“...Are you sure?” she muttered.

“I’m alright with staying like this,” he smiled.

Cessilia knew he only meant their current position. The sexual tension that arose between them, and the slight cunning smile on his lips were dead giveaways of his real intentions. Not only that, but they now had very few pieces of clothing left... Cessilia sighed, still a bit worried. Her green eyes went down on her partner’s body. His torso was wrapped in bandages but, indeed, he already seemed a lot better than he was just hours ago. Moreover, his hands caressing her hips were seriously making her feel hot, and desirable. His dark eyes on her were sending dangerous signals. She could already feel the heat rising between their lower abdomens, dangerously close to one another....

“...You stay put,” she whispered, her voice a bit raspier than usual.

“Anything my Queen wants.”

Cessilia felt embarrassed. Not because she was straddling him and clearly in control, but because all of her earlier resolve had flown out of the window with just one burning stare from her lover. She wanted him. She hadn’t realized how much she wanted him until minutes ago. Perhaps because they hadn’t had any intimate time in a while, she just felt desperate to have him, here and now. They were finally alone, and the excitement of the fight was dying down, while a more sensual feeling was rising. As if they needed something more primal to release all that pent up tension. It was crazy, exciting, and she felt a bit guilty too. Cessilia began to undo the last pieces of clothing on him, and the excitement rose up further, faster. She could feel the tension in him, and her body was responding all the same. It was even worse to have Ashen’s eyes on her while she alone got rid of their clothes, and sat back up on his hips. She leaned over to kiss him, but now, most of the heat was coming from much farther down, where she could feel his manhood caressing her inner thigh. One of Ashen’s hands was around her nape, his fingers playing with her curls, while the other slid in between her legs. Cessilia gasped when he touched her, her whole body reacting like a sudden trigger. It was as if her own flesh had decided to be much more honest about its desires than she was. She could feel her insides twitching a bit, and the delicious waves of heat spreading from the places Ashen touched. His fingers were already quite unbearable. They rubbed, circled, caressed her entry without rest, making her breathe harder already. When he tried to lift his upper body a bit to get to her, she pushed him back down with her hand, and instead, leaned over. His lips were as restless as his fingers. Although Cessilia was on top, she was shamelessly indulging in his touch, her eyes closed and her whole body burning. She loved how he sucked on her breasts... He wasn’t leaving any inch of her unblessed by his lips, and she could feel all her extremities liking this. Her fingers grabbed his white hair, with the need to hold on to something.

“Ashen...”

Her voice had never sounded sexier. He smiled, his lips gradually making their way back to hers, while he could feel his fingers already wet enough. Gently, he guided her to sit on him, the two of them groaning when their bodies finally merged. It felt almost liberating, as if their missing piece was back. Staying like this for a second, they chuckled and hugged before kissing once more, in a more demure way this time.

“...It feels so good,” he muttered. “I never want to be away from you again...”

She gently moved to kiss his forehead. She could understand his worries, but they were baseless- Cessilia had no intention of leaving. She had failed to follow him once already, and she wouldn’t let it happen again. She was determined to stay true to her heart, no matter what, and guilt was no longer holding her back; She planned to stay here for good. With a smile on her lips, Cessilia interrupted their kiss and sat back on him. They interlaced their fingers, their gazes locked on one another, and she slowly began moving. She wasn’t quite used to these sensations yet, but they felt amazing already. It began with slow movements, her insides rubbing around him, sending delicious chills through both their bodies. She could see from Ashen’s tortured expression how he was resisting the urge to move more... but Cessilia was determined to remain in charge. Her hand on his torso to keep him down, she moved unbearably slow, relishing in every single sensation she could get from their bodies. It felt amazing to be the one on top, dominating the ride, listening to her own body to guide her into those pleasures. Not only that, but Ashen’s hands and gaze on her made her feel like a real queen. She could tell he barely held himself back, and the subtle movements of his hips couldn’t compare to how much he really wanted to move. It came to her though. That desire to move faster, rub harder, feel hotter, and more, so much more.

“Ha...”

