The Dragon King's Heart

Despite her assurance, Kol still hesitated. Though he had learned to speak more eloquently from Margaret, he had never spoken much. He was curious about everything around them and in fact, had many questions floating through his mind. 

"Could this be a trap?" 

Laina bit her lip. It had occurred to her that things were going smoothly because it was a trap. But she kept a positive outlook. Laina stood up and walked over to the door. 

She opened it and peered out into the corridor. Once she was satisfied, she closed the door and returned to the bed, and sat down next to Kol. 

"If this was a trap, I would have assumed the door would be locked. There would likely also be guards outside. But there isn't. So I think we're safe for now," she explained. 

Kol nodded, "In any case, I will be here to protect you, your Highness."

Since it was only the two of them, Kol returned to using the formal titles. This made Laina feel a little uneasy. Although she was his master, Laina never really saw Kol as her servant. 

This was the same with Margaret. She saw both of them as friends, friends who had her back no matter what happened. Laina reached out her hand and placed it over Kol's. 

"You can call me by my name, Kol. You don't have to be so formal," she reminded him with a smile. 

Kol bowed and apologized, "I'm sorry, Laina, I won't do it again."

She could hear the fear and anxiety in his voice. Laina bit her lip. She wanted to know more about him and what made him like this. 

"Kol, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything."

"What was your life like before Margaret brought you to me?" Laina asked. 

Kol bit his lip. He could never quite remember the faces of his parents, for he was sold at the age of three. He did not remember much from his childhood years nor did he want to remember. 

Seeing his distant expression, Laina worried that she might have offended him. 

"It's alright, you don't have to tell me. I was just curious cause I feel like I don't know much about you. If it's too painful to bring up, I understand." Laina quickly added. 

Kol shook his head slowly, "I will share what I can. My previous… master, was a cruel one. He was using us as fighters in his underground fighting ring. People would gamble on us to see who would live and who would die."

Laina knew his past would be one filled with pain, but she had not expected this. She was angry on his behalf, people should not have to live like that. 

"You were all forced to fight to the death?" 

Kol nodded, "If we refused, we would be whipped or killed for our defiance. They had the markings burned onto our skin so even if we escaped, people would know where we belonged."

He stood up and lifted his shirt, revealing part of his back to show Laina. He was branded with a grotesque mark on his lower back. It pained Laina to see this and she had no words. 

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry you had to live through that."

Surprised by her apology, Kol quickly shook his head, "It's not your fault."

Looking down at the mark, Laina realized it was an emblem of an organization. It had the silhouette of a rookalope1, a rooster with antelope horns on its head. 

"Do you remember anything about the people who ran this underground fighting ring?" She asked, hoping Kol might have more clues. 

Laina was uncertain where Margaret had found Kol from, but she wanted to take down these underground organizations. For too long they had exploited helpless people like Kol. 

When she becomes Queen, Kinshearth would be a utopia for all people. Slavery will no longer exist and those who had a similar fate to Kol would be free to live their lives as they choose. 

Kol tried his best to recall, "They did not use names, in fear we would know their identity. But I will never forget his face."

He would never forget the man he had once called master. His cruel laugh as he kicked the helpless fighter who had attempted to escape. The torture he would put them through if they did not do as they were told. 

The man had dirty brown curls, a stubble beard, and a distinct scar on his left arm. On his right forearm, was the same emblem that Kol had branded on him. But instead, it was a tattoo on the man's right forearm. 

"Among us, we nicknamed him Scar," Kol explained. 

Laina listened to Kol as he gave as much detail as he could. He did not find any of this information particularly interesting, so Kol wondered why Laina wanted to know more. 

"I want to ensure that what happened to you and many others, will become a thing of the past. If we can locate them, we would also be able to rescue those who were trapped like you," Laina explained. 

"You mean, we can rescue them?" Kol asked. 

"Yes, we can."

Kol's eyes widened in shock. Though he had escaped from that hell hole, he had never once thought that it would be possible for them to go back and rescue the others. 

"Do you remember the location, Kol?"

He frowned as he shook his head. When he was taken to be sold again, they covered his head with a burlap sack and pushed him onto a cart. The next thing he recalled was the auction he was in. 

He had no idea where the underground fighting ring was. Kol gritted his teeth in anger as he tightened his fists in rage. Even if he wanted revenge, he did not know where to begin the search. 

It would be like finding a needle in a haystack. 

"Hey, it's alright, we'll think of something. We do have some clues, which is good. Based on that, hopefully, we will be able to find something useful," Laina cheered him up. 

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