The Dragon King's Heart

"We… we need to get the King!"

A commotion broke out in the royal stables. The members of staff were trying their best to control a dog that seemed to have grown hostile. Most animals in the Kingdom of Dracona were docile and obedient. Especially domesticated animals.

But the dog in the Royal Stables was a different story. Ever since King Dante had brought the animal back to the castle, it had caused endless trouble. If anyone tried to get too near to it, the dog would bark and bite.

The King seemed to be the only one who could tame the beast. This was no ordinary dog either. It was a Solar Mastiff with a fierce mane and loud bark. The mastiff was huge, standing at about 1.2 meters in height.

Its messy mane was similar to that of a lion. Its fur was of shades of golden brown. Sometimes it would take multiple members of staff to wrestle the creature. But over the years, the creature no longer caused any trouble.

"Why is the beast acting so crazily now?" Another member of staff exclaimed in distraught.

Apart from the times, King Dante had brought it out for a walk or a hunt, the mastiff would lay lazily in the royal stables. It was also an excellent loyal guard dog. But ever since King Dante's most recent return, the mastiff seemed to have gone wild.

It was restless, endlessly barking and clawing at the door. It wanted to be let out. The staff did their best to control the beast but it was getting out of hand. Two royal stable handlers had already been clawed and injured.

"My...my sincere apologies, my King. If we were able to handle this situation… we … we would not have to call for you," the royal stable manager stuttered.

Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as he kept up with the pacing of the King. He feared the retribution he would face for disturbing King Dante with such a small matter. But he had no other choice.

"That's quite alright," Dante said emotionlessly.

He knew why the beast was acting this way.

As soon as they got to the stables it would seem that the situation had reached a boiling point. The mastiff had clawed through the wooden barricade. The dog took a few steps forward, everyone backed away slowly.

It turned to look around the side to side as if it was looking for something or someone. The mastiff lifted its head towards the sky and began sniffing the air. King Dante was not afraid of the beast before him.

He got down on one knee and whistled, "Come here, Titan,"

Titan the Solar Mastiff turned towards King Dante immediately. In an instant, the aggressive aura of the dog dissipated. With a joyous bark, Titan made its way towards Dante and clobbered him.

The solar mastiff licked Dante on his face as he tried to give the King a hug with its paws. Dante was buried in its fur for a few moments before he was able to stand up again. Titan's tail was still wagging nonstop as it circled Dante excitedly.

"Titan, sit," he instructed.

The Solar Mastiff was obedient. It did as it was told. Everyone around them was in shock. Their King seemed to have complete control over the beast. No one had ever been able to command it to do anything.

The playful mastiff rolled on the ground, lying belly up. It was inviting Dante to rub its belly. Seeing the happy expression on the pup brought a smile to Dante's face. He crouched down and gave the dog the belly rub he asked for.

"You smart little mutt sensed her, didn't you?" He whispered to Titan.

As if he understood Dante's words, Titan barked brightly in response.

"I take that as a yes," he chuckled.

As he rubbed the cheeks of the furry beast, Dante asked Titan, "So, are you ready to go to her?"

Titan barked twice. Loud and clear.

Dante nodded as he stood back up.

"Go to her."

Back in the room, Laina's face was turning beet red.

Looking around the room again, she wondered if King Dante was the one who carried her into the room. Laina sat up and was about to get out of bed when she came to a sudden realization.

What about her clothes?

When she looked down, she heaved a sigh of relief. She was still wearing the dress she had worn during the ball. Looking back at the pillow where her head at rest, she noticed the suit jacket.

She picked it up and brought it close to her face. She could still smell his cologne emanating from it. Laina placed the suit jacket back down on the bed and stood up. As she stretched her arms and let out a yawn, she explored the room.

The dressing table caught her attention so she walked over. A fresh new set of clothing had already been prepared for her. It was folded neatly and placed on the table.

Laina furrowed her eyebrows as she turned to look at the overall decor of the room.

"Why can't I find anything that I dislike?" She muttered to herself.

The color of the wallpaper, the wooden flooring, the bed frame, and every other detail in the room seemed to have been specially styled for her. How did the King even know what she liked?

While Laina wondered if she was overthinking it, she did not notice that a certain creature had sneaked its way into her room. All she heard was the soft jingle of a single bell.

Laina's senses were on high alert, she turned around quickly, trying to trace the source of the sound. She looked all over the room without much luck. That was until she heard a soft meow.

Laina looked down.

Right in front of her, was a beautiful cat with soft silky black fur. Against the dark color carpet, the cat was almost camouflaged. The curious kitty had the most mesmerizing bright yellow eyes she had ever seen.

Laina crouched down as the cat meowed at her again. Around its neck was a black collar with a small bell attached to it. The cat tilted its head as it continued to look at Laina. It rose its tail up before curling it.

She put out her hand, allowing the cat to sniff it and familiarise itself with her scent. After a few seconds, the cat gently rubbed its head against Laina's hand. She could tell that the black cat seemed to have taken a liking to her.

"Aren't you a sweet little thing," she whispered lovingly to the cat, "Where did you come from?"

Laina scratched the cat on its forehead, causing it to purr. The cat walked up close to her and gently ruffled its fur against the side of her leg. She could not resist the adorable cat any longer.

Laina picked it up into her arms and toyed with the cat as she took a seat at the dressing table. As she continued to play with the cat, she looked at the clothing that had been prepared for her.