Airi bolted upright, heart pounding, sweat cold against her skin.
For a moment, the nightmare's bloodstained castle still floated before her, thick and real as a living memory. She clutched the velvet blanket, feeling the tremble in her fingers before she forced herself to breathe.
The world around her was the opposite of that nightmare.
Her bedroom was a vision of impossible luxury—towering walls of pale marble, draped with gossamer curtains that shimmered like captured starlight.
The ceiling was a masterpiece of gilded carvings and delicate, ever-glowing crystal lanterns, casting a soft, enchanting light over everything.
A canopy of rose-gold silk cascaded from the heavens above her bed, studded with thousands of tiny diamond-like flecks that glittered as if the stars themselves had descended just for her.
And the bed beneath her was absurdly vast, layered with thick quilts, satin sheets, and embroidered pillows. A rug of white fur lay sprawled over polished golden wood floors, silencing her every movement.
Before she could steady her breath, there came a soft thump—then a low, familiar rumble of worry.
Airi blinked, then smiled as a small, sleek dragon the size of a large dog scrambled up onto the bed, its silvery scales catching the light like a living mirror. Wide, opal eyes stared up at her, luminous with concern. It nudged her chest with its snout and released a crooning whimper that vibrated through its body.
"Awwww," Airi cooed, her heart melting on the spot. She scooped the dragon up into her arms, hugging the warm, muscled creature close. "Are you worried about Mama~? Come here, big girl."
The dragon, all proud dignity a moment ago, immediately melted into a puddle of adoration, rumbling and wagging its spade-shaped tail as it nuzzled into her lap.
Airi chuckled softly, smoothing a hand down the dragon's sleek head. "You're too cute, you know that? What would I do without you?"
For a time, she just sat there, stroking her pet's shining scales and letting the tension bleed from her body. But unease still stirred at the back of her mind. That dream—no, that vision—wasn't something she could ignore. She would have to tell the princess. Even if it was ridiculous, even if it was just a nightmare, it was better to say something than regret it later. The princess trusted her instincts after all.
As she absently rubbed her dragon's head, her fingers brushed against something cool and solid.
She froze.
There, gleaming under the soft light, was a silver ring wrapped snugly around her ring finger. Thin but unmistakable, inlaid with the faintest line of strange, shimmering runes that shifted when she tried to focus on them.
Airi stared at it, dumbfounded. She hadn't been wearing a ring to bed—she never wore jewelry when she slept. Her stomach twisted. There was only one person who could have—
Her eye twitched dangerously.
"Princess Lunariaaaaa," Airi growled under her breath, her voice dripping with betrayal. "How many times do I have to tell you I like guys?!"
The dragon stirred in her lap, sensing her sudden anger, and chirped uncertainly.
Grumbling, Airi grabbed the ring with her other hand and tugged—first gently, then more forcefully.
Nothing.
Her brows furrowed. She pulled harder, using the strength that could snap a steel sword in two.
Still nothing. It didn't even budge.
Airi sat there, panting slightly from effort, glaring at the traitorous piece of jewelry now glinting mockingly at her. A sinking feeling gnawed at her chest.
"...It's not coming off," she muttered darkly.
The dragon looked up at her, tilted its head, and let out a low sympathetic hum, pressing closer against her side.
"Yeah, yeah," Airi sighed, flopping back onto the luxurious mountain of pillows. "Apparently Mama's life just got way more complicated."
The dragon happily climbed onto her stomach, purring like a giant, contented cat as it curled up, its wings folding neatly against its back.
Airi closed her eyes, feeling the irritating but inescapable weight of the ring around her finger. She grumbled to herself, pulling the fur throw up over her head.
"I'll just make Onii-chan deal with it," she muttered, already imagining her older brother's horrified face as she shoved this ridiculous problem into his hands.
"Deal with what?" a voice chirped sweetly from the doorway.
Airi froze, the dragon's purring faltering slightly.
