Darian and Prince Davion talked all night. Darian told him everything about his progress and what he managed to get out of Lanaya during that month.
He subtly asked a lot of things about the prince she had fallen for... but the truth was, obviously, she had just been enchanted by his pretty words. She didn't even understand what love really was, and didn't feel anything genuine. Her mind was way too childish for that kind of thing.
It was a bit strange, since physically she was a beautiful woman. But that definitely didn't reflect who she was on the inside.
Early the next day, surprisingly, Lanaya went to her brother's palace without being called and, on her own, pulled up a chair and stayed there, close to Darian.
She just wanted to sit there, chatting and listening to them. That made Davion very happy. His younger sister would sometimes come talk to him, but now it was clear she was there because she felt close to both of them. In just one month, Darian had truly earned her trust.
Not long after Lanaya arrived, a servant approached and handed over a message.
"The King wishes to see the guest in private."
Lanaya stood up, surprised. Then she turned to Darian and guided him through the castle. Along the way, every guard who saw them bowed.
It didn't take long before they reached a hall. The princess took a deep breath and spoke solemnly: "I inform my royal father that Darian has arrived."
"Enter." The voice was flat and deep, like a powerful drum. It inspired reverence.
Lanaya slowly stepped back. Before Darian went in, she made a gesture as if cutting his throat and put on a blank expression.
Darian's heart warmed. She was warning him to be careful. Her father had a temper, and if he wasn't cautious, he might end up losing his head. She didn't mean any harm.
The hall was extremely impressive and sacred. Up front, there were two massive stone dragons that looked alive. They were like guardian beasts watching Darian, radiating a terrifying aura.
There was only one figure sitting silently in the center of the room.
"Darian greets Senior," he said respectfully.
"Come and sit," the person said.
Darian obediently sat in front of him.
"Calling me senior is a bit much. However, 'Big Brother' isn't very appropriate either. My name is Ostarion, so you can call me Uncle Ostarion," the King said with a faint, meaningful smile.
Darian just forced a smile. He knew that his little joke with the princess earlier had been heard by many people. In fact, only inside the Temple did outsiders not dare to spy on them.
"Please don't take offense. It was just a joke with the princess," Darian murmured.
"It's fine. Young people shouldn't be so reserved, otherwise they wouldn't be called young. I called you here to inform you that the Sacred World will open in 30 days. I believe everyone in the universe knows about that place, where only members of the royal family can go. As for you, I want you to enter with the people of my Kingdom. I'm afraid to leave that brat alone with that bastard prince. As for my son, he can't keep an eye on her all the time."
"Oh?" Darian's eyes lit up, satisfied. His efforts had paid off, and he would be able to enter that place without causing trouble. Since he had two months free anyway, it was even a bit fun helping that foolish princess.
King Ostarion smiled. "My daughter trusts you, and I'm placing my last hopes in you. In 28 days, the day before entry, there will be a gathering with all four kingdoms. This year, it will be held here in the White Scale Kingdom. Although I hate the people of the Golden Scale Kingdom, everyone must unite to enter the Sacred World, so we pretend to be at least somewhat friendly at that moment. I also want you to attend and stay by her side."
Darian nodded. "No problem."
It was a good deal: he would take care of that child, and in return, he could enter the place calmly without causing disturbances. His father had said before that he couldn't force his way in, so this was the perfect route.
The King nodded, very satisfied, and then dismissed him.
Darian left the hall, finding Lanaya right at the entrance. She stared at him anxiously. He gave a small nod, indicating he would go to the Sacred World with her.
After that, the two moved, heading back to the prince's quarters. Darian actually wanted to get a bit of distance from her... but she wouldn't leave his side. So the three of them stayed together almost all the time.
***
The days passed slowly until the day of the grand gathering of the four kingdoms finally arrived.
At the entrance of the royal hall, a great banquet was being prepared. Darian arrived casually and saw the prince and princess dressed in their finest clothes and ornaments.
The guests hadn't entered yet, but they were right behind Darian. When he arrived, Lanaya smiled and took a few steps toward him, but stopped halfway.
Because in the very next second... dozens of figures radiating an intense draconic aura approached.
