Chapter Text
“Explain yourself now, Keith!” Krolia’s voice boomed around the surrounding as she stared down at her son in disgust and shame. To think her own flesh and blood would be caught protecting an Elf and not just any Elf, a dragon slayer. Keith didn’t flinch as his mother screamed at him practically snarling, he moved Lance further back behind him to protect him from his mothers wrath. Keith didn’t know what to say but he knew he wasn’t going to apologize for saving Lance. “Why are you with this Elf? Is this where you’ve been for the past year? Seeking companionship with this thing?”
Keith felt Lance flinch behind him as his mother spoke harshly at him. Keith felt a wave of protectiveness overcome him as he placed his hand over Lance’s that was trembling on his arm, he wasn’t going to allow her to speak to his mate like that.
He knew that this would end badly for them but he wanted to believe in Lance, that they would somehow find a place where they could just be them. Lance sold him on that dream and he would do anything to make it happen.
“Mother please he’s not like them, Lance saved me!” Keith stepped forward to his mother making sure to keep her and Shiro far away from Lance. “If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be alive, please give him sanctuary. His people banished him for saving me.”
Keith felt the rumble of her growl before he heard it, he moved back to shield Lance from the smoke and small flames that erupted from her mouth as she spoke.
“You foolish boy, you expect me to grant this Elf safety after how many of us they have slaughtered?” Keith’s scowl deepened as his mother spoke. No not his Lance, Lance was different he didn’t kill just to kill. Keith also doubted he’d even be able to kill a dragon. “if he’s not like them, then tell him to take off his shirt.” Keith’s scowl disappeared and confusion overtook it, as he craned his head to look back at Lance to see if he understood what she was saying.
Lance had an annoyed look on his face but it was also mix with regret, Lance squeezed Keith’s arm before lifting his head to smile up at him with sad eyes. Keith quickly turned around to cup Lance’s face and look down at him, he began to rub his thumb across his cheek, searching for answers in his eyes. “Lance what is she saying, please partner. Tell me.” Lance placed his hand over Keith’s and closed his eyes for a moment breathing in his scent one last time.
“I’m sorry, Keith.” He whispered and Keith’s eyes widen as Lance stepped from behind him and in front of Krolia. He started to unbutton his tunic and then his undershirt, Keith watched as he undressed in front of his mother, Shiro and the whole council. The possessiveness in him starting to take over once Lance stood half naked in front of these strangers, no one should have the right to look at him like that.
“Show me your back.” Krolia sneered as Lance’s shirt finally hit the floor. Lance let out a breath before turning around and showing her what she knew all along, it looked like a tribal piece, it was blue in color and seemed to resemble a star. Keith raked his eyes over Lance’s back, nothing new; Keith has seen this tattoo many times since he’s known Lance. Sure at the beginning of their relationship he hid it but slowly he opened up to him, Keith didn’t understand what was so bad about it.
“He is marked, he killed one of our own!” Krolia boomed as the others around erupted in anger cheers. “And from the size of it, he killed one of my generals.” Krolia snarled as her tail agitatedly hit the sulfur floor below them. “Tell me Elf, do you remember the name of the dragon you killed? Or did you not bother to get it because we’re nothing but meat to you?!” Keith didn’t believe it, no not Lance. Not his sweet, kind Lance who saved him as child, who protected him. Lance would never hurt anyone! As Keith opened his mouth to protest his mothers harsh accusations his nose twitched when he smelled the bitter and overwhelming smell of anger coming from Lance.
“Sendak.” Lance spoke with a coldness Keith didn’t even know he was capable of, Keith saw the look in his eye. The pure hatred that name brought to him and then it suddenly clicked in his mind, what his mother was trying to prove to him.
Lance hates dragons.
He’s just like them, he’s not different.
Lance quickly turned around to face Keith’s mother causing Shiro to put himself in front of her and bear his teeth at him. Lance started up at them with no fear in his eyes but pure grief and sadness “I killed him because he killed Maria Serrano McClain, our clan leader, my mother!” Lance spoke through gritted teeth and angry tears streaming down his face, Krolia’s eyes softened slightly as she saw the sorrow and hurt on the young boys face. She knew this boy was no older than Keith, still growing, learning to become an adult but she couldn’t show him mercy. She had to get justice for her people.
“For the crime of killing general Sendak…” Krolia closed her eyes for a moment as if to reconsider her words, her gaze then landed on Keith, her one and only son. She saw the heartbreak on his face as he looked on to the Elf with a gaze of longing. She knew that look all too well, wanting to take the pain and hurt from them and make it your own but not being able to.
What a horrible feeling for one so young to feel.
He was clearly hurting for this boy and it made so much more harder for her to do this. “You will be executed. Shiro, take him to the dungeon until morning, he will be behead at first light.” Lance rolled his tear stricken eyes as the black dragon before him shifted into a human to roughly grab him by his left arm, twisting it behind his back and doing the same with his other one. He was roughly pushed in the directions of doors that lead to the prison.
“No wait! Please mother don’t do this!” Keith screamed after her as he swayed between chasing after her and Shiro. Keith started to hyperventilate as he watched Lance get taken away, he couldn’t calm down he didn’t think when he spoke all he knew is he couldn’t let them hurt Lance. “Mother please he’s my-!”
“Keith no!” Lance yelled after him struggling to get out of Shiro’s grip. “Look at me! Look at me!” Lance kicked and thrashed in Shiro’s strong hold, he looked into Keith’s eyes mustering every emotion in his eyes to stop him from doing what he was about to do. Keith looked at him as Shiro yanked him to the ground and forcing him back on his feet again. “Keith don’t! I’ll be okay I promise! I will find a way to get us out of here- just don’t do it!” Lance was panicking as Shiro roughly yanked him by the hair and pushed him through the door almost shutting it. Keith was going to do it, he was going to kill himself.
“He’s my mate! If you kill him, you have to kill me too!” Keith yelled after his mother, chest puffed with pride finally being able to claim Lance publicly.
“Keith! You idiot!” Lance sobbed out brokenly, being held up by Shiro as his legs gave out from under him. Keith was going to die with him now, he couldn’t protect him.
The room stood still for a moment, Krolia stopped where she stood, Shiro and Lance glued to the doorway neither not daring to move. “That’s how it works right?” Keith questioned as he chuckled slightly, seeming to find the matter funny. “True mates can’t live without each other, right?” Krolia flinched at the jab Keith made clearly intended for her. “So I’m dead either way.” Keith smiled up at his mom, coming to terms with the fact they were doomed. This fatal love was like poison right from the start. But Keith would do it all over again, if he got to be with Lance.
He felt the unshed tears being to fall from eyes as he slowly moved his gaze to Lance trying to memorize his face before he can no longer look at him. Lance met his sorrowful gaze and couldn’t hold back the painful sob that ripped from his throat, again trying to get out of Shiro’s grasp to run to Keith. Again Lance was losing his home again and it was all because of dragons.
Krolia didn’t believe her ears, could this boy be anymore shameful. She felt tears being to gather in her eyes as she stared at her son, this was the first time she ever saw him cry. To think an Elf could get more emotion out of her son than her.
“Adam!” Krolia called as she stared at Keith unblinking a single tear sliding down her scaly cheek. “Lock my son away, far in the castle. He will be executed along with his precious Elf.” With that she quickly left the room as Adam took hold of Keith’s arm and pulled him in the opposite direction of Lance.