The Dragon King's Heart

"Your Majesty, the thermal bath is ready," the head butler informed Dante. 

The Starfrost Mansion had its own private thermal bath. The servants rushed to make the necessary preparations for Dante and Laina. Hearing that it was ready, Dante and Laina followed the head butler to where the Bath was. 

There were a total of six different baths, each with its own unique properties, styles, and decor. Dante had informed the head butler in advance, to ensure that the entire thermal bath is to be reserved only for Dante and Laina. 

No one else was allowed to disturb them, apart from a handful of servants and maids. Upon arriving, Dante and Laina were greeted with a set of bathrobes each to change into. As soon as they were in their bathrobes, Dante dismissed the staff and guided Laina through to view each thermal bath. 

"Which one do you suggest we try out first?" Laina asked with excitement. 

Though she was still feeling fatigued, the hot steam and warm temperatures of the thermal bath energized her. While she admired the mosaic that covered the walls, she stole a glance at Dante. 

He was deep in thought for a short period of time before replying to her, "Let's start with a regular one first. Then we can move onto the medicinal bath."

He held her hand, reminding her to be careful as they walked through the hallway. As they came up upon a set of doors, Dante requested for Laina to cover her eyes.

"Cover my eyes with my hands?" she echoed his request in confusion.

Dante nodded. Laina did as he asked. She brought her hands up and covered her eyes. Once he was certain she was not peeking through her hands, Dante turned around to push open the doors behind him. 

He carefully guided Laina into the room. The smell of wood permeated her senses. He stood behind her as he carefully removed her hands from her eyes. Laina opened her eyes. Her mouth was agape. 

The entire room was constructed out of cedarwood. The sweet woody scent of the air relaxed Laina. But what truly surprised her was the view. This part of the thermal bath had open windows, allowing them to look out at the picturesque scenery of the mountain range. 

Snow fell from the sky, blanketing the otherwise rocky and grey surface of the mountain. The peace and quiet of the space were a welcome change. 

"Do you like it?" Dante asked with a grin of pride on his face. 

"That is a spectacular view," Laina could not help but praise. 

"View?" Dante's expression soon disappeared. When he looked out the window, he realized what Laina had meant, "That is a spectacular view indeed."

"Hold on," Laina paused as she looked up at Dante, "Weren't you asking me about the view? Did I…"

When she took another look at the space they were in, Laina gasped again. This time, she covered her agape mouth with her hand. As per Dante's request, the thermal bath was covered in rose petals. 

Lit candles lined the rim of the pool. On the side of the pool, was a small table with a bottle of champagne, two champagne flutes,  and a cheeseboard. 

"Oh my goodness, Dante, you went through all that trouble for me?" she could not help but exclaim with glee.

He smiled, "Do you like it?" 

"This is amazing. Thank you," she replied with a big smile on her face.

She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. But as soon as their lips brushed against one another, Laina allowed her body to take the wheel. She deepened their kiss as she cupped Dante's face in her hands. 

When she came to her senses, she attempted to pull away and apologize for the sudden intimacy. But Dante refused to let her go. He leaned forward, continuing their romantic gesture. The bathrobe they wore kept them warm, but the cold chilly air still caused Laina to shiver a little. 

But the fiery passion of their shared kiss burned through her entire body like an open campfire flame. She did not need to get into the water to get warmed up. When they finally parted lips, Laina caught a quick breath of air. 

Dante smiled as he reached out for Laina's hand. He guided her to the side of the pool. Both of them removed their robes. Laina blushed a little. 

"Don't worry, it's not like I have not seen all of you before," he teased. 

Together, they carefully stepped into the thermal bath. The water was hot, you could even see the steam evaporating from the surface. For Laina, the temperature was perfect. As soon as she submerged herself in, she let out a relaxed sigh. 

She could feel the heat of the water on her skin. Dante carefully dipped his body into the water as well. The thermal bath pool was just big enough for both of them. As they sat down in the pool, Laina rested her head on Dante's chest. 

They looked ahead of them, admiring the picturesque view. Dante had used this bath before on his own. To be honest, he had not taken notice of the view from the bath until Laina had pointed it out. 

As he leaned his head back, he had an unmistakable smile on his face. 

This was all he ever wanted. 

Laina looked over to the side. She carefully picked up the bottle of champagne, popped it open, and poured each of them a glass. Using a floating tray in the water, she brought the cheeseboard to them. 

"Here's to us," Laina declared as she handed Dante the other champagne flute. 

"To us," he echoed as they clinked their champagne flutes before taking a sip. 

"Don't down it all at one go, dragon king, we wouldn't want you getting drunk again, now do we?" Laina joked as she put down her glass on the floating tray. 

"Fear not, your Highness, I hold my liquor very well," Dante replied haughtily. 

She folded her arms in disbelief, "Oh do you now?" 

She pretended to ponder in thought for a moment before saying, "I happen to recall a certain king who drank so much, that he accidentally stumbled into my room and-"

Dante covered Laina's mouth, preventing her from continuing to speak. 

"That was a different situation. That does not count!" he exclaimed frantically.