, hardly sparing me more than a goodmorning or order from her Majesty. When I spoke with my mother she said you hadn’t visited in 6 months… Grace begged mother to come and see you...” Elric crossed his arms over his chest and took a deep breath, “6 months… You’ve left them alone for 6 months… We are hardly more than a few minutes by horse to them… and you haven't visited in 6 months. I’ve had to bring them food, fix the roof of the house, I took your place for Grace’s 12th birthday… and for what? For you to spend your time drunk, hulled up in the palace, partying with the royals and rich as if your family doesn’t even exist… while your family mourns the loss of a man who isn’t even dead… Just a belligerent drunk!”

“You ungrateful brat!” Augustin finally yelled back to him, “I brought you here to learn and to follow your dream of being a keeper!”

“MY dream?” Elric yelled back, “What part of this was truly MY dream? When you brought me here it was so I could become a keeper to follow YOU.” Elrics nostrils flared and he could feel his face burning with anger, “I came because you offered me up for a job I didn’t even want. You stuck me in a stable alone at 14 years old with two dragons to keep me company, you’ve hardly visited me, you’ve hardly spoken to me and it becomes less and less frequent. I have spent eight years following in YOUR footsteps. Footsteps that I never even wanted to follow even before we came here! I’ve taken more care of Sabina in the last 2 years than you, while raising a baby tarragon and being shown and paraded around like an art exhibit.” Elric huffed in a deep breath of air as he stared his drunken father in the face, “You’ve treated me like a prize to showcase to the royals and earn their favor, you’ve profited off of making a show of me, you’ve neglected your duties as a father to not only me, but Grace and Sebastian. And worst of all, you’ve neglected your own wife, who stood next to you for endless years of tarragon keeping just to be abandoned in her home away from her own family! The only reason I’ve stayed this long is because I made a promise to the princess and Sottises. If it weren’t for them I’d have abandoned you and this lifestyle years ago and left you to rot away your miserable life here in the palace…”

Elric watched his father take a step toward him, raising a fist as he let out an angry yell. Before his father could come close to him a silvery blue mass pushed itself between them. Sottises front arm fell between them and he puffed his chest up, spacing the men. Sottises let out a low and threatening growl, as he pressed his paw hard onto Augustins chest, causing the man to fall onto the floor with a loud thud. He bared his shimmering white teeth as saliva dripped from his mouth, his claws were a hair away from slicing into Augustins chest. He had never seen the animal behave so viciously, his silvery eyes seemed to turn red as he gazed deep into his father.

The drunkard's eyes widened and he let out a terrified gasp as he begged Sottises to get off of him. Elric gave an irritated sigh.

“Sottises… Heel…”

The dragon reluctantly removed his paw from Augustins chest before he turned and curled his body around Elrics back, letting his tail wrap around his legs and placing his large face at his left side. A gutteral noise escaped his mouth as he bore his teeth. Elric lifted his hand and pressed it to the latch of his throat, feeling the soft scales vibrate as the low growl emanated from him.

“I’d suggest you leave…” Elric said softly to him, “You know as well as any what a Dragon is capable of… when its human is threatened…” Augustin scrambled from the floor and pulled himself out of the stable, slamming the door behind him as he fled.

Elric deflated suddenly, sinking down into a crouch as tears began to flow from his eyes. He pressed his hands to his eyes as he sobbed. After a moment he felt Sottises crouch beside him, then the reptile snaked his long, thick neck to the front of Elric and began to press his snout into his chest. Elric lost his balance and fell back onto his butt and Sottises laid his head over top of Elrics chest and let out his low, solemn purr, it vibrated his keepers entire body and eventually Elric relented and wrapped his arms around Sottises’ head and allowed himself to sob.

(Part 2 in next upload)