The Dragon King's Heart

Dante always viewed food as fuel. Something he had to consume in order to replenish his energy. He did not care for what he ate, so long as it filled his stomach. He would never forget the first time he truly tasted the food and savored its flavor.

It was a beautiful day in Spring, they had only just gotten to know one another. As they walked past a row of street stalls, she took him by the hand and led him to a corner stall. They sat down on the stools facing one another.

"I'm sure you're going to love it!" she exclaimed with an excited smile.

He did not care much for what they were about to eat. He was fixated on her and her alone. A couple of minutes later, a young boy ran up to them with a small tray. He placed two bowls of piping hot fried rice in front of them.

Dante looked over to her, he could see the excitement written all over her face. The young woman wore her heart on her sleeve. He looked down at the bowl of rice in front of him. Just as he was about to dig in, she stopped him.

"You're forgetting the most important ingredients!" she exclaimed in a rush.

She opened two small containers that were placed on the side of the table. Using the provided spoons, she carefully added a dash of freshly prepared chili oil and a spoonful of fried garlic and shallots.

Seeing the look of confusion on his face, she could not help but giggle a little. She told him to close his eyes. He did as she asked. He did not know what she did exactly, but all she asked him to do next was to open his mouth.

He did as she asked.

The moment the spoonful of fried rice entered his mouth, there was an explosion of flavors. The savory flavor of the chili oil, fried garlic, and shallots paired well with the bouncy texture of the rice. The sweetness of the chopped dried pork sausages paired well with the overall savory dish.

For the first time, he tasted flavors.

"A bowl of fried rice with fried sausage, eggs, chili oil, fried garlic, and shallots," he replied to Laina's question in the present.

The memory still lingered in his mind as he spoke.

She clearly had not expected him to give that answer. For some reason, the dish he mentioned felt awfully familiar to her. But Laina could not quite remember why. Dante, on the other hand, was gazing straight into her eyes.

He was hoping for something to happen, but it never did.

"That sounds like a lovely dish," Laina replied to him with a smile before placing another slice of cooked meat into his bowl, "You should bring me to try it sometime."

Dante smiled, "Sure, I'll fry it for you tomorrow,"

Laina almost spat out the spoonful of soup she had just placed into her mouth. At first, she thought Dante was teasing. But the look on his face was undeniable. When he noticed her staring at him, Dante chuckled.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Did you say... you could make it?" Laina asked carefully.

"Of course," Dante replied confidently.

Laina shook her head in disbelief, as she put down her bowl and chopsticks.

She folded her arms, tapping on her arm as she asked, "You're telling me, the mighty Dragon King can cook?"

He nodded in response, "There's nothing I cannot do."

She raised an eyebrow, still in disbelief, "Really?"

"Really. I'll prove it to you tomorrow," Dante declared as he continued to enjoy their meal.

She studied his expression carefully, he did not look like he was lying. Hence, Laina decided to bide her time and see how things would play out. After all, the ball was in her court. She had nothing to lose.

"Very well, I shall be the judge of your cooking," she continued with a word of caution, "I have to warn you first thought, I can be quite the critic when it comes to food."

Dante chuckled. He knew her all too well. He was definitely not going to disappoint. Especially when he had years of experience under his belt.

"Fear not, my princess. I do not intend on disappointing you. I wish to impress."

He sounded confident in his capabilities. Laina nodded with a wide smile.

"Very well, your Majesty. I look forward to it."

That night, both of them slept soundly. The meal they had together was a lovely one. They shared many wonderful conversations together as they looked forward to the activities they had planned for the following day.

After a lovely breakfast together, Dante listed down the ingredients he needed for his dish. The kitchen staff at Starfrost Mansion scrambled to gather all the necessary ingredients and to prep the kitchen for his Majesty.

By the time everything was ready, Laina's stomach was already growling.

"I hope it's going to be a quick cooking process. Cause I am famished." Laina declared as she rubbed her stomach.

"Good things come to those who wait, my princess. I promise you, it will be worth it," Dante replied before gently kissing her on the cheek.

They were both in the kitchen, which had been vacated by the kitchen staff for them to use. Only two kitchen staff remained to help, in case they needed anything. But just as Dante was about to begin chopping the ingredients, the quickened footsteps coming in their direction drew his attention away.

Sure enough, moments later, Marius appeared at the door.

"Marius? How wonderful-" as soon as Laina noticed the expression on his face, she realized something must have happened, "What happened, Marius? Is everything alright?"

She had assumed he had come to inform Dante about something important. But Marius was not looking at him. He was looking straight at her.

"Your Highness, we did not want to have to do this but, your presence is needed back in Kinshearth. At once," Marius explained.

She could sense the urgency in his voice. As much as she wanted to continue staying in Starfrost with Dante, she knew she had to go. Duty calls.

"What happened?"

"The Nobles of the High Court-" the moment Laina heard those words leave Marius's mouth, she knew there was no way she could stay in Starfrost any longer.

"I will return at once," Laina said monotonously.

Just as she was about to walk away, Dante grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his embrace.

"Dante-"

"You don't have to leave," Dante muttered into her ear as he leaned his head on her shoulder,

"But, I-"

He cupped her face in his hands, looking straight into her eyes, "We can stay here forever, Laina. Away from everything. We can spend our lives here together, forever."

Laina paused. She too looked straight into his eyes. She knew he meant every word he said. Every cell in her entire being wanted to say yes. But she could not. She had a duty to her people.

She lifted her hands to caress his cheek before leaning against his chest. She buried her face in his chest for a moment. Dante wrapped his hands around her. He did not ever want to let go.

"I want to stay," she said before looking up at him and continuing, "But I have to go."

Dante sighed.

"I know."

Marius could not help but let out a sigh of his own. He did not want to have to do this. But the situation back in Kinshearth needed Laina. If the Crown Princess did not return, what would happen?