Ruler of the Dragons
Skylar glanced at him, then at the dragon. Wait. Windsoar had mentioned a royal family. Could this be…the king? He was big, and looked wise enough, and was definitely strong. His scales fluctuated between light and dark blue, something that seemed entirely unique to him. His very presence seemed intimidating. Yes, this was a king. She hastily bowed to him.King. One of the most sought-after titles in the history of the world. What would one give to become the ruler of an entire country? Would they give up piece by staging a war? Their morality by committing murder? Their family, by killing enough relatives to become next in line to the throne? Many men would. Thus, the title of king, while glorious, often has a bloody stain. Even a good king will eventually give way to a line of tyrants. Right? Well, maybe on land. But the sky does things a bit differently.
Qualifications
To ensure that the Dragon King is highly equipped for his duties, royal dragonets go through a rigorous training system. An advisor will instruct them on different languages, diplomacy, and general helipolitics. They will often attend a private school and take a wide variety of classes, as the King must graduate from a university. A year-long expedition with the Charters in the Outer Realm, another year as an assistant ruler, a flight through the Crystal Pass, and an oath of devotion during the coronation ceremony will compete a ruler's path of training.
Requirements
Before one can become king, he must go through vigorous training, as previously stated. The current king will personally teach him - this process will begin when the king's eldest son turns fifteen, and will continue until he is thirty. Upon turning thirty, the prince will be eligible for kingship, but will often wait another five to ten years before a peaceful transfer of the throne occurs.
Appointment
The Coronation ceremony is one of the largest celebrations in the sky - even aside from the Midwinter Festival. It always occurs on the spring equinox, and when the new king is sworn in by a judge and crowned by his father, a nearly week-long celebration will occur. Although the time span is shorter than the Midwinter Festival, humans and dragons alike will barely sleep that entire week, and instead of organized recreational activities, it will basically just be a huge party. Some of the celebrations have been so loud boisterous that some Monitors can reportedly see the jets of dragon flame from the ground, and, upon their semi-annual check-in, will complain about the lack of self-control and complete disregard for the fact that Skydwellers are supposed to exist in secret.
Duties
"As King, you will be a representative of the people. But you cannot represent them if you cannot earn their loyalty, love, and respect. That is why your and the people's interests must become one. They are your duty now."-Willowdrift, King Cedric's chief advisor
Responsibilities
The royal family, while given a mass of power, is carefully regulated - and not against their will. From the beginning, the king ensured that a governmental system was set up so that no one would have too much power. And while the king (and queen) technically has the upper hand in this system, they are bound by their oath to put the good of the people first.
In a system where there are Mayors, Governors, and Overseers, a long train of (relatively unneeded) judges, and a three-house Congress with both human and dragon representatives, the King's duties are mostly ceremonial - though not unimportant. He is in charge of making important decisions (with the help of advisors), has a voice in the Congress, and is often involved in the affairs of the Dragon Kingdom subdivisions. Of course, there is another important job the royal family is tasked with - secrets.
Got a mountain of the ground that may or may not be releasing hordes of angry, vicious dragons every half-century or so? Have the King monitor it. Has a book that may or may not be processing another great war been found? Let the royal scholars study it! Is there a small rebel force hiding in the Outer Realm bent on taking over the world?
That's the King's job.
Stressful, yes. Needed - yes. And with plenty of advisors at his command, the King usually does an excellent job. Seven generations of rulers have passed, and not a single one has abused their power. All of then have taken the responsibilities of King seriously, and pride themselves on the lack of corruption in the royal line.
Benefits
Aside from being, well, royal, and having a palace, the ultimate respect of the people, guards, advisors, and scholars, access to a large supply of rare magical items, and all the other things a king (and the royal family) will naturally receive to aid them in their duties, there is another magical mystery that all royal dragons possess.
It's second nature to them - a bright flash of light used mostly for communication, but that will stop anyone intent on harming them. King Sunmount used this once or twice to stop assassination attempts, and since then, the flash has barely been needed. Naturally, any royal dragon that can produce the flash is also immune to it.
Accoutrements & Equipment
The Dragon King will often only wear his crown on important occasions - political events, speeches, funerals, the like. The rest of the time, he will go as himself, though his face is always recognizable.
Type
Royalty, Hereditary
Form of Address
Sire, Your Majesty, Your Highness, My King, etc.
First Holder
Current Holders
Past Holders
It's important to note that the dragon king and queen are equal in duty and power. Depending on who is the oldest child, the heir to the throne could be male and female. I outlined this article with 'king' because the current holder of the main crown is a male dragon. His mother, however, was the past queen and is his tie to the crown, while his father married into kingship.
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