The Dragon King's Heart

Dante helped Laina to put the hairpin in her hair. Under the lights, the golden phoenix glistened and shimmered. Its ruby red eyes made it even more eye-catching. 

"How do I look?" Laina asked as she struck a pose. 

"Perfect as always."

Seeing as it was getting late, Dante suggested they head back to the castle. He was worried that Laina might be tired after having spent the entire day out and about. But she shook her head, informing him that there was one more thing they had to do. 

Laina grabbed hold of Dante's hand and pulled him through the crowds of people. They came to a specific building on the side of the market square and took a spiral staircase that led them to the roof of the building. 

"Where are you taking me?" Dante asked as they walked up the stairs. 

"You'll see when we get there," Laina replied as they continued their ascent. 

When they finally reached the top, Lain and Dante carefully walked on the roof tiles until they came up to a platform. 

Small lamp lights lit up the platform. A picnic basket and a comfortable seating arrangement had been set up just for the two of them. As they walked over to the platform, Dante was pleasantly surprised by what Laina had in stored for him. 

"What's this? The Crown Princess of Kinshearth is so talented? She attempts to surprise the Dragon King?" Dante teased with a shocked expression. 

Laina grinned with pride, "Her Highness has many talents. Mastering the element of surprise is one of them."

They took their seats and opened the picnic basket. In it, was a bottle of wine, two wine glasses and an assortment of light snacks. Dante popped the bottle of wine and poured them a glass each. 

He raised his glass, and Laina raised hers. 

"To us,"

"To us,"

As they took a sip of wine, the firework show began. One after the other, the fireworks flew up into the sky and exploded into a myriad of bright colors and patterns. Dante and Laina viewed the show with wide smiles. 

The sound of the fireworks going off filled their hearts with joy as they shared the moment together. 

"This is just like the time we shared at the Ball," Dante commented. 

As he put the pieces together, he turned to Laina, "Is that the reason behind this surprise? To recreate the time we shared then?"

Laina chuckled, "Why aren't you quite the detective, your Majesty! Perhaps you should consider that career path, instead of being a King."

"Would you still be with me if I was not a King?" Dante asked casually. 

"Of course I would! Even if you had nothing to your name, I would still want to be with you!" Laina declared as she leaned on Dante's shoulder. 

As the fireworks continued to cover the night sky in a myriad of colors, they watched on in silence for quite some time. The setting was perfect. A question stirred in Dante's mind. 

"Laina," he called out her name. 

He had her undivided attention. 

"Yes?"

"Let's run away together," he suggested with a glint in his eyes. 

At first, Laina assumed he was joking. But there was not a hint of it written on his face. She looked deep into his eyes. He meant what he was saying. 

"Runaway? Where would we go?" she asked. 

"Anywhere. We can go back to Starfrost Mansion and live out the rest of our lives there."

"Wouldn't we get bored of it at some point? What if people come looking for us?" 

Laina's first thought was not to reject his idea. If she could spend her entire life with Dante, she would do so in a heartbeat. But Dante was the King of Dracona while she was the future Queen of Kinshearth. 

They could not simply abandon their duties, their people, for the sake of their own happiness. As much as she wanted to take Dante up on his offer, it was something she could not do. When she noticed the disappointment in her eyes, she knew she had to do something. 

Laina cupped Dante's face in her hand. 

"I want to be with you, Dante. I don't like it when we're apart. But right now, I can't escape from my duties, and I would not allow you to do the same either," as the fireworks continue to go off in the background, she continued, "That is why I cherish every moment we share together as if it were our last."

Her words felt ever so familiar as if she had spoken them before. Dante feigned a smile, holding back the sting of sadness that now plagued his heart. When he held her in his arms at the end of her life all those years ago, he made a promise to himself. 

He would never let her go ever again. 

But forcing Laina against her will was not something he wanted to do. He wanted her to be genuinely happy, not happy for his sake. 

"I guess, we will just have to make more time for one another then. Or perhaps, a union of sorts to-" before he could finish what he was about to say, Laina already knew. 

She placed her finger on his lips and shook his head. 

"It's not time yet," she replied with a smile. 

"If not now, then when?" Dante asked eagerly as he held her hand in his. 

"I…" Laina did not know when either. 

But one thing was for certain. 

"Perhaps after my coronation. Then we can talk about our union," she replied, "You will wait for me, right?" 

Dante opened his arms, allowing Laina to lean down on his chest instead before he wrapped his hands around her. For him, hugging Laina was like hugging a warm pillow. It gave him a sense of comfort, a feeling of safety. 

For Laina, having Dante wrap his arms around her was like being embraced with a cool blanket. A contrast to her fiery body heat. She nuzzled in close to his chest, listening to his heartbeat and breathing. 

"I will wait for you as long as it takes. There is no one but you that I want," Dante whispered in her ear before giving her a loving kiss on her forehead.

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