"That sums up the whole story," Leon concluded.
In their cozy bedroom, Rossweise lay comfortably on the bed, one hand resting gently on her rounded belly. Leon sat beside her, carefully peeling an apple as he recounted the day's adventure.
After listening, the queen nodded slowly. "So, according to your brilliant strategy and heroic decision-making, you single-handedly defeated the Six-Winged Dragonhawk and recovered..." Her eyes drifted to the lone Jade Dew Dragonfruit on the bedside table. "...this single, precious fruit. Is that correct?"
"Exactly! You are so clever, darling. That is the perfect summary," Leon replied, his grin spreading from ear to ear.
Rossweise let out a soft scoff and pulled a small notebook from under her pillow. She flipped it open to the first page. "Yet, according to the official guard report filed by Shirley, the one who landed the decisive blow on the dragonhawk was our daughter, Noah."
She placed the notebook down and rested her cheek in her hand, giving her husband a deeply playful and teasing smile. "Meanwhile, you, my dear husband, our wise and courageous Silver Dragon Prince, missed every single attack and served primarily as a springboard for your daughter. Is that not also correct?"
Leon's face flushed a bright red, but he tried to defend his honor. "Well, Noah was using Thunder Wolf Breakthrough and Chidori, both techniques that I taught her. So technically, I deserve at least a third of the credit."
"Oh? Fine, I will grant you that for your one-third contribution," Rossweise said, her tone dripping with mischief. "But that still does not explain why you only brought back one dragonfruit. Shirley's report clearly states that you recovered two."
A cold sweat broke out on Leon's forehead. "Uh, well... you see..."
Rossweise smacked the edge of the bed playfully, pretending to be furious. "Admit it! You gave the other one to some little dragoness you met outside, did not you?"
Leon: ?
If Leon ever wrote a memoir, he could title it 'How to Turn a Cold and Domineering Queen into a Whimsical Girl.' The simple answer was: get her pregnant.
He could not quite fathom why her mood swings seemed to grow more dramatic with each pregnancy. When she was carrying Aurora, he had barely managed to keep up. Now, with their fourth child, her playful, unreasonable tantrums had become a daily occurrence.
Not that he truly minded. In fact, he found this more expressive side of her incredibly endearing—far more so than her usual, imposing demeanor.
"Alright, fine. I gave it to another dragoness. Are you happy now?" Leon played along with her joke.
"Leon."
"Yes, my love?"
"I can tease you, but you cannot tease me back."
"Why not?"
"Because I cannot handle it."
Leon laughed, shaking his head in surrender. "Fair enough. You are nothing if not honest."
By now, Leon had finished peeling and slicing the apple. He arranged the pieces neatly on a small plate, added a few toothpicks for ease, and placed it on the bedside table within her reach.
"Actually," he began, his tone turning sincere, "the other dragonfruit went to the Six-Winged Dragonhawk's mate. She is pregnant, too. The male stole the fruit to help her. I did not find out until we had already defeated it, so I decided to leave one for them."
"And why did you not lead with that story?" Rossweise asked, already knowing the answer.
"Because you are my wife, and I thought leaving my name out of it would be poetic," Leon quipped.
"Rubbish. You are my husband; there is no need for poetry between us."
Leon grinned sheepishly. Rossweise shot him an exasperated look before she laughed, her false annoyance melting away into genuine amusement.
"Shirley's report mentioned it already. I was just teasing you on purpose."
"I figured as much."
"And you still played along?"
"Of course. Does not pregnancy come with its own set of privileges?"
Rossweise's smile was warm and full of affection. Some people show their love by patiently enduring their partner's every whim, no matter how trivial or unreasonable. Leon was one of those people. He never showed a hint of frustration, always humoring her, because he knew her true boundaries and respected them completely.
Rossweise picked up a slice of apple and held it to Leon's lips. "You have earned this. Now, open wide."
"Ah—" Just as Leon leaned forward to take it, Rossweise pulled the apple back and popped it into her own mouth. She bit down but left half of it teasingly between her lips. She looked at him, a mischievous, challenging glint in her eyes, and tilted her chin up.
"Oh, you little dragoness," Leon growled in mock anger. "If you are going to play games, then I will just have to take it from you."
With that, Leon pounced, gently pinning Rossweise beneath him as he stole the remaining half of the apple straight from her mouth. She giggled, her protests weak and half-hearted.
