The Dragon King's Heart

Ever since Dante returned from Wolfenheim, he buried himself in work. Royal duties, things he did not have to personally take care of, he took them all upon himself. To those on the outside, he looked like a hardworking King who was doing his best for his people. 

But for those closest to him, they could tell he was merely using it as a form of escapism. 

"Your Majesty, you need to take a break," Marius voiced his concerns as he brought Dante the third glass of whiskey he had requested for. 

It was still early in the afternoon and the Dragon King was already drinking heavily. This had become his new routine. 

"It does not aggravate the curse, you don't have to worry about that," Dante replied as he took a quick sip of alcohol. 

Marius bit his lip, he did not know what else to say. Nothing anyone said seemed to have gotten through to him.. Perhaps the only person who can change his mind now was the very person who pushed him away. 

Just as Marius considered going to look for Laina in secret, something caught his attention. He looked towards the balcony, only to see a familiar figure making quite the entrance. Marius could not believe his eyes. 

He was so dumbfounded by what he saw, that he could not speak. It was Laina. As soon as she realized Marius noticed her, she signaled him to keep quiet about it. He acknowledged and kept his mouth closed. 

On the other hand, Dante was so engrossed in his work that he did not notice what was happening. He thought perhaps Marius finally gave up and allowed him to work on in silence. But just as he was about to ask for another glass of whiskey, he caught hold of a familiar scent. 

He would never mistake it for anyone else. 

A pair of hands slid down his shoulders, interlocking on his chest. The warmth of her body was enough to make him smile as she leaned in close. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Her long fiery red hair cascaded down his shoulder. She could feel the chilly temperature of his body. But she did not say anything.

Dante placed his hand on her arm. She shivered a little from the cold temperature. But she did not flinch. 

"Did you miss me?" he asked jokingly. 

"Too much," Laina replied as she gave him a kiss on his cheek, "I missed you too much."

Marius, who was still in the room, decided to give the Crown Princess and Dragon King their privacy. So, he took his leave and waited beyond the door to listen in.

"What do you think you're doing?" Margaret asked him from behind. 

Marius jolted in shock. He felt as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest. 

"You scared me!" he whispered over to her, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Laina's here, where else would I be?" she whispered back. 

Putting aside their argument, Marius and Margaret had a similar goal. So they continued to listen in. 

"I'm sorry," Laina apologized, "I should not have pushed you away. I was just…"

Dante stopped her as he shook his head, "You have nothing to apologize for. It's alright."

Laina shook her head, "No, it's not. I just… I don't ever want to be apart from you, ever again."

Dante turned around and kissed Laina on the lips. He did not know what took over him. But one thing was for certain, he felt the same way. Being away from Laina was agony. Even if his end was inevitable, he wanted to spend as much time with Laina as possible. 

Laina deepened their kiss. She had always felt a sense of familiarity with Dante since the beginning. It was as if she had known him for a very long time.  Equipped with the knowledge about Dante's curse, she would do everything in her power to find him a cure. 

But for now, she wanted to spend time with him. She wanted to make it up to him. 

"Dante?" 

"Yes, my love?"

"I have a surprise for you," Laina explained with a smile, "Do you trust me?"

"With my life," he replied in response. 

Laina blushed a little as she heard his response. At first, she was worried Dante would find it suspicious. Or he might disagree with her plans. But to her surprise, he did not question any of it. She took him to Everfree Nation, to a private mansion she owned by the beach. They had the entire place to themselves, no one to bother them. 

"You brought me out here for a vacation?" Dante asked in amazement as he looked out into the ocean before them. 

The saltwater breeze was a refreshing change. He had not been to a beach in quite some time. Laina never enjoyed warm weather, so he was surprised by her choice. But he did not mind. The warm weather, coupled with the sea breeze was a welcome change. 

"Not just a vacation," Laina explained as she interlocked her arm with his, "I thought we could stay here for a while, together."

"Stay here, together?" he echoed her words. 

Laina nodded as she continued to explain. This was her solution. Both of them were busy with their royal duties, managing each of their Kingdoms. Visiting one another back and forth would be too much of a hassle. Doing so in secret would only lead to more problems. 

Hence, her solution was for them to live together in a neutral location. The Everfree Nation was the perfect place. They could have some privacy away from prying eyes and still carry out their duties. 

"Should either one of us need to return to attend to matters in person, we still can. But outside of that," she leaned on her shoulder as she watched the waves crash onto the shore, "we will be in the same place together."

Dante smile. Even he could not come up with such a brilliant plan. This was truly the perfect solution for both of them. 

"If I knew the Crown Princess of Kinshearth wanted more alone time with me, perhaps I should have locked her in my castle," Dante teased as he playfully pinched Laina's nose.

Laina nudged his arm as she pouted, "Well I don't appreciate being kidnapped all the time. So this was the best solution."

But Dante was still worried. He was not worried about himself, he was worried for Laina and her ascension to the throne as Queen. The nobility and the people of Kinshearth had traditional values. Laina's actions in the past had already caused friction with the nobility. 

"But what about the nobility and the ministers in Kinshearth? I don't want them spreading false rumors about you, ruining your reputation," he asked out of worry.