“K-King Ashen asked t-to see me,” she resumed. “I... I want t-to go.”

“To see you?”

This time, the War God’s words were directed at Yassim, and so was his terrifying glare. The old man bowed quickly, his throat tight, but he ought to at least stay something.

“P-Princess Cessilia is invited by... His Majesty, in hopes of... standing as his Queen.”

“...His Queen,” repeated the War God.

His voice was deep, and his emotions even harder to decipher. Yassim was silently praying to every god and goddess he knew, and hoping he’d be spared to see his plan succeed or fail. If only he could bring Princess Cessilia to His Majesty, then perhaps, there was hope... For now, though, the mountain standing before him was no other than the War God and a father who cherished his daughter deeply. Yassim was truly having a hard time understanding what those people were thinking, but he was already shocked that the War God hadn’t yet kicked him out or killed him. Instead, his eyes were still on Cessilia, perhaps conflicted. Was his daughter’s hopeful gaze making him really consider this insane request?

“...What did your mother say?”

“M-Mother said I c-could d-decide and live my own ad-dventure,” quickly answered Cessilia. “She a-... agreed. D-Dad, please...”

The War God let out a long sigh, and it felt as if a gush of hot wind was running through the room to echo his frustration. Yassim wasn’t cold anymore; he was sweating profusely. However, the War God raised his hand to gently caress his daughter’s cheek. Then, his fingers went down to her neck covered by her golden choker, and he frowned even more.

“...Don’t do anything you don’t want to,” he suddenly said.

“I know, D-Dad.”

“Don’t let anyone touch you, insult you, or annoy you. If they do, punish them. Do not be scared, Cessi. Even if you kill him, it’s fine. If you want to burn their whole country down, it’s fine.”

Yassim was on the verge of passing out from hearing this, but Cessilia simply chuckled.

“I und-derstand.”

“...Take Krai with you.”

“D-Dad, is it alright? It’s your d-dragon...”

Her father didn’t answer, but a loud growl resonated outside. Yassim couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The Black Dragon was not just going to take them there, it was going to stay with the Princess all along? The War God’s legendary dragon itself!

Yassim suddenly met the War God’s eyes, and the dark gaze immediately changed into a life-threatening glare. The old man froze in utter fear instead of bowing again.

“...If anything happens to Cessi, you’re all dead.”

He had said that with incredible calm, yet his ice-cold voice left no doubt.

The Eastern Kingdom’s fate now entirely relied on the well-being and future of that one young woman. Yassim bowed and heard himself thank the War God, but in his heart, he knew he had sealed his own country’s future. Either his plan succeeded, or they would now be doomed for real...

“...Are you planning to destroy them already, Uncle?” chuckled a feminine voice.

Tessa was back, carrying a large tray with tea and dried fruits. She put it down on the table, but her confident attitude suddenly disappeared as she met her uncle’s eyes. Yassim was still trying to grasp the dynamics of that family, but it was clear the young woman was also cautious in her uncle’s presence. She nodded slightly.

“I’m going with Cessi,” she said before he asked anything. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”

Cessilia stared at her cousin with a surprised expression, but Tessa was holding her uncle’s stare without fail. The cousin’s dark eyes were suddenly shining with determination, as if she was making a very serious promise... What was this about? Once again, Yassim felt like there was more meaning to her words than what he could witness. Was this related to the Princess’ speech impairment? There was definitely something about her, and the way her family members reacted to her, treating her very preciously...

The War God didn’t answer and, instead, turned back to Cessilia.

“Just the two of you?” he frowned.

“And K-Krai,” smiled his daughter. “It will b-be fine.”

The War God let out a long sigh, caressing her hair once more. He was visibly unwilling to part with his daughter, which was understandable. What man would send his daughter and niece abroad by themselves, to a country they knew almost nothing of? The fact that he was sending her with his dragon spoke volumes.

The truth was, Yassim was a bit curious as to why Cessilia didn’t seem to have a dragon herself... or by her side. From what he had seen, dragons could be away from their masters for prolonged periods of time, but it still seemed odd that she wouldn’t be bringing hers, if she had one, with them to the Eastern Kingdom. Or was this as a precaution, perhaps? The old man didn’t dare ask, for he feared they would have misunderstood it as him trying to invite a dragon owner, rather than a princess. Plus, the War God’s Dragon would be coming along. How dare he ask for one more!

“...Stay here tonight,” suddenly said the War God. “You can leave tomorrow morning.”

Cessilia glanced Yassim’s way, and he realized she was asking for his opinion. He immediately nodded.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness!”

The War God slightly squinted his eyes, with no intention to answer.

“Take all you need,” he added.

“Oh, can I take some weapons from the armory, Uncle?” exclaimed Tessa, suddenly very excited.

He nodded, and the young woman squealed, running out of the room to wherever the armory was. Cessilia chuckled.

“I will ask Auntie Nebora for s-some food,” she said, “and warmer c-clothes.”

She turned to Yassim.

“It is c-colder there, isn’t it?”

“Yes, my lady. But not as cold as these lands. Because our Kingdom is crossed by many rivers, the weather is more humid, and the temperatures do not change as drastically.”

“Take as much as you need,” said the War God. “Gold too.”

Yassim couldn’t help but feel a bit hopeful as he heard this.

The Dragon Empire was much, much richer than their broken Kingdom, he had witnessed this fact many times over. Their money was the same, but because gold was withheld in the chests of the wealthy back in the Kingdom, it wasn’t circulating as much, and their primary currency was silver, which was getting rarer as well... Meanwhile, here, the noble and wealthy wore gold as if it was nothing. Not only that, but they sold and bought luxury items such as gems, jewelry, or fabrics as a perfectly fine way of trading too, while in the Eastern Kingdom, defiance had brought their people to only rely on the silver change to buy only the most needed goods... Yassim had gotten used to it after several days of crossing the Empire, but the Princess already wore much more gold on herself than he had witnessed in several years in the Eastern Kingdom. Even the middle and lower classes here were already much wealthier than most of the Eastern Kingdom’s people, who lived day to day with little to no resources. There was no common measure between their two nations’ wealth. In fact, he had even been surprised by how sparsely decorated this castle was, considering it was a prince’s house, and one of the wealthiest men in the Empire, at that... If Princess Cessilia and her cousin brought a bit of gold, it would be a dim light of hope in the Eastern Kingdom if they were to spend it...

“I will,” nodded Cessilia. “I can have c-clothes made if I need t-too... D-don’t worry. I will t-take all I need, or b-buy it over there...”

The War God nodded, visibly satisfied with those answers. Just then, Tessa came back, carrying two long and sharp swords with an ecstatic smile. However, Cessilia frowned.

“T-Tessa... Those are D-Darsan’s...”

“I know!” replied her cousin, excited. “And he won’t know for a while that I took them! He’s never let me take them, so this is his loss for being punished! Oh, these are amazing!”

“Is this r-really fine, D-Dad...?” muttered Cessilia.

The War God shrugged, visibly not caring much over his niece borrowing his son’s weapons. Instead, he turned to Nebora as the servant walked back into the room with a large fur coat in her arms.