Nyree knelt on the ground to avoid direct eye contact with the dragon prince. As Thorn put on his clothes, he approached Leila, touching her hair. Hiding his surprise, he asked, “You found your maid already?” “Yes, this is Nyree.” Leila grinned, deciding to leave out the fact that she had almost entered his mother’s tomb. “We met in the garden, and she’s helping me organize my clothes.” Thorn nodded and gave Nyree a brief look. “Be loyal to Leila from now on.” “Aye.” Nyree put her hand to her chest. “You may leave us now,” Thorn said, reaching out to Leila in an attempt to lift her up. Nyree left without lifting her head and closed the door behind her. She couldn’t help but smile; she had successfully become Leila’s maid without drawing suspicion. Dusk was falling outside the open window. The evening breeze chilled Leila’s bare skin, causing her to indulge in Thorn’s warm embrace. He held Leila up by her waist and put her down directly on the bed. The image of her in the dress,

The atrium of the main castle was quiet during the night’s final dream, soon to awaken. The King’s council chamber was old and full of dust. Eros had already awoken from the darkness, and was sitting by a gigantic stone hearth. Usually, he would have eaten breakfast at this hour, but instead, he chose to delay that for a moment, as he was expecting Thorn’s arrival. While waiting, Eros watched the dancing fire as his mind drifted miles away. A terrible dream, the same dream that crept up in his bed every night, had haunted him for a long time. Thorn walked by dim rooms and halls. Servants were dexterously getting ready to attend to their chores and start the day. Thorn had finally approached the gigantic, heavy marble door. “Come in,” Eros demanded with a flat tone, as if he could sense his son’s presence. Thorn pushed in and closed the door behind him. “Father. I hope I’m not intruding.” “Not at all. I knew you would come.” Eros turned around from the fire in the hearth. He moved

A rooster cawed at the sudden light and flapped its wings to welcome a new day. Leila had already been awake for a long time and was cooking breakfast. She hadn’t slept well. “Good morning!” Arthur said loudly. He was in an exceptionally good mood. When Leila appeared at his front door last night with tears rolling down her cheeks, he was extremely worried. But he didn’t push her to explain anything. He let her sleep in his bed and he slept in the living room. After a sleepless night, Arthur had decided to take the opportunity to express his feelings towards her, which he should have done years ago. “Morning,” Leila said, grinding a small pile of black pepper and salt, “How do you like your eggs? I’m making some.” “Just scrambled is fine, thank you,” Arthur answered. A sense of contentment had surrounded him. He imagined how happy he would be if Leila was his wife. “There you go.” Leila set the table and sat across him. “I’m going with you to get the milk after breakfast.” “You do

Leila had a good morning soak in the bedchamber. Submerging herself in the rose-petal bath, she still couldn’t completely relax her body. Too many thoughts and emotions collided in her little heart. Today was the big day, and she was nervous about everything. She lifted her left hand and scooped up a handful of red rose petals. After breathing in a lungful of the amazing scent, she put her hand to the surface of the hot, steamy water. The roses drifted away, and the red dust left behind on her palm was somehow triggered by the warmth. It floated elusively underneath the thin layer of her skin, as if it powered by an invisible force. As she began to feel a bit lightheaded, she gripped the side of the tub and pulled herself up to her feet. She knew she smelled good, like rose blooms dipped in honey, and a few petals reluctantly stuck to her flesh. She changed to a black silky dress that Nyree had hung up for her, and wore the flute stone around her neck. Even though she wasn’t sure wh

Three jet black stallions were quickly galloping through the open field. On horseback, two dark knights, Hugo and James, were dressed in full suits of armor, carrying light shields and heavy swords. Both were tall and vigorously riding, their strong thighs clamped tightly to the horses’ sides. They bent forward in order for the horses to run faster. The dragon prince was riding ahead. The chamberlain was nowhere to be found at the location Nyree had provided. He once believed that silver dragon descendants were a noble class who conducted themselves with common decency. However, after the wanted posters of the previous chamberlain were distributed across the kingdom, anonymous informants emerged from everywhere. But one thousand gold coins were not easily earned. Often times, they found that the information was false or inaccurate. It was outlandish that the prince had such difficulty locating a silver servant. This time, he hoped that he could snatch up the cunning man, alive, with