The Dragon King's Heart

Dante looked over to Laina. How he wished he could tell her everything, the full story. But he could not do so. If he told her everything, they would never be able to be together ever again.

Most importantly, Laina would not be able to fulfill her destiny.

He looked over to the painting. A soft smile appeared on his face. This was a rare moment, where telling the truth would not harm her.

"That's you and I," he finally replied, "I imagined us in a… different time, hence the different outfits."

"Oh?" Laina looked back at the painting. It was not the answer she had expected and for some reason, she felt relieved.

For a moment, Laina had assumed the woman in the painting was Dante's past lover. She worried that the only reason he was with her now is because of their resemblance with one another.

Laina heaved a sigh of relief as she placed her hand over her heart.

Surprised by her reaction, Dante could not help but wonder what was going through Laina's mind. Even with all the power, he wielded as a Celestial Dragon, he could never read her mind.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why he fell in love with her.

"I don't think I have ever seen any type of clothing quite like the ones depicted in the painting. Did you design them yourself?" Laina asked, attempting to make conversation between them.

He was caught off guard by her question, so he scrambled for a suitable reply, "Indeed. I just used our favorite colors for the… well colors of the fabrics in the painting."

Just then, the doors of the room opened. The head butler walked in and bowed respectfully to Laina and Dante before informing them that their dinner was ready. Interlocking arms, they returned to their room for a relaxing evening.

As soon as they were seated, Dante instructed all the maids and servants to leave. Under no circumstances, were they to interrupt the royal couple for the rest of the evening.

Laina looked at the spread of food that had been prepared specially for both of them. Her mouth was watering as she took in the aromatic fragrances of each dish. Since the weather was cold, the kitchen staff at the Starfrost Mansion had specially prepared a spread of piping hot dishes.

Meat skewers on a mini grill, paired with a crushed peanut dipping sauce. Rice noodles in beef bone broth with sliced beef and hot tea. A small vat of rice wine was also prepared, with a pair of porcelain cups.

"Everything looks so good!" Laina exclaimed with excitement, uncertain of what she should eat first.

"Try this one first," Dante suggested as he picked up a meat skewer.

He carefully dipped it into the peanut sauce before feeding Laina. She opened her mouth and took a big bite. The spices used to marinate the meat provided a sweet flavor profile. It paired well with the smokey flavor, infused into the meat skewers as they grilled on the charcoal grill.

"You should have some too," Laina said as she picked up a skewer and fed it to Dante too.

In the comfort of their room, Laina and Dante enjoyed a lovely dinner. They talked about their favorite foods, places they have been to, and activities they would like to try.

"You've never done dog sledding before?" Dante asked in surprise when they touched on the topic.

Laina shook her head in reply before eating another mouthful of rice noodles.

"No, not that I can recall."

"Let's go dog sledding tomorrow then," Dante declared.

"Hang on, wasn't the whole purpose of you kidnapping me, so that I could get some rest? When did it become a fun-filled holiday experience," Laina laughed.

"I'm sure seeing the dogs would lift your spirits, they might even help you to heal quicker," Dante teased.

Seeing how much Laina adored Titan, there was no doubt she would fall head over heels as soon as she saw the dogs that pulled the sleds. He continued to describe the experience to her and he could see the excitement in her eyes.

"That does sound like a lot of fun," she added, "Maybe after some rest, I'll consider that."

After they finished their food, Laina and Dante enjoyed the rest of the night in conversation and rice wine. As the snow continued to fall, there was no clear way to tell what time it was.

They had moved over to a comfortable sofa, huddled beneath a large fur blanket. Laina huddled close to Dante. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they continued their conversation.

"This is nice," she whispered in a soft tone of voice.

They sat in front of the fireplace, watching the fire flicker as the logs crackled and splintered. Laina could not recall the last time she had time to unwind like this. With the person whom she loved next to her, she felt comfortable. She felt safe.

Dante leaned down close to Laina, giving her a soft loving kiss on the forehead, "If you like this so much, we should do it more often."

"But we have duties, royal engagements to attend, people to serve. These moments are… fleeting at best," Laina sighed.

She turned over to look at Dante, "Have you ever wondered what life would be like if we were ordinary people?"

He looked into her eyes, wondering if she remembered the last time she had asked him this same exact question. His answer would never change. Dante once pictured what life would be like if he was just ordinary.

No royal duties.

No burdens of the Universe resting on his shoulders.

Maybe he would have stayed in a small village deep in the forest, tending to animals and growing crops. Laina would be there by his side. They would lead a happy, carefree life.

He could picture Shadow, his obsidian cat, and Titan, Laina's Solar Mastiff, frolicking in the fields just like how he had painted them in the painting. Laina would be tending to the fields, planting the crops for the next year while he tended to their livestock.

But that was just one of the many possibilities. Maybe they would end up living in the Everfree Nation, a large city. They might take up a trade or skill they enjoy and build a career for themselves.

Every night, they would return to their apartment. They would cook a meal together while recounting the things that happened in the day.