Page 17 of The White King's Favorite

Yassim felt very sad, pronouncing his words. Indeed, he had been lucky to stay alive until now, given his history, but... his King wouldn’t be so benevolent upon his return. It didn’t matter whether he got to keep his head or not, though. As long as he could bring the Princess to him, even his death would be worth it.

“Alright, Yassim the Wise,” yawned Tessa. “Well, I hope you’re as good of a guide as you are a storyteller, then,because now I am quite excited to visit that Kingdom of yours!”

“Let’s go t-to sleep,” agreed Cessilia, glancing toward her father. “We should leave early t-tomorrow...”

The War God nodded, looking a bit tired, and he got up from his seat, gently offering his large hand to help her up.

“...I’ll send you off at dawn.”

Chapter 3

For an old man like Yassim, being able to sleep on a thick, comfortable mattress was a luxury. He certainly hadn’t expected to be so well received in the Onyx Castle, the War God’s residence. That servant woman named Nebora had shown him the bedroom he was to stay in after dinner, and he had been shocked to see such a nice room prepared for him, in such a short time, with even a fireplace bringing its dancing glow. Hence, it was no wonder he had fallen asleep right there, completely surrendering to his own exhaustion.

He was woken up early by gentle knocks on the door, and it took him a few seconds to remember where he was, and what he was doing there... The fire had long been extinguished, and the room was cold and dark.

“Good morning,” said Nebora with a soft voice. “Did you sleep well? The girls are almost ready to leave, we wanted to let you sleep for as long as possible, but I fear time is up. You can still join Tessa for breakfast, though.”

“Ah, yes, thank you, Lady Nebora...”

The servant woman nodded and went to open the windows, but for some reason, Yassim found she was a bit cold toward him. He quickly grabbed his coat to put it back on with a shiver and washed his face with the little basin of warm water she had brought, brushing his beard quickly and trying to arrange the few white hairs scattered on his scalp.

“Your King...”

He was surprised to hear her address him all of a sudden. The woman approached him with a severe expression.

“He’d better be a good man,” she said. “I’ve watched those girls grow up, I helped their mothers raise them. I love them like my own. I may only be a servant, but trust me, your King should fear me as much as those dragons if anything happens to either one of them.”

“I-I understand, my lady,” muttered Yassim.

After she was done talking, Nebora put back on a polite smile with an impressive calm, and walked out of the room, leaving him stunned. The women of the Dragon Empire were clearly as fiery as the dragons!

Yassim let out a short sigh but quickly prepared himself, as he was worried about making the young ladies wait for him. He only had his coat and shoes to put back on, but as he did, he felt a bit nervous. Since they were flying back to his Eastern Kingdom, he couldn’t help but wonder if he would make it to the end of the day. A lot of things were bound to happen, and he could only pray for a better outcome...

Preventing himself from thinking too much, he walked out of the bedroom, noticing how dark the castle was despite the sky being lit by the moonlight. He hadn’t really paid much attention before, but the walls were as dark as the castle’s name... Could they really be onyx though? He didn’t even dare touch it to test his theory. Resolute, Yassim found his way back downstairs, noticing his muscles weren’t so sore anymore. Truly, a good night’s sleep was the best remedy at his age...

“Morning!” exclaimed Tessa when he stepped into the large salon from the previous night.

Just like Nebora had said, the young woman was having her breakfast, a large selection of dried and fresh fruits, nuts, and cereals displayed before her. Quickly greeting her, Yassim walked to pour himself some tea. He was too nervous to be hungry, and could only sit on the edge of a stool, watching her eat ferociously.

“Everything is packed and ready,” she said, her mouth half full. “We’ll get going soon!”

“That’s great... What about Lady Cessilia?”

“She’s already outside. She’s talking with her dad.”

“I see.”

Yassim didn’t dare ask any more, so he quietly drank his tea, letting Tessa enjoy her breakfast in silence. He was a bit nervous, but already grateful they had let him sleep. Judging how her outfit was completely different, a thicker one with a long black coat, the girls had been up for a while already.

He waited until Tessa was done eating to stand up with her and, without a word, they both walked to the castle’s entrance. In the sky, the first purple waves were announcing the sunrise already. The Black Dragon was standing in the middle of the castle’s courtyard, several bags fastened on his back, eating a large chunk of raw meat. This time, a couple of saddles had been put on his back, and Yassim realized this was probably meant for him. However, his eyes didn’t stay on the dragon long; farther away, two silhouettes were cut by the first rays of sunlight.

The War God was talking to his daughter, the two of them facing each other closely. Yassim couldn’t hear what was said, but he could see the big, green eyes of Cessilia on her father, full of tenderness. As if he couldn’t bear to part with his daughter yet, the War God had his large hand on her cheek, also staring at her with a serious expression. Yassim felt a little pinch in his heart seeing this. He had never had the blessing to conceive any children himself, but this scene brought this old man a lot of emotions, just by witnessing it from afar...

He only had a little satchel for himself, but Tessa brought another bag to put on the dragon’s back while he stood there, a bit unsure of what to do next. The large creature truly didn’t seem to mind carrying all of that. Its long tail merely wagged a bit as the young woman climbed on its back to secure everything once more.

“Did you take your thicker coats?” asked Nebora, coming out of the castle behind him. “It’s going to be colder up there!”

“Yes!” shouted Tessa, patting one of the bags.

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