The Dragon King's Heart

Laina had almost forgotten all about the nobles until she emerged from the maze. She could see their stares and disapproving looks from where she stood. She took in a deep breath and walked towards them with Colette in her arms. Titan trailed alongside them, cautiously keeping an eye on Colette. 

Margaret, who had been anxiously waiting for them, was relieved to see them emerge from the maze. She ran up to meet with them. 

"Thank goodness you found her. Do you have any idea how worried we were, Colette?" 

The young girl still had tears in her eyes as she apologized, "I'm so so sowee… I… I…"

Margaret consoled her as Laina handed Colette over to her so that she could address the nobles. 

"Guards, stand down, they can leave now," Laina instructed. 

As per her orders, the royal guards lowered their weapons and stood to the side. But the nobles were livid. They felt as if they were entitled to an apology since Laina had wrongly accused them. 

"I'm not leaving until I get a proper apology," Lady Rina declared as she crossed her arms. 

Laina's lips twitched a little as she looked up at the noblewoman. 

"What did you say?" she asked. 

Lady Rina felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She had heard about the Crown Princess's fury. Perhaps she should not have been so bold. But she was a Noble of the High Court, she had an image to uphold. 

The Crown Princess had not ascended the throne, she was still just a princess. 

"I said," Lady Rina reiterated her words carefully, "I will not leave until I get a proper apology."

Laina took a deep breath. She had hoped the nobles would have learned their lesson after what had happened between Lord Ethan and Margaret. Much to her disappointment, they were still as stubborn as ever. 

A leopard never changes its spots. 

She should have known better. As the Crown Princess, she knew she had to remain poised and graceful. She suppressed her anger to be as cordial as she could. 

"Lady Rina. You are most welcome to stay as long as you like. But, you will not be getting any apology from me. I will offer you two options, take it or leave it; it is up to you," Laina declared as she circled her. 

The Crown Princess lifted one finger, "Option one, we both bury the hatchet right now and call it even. You and the rest of the nobles can take your leave and I will see you at the next function and greet you with smiles."

"What's the second option?"

Laina grinned, "The second option is that you extend your stay in the Palace. I will have them prepare a special dungeon cell just for you"

She could see the shocked expression on Lady Rina's face. 

Laina placed her hand over her heart as she continued, "Do not worry, I do not punish the innocent. Everyone else will be allowed to leave. I will also personally see to it that we get your children home safe and sound.

I will inform Lord Howard, do not worry about that."

Laina took a seat down at the table, leaning back in the chair as she waited for Lady Rina to make her decision. Lady Rina was at a loss for words. She knew Laina meant what she said. Sweat trickled down her brow as she tried to think of another solution. 

But she could not come up with anything. Laina had cornered her successfully. Perhaps the Crown Princess did live up to her title after all. The initial anger dissipated from Lady Rina's face. 

She plastered on a smile and curtsied to Laina, "Your Highness, thank you for your kind invitation to the palace today. I'm sure all the children are tired from a day of fun. As much as I would like to stay and continue our conversation, for the sake of the children I will take my leave."

Laina got up from her seat with a smile across her face. She could feel the sharpened daggers in Lady Rina's words but she did not react to them. 

"Very well. Perhaps next time, we can arrange for you to stay with us longer. I'll have them set aside a room just for you. Please feel free to visit any time."

With that, the nobles took their leave. Laina did not send them off. She stood there, with Titan by her side, watching them walk off into the distance. As soon as they got far, the smile she had plastered onto her face turned into a genuine one. 

If you did not know her well enough, you would not have noticed the subtle changes. 

Laina let out a sigh of relief as she turned back to Margaret, "Well then, shall we head back in? I think it's almost time for dinner!"

"Your Highness, don't you think the nobles will bear a grudge after what transpired here today?" Margaret asked with great concern. 

The Crown Princess chuckled a little, "They have never liked me and they most certainly aren't going to start now. No point wasting time on them. I am starving. What about you Colette? Are you hungry?"

The little girl nodded in response, just as her stomach made an audible growl. As they made their way back into the palace grounds, Margaret made the necessary arrangements for their dinner. 

By the time they arrived in Dining Hall, everything was ready. As soon as Laina took her seat, the first course was served. But before she could take a sip of her mushroom soup, a messenger rushed into the Dining Hall with a letter in hand. 

"Your Highness!" the messenger greeted her as he knelt before her. 

In his hand, was a dark blue envelope, embossed with gold foil patterns. The emblem of Dracona was embossed on it as well. Laina ate a spoonful of soup before she received the letter from the messenger. 

She carefully opened the letter, removing the wax seal as she did so. Margaret could not contain her curiosity so she took a peek at the contents of the letter from where she stood. Laina read it carefully. 

"Festival of the Feline?" 

The envelope contained a letter addressed to Laina from Dante and an invitation to attend the Festival of the Feline in Dracona. According to the date written on the invitation card, it was due to begin in two weeks. 

The Dragons of Dracona loved their cats. So much so, they had an annual festival dedicated to them. During the festival, all cities, towns, and villages throughout Dracona would be decorated with creative fixtures, all cat-themed!

There would also be a market selling festival foods and souvenirs. 

"This sounds like a lot of fun," Laina remarked as she continued to read the letter. 

Dante had invited Laina to attend as his personal guest. This not only gave her an official reason to visit him in Dracona. It also meant they could spend some quality time together. 

"Will you be attending, your Highness?" Margaret asked. 

She did all she could to keep her excitement in as she replied, "Yes, yes I will."