A Pet for the Dragons

99.

IVRET

After a long day of seeing old faces I used to know, I was tired. I wanted to do nothing more but cuddle with Arika and get some rest. I've had a rough time ever since I got the summoning letter from the Empress. It was finally starting to catch up to me. I desperately needed a break, but it seemed unlikely.

The Cardinal House was where one should always sleep with one eye open. This place was filled with noble schemers and courtiers willing to do anything to gain favour from the Empress. It was one reason why I hated this place and had worked hard to leave it. But all of that was in vain.

Still, I was determined to leave this place again soon. I needed to do my own schemings and pull some strings for that to happen. I hated doing it, but it had to be done. The reason for all this was no longer my irritation with this place and the people. No, it was because of Arika's safety. This place was dangerous for her.

I couldn't help but rush to our wing as soon as I finished my meetings. I wondered what she was doing. I didn't like the idea of her being alone. Before coming here, I had discussed with the brothers all the safety protocols we needed to follow to ensure Arika's safety. I was sure that either Radrox or Zorge was with her, keeping her safe, but I couldn't help but rush to our wing.

I found Radrox lingering in the parlour, smoking. He left when I arrived, and I didn't have to wonder why. Things were still tense between him and Arika. I decided to talk with him later and check on Arika instead.

I found her in a terrible mood once I entered her bedroom. I didn't have to guess what might've soured her mood so gravely because I caught a whiff of Zorge and Radrox's scent mixed with hers.

It somewhat irked me but, at the same time, made me want to rub myself all over her so that she would bear my scent, too. I couldn't help but feel more possessive towards her. However, I needed to fix her mood first.

"What happened?" I asked her, wishing I could read her mind. My question pissed her off even more.

"Seriously? You wish me to recall everything shitty that happened to me today? First, we arrived here, and I was absolutely clueless about everything, but then we met the Empress. After that, you all leave me alone without explaining anything and then one of the Empress' spawn snakes in and—"

"Wait, What?" I asked. The more she told me about her terrible day, the more guilty I felt. I shouldn't have left her. I should've been by her side to soothe her. She definitely felt daunted and overwhelmed in this place. But as soon as she mentioned Empress' spawn, I froze.

"I'm done for today. Don't bother me again," she told me. She pulled the covers over her, but I wasn't done. I'd been out all day, meeting people to gather information, and I'd heard some interesting stuff about the princes, especially the youngest one. He was born after I left, and I'd heard he had a habit of sneaking around the palace. Some suspected that Mavie used him to gather information and keep an eye on some of the courtiers.

"Was it the Gold Prince?" I asked cautiously. "Wasn't it? You must tell me, Arika. Did he hurt you? We can't take this lightly, especially the Gold Prince. He's... dangerous."

The thought of him being anywhere near Arika made my dragon fully alert. Apart from being Mavie's eyes and ears, that prince was dangerous. There were rumours that one of the Mages was doing ancient magic on him. I hadn't had the opportunity to meet him yet, but from what I had gathered about him, I wanted to leave this place with Arika sooner.

"Do you know who Yko is?" She asked me instead. I frowned at her.

"No," I replied. "What kind of name is that?" I asked her back. She paused briefly as if she was considering something in her head. She turned around partially, about to say something to me, but let it go.

"Never mind," she replied with a deep sigh, pulling the covers over her head. I wasn't satisfied with her reaction. I needed to know more about her interaction with the Golden Prince, but judging by her mood and response, I decided it was best if I didn't actively try to make her mood worse.

She needed some soothing, not more questions to aggravate her nerves further. I could always get to know more from her later.

"Did you have dinner?" I asked her. In response, her stomach rumbled back at me. It pissed me off immediately.

"Radrox didn't bring you dinner?" I asked her.

"Can you not talk about that piece of shit?" She hissed at me, reminding me to be more aware of her mood. I could give Radrox hell later. I'd asked him to keep her safe here, including keeping her fed and healthy. But I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. All of us were stressed out for the past week, and it was starting to affect our judgement. He must've forgotten, most likely.

Without delay, I ordered our dinner. She continued to ignore me as I freshened up and changed my clothes. The dinner arrived by the time I was done. I was thinking of ways to get Arika out of the blankets without testing her nerves, but thankfully, the scent of the food made her curious enough to peek from under the blanket.

"Come," I invited her, putting the huge food tray on the table and patting the seat beside me. "I've asked for things you'll like," I told her. She tried to resist for a moment but gave up quickly and slank beside me.

I couldn't help but smile at her defeat. The urge to wrap my arms around her and pull her into my lap so I could feed her overcame me, but I held back. I needed to ensure she was not in her spoiled mood anymore. Maybe all this was just because she was hungry. It turned out to be true when she started digging in immediately without asking me about the unfamiliar dishes.

"Better?" I asked, waiting for her to eat as much as she wanted before touching the food.

"Where the fuck did you disappear after meeting the Empress?" She asked furiously.

"I'm sorry for leaving abruptly. I met some old alliances to ensure some people are looking out for us. Though I admit I could've done it later, after meeting the Empress, my anxiousness got the best of me," I told her sincerely, and she nodded, considering my words. Her mood improved as she took more bites of the Orangespine tart. She seemed to like it. I made a mental note to order more of them for her later.

"Were Zorge and Radrox with you after I left?" I asked her to ensure the brothers were doing their job, or I'd give them hell later. I was still somewhat pissed at Radrox for keeping her hungry.

"Zorge was with me first, but he left when one of those green dragons took him," She said, a look of worry flashing in her eyes. Her words made me tense, too, but I didn't let it show on my face.

What did the Cardinal Guards need from Zorge? I wondered, but I decided to focus on Arika for now. Radrox can look out for his brother for now.

"He used to work with them. They must've summoned him for some commission," I lied, which seemed to have assured her. "There's no need to worry about him. Was Radrox with you after Zorge left?" I probed carefully, pushing my portion of Orangespine tart towards her. She took it gladly.

"Actually, no," she answered. "Radrox came in quite later. I was alone for the most part." She added as a dark look crossed her face, "That's when he visited me,"

~

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