No Matter What

The sounds of fabric ripping and an angry hiss echoed in the lavish chambers of the Lorendor King and Queen. Standing in front of a large full body mirror, stood the king, Takashi. He cursed in elvish and threw the ruined shirt to the ground, it landed on top of four others and he paced around the room, his still new and alien tail lashing behind him in agitation. 

He had been trying to put on a shirt for the past hour, but each attempt ended in his new, and stupid, horns tearing the shirt beyond repair. So he paced around his quarters in annoyance, shirtless and cursing in elvish. 

Takashi exhaled forcibly through his nostrils in his frustration. This was embarrassing, here he was, the king to a prosperous and mighty nation, and he was having trouble dressing himself. But this of course wouldn't have been a problem if he hadn't had been a dragon slayer since he was fourteen, then this wouldn't have happened to him. His ears lowered, and he frowned. There was no sense beating himself up over his past choices, he had no way of knowing that dragon slaying would eventually end with him becoming a dragon himself. 

Then the self doubt began to creep in. What if he was actually an awful king? He couldn't properly rule as he was now, a kingdom built on dragon slaying wouldn't take a dragon for a king. 

He was an awful father. After all he had run his own son, Ryusei, through the chest with his own sword. Of course he thought Ryusei was a dragon that had killed his son at the time, but that didn't change the fact that he had almost killed his own child. He had even dragged his other boys into this too, and now they were cursed as well. What did Aoi and Himawari think of him? Oh no, what did his wife, Fumiko, think of him? was she just as disgusted with him now as he was with himself? Would she leave him? Would he be left all alone? 

Takashi unconsciously wiped a tear from his cheek, he hadn't even realized that he had been crying. And now that he was, it was like the tears just wouldn't stop. He wiped at them furiously, but the damn things just continued to roll down his cheeks unhindered no matter what he tried. He hiccuped a little bit as he gave up and just let himself cry, sinking to the floor and burying his face in his hands. His long tail curled tightly around his form and his ears drooped so severely that the touched his shoulders. 

"Taka?" A soft voice asked poking her head into their bed chambers. She had heard something that sounded like crying, and worried she'd come to check on him. Upon seeing him kneeling on the floor crying, Fumiko rushed into the room and fell next to him. 

"Takashi, darling, what's wrong?" Fumiko asked concerned, rubbing his bare shoulders. 

"D-do you think I'm hideous? Something t-that's not worthy of love and a terrible king? And an even worse father?" He asked between sobs. His fears making his words tumble out unbidden. 

Fumiko pulled back taken aback by his questions. It had only been about two weeks since he, Ryoma, Haruki, and Ryusei had returned to the kingdom changed. Had this been eating at him the entire time? 

"What? No, no, of course not! Takashi, you're not hideous. And you're a wondeful king and an even better father." Fumiko said softly. Takashi looked up from his hands, his eyes rimmed red. 

"Seriously?" He asked in disbelief. "Fumiko I'm a monster now, how can you still love me like this? And I almost killed Ryusei..." 

Fumiko frowned and took Takashi's face in her hands. "Takashi," she said sternly. "First off you didn't know and it all worked out in the end. Ryusei is ok and here, right now, safe and sound in this castle. And secondly, I love you more than life itself. I don't care what you look like, you could have grown two more heads for all I care. I would love you no matter what." 

"Really?" He asked not quite believing her. 

"Yes, my love. You're a good father, a good king, and I'd love you no matter what you looked like." Fumiko said softly leaning in to kiss his forehead right between his horns. 

Takashi moved to hug her tightly. She always knew what to say. 

"Thank you, love." He said. "You always know what to say. I don't know what I'd do without you." 

Fumiko hugged him back, tightly. "Of course, Taka. I know it's hard right now, but it'll get easier. You'll feel like your old self again in no time! You'll see." 

Takashi nodded, and sighed. She was right, things would get better, eventually.