The Dragon King's Heart

Dante walked up to the head table and sat down next to Laina. Once he was seated, Laina turned to her subjects. She stood up and raised her glass of wine. 

"Let us commence our dinner," she declared as she gently hit on the glass with her knife. 

The doors to the Dining Hall opened as two neat streams of attendants, each carrying a dish on a silver tray, entered the Hall. They carefully set the food down in front of each guest. The first dishes were served in quick succession. 

Everyone ate the same dishes until it came to the main course and tonight's menu had two choices. 

It was between a slice of seasoned grilled codfish on a bed of buttered mashed potatoes or a fire-grilled steak with asparagus. Laina had chosen to go with the codfish for tonight's dinner while Dante chose to have the steak. 

But as soon as their dishes were placed before them, the aromatic fragrance of the grilled steak attracted Laina's attention immediately. As much as she tried her best to contain her curiosity, she still stole a few glances over at Dante's dish. 

Dante, on the other hand, noticed this too. He sliced the steak carefully to reveal its slight pinkish center, meaning the steak was cooked to his liking; medium-rare. Laina gulped down her own saliva as she watched Dante lift his fork. 

But he did not put it straight into his mouth. Instead, he brought it up to her. 

"Would you like to give it a try?" he asked with a smile. 

Laina widened her eyes with surprise. She had not expected Dante to have read her thoughts. Although she was hesitant at first, she went in for the bite. The savory flavor of the flame-grilled meat paired well with the brown sauce it came with. 

Laina knew her every move was being watched. But she no longer cared for the rules that bind her to tradition. 

"How is it?" Dante asked. 

"It's really good," Laina replied, still with her mouth full, "Would you like to try mine?"

She gently sliced a piece of codfish, combining it with a small dollop of mashed potatoes before personally feeding it to Dante. 

"Mmmm that codfish is really good. Pairs well with the sauce," he commented. 

Both of them exchanged a smile and a chuckle. Margaret watched on from the sidelines with a smile of her own. Seeing Laina happy made her happy too. It made all the sacrifices worth it. All she wanted was for Laina to be happy, alive, and well. 

She had assumed Dante's presence would only bring her heartache and death. But maybe, just maybe, things would be different now. They were far from the Celestial Realm. Though they seemed to be surrounded by fools and enemies, everything else was relatively peaceful. 

However, how long would peace last?

As everyone soon finished their main course, it was time to bring out the dessert. It was a slice of blueberry cobbler pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But for the royalty in the Dining Hall, they had something a little different. 

Laina and Dante were each served a slice of matcha tart with a scoop of red bean milk ice cream. As soon as the dessert was placed before them, Laina's eyes sparkled with anticipation. This tart was one of her favorite desserts of all time and she was excited for Dante to try it. 

Looking at the dessert placed before him, Dante could not help but recall the last time he had this very dish. The key ingredient, matcha, was essentially powdered dried green tea leaves. But in order to make the best quality matcha, you will naturally require the best grade of green tea leaves. 

That was not easy to come by, even for royalty. Not only do the tea bushes have to be cared for and grown at the right location, but it also has to have absorbed the right amount of sunlight and have been cared for under shade. 

Only then, would one be able to produce the best tea leaves for the best grade of matcha. 

"I hope you like it as much as I do," Laina said to him as she dug into her slice. 

The slight bitter aftertaste of the matcha paired well with the savory butter biscuit crust of the pie, and the sweet red bean ice cream. Everything melded well together in one singular bite. Dante took a bite, pleasantly surprised to find that it tastes as good as he remembered. 

Back then, Dante assisted her in finding the perfect tea leaves to make matcha. Since lots of shade was required, not every single tea plantation was suitable. When they found the right one, however, Laina was excited to give it a try. 

After gathering all the ingredients, they made the dessert together. Back then, they had mixed up a sweetened red bean paste to be added into the pie, instead of having ice cream to pair with. 

Their crust was a little burnt, but the pie still came outright. 

"This one tastes even better," Dante muttered to himself as he took another bite. 

"Did you say something, Dante?" Laina asked. 

He simply shook his head, "No, but the pie is really good. I like it."

Later that night, it was time for Dante to depart and return to Dracona. Laina could not bear to see him go. She held onto his hands tightly, trying to find all sorts of excuses to keep him. Dante wanted to stay for the night too. 

But he simply could not do so. 

"Do not worry, my princess. We will meet again. And, we will keep in touch," Dante said as he pointed to the pendants they both shared, "right?"

Laina forced a smile, "Right."

She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his chest. She took in a deep breath, remembering the scent that emanated from his body. The smokey fragrance was ingrained in her mind. 

Dante reciprocated the hug. He rested his head on her shoulder, eyes closed. Both of them savored their moment together. With that, they bid one another farewell before Dante and Marius disappeared through the portal. 

Laina returned to her bedroom and wined down for the night. It was only at this point that she felt the full wave of fatigue that had accumulated throughout the day. But while she was soaking in the bathtub, she remembered her time with Dante when he appeared in her bathtub. 

This time around, she was alone. There was not one sitting across from her in the bathtub. After her bath, she put on her pajamas and laid down in bed. As she turned to her side, Laina realised how empty it was. 

For the past two weeks, she's had Dante sleeping right next to her. Now that he was not around, she wondered if she would still be able to get a good night's rest. Little did she know, that very same night, Dante had the same thoughts swimming through his mind as he laid down in bed.

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