Without adding anything else, Kairen got up and pulled Cassandra to follow behind him. He grabbed two fur coats, handing one to her as they headed outside. Cassandra was a bit surprised; a fur coat again? When Kairen opened the door of his chambers, two Palace servants suddenly rushed over and Cassandra instinctively hid behind him. She still remembered how she had been brutally dragged out the previous day.
“What is it?”
Kairen frowned at her strange behavior but she shook her head, only staying close behind him. The two servants didn’t even bother to look at her as they bowed in front of the Prince. Those men weren’t the same ones as before, and the Prince was there, but they still made her nervous.
“His Highness the Imperial Dragon sent us to remind Your Highness that your presence is requested in three months for the Spring Festival and he sends his congratulations on your new concubine. Gifts will be sent for the Lady to Your Highness’s palace.”
Cassandra was speechless! Were they talking about her? Was the King truly happy his son had taken her for a concubine? And to send gifts too! She couldn’t even begin to process what was happening, but Kairen just ignored the men and walked on.
She followed him closely, wondering where they were headed. If he wanted to leave, shouldn’t he have headed for the stables? But instead, he was headed to the large gardens of the Imperial Palace, ignoring all the servants who were bowing along the way.
It was only when they finally reached the end of a large, vined garden that Cassandra understood. A mountain of black scales was heading their way with excited eyes. They weren’t going by horse or carriage, they were going to fly!
Excited, the Black Dragon scampered their way, lowering its gigantic head to their level and keeping its red eyes on them. Cassandra had almost forgotten that it was allowed to wander around freely. No one wanted to mess with the dragon and Kairen didn’t need to restrain it either.
Despite its impressive size and the limited space in the courtyard, the dragon once again tried to reach out to Cassandra, growling softly in her direction. She still couldn’t understand what it wanted, but she was happy to see it so interested in her.
“Get on.”
Surprised, Cassandra turned to Kairen. How was she supposed to mount the dragon? Those scales looked way too sharp and uneven! Krai was waiting and watching with big, red, curious eyes. Was it really alright for her to mount it? An Imperial dragon! Most people would feel blessed just getting a chance to see them once in their life, let alone touch one. And not only had she been able to touch it, but the Prince also wanted her to ride it!
“So slow,” grumbled Kairen.
Without warning, he suddenly lifted Cassandra up onto his shoulder, making her squeal in surprise.
“My Lord!”
Despite her protests, Kairen climbed on to his dragon in only a few movements, keeping Cassandra over his shoulder until he was securely seated. When he finally put her down, she was sitting right in front of him, close to his warm torso. They were so far from the ground and the dragon hadn’t even taken off yet! Cassandra felt a bit scared by the height and held on tightly, gripping his fur cloak in her hands. Kairen clicked his tongue and, beneath them, Krai let out a long, loud growl.
“Let’s go,” he said, grabbing the dragon’s collar.
As soon as the words left his lips, Krai extended his wings. The dragon flapped them a couple of times, as if to stretch, and then took off. Cassandra, surprised by the sudden movements, grabbed Kairen even tighter as she repressed a scream. This was really too scary!
The Prince wrapped his arm around her waist and held her firmly as Krai ascended. She stayed like that for a while, hidden against his chest, holding on as tightly as she possibly could. And while she was too scared to look, she could still feel the huge dragon’s movements.
“Cassandra.”
She moved just a little so she could look at the Prince’s face, as he pointed his chin to the side.
“Look.”
Trying to forget her fear, she gathered up the courage to look. They were so high already! Kairen pointed down towards the ground. Cassandra was seeing the Capital like she had never seen it before - from the skies. She could recognize the main streets, the large Market Place, and the biggest buildings. It was like seeing a huge, detailed map of the City she had always known, as it came alive right under her eyes.
Despite her fear, she couldn’t stop looking. She recognized so many things, despite the distance!
“Oh…”
“What?”
“That is the residence of my former master.”
Kairen looked down, where Cassandra had her eyes set on a large manor, and his eyes became even darker.
“...We can burn it down.”
“What? No, no!” exclaimed Cassandra.
He couldn’t possibly burn a whole building down like that! Kairen was visibly angry and frowned while still glaring at the Manor.
