Troy nodded. "Indeed," he replied with a nod of his head. Troy looked towards Lycus yet again, feeling as though he was being a tad pushy. "Humans are, in fact, the most horrible creatures on Earth," he whispered to the Princess, eyeing Lycus who shot him a triggering glance.

"Yeah. Perhaps a burden to some, but sometimes, the business is good and worth it." Troy smiled slightly, looking towards Lycus as he had approached the Princess more, demanding that she went home with him. Troy sighed, listening to the two go back and forth.

Lycus looked at the wolfdog, in which caused the man to take small steps back as she leaped to her paws but showed no sign of aggression. Lycus sighed softly, nodding. "Yes, he did send me. In fact, both of your parents sent me. It's sort of my job to protect you, even if you feel as if you don't need it." Lycus stated. That was true. He was well aware of the things the Princess was capable of, but he knew how pissed the King and Queen would be if he returned with nothing.

"She might be safe, kid, but she sure as hell shouldn't be out here." Lycus told Troy, which made him shake his head.

"She's out here because she probably deserves it; let her be." Troy said. Lycus' dark eyes narrowed on the young man, but Troy stood his ground this time. The older man's attention was turned back to the Princess as she spoke again.

Lycus sighed softly. "Kid, I know that your father isn't the best. But you also know I cannot return empty-handed just because you don't want to come home. I get it - I really do, but it's for the best. For the both of us. You don't have to agree with him, as I don't, but it would prevent a lot of things if you simply came home." Lycus spoke. He understood her. A lot more than you would think. Being cooped up in the house he was, Lycus always longed for that feeling of being free.

But when he finally got it, it sort of destroyed him in ways he couldn't imagine. Lonesomeness, fearing almost everything... Perhaps it was because he was around the age of twelve when he first got a glimpse of the real world, but Lycus grew to know everything but that - freedom. As a man now, Lycus felt fine being alone in a castle with respect, but sometimes, he still felt like that boy who needed to be out and about.

Lycus' hand falls to his side at the Princess's demand that he lowered his hand and keep the sword sheathed. It was a mere threat - no way Lycus was going to kill a young man in front of people in the town. However, that crowd would disappear as watching people arguing wasn't amusing. Some stayed to simply observe the dragon from afar, but nobody seemed to actually be listening. Or so Lycus hoped.

"I am completely aware of your willingness to protect yourself, and you're damn capable of it, but I will not return to your father and your mother without you, kid! You have not only put a risk with keeping a peace with the other kingdom, but you have also but the two of us at risk. Wandering off like that and seeing you near some dragon? Damn stupid." Lycus' voice grew stern. Like that of a father's, and Lycus' gaze softened as he realized what he had said. But he wouldn't take it back, because it was all true.

"You go home for the night, and you can do as you please afterwards. Just make your presence known, meet that Prince you're set to marry, and go along your merry way. But for your sake, I might as well just tag along with you." Lycus spoke, his voice more soft this time around.

"And do not make me regret my words."

"A royal's duty is first to the crown, then second to their heart. Remember that little sister."

Those were the words that her brother spoke to her before he left for war, the same war that he died in, the one that left Eilkia heir of the kingdom. Kita trots up, nuzzling at Eilkia's hand as if the wolfdog could sense all the fight had disappeared, now replaced with....Well Eilkia wasn't even sure what kind of emotion she was feeling right now. Eilkia straightens up, looking more regal and like a Princess. Everything she was born to be, a fate she could not break away from. Her voice dull and sort of robotic as she responds.

"A royal's duty is first to the crown, then the heart."

Eilkia turns her back on Lycus and the young man as she walks over to Kit, about to mount up. Though the Princess pauses hands rested on the saddle. "I will return to the castle-" Eilkia refused to call the castle home, it wasn't her home. She had never felt at home, not since Kaikhosro had died. Eilkia swings up on Kit, the stallion flicking an ear. Eilkia directs Kit to face the young man and Lycus. "My mother married the crown, and she fits the role well. So did my brother, Kaikhosro. He would have made a perfect King." Eilkia's gaze was on the sky, her mind faraway in a place she would never be. "My parents adored him, he was the perfect son. Perfect Prince, and perfect future King. They pretty much forgot about me, and I was free to do as I please. I had more freedom, more time, and more fun." Eilkia's gaze grows cloudy.

