Nithe: The Dragon Emperor's Love

Chapter 7: Nyr

“Here, I brought something special for you when I went to the market. See if you like it,” said Drakar and extended a small bowl to the little omega. Nithe beamed and opened it. He is now nineteen. Training to be a warrior is hard work. He is exhausted. His smile almost faltered when he saw what was inside. But when he saw the proud expression on his highness’s face. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

Nithe smiled.

“Thank you, your highness.”

Nithe ate it and offered some to his highness too, who happily obliged, opening his mouth. Nithe fed him.
“Do you like it then? I thought you would”

“Mmn”

“Come then, let’s go meet the rest of them. Don’t tell them I got you food,” said Drakar. Nithe was amused and he nodded. After that when they go to eat together, sometimes Drakar would order it for him. He even started liking it a little bit.

Then, he couldn’t keep any food in during his pregnancy for a long while. Only thing he ate more was the fish and sauce. Somehow it brought him the warmth of those years past where there was no hatred and pain between himself and his highness.
---

Lala was sitting obediently in Nithe’s lap as his hair was being braided. Drakar came home to this scene. The both were speaking. He was about to unmask his scent as he had masked it when he went out when he heard, “Where is Baba, ama?”

“Baba will be back soon. Miss him already?”

“Hmm. Miss Baba. Ama misses Baba too?”

There was silence and then he said, “Hmm. Ama misses Baba too. Want to go fetch him?”

Drakar didn’t move. He knew even with his scent masked; his omega won’t need a lot of time to sense him. The next moment he turned and met his eyes. There was surprise on his face.

“Back? Here, entertain your child. I will fix us something for dinner.”
“You sit. I will make something,” he said and wrapped a woollen shawl that Kharath gave around them both.

“Baba cooks?”
“Yes, your Baba can cook,” said Nithe, leaning back on the wall.

“Are we getting fish?” asked Nithe to Drakar.

“Am I the emperor or are you?”
“Ama,” said Lala.

Drakar smiled. The tension on his shoulder leaving as he looked at the duo. Nithe was looking at him with a raised eyebrow while Lala looked like he was speaking facts.

“You are right. We only have one emperor and that is your ama,” he said.

Nithe was looking at that smile. He had rarely seen it after their wedding. Sometimes, in their bed, if Nithe was too out of it and spoke rubbish, he would give a gentle smile which will vanish come morning and he would wonder if it was an illusion. Then, when their child was born, he did smile. That smile stayed. When Nithe went looking for him, almost semi- conscious and covered in wounds, the emperor had still smiled.

“Are we getting fish and sauce?” asked Nithe seeing him pick up fish. Drakar pinched his cheek gently.

“Don’t be too curious. Lala, watch over ama,” he said and went off.
Drakar brought the food to table after a while. He saw that the duo were still talking.

“When we go back, will Baba still play with Lala?”

“Of course, Baba will. He will always play with you."

“He is emperor. He will be busy.”

“He is emperor, yes. But you are his heart. How will he forget to play with you?”