Thaleus turned back to his advisors, his expression grim. "What do you see?"

Lord Ashscale straightened, his ancient eyes troubled. "The child is draining him, Your Majesty. Dragon hatchlings require draconic magic to develop properly in the womb. Without it, they instinctively pull harder on whatever magic is available—in this case, the Fae prince's life force."

"Can we stop it?" Kovax asked, moving closer to the bed despite himself. The urge to touch Ryaz, to comfort him somehow, was almost overwhelming.

"Yes," Lady Fyretouch said, her voice certain. "But it will require direct intervention. The child needs draconic magic, and it needs it soon."

"How?" Thaleus demanded.

Lady Fyretouch exchanged a glance with Lord Ashscale before answering. "The father must provide it. Through direct contact. Intimate contact."

The implication hung in the air for a moment before Kovax understood. "You mean... sex?" His voice cracked on the word. "No. Absolutely not. I can't—I won't—"

"You must," Lord Ashscale said firmly. "For draconic reptillian pregnancies the male fertilises the egg in the womb, for four months the father repeats this to supply the egg with enough draconic DNA to help the fetus develop. The same goes for draconic humanoid pregnancies. Once the female is pregnant in human form, the father must repeatedly coat the womb for the same purpose."

"Its basic draconic biology your highness; draconic sperm undergoes changes once the initial ejaculate has been dispatched. All male dragons enter a cycle where the sperm goes dormant and the ejaculate gestates to a suppliment for magic delivery to the fetus." Lady Fyretouch added.  

"Right now, the draconic magic must be transferred directly to the womb from your... er, loins. Ordinarily we'd use the extraction chambers in the royal hospital, but we don't have access to them here and the Fae prince doesn't have the time it would take to travel there." Lord Ashscale continued.

Kovax shook his head violently, backing away from the bed. "I already raped him once. That's what created this mess in the first place. I won't do it again. I can't."

A shocked silence fell over the room. Lady Fyretouch's scales darkened to nearly black, her eyes widening in horror. Lord Ashscale froze, his weathered face twisting with disbelief.

"Rape?" Lady Fyretouch whispered, the word like a physical blow in the quiet room.

"Why is he still alive?" Lord Ashscale asked, stepping away from Kovax as if he'd contracted the plague.

Thaleus stepped forward quickly. "My son was drugged," he explained, his voice low and urgent. "Both princes were victims of manipulation. They were locked in a bathroom together during the Fae prince's fertility cycle. Kovax was not in control of his actions."

Lady Fyretouch's expression shifted from horror to pitiful understanding. Lord Ashscale visibly relaxed, unable to fault the Prince after hearing the explanation. 

Lady Fyretouch moved to Kovax's side, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "I'm sorry that happened, Prince Kovax, but I need to tell you; I suspect, as does your father, that what you're experiencing now—this pull toward him, the pain when you're apart—this is not just guilt or obligation. This is a fated mate bond."

Kovax stared at her, the words not making sense at first. "A fated... no, that's impossible. Those are just legends."

"Not legends," Lord Ashscale corrected. "Rare, yes, but very real. If this were merely about pheromones or intoxication, any dragon in that bar would have reacted to the Fae prince. But it was only you."

Lady Fyretouch nodded in agreement. "The state you're in now proves it. The bond is trying to form, but the child's needs and the Fae prince's weakened state are complicating everything."

A groan from the bed drew their attention. Ryaz stirred, his eyes fluttering open, unfocused and glassy with fever. "What's happening?" he whispered, voice barely audible. "Where am I?"

Kovax moved to his side without thinking, drawn by an instinct deeper than conscious thought. "You're safe," he said softly, resisting the urge to take Ryaz's hand. "We're in my father's suite. You collapsed."

Ryaz's eyes found his, recognition flickering through the haze of fever. "Kovax? The balcony... we..." His cheeks flushed darker despite his pallor, memory of their kiss clearly returning.

Before Kovax could respond, the door opened and Emperor Ru'unan swept in, his silver robes billowing around him. His ancient eyes went immediately to his son, concern etched in every line of his face.

"Ryaz," he said, moving to the bedside with the fluid grace of the Fae. "What has happened?"

Thaleus stepped forward. "Emperor Ru'unan, thank you for coming so quickly. We have a situation that requires your immediate attention." He gestured to his advisors. "Lady Fyretouch, explain what you've discovered."