Cessilia accelerated, their breathing becoming faster, speeding up the lascivious ride and the movements of their bodies. The excitement was filling the room with heat, and she could hear their voices, their groans and moans becoming more animalistic. She liked it so much. Everything about this, even their tired bodies putting their last bits of strength into this. The lewd sounds of sex, and Ashen’s expressions as she kept moving on him, taking more, up and down, squeezing and rubbing with pleasure, letting those sensations fill her. It was insane how natural sex felt when she was so inexperienced with it. But because it was Ashen, it was his body, his smell, his sweat, she loved everything about it. His dark eyes that accompanied her in her movements, and the way he kept staring, as obsessed with her as she was with him. He made expressions he only made with her, and his movements were never so clumsy and raw as they were when he was trying to caress her whole body. His groans of pleasure got louder, and his hands were pressing her to move faster on him, his hips trying to keep up and trembling every time she pounded against him. Cessilia could feel that urge coming too. The rubbing inside was driving her crazy, and she kept moving, craving more of those sensations, while a bigger wave was definitely coming from deeper under, making her anticipate that big release she wanted. Ashen grabbed her hips and kept pounding, gasping, unable to stay still any longer. It was now a wild battle between their bodies, neither of them willing to lose, win, or stop.

It hit Cessilia first. A violent burst in her lower stomach, making her cry out in relief, almost out of air. Ashen kept pounding, until her squeezing around him triggered his own release just seconds later, with another long groan. The two of them breathed loudly, a bit out of it, just trying to calm down with their trembling bodies. Cessilia could still feel that strange sensation inside, making her not want to move, yet unable to stay still. Ashen’s hands took her out of her daze a bit. He gently caressed her cheek, and she found the strength to move, letting him out and slowly falling next to him on the bed. He chuckled, and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to kiss her forehead.

“...I could get used to this,” he chuckled, still a bit out of breath.

Cessilia pouted a bit, knowing he was teasing her. Still, she felt strangely good, and had finally calmed down. She had enjoyed it, although it was brief. She had put her last bits of strength into this, and now, she could finally rest, wrapped in his arms, Ashen’s smell surrounding her. In fact, she didn’t have any strength left to move, and happily stayed right there, closing her eyes and putting her cheek against his shoulder.

She felt Ashen pull the blanket over them, and fell asleep with his breathing soothing her.

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter 31

A bright ray of light woke her up. Cessilia frowned, bothered by the sudden brightness, and struggled to open an eye. Right above Ashen’s shoulder, the dawning sunlight was reflected on some shiny, ice-like scales. She smiled. Cece was patiently waiting, those gorgeous ruby eyes riveted on them. Everything in the room was incredibly silent, which was impressive considering the size of the dragon waiting for her. Cessilia could only hear the calm waves, the gentle breeze, and even some brave seagulls farther away.

She turned her eyes to the man lying next to her. Ashen was still deep asleep, a little frown on his face. His long white hair was all over his face and shoulders, a bit messy. She regretted that they hadn’t bathed before falling asleep. There was still dried blood on his hairline, and the sheets were quite dirty... Still, everything felt warm and comfortable around her. She had slept tightly wrapped in his arms, against his dark and warm skin. She glanced over the injuries she could see from there. Most were already drying and healing, soon to be thin scars. Cessilia grazed them with the tips of her fingers, feeling a bit sad. Ashen’s body was already covered in so many scars... He didn’t even react to her touch, his breathing slow and steady. He ought to be quite exhausted. She carefully raised her fingertips to caress that frown between his eyes until it disappeared and his expression relaxed. Truth was, she didn’t really want to leave his embrace, but there was somebody else she had missed a lot.

Careful not to wake him up, Cessilia slipped out of the bed. Giving a quick smile to Cece, she moved to the nearby basin for a quick wash. Ashen wasn’t the only one smelling a bit nasty... The cold water felt good on her skin and on her scales. Cessilia was surprised to spot some of them were still there. Once she was done cleaning them, they looked even shinier. Unlike Kian’s scales that were of a metal-gray silver, hers and Cece’s were more of a subtle blue-ish shade, just like ice. Once clean, Cessilia walked to the wardrobe to find a new dress. Her previous one had been half torn away, and the remains were scattered on the floor around the bed... She found one she liked, a gorgeous dark purple one without too many embellishments, but that fit her well, long and off-the-shoulder. Cessilia realized she was probably going to cover her neck a lot less now. Her hair was a bit of a mess, but she combed it quickly with her fingers, and braided it as best as she could, figuring she’d ask for Tessa’s or Nana’s help later.

