<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #800040">Termagant</span></span></div><br/>“Three already? Intriguing,” the dragon rumbled between mouthfuls of pudding, too excited to bother with trying to use a spoon. Instead, she dove her muzzle into the container, as Lili’s command to move promptly for work caught up to Termagant. Around Lili’s presence, she always felt comfortable being herself, as the two had become rather close comrades ever since that fateful day of the past King’s demise. Close enough to even let Lili see Termagant roar - a beastly act the dragon only dared to express when she absolutely could not control herself. It wasn’t very polite to shed mass amounts of saliva and sharp teeth when you were in the company of royalty, after all.<br/><br/>“Alexander used to have a bit of a sweet tooth when he was a young lad, just like me,” she mused as she finished off the rest of the dessert, turning to meet Lili’s gaze, “though you’ve known him ever since ten moons of his birth!” A leathery smile creased across her face - she had only been an observer when she caught sight of a younger Lili and Alexander playing together around the castle, but from what she could tell, they shared a rather strong friendship. This pleased Termagant greatly, like any other foster-dragon-guardian would.<br/><br/>She beamed at Lili’s mention of necromancy, her eyes curving into half-moon shaped smiles. Magic always felt like a wonder to Termagant; still lingering inside her gut was a little bit of jealously of her biological siblings for being able to breathe flames from their toothy jaws. They had told her she’d grow into the sorcery as it ran through every dragon’s bones, but alas, the darned creature was already 50 years too old for such a miracle - in this way, it could be said that ‘Lills’ became the magic to her wings. Just thinking that made Termagant feel one hundred times more poetic and human-like. Horaah.<br/><br/>The air seemed to turn still at Lili’s final statement. Tossing the pudding jar away, Termagant stretched out her four limbs in an upward stance as her opposing friend talked, her wings tightly angled to her sides as the dragon sunk to the floor and sat down facing the messenger lady. “I… I wouldn’t take a side. I can’t. I ne’er have to begin with, for I was King Gabby’s dragon, not the boys’.” Moving over onto the bed, Termagant’s body sprawled behind Lili, her head peeking under the human’s arm to rest on her lap. “If it does escalate… It will not be my fight. I will, however, do everything in my power to protect all three of them, as that is what their father wanted.” She crooned, a growl of a hum confirming her statement. It truly was a sad thought that it had come to this; how could three siblings turn out so different due to something as petty as land and power? Then again, dragons were greedy in nature, so she didn’t really have much say in that regard.<br/><br/>Termagant burst into a sudden surge of energy, moving her head upwards to Lili’s face. “‘Ey, you<span style="font-style: italic">doubt</span>my abilities, Lills?! No human will<span style="font-weight: bold">dare</span>compare to the moving scales-of-steel that is yours truly! I’ll bite their heads off<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">and</span></span>the bars of whatever prison dare attempts to hold you captive! They’ll be dancing with the<span style="font-style: italic">wrong</span>dragon, that’s for sure.” The dragon revealed a deep chuckle from the back of its throat as she carefully nuzzled Lili’s cheek, Termagant’s strong build thus confirming that hopping on her back ensured first-class safety better than any other noble steed.