"Then one day Kai decided he wanted to go to the front line to help in the war. Father protested, but Kai was very intent on it. So finally Kai was allowed to go. But before he left, he gave me one last piece of advise. A royal's duty is first to the crown, then second to their heart. He was trying to warn me of what I would have to do if he never returned from battle. If only I had paid attention more, perhaps I could have kept him home and he would still be alive now. As King, as my brother." Eilkia turns her gaze on Lycus,"But you know that, I'm pretty sure you were one of the newer Knight's when Kai died." Eilkia lifts her arm, to reveal the tattoo on her wrist. Voice soft.

"This tattoo is a symbol of my rank and my family. It will never come off, just like how I will never rid myself of the crown. Kai choose his fate, and he choose mine. You can't outrun fate can you?" Eilkia let's out a humorless laugh as she allows her hand to drop back down. Her voice growing emotionless and guarded. "I will return home. But I will not marry Brandon. That I stand my ground on." Eilkia's head tips sideways,"I will find a different way to keep the peace. But I will not marry on my father's terms, I will marry on my own." With those words, Eilkia turns her steed towards the castle. Her last words thrown over her shoulder directed towards the young man.

"Thanks for showing me what freedom is like, and...good luck with your dragons."

Before Kit was off, Kita following. The Princess in the saddle, not looking back. Knowing she would be to tempted to turn around and return, and never look back. Her brother had been right, by being born a royal, you were glued to the crown. The crown came first, your heart and mind came second. No matter what. The people and the crown came first.

Lycus gave a rather dead stare. His eyes showed no emotion, and for a moment, he was breathless. Eilkia was not a stupid girl, nor was she an idiot, but Lycus was in slight disbelief when she agreed to come back home with him. Granted it was the better option of the two, but to his surprise, she listened. She agreed. And without a doubt, she would eventually move on from her choice. That's what all teenagers did, let alone ones that were stuck with the crown. Especially when it was in the bloodline. Being married off to another kingdom couldn't be easy for anyone, but it was tradition, and while Lycus was not set on agreeing with such actions for anyone, he could at least understand the reasoning behind it.

Lycus couldn't help but give the Princess a look of sympathy. He bit his lower lip, shifting his weight on the ground beneath him, his head lowering as he looked down at his feet. Not in a way of shame, but rather sadness. The Prince was a fine young man, and a damn good soldier from what Lycus could recall. He simple couldn't believe that the man had been taken from this life so soon, and while he was never that close with him, he knew that he meant something to the entirety of the kingdom. Hell, he might've made a better name for the place. Lycus gulped, looking back up at the Princess.

"Kid, your brother's death is not on you. That isn't your fault. He made his choice. Granted he could've stayed back when your father tried denying him, but his mind was set. You know what that makes him? A damn good soldier. That's admirable. Something that even I, as old and grumpy as I am, wish I could be," Lycus replied. He shook his head. "Your brother was a hero."

Lycus simply listened, same with Troy. He hovered off to the side, listening to Lycus and Kia converse with one another. He never really realized how hard that Royal life could be, considering he was simply a man who had a slight obsession with dragons. But he knew that deep down, he envied them. Their names meant something to someone, even if it wasn't that big of a deal. Troy looked towards Kia one last time, hearing her directed words about marrying a man. He smirked, perhaps in his own head about the situation, but he felt a cold stare from Lycus and the look faded.

"You're always welcome, Princess. Come find me around town - can't be hard to miss when I'm dealing with beasts of this size," Troy suggested, offering a toothy grin while Lycus mounted his horse.

"Keep your dragons away from my kingdom, and preferably away from my Princess," Lycus whispered towards Troy, only the younger man being able to hear his words. A threat, really, and Troy returned a rather harsh glare, watching Lycus's hand trail down to his sheathed sword.