The name of the kingdoms matched their appearance well. The Golden, Green, and Black Scales were exactly that. All of them were well-dressed and could be considered quite attractive.
When Lanaya saw Prince Gofan, a faint blush appeared on her face, overflowing with emotion and joy.
"Everyone has traveled a long way. Please, enjoy yourselves and taste the finest delicacies of the Kingdom." The ones receiving them were the Elders of the royal family.
Everyone from the Golden Scale Kingdom saw Darian in a corner and narrowed their eyes. He had killed a prince and still dared to send threatening words to their entire kingdom. They wanted to capture him right there, but they wouldn't dare do it here.
At that moment, Prince Gofan looked directly at Lanaya. He was a truly outstanding male figure, with golden scales giving him an air of nobility and natural charm.
"Everyone has been very kind. I came in a hurry, so I could only bring a modest gift. Please accept it. Also, the princess becomes more beautiful every time I see her, so I found something that might help enhance her beauty. Princess Lanaya, please don't laugh at me for this small gift."
He bowed and took out two boxes, one large and one small. The large one was a gift for the Kingdom, a common formality, usually some kind of product from their land, not necessarily very valuable.
Lanaya blushed as she received the small box from Gofan. "Thank you." She gently stroked the box, her head lowered.
Prince Davion's expression turned cold, with a hint of killing intent in his eyes. He knew Gofan was simply trying to seduce his little sister.
And his foolish sister couldn't see the consequences. There was no way she could marry that vile bastard.
Gofan was only doing this to harm her and the entire kingdom. But as her Big Brother, there was nothing he could do. He wished he could kill that hypocrite right then and there.
For Gofan, whether he succeeded or not, he had everything to gain. If Lanaya tried to marry him but he couldn't take her away, she would still be executed, and the White Scale Kingdom would lose a great talent, along with its reputation.
Right now, all Gofan had to do was flatter the princess and completely win her heart. The deeper his poison sank into her, the less she would listen to others. This had already been going on for over four years, since the first time he met her.
Watching his sister being dragged deeper and deeper into the trap, Davion could almost see his father's sword being raised. The hatred in his heart grew even stronger.
"Please, open it. This is a gift I prepared with great care for you." Gofan smiled at Lanaya. His smile looked extremely sincere.
Lanaya trembled slightly. She seemed deeply moved as she carefully opened the box and found a multicolored hairpin that matched her sword. The blend of colors made it look almost alive.
"Thank you... for the gift. I really liked it. Thank you very much." Lanaya looked at the hairpin with joy.
"This hairpin has a total of nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine runes that I personally inscribed. It took quite a while," Gofan said gently.
Darian almost burst out laughing. Watching all that felt like seeing a forced comedy show.
And yet... that low-level tactic actually worked. Seeing Lanaya smiling so happily left Darian speechless.
"Hmm, standing by the door isn't very appropriate. Let's go inside. If we wait too long, the food we prepared will get cold," said a member of the royal family to the guests.
All the newcomers gave a slight bow in response and walked toward the tables.
Darian turned around, but was surprised when Lanaya ran up to him and stopped.
"Look, do you think this hairpin is pretty?" she murmured, opening the box to show him.
"It's pretty, but it'll definitely look even better on you," Darian answered honestly, since it really suited her.
Lanaya smiled. "Hehe, help me put it on. I want to wear it now."
"Now's not a good time. People will laugh at you for being so impatient." Darian shook his head.
"Who cares? I want to wear it right now. I want to see how it feels," she shot back.
"Alright, you're the princess. The moment you get mad, I get nervous, so I'll help you." Darian took the hairpin and gently placed it in her long white hair.
At that exact moment, Gofan, who was smiling and talking to someone in front of him, casually turned and saw the scene.
He saw Lanaya holding Darian's hand while he carefully put the hairpin on her. His expression changed, and a killing intent appeared in his eyes.
On the other hand, King Ostarion and Prince Davion smiled, a trace of hope rising in their hearts.
A moment later, Lanaya slowly turned her head from side to side, looking at Darian expectantly. "Do I look pretty with the hairpin?"
"Even without it, you'd still be very pretty... ahem, ahem, but you wouldn