"Huh. To see the empire…"
Kel threw herself back against her bed with a loud fwomp.
"The emperor.. Calix.. He wants to.." she murmured.
She couldn't help but smile a little at the tingling in her chest. Everything that had happened since she first opened her eyes in Subterra felt surreal, but the past several minutes seed especially dreamlike.
The emperor wanted to declare their relationship to the entire Serin Empire. What would he tell the people? That they were lovers? Or that they would.. get married?
Ack! No!
Hot blood rushed into her cheeks imdiately as she had the thought. Marriage? How could she let her mind get carried away like that?
Though, still, there was no way of knowing that the emperor definitely wasn't considering the idea himself. After all, marrying another kingdom's princess would give him the perfect foothold to assimilate that country into his empire.
"You idiot," Kel hissed to herself, slapping both her cheeks. "You already decided to tell him that you're not the princess."
If the emperor still wanted to take her with him even after knowing the truth, which she suspected would be the case, then he must have another reason.
Could it be that he had truly fallen for her?
Kel smirked. Her body was thin but strong. Her face was decent, and she had extraordinary hair. Her personality, as well, was.. uh, entertaining?
Right. She wasn't exactly a 'catch' by any ans. Especially not for a man who could have his pick of any woman on the continent.
With a sigh, Kel pressed her palm into her forehead. Though she tried to ignore it, she couldn't stop thinking about what Soren had told her--that the emperor believed in Halrad's heir. Considering that information, the answer beca obvious. He was interested in her because she fit the description of so legendary figure.
So then what would happen if he knew about my abilities? Kel wondered.
Did the emperor want her to fight? Did he want her to help ensure his victory over the entire continent?
Shuddering, she tried to picture herself setting fire to the very n she used to train alongside.
Would she eventually have to do sothing like that if she followed the emperor?
On one hand, telling the emperor about her abilities would be the best way to ensure her survival after revealing her identity. In fact, he'd probably be ecstatic to learn the strange, mythical dragon powers might be real after all.
But she didn't want to be a pawn of war.
Letting out a groan, she grabbed a nearby pillow and shoved it over her face.
She'd already decided to tell him the truth, but now she had to figure out how much of the truth to reveal. Why had such a simple matter beco so complicated?
'Don't tell anyone, ever, Keliyah.'
Itzae's voice echoed through her mind, repeating a principle she'd co to live by over the last several years.
Don't tell anyone.
Ever.
But now she knew that Itzae was also connected to the emperor. When the old man had given her that advice, did he an, 'don't tell anyone except the Dragon Emperor'?
But if the Dragon Emperor was Itzae's student then he would have already heard about the girl in vani with the power of fire, right?
'Since I first heard of the golden-haired girl in vani.'
Kel's eyes widened as the emperor's words ca back to her. He most likely would have heard of such a thing from Itzae first. Then he must have been hinting that he knew, right?
"Ha. Ok!" Kel declared, feeling relieved at her conclusion. "I will tell him everything as soon as he cos back!"
In her state of determination, she found herself standing on top of her mattress, the knuckles of her raised fist nearly touching the low ceiling.
"... What are you doing?"
Startled, Kel leapt to the floor, whirling in midair to face the question's asker. Sliding through the single window in the room was a man, his face concealed by the hood of a cloak.
Raising her fists, Kel snorted aggressively. It looked like her rematch with Soren was happening after all.
Ignoring her provocation, the man flipped his hood off, revealing his shoulder-length, half-tied brown hair, and quickly yanked the closet doors open.
"D-Dash?" Kel dropped her hands.
"Why are you wasting ti?" Dash questioned, rummaging through her clothes. "We need to go."
In a few seconds, he'd produced a pair of boots, a long-sleeved, plain dress (as plain as any dress from Mada Mae's could be), and a heavy cloak. He brought them over to the still frozen Kel and, with an eye roll, began tugging on her sleeves.
