The King's Beloved

[Music Recommendation: Passing By - Yiruma] Play it while you read <3

"Yaaaaaaaahh," Luna yawned as she woke up from her sleep. She got up from bed with her hair all messed up and her eyes half opened. She lazily walked afterwards while stretching her body. It was a few minutes after five in the morning. Just a few more and daybreak would hit soon. 

Luna looked around her and saw everyone was busy with their usual morning routine. Elliot was cooking and Rania was helping him out - he started cooking instead of using magic all the time when Rania asked him to teach her how to cook. Due to that, the extra room in the chamber that used to be a storeroom, became a kitchen. 

She spun her head again, towards the long couch, expecting Ducis to be there, having his morning coffee. And there he was - or not. Luna was surprised not to see him there. Her eyes became fully opened upon noticing the fact.

"Huh? Where is that dragon?" Luna scratched her head. She curved her back and little by little, the wings she always magically hid everytime she didn't need them, appeared. She flew around the place to quickly look for Ducis. She scanned all the rooms, asked Rania and Elliot, and checked the entrance hall.

But Ducis wasn't anywhere inside the Forbidden Chamber. Luna only stopped fluttering around when she saw him from the balcony,  walking out of the pavilion near the Forbidden Forest. She bit her lips and lowered her eyes when she noticed that he still looked gloomy. Feeling guilty, she zoomed back to Rania, crying.

"Raniaaaaaa!" Luna wailed and hugged Rania as soon as she saw her which made her drop the plates she was holding - good thing Elliot noticed and he quickly levitated the plates before they hit the ground.

"What happened? Why are you crying Luna?" Rania asked her, patting her head.

"I think I did something wrong," Luna whimpered.

"Is that new?" Elliot teased her. "You always do something wrong".

Luna glared at Elliot. "I'm not talking to you, meanie! I'm not like that right, Rania?" 

"Well … uhm," Rania averted her eyes.

"See? Rania doesn't lie. Just look at the plates you almost broke". Elliot added, pointing his fingers on the plates.

Luna bawled her eyes and cried harder. "I dooo? Waaaaaaa. I'm sorryyyyyyy".

Rania chuckled. "Just kidding. Of course you don't do all things wrong. You're just clumsy most of the time. So learn to be careful, okay?"

"Sniff … sniff … So I do cause troubles all the time," Luna whimpered.

"There, there," Rania patted her head. "What was it that you were gonna say? You said you think you did something wrong?"

"I … Ducis … I …," she started confessing. But then, she suddenly saw Ducis behind Rania. He just arrived in the kitchen.

"I, what, midget?" Ducis scared her off. "When I specifically told her yesterday not to say anything," he thought in his mind. "Truly, this midget can't be trusted".

"Kyaaa!" Luna screamed and shivered. "N-n-nothing! Nothing at all!"

"Good," Ducis said as he squinted his eyes.

"Hm? What's this? A couple's secret?" Elliot innocently asked.

Rania, Ducis, and Luna were startled. Rania bursted out laughing while the other two fumed in anger.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Where did you get that Elliot?" Rania couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"Oh? Ah, it's from a book I read before," Elliot answered. "It was almost the same scene. The husband didn't want his wife to tell his friend something, so he looked at her, and the wife understood immediately, without saying anything. Then his friend said it's probably a couple's secret".

Ducis hit his face with his palm and shook his head. "I should have known".

"We're not couples! Definitely NOT! Impossible! Not in a million years!" Luna fumed and screamed in anger. "It's slavery I tell you! Slavery! Or … or … blackmail! Yes, blackmail!"

"Tsk," Ducis snapped. "You're just being overly dramatic".

"Oh? What's that?" Luna's grinned devilishly. "I think our position is wrong. Since I'm the one who holds the secret, shouldn't I be blackmailing you?"

Ducis gulped - she was right, basically. "What to do?" he asked himself. Then, he flicked his fingers and suddenly, Luna and himself disappeared in thin air.

"Hm? They're gone," Rania was surprised. "Aren't you curious what it was that Ducis didn't want us to know?"

"I am. But it's probably one of those 'it's not time yet' things," Elliot shrugged and went back to cooking. 

"Yes, you're right".

