The Dragon King's Heart

Kragen opened his mouth, but no words came out. He hated the situation he was in, but he had to make do with what he had. Kragen walked over Victoria's side and sat down. He looked over to the Moon Goddess. 

"You want to stay by her side?" Selene asked. 

Kragen nodded. 

The Moon Goddess looked up to Victoria, "Would you be agreeable to this arrangement? It seems like his intention is to repent for his mistakes by serving you, your Majesty."

Victoria bit her lip, she looked down at the wolf at her feet. At first, he did not even dare to look up at her in her eyes. But eventually, Kragen mustered the courage to do so. 

He could see it in her eyes. 

"I…" Victoria held onto her arm, "I don't know if I can trust you."

He was surprised by her response. Kragen was expecting her to outright reject the idea. But that was not her first concern. Her concern was trust. He knew he had to find a way to gain her trust. 

"If your issue is trust, perhaps there is something you could try," The Moon Goddess suggested a master and servant contract seal. 

With it, Kragen would have to listen to Victoria's every command. He would never be able to betray her. To some, it might be horribly degrading. If Kragen was still his old self, he would rather leap off a cliff to his death than agree to it. 

Now, he wanted to show that he was serious. He wanted to make up for what he had done to her in the past. If he really wanted to show her he was willing to change, he needed to do what was right. 

Kragen looked up at Victoria once more and gave her a nod. 

"You… you're willing to go through with it… the contract?" Victoria asked. 

She was surprised. Kragen was a prideful werewolf. This was the last thing she expected him to agree to. But he gave her a reassuring nod. Even Moon Goddess Selene was impressed. 

Perhaps it was possible for a leopard to change its spots. 

"Alright, let's do this."

With Moon Goddess Selene as their witness, Victoria and Kragen established a master and servant contract bond. As a result, they were telepathically linked as well. Victoria did not think too much of it. 

She still had a few reservations, but she trusted her gut. Things would work out. They just need a little time. Moon Goddess Selene called Kragen over to her side. 

She crouched down and held his face in her hands, "If you truly wish to repent for what you have done, protect her with everything you've got. Serve her well."

After that, Moon Goddess Selene and Victoria continued their disrupted discussion. Kragen laid at Victoria's feet. As the new ruling monarch of Wolfenheim, the responsibilities that weighed down on her shoulders were suffocating at times. 

Selene promised to offer her guidance whenever she needed it. Even if she was not able to give it in person, the High Priestess would be there to guide her. Arrangements would be made for the High Priestess Shylla to stay in Adolfa for a while to assist Victoria. 

"Honestly, if it was not for Crown Princess Laina's help, I don't think I would have gotten settled in the castle so quickly."

Though they had barely known one another, Laina offered Victoria a helping hand when she needed it the most. The time they had spent also forged a long lasting relationship between both women. 

"The child of the sun is a capable one. Her kindness and intellect is truly remarkable," Selene remarked, "She will make for a fine ruler when her time comes."

~

Cordelia was busy plotting her next move. 

A perfect plan had surfaced in her mind during her time in Wolfenheim. Now, all she needed to do was bide her time for the perfect opportunity. Her plan was almost seamless. 

If only she could somehow get rid of Margaret from Laina's side, it would have made her plan that much simpler. The execution would be flawless too. 

"If I get the opportunity, I'm going to kick her off my list for sure," Cordelia muttered to herself. 

The purple-haired witch was standing on the rooftops of Kinshearth Palace. From where she stood, she could see that Laina was on the balcony. Cordelia turned to look in the other direction. 

Beyond Kinshearth Palace was a forest area. That was where she planned for her stage to be set. A huge grin flashed across Cordelia's face. The gears in her mind were coming alive. 

With a click of her fingers, Cordelia teleported herself into the forest. She was standing in a forest clearing. As she waved her hands around, she began to chant ancient incantations that were not native to Gaeia. 

A huge spell circle formed beneath her feet. When the circle was complete with its symbols, it lit up bright purple. Dark purple tendrils emerged from the spell circle. The tendrils latched onto Cordelia, slowly consuming her whole. 

It had transformed into the shape of a cocoon. Moments later, the cocoon flakes away in the cool night breeze. In place of the purple-haired witch who was of average height was a child with lilac purple hair. 

She could not have been older than ten years of age. 

Do not be fooled, this was still Cordelia the purple-haired witch. She had merely transformed into an innocent-looking child. The spell circle was still glowing beneath her feet. 

She inspected her body and clothes. 

"Not too bad. I had not used this spell in a long time," she commended herself with pride. 

Her voice had noticeably changed. It was sweeter and of a slightly higher pitch. This was her perfect disguise for her perfect plan. Cordelia stretched out her hands as she looked around the forest. 

"Now all I need is to make a scene," she declared with a smirk upon her lips. 

Waving her hands before her once more, the spell circle began to glow even brighter. Three individual creatures began to take shape before Cordelia. They were seemingly formed from the black goo that was oozing out of the spell circle. 

They began to take the shape of dark hounds. Dark hounds were vicious creatures that resembled a cross between dogs and wolves. Seeing as they were beginning to become fully formed, Cordelia makes a run in the direction of the Kinshearth Palace. 

Seconds after she began to do so, the three dark hounds were fully formed. Cordelia turned back for a moment. She whistled at the hounds to get their attention. Immediately, they caught on to her whistle. 

Each of them was barring their teeth as they howled into the night sky. Cordelia smirked, her plan was about to take flight. All that was left now was for her to play her role. 

The smirk disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Cordelia squinted her eyes shut as she let out an ear-piercing screech of fear. Her heart rate increase. She was drenched in sweat. 

As soon as the dark hounds caught hold of the scent of fear and heard the scream, they gave chase immediately without hesitation.