"I'm sorry, Eilkia. For everything - your parents demanding that you marry this boy. It's not something that I agree with, if I'm being honest. But you have to understand, it's tradition and isn't a punishment." Troy tried making the situation seem less worse than it was, or even if it was that bad at all. He sniffled slightly, looking around the town for a moment as they began riding back to the kingdom. Hopefully this could be worth something.

Eilika glances at Lycus,"Do you have a sibling?" Her voice was soft now, she would always blame herself. Her brother had always listened to her best, over her parents. The two had been close, and Eilkia knew, no matter what anyone said, she could have convinced him to stay. How could she not? She knew how to sweet talk her brother into staying home. She could have even guilt tripped him, something she was not fond of. But perhaps he would have been alive that day. Perhaps he wouldn't have died. Eilkia agrees,"My brother is a hero." She honored him with everything she had.

Eilkia smiles at the young man, though it was a sad smile. "I'll try my best. With any luck, the worst punishment I receive is more guards." Would she be able to leave the castle again? Probably not. Would her parents ever let her see another dragon? Not as long as they lived. Would Eilkia do everything in her power to escape and find a way to be near dragons? Hell yeah. Without a single doubt, how could she not? She'd gotten a taste of freedom, and no way would she just give it up so easily. Rebellious? Of course. Stubborn? Obviously. She had her heart set on something and she would do what she could to get it.

Though she did not hear the threat, Eilkia was aware of one being made. The glare the two gave each other was a dead giveaway. And she rolls her eyes, men. Eilkia inclines her head,"Hopefully I'll see you around." Was her goodbye to the young man as she turns her steed back towards the castle. The wolfdog at her side at once. She hears Lycus words, but she ignores them. Well, at least for a few minutes. Debating on how she wanted to answer that. Finally, she settled on, screw it. She'd say whatever came to mind, she had nothing to lose now. She'd never respected her parents, and they were well aware of that. What was a few more disrespectful words.

"Traditions can be broken. And I plan on breaking it." She sends a skeptical look sideways,"Are you kidding me? This isn't punishment. Marrying a man who is older than me and only wants me for the union of our kingdoms?" She wrinkles her nose,"God, I honestly rather die." A small smirk plays across her lips,"With any luck, I can chase him off." The kingdom had enough allies, they didn't need another one. So, it wouldn't hurt them to lose this one. The princess was hellbent on doing whatever it took to chase the prince and his father back to their kingdom without a alliance. She was not going to be his bride.

Her father would hate her even more, but she was past caring. With any luck she'd piss him off enough for him to disown her. Maybe she could finally run away. She'd find that young man again, maybe convince him to let her join him and have him teach her how to tame dragon. Let her see some more dragons. A small smile drifts across her face as she imagines her with dragons. No worries, no stress, and definitely no princess duties. It would be a dream come true. The king and his queen could find another heir, they could name someone else. Surely there was some cousin, third, forth, maybe tenth cousin they could crown heir instead.

Lycus shook his head. "None that are around anymore," he inhaled. Lycus only had a sister, younger, dying of a disease just as his mother did. The thought never made him sad, but rather angry as he was too poor to afford any sort of service or medicine for her. She was the sweetest angel that the Earth could have ever possessed. But of course, it had to take her right back out of it. Lycus cleared his throat. "He is." Lycus agreed.

Troy couldn't help but give the same sad smile, even though Lycus had already made it clear that he didn't want him near the Princess. However, would that ever stop someone so intriguing from being in his life? Never. It simply couldn't. When Troy had his eyes set on something, that was his thing. It became his life. Hence why he had been training and taming dragons for as long as he could remember.

"More gaurds just means more people for you to try and avoid. Granted your parents are smart, but they might be idiots for trying that. They'll probably keep you locked in a tower, Princess," Lycus gave a small laugh for his joke, simply to lighten the mood a bit more. Though the tension had slowly faded, he had this sense of anger and resentment. For some reason. Lycus shook his head.

"I think if it's something that makes you want to die, and is something you don't want to do, it's something of a punishment." Lycus was not a teenager or a Royal, but he understood the feeling of wanting to do something else than what you were set to do. "It's in your blood, and because it is and you don't want it, then it's the universe punishing you," Lycus then added.