"What are you doing?!" Kel squeaked, slapping his hands away.
"Get changed," Dash commanded. "We don't have much longer before the guards pass by."
"But.. why?" Kel asked, crossing her arms securely across the top of her dress.
"Why?!" Dash repeated irritably. "Why else? Adriell's marriage will be announced in two days. We have to be far away from here by then."
Adriell's marriage. Kel hadn't given much thought recently to the deadline that once hung over her like a death sentence. She would tell the emperor the truth before he heard the news anyway, so did sothing like that even matter anymore?
"I'm not going to leave," Kel argued, turning away. "You should go now."
"What nonsense are you speaking? Let's go!" Dash raised his voice, laying a tensed hand on Kel's shoulder.
"No. I'm not running away," Kel insisted, shaking him off. "I'm staying here with Cal-I an the emperor."
"Are you crazy?" Dash pressed. "After playing princess for so long, have you mistaken yourself for sothing you're not?"
"I know exactly who I am!" Kel snapped back. "And I think the emperor will accept that way."
"No. He won't." With a gentle tug on her arm, Dash pulled her around to face him. "He will kill you the mont he finds out the truth."
"Look." Kel gritted her teeth. "You probably couldn't imagine it when you abandoned to die, but I think I've found my place here. I intend to stay."
"You can't stay," Dash responded earnestly. "I'm not sure how you've misunderstood your circumstances to this extent, but you will die here if you don't leave with now."
Kel's fists tightened at her sides. Why wasn't Dash listening to her? He was so insistent about her being killed that it almost sounded like he wanted her to die.
With a huff, she addressed him again. "You don't know tha-"
"The emperor said so himself!!" Dash interjected. "I heard it straight from his own mouth."
"... He said that?" Kel's heart sank.
Dash had to be mistaken. There was no way the emperor said sothing like that.
"Listen, Kel," Dash's tone softened as he sensed her dismay. "I was the one who negotiated this deal in the first place. I t the emperor long before you ever left vani."
"So what?" Kel shook her head. "Is that supposed to be your proof? You knew him before I did?"
"Kel. He knew about you," Dash explained. "I don't know how, but he knew the princess had a body double."
Kel took a step back, stifling a gasp.
I already guessed he knew about , she consoled herself. He was connected to Itzae, so how could he not?
"And he made it clear," Dash continued, "that death would be the penalty for tricking him."
"No," Kel whispered. "There has to be so mistake."
A mistake.
There had to be a mistake sowhere.
If the emperor believed in Halrad's heir and knew about her already, it didn't make sense that he'd want Adriell instead. Unless Itzae had lied to him about which blond-haired girl was which, but that could be cleared up easily.
But the bigger possibility was that Soren had lied--that the emperor didn't believe in all the ancient dragon nonsense, after all.
That would an..
"He knew," Kel breathed. "And he didn't want ."
A soft touch on Kel's shoulder startled her.
"I've stayed in Serin this long so I could take you away safely when the ti ca," Dash said quietly. "I will protect you. Just like I always have"
Shoving the clothes he'd collected for her into the bag slung over his shoulder, Dash scurried back over to the window. He scanned the area outside before extending his hand to Kel.
"I love you, Kel," he confessed. "I think about you in ways a brother never should. And I know it's too late after everything I've done, but I don't care. Even if you hate , I don't care as long as you're alive."
"So please, co with now."
Kel paused to think for a few monts, before carefully laying her fingers in Dash's desperately extended palm. With a sigh of relief and smile, he tightened his grip and pulled her over the window's edge with him.
In the many months to co, Kel would often wonder if she'd made the right decision that night. If she hadn't grabbed Dash's hand then, would things have been easier?
If she had faced the truth head on instead of trying to run from it, would it have been less painful?
-The Dragon's Kiss Volu 1 END-
The author will (officially) be taking a short break to get ready for volu 2, so please enjoy a few side stories in the anti!
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