Even though flying on dragon back makes for quick travel, Esmond didn't wish to tire his dragon out on their first flight together. He took many breaks along the way, making sure to rest himself, which would also give his family more time to prepare for a new dragon to be in their land and home. During this time, he got to know Dionaea a bit better, based on what he could understand anyway. She was a pretty quiet dragon who would look like she was never paying any attention, almost oblivious, yet she would be the first to react to anything, whether it was sight or sound. Esmond feels like there is a lot to learn about his dragon. He senses a bit of mystery about her, but he isn't sure what.

Looking up at Dionaea, he could see her focus on him, always watching over him and waiting for what he was about to do next. He raises his hand, and she lowers her face towards it, gently rubbing up against it. It still amazed him that even a creature this large could be so gentle, knowing its size, strength, and when to hold back. Though he had seen it with other people and their dragons, it wasn't something he could really understand himself until now.

With the sun almost fully up, Esmond looks up at the sky. He thinks to himself that it would be better to head off now while the sun is still high, so he arrives back home with the sun up. Although he was enjoying his travels on his own, he is needed back at home.

Dionaea suddenly lays down, placing her wing at an angle that would help Esmond climb up, as if reading his mind. She was big, so it did help to get on, but he did wonder how she came to learn this. Esmond doesn't keep her waiting and climbs up, almost stumbling at one point. He wasn't yet accustomed to this. As he settles into the saddle, he ensures everything is securely fastened. When he thinks he's ready to get going, Dionaea starts getting up and stretching her wings out, like she was warming herself up before her flight. She then steadies herself and turns her head slightly to the side so she can look at Esmond. He smiles at her and says, "Let's head home," but it seemed as if he didn't need to utter a word as she sprinted forward across the vast field they were in, flapping her wings a few times until they lifted her off the ground. Flying was still the best feeling for Esmond; he never once felt afraid while riding Dionaea, but unfortunately for him, this was only a short flight before they would make it back home.

And home did soon come into sight—a large mansion surrounded by fields and forests, with a small town sighted off in the distance from the mansion. It was the sole residence Esmond had ever known. As they drew nearer, he noticed a darker silhouette approaching them at a significantly faster pace than the house itself. It took him a minute before he realised it was Miasma, but he was unsure why. Maybe his mother had come to greet him, but that didn't really sound like something his mother would do. And it wasn't long before he could see that she wasn't there on Miasma.

Though dragons can be territorial, it was only when they were in the wild. With humans, it was very rare that they would fight for territory; usually, it would only be for personal space. So it shocked Esmond when Miasma suddenly made a threatening screech towards him, looking ready to attack at any moment. Esmond's heart started to beat fast. He was unsure if he was seeing and hearing things correctly, but the warning growl coming from Dionaea confirmed his thoughts.

Esmond starts thinking to himself that it might be best to fly low and head towards the house, and Dionaea does not waste time waiting for a command as she takes a sudden dive, catching Esmond off-guard. It was almost like she was reading his mind—not something he had ever heard of before. But he didn't have time to think about that, as Miasma was quick to follow, using her agility to catch up. She seemed angry—an anger Esmond had never seen in her before.

Miasma, who was close to catching up, started biting towards Dionaea's tail, trying hard to land a bite but always just missing. As she angrily shrieked at her adversaries, her frustration was starting to show.

The dragons and Esmond were close to the house now that they started circling around it in flight; it was too dangerous to land just yet with Miasma's fury still going strong. Esmond didn't want to hurt Miasma, but he also didn't want him or his dragon to suffer any harm or, worse, death. However, it appeared Dionaea had other ideas, as she suddenly took a sharp turn, throwing Miasma off her tail long enough to reposition herself so that she was fully facing her. And before Esmond could even think or say a word, the dragons collided. The force caused Esmond to get winded as he coughed to try and gain some air back into his lungs. The impact between the two dragons sent them spinning towards the ground, but Dionaea, with her superior weight, managed to position herself so that Miasma's back was falling towards the ground.

The dragons grabbed each other by their legs, trying to gain the upper hand over each other. Esmond could only watch as Miasma repeatedly attempted to bite Dionaea's neck, but she managed to evade the attack in time. However, the fight was short-lived as Dionaea successfully secured a bite on Miasma's upper neck, exerting sufficient force to prevent severe injuries while also holding onto her so she couldn't resist. The ground was coming closer and closer towards the two, but before they could reach it, Dionaea released her grip on Miasma and pushed away from her, pushing Miasma towards the ground on her own. Miasma manages to turn herself a few seconds before impact and flap her wings to slow down the fall. She manages to land partially on her feet but still falls forward onto her chest. Fortunately, the fall wasn't too severe, and she quickly gets back up, ready to take off again, when suddenly a woman begins to shout towards the enraged beast.