"I might follow you if you break that tradition. Granted I serve the crown, but nobody said even I had to stick with them," Lycus said. He never agreed with what her parents did at all times, and while he had a respect for them, he never truly liked them. Serving the royal family seemed better than living on the side of the street in some town controlled by them, so he went down this route. However, he still had to serve them, and luckily, his life choices have led him far. He quite literally has personal connections to the King and Queen.

"But hey, just because I might not agree with it doesn't mean I stop doing it. Hence why I'm taking you back," Lycus pointed out, hoping she didn't think any different of the situation.

Eilkia glances sideways at Lycus, so he did know the pain of losing a sibling. She said nothing more on the subject, she didn't like to talk about death. Especially the death of a loved one. She knew there was nothing that could be done to change it, even if her mind wandered and dreamed about what she could have done to save her brother. Once someone was dead, there wasn't much to be done that would bring them back. The dead were the dead. Trying to mess with that ended up in terrible things happening. People had tried it before, and it never worked.

Eilkia smiles at the joke,"Then perhaps I'll need a knight in shining armor to save me from the tower." Her own added joke. An old fairytale of the world, the princess locked in the tower. Guarded day and night by a dragon. Saved by the handsome knight in shining armor who slayed the dragon and set her free. Would Eilkia ever meet her knight in shining armor? The man who could help set her free from her destiny. From the life of a royal. A princess. A heir. The child of parents with no love? For each other or their daughter. Their love was for power and greed.

She sends a side glance at Lycus. Of course the universe was punishing her. Life wasn't that easy. Not for anyone. She did complain about it, though she tried not to. The world was a cruel place, and the humans that inhabited it just made it worse. She knew without a doubt, humans were the most dangerous and cruel creatures on the earth. People like her parents, Brandon, and Brandon's father was proof of that. Living, breathing, solid proof of the cruel and dangerous creatures of the world.

"You're just a knight doing your duty. I cannot hate you for that."

Came the princess' response. She knew the oath the knights took. They served the crown. She was royal, yes, but she was not yet the crown. The knights would always answer first to the king and queen, and then to her. And when Eilkia became queen, then they would answer to her. She could not hate someone, especially if they were just doing their job. Their duty. And a part of her understood that her parents were just doing their duty to. But they truly did not have to make it so miserable.

There were other ways of alliances, they did not have to marry off Eilkia, and they knew that. But, her parents wanted her to suffer. They allowed the proposal of an arranged marriage to come up, and they leaped on it at once. The marriage could go horribly wrong. Once bound to Brandon by marriage, she belonged to him and his kingdom. By the laws of the world. He could break off the alliance and leave Eilkia's kingdom without a hair. There was no telling what he was capable of. And no telling if her parents even checked if the alliance would work.

Lycus scoffed. "I don't think I'll be your handsome knight in shining armor to save you, Princess. I'll be your old, wrinkly knight in shining armor to save you," he added on to the joke, giving a thoughtless chuckle to the idea. Crazy. He shook his head. The Princess really had become someone he could admire, but not because she was strong, but because she knew what to do at the right time. Granted this move that she had just pulled wasn't her smartest one, but it made sense. She made sense, even for Lycus who was a forty year-old escorting the King and Queen's daughter back to them so she could be married off.

He finally felt obligated to something.

"You can't hate me for that, but you can punish me for that," he responded. "Not everything is as it seems, but you would know that. Like that boy back there you were so infatuated with, he's probably some low-profile criminal and thief who plays with dragons as a cover-up," he assumed, though his tone was playful and sarcastic and he meant no harm by it. Lycus had never been that invested to something before, let alone a dragon, something that shouldn't even exist, but here he was. Just encountered one.

In the distance he could see the familiar castle come into view, and he shot a look towards Kia. "Listen, you can go in there and do as you please. Piss your parents off some more, make them send me after you again, whatever," he paused for a moment, "but you know what's right. Tell them you'll go through with it, meet the man you're destined to marry. After that, you're free. Do whatever." Lycus reassured himself in his head that he was telling her the right thing. If her parents ever found out that he had any say in telling her to run off and play with dragons, he'd be hung. He sighed softly.

