“Cessi.”

He smiled, and gently brought her hand to his lips. One by one, he softly kissed each of her fingers, making Cessilia’s stomach tickle and her cheeks blush again. How could he do this, when he wasn’t going to make love to her? She wasn’t sure how to feel about this. It was true her body hadn’t fully recuperated from the events of the previous night, but it didn’t make much of a difference in her desire for Ashen. She was a virgin, but she knew how sex was supposed to happen, her mother and aunt had both educated her on that as soon as she had become a woman.

“...I love you,” he muttered.

Cessilia felt her heart melting. Not only at his words but at the way those dark onyx eyes seized her soul, making her feel so awfully confident in his feelings. She had experienced all sorts of things since she had come to his Kingdom, but her target, her main objective, had always been Ashen’s heart. Now that he was giving it to her, she felt so awfully shy! Cessilia felt like she was thrown back into the past, into that enamored thirteen-year-old girl who thought she knew it all about love and what she wanted. She felt torn apart.

“It’s not only that,” he added in a whisper. “Last night was... a lot, for the two of us.”

His eyes went down to her throat, and Cessilia covered it right away with her hand, remembering her exposed scar. However, Ashen gently took her hand away, to stare at it more.

“I... I don’t deserve you, right now,” he muttered.

“Ashen! Ashen, th-that’s not–”

“I know,” he said, “but it is still... I was unfair to you, Cessi. At least... Let me properly apologize to you first. Don’t let me be more of a dirtbag than I already am by forgiving me too fast. I know I was wrong, and... I want to earn back your trust, and my own.”

Just as he said those words, Cessilia felt something leave her heart. It felt as if it flew off, and... freed something inside. She let out a faint sigh, calming down from her previous anger all at once. Ashen wasn’t rejecting her. In fact, he wanted to make things right instead... to repair what had been so badly broken between them. She lowered her head. She was really a bit too impatient when it came to him, wasn’t she? She suddenly remembered how her father was, with her mom. Her grandmother had talked about this too. How dragons were possessive creatures... Cessilia slowly nodded, more for herself than for Ashen.

“I... und-derstand,” she muttered.

“Thank you.”

He said that with a smile, and gently kissed her hand again. Sitting opposite each other like this on the bed, Cessilia found herself a bit shy, even more so when she remembered she was only wearing one of Ashen’s tunics... She pulled the blanket over her legs a little, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden.

“...Cessilia, I’m also worried about what will happen once... I make my interest, no, my feelings toward you clear.”

She looked up at him again, feeling his serious tone all of a sudden. Ashen was still holding her hand, but his eyes had gone a bit darker, and he seemed determined.

“Those people will stop at nothing to get me to do what they want. Last night’s murder attempt is only a sample of what they could do. I tried to avoid putting you in their sight, but...”

“Is th-that why you never t-tried to t-talk to me in p-public?”

“...That was one of the reasons, yes,” he nodded. “Those lords all want me to do what will serve their tribe better. I know some are rather inoffensive like the niece of Counselor Yamino you’re always with, but some won’t hesitate to murder their rivals to become my Queen.”

“You th-think I would let anyone else b-become your Q-Queen?” Cessilia angrily asked.

“No! I’m worried about your security, not you losing this stupid competition!”

Cessilia sighed, and sat at the edge of the bed, away from him. She brushed her long hair a bit with her fingers, shaking her head.

“I want t-to win th-this c-competition, Ashen.”

“Do you think I could choose any other woman than you?” he exclaimed, shocked.

Cessilia shook her head, and stood up, walking up to a little table where clean clothes had been left out for a woman. She found clean underwear, a dark pink dress, and a pair of comfortable shoes.

“No, b-but I was serious when I t-told those vixens I would p-play by the rules. Th-this is not j-just about me and you. Those p-people represent your citizens, Ashen. If I want t-to b-become their queen, I c-can’t just force them to t-trust me. I already know at least a few of th-them are willing to see what I c-can do, who I c-can p-prove t-to be. ...C-can you t-turn around, p-please?”

He sighed but turned around. Cessilia began changing quickly, a bit shy as he was right next to her, but she trusted he wouldn’t dare peek.

“I am t-tired of only b-being  the War God’s d-daughter. Th-those women hate me b-because they think th-that’s all I am. A rich D-Dragon Master. B-but I d-don’t really have a d-dragon anymore... and I d-don’t want to b-be a fraud.”

“Cessilia, you’re not a fraud. Just because you lost Cece doesn’t mean you’re anything less than... those women.”

“I know, b-but I have to p-prove it.”

She sighed, finished changing, and turned around. She walked up to the bed, where Ashen, hearing her come, turned around to face her, sitting on the edge of the mattress with a confused expression. Cessilia gently smiled at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I r-realized it when I went t-to the Muram Village,” she muttered. “You d-did so much b-by yourself, b-but you really d-do need a queen. Not someone like Jisel, b-but someone who c-can d-do the right things.”

“Cessilia, Jisel is not...”

Her sudden, angry expression convinced him to shut up right there. He swallowed his words right back into his throat, while the Princess was glaring at him.

“I d-don’t want to know,” she hissed. “D-don’t t-talk about th-that woman now.”

He didn’t dare add anything to that. He could have mentioned she had brought up his mistress first, but after seeing Cessilia’s furious, green eyes, so much like her father’s when she was upset, he didn’t. The young Princess had the eyes of someone who knew how to threaten and uphold it. She had the eyes of a real dragon tamer...

After a few seconds of heavy, guilt-filled silence had passed, Ashen cleared his throat a bit.

“So... You want us to remain a secret for now?” he muttered. “You really want to... do this competition?”

“Yes,” she nodded, “b-but I am not l-letting any other wo-woman have you.”

“I know,” he chuckled. “I swear it’s not going to happen... ever again, as long as you’re with me. I just... want to look forward to when we can truly be together.”

Cessilia nodded and took the initiative to kiss him this time. The King answered her kiss right away, his hands going around her body, caressing her gently. Although they had both agreed on that, she could feel it would be hard to wait... She was feeling hot just from the gentle caresses on her body, and she regretted not staying in that bed a bit longer.

“Your Majesty?” Someone knocked at the door. “My apologies, Your Majesty, but the Counselors and Lords are waiting for you for the meeting...”

Ashen glared at the door, back to his usual White King cold demeanor. Cessilia chuckled and kissed his cheek gently.

“I’ll g-get going first,” she whispered. “...D-do you th-think we c-can... see each other again soon?”

He sighed and caressed her hair, staring at her as if he wanted to capture each of her traits in his mind. His fingers gently followed her curls to their end before he slowly nodded.

“...I’ll come to you,” he muttered. “Believe me, Cessi... I won’t disappoint you again. I promise.”

He gently caressed her cheek, making Cessilia feel even better. She nodded, and they kissed once more, a more candid kiss this time, just enough to say goodbye, although neither of them wanted to part. The King sighed, his fingers still in her hair. When the servant knocked at the door again, he glared.

“I’m coming!” he shouted, upset. “...You should go out after me. Servants will definitely speculate after I asked for women’s clothes to be brought earlier, but they might not see you if I have them all follow me, so...”

“I d-don’t need to g-go out by the d-door,” chuckled Cessilia.

She left another quick kiss on his cheek, and this time, slowly stepped back, grabbing the fur coat that had been left on the chair to wrap it around her. In front of Ashen’s shocked eyes, Cessilia climbed up the window until she was on the edge of it, and gave him a little wink.

“See you t-tonight,” she whispered.