The Dragon King's Heart

Chapter 113 - Circling Her Prey

"Indeed, your Highness. With your permission, I will have my knights sniff them out at once," King Kragen offered. 

"You're too kind, King Kragen. But I think we can take it from here. Tell me, what does this person you speak off look like?" Laina asked. 

The Wolf King paused for a moment. He could not remember how Victoria looked like. How was he going to describe it to the Crown Princess? Seeing the expression on his face, Laina made her own assumptions. 

"Perhaps this could help freshen your memory?" Laina declared as she clicked her fingers. 

Right before their eyes, a painting on an easel appeared before them. Everyone gasped in shock. They had all seen this painting before but now it looked different. This was the painting King Kragen had brought as proof that Laina was his mate. 

Where Laina was once painted, it was now an image of Victoria. A chill ran down King Kragen's back. He cursed beneath his breath. If this was the case, the spell Cordelia had placed on Laina must have worn off too. 

But just how much does she know?

Laina got up from her throne and walked down the steps. She pointed to the painting and asked, "King Kragen, do enlighten me and my subjects. Is this the dangerous subject you're referring to?"

"Yes… yes, it is. Please don't believe anything she says, your Highness. She's mad and whatever she says, cannot be trusted!" He quickly replied. 

Laina looked over to him, meeting him at eye level, "Can you explain to me why the original portrait was of you and her, yet was painted over to be a portrait of you and me?"

The Werewolf King clenched his jaw, he needed to come out with an answer as quickly as possible. What lie should he spin next? He attempted to reach for Laina's hand. She retreated away from him. 

"I'm waiting to hear your answer, King Kragen of Wolfenheim," her sweet tone turned into a serious one, "Why have you attempted to deceive me?"

King Kragen got down on one knee, shocking everyone in the Throne Room. He looked up at Laina with longing eyes, a look that could swoon a noblewoman into believing he was in love with them. 

But his tricks had no effect on Laina. Dante, who was watching from above, could not help but roll his eyes.

-Come on, my sundrop. Put him in his place.-

"Crown Princess, please accept my humble apology," he said through gritted teeth, hoping to be as convincing as he could be, "It's because my love for you is beyond that the bond of a mate."

Laina feigned surprise, "Oh, your Majesty, you flatter me too much!"

Thinking that it was working in his favor, he continued his honeyed words, "Yes, it's true. I was worried you would reject me, hence I decided to trick you. I realize how wrong I was to do so. I hope you can forgive me. My love for you is true, Crown Princess Laina."

Laina feigned blushing cheeks, keeping her face hidden behind her fan. A wide grin appeared on King Kragen's face. His last-minute plan was working! He could not believe it. 

He had overestimated the intelligence of the Crown Princess. 

Margaret can't believe how elaborate of a show Laina was putting on right now, while Kol was simply confused as to how things were unfolding. Laina had them both stand back as she walked up to the Werewolf King.

She used the tip of her fan to lift King Kragen's chin so that their eyes would meet. 

"What should I do to the people who deceived me, King Kragen?" Laina asked. 

"I can take care of them for you, Your Highness. We wouldn't want to dirty your pretty little hands, now would we?" He sweet-talked her as he reached for Laina's hand. 

Just as he was about to kiss the back of her hand, Laina slipped her hand out of his. 

"So, how will you take care of yourself then, King Kragen?" 

"What?" Kragen was caught completely off guard.

Laina chuckled as she walked back up to her throne and took a seat, "Well, you've said you would take care of the liars for me, did you not? So, how will you punish yourself?"

She circled around him while coming up with a variety of options for Kragen to choose from, "In Kinshearth, we have different ways to deal with people like you. Which would you prefer, your Majesty? How about flaying?

No, that might be too cruel and painful. It would take too long anyway. I think execution by hanging would be quick and simple.

What do you think?"

The smile Laina maintained upon her face the entire conversation sent chills down everyone's spine. Who knew the kind-hearted Crown Princess could be so unforgiving too?

