Chapter 2

Arieh and Levi quietly make their way back to their room, climbing from the courtyard to the window of their room, a technique they had been using for years to sneak in and out to be safe and alone. They sat on their respective beds and attempted to look as casual as possible.
There was a knock on the door and the pair looked at each other before Arieh spoke. "Come on in."
The door opened and Leviatis stepped in, his hands behind his back, looking deadly serious. 
"Uhhh heheh, hi dad... Everything okay?" Arieh asked softly.
"Of course, everything is fine. The meeting went over well, we got lots of things worked out between the dragons and the cats." Leviatis said cheerfully, sitting down on Levi's bed. Levi himself was struggling not to start shaking and Arieh could see it in his eyes.
"We had a good day too, lots of sword practice. Levi still has me beat in strength but I'm still quicker" Arieh bragged while trying to change the topic.
Leviatis nodded " Good, good. You both have strength in your own ways as princes should be. You'll both make fine warriors one day." The king got up from his sons bed. "I'll see you both at dinner soon, your mother will be joining us tonight." Leviatis closed the door with that sentence and left both boys staring at each other.
The queen never joined them for dinner, she was hardly seen even by them. Levi and Arieh never knew where she went or what she did, they had only ever see her maybe once a year and always at dinner, then she leaves again until next time. They asked Leviatis about her one time but he refused to speak about her until they were older.
"Well, I guess she's making her yearly visit... First dad brings home a captive dragon and lies about it, then the queen decides to grace us with her presence this evening." Arieh said while getting up from his bed and moving over to Levi who was still sitting there staring motionless. "Well come on Lev, it'll be alright. She's as much as your mother as mine, I hate that she's never around too..."
Levi turned his head and locked eyes with Arieh "I don't hate that she's never around, I hate her! She's never here! She leaves us alone and dad is by himself every night. Damn her, I wish she'd just stay gone and keep doing whatever she does!" Leviatis roared, startling Arieh and making him jump.
"Levi, don't say that, she's your mother!" Arieh cried, his heart pounding still from Levi's sudden outburst.
Levi stood up with tears in his eyes and his hands formed into tight fists. "If she were my mother she wouldn't disappear for a year at a time and only come back for dinner once. We never even get close to her, she always sits at the head of the table with her guards on the left and right."
"Alright! I won't defend her! I hate her too, I don't want to argue... Let's just get this over with..." Arieh sighed, putting his arms around Levi in a tight hug. The pair calmed down and pulled on their fine clothes, Levi choosing to wear his gauntlets and armored boots like his father always did. Arieh donned his white shirt with the gold swirling patterns that danced down the arms.
Together they made their way to the large dinning hall where Leviatis and the queen already sat.
The queen had dark red scales that sparkled like rubies on her skin. She was beautiful by any races standards, but especially dragons, every scale perfect in its place under her polished gold armor that left her flat stomach and back exposed along with her upper arms. Her head was adorned with long blue feathers similar to Levi's, and her eyes were green and bright. She had a kind smile on her as Arieh and Levi walked to the table in silence and sat down next to each other across from Leviatis. They all set together quietly for a few minutes before Leviatis finally broke the silence. "Rellien, it's good to see you again. How have-"
"Oh please spare me your small talk attempts Leviatis, I'm not here to chit chat with you. I'm here to talk to my son, the prince of dragons."
Levi and Arieh stared at thier father in fear, waiting for him to explode at such disrespect. "Yes my queen..." Leviatis growled as he looked down to avoid meeting the eyes of his sons.
Levi looked from his mother to his father and back before speaking. "And what do you want with me, mother? It must be important if you bothered to come visit us yourself." Levi spat, fire flashing in his eyes. Arieh sat quietly watching and waiting, he knew very well that the queen did not like him very much.
"I see you've got your father's old attitude, arrogant and so full of himself. You would do good to learn to be more respectful to your mother." The queen hissed, her soft eyes turning to slits.
"You are hardly a mother to me, but I don't have the patience to argue with a you. What do you want?" Levi snarled, his tail swishing behind him in anger.
"I'm here for you, boy. You are almost of age, it's time I take you with me to learn how to be a proper King like your father." Rellien said, regaining her calm composure.
"Take me? Take me where? I think I'd rather stay here and learn to be King from the king, not the runaway queen." 
"You don't have a choice, Leviatis the second. There is so much you still don't understand, and only one can explain. And that pet cat you keep around is only holding you back."
Arieh's ears flicked in distaste and glared at the queen who ignored him completely.
"I do have a choice in the matter! I would love to see you drag me with you, you old hag. And if you ever speak of Arieh in that manner again, I'll come over there smack some respect into you!"
The Queens guards turned and halfway drew their swords at the threat, but she raised her hand and motioned them to put them away. "Very well, Arieh I apologize. Levi where we are going will make you ten times stronger, and much wiser. You'll return a hero to your kingdom. I'll give you until tomorrow to reconsider my offer."

The rest of the night carried on without event, they ate in silence. The first to leave was the king, then Levi and Arieh not long after. They wandered slowly back to their room, the castle windows all open and letting in the cool summer breeze. Back in their room Levi was pulling off his gauntlets and shirt while sitting on the edge of his bed. Arieh was sitting on the windowsill, staring out at the lights of the other islands and the building below.
"You know she won't let me take you with me, right?" Levi said softly, setting his pair of gauntlets on his nightstand.
"I know..." Arieh said even quieter, gazing out into the world. "I don't want to go without you. Nothing she can offer is worth leaving you behind." Levi said while choking back tears.
"I don't want to hold you back... If what she is offering really will make you that powerful, I don't want to hold you back from that." Arieh whispered and wiped his eyes.
"What good is power when I don't have someone to share it with?"
Arieh sniffed and held back his tears "You'd come back some day and I'd still be here for you Levi."
Levi didn't reply. They sat in silence both buried in their own thoughts. Arieh fell asleep with a weight on his chest as thoughts of Levi leaving him all alone for who knows how long lurked through his mind...