Archer looked at the beautiful tiger woman standing in front of him, gave her a charming smile, and introduced himself, "I'm Archer Wyldheart. Are you Ashoka Ganesha?"
She nodded before responding in an Indian-like accent, instantly catching his attention, "I am. It's good to et you finally. May I join you? I often co here to relax."
"Of course," he motioned to the space next to him. "Don't let scare you away."
The tiger woman giggled. "Dragons don't scare . Maybe when I was a little girl, but no longer," she said.
Her revelation caught Archer's interest, causing him to question, "Why?"
"Because I can fight them when they're not in the air," Ashoka replied with a grin.
He sensed a challenge in her words, prompting him to huff and ask, "Are you looking for a fight?"
Ashoka giggled before nodding, causing Archer to agree as he inford her, "I may be about to shrink if I use the mana. Do you have a Primal form like the others?"
"Yes, but I unlocked it in my teens, which was many moons ago," she replied. "Let's fight on the training field."
The duo walked through the palace gardens while heading for the training field. When they arrived, Archer noticed Nala, Maeve, and Talila fighting in a free-for-all, which caused him to admire their prowess.
Ashoka joined him as she spoke, "They are all beautiful; I see that is your weakness."
"Guilty as charged, I do love a beautiful woman, but I have to be interested in them before anything can happen," Archer replied with a smile.
She started laughing, which was a beautiful sound, and Archer found himself loving the noise, but it stopped before she spoke, "Let's fight; I want to see if the rumors are speaking facts or lies."
Archer nodded before transforming into his dragon form but ordered it to shrink him,
allowing him to fight Ashoka, who also radiated as she turned into a massive tiger that stood eight feet tall and twelve feet long.
She was brown all over with orange stripes, causing him to smile in excitent as they were the sa size. Ashoka made the first move and lunged forward. Archer chuckled before jumping to the side and lashing out with his tail.
The tiger woman dodged the swing and lunged onto his back, but Archer flipped around before squashing her; following that, the duo started fighting by biting and slashing at each other's skin.
So of Archer's scales sent sparks flying when Ashoka's claws hit them, but it only left behind minor damage. He counterattacked by lunging at the giant tiger, biting her shoulder, and, ultimately, having her by the back of the neck.
Ashoka growled, her claws swiping at Archer. With a playful grin, he quickly restrained her, holding her like a re kitten. He released her, but she wasted no ti-imdiately pouncing on him.
They tumbled and wrestled on the ground, their playful combat a mix of rolling, grappling, and finally laughing as an hour passed. Archer returned to his humanoid form, followed by Ashoka, who was sweaty,
The woman turned to him; her brown eyes glead excitedly and fondly. "Why did you hold like that? It's been over thirty moons since that happened," she said with a smile.
Archer smiled before replying, "I'm not entirely sure; sothing told to do it," he said. "Why?"
Ashoka giggled at his curious expression and explained, "My mother used to carry around like a kitten; I always felt safe when she did that."
"Well, if you want to carry you like that, I would happily do that," he said with a knowing smile.
The tiger woman's brown cheeks went a shade darker in embarrassnt, but she spoke quietly, "Maybe."
Archer bead but changed the subject, "Do you want to get sothing to eat? I'm sure the cooks will make a delicious al," he offered.
Ashoka nodded with a smile before the duo walked toward the palace entrance. When they passed by the White Dragon Knights, they saluted, which caught the tiger woman's attention, causing her to question, "Your soldiers seem extrely loyal; how co?"
He explained that he had provided them with a ho within his domain, where his generals ticulously trained soldiers for years, honing their skills until they beca formidable warriors.
When he eventually conquered Draconia, he appointed them as his royal guards-a position they cherished deeply. Intrigued by the story, Ashoka began to probe for every intricate detail, her curiosity piqued.
Archer, taken aback by her intense curiosity, responded earnestly. He explained that he paid each soldier two hundred and fifty gold annually, ensuring their families were well cared for. In the event of a soldier's death in battle, the state would provide support for the widow and children.
