The Dragon King's Heart

Laina shook her head, "We promised Margaret and the others we would be having a meal together for Log Day. I want to help with preparations."

"Just for a while more?" he pleaded as he held onto Laina's wrist when she sat at the end of the bed.

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "We've slept in long enough. Any longer and they will begin to worry if something happened to us."

Dante sighed. He could not win over Laina in an argument, so he decided to go along with it. But before they went downstairs, there was something they needed to do. It was their tradition to exchange presents with one another without the others around. It was a private moment between them. 

He materialized a small wrapped box in his hands and handed it over to Laina. He gave her a kiss on her right cheek. 

"Happy Log Day," he whispered to her, "Open it."

He had been preparing for this gift for some time now. It was difficult to get a woman who has everything, but after much thought, Dante believed he had found the perfect gift. Laina carefully unwrapped the box, not wanting to ruin the wrapping paper. Underneath it was a red lacquered jewelry box. 

She flipped the golden latch and opened the lid. Laina carefully took out the necklace in it to take a closer look. Under the light of the room, the pendant of the necklace glimmered. The look of delight was what Dante wanted to see. 

"Do you like it?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around her waist. 

Laina was speechless. She simply nodded in response. 

"Do you know what this is?" he asked, wondering if she had figured it out. 

"It's ... it's a Soulium Locket," she replied. 

A Soulium Locket was a unique piece of jewelry, made from a combination of glass and the essence of a person. A series of complicated spells had to be used to form the locket and the essence had to be provided by the enchanter. In the simplest terms, the Soulium Locket would contain a piece of the giver. 

Blood from the giver would have to be collected, little by little over a month. Every day the giver would enchant the blood, condensing it into a solution. The color of the essence was different for each person. Legend has it, that it reflects the color of one's soul.

Dante's Soulium locket was in the shape of a crescent-shaped moon, filled with midnight blue essence. In the dim lighting of the room, it produced an enchanting soft blue glow. 

"So it is true. The shape of the Soulium Locket is different according to the essence of the giver," she commented as she took a closer look. 

Dante took the locket into his hand and unlocked the latch of the necklace. Laina turned around as Dante placed it around his neck. With the upcoming Celestial Trials, he knew they would have to be separated from one another. As such, he wanted the locket to represent him. 

"I know I might not always be able to physically stay by your side. But this locket represents that I will always be with you in your heart."

Laina bit her lip as she held onto the Soulium locket. It sat below the other pendant Dante had given to her before to help them communicate while they were apart. When she held the locket in her hand, she could feel his heart beating in her palm. 

Realizing she knew more about the locket than he had previously thought, Dante asked how she found out about it. Laina did not reply to him at first. Instead, she brought out the present she had prepared for him. It was a similar-shaped wrapped box. 

Dante looked over to her, the look of excitement on Laina's face confirmed his suspicions as he unwrapped the present in a rush. 

"What are the odds?" he wondered as he removed the necklace from the jewelry box. 

It was a Soulium Locket too! Both of them had gifted one another the same present. Neither of them had let slip what their present for the other was going to be. This was purely a coincidence. 

"I guess great minds think alike," Laina said as she gave him a soft smile. 

Now they had a piece from each other, no matter where they were. Laina helped Dante wear his. The moment he put it on, he could feel a warm fuzzy feeling on his chest where the pendant was. Unlike the one he had made for Laina, the one she made for him was in the shape of the Sun. 

"Now we carry a part of one another wherever we go," Dante whispered softly to her as he caressed her cheek. 

"We will never be alone, ever again," Laina added as she cupped his face and leaned in for a kiss. 

The moment their lips brushed against one another, they immediately deepened their kiss. They allowed their emotions to take the lead, exploring each other's mouths as they pleased. The sweet scent emanating from Laina was intoxicating to Dante. 

They parted lips momentarily as Dante kissed the nape of Laina's neck. She smelled like the Summer flowers in full bloom on a warm summer afternoon with a gentle breeze in the air. On the other hand, all Laina wanted to do was bury her face in his chest.

The smoldering smokey fragrance emanating from Dante was all she could think about. It was something she could never quite forget. In fact, it was one of the first things that drew her to him. The sense of familiarity was hard to forget. 

"I think... we should not keep our friends waiting," Laina chuckled as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

He continued to nuzzle on her neck, feeling the warmth of her skin as he asked, "Maybe we should tell them we won't be joining them anytime soon."

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