“Boss, everything has been set up,” Allan informed the man who was drinking wine while recalling the events from the Vinculum Ceremony.
“Ah, yes. I guess it’s time to make a move,” the man smirked as he remembered the majestic beast that transcended from the clouds above.
With the image of the princess and the dragon in mind, he started laughing as he dismissed Allan.
“What are you laughing at, old man?” A seventeen-year-old Luke appeared at the doorway looking at his foster father with disgust.
“Prepare yourself, Luke, sooner or later the princess will be ours,” the man stood up and went in front of Luke to look at his face to face with an evil grin on his face.
“Sooner or later the princess will be yours, you want that, don’t you?”
Luke’s forehead furrowed as he try to understand the words of his foster father. What does he mean by that? And why is the thought of the princess being his, brought comfort to his mind?
Then he smiled as wickedly as the man in front of him, “Ah yes. She will be mine then, right Father?”
The man patted his shoulder one last time and then exited the room, leaving Luke on his own.
“After six years, we’ll meet again. Can you even recognize me, princess? Well of course not.”
As he said that, he pulled a candy wrapper out of his pocket as he recalled the night when he first met the princess.
“Flizeria, maybe with you around, there might be a light in this hellish life of mine.”
He sighed deeply as he also left the room, “Why am I even here in the first place?”
*****
“Omorfos, you have got to try harder than that.”
I gave him a mischievous smirk as our wooden swords clashed with each other. He sidestepped and swing his sword at my side but I immediately blocked it with mine as I thrust forward at him, but he also blocked my attack.
Again, he swung it from the bottom but I stepped back just in time and swung my sword down at him. Again, he blocked it as he held his body firmly while kneeling. He then pushed me, making me stumble backward.
Before I hit the ground I shifted my center of gravity and tumbled backward as my legs kicked Omorfos in the face.
“Hey, no fair Princess.”
“All is fair in love and war Omorfos, and this is war.” I winked at him.
“But we are only dueling,” he pouted as I charged at him.
Again, he blocked my movements.
“All you ever do is block my attacks.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, my princess.”
“Oh please, how will I learn if you refuse to teach me the hard way?”
“I might be beheaded if I were to injure you, my princess.”
We continued to exchange blows but rather than dueling, we are more like dancing to our own rhythm.
*****
From a distance, the emperor is watching the duel between Flizeria and Omorfos closely.
“What do you think, Earl?”
“Pardon me you Majesty, but what do you mean?”
“What do you think of my granddaughter? Isn’t she peculiar?”
“Indeed she is, your Majesty.”
The emperor looked at him, urging him to expound further.
“Oh, uhm. The way she could keep up with almost anything. Even her classes are advanced compared to the classes of Princess Fae. She could also keep up with the princes’ swords training.
“Indeed, she is just like her father. She will be a great ruler someday.”
The emperor looked at Flizeria proudly.
“She grew up, Earl.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
“She literally grew up. In just three weeks, she no longer looked like an eight-year-old.”
“Ah, is that because of her dragon, your Majesty?”
“Indeed, those who receive their dragons tend to grow faster physically and intellectually.”
“The princes also grew up. They no longer looked like ten-year-olds.”
“Yes, indeed. People with imperial blood are stronger than normal people, but those who received their dragons become stronger. Especially if the dragon they received is the red dragon.”
“In due time, we will then proceed to insert Magic class in the Princess schedule, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, do ask Zyde when he is available. We’ll start her class as soon as possible.”
With that, Earl bowed his head and proceed to do the task given by the Emperor.
“If only you could see how much your daughter has grown, Flizer,” the Emperor whispered to himself.
They continued watching Flizeria’s duel with her dragon until Omorfos disarmed Flizeria.
*****
“Still think I am going easy on you, Princess?” Omorfos pointed his sword at my neck. We are now panting hard as we try to catch our breath.
I held up my hands and smiled sweetly at Omorfos then I pulled Omorfos’ wooden sword, dragging Omorfos towards me then swiftly struck Omorfos’ abdomen with my right knee.
But instead of giving damage to Omorfos, I felt pain in my knee so I sat on the ground.
“No fair, you used your scales as your shield.”
Omorfos knelt down and inspected my knee then looked up at me.
“Everything is fair in love and war, my princess. And this, as you stated earlier, is war.”
He stood up and offered his hand to me and helped me stand up.
“Also, Princess, we are in a duel, I do not think the knee strike on the last part was necessary,” with that he chuckled.
“Well, I was not treating this as a duel but as an actual battle-“
“Ah yes, you said it’s war. What do you mean by that, Princess?”
“Well,” I don’t know how to say this exactly but I have a feeling that sooner or later something is going to happen, and it is going to be something bad.
“Well?”
“Well, I just want to be prepared.”
“Why do you even need to prepare, Princess? You have me.”
“Right, I have you.” I smiled at him as someone shouted from a distance.
“Fifi!!!!”
I looked in Ashwin’s direction as he ran towards me. I somehow forget that I am still an eight-year-old whenever I am training with Omorfos. He is the only one who does not treat me as such.
Behind Ashwin was his dragon – Dracon, as he named it, or him.
“Are you done with your training?” He smiled at me and Omorfos stepped back slightly bowing his head at Ashwin.
“Yes, why?”
“Ashnor and Nix are planning to play ball, join us.”
“Ball?”
“Yes, a ball game with our dragons” He looked at Omorfos and also smiled at him, “Will you play with us?” He asked Omorfos.
“I will, your highness if my master wants to.”
“Will you play with us, Fifi?”
“Of course, I will!”
Playing ball with them is another way for me to train and with this, Omorfos and I could enhance our coordination.
*****
“What is taking Ashwin so long?” Ashnor waited at the field as he dribbled the ball.
“Why did you not come with him, Ashnor? I thought you would.” Nix asked him as he stretched his legs.
“Well, I thought you would, too.”
Nix shrugged.
“I thought she could use some space from me, that’s all,” Ashnor confessed.
“Why do you think that?” Nix asked curiously.
“Well, she is no longer a baby. I thought it would bother her if I were to continue to treat her as such.”
“Hmm, really?”
“If I were to see her training with her dragon, I would have these mixed feelings within me. Proud, because she grew up to be an amazing person, and sad that, well, that she grew up.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, and besides she does not need me anymore. She got her dragon and all, also she is the crown princess. She does not need me to be by her side at all times. She no longer needs me.”
“Do you really think that lowly of me, Ashnor?”
Both Ashnor and Nix looked back to see Flizeria with her arms crossed.
*****
“Uhm, Ria. No, I don’t think - that’s not what, I-”
“Of course, I don’t need you. I have never needed you, even before.”
I saw Ashnor’s grim expression as he lowered his head.
“I am sorry for thinking highly of myself, I-“
“I never needed you, but I want you.”
I approached him and held his chin, forcing him to look at me.
“I want you, okay? I do not need you, because I never intended to use you. I want you. I want you to stay by my side because I want you.”
He looked at me as his eyes sparkled at what I said.
I have never been greedy in my past life but in this life of mine, I chose to be. I will continue to have the things and people I want since I have the power to do so.
“Eh? What about me Fifi? Do you also want me?” Ashwin asked me with a hopeful expression but his eyes are somewhat afraid of how I would respond.
“I want you, I want all of you,” I then looked at Nix, “and that includes you, Nix. Will you allow me to want you?"
Nix came forward and kneeled down on one knee, took my hand, and kissed it.
“Want me all you want, Princess. I will always be available for you.”
This greed of mine, these people in front of me. The people that I love – all of them, I swear I will protect them even if it is the last thing I do.