Dorian stood at the entrance of the door, his arms folded and his back resting on the wall.
"So, hurry up and tell what’s going on," he uttered impatiently.
Yelena was seated at the edge of the bed, sipping tea, while Lili knelt on the ground in front of Dorian.
Actually, it didn’t seem like Lili intended to be the one to answer him, since all she was truly focused on was getting to Dorian’s feet and sniffing them as she always does.
Yelena, who felt responsible to deliver the news, finally spoke.
"The war ended yesterday," she revealed rather calmly.
Dorian’s eyes widened slightly, shocked, but he didn’t speak, certain Yelena still had much to say about it.
Sip~
Her explanation went as follows:
After the battle with the dragon ended and the entire squad returned to the barony, the people were, of course, scared to see the dragon in its true form, hovering above the sky and overshadowing everyone.
But instead of eating them as they had feared, they realized Ciel carried the group herself and also proceeded to clear the black fog, allowing people to finally roam free in the barony.
It was then they learned the Viscount had sent his n to attack, and the Aurelian army was keeping them at bay, led by Jordan and Aces. When Maria offered to head to the front lines to lend assistance, Ciel forbade it and simply told her to stay put before flying off.
She returned a few monts later with over one hundred n piled up in front of the Aurelian barony.
These were the soldiers belonging to Embre, and among them was his army leader, so without a doubt, Embre wasn’t just going to dismiss it.
And since his army retreated after seeing the Aurelian barony had a dragon under their control, the Viscount will certainly co back with a different approach.
...
After listening to everything Yelena had to say, Dorian sighed, his hand on his forehead.
"I didn’t think Ciel would act on her own. Is she already caring for humans?"
"No, quite the opposite, actually. The only reason she helped was because she didn’t want her master’s castle getting infested by puny humans. Her words, not mine," Yelena shrugged.
Dorian chuckled. "Sounds like sothing she would say. So, the hostages are where now?"
"I don’t know. You should probably ask Mother or sothing; she knows where Maria kept them," Yelena once again sipped her tea.
"Alright then, I feel calm knowing that. I’ll ask Mother about it, as you have suggested." He walked over to Yelena, petted her on the head and uttered, "Good girl."
After saying this, he hurriedly left the room, along with Lili who transford into a bat to perch on his shoulder.
As Dorian left, Yelena remained seated for a while, her hand on the head that Dorian had just petted, a bright red hue on her cheeks.
At first, she giggled silently, then slowly, she fell sideways on the bed, her legs curled before she curved herself up like a ball, her giggling still echoing inside the room.
...
anwhile, outside, Dorian was walking down the hallway, the maids all greeting him with blushed cheeks as he walked.
He noticed the workers were more active than normal; however, he paid it no mind since his concern was mostly to get to his father or mother first.
After getting to the entrance of the main office, he took a deep breath, and then, with a single pull, he opened the door, walking right in.
Once he was inside, the first thing he saw was Jas and Stella on the chair, with Jas’s head on her lap while she helped him clean his ear. It wasn’t anything embarrassing for Stella; however, for the two n, their silent glares spoke volus.
(Really? A grown man like you getting babied by your wife?)
Jas, with a beet-red face, responded back with his eyes.
(She forced to do this, I swear. I didn’t want to—)
"Honey, you’re awake!"
Stella shifted Jas’s head away from her lap before she stood up from the chair.
Feeling rejected, Jas could only watch with a single tear in his eyes as his wife went over to Dorian, her hands on his cheeks.
"Tell ? Do you feel better? Is there any headache? Have you eaten?"
Dorian glanced to the side, embarrassed. "Mother, relax. I only fell asleep for a while. I didn’t resurrect from the dead."
Pa!
"Ouch!"
Stella smacked him on the hand.
"Listen when I speak. Do you even understand how worried you made those poor girls? Your injuries were not closing, not until Sera had to think of a higher spell to fix it, or whatever it was called."
Now that he thought about it, knowing Maria and Seraphina, they were probably worried while he was out like a light.
Before Dorian could say anything, Stella pulled his head closer, bringing him to her height since he was so tall.
"Those two are about to be your wives. If you stress them too much, I will be the one to hunt you myself. Okay, honey?"
’How can she sound both loving and scary at the sa ti?’
"Okayyy?"
"Yes, yes, I understand."
"Good." She then proceeded to hug him for a while, before walking out the door, giving space for the two n to finally speak.
Dorian sighed, then turned to look at his father who was already seated on his office chair with a calm look on his face.
"Son, how are you feeling? You looked pretty roughed up back there."
"Well, I fought a dragon. It would be even weirder if I ca back unhard," Dorian settled on the chair. "As long as nobody died because of , then I can sleep happy."
"Hahaha, I figured you would say sothing like that." Jas leaned back in his chair.
"There are a lot of questions and praises I want to give to you. You not only saved the people of Aurelian from the viscount, but for the first ti in the history of this kingdom, a common noble fought and ca out victorious against a dragon. Nothing I can say can mirror how proud I am."
Dorian smiled faintly at his father’s words. "It was a team effort, Father. I couldn’t have done it without everyone else."
Jas nodded, his smile softening. "Indeed. Speaking of which, you wanted to know about the prisoners, didn’t you?"
Dorian straightened up. "Yes, Mother said you or Maria would know where they are."
"They’ve been moved to the old dungeon beneath the castle," Jas explained. "Maria felt it was the most secure location for now, away from prying eyes and any potential attempts at rescue by Embre’s remaining forces. They’re being interrogated by so of our best n, trying to glean any information about the Viscount’s plans."
"Good," Dorian said, a serious expression settling on his face. "I want to speak with their leader. Find out what Embre true intentions are for retreating, and see if he is foolish enough to co back."
Jas raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, son? You’ve just recovered from a major battle. Perhaps it would be better to rest."
"I’ve rested enough," Dorian insisted, rising from his chair. "The sooner we understand Embre’s next move, the better prepared we can be. Lead the way, Father."
Jas sighed, a fond smile playing on his lips. "Just like your mother, always eager to get back into the thick of things. Very well, follow . But no more heroics today, understood?"
Dorian chuckled. "Understood."
Together, they left the office, heading towards a less-frequented corridor that led to the castle’s ancient dungeons.
The air grew cooler and damper with each step, the stone walls echoing their footsteps. The flickering torchlight cast long, dancing shadows, giving the place an ominous feel.
They descended a spiral staircase, the silence broken only by the drip of water sowhere in the darkness.
Finally, they reached a heavy, iron-bound door.
Jas pulled a large, rusted key from his belt and, with a groan of tal, unlocked it.
The door swung open to reveal a narrow, dimly lit corridor lined with cells. The sll of damp earth and stale air hung heavy.
"Our guest of honor is in here," Jas said, gesturing towards a cell at the very end.
Dorian followed, his gaze scanning the figures within the other cells—a mix of grim-faced soldiers, so wounded, so defiant.
They all looked up as the two n passed, a flicker of fear or hatred in their eyes.
Dorian could never imagine Maria torturing people like this, so it had to be soone from the first or second division.
At the designated cell, a man with a grizzled beard and a wary expression looked up from where he sat hunched on a wooden bench. This was Embre’s army leader, the one Ciel had so effortlessly delivered.
"Well, well, looks like the dragon-slayer himself has co to pay a visit," the man sneered, though a hint of apprehension was clear in his voice.
Dorian leaned against the bars, his expression unreadable.
...
[A/N]
Only one Chapter today; its the last day of the month. Please be aware that there might not be any update tomorrow, as i will be busy filling the extra Chapters. So if you see an update, i am probably doing just that.
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