Chapter 25
They agreed to split up right outside Bastat’s house, as Darsan had to go to Krai to give instructions and post the large Black Dragon at the agreed upon door, while Lady Bastat and Kassian were going to have Kian drop them in the lower part of the Capital, away from the castle and the Central Plaza, to gather as much attention as possible and have the Yekara head to them first.
Kassian smiled softly and came to hug his sister gently.
“Take care of yourself, alright? ...You too, Tessa.”
“You know me,” she said with a wink.
Kassian nodded, and turned his green eyes to his sister. They exchanged a long, intimate glance, then he quickly kissed her head, his fingers caressing her curls. Cessilia smiled, hugging her big brother back. Kassian had always been the protective kind, but he had been even more so after what had happened to her. He glanced at Ashen over her shoulder, the King staying expressionless, although he was obviously waiting to grab Cessilia’s hand back the second he could. Kassian chuckled, and took a step back, parting with his sister.
“If anything happens to my sister...”
“It won’t.”
The two men exchanged a long stare, although far less tense than before. Cessilia smiled, and when Ashen took her hand, she held on tight.
Meanwhile, Darsan was fidgeting next to Naptunie, shifting his weight from one leg to another with an awkward expression.
“So, uh... You... You have to be careful, alright?”
“I will!” exclaimed Naptunie, decided.
Darsan nodded, although not convinced.
“I’m going to beat a lot of those brutes, alright? I promise none of them will be taking a step inside the Inner Capital!”
“We will be counting on you!”
Naptunie’s smile was so blinding and yet she was completely oblivious to Darsan’s feelings. He stared at her for a few seconds, hesitating, and suddenly grabbed her hands, making her gasp in surprise, her eyes opened wide on their joined hands.
“I’m going to show you, Nana! How great of a husband I will be!”
“U-uh... I see... I mean... A-alright?”
He then nodded, visibly satisfied, and turned around, proudly walking away toward the gates. Kassian chuckled, amused by his brother’s antics, and turned around too, followed closely behind by Lady Bastat. Meanwhile, Naptunie stood there for a few more seconds, completely shaken up, her hands even still hanging mid-air. Cessilia chuckled, and both she and Tessandra stepped next to their confused friend.
“...Say...” Nana muttered, “by any chance, does… does Sir Darsan…?”
“Love you?” chuckled Tessandra. “Yeah, big time. I’m pretty sure he fell pretty hard for your charms.”
“What?!”
She screamed and turned to them, her face surprisingly red.
“N-n-no way!”
“Yes way,” sighed Tessandra, pulling her in the right direction. “He’s been pretty obvious too, Nana. It’s amazing you’re the only one who hasn’t noticed until now.”
“But he’s... he’s a prince!”
“Literally no one cares,” laughed Tessandra. “Plus, Darsan probably destroyed pretty much anything he might have inherited. He is a prince in name alone, Nana, don’t freak out about that. If you’re worried, worry about being proposed to by a walking natural disaster.”
“Proposed to?!”
Cessilia chuckled, but they didn’t have time to answer poor Naptunie’s interrogations right now. The rest of their group, including Ashen, rushed to the secret passage again, following Aglithia. While Tessandra happily kept teasing Nana on the way, they still made a point to rush behind the Cheshi guiding them. The tunnel was too narrow for them to properly run, so they were walking very quickly instead, rushing to the other side. They had only a few minutes left, and they would have to match their timing with the dragons’ attacks on the other side of the Inner Capital. Cessilia even suspected Tessandra kept chatting with Naptunie as a way to distract both of them from the urgency of the situation.
She and Ashen were at the back, not saying a word all this time, but they had their hands firmly locked together, and neither of them had any intention to let go, even as they had to walk one behind the other in the more narrow sections of the tunnel. Cessilia could feel the tension in Ashen’s fingers, and she could understand that. Only a few hours had passed since he had fought with his adopted brother and his ex-mistress had stabbed him. She swallowed her saliva, a feeling of guilt coming forth.
“...About th-that woman...”
“I don’t regret anything,” he immediately retorted. “I apologized to her, but I am not sorry for choosing you. She knew my heart would never be hers, and she was using me as much as I was using her. Her anger comes from another place, even if I might have fueled it some more.”
“I know,” suddenly answered Cessilia. “I’m not mad at you, b-but I don’t regret letting her go this one t-time. But if she g-gets in our way again, I won’t be so k-kind.”
“...I understand.”
They exchanged a faint smile, and Ashen gently tightened his grasp around her hand. Staring back into his dark eyes, Cessilia felt like something had definitely changed in him. Perhaps since he and Kassian had sorted out the truth about why he had been really forced to leave the Dragon Empire, Ashen seemed... happier, lighter. The way he looked at her too. It was a bit... different. There was something more serene but also, more... bittersweet about it.
“...What is it?”
“I’m happy like this. I know we’re about to run into battle, but... I’ve felt more free in the past eight hours, hiding from the world and staying with you, than I’ve been in a long time. I feel like I’ve found something I had lost. I don’t know how to describe it, but after I spoke with Kassian, I felt like something finally got... fixed inside. Before that, I was always... angry, unsure, and even madder at myself for constantly doubting everything. I felt like I had to repeatedly toughen myself up to survive, and bury my emotions inside, negative or positive. Now... I feel like I can finally be myself, thanks to you being here. I don’t care anymore about being the King. Actually, no, for the first time, I truly feel like the King of this Kingdom. I feel like this is my place, and I am ready to defend it. I finally know why I’ll be fighting.”
Cessilia smiled.
She was glad, but deep inside, she felt a little part of her was disappointed too. Disappointed in herself. When she had come here, she had found a broken Ashen, a man who was nothing more than the dark, angry shadow of the boy she had once met. Now, she could tell this Ashen she was holding hands with was the one she had been yearning for all along. The true partner she needed, a man who could stand tall and strong, bold, and not hide his intentions anymore. He wouldn’t have to submit to the willfulness of the Lords, or act so cold all the time. He had truly grown, in such a short time.
Meanwhile, she...
