The Dragon King's Heart

"Kol, what are you doing?" Laina asked out of curiosity. 

Margaret gulped, praying to whomever she could for some luck. But it seems like her luck might have run out. 

"There's something… different about Lady Margaret."

Laina tilted her head to the side as she scanned Margaret from head to toe. She walked a circle around her handmaiden, scrutinizing every part of her as she walked. Margaret stood as still as possible, hoping her facial expressions did not give anything away. 

"She does seem to have a bit of a blush on her cheeks, which I assume means she had a wonderful time with Marius. But apart from that, I don't think there's anything else different," Laina commented. 

Margaret heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Laina did not suspect anything else! But Kol was not convinced. 

"It's not that… it's her aura. Something changed," Kol pointed it out. 

"Her aura?"

Kol nodded, "It's a subtle change, but I can sense it. Something is different."

Laina furrowed her eyebrows as she pondered over what Kol had just said. She looked over to Margaret, she was clearly nervous. Her hands were fidgeting and she was avoiding her gaze. 

"I think you've been mistaken, Kol. Maybe you're just tired from today," Laina replied absent-mindedly, "I mean apart from the fact that Margaret's a shapeshifter, there really isn't any difference in her aura from that of a regular human."

Margaret's jaw dropped as she looked over to Laina in utter shock. Had the Crown Princess known all along? She got down on her knees and bowed her head to the ground. 

"Margaret, what are you doing?!" Laina exclaimed, shocked by her sudden actions, he reached out and attempted to help her up but the handmaid refused to get up. 

"Your Highness, I did not mean to deceive you. Please punish me as you deem fit but please allow me to remain by your side and serve you!" 

"Deceive me?" Laina echoed her words, "Margaret, I never said you deceive me. I've known you were a shapeshifter all along. Please, get up."

But how was this possible? Margaret wondered for a while, it would seem she had underestimated Laina's abilities. Her powers were a lot stronger than she had anticipated. 

Margaret got back up onto her feet. 

"I should not have kept it from you," she sighed, "I should have told you."

Laina smiled as she shook her head. She caringly placed a hand on Margaret's shoulder, "It's alright. I assumed you had your reasons for keeping it a secret. So, I did not pry either."

"Oh, that reminds me! I know you probably would have sensed it by now, but I removed Kol's contract with me!" Laina continued with a smile. 

"Really?" Margaret gasped in shock. 

She had not noticed at all. Without her magic, certain things were harder to detect. While Kol and Laina noticed her identity as a Luxaven, they did not seem to notice the change in her magic aura. 

-Maybe the bracelet is giving them the illusion that I still have my magic.- she thought to herself. 

Though it was getting pretty late into the night, Laina wanted to hear about Margaret's day out with Marius. She called Kol to go and get them some light snacks before seating Margaret down on the sofa. 

"You have to tell me everything!" Laina exclaimed excitedly as they got comfortable. 

Margaret did not know what to say, "What is there to tell?"

"Oh! Start with where he brought you? I tried asking him but he would not spill the beans. So, where did he take you?"

Margaret recounted what had happened after they left Kinshearth. Of course, she did not reveal anything that had happened with the Soul Keeper. Laina did not need to know. 

"That's so romantic! A picnic in a flower garden? That's amazing," Laina remarked.

She had not heard of the Prism Sanctuary before, so she was pleasantly surprised to find out that such a place exist. A flower sanctuary rumored to have been cultivated and tended by a Goddess? 

That is not a location a normal person would have been able to visit, let alone find. 

"What about you, Laina? What did you do today?" Margaret asked. 

At that moment, she was so comfortable with Laina that Margaret forgot to use her formal title. Laina did not seem to notice it either. When she heard Margaret's question, she paused for a moment. 

Laina knew Margaret was out a fan of Dante. While she pondered on whether if she should inform her about it, Kol spoke up on her behalf. 

"Her Highness was out with King Dante of Dracona today."

The moment Margaret heard what Kol had said, the initial smile she had faded away a little. She put down her porcelain cup back on its matching saucer. Laina bit her lip. Although Margaret was just her handmaiden, she had long treated her like a close friend, a confidante. 

"I know you don't like him very much-"

"It's not that I don't like him," Margaret interjected, "I just… I just want you to be careful and safe. That's all."

"But Dante doesn't mean any harm. He's really nice, thoughtful and caring. I'm sure you can see that too, right?" Laina said as she placed her hand on Margaret's.

Though Margaret does not always voice out her opinions, Laina knew she had her reservations about it. But Dante had done nothing to harm Laina or put her in a dangerous situation. 

Was there something she was not telling her?

"Is there something you found out about him, Margaret? No matter what it is, I want you to tell me," Laina urged her. 

Hearing what Laina had to say, Margaret did not know how to respond. No matter what, she knew she could not tell her the truth. 

"There isn't anything, Laina. I just… I'm just worried about you, that's all. I want you to be safe and happy, that's all I can ever wish for," Margaret replied with a smile. 

Laina knew Margaret was keeping something. But she chose not to pry any further. If it was something of grave importance, she trusted her handmaiden would not hesitate to inform her.

"I am happy. When I'm with him, everything feels right. I know it's hard to understand, after all we barely know each other. But sometimes, I just feel like I've known him forever, you know?"

Margaret looked at the smile on Laina's face as she talked about Dante endlessly. She was listing down all of his positive qualities, all the things he had done recently that proved he was a genuinely good person. 

The Crown Princess was trying so hard to sell the King of Dracona as an upright and just man. Margaret already knew all of that. Sometimes, she wondered how it was possible for their love for one another to persevere for so long. 

Despite everything that had happened, all the time that had passed, their love for one another still remained. 

Margaret placed her hand on Laina's, "Your Highness, my opinion on him does not and should never matter. As long as you're happy with him, that's all that matters. 

The handmaid placed her hand over her own heart and declared, "I, will protect you and keep you safe.. No matter who stands in my way, even if it is him, I will do everything to protect you till my last breath."