The Dragon King's Heart

Upon returning to the room, Laina could feel the burning sensation on her cheeks. She paced around the room from one end to the other, biting her nail as she did. Titan followed by her side until he got tired.

He wandered off to the side and laid down to rest while watching his mistress pacing back and forth.

-What just happened…- Laina asked herself.

She was trying to process everything that had just happened in the last two hours or so. What was meant to be a simple trip to the beach, turned into an altercation. Then, King Dante appeared and pulled her into his embrace.

Then, he asked her out to dinner. She agreed to eat dinner with him. Laina slapped both of her cheeks.

"Laina, Laina, Laina, what on earth are you doing!"

She should be trying to find a way to get back to Kinshearth, not spend even more time here. Laina wondered if Margaret had already sent out soldiers to find her. She wished there was a way she could contact Margaret to let her know she was safe.

But no one would know where to go to find her. She had disappeared without a trace, no clues left behind. Laina walked out onto the balcony for some fresh air. She turned her attention away from the beach to admire the inner workings of the city down below.

She admired the many different buildings that surrounded the castle. Everything seemed compact, right next to one another. But in the bustling city down below, there were small pockets of nature.

Parks and gardens filled with greenery and flowers dotted the entire city.

"What an interesting city indeed," she lamented. It was a pity she would not get the chance to explore it.

Just then, a knock on the door brought Laina out of her thoughts and back to the present.

"Come in."

A few moments later, the door opened, and in walked two maids and a seamstress. They bowed deeply upon meeting Laina and explained that they had been sent by King Dante. Three more servants wheeled a large wardrobe and two trunk chests, into the room before taking their leave.

None of them dared to meet the Princess at eye level. After the servants left, leaving behind the maids and the seamstress, they began to rearrange the main floor space of the room. Within minutes, they made a makeshift dressing studio.

"Your highness, if you could just step onto this platform for me," the seamstress asked politely as she guided Laina to the raised platform in front of the folded screen mirrors.

Laina followed her instructions and stepped up onto the platform. The maids opened the wardrobe and trunk chests while the seamstress looked through the various dresses.

"The King mentioned that it would be a dinner party, is that correct?" the seamstress asked.

"Yes… yes it is," Laina replied.

"It is short notice, but I think we've got a few good options here."

After an hour of picking cloth patterns and dress patterns, they finally agreed on something suitable. But Laina was confused. Who could make a dress from scratch in less than a day? It would take some magic for that to happen.

The seamstress took Laina's measurements and quickly wrote them down on a piece of paper. Once she had all the information she needed, the seamstress got to work. From her waist belt, she picked up a wand.

As she waved it in the air, the wand began to emit a soft glow of light. Cloth, scissors and threads all came to life, moving across the room according to the seamstress's command. Laina laid down on the day bed as she watched the seamstress work.

One of the maids left the room and returned with a piping hot pot of tea and biscuits for Laina. Soon, a beautifully tailored dress was revealed before Laina. She put down the cup of tea and walked over to admire the dress.

"What do you think?" the seamstress asked eagerly.

Laina smiled, "It's perfect. You have some amazing skills."

"I'm glad you love it, your highness. Thank you for your praise. My work here is done, I will send in the jeweler and the shoemaker."

By the time Laina's outfit for the dinner party was complete, she was just in time. Marius knocked on her door, just as she put on the earrings.

"Come in," she called out.

Marius entered the room and bowed to her respectfully, "Princess Laina, I am here on the orders of King Dante to escort you to the dinner party."

When he looked up at Laina, he was momentarily mesmerized by her beauty. The dress accentuated her curvy figure, hugging her in all the right places. The jewelry added a touch of class to her outfit.

Laina put out her hand and Marius received it. Together, they exit the room and proceeded down the hall. This time, Titan remained in the room. As they walked down the hallway, Marius started to chat with Laina.

"How are you liking the castle so far, Princess Laina?" he asked.

"It's beautiful and huge. I don't think the Kinshearth Castle is this huge," Laina commented as she looked all around.

"I must say, for a kidnapped princess, you seem to be adapting well," he jest.

She laughed, "Well I think it is wise to make the best out of the situation, don't you agree? I am not the soft-spoken innocent type princess, you know. You won't find me crying in a corner, that's for sure."

Marius smiled upon hearing her reply. From their conversation, the way she dressed and carried herself, he knew she had not changed one bit. She was still the same person he knew.

"I can assure you, Dante… King Dante does not mean you any harm. He just… has an interesting way of expressing his emotions. Especially towards you," he replied.

Before Laina could speak, they arrived before a huge pair of oak wood doors. It was guarded by two royal guards, one on each side. Standing next to them, was a butler, dressed in a swallowtail suit.

Upon their arrival, the guards saluted them. With Marius's signal, the guards pushed open the door to allow them to enter. The butler guided them into the hall and announced Laina's arrival.

"Your Majesty, Crown Princess Laina has arrived."

Laina had expected to see a dining hall filled with nobility already seated by the table, or mingling amongst one another. But what she saw was a mostly empty dining hall. Apart from her, Marius, and the butler, there was only one other person.

King Dante, himself.

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