Then, she finally walked up to the balcony where Cece was patiently waiting for her.

The gorgeous dragon growled very softly when Cessilia approached. They were excited to see each other, although both were careful not to wake Ashen up. Cessilia put her hand forward, her fingers finding the cold, smooth scales of Cece’s snout first. Her dragon nudged gently against her palm, closing its ruby eyes with what almost seemed like relief. Cessilia’s heart felt warm too. They hadn’t had enough time to properly reunite. Of course, they didn’t really need physical closeness to feel each other’s presence, but she still loved every moment they could spend together. Gently, she climbed on her dragon, and Cece moved down, climbing down the balcony in just a few swift movements. The take off was incredibly smooth. Cece had always had this elegance, rare and impressive for a dragon, with movements as swift as the wind. Cessilia enjoyed the ride as her dragon slithered away from the castle, climbing up for a morning flight. For once, the Eastern Kingdom was blessed with a cloud-free sky, the morning sun shining brightly on the horizon. From their height, they could see the gorgeous colors of the sunrise in shades of warm purple, blushing pink, and vibrant orange melting one into the other like waves. As Cece simply flew around without any precise destination, Cessilia looked down on Aestara. The Capital was very quiet this morning. All the smoke from the fires was gone, replaced by a morning mist that came from the docks and wrapped the city in a mysterious, thin fog. Everyone who had worked hard to put out the fires and rescue the injured were now quietly resting in their own homes. There were still signs of the battle in the destroyed buildings, wrecked streets, and the few piles of bodies that had been respectfully covered until something better could be done, but at long last, peace was reigning. Cessilia enjoyed her privileged tour of the Capital on Cece’s back. In fact, she was just happy being able to ride the skies on her own dragon. Cece was moving slowly, the powerful wings taking them higher or lower in just a couple of flaps. The Silver Dragon only had to keep them extended to casually float on the morning winds, following the natural streams and lazily flying around.

Another dragon’s growl got their attention. They turned their heads, and spotted Kian happily flying right behind them. The dragon was alone, but visibly enjoying that morning flight with its sibling. Cessilia almost regretted that Dran and the other dragons weren’t here to fly with her Cece. The young dragons had all been the closest since each one was born... Cece had barely even known Seus, the youngest. Their baby brother was born when Cessilia was twelve, hence Cece had barely got to spend any time with his dragon... Cessilia forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down. At the very least, Cece was back. Now, they would have all the time they wanted to catch up,and do all those things that she had missed having her dragon for over the years. First, this. Yes, something as simple as a morning flight at dawn was a very good start. Cessilia promised herself they’d do this as often as possible, here or in the Dragon Empire.

Cece let out one of those unique long screams, echoing in the skies around them, putting a smile on Cessilia’s lips. For a while, the trio enjoyed this time together, both dragons playing and fooling around, even racing against each other at times. Although Cessilia had been allowed to ride her brothers’ or father’s dragons when needed, nothing could compare to flying on her own. She could anticipate each of Cece’s movements, and each twist and turn felt as natural as if she had moved one of her own limbs.

“...Cece,” she whispered after a while.

The dragon happily growled back, and parted ways with Kian, flying back toward the castle. But Cece didn’t head back toward the Cerulean Suite. Instead, the Silver Dragon flew to one of the other flanks of the castle’s island, toward one too familiar beach. Landing softly on the sand, both Cessilia and her dragon looked around. The waves had already washed away all traces of the fight they had held there the previous day. In fact, only Jinn remained. The Red Dragon was still there, trapped in the ice, but asleep from exhaustion. Cessilia paid it no attention for now. Although it had melted a bit, the ice was still keeping Jinn captive, so there was no risk.

She turned around, facing Cece once again, on the ground this time. Her dragon’s long body was extended behind it, but the head was right in front of Cessilia, those big ruby eyes fixated on her. Cessilia took a deep breath and walked up closer, offering her hands.

“...Good morning,” she muttered.

Cece growled softly in response. Cessilia stepped even closer, until she and her dragon were just an inch away from each other. Then, she caressed the silver-scaled snout with her hands and leaned her forehead gently against her dragon’s. Both of them closed their eyes together.

