Neko Princess Submits to the Dragon of Dragons

Chapter 15: Making the Decision

It had been two weeks since she woke up from her coma following her kidnapping. The Lovelies are still pestering her with questions about how she's feeling and she always puts on a smile saying she is fine. Casting a glance in Issei's direction, she knew that he could tell she was lying but he wasn't going to say anything until she brought it up to him herself. After a few days of bedrest after waking up, Amber finally let her get up and walk around a little more each day until she finally let her walk around the castle without her hovering over her. Despite being allowed to walk the castle, she was not allowed outside yet. Not that she minded that as the memories of the betrayal and kidnapping were still all too fresh and she didn't feel ready to try and venture outside without Issei next to her. She had yet to ask him why her birthmark had changed but she was having a difficult time mustering up the courage to face him for some reason even though she knew he would answer any questions she had and wouldn't sugar coat things just to try and make it easier. He would be honest even if it hurt. That was something she liked about the man.

After breakfast, she went to the door that led to the back garden that used to love walking around and playing with the other animals. She wanted to go outside but also did not want to be alone so she settled on sitting on a bench under a window beside the door and looking outside. Soon enough, she found herself growing drowsy and eventually, she closed her eyes with her head resting against the window. Flashbacks started flashing through her mind as they seem to love to do every time she closes her eyes. Frightened, her eyes shot open and she realised that it was storming outside and it had to be around dinner time. Making her way to the dinning hall, she did her best to not let her fear show on her face as she knew Amber and the others would worry.

Entering the dining hall, she greeted the other Lovelies with her usual cheerful greeting and saw Issei was dining with everyone tonight so she went over and sat next to him as she had been doing since being allowed to walk freely around the castle and join everyone for dinner again. Giving him a bashful smile, she greeted Issei and turned to her food before he could ask her any questions. She knew, however, that he already knew how she was feeling. That she has been faking a smile. He knew about the nightmares even when the others didn't. Or at least, they never bring it up around her which she appreciated. Thunder cracked outside and she jumped, bumping her leg on the table. The Lovelies looked at her but she smiled it off as she was changing how she was sitting and accidentally bumped the table and everyone went back to their conversations. Issei kept his gaze on her only looking away when one of the other ladies asked him a question or was chiming in on something one of them said.

Excusing herself from the table, she returned to her room where she had her maids help her get ready for bed. She had a feeling she was not going to be able to sleep that night because the storm brings back unwanted memories of the recent events and the nightmares that plague her. Even the medicine the physician gave her to help her sleep could not keep the nightmares away. Thinking back, the last time she had a decent sleep was when she first woke up and cuddled with Issei.

Deciding that laying in bed wasn't going to accomplish anything, she got up and threw on a robe to try and keep the chill away while she went to see if Issei was in his room. Standing in front of his door, she debated on knocking or going back to her room but to her surprise, he called her in. He was sitting at his desk with papers surrounding him watching her as she entered the room. "Celestia, My Lovely, is everything alright? You never come to my room this late into the night" he said softly with a knowing look in his eyes.

"I... Sir I... I'm sorry. I can see you're busy. It can wait. I-I'll just come back in the morning. G-Good night, Sir." As she turned to leave he called out to her to wait as he gathered up the papers he had strewn about and set them in their folder on the desk. Before she could open the door, he was picking her up and carrying her to his bed where he set her down before climbing in next to her. "Lovely, you know you can't hide your feelings from me. I know you have something you want to ask me so ask already!" he growled out sending shivers up her spine.

"I...It's about my mark, Sir. Why did it change? When did it change? What does it mean?" she fired off the questions she had holding back for the last few weeks. He chucked his knowing chuckle and began to explain what Dae had told him when he too inquired about it. "So it just means that I found the one person to trust in and love? The one that I was meant to find in this lifetime. The one who is meant to protect me?" He nodded his head and said that he would cherish her just as much as the other lovelies if she chooses to submit herself to him in her entirety. She blushed knowing what he meant and knew that she wanted to. Her mind was made up that she would submit her everything to the dragon of dragons, to her King, to Issei.