The Dragon's Kiss

"First of all, leave us alone."

Calix motioned toward the old doctor still posed by the bed.

"Eh, but Your Majesty.." the man wringed his wrinkled hands, frowning at Kel.

"Just do as I say," Calix sighed.

The doctor gave Kel a final mistrustful look before bowing and obediently excusing himself into the chaos of the hall.

Kel flinched as the door slammed shut, muffling the shouts and busy steps outside the room.

"Did you have to light everything on fire?" Calix pressed his thumb and forefinger into his forehead.

"Oh.. uh, you see," Kel fidgeted, "I knew you were sick so I was trying to.. uh.."

"To help me?" Calix finished for her. "With this?"

He held up the moonstone as he spoke.

Kel swallowed. "Yeah.. I didn't.."

I didn't know it was Soren's.

She couldn't bring herself to even speak the name.

Plus, all moonstones pretty much looked the same, so how could Calix be certain that stone belonged to Soren in the first place?

"Anyway, if you were awake, why didn't you ever call for me?" Kel crossed her arms, changing the subject.

"I did ask about you," Calix replied, lowering the stone. "And ensured you were safe."

"Then why didn't you tell them to let me see you?!" Kel demanded.

Calix hesitated, his brow furrowing.

"Why would I do that?"

Kel's heart throbbed at his response.

Not because she was hurt by what could be construed as indifference toward her feelings, but because the man seemed genuinely bewildered--as if the thought had never crossed his mind that Kel might be concerned for him

"I was worried about you," her tone softened as she stepped closer to the bed. "I-I was worried."

Her throat stung as she spoke.

The Emperor's eyes widened momentarily, then he shook his head, turning to set the moonstone on the table next to the bed with a clack.

"Who are you to worry about me?" he murmured, extending an arm toward Kel.

A particularly loud thud outside startled Kel as she accepted the invitation and scrambled onto the bed next to the man.

"... when you're the one always making a big mess." Calix hissed into her ear.

Kel's ears burned as the Emperor's warm breath brushed against her cheek.

Suddenly, a hundred useless images flashed in her mind of the last time she'd been alone with Calix like this.

Their bodies had both been nearly bare, pressed against each other under a thick blanket while the dawn birds sang. His fingers lingered in her hair. His voice had been hoarse and sleepy.

It was the morning after they...

"Eek!" Kel buried her face in her hands as embarrassment flooded over her.

"What are you thinking about?" Calix placed his hands over the top of hers, tearing them away from her reddened face. "Even when I'm in this state, you still can't control your lewd desires?"

He laughed as Kel followed his gaze to the bandages covering more than half of his abdomen and let out a gasp.

"I don't have any lewd desires!!" She screeched, scooting toward the edge of the bed.

With a grunt, Calix pulled her back toward him and laid her down, pinning her hands above her head.

"I can still try my best to satisfy you.. Kel," he whispered, leaning toward her.

Kel scrunched her eyes tightly, but her lips instinctively parted in anticipation.

You idiot! She scolded herself. Taking advantage of a patient?!

Still, she couldn't forget the feeling of Calix's body against hers. His fingertips... his lips... his-

"Ack!" Kel recoiled as a strong puff of air hit the back of her hands.

Bashfully, she peeked at Calix, who had a giant grin on his face.

"Were you expecting something else?" he teased, releasing her arms and slowly lowering himself down next to her. "Hmm?"

"N-no. Of course not!" Kel defended unconvincingly, sending the Emperor into a fit of hoarse chuckles.

His laughter quickly turned into coughing and then eventually tapered off.

"You know.." he turned his face toward Kel, his tone darkening. "They're going to come evacuate me from this room any minute."

"That's great!" Kel bolted up. "You can finally tell them who I am!"

"And let word get out that a female infiltrated the oh-so-proud Serin military?" the Emperor scoffed. "What a headache."

Kel crossed her arms again, somehow feeling offended.

"Then what? Are you going to just forget me entirely again?"

Calix smirked at the pouting girl and planted a quick kiss on her forehead.

"Of course not," he replied. "Since you've already reinstated yourself in my army, I'll just appoint Kel the Archer as my personal attendant again."

Kel paused, considering his proposed solution.

"... But won't your men notice that the blonde-haired girl they were supposed to be watching disappeared?

"Oh, I didn't tell anyone to watch you," Calix shrugged. "I figured you'd be fine on your own."

"Are you kidding me?" Kel's mouth gaped. "Everyone ignored me! I didn't even have any food or clothes!"

A devilish grin spread across Calix's face as he reached for Kel's cheek.

"Well, certainly no clothes that suit your.. preferences," he quipped, igniting a whole slew of unpleasant memories.

Before Kel had a chance to properly be embarrassed, the door swung open.

"Sir!" one of the beefy body guards from earlier saluted, stomping inside.

"What's with the commotion?" Calix instantly flipped back to irritated patient mode. "You're disturbing my rest."

But the man's attention had already landed on Kel.

"Y-you!" he growled, raising his finger. "This kid made fire out of thin air, Your Majesty! I need to arrest him!"

"Are you sure about that?" the Emperor raised an eyebrow without missing a beat. "That sounds ridiculous."

The guard's face fell.

"No! I'm certain he did! I saw it!"

"Right. I wonder if the psych ward is finished being set up," Calix pretended to ponder.

The message behind his words was obvious. All talk of a boy soldier creating fire was to be extinguished then and there.

"Uh.. you're right, Sire," the man unhappily backed down. "I must have been mistaken."

He glanced toward Kel again, however, his gaze no less angry.

They all really hate me, Kel mused to herself. Maybe it's a good thing my gender hasn't been added to the fire.

"But, Your Majesty.. Why is that boy on your bed?" the man broached.

"He's my attendant, so he's attending to me," the Emperor admitted unashamedly. "But was the reason you barged in here to ask useless questions like this?"

"Ah, no Sire!" the man straightened up.

"I was delivering the news that the Generals have declared the date of execution for the previous royal family."

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