The Dragon's Kiss

"What? G-get rid-"

A knock at the door cut Kel off before she could finish asking what the emperor meant. She whipped her head toward him, panic filling her chest, but he was no longer standing in front of her.

Huh? She hadn't even seen him move, but suddenly, the emperor was gone. Had he gone back under the bed like he did when Aila came? Or…

Kel glanced around the room nervously. It was probably for the best that she didn't know exactly where the emperor was hiding.

"It's me, Princess." She could hear the smirk in Soren's voice just outside the door. "Aren't you going to let me in?"

"Ah.. come in," Kel answered absently, still scanning the room..

Get a hold of yourself! She scolded herself, slapping her cheeks as the door opened. You'll give the emperor away if you're like this!

"C-come in," she repeated awkwardly, realizing too late that Soren was already inside.

She stood gripping the bed pole and staring at the floor in front of her feet as her mind whirled.

What could she say to get rid of him?

Was it even possible to get him to leave if he didn't want to?

"... You've been crying?"

Soren's thumb, wider and more curved than the emperor's, brushed below one of her eyes.

Kel flinched, glancing up in surprise. When had he gotten so close?

"Ah.. this.." she forced a smile, leaning away from Soren's hand.

She didn't know where the emperor was, but if he saw this man touching her, it definitely wouldn't end well.

Soren studied her carefully. Instead of retracting his clearly unwanted touch, he brushed his fingers against her face again, this time cupping his palm around her cheek.

"Please stop," Kel hissed, reaching up to grab his hand.

"Why?" Soren responded, refusing to budge.

Because I'm trying to save your life!! Kel yelled internally.

"Why don't we sit down?" she changed the subject, stepping back as she motioned toward the table and chairs on the other side of the bed.

"Sure, let's do that," Soren agreed, still staring at her suspiciously.

At this point, Kel wasn't sure who the emperor would kill first: Soren for touching her or her for practically giving them away with her horrible acting.

"What are you hiding?" Soren asked immediately as they each sat down. "You may as well just tell me."

It looks like we'll die together, Kel sobbed to herself, unsure how to answer.

"I'm not hiding anything," she lied, her lips aching from being stretched into a fake grin for so long.

Except for the fact that she wasn't even the princess. And she definitely had some kind of weird dragon powers.

Ah, and there was a whole person hidden in the room somewhere.

The person Soren hated most in the world, to be exact.

"A-anyway!" Kel continued, sweating under Soren's intense gaze. "What brings you here?"

Even though she already knew since Alaia had told her.

"I must admit, your antics are rather amusing," Soren sighed, shaking his head. "But you're right. I'm here for something important."

"A-and what might that be?" Kel asked.

Again, even though she had already been informed.

"I want to hear your answer," Soren smiled, clearly amused at Kel's clumsy acting attempts.

"Oh, my answer?" Kel hesitated.

She'd made it clear earlier that she had no interest in taking over the continent with him, but would he leave her be if she kept refusing?

No, he would probably stay here rattling off all the reasons she should join him in his sick crusade.

Then, would simply agreeing be the best way to make him leave?

Ah! No! Kel slapped her cheeks again to regain her senses.

Obviously, agreeing to take over the continent by Soren's side, even if she didn't mean it, was a horrible idea.

She was beginning to understand what the emperor meant by her plans being terrible and ineffective.

"Yes, your answer," Soren replied, his eyes glinting. "So I'll ask again. Do you want to be mine?"

"Eek!" Kel squeaked, jumping to her feet. "That's not what you asked of me before! Don't lie!"

"It's more or less the same thing though, right?" Soren shrugged, rising from his seat as he gave Kel a knowing smile.

He was too smart to think nothing was going on.

Kel gulped as walked around the table and stopped just behind her chair.

"If this can't be mine," he went on scooping up locks of her hair with both hands, "then certainly its owner can be. Isn't that the next best thing anyway?"

A murderous aura suddenly settled over the room. Wherever the Dragon Emperor was, he was seething with rage. If Soren kept it up, he wouldn't have much longer to live.

"Neither I nor my hair will be yours," Kel insisted, scooting backward.

There was a satisfying grunt as the wooden backing on her chair slammed into Soren's stomach.

With a snort, the man released her hair.

"Am I to take this as your answer, then?" he asked, moving his grip to the chair.

The wood creaked under his strong hands.

"Yes. That's my answer," Kel replied firmly.

Hopefully it would be enough to appease the Dragon Emperor's anger. Though, for some reason, the idea of Soren suffering at the emperor's hands was beginning to sound more and more appealing each time he opened his mouth.

"It is?" Soren scoffed, dropping his hands.

Thoughtfully, he paced toward the bed, his mouth twitching in anger, amusement, or some gross combination of both.

"Ideally, I'd like to give you enough time to think," he murmured, "so you'd come to me on your own."

"That won't happen with all the time in the world to think," Kel insisted, her nerves rising with every step the man took.

Did he already know the emperor was in here?

"We're a little pressed for time, however," Soren continued, shooting Kel a glare, "so I have no choice but to force you."

He stopped suddenly on the other side of her bed, eyes glued to something Kel couldn't see.

"Ah.." he smirked.

"So this is what you were hiding from me."