Emperor Michaelis finally looked away from Celine and met the eyes of a terrifying monster. He began to tremble and scream, jumping away from the couch. The shock overwhelmed his senses and he fainted, falling back onto the couch with a thud.
Prince Zayden pushed past his brother and rushed to Celine. He retrieved the torn gown and wrapped the remaining fabric around her shoulders before tightly embracing her. He pulled her in for a longer hug, and when he finally released her, the warmth still lingered.
She stared blankly as Zayden fussed over her, examining her body for any injuries.
"Did you think this was a good idea?" Once he had ensured there were no physical injuries on Celine, he became angry. His voice prevailed a heavier tone filled with deep emotions. The apple of his cheeks reddened as he took in her disheveled appearance. "Do you have no respect for yourself? What were you even thinking?"
"Did Hala tell you?" Celine ignored his probing questions.
His entire face became inflamed with dismay.
"That's not the problem here! What were you going to do just now? How can you willingly return here again after that night?" Pain swirled in his gold irises, and Celine was confused by his frustration.
"Nothing was going to happen. I have Draco." She drew her words slowly.
"Still, you could've handled the situation differently. You should've called for me." He whispered. He closed his eyes and grimaced. Prince Zayden didn't want to imagine what would've happened if he had been too late. "What if he touched you. . ."
Celine cupped his red cheeks, forcing him to face her. The two stared into each other's eyes, paying no attention to their surroundings.
"I'm completely fine, okay? He can never do anything to me." She made sure to smile in order to reassure him.
"Then why is your dress ripped apart!"
"It would be suspicious if I came out of his chambers untouched." She shrugged and avoided Zayden's scrutinizing stare, realizing how close they had been. She stepped away and called for her familiar.
"Draco!"
Draco, who had been cornering Prince Laith, spun around and shrunk in size. He disappeared into Celine's shadow.
"Your koi... It was a hideous beast just now." He was dazed by the sudden situation. Adding to the fact that his father had been assaulting Celine during his absence, he had also discovered how powerful her familiar was.
"He's not hideous. He's my familiar." She fastened her gaze on Draco with admiration. Then she sharpened her eyes towards the Crown Prince. "I would appreciate it if your highness could keep the happenings of this night a secret between us. When his majesty wakes up, he will most likely believe that he was delusional due to his drunken state. Because he believes he passed out; he probably won't have any recollection of my visit either."
". . . Has my father always been like this?" Prince Laith's voice was small, and his marvelous figure seemed to be shaking. He was distraught by his father's actions again, and Celine felt pity for him.
How many times must I see your pitiful form? Celine sighed heavily.
"This is only the second time, so your highness doesn't need to look at me with those guilty eyes. You're not responsible for your father's sins. Although it would be nice if he stopped calling for me. . ." If you're truly guilty then do something about it. "Aren't you my 'fiancee'? Don't you have the power to stop the emperor? If not, when his majesty calls for me again; I'll take matters into my own hands."
She wanted to kick the emperor's unconscious body before she left, but thought it was not worth wasting her energy. Instead, Celine signaled for Zayden to escort her out of the room.
She leaned into Zayden for support, who frowned as he noticed her body trembling faintly. He suppressed his anger for now and glared at his father in disdain, until Celine had to pull him towards the door.
"Let's go." She whispered.
Meanwhile, Prince Laith watched the two leave again. He felt as if he was experiencing deja vu. He stood at the foot of the door for a while, watching the pathetic father of his. He realized how Celine was practically a stranger to him.
When had her familiar become stronger? How did she grow closer with the Second Prince? What had happened to her during the times they were apart?
Prince Laith's mind was filled with endless questions, yet he would never be able to receive answers. He was filled with bitter, for it seemed as if he constantly missed the timing. Celine and Prince Laith grew more distant, yet they had never been close from the start.
Would Celine ever understand his feelings?
***
"I've never seen the Second Prince look this scary before! I was truly scared, and even shivering to my bones. I became convinced that someone was going to die tonight." Hala shook her head as she recalled Zayden's murderous reaction.
"He's only 14 years old. He shouldn't have had to witness his father's twisted actions."
"Young? He's old enough to be married!" Hala exclaimed. "If Prince Laith had never left, Lady Celine would've probably had many children by now."
". . ."
Celine refused to speak any further and stood silently as Hala fixed her into a new night gown. She felt relaxed after cleansing herself with lukewarm water. The meeting with the emperor was a distant memory for her, almost like a fever dream.
Truthfully, Celine was scared to harm the emperor. There could could have been dangerous consequences if she was caught, and Celine had truly acted on impulse. She hadn't thoroughly planned or known what she would do to the emperor. Celine only wanted to teach him a lesson for bothering her all those years.She figured that Hala was going to disobey her order and inform Zayden immediately. She hadn't expected him to arrive that early and even see her undressed. Celine was simultaneously disappointed and relieved by the princes' sudden arrival. She had finally realized how reckless she was and the need for vengeance had dissipated.
That night, Draco took Celine and the Second Prince to their usual spot at the top of the dome. Zayden was visibly upset, although he glanced at her occasionally. The silence was heavy, and she felt rather awkward and nervous for the first time.
"Don't be mad Zayden..." She attacked him with a hug and yelped when they nearly fell off balance. The two froze and steadied themselves again, all while Celine continued to cling onto his neck. It was difficult for Prince Zayden to pull away since she was taller, so he sat still as she apologized. "I wasn't in the right mindset. I promise I won't do it again, okay?"
"I'm not mad at you..." He avoided her gaze and looked down instead. "I know you well. You wouldn't place yourself in a dangerous situation twice. You're also much stronger now than you were in the past."
Celine blinked. "That's right. Then what made you so upset?"
"As soon as Hala told me, I rushed to the emperor's chambers. The emperor had forbidden anyone from entering, and I also hesitated. I knew I could easily defeat the guards, yet I hesitated out of my own selfish reasonings. I didn't want the world to discover my familiar, and I was scared something terrible would go wrong. I had to forcibly drag the Crown Prince out of his chambers. " Zayden felt extremely weak for begging someone else to save her. He resented himself for his cowardice. His expression revealed no trace of despondency, yet his nails were digging into his palms.
"You did the right thing. This empire should never know that your familiar is a dragon. The world will only use you to their advantage, or they will kill you if they believe you are a threat. Especially if you attacked the soldiers, it would show that you're an uncontrollable enemy." Celine's heart was deeply moved by his constant support and wanted to try her best to relieve his anger. He hadn't acted rashly nor killed the innocent guards. This further proved that Zayden would never be a villain in this life, and that their fateful end would change. She wished for Zayden to stray further from violence, and live peacefully for the rest of his life. "I taught you that violence is never the answer and that your familiar must be a secret from the world. Today, I made a mistake and wasn't able to control my anger. You did well."
Celine leaned onto his shoulder. She realized that he was growing taller since she didn't need to crouch as much.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. . . I'm sorry that I'm not powerful enough to keep you from harm." Zayden's eyes were filled with sadness.
"You only need to stay by my side." Celine smiled warmly. She tightened her grip and buried her head onto his shoulder.
"I will stay by your side. I will grow stronger so that no one can touch you. Not even the emperor." He whispered.
Celine lifted her head and pulled away. She was surprised by his sudden declaration.
"That's too much. . . You're only a child."
"I'm not a child." He cut her off coldly, and his usual self seemed to be returning.
"Fine, you are a teen then."
". . . But so are you."
"There's a difference between 14 and 16 year olds."
". . ."
"For now, let me protect you." Celine whispered.