Chapter Text
Stiles couldn't focus. His fourteenth birthday celebration was tonight. He wanted it to be perfect. The beautiful Lydia Martin would be there. Stiles was in love with her. She was brilliant and beautiful and perfect. Her strawberry blonde hair shone in the sun and he couldn't get her out of his head. Of course he would have to find a way to make her see that he was better for her then Lord Jackson. He was a prince after all, and a dragon rider. That had to count for something. There was only one problem, despite him being prince of all Alagaesia she didn't seem to know he existed. She knew who he was but it never seemed to occur to her that the gangly spastic teenager in front of her was going to be her monarch in sevenish years. It was all Jackson's fault. So what if he was perfect looking. He was a dick. He teased Stiles all the time.
Jackson just didn't know that Stiles was a Rider. In fact no-one knew outside of the castle. The servants had been ordered to keep quiet about the giant silver dragon that liked to sneak into the kitchen at night and drink all the mead, and it seems like they had. It was fortunate that the King and Queen seemed to inspire royalty instead of treason. They had also chosen their staff well. So neither Lydia nor Jackson knew that Stiles had a dragon that would happily chomp them to bits if she thought that they were being mean to him. But the prince wasn't going to do that. He wanted them alive...well he wanted Lydia alive. One day she would wake up from what ever spell she was under and realize that Stiles knew just how brilliant she was and still loved her for it. She had to pretend she was dumb around Jackson and the other young Lords and Ladies. It wasn't attractive for a Lady of status to be a genius. When Stiles was King he would marry her and make her his royal advisor. She would be able to help him strategize battles and manipulate the Court. She would be the perfect partner.
There was only one problem. Lataini didn't like her. Not at all. It wasn't even because of the fact that she didn't pay any attention to him. In fact it was something Lataini couldn't even put to words.
[For the last time Stiles I don't know. She just feels wrong. Like empty space. I can't tell you why but magic seems to bounce right off her. It makes me nervous.]
Stiles scoffed. [Oh please you could bite her in half without even a thought. Why are you scared of her?]
[I didn't say scared. Just nervous. Please Stiles you need to stay away from her.]
Stiles just rolled his eyes, scoffed and returned to his books. He was currently studying the history of the throne. His dad thought that Stiles needed to learn from all the previous Leader's mistakes, including John's. A good king learned from the past to prevent a horrendous future. The passage was on the rise of Galbatorix. Stiles knew that he would live much longer than normal people because he was part elven not to mention a Rider. He would take measures to ensure that there was someone who would take the throne after an appropriate amount of time had past for his rule. If he couldn't convince Lydia to marry him he would make Scott's eldest child his heir.
[Stiles!]
The prince looked up. He had let his mind wander to Lydia again and it had agitated Lataini.
[You and I share a lifelong bond. We are stuck together until one of us dies. You can't tie yourself to someone that I could never be around. It would create a rift between you and I and also between you and the person you chose. You would eventually have to choose between them and me. It would be a terrible situation for all involved.]
[I hate it when you go all wise Dragon on me.] Stiles grumbled in his head. [You are probably right.]
[Let me show you what I mean the next time I sense her. You will understand why she is dangerous. You may even be able to understand what is wrong where I could not.]
Stiles sighed and nodded, slightly dejected.
Just then Lydia herself walked by the open door of Stiles' room, bringing new meaning to the phrase 'Speak of the Devil and the Devil shall appear.' Lataini knocked over the table and several vases shattered on the floor with her sudden movement.
[That! I did not sense her at all. I did not even know she was in the castle much less about to see me. She is dangerous Stiles!]
[I see what you mean. I did not sense her either. I wonder why. Do you think she has magical protection?]
[Why would someone need that amount of protection at her age. She's just a little older than you Stiles. No I think it's something else. I don't think she's human.]
***
Being the curious teenage he is Stiles needed to find answers or he wouldn't be able to focus on anything else. He waited until that night at his party. The celebrations were spectacular. His father had pulled out all the stops. There were fools, minstrels, fire benders, and best of all dancing. Stiles wasn't being presented to the court yet. That wouldn't happen until his twenty first birthday, but for now the dancing was casual.
Stiles carefully approached Lydia and held out his hand. She stared at it in confusion before looking at him with disdain. "What do you expect me to do, dance with you?"
Stiles could hear Lataini grumble in his head. He halfhazarly threw up some shields to help him focus and keel Lataini from distracting him. "Yes. I believe you owe your future monarch one dance on his birthday." Stiles fought to keep his voice even while trying to insert as much regality as possible into the phrase.
Lydia looked taken aback, like she had no idea who he was. 'Typical,' though Stiles. She carefully took his hand and he lead her out onto the dance floor with steady hands and shaky confidence. As the waltz started he stared into her eyes and shivered. They did seem empty.
He slowly ket down his meager shields and entered her mind. What he found nearly killed him. It was nothing, absolutely nothing. He could feel himself being pulled into the darkness. He knew that he needed to get back into his own head or he would die, his consciousness floating away into black. He fell to the floor nearly taking Lydia with him. He then started to convulse on the stone, foaming at the mouth.
He could dimly hear his mother screaming. It was her frantic voice that gave him the strength to pull back from the void that was Lady Lydia Martin's mind. As he came to himself he could feel his mother at his back but he had eyes only for the monster kneeling next to him.
He reared back in horror and disgust. "What are you?" His voice was laced with fear and revulsion. He then promptly passed out.