Hakone

In case anyone visits from Crown Adventures - Zicatela's mate, and ironically the one she was arranged to marry before her exile. Hakone left his House Obsidian to find Zicatela after hearing of her exile, concerned for her safety. Once finding her, he courted her properly, and they chose to become mates after all. The two can communicate telepathically due to their close bond.



"So the Lord of House Zircon has called off the treaty," Lord Tyrom said, tapping a claw on his desk as he looked out into his courtyard. "Not because we've offended him, but because he's disowned his own daughter. Pity, she seemed decent enough. Unfortunate that she was a solipsist, what, refusing to be married just because she disagreed with the idea."

Hakone looked at his father in disbelief. "Zicatela's been banished?!" He asked.

Tyrom turned around. "Pha, I didn't think you remembered her name. No, she ran away, but in doing so, has been officially exiled from House Zircon. She no longer bears the surname. Nevertheless, we've been promised compensation for our time, and I am already hard at work procuring a new treaty and a new bride for you."

Hakone fell silent. "Maybe I wanted to marry Zicatela though..." He mumbled. "She seemed really nice. I just wanted a chance to court her properly."

"She is none of your concern now, Hakone, a no-name such as her is not worth your time." Tyrom said sternly. "If you had such strong feelings about her, why didn't you talk her down from the foolishness?! You would've had all the time in the world to court her and get to know her after your union."

"I didn't want to make her uncomfortable!" Hakone countered. "What's so important with having a treaty with another house anyways?! What if I don't want to marry another nobleman's daughter, what if I want to choose my own wife?"

Tyrom snarled. "Noble blood begets noble blood, Hakone. You are the future of House Obsidian. If you do not marry and produce an heir, then House Obsidian ceases to exist. Not to mention, if you join with another house's daughter and give them an heir, House Obsidian gets larger. We get more influence and wealth. And we have to hurry up and do this if we want to keep our control over this part of the region."

"What do you plan to do, take over the whole Sea of a Thousand currents?" Hakone yelled back. "And what do you mean we have to hurry? I'll always be the heir, won't I? What's there to rush?!"

"The longer we wait, the more of a chance that it'll be discovered you aren't my true heir!" Tyrom shouted.

Hakone froze. "Wh-what do you m-mean? I'm your.... I'm your only son?"

"Adopted." Tyrom snarled heartlessly. "You were never my blood, but a dark looking wildclaw such as yourself would easily pass off as mine."

"But you always said that my mother died of an illness before I hatched! And that's why I never had a mother!" Hakone said. "You lied to me this whole time?!"

"Tsk," Tyrom hissed. "Do you really think anyone would let their daughter marry me? Do you really think that any dragoness would willingly bear my children?" He snarled, grabbing Hakone's chin. "Unlike you, I don't have the bright, shiny markings you bear, nor do I have a dashing face. I had no choice but to adopt a pathetic whelp like you and pass you off as my own. You're not even a water dragon!"

Hakone pulled away from his father. He opened his mouth to say something, but Tyrom wouldn't even let him have a chance.

"Think Hakone, without me, you would just be an orphan. I took you in, I gave you my nobility. You stand to inherit all of my wealth when I die, and be know as Hakone of the Obsidian. It would be in your best interest if you were to just keep your mouth shut and go along with it." Tyrom said with a toothy grin.

Hakone furrowed his brows and scowled. "Did you really think no one would find out? I mean, you just admitted it all to me in anger."

"Oh, everyone would have found out, but by then it would've already been too late," Tyrom responded. "You would've been a nobleman, and even if they tried to undermine you, they'd have no proof of their claims. You would be Obsidian's head, you'd even have the power to shut them up if you wanted to. It doesn't take much to take a squealing pig to the slaughterhouse." Tyrom repsonded with a deadly serious expression.

Hakone felt his blood run cold. It seemed his own father was just as cold-hearted as Zicatela's. He averted his gaze.

"That's what I thought," Tyrom said in a low voice. "Now return to your room while I work through these proposals and see who is worthy of our power and who is not. I don't want you marrying a Fae after all."

Hakone scoffed and stomped out of the room, slamming the office doors shut behind him. He did as he was told, running up to his room, but instead of studying or napping like he usually would've done, he began to gather what little belongings he could get packed in a bag. Really, he didn't have a large pack like a duffel bag or even a back pack, more or less a small satchel he could strap to his tail. Regardless, he packed away what he could, gathering up anything small and valuable that he could sell or trade to keep himself afloat after he left.