The Dragon King's Heart

"A… a dozen?" the stall owner asked in disbelief.

She had only expected Laina to want a single cupcake. 

"Yes, that's right," the Crown Princess replied, "Is that alright? You have more, right? I wouldn't want to buy you out, I think lots of festival-goers would love to try these."

"Oh, that's perfectly alright. Do not worry, your Highness," the stall owner quickly replied as she packed Laina's order.

For now, Laina placed the cupcakes into her spatial storage. She could not wait to try them later. Dante was a little surprised to see that Laina did not want to try one on the spot. After all, he could almost see her salivating over them. 

"Are you sure you do not want to try one now?" he asked her. 

Laina turned to him and replied with a smile, "It's alright, I can try them later."

Before they left, the stall owner gifted the King and the Crown Princess hazelnut chocolate-filled cronut. A cronut was a croissant-doughnut pastry. The buttery crispy exterior paired well with the fluffy doughy center. The sweet hazelnut chocolate filling cut through the savory flavors perfectly well. 

"This is so good!" Laina exclaimed with glee as she savored the bite of the cronut. 

Dante took a bite of his as well, amazed by the flavors in his mouth. 

"You're right, this is really good." he added, "Perhaps it tastes even better because we're enjoying it together."

Laina could not help but smile when she heard him. 

"I guess you're right."

Just then, Laina noticed Dante had a chocolate stain on the side of his lips. She took out her handkerchief and helped him to wipe it away. 

"We can't have your subjects think you're a slob, now can we?" she teased as she put away the handkerchief. 

Dante chuckled in reply as he reached out his hand. Using his thumb, he wiped off the chocolate Laina had on her chin from the cronut. 

"Likewise, my princess. But if anyone dares to say anything about you, I will have them executed at once."

"If you do that, your Majesty, you won't have many subjects left to govern at the end of it."

"Hah! Perfect. Then I would be able to devote more of my time to what matters most."

"And what would that be?" Laina asked as she arched her eyebrows. 

"I'm looking at her," Dante replied all suave. 

Laina blushed as she grinned at him for making such a mushy comment. In his defense, she walked straight into his trap of flattery. Although she wanted to stay at the bakery stall for a while longer, Laina found herself ushered along with Dante. 

It soon dawned on her that Dante had a royal duty to uphold during the festival. He had to mingle and communicate with the stall owners and the nobles in attendance. As he spoke to the stall owners, Laina listened and played her role. 

But deep down in her heart, she was feeling a little out of place. She had not seen Dante in quite some time. When she got the invite she was super excited. It was a golden opportunity for them to spend some quality time together. 

She missed their time in Starfrost Mansion, where it was just the two of them. The rest of the world did not matter. In that mansion, there were only them. 

"Laina… Laina…" Dante called out to her. 

He could see the distant look in her eyes. He knew immediately the reason behind it and he wanted to make up for it. But he did not know-how. His royal duties at the festival had to be taken care of first before he could focus on them. 

"Laina," he called out to her again. But this time, he placed his hand on her shoulder. 

His gesture successfully caught her attention as she turned to face him. In that spur of the moment, an idea popped into his mind. He leaned in and tucked a loose lock of her hair behind her ear. 

He was so close. Laina could feel his hot breath against her skin as she heard him whisper, "Let's do something fun tonight."

At that moment, Laina felt as if her entire body was on fire. She could feel the radiating heat. She looked up at Dante with an innocent look in her eyes. 

"Something fun?" she echoed his words. 

"Yes."

She pondered in thought for a moment before replying, "I'll think of something."

Just then, a small entourage of nobles came up to Dante. They greeted him politely before striking up a conversation. But before they could speak any further, Dante placed his arm around Laina's shoulders and introduced her to them. 

The nobles were cordial. They greeted Laina but went straight back into their topic of discussion. Laina did not feel right eavesdropping on their conversation so, in the meantime, she preoccupied herself with the booth they were visiting. 

It happened to be a pottery shop, selling various cat-themed cutlery, utensils, plates, and other display pieces. Each item was handmade and hand-painted before it was sent to be fired in a dragon kiln.

The results were beautiful pottery pieces that were not only functional but aesthetically pleasing. 

"Dante, look at these. Aren't they beautiful?" Laina asked as she brought up two different plates to show him. 

He turned over to look at the beautiful hand-painted plates she was holding. 

"You're right, they do look very beautiful. Would you like to-"

"Your Majesty!" someone called for Dante's attention. 

"I'm sorry Laina, give me a moment, I will be right back with you," Dante reassured her before walking over to another booth. 

Laina bit her lip. She purchased the pottery pieces and caught up with him. Realizing how busy he was, Laina felt a little guilty for taking up his time. She placed her hand on his arm to get his attention. 

"Your Majesty, I think I will take my leave. I'm feeling a little tired," she cooked up a convincing lie. 

In truth, Laina wanted to stay on and explore the rest of the stalls. But she knew if she did so, Dante would have his time tied between his duties and spending time with her. If she were to leave, he could focus on his work. 

After that, she would have him all to herself.

"Are you feeling alright, Laina? Do you want me to call for the Royal Healer?" he asked, voice full of concern and worry. 

"I'm alright. Just a little tired, that's all. Don't worry about me," Laina replied with a smile and a wink, "Just remember our promise about tonight."