Dragons are creatures with nearly unlimited life spans. They can survive for long periods of time, and no one has found a dragon that has died of old age. Adolescence is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling's wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. Once they hit adolescence, hatchlings change quickly, maturing to their full forms in only 2 years.

Dragons don't communicate with each other verbally, but they will growl to scare off predators and frighten prey. Young dragons will emit an extremely high-pitched squeal when they are frightened. To communicate, they use telepathy with each other and to speak to other creatures.

When water dragons mature, they lose their legs and the ability to survive on land, entering the water permanently. They are adept swimmers and eat whatever fish are in the lake they live in. They tend to inhabit the same lake for their entire lives, although a few live in the ocean and swim all over the world.

Royce is the first grandchild of the clan patriarch Darion Paris and grew up terribly spoiled. This did not endear her to the other water dragons of Jekan Lake, who consider her stuck-up. Despite her over-indulged upbringing, however, Royce is actually a very pleasant and generous dragon. She has formed close friendships with the pink, purple, and seasonal dragons living near the lake, particularly her autumn mate Flame Maple. Like the other Jekan Lake water dragons, Royce is named after a body of water in New Jersey.