"Don't make me regret this either," he then muttered, though it was still audible. He shifted his weight in the saddle as they approached the castle, in which the knights standing outside on guard immediately recognized Lycus and opened the gate for the two to enter.

(Short-ish, sorry e.e)

Eilkia smiles at Lycus,"Whatever it takes to get me out of the castle." She grows quiet, staring at the looming castle that was getting bigger and closer with every step. She was half tempted to turn Kizmit around and bolt. The stallion was fast, and there were only so many knights her parents could send after her...

"Punish you for simply doing your job?" Eilkia shakes her head,"That's like me being whipped just because I'm a princess. I can't punish, or hate, someone simply doing their duty. I can't, and I won't. Not now, not ever." She chuckles slightly, yeah she was infatuated, but more with the dragon then the young man. Though, she wouldn't deny she was definitely slightly attracted to the young man. She hadn't ever really met anyone else her age, that was a male. None of the knights were her age, and any knight that was, was still in training, so she never saw them.

Yeah, she knew what was right. Would she do it? Probably not. Her parents never did right by her, why should she do the same? She was not a very good royal anyway, she didn't know why they insisted so on putting her on the throne. She was always roaming around, head in the clouds, dreaming about dragons and running away. And handsome princes who would come and sweep her off her feet. Yeah, cliche, but, the girl did dream of it.

"I'll tell them exactly what I think. I won't lie to them, and they know I won't." She finally responds, as the gates loom closer. Perhaps if she'd never left the castle and saw that dragon, and met that young man, she would have probably married Brandon. She wouldn't have had any fight left, but getting to see a dragon up close, well. That was all she needed. An amused glance was shot at Lycus,"No promises." Then her gaze flashes forward again as the gates open before the princess and the knight.

(It's all good, XD)

Lycus hummed softly to himself after hearing her speak. He then sighed softly. He knew helping her 'escape' wouldn't look good on his end, but he could understand that longing for freedom that the Princess seemingly craved in her life. Obviously Lycus had never experienced such a thing, but he could at least understand her needs and wants from an outsider's point of view. He looked around for a moment, seeing the castle come into a closer view. It seemingly at the horizon line, causing Lycus to realize just how big the structure was. He shook his head after a moment.

Lycus nodded. Granted the Princess could punish him for literally the slightest mistake he could make in his career, but she didn't. She held more power than she let on, all because of her name. It was honestly astonishing. If Lycus were as young as her and had that much power, he'd honestly abuse it. Clearly he would. A child with that much power... It seemed almost impossible to not imagine abusing it in a way that could deem you the villain. Lycus shifted in the saddle of his horse.

"I figured," Lycus inhaled sharply, following her into the castle walls. The heavy doors shut behind them, operated by two men on each side by ropes. He nodded towards them, and the whispers of those around grew louder. Here Lycus was, returning the Princess for (probably) the last time.

(Short, my bad)

As the doors clang shut behind the princess and the knight, dread and distaste fills Eilki. She resists the urge to sneer at the castle and the two figures walking out of the castle. The knights and servants around the courtyard stop and bow to the king and queen. Eilki dismounts, ignoring her parents as she gathers her reins and lead her steed and wolfdog towards the stables. "Eilki!" The princess continues to ignore her parents as she enters the stables. And the king and queen exchange a glance, how long would she ignore them? The queen looks at Lycus, inclining her head slightly, thanking him for retrieving the princess.

Kal and Natela exchange another glance, looking back at Lycus,"When Eilki is finished with her steed, bring her inside to the throne room. Her fiancee is here, and the two must get to know each other." The two then turn around and head back inside.

While inside the stables, Eilki was sort of aggressively brushing Kit, muttering under her breath about her parents and the stupid marriage, and the stupid duties of a royal. Her wolfdog, Kita, was laying off to the side, ears pricked as she watches Eilki. The stallion had his ears back towards Eilki who was still muttering under her breath. The servants and stablehands were avoiding the angry princess, aware of her temper. Eilki sighs as she stoops down to pick Kit's hooves and then to brush his belly.