The Dragon King's Heart

"Do you like it?" Laina asked nervously as Dante took a look around. 

The furnishing options in Everfree were different from what was available in Kinshearth and Dracona. But Laina made the best out of it. This gave the mansion a very unique feel, unlike any place they had seen before. 

Despite the differences, the place still felt homely. Laina brought with her a small entourage. Margaret, her two bodyguards, and a selected number of her knights came along as well. A small group of attendants, who would assist with the upkeep of the mansion also came with. 

Dante also brought with him a small entourage. Most of them were attendants that would attend to the day-to-day running of the mansion. Others were there to assist him in kingdom affairs. 

"So, where's our bedroom?" Dante asked as he looked around the hallway. 

"Our bedroom?" Laina asked, "What makes you think we're sharing one bedroom?"

"Are we not?" Dante pretended to look surprised and shock, "That simply won't do, my love. I demand we share a bedroom, no exceptions."

Laina chuckled as she pulled him upstairs, "Thank the heavens I did not disappoint then."

She was just messing with him. If Laina wanted to keep him close at all times, sharing the same bed was crucial. Unknown to Dante, Laina had given special instructions to deck out the mansion with fire affinity crystals and geodes. Margaret found the request a little weird at first, but she did not question the Crown Princess's decisions. 

After all, it was a well-known fact that Laina favored the fiery gems and geodes. 

As Margaret was settling into her own room, a knock on the door startled her. When she realized it was Marius, carrying a bag of his own as he entered, she stopped him in his path. 

"If you're thinking of staying here, you've made a terrible mistake," she warned. 

Marius pretended to look disappointed, "What? But I thought-"

"Well you thought wrong," Margaret cut him off as she folded her arms. 

Marius continued to play along, giving her his puppy eyes, "Then where will I stay? There aren't any rooms left."

She was not buying it, "There are at least thirty different rooms in this mansion, maybe more and you're telling me all of them have been taken?"

You might think Marius was defeated in his argument. But the truth is, he still had a trick up his sleeve!

He cleared his throat before he began to speak, "The suitable rooms have all been taken up. All except this one."

"This one is taken. Taken by me," she protested. 

Marius bit his lip as he dropped his bag onto the floor. He got down on one knee as he took Margaret's hand into his. 

"Marius get up! What are you trying to do?" she exclaimed in embarrassment. 

The love-sick fool gave his best plea, "Oh Lady Margaret, would you be so kind as to let this poor soul stay with you? Even for just one night?"

How could she possibly say no to such an adorable face? So the handmaid relented. 

For the next few days, it took a while before everyone got used to a routine. Laina and Dante shared one large study room as their office. Their tables faced one another. Each morning, they would have breakfast together before they started their work. 

Despite all of it, they still made sure to make time for one another. On a good weather day, they took a walk along the shore. They walked down the sand-covered beach hand in hand. They watched as the waves crashed ashore, bringing with it its many treasures. 

"Isn't this a pretty shell?" Laina asked Dante as she showed it to him. 

It was a pearlescent clamshell that shifts colors under the light. 

"Not as pretty as you are right now," Dante replied all smooth, as he tucked a rogue lock of Laina's hair behind her ear. 

The Crown Princess blushed at the Dragon King's flirtatious reply. He never failed to bring a smile to her face. If only things could remain the way they were forever. 

That night, after Dante had fallen sound asleep with his arms around her, Laina carefully got out of bed. She heaved a sigh of relief when she made it to the door with Dante still sound asleep. She replaced herself with a decoy bolster pillow to avoid suspicion. She made her way to the study room and turned on a table lamp. 

Before leaving Kinshearth, Laina collected all the books and information she could find about the Altar of the Sun. Whenever she had free time to spare, she would devote herself to researching about it. So far, it has provided her with a lot of information. 

But none of it was pertaining to methods that could lift the curse. 

"Another late night of reading, your Highness?" Florin asked as he walked into the study room. 

Laina jolted in her seat. The vampire moved silently, she could barely sense him entering until he came up close. 

"You scared me, Florin," she whispered to him as she rubbed her chest. 

Florin bowed, "My apologies, your Highness. Would you like some tea?"

The vampire prince who turned into her bodyguard had been a wonderful addition to her entourage. Not only was he attentive to detail, he also took great care of Laina. 

"Thank you, I would like that very much," Laina replied with a smile.

From the texts she was reading, Laina gathered valuable information. There were mentions of a powerful figure. Known as the Sun Phoenix, this was a title given to the celestial being who has had the strongest power of flames. 

"Some would proclaim that they are the embodiment of flame and sun. Their flames are said to have the ability to remove even the strongest and most ancient of curses."

"It has been rumored that the blood of a person with a fire affinity can also help reduce or delay the effects of a curse," Florin added as he poured Laina a cup of tea. 

She looked up at him in surprise, "Is that so?" 

Florin nodded, "That is why while vampires need blood to survive, we do not consume from just anyone or anything."

Laina looked down at her own hands. She had long been told she was a child of the sun, with an affinity with fire. Perhaps she held the key to delaying the effects of Dante's curse. But letting him drink her blood did not seem right. After all, he was a dragon and not a vampire. 

When she relayed her worries to Florin, he pondered for a moment before flipping through one of the books Laina had stacked up in front of her. He flipped open to a page and showed it to her.