Azar lifted a paw and idly rubbed it over his engorged midsection, licking his maw a little as he remembered the taste of that last meal. Just another meal that was added to his increasingly widening frame, but it was always delicious each time. Were he standing on all fours, his belly would likely hang mere inches above the floor. He already had a pronounced and heavy waddle when he walked the halls of his castle and flying was increasingly difficult. But for now he didn't need to worry about going anywhere as he sat back on his throne, belly sticking out far in front of him on full display for anyone that entered the audience chambers.
Normally, Azar would be panicking. He couldn't dare be seen in such a state when he'd had a reputation to uphold as a heroic, knightly defender of the realm, and as a famed inventor. He would have sought out any means to lose the weight quickly and hidden himself away so no one would see him until he was "presentable" to the public again. After all, dragons were supposed to be the image of majesty, grace, and peak physical condition. A dragon that let themselves grow fat would be considered lazy, even a mockery of their kind. Or so Azar had always believed to be the case.

But things had changed for him. One thing led to another, and finally Azar's reputation provided him the opportunity not only to be a hero to the people, but to rule. They wanted him to live happily and in peace, encouraging the dragon to let others take on the role of knights and heroes in his place while he was asked to stay back and enjoy the lavish life of a royal. They told him he'd served his world enough and now his new subjects wanted to reward him with the benefits of his many years of hard work. Decisions of state still needed to be made, but Azar's staff in his new castle pampered him like he'd never been treated before. Scale cleaning and polishing whenever he requested it, massages after his long days at court, and no end of delicious food.
After about a year of hesitation to give in to all the pampering, Azar slowly eased up and relaxed in the care of his people. When he did, he finally let himself indulge in the bountiful food of his realm. Azar's deepest secret was that he always enjoyed the feeling of growing larger and rounder, but his held beliefs and fear of ridicule always held him back. Now, the dragon finally let himself indulge to his heart's content. No one dared make fun of their ruler as his belly grew a bit larger with each massive feast. They respected and admired him too much for that. In fact, Azar quickly found that his followers even encouraged his eating habits, as they believed that Azar's increased girth showed off the success of the kingdom he ruled even more.

So it was with a pleased sigh of contentment that Azar rubbed a paw of his heavy middle. He sat back in the throne he'd built himself (to be more comfortable for a rather awkward sitting position for a dragon), and wondered just how large he'd be willing to let himself go. Regardless of how big he got, Azar knew one thing for sure: he was finally living his dream life.

---

A dream? A look into Azar's future? An alternate timeline? I'll let the viewers decide whether this is Azar's ultimate fate or not, but it's definitely a dream life for him! He's always been a hero who rarely lets himself enjoy the finer things in life, and I suspect this is exactly what would end up if he were allowed to rule with no fear of needing to keep up a fit physical appearance.

YCH arrt by the amazingly talented .