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"STOP MIASMA! I COMMAND YOU TO STOP AND STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" Rena, Esmond's mother, shouts with fury bigger than Miasma's. Rena storms down the stairs and crosses the front lawn towards Miasma. As she approaches, she grabs a clump of feathers on her neck and pulls on it, seemingly trying to bring her down. "What the hell is wrong with you? You've never acted like this before." Rena is shocked and angry, but Miasma almost shrugs her off, shaking her neck and body as if to shake off the stress and grumbling annoyingly towards Rena.

Seeing that his mother had managed to somewhat stop or calm down Miasma, he got Dionaea to land near by but not close to Miasma, so they did not set her off again. After landing, Dionaea lets out an almost mockingly triumphant roar, while Esmond quickly unclips and unbuckles himself from the saddle, aiming to get his feet on the ground. He gives Dionaea a quick pat on the neck before jogging towards his mother, who still seemed to be shouting curses at Miasma. When he gets closer, he stops in his tracks because he doesn't want to get too close to Miasma, unsure if it was him or his dragon she was after, or maybe even both.

"I am sorry, mother. I'm not sure why she suddenly attacked me. She's not injured, is she?"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Esmond; it is this old hag's fault. The only thing that hurt her was her pride. The minor injuries will heal up fast."

Miasma flops down, making herself comfortable enough to go back to sleep, her tail twitching with annoyance as she lets out an angry huff. Rena shakes her head at Miasma and begins walking towards Esmond. "Let's go meet your dragon, shall we?" She tries to say it happily, but there is a twinge of annoyance in her voice. As they both begin walking back across the lawn towards Dionaea, Esmond's father, Eadwine, emerges from the front door and heads towards them. He arrives slightly late to the commotion but doesn't enquire about the situation. "Care if I join you?" He poses this question to the group, but no one responds, except for Rena, who merely nods and smiles. It was less of a question and more of a statement; he was joining no matter what Esmond had to say. In any case, only Rena could really command him.

Once they got close to Dionaea, she gave a happy coo towards Esmond, dropping her head towards him and asking for pets. He scratches her cheek a bit before turning back towards his parents. Eadwine nodded in approval, but Rena had a look like she was in deep thought. Rena starts walking around the dragon, inspecting her, while Eadwine starts to speak with Esmond.

"It's a fine dragon; it looks strong and healthy."

"When I first met her, she saved me from a drake and took it out in a blink of an eye."

"I'll be honest, Esmond, I didn't think you would ever have a dragon, but to come back with one like this, you will bring this family honour."

The word "honour" stung Esmond more than his father's disregard for the fact that he had nearly died. Despite his brother Nicholas's lack of a dragon, his position as the house's heir meant he would inherit Miasma upon their mother's death. Apparently, only being a knight was not good enough; one had to have a dragon. "Yes, sir," Esmond says in return, ending the conversation and leaving the two in silence.

"I feel like I have seen this dragon before, but I don't know where." Rena suddenly says this, breaking the silence. "However, that is of no consequence at this time. I am delighted that you have finally acquired a dragon; however, we should engage in a more in-depth conversation over dinner." She says this as she walks over to her husband, Eadwine, and links her arm into his as the two make their way back towards the house. Esmond says a little goodbye to Dionaea before following the two back to the house.

Once at dinner, it was just him, his mother, and his father at the dinner table, as usual. The others had probably already eaten with each other before hand, as they prefer being by themselves. Esmond tried his best to tell the story of his adventures on Dragon Island and how he came to meet Dionaea, but he had to speak quickly because Eadwine seemed less interested in what he had to say and more interested in what he wanted to say. Eadwine coughs, marking the end of Esmond's speech, before he begins speaking his own.

"Me and your mother have been discussing certain topics before you left for the island. Originally, we intended to discuss this with you before your departure, but we decided it would be better to wait until you returned, assuming you did." Eadwine expresses this as if he is indifferent to Esmond's overall fate.

"We have been receiving marriage offers, but only a few since you were dragonless. We decided to accept one, and you will be meeting her in the coming weeks."

"What?! Is this situation happening without my consent or input? This is my life!" Esmond demands an answer while standing up from the table, looking frustrated as he grinds his teeth.

"Sit down, boy; you were never going to find one on your own anyway. We also helped out your siblings as well. Anyway, this offer includes land for us, and you will receive your own house and land as well. I believe this is a beneficial deal."

"I do not care about land, I would rather be with someone of my own choosing. Who is this person anyway?"

"Jeanna Holly Ainsworth, the daughter of Baron Todd Holly Ainsworth."

"A baron, seriously?" Esmond was shocked to learn that, out of all the people in the world, his father wanted him to take on a daughter from a family that ranks below them.

"They're on the verge of bankruptcy because they have too much land; one little part of their land actually touches ours, which technically makes up neighbours; they're offering a lot of their land for this marriage, and I think this would benefit both sides."

"They're farmers!" Esmond cries out and looks to his mother, who is still eating, trying not to get involved. Feeling a loss of appetite, Esmond removes himself from the table and storms off, ignoring the demands of his father telling him to sit back down.