The relief and gratitude in her heart was beyond any words. Cessilia just felt so blessed to have her dragon back, her Cece right here. It still felt unreal, despite the dragon’s large presence. She had this urge to touch the silver scales non-stop, as if she feared it would all disappear at any moment. But Cece was here to stay, and it was almost as if they had never been apart. It was strange, considering how long they had been separated, and how much both of them had changed, but it was true. They felt closer than ever, their hearts beating as one. It was as if she was facing her own reflection, her heart and soul taking the appearance of a mythical creature. Cessilia wasn’t sure if her heart was really as strong as Cece seemed to be, but she definitely felt like she had taken a leap forward, and she would never go back to her former shell. She felt strong, fierce, confident, and even a bit proud. If anything, she felt at peace with her past. Those burdens and dark shadows from the past weren’t weighing on her shoulders anymore. That tight feeling down in her throat was gone... for good.

Suddenly, Cece gave her a little head bump, making Cessilia fall back.

“Hey!”

But her dragon lowered its head, tilting it with its lower rear moving around, moving around playfully. Cessilia’s lips opened in a smile, and she rolled on the sand, running to the waves until she could splash Cece. The dragon happily jumped into the fresh seawater with her, fooling around and teasing Cessilia. Obviously, Cece was much bigger than her, and capable of sending her flying, but was careful not to. In fact, the dragon was just like a large dog wary of its owner, pushing Cessilia around with its snout and taunting her to keep playing around; Cessilia wasn’t sparing her efforts, sprinkling Cece as much as she could, and diving underwater to play tag with the dragon too. For a while, the two of them played as if they were twelve again, ignoring everything around, laughing and growling in happiness, having fun with the simplest things.

When they both grew tired of their game, they laid on the sand, Cece’s large body making a nice seat for Cessilia to rest her back against. The Princess let out a long, tired, but satisfied sigh. They sat facing the rising sun, using its gentle rays of light to dry themselves. Cessilia was glad she could endure the cold water, as most normal humans would have gotten sick from playing in the chilly water. Cece too seemed happy to simply lay around and dry. The ruby eyes were already closed, preparing to nap in the comfy bed of sand.

“Good morning, my darling.”

Cessilia opened her eyes, surprised to hear her grandmother’s voice. She looked to her right, where the old lady was just climbing off of Krai’s back. The Black Dragon immediately jumped to play around with Cece, and before she could even get up, Cessilia was pushed in the sand by the two dragons’ unruly playing. Unlike with her, Cece didn’t have to show restraint while playing with Krai, and soon enough, the whole beach became a huge playfield for these two. Despite the age difference, dragons remained dragons, and played all the same. In fact, Cece being a bit bigger than the Black Dragon made it even funnier when they began to chase each other, as poor Krai had to run twice as fast to escape. Cessilia chuckled watching them, and walked up to her grandmother while being cautious of their playing.

“You’re up early, Grandmother.”

“Of course! I’ve woken up with the sunrise every day since I was born. Old ladies don’t need that much sleep, either.”

“You’re not old...”

With an amused smile, Cessilia wrapped her arms around her grandmother, hugging her. She had been a bit embarrassed the previous day, but now, she was happy to have some time alone with Kareen. The older lady hugged her back, but soon she frowned, and looked at Cessilia’s hair with an upset expression.

“What in the world is this?” she exclaimed.

She was holding some of Cessilia’s sharply cut hair, the strands she had to cut the previous day, during the fight... Cessilia grimaced.

“Collateral damage,” she muttered.

“Ha! As if I was going to leave you like this. Come over here.”

Cessilia didn’t even think about asking or protesting, she trusted her grandmother wholly. Lady Kareen made her sit on the beach, and began rinsing her hair with sea water, clearly determined to clean it and cut it herself. She had taken out a small dagger too. Because she was turning her back to the sea, Cessilia had Jinn in her direct line of vision. The Red Dragon had woken up but, intimidated by the two others present on the beach, it didn’t dare make a sound, staying still with a sad expression.

“...Grandmother. You said dragons without owners can... survive, right?”

“Yes. I’ve raised a few myself. When your uncles were murdered, I had to raise their dragons on my own. The last one passed away just a couple of years after you were born, you wouldn’t remember it.”

“This dragon... It belonged to a boy that died a long time ago. It survived by staying with his sister, but now, that woman... she is gone too.”

Cessilia glanced to the side. She wasn’t surprised that Jisel’s body was gone. It had been taken away by the tide... probably.