On the other hand, Ducis teleported with Luna inside the Forbidden Forest. 

"You midget!" Ducis thumped his hands on a tree, trapping Luna in between. "When I just told you not to say a word about it - ".

Luna tried to sneak out on the side but Ducis slapped his other hand to the same tree. Now, Luna was locked between the tree and Ducis.

"Nowhere to run now, midget," Ducis scared her. 

Luna tried to step back since Ducis was too close, however, there was nowhere to step back - the tree was blocking her back.

"I - I'm sorry," Luna whimpered. "I won't do it again, please spare me".

"And what makes you think I'll believe you?"

Luna bawled her eyes and cried like a baby. "I really won't! We can … ahmm … we can … make a vow to each other! Then whoever breaks it … ahm …," Luna panicked.

Ducis continued his piercing glare at her. "Whoever breaks, what?!"

"Waaaa … ahm … Whoever breaks need to eat a thousand berries!"

Ducis's eyes widened and his mouth gaped. He remembered the Guardian of Grace again.

"If you break your promise, you need to eat a thousand berries!"

"Y-you …," Ducis trembled as he stared at Luna. "W-who told you that?"

"Sniff … sniff … told what?"

"Why do you keep …," Ducis paused, "Tell me … who are you?" His face shouted desperation. "Why do you know things you shouldn't? And why do you say things … that reminds me of her?" And in an angry tone, he shouted, "WHO ARE YOU?!"

Seeing his desperation, his sadness, Luna felt her heart sting. 

And unconsciously, tears started falling from her eyes … 

She lifted her hands and touched Ducis' face.

"Ducis," Luna whispered softly. 

The way she called him … that voice … 

Ducis' lips trembled. His hands shook violently. Then, he removed both of his hands from the tree and cupped Luna's face. 

"F-Flora? Is that you?" Ducis' desperate eyes turned into longing. "Or i-is your spirit somewhere inside her?"

"What is this feeling?" Luna asked herself. She couldn't control herself and was set on a daze at Ducis' hurting face. "Why ... am I hurting? Why do I suddenly feel that I missed this stupid dragon? I see him everyday!" Then, she clenched her chest. "But why … Why am I crying? Is there something … I forgot? Is there something … I'm missing?"

Ducis' emotions bursted out of his chest and tears escaped his eyes as well. He gently hugged Luna in an attempt to hide them. 

"Such a warm embrace …," Luna thought to herself. "Such familiar feelings …

Wait … Familiar? 

Why is it familiar?

Yes, it is familiar …

And after this comes ..."

Yes, out of habit, Ducis pulled Luna's face closer and … gave her a warm and gentle kiss.

"This caress, this embrace, and this kiss …," Luna sobbed. Her heart continued to sting her. "Why are they all familiar? Why? WHY?!

Who … am I?"

And so, their sweet kiss continued, as the morning sun shed its light upon them. 

Ducis was only alarmed when Luna fell on his shoulders and snoozed off.

"Ack! W-what did I j-just do?" he panicked. He shook his head and regained his thoughts. "It's definitely Flora, I'm sure of it".

He placed his left hands on Luna's head, trying to read her memories. 

"Weird. I can't read any memory beyond when she woke up as a fairy".

Now, he tried sensing her spiritual energy but there was nothing unusual he found.

Lastly was her core. He dug in deeper and deeper …

And there it was! Very faint but it was there!

Not just one … but two …

"Two cores?!" Ducis' eyes widened in disbelief. "Why does she have two cores?" He shook his head. "The other belongs to Flora, I'm sure of it! 

But the other … Why is her core in here, too? And why is it missing the other half?

What is the meaning of this?"

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Hi Beloved Readers,

How are you all?

Ahm, I'd just like to apologize to everyone. I know I said I will start uploading 2 chaps daily starting last week. But due to some personal reasons, I couldn't keep it. I'm really sorry! T_T So I will return to my 1 chapter daily uploads.

But in return, instead of doing 1k words per chapter, I will do a minimum of 1.5k words instead. 

Again, I am truly sorry. I did not want the quality of my writing to suffer in exchange for more chapters. So I decided I'd rather do 1 chapter daily. T_T

I'm hoping for your kind understanding. T_T

Thank you so much for all of your support! <3

And keep safe always!