Peeking from under the blanket, she saw Princess Lunaria standing there, framed by the gold-trimmed double doors. The princess's long silver hair spilled around her like moonlight, her violet eyes sparkling with mischief as she hugged a velvet pillow to her chest.
"What about your dear brother, hmm?" Lunaria asked, tilting her head with exaggerated innocence.
Without missing a beat, Airi grabbed the nearest pillow—a luxurious, overstuffed one embroidered with tiny pearl-like beads—and hurled it straight at the princess's smug face.
Lunaria yelped, laughing, as the pillow bounced off her head and sent her stumbling back a step. She dropped her own pillow and marched forward, hands on her hips in mock outrage.
"You savage!" Lunaria accused.
"You menace!" Airi shot back, holding up her cursed hand and waggling the silver ring in Lunaria's face. "What kind of magic did you put on this stupid ring?!"
The princess clapped her hands together, her laughter bubbling out like music. "I don't knooow," she said far too cheerfully, rocking on her heels.
Airi stared at her flatly.
The dragon, sensing the incoming storm, prudently slid off Airi's stomach and took shelter behind a mountain of pillows, only its sparkling snout peeking out.
"Ohhh, that's definitely confirmation," Airi growled, sitting up and grabbing another pillow.
Lunaria's grin widened, but she threw up her hands defensively. "W-wait! I really don't think I did!"
The slight hesitation, the almost-question at the end of her sentence—I don't think I did?—was all the proof Airi needed.
"You little snake," Airi hissed, lunging.
The bedroom exploded into chaos.
Gleeful shrieks echoed through the golden halls as Airi tackled Lunaria onto the bed, both of them half-laughing, half-wrestling as they exchanged blows with fluffy, jewel-studded pillows. Feathers burst into the air, glinting like snowflakes in the enchanted lights. The dragon chirped from its hiding spot, occasionally batting at floating feathers with its tiny claws.
"You're such a liar!" Airi accused between laughing huffs as she pinned Lunaria's arms above her head.
"I didn't—maybe—I don't remember!" Lunaria wheezed, kicking uselessly at the bedspread as she tried to squirm free.
"You put a ring on me in my sleep like some creep!" Airi barked, brandishing the sparkling silver thing on her hand as evidence.
"Romantic creep!" Lunaria corrected, grinning despite herself. "There's a difference!"
Airi let out an exasperated groan, flopping sideways off the princess and shoving a pillow over her own face.
"This castle is doomed," she mumbled into the pillow.
"And so are you~," Lunaria sang, giggling as she curled up beside her, her silver hair tangling with the pink silk of the bedspread.
The dragon cautiously crept out from behind the pillows, eyeing the two humans with wide, innocent eyes before leaping back onto Airi's side, snuggling in against both girls with a happy chirrup.
Airi smiled and gave the little dragon an affectionate scratch behind its delicate, curved horns. Its eyes fluttered shut, purring even louder as it nestled deeper into the folds of silk and lace.
Beside her, Lunaria shifted. The mattress dipped as the princess leaned closer—much closer—her violet eyes half-lidded with a mischievous sparkle.
Airi barely had time to react before Lunaria tilted her head, lips puckering ever so slightly as she made a bold move toward Airi's cheek.
Airi immediately stuck her hand between them, firmly planting her palm against Lunaria's forehead and pushing her back with all the lazy force of an older sister dealing with an overeager toddler.
"Nope," Airi said flatly, as Lunaria whined and squirmed against her hand.
"I. Like. Guys."
The words were delivered with all the finality of a queen issuing an unbreakable decree.
Lunaria let out a frustrated huff, puffing up her cheeks in a ridiculous pout. She flopped backward onto the bed, arms sprawled dramatically across the pink silk as if Airi had mortally wounded her.
"But whaaaat's so good about guys anyway?" She complained, kicking her slippered feet in the air like a child.
Airi, used to this by now, didn't even bother opening her eyes. She continued rubbing the dragon's head in slow, soothing circles, feeling the slight rumble of its contentment vibrate through the bedding.