Page 76 of The White King's Favorite

“Oh, I know. However, I don’t have anything against you... unlike some of the ladies here. Perhaps you should think twice before making me your enemy.”

Outside of the room, Krai suddenly growled, making everyone jump, quickly reminded of the dragon’s presence. Its ruthless climbing on the building made strange sounds on the stone, and its growls were heard once again.

“...A dragon d-doesn’t share,” said Cessilia.

“Maybe he could learn to.”

“No.”

This time, the Princess turned around, walking toward the main doors and away from the women. She was fed up with all this, and not in a mood to entertain her rival, or any of the others, anymore.

“Come on, Nana,” said Tessandra, gently pulling her to follow.

“But–”

“We’re done here. Let’s just go back before another bitch decides to annoy the heck out of us...”

Nana nodded and quickly followed behind Cessilia and Tessa. While the three women were about to head out, Cessilia in front, the doors opened before them again. The King was back.

Cessilia briefly raised her eyes, spotting the blood on his hands, and his furious expression. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and she stepped aside, making a visible detour to avoid him. Ashen stopped and watched her leave, even staring at her back until it disappeared in the corridors. Then, his eyes went back in front, spotting his mistress, alone in the center of the room. She crossed her arms again with a little smirk, and turned around, walking toward the broken window. While the storm had quieted down, the dragon outside was still agitated, growling and making a ruckus. Jisel smiled, staring at the black scales through the hole.

“The War Dragon, huh...”

Another growl sounded, and Krai moved again, its red eye appearing at the window. Many people screamed in fear and stepped farther away, except for Jisel. Her smile disappeared.

“Oh, you can tell, can’t you? ...You’re not the only monster here.”

Chapter 10

“It’s b-beautiful,” Cessilia muttered.

She turned the vase in her hands, admiring the beautiful nacre mosaic on it, and how it shined superbly at each fragment of light. She could feel all of the craftsman’s hard work and passion in that object, the long hours spent perfecting it. The vase wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was beautiful that way. The little stains of the paint that were immortalized made it look like it had just been made. Next to her, Bastat nodded.

“You have a good eye, Princess. This one was made by one of our best potters. We attach an importance to objects that go far beyond their monetary value. Sadly, it also means we need to undersell our work.”

“...My mother would love th-these,” said Cessilia. “D-do you have a few samples I c-could send home? I’m sure we c-could work t-together on establishing new tr-trades b-between the Eastern K-Kingdom and the D-Dragon Empire. My g-grandmother is a well-known p-patron of the arts. I’m s-sure she would love one of th-these.”

“It would be our honor to send our best creations for the Imperial Family to see.”

Cessilia and Bastat both smiled, and their eyes went back to the amazing display.

After the events of the banquet, the King had ended the reception, but the investigation was still ongoing. All the candidates had been proven innocent, since they were attending the banquet at the time of the murder, so now they were free to do as they liked while the Royal Guards tried to find the culprit, if they could. The rain had continued all the next day, so they had remained in the castle and spent most of the day mending the rest of their ripped dresses and chatting with Nana. In the late afternoon, an invitation came from Bastat, who invited all three of them to visit the Arts Market, mostly composed of people from the Sehsan Tribe.

Getting out of the castle felt good, after what had happened. Cessilia hadn’t seen Ashen since, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Bastat’s invitation had come at the right time. Moreover, Tessandra had decided to go and train with the Royal Soldiers again, inviting herself to their training grounds, probably for another duel with Nana’s brother. Naptunie had decided to keep following Cessilia, as she was also curious about the Arts Market she was unfamiliar with. She had a thousand questions for Bastat, who was incredibly patient in answering all of them.

“Aren’t those too fragile for everyday use?” she asked, looking at another one of the pots. “I know the cheapest ones are made of glass or clay, and they are definitely not as pretty, but I would be worried about breaking it...”

“They are mostly meant for decorative purposes,” nodded Bastat, “although our craftsmen have been working on making new ones for more pragmatic uses.”

“Th-there are materials here I have never seen b-before,” declared Cessilia, “and I am s-sure th-there are some we have in th-the Empire th-that are not c-common here. Our craftsmen c-could work t-together to bring even b-better and p-prettier results.”

“It is my belief, as well,” Bastat said with her toneless voice. “I am glad Princess Cessilia thinks like us. Despite your presence, I was worried you would be reluctant to trade with our Kingdom. ...I am sorry you weren’t properly welcomed here. Last night’s banquet was truly unsightly.”

Naptunie pouted her lips, putting down the pot she had in her hands.

“That’s for sure! I can’t believe those girls’ attitudes! Isn’t the Yekara Clan overdoing it? Those girls just kept attacking Lady Cessilia any chance they got!”

“They are afraid,” said Bastat.

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