"Careful! Do not press on my belly."
"Where do you think you are putting your hands?"
"Alright, alright, you win! Stop—ah! That tickles—stop it!"
"Do not pull my tail!"
Their playful tussle ended in a fit of shared laughter and a few stolen kisses. The moral of the story was clear: once you offer your husband an apple, you should not take it back, unless you are prepared for the consequences.
.
.
.
A week later, the grounds of St. Heath Academy were bustling for the young dragon graduation ceremony.
"Inside scoop, folks: Noah ranked first in the practical exam," Claudia announced, crossing her arms as she observed Leon and Rossweise trying to look inconspicuous in a corner. "So why do you two look so nervous? Who are you hiding from?"
Leon and Rossweise quickly shushed her with identical, frantic gestures.
Claudia raised a skeptical eyebrow. "An enemy?"
They shook their heads.
"A debt collector?"
Another shake.
"Then what could you possibly be hiding from—"
"Ah, there you are, Mr. Leon, Miss Rossweise!" a horribly familiar, cheerful voice called out from behind Claudia.
In that instant, Claudia saw an expression on the couple's faces she had never witnessed before: pure, unadulterated despair.
She turned to find herself face-to-face with the beaming Vice Principal Wilson.
"Ah, Claudia! It is wonderful to see you as well!" the elderly dragon exclaimed, adjusting his monocle. After giving Claudia a brisk, polite handshake, he zeroed in on the cornered couple.
"Leon! My boy!" Wilson seized Leon's hand in a firm, enthusiastic grip. "I hear you and Rossweise are preparing for the arrival of another child. What wonderful, wonderful news!"
Leon chuckled awkwardly. "Well, you know how it is..."
"Wonderful! Truly wonderful!" Wilson gushed, his eyes shining. "Your contributions to the future of the dragon race are beyond commendable. Exceptional, really!"
Typically, dragon families aimed for one or two children to maintain a "few but exceptional" approach, ensuring their bloodlines remained potent. Yet, Leon and Rossweise had already far surpassed this, having three prodigies in just seven years, with a fourth on the way. What made it more remarkable was the exceptional talent each of their children displayed. Naturally, Vice Principal Wilson was convinced their fourth child would be just as extraordinary and was already determined to recruit them for St. Heath Academy.
"Really, Leon, your efforts are invaluable! The future of the dragon race owes you a great debt!" Wilson continued, his gratitude so overwhelming it was almost a physical force.
Leon's smile was frozen in place. "Ah, yes... We are just doing our part."
Beside him, Rossweise remained perfectly silent, fearing that any comment might redirect the vice principal's relentless enthusiasm onto her.
Eventually, Wilson had to leave to prepare for the ceremony, allowing the couple to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"That was somehow more terrifying than any debtor," Claudia remarked dryly.
Leon wiped imaginary sweat from his brow and gently helped Rossweise do the same. "The last time we managed to escape the vice principal's... enthusiasm... was months ago, at the young dragons' orientation."
"How did you manage it that time?" Claudia asked.
"Constantine distracted him for us."
"Ah," Claudia mused, a faint smile touching her lips. "The mad dragon's value increases yet again."
The graduation ceremony began shortly after. The young dragons, clad in custom-made ceremonial robes, lined up neatly to receive their diplomas.
"Congratulations, Helena, for graduating third in your class. Here is your certificate. Keep working hard!" announced Principal Angelina Olette.
"Thank you, Principal Olette," Helena said, bowing deeply as she accepted the scroll.
"Frontai, congratulations on earning second place in your exams. Here is your certificate," Vice Principal Wilson said, handing the scroll to the next student.
Finally, the two administrators approached the top student of the entire class. They knelt slightly to be at her eye level as they presented her diploma.
"Noah C. Melkvey, congratulations. You are the youngest and most outstanding student in St. Heath Academy's history to graduate from the young division. Your name will be etched into the academy's hall of honor, alongside those of countless greats."
Principal Olette then produced a gleaming golden medal and pinned it carefully to Noah's chest.
"May the Holy Tiamat Medal illuminate your path forward," she declared solemnly.
Taking Noah's hand, she turned to face the crowd of teachers, proud parents, and fellow students, raising the young prodigy's arm high. In that moment, thunderous applause erupted, a roaring wave of sound celebrating her achievement, and her alone.