Page 232 of The White King's Favorite

“Cece is back?!”

Darsan had run to them. For some reason, he was dragging four men by the collar with each hand, and Nana was following right behind him, her eyes lit up in awe.

“That dragon is so pretty!” she exclaimed.

“There you are, the pair of walking natural disasters,” scoffed Tessandra, putting her hands on her hips. “Yes, she is.”

“Awesome! Hey! Big girl!” Darsan waved, dropping the men at his feet.

“...What are those?”

“Oh, just some that refused to give up, so I kicked their butts, but I wondered what we’re supposed to do with them... Nana said not to kill them, so I just figured I’d ask.”

“The war is over, right?” Nana asked Cessilia and the King with a worried expression.

The two of them exchanged a smile.

“Yes, it is.”

“Alright,” said Tessandra. “Darsan, you and I are supposed to gather the Yekara that are left, all of them, so come and help me. Nana, now that you get the gist, can you go get that old butt of a dragon and do the same outside?”

“I got it!” Nana nodded strongly, showing her little fists.

“Let’s go, Nana,” exclaimed Darsan happily. “I’ll escort you back to Krai!”

The two of them left, and Cessilia turned to Tessandra, confused.

“...Nana actually rode Krai? ...Alone?”

“Yeah... She’s really getting quite impressive, our tiny Nana. But, as long as we keep flammable stuff away from her, we should be alright.”

“...Didn’t you just send her to get an actual dragon?” Ashen asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tessandra opened her mouth, and closed it after a second. After realizing the King’s words were right, she let out a sigh.

“Alright, I’m going to go look after the two terrors. We’ll regroup once you’re better and we’re done here. See you then...”

She shook her head and left toward the crowd, already shouting orders at their allies. Ashen chuckled.

“Your family is just as reckless and impulsive as I remember...”

“And that’s just half of them,” chuckled Cessilia. “Come on, let’s get you treated now.”

The two of them left toward the house Tessandra had indicated. Just like her cousin had said, the place was already crowded with injured men, some with light injuries, some on the verge of dying. Cessilia recognized some of the Hashat people trying to keep them in order, and even some Cheshi helping. Luckily, many people recognized the King. In the short while that they had spoken with Tessandra, the word had already spread about Lord Yebekh’s death, and most people knew the war was over. In a matter of minutes, people gathered around the couple, either thanking them or simply cheering. Cessilia felt a bit overwhelmed by the sudden attention when all Ashen needed was some quiet.

Bastat quickly stepped in between them and the rowdy crowd.

“If you’re all up,” she said, “I guess you can make some room for the people who actually need the space!”

Cessilia was surprised. It was the first time she saw Lady Bastat actually get mad and raise her voice. Right now, the lady was acting like a wall between the two of them and the crowd. The people suddenly got a bit embarrassed or glared at her, but sure enough, many quietly returned to their beds, or left the building with sour expressions.

“These people,” she sighed. “Really, if they can stand, they should be helping out...”

She turned around to face them, and Cessilia realized the lady herself was injured. Her left arm was wrapped in bandages, and she was limping slightly as well.

“Lady Bastat, are you alright?” Cessilia asked, worried.

“Yes,” the young woman nodded. “Thanks to your older brother. I made a silly mistake during the fight, and His Highness was quick to take me to safety... so I overtook the command here, as much as I could. Luckily, most citizens were reasonable enough to stay home or help their neighbors. It’s mostly Royal Guards coming here injured, or people who got into accidents because of the fires... Are you alright, Your Majesty? You look quite pale.”

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