The spiritualist bowed deeply to the Fae Emperor before speaking. "Your Majesty, we believe your son and Prince Kovax are experiencing the beginnings of a fated mate bond. It's a rare and sacred connection among dragonkind, one that binds two souls together irrevocably."

Ru'unan's expression remained carefully neutral, though his eyes sharpened. "I am familiar with the concept," he said. "But what does this have to do with my son's condition?"

Lord Ashscale stepped forward. "The bond is only part of the issue, Your Majesty. The child Prince Ryaz carries is half-dragon. Such offspring require draconic magic to develop properly in the womb. Without it, they instinctively draw more heavily on the bearer's life force."

"Which explains why Ryaz has been weakening," Ru'unan said, understanding dawning in his ancient eyes. "And how do we address this?"

Lady Fyretouch hesitated before answering. "The father must provide the necessary magic directly. Through... intimate contact."

Ru'unan looked from the spiritualist to his son, who lay feverish and barely conscious on the bed. "You're suggesting Prince Kovax must have intercourse with my son to save him and the child."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lord Ashscale confirmed. "The draconic magic must be transferred directly to the womb. There is no other delivery method available to us here. I can explain in more detail later but time is of the essence."

Silence fell as Ru'unan considered this information, his face unreadable. Finally, he turned to Kovax. "And you, Prince Kovax? What are your thoughts on this matter?"

Kovax swallowed hard, shame burning through him. "I can't do it," he said, voice hoarse with emotion. "Not like this. Not when he's barely conscious, when he can't truly consent. I've already violated him once. I won't do it again."

Ru'unan studied him for a long moment, something like respect flickering in his ancient eyes. "Your concern for my son's autonomy is admirable," he said finally. "But if what these experts say is true, we are facing a life-or-death situation."

Ryaz stirred again, his hand reaching out blindly. "Father?" he called weakly. "What's happening to me?"

Ru'unan moved to his son's side, taking his hand gently. "You're ill, my son. The child is drawing too much of your magic, and it's weakening you." He spoke slowly, clearly, ensuring Ryaz could understand despite his feverish state. "Prince Kovax can help, but it will require... intimate contact between you."

Ryaz's eyes widened slightly, comprehension struggling through the fever. "I don't understand."

"The child needs dragon magic," Ru'unan explained, his voice gentle. "And the only way to provide it right now is through physical union. I know this is not ideal, but it may be necessary to save both you and the child."

Thaleus moved closer to Kovax, his voice dropping to a rumble only his son could hear. "If you cannot do this, we must find another dragon who can. The child needs draconic magic, and it doesn't have to come from you specifically."

The thought of another dragon touching Ryaz, being intimate with him, sent a wave of primal rage through Kovax so intense he nearly choked on it. His scales darkened, smoke curling from his nostrils as he struggled to control the sudden, violent possessiveness that gripped him.

"No," he growled, the word barely recognizable through the smoke. "No one else touches him."

Lady Fyretouch nodded as if this reaction confirmed something she already knew. "The mate bond is already a strong one," she observed. "Even the suggestion of another dragon with Prince Ryaz triggers territorial response."

Ryaz's fingers tightened around his father's hand. "I don't want to die," he whispered, fear clear in his fever-bright eyes. "And I don't want to lose the baby."

"You won't," Ru'unan assured him, stroking his son's copper hair back from his forehead. "We'll find a solution."

"I'll do it," Kovax said abruptly, the decision crystallizing with sudden clarity. "But only if Ryaz truly consents. He needs to understand what's happening, what I'm doing and why."

Ru'unan nodded slowly. "Ryaz," he said, turning back to his son. "Are you able to understand what we're discussing? Prince Kovax can help you, but only with your permission."

Ryaz's eyes found Kovax's across the room, something unreadable flickering in their lilac depths. "On the balcony," he murmured, "when you kissed me... the pain stopped. For both of us, I think." He swallowed hard, his throat working visibly. "Do what you must. Save our child."

Our child. The words sent a jolt through Kovax's chest, a mixture of terror and something dangerously close to joy. He moved to the bedside, kneeling so his face was level with Ryaz's.

"Are you certain?" he asked quietly, needing to hear it directly.

Ryaz nodded weakly. "Yes," he whispered. "But the others..."

"Everyone out," Thaleus commanded immediately, understanding his son's concern. "Give them privacy."

Ru'unan hesitated. He bends to kiss his son's fevered brow before following the others out. The door clicked shut, leaving Kovax alone with Ryaz in the sudden silence of the bedroom.