The Dragon King's Heart

"Have you forgotten what happened after your previous trials? You were in a coma for days and you could barely walk for a week."

She walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "You would not live to see her again, my precious son."

Dante felt his heart drop. His eyes widened in shock at the realization. He knew his mother was right. He was never going to see Laina again. Dante clenched his jaw and tightened his fists. How could he be so foolish?

There were so many things he wanted to say. Time was not on his side.

Despair.

The Empress was delighted. She had hoped it would not come to this. But alas, he had forced her hand.

"But if you were to ascend the throne and become the Moon Emperor, it may buy you some time."

If he ascended the throne, Dante would be imbued with the power that came with the title. An increased resistance to curses like the Love Curse would mean his life would be prolonged.

He might just live long enough to see Laina again!

"Fine, I will do as you ask," he said without any hesitation, "I will become the Emperor."

A coy smile formed on the Empress's face. She cupped the face of her son, giving him a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Good. I am glad you came to your senses, my good son. I will make the preparations at once. The new powers will help you in your Celestial Trials too," she said as she patted him on his chest.

"But," Dante grabbed hold of his mother's hand. He looked her dead in the eye, "I will not take a bride."

"But-"

"I will not take a bride," he repeated himself as he tightened the grip on her wrist.

"Fine, have it your way," she relented.

With that, she left Dante to his thoughts. News of the coronation spread throughout the kingdom. Marius was shocked by the news. He knew Dante would not have agreed to it willingly. Furthermore, becoming emperor came at a cost.

"Your Majesty, are you sure?" he could not help but ask, his voice filled with worry.

Marius knew he was speaking out of line but he had to. No one else around him dared to question his decisions. If not him, who else?

"My decision is final," Dante replied without turning to look at him.

Marius bit his lip. He knew nothing could change his mind. But as his close confidante, it was his duty to help him make a sound decision. Even if it was at the cost of his head.

"Becoming Emperor would mean you are bound to the Celestial Realm, right? You won't be able to go to Gaeia anymore."

Dante gritted his teeth. He knew the consequences. His mother thought he had played straight into her hand. He knew all along. He had no other choice. It was between a chance to see her again, or none at all.

He had to take the gamble.

"This is a bet I have to take," he sighed.

Marius bit his lip. Dante knew all along. He did not have another choice.

"But Laina won't make it, her body isn't strong enough. She would perish before she can even make it through the gates," Marius reasoned.

Dante could not help but sigh. Time and time again, Laina and Dante were pulled apart. But by some miracle, they would always find one another once more. Would this time be the same?

"Perhaps what we need is a miracle," he muttered to himself.

The crowning of an emperor was an important event. Everyone in the Moon Kingdom cheered as they gained a new monarch. For Dante, such a ceremony held no meaning. Without Laina by his side, everything felt pointless and mundane.

He was dressed in the best ceremonial garment the kingdom had to offer. Everyone came from far and wide to witness the ceremony. In the Imperial Throne Room, all the guests were seated before the ceremony began.

Amongst them were many young women from prominent families. They were invited by the Empress to attend the ceremony, in hopes that one of them might catch Dante's eye.

The ceremony went smoothly as planned and it was followed by a grand celebration. Dante put on a fake smile for the guests, thanking them for coming to his coronation.

"Congratulations on your coronation, Your Imperial Majesty," one of the noblewomen plucked up the courage to speak to Dante.

She held her head low as she curtsied. Her dress was made of the finest material money could buy. Her low-cut neckline and corset accentuated her womanly figure. But Dante was not interested at all.

He simply nodded and walked away, attending to the other guests. A quick glance of the hall and Dante could not help but let out a sigh. Most of the young women were dressed in dark colors.

"They must have heard you like women dressed in dark colors," Marius commented as he took a sip from his glass," You've got a lot of lookers here."

"Tch," Dante smirked, "None of them can compare to Laina."

It was Laina who liked dressing in dark colors and he loved anything she had on. The party was beginning to remind him of the ball in Everfree that they attended together. He recalled the intimate moment they shared on the rooftops, watching the fireworks go off.

He would give anything to be back there again. He recalled the last time he had seen Laina, during her coronation ball. A smile appeared on his face as he reminisced.

Unknown to him, the women who had been eyeing him the entire evening, noticed Dante smiling. His charming good looks and ice-cold exterior had always been sought after amongst the women in the Moon Kingdom.

It was rumored that Dante rarely smiled.

"Doesn't he look dashing?"

"And that smile! He's so handsome," another woman said to her companion.