Angered by how Laina was ridiculing her, King Kragen completely lost his cool. He stood up and glared at Laina. 

"I will not accept these ridiculous accusations!" He roared in anger. 

King Kragen exerted his Alpha King voice upon everyone. The nobles, ministers, and the knights he had brought with him all could feel his oppressive aura upon them. Even Kol could feel it too, though he did his best to resist. 

Laina and Margaret were unaffected. Needless to say, Dante was unaffected too. 

"Ridiculous accusations?" Laina could not help but laugh, "Would you like me to inform everyone in attendance of the despicable things you've done?"

She did not give him a chance to reply. 

"Victoria, does that name ring a bell for you? You wrongfully imprisoned her just because you did not want her as a mate. Then, you cowardly had her reject you as a mate so that you would be free to have another. 

In order to trick me, you had someone cast a charm spell upon me. You used that painting as your proof when in fact it was nothing but lies!"

"Preposterous! These are all baseless accusations!" King Kragen attempted to defend himself. 

"Baseless? Baseless?!" Laina could not believe what she was hearing, "Shall we go to the Temple of the Moon together and hear what Moon Goddess Selene has to say about this?"

"Hang on, that reminds me of something," Laina said as she recalled, "Did you not send your forces in an attempt to assassinate the Moon Goddess herself?"

The Werewolf King widened his eyes in shock, "How… how did you know about that?!" 

<Writing Prompt #14 - Language class for aliens>

Finally, in the year 2399, Earth discovers alien life. Inducted into the Intergalactic Community, otherworldly species flocked to Earth to live, learn, play, and work. Humans also traveled across the Galaxy for the first time, exploring the wonders and mysteries Space had to offer. 

Language classes became ever so important and popular amongst the aliens who decide to make a living on Earth. They were endlessly fascinated by the words we have for everything known to us. As for everything else, things can get a little complicated. 

Maxa, an eighteen-year-old syrenin, takes up English classes for Intergalactic Species in order to adapt to her new life on Earth. 

"Stop, I'm con… confused," Maxa said as she raised her hand. 

Her English Teacher, Lisana, was explaining the word 'orange'. 

"What's wrong, Maxa?" Lisana asked as she turned around to face her students. 

"Day before now, you said 'orange' was a fruit? The circle one with water inside," Maxa pointed out, " Now it is paint? No, color?" 

The other students realized what Maxa said was right. Yesterday, Lisana went through the names of different fruits. Amongst the apples and bananas, there were oranges. 

Lisana smiled, Maxa was one of her brightest students. She was happy to know that she spotted the similarities. 

"That's right. The word 'orange' refers to the color and it also refers to the fruit."

"But the fruit is not of that color," Maxa protested.

At first, Lisana was confused. All oranges were orange in color, were they not? Then it dawned upon her. To her students, who came from other planets, other worlds, the fruit orange could be in different colors. 

"Do you have the fruit orange from where you came from, Maxa?" Lisana asked for confirmation. 

She nodded in response to her teacher.

"Ah, I see. What color is it?" 

Maxa bit her lip. She furrowed her eyebrows as she pondered over the question Lisana had asked. She had not seen this color before on Earth. Even in their colors class right now, she still had not seen it. 

How was she going to describe it to her teacher?

"Can I show you?" Maxa asked. 

"Sure."

Though Lisana thought it was a bit of an odd request, she did not think too much of it. Maxa was a syrenin, so she had the ability to project images from her mind in a physical space. 

Maxa closed her eyes and concentrated on the object she wanted to project. A sphere of warm light materialized before Maxa. As the object was completed, Lisana was amazed. 

She recognized the shape of the fruit but did not recognize the color of its skin. 

"What do you call this color, Teacher Lisana?" Maxa asked. 

"I…" Lisana thought she had seen it all. 

Colors were a part of her vision, a part of her everyday life. Was it truly possible that she had never seen anything like this? She looked at it from different angles. The color did not shift. It remained as it was. 

Had she just discovered a new color? 

If so, the human world was about to be blown away by this discovery.