When Ashoka heard this, she was fascinated and asked even more questions, which he answered until they reached the dining hall. When the duo entered, a maid approached before bowing, "Your Majesty. How can I help you?"
"Bring two of every dish for and Ashoka," Archer said with a smile.
The maid nodded, "I will tell the cooks now, my lord," she replied before rushing off.
Afterward, Archer led the tiger woman to the table and continued their chat until one question popped up, "Have you got any plans to expand the kingdom beyond the four islands I heard you're invading?"
He shrugged before speaking, "I'm not sure; it depends on what the future holds, but it could be possible to turn Draconia into an empire."'
"Do you not have ambitions to grow?"
Archer nodded, "Of course but the ti isn't right was expanding, I want to improve the kingdom before making any solid plans, its not like I'm short on soldiers or an invasion because the legions are always recruiting."
He explained his plans to increase the quality of life for all the people in Draconia. Archer told her he wanted to build more towns and cities while constructing trade ports and naval bases.
While talking, Ashoka added many suggestions, including higher education so the kingdom could hire specialists for his company and the governnt; Archer found this useful and thanked the tiger princess.
As they continued their conversation, the duo brainstord various ideas, with Archer diligently jotting down hundreds of them on paper. By the ti their al arrived, Ashoka turned to him with a severe request.
"Could I have a position in the governnt or army?" she asked. "I could contribute to the kingdom in so capacity or train a unit in the Eastern Sword style, which is effective against large groups of foes."
Archer raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's your price for all this help?" he inquired.
With a smile, Ashoka responded, "I want your assistance in reclaiming my family's empire from my uncle. Will you help , Archer Wyldheart, the so-called tyrant king?"
"Will you bend the knee?" he answered with a cheeky smile.
Ashoka's cheeks went dark, but she didn't avoid eye contact before answering, "Are you always this lewd? You just t and already want on my knees."
He laughed but nodded as he spoke, "I am, but I ant, will your empire beco part of Draconia, which you can rule over however you like, apart from paying a monthly tax that will be reinvested into the empire."
"What would my people get in return?" she fired back.
"Access to all governnt programs once they sign a population census; I will build a train network all over Ganesha Empire and forts that my legions will occupy to deter bandits,
outlaws, and invasions."
"So you want to take over my empire completely?" Ashoka asked with narrowed eyes.
"No. You can worship whatever gods you like and continue life as normal apart from your lands. You would be secure, and your people would be well taken care of," Archer replied with a smile. "Plus, I have my company to earn coins, which is already netting millions of coins used to improve Draconia."
After that, the two of them started eating, and when Archer saw the dishes all over the table, he got excited. There were all kinds of ats, slices of bread, rice, and noodles, which took
him by surprise.
Ashoka's laughter danced as Archer continued sampling the delicious dishes, which he loved every bite of. Unperturbed, he focused on the feast, savoring each bite with evident
satisfaction.
anwhile, the tiger woman started her al, her eyes occasionally flickering toward Archer
with a hint of curiosity. The dining hall doors swung open, and Hecate, Aisha, and Brooke strode in, their eyes imdiately finding Archer.
Their faces brightened with warm smiles as they made their way over. Aisha went to order
food while Brooke, brimming with affection, gave Archer a tight hug and a tender kiss before
stepping back.
Hecate followed, greeting him with a peck on the cheek and a loving hug. They joined the table as Brooke spoke to Ashoka: "Ash, how are you finding palace life? I hope you're not
bored yet?"
"No, it's lovely here, Lady Brooke," she replied. "I love the library and training with the Royal Guards; they are strong warriors."
Archer watched with interest but let the won converse as Aisha approached the table, her eyes sparkling warmly. "Hello, my darling. How was your trip to Valoria City?"
"It was enjoyable," he replied with a grin. "The food was excellent, but I must say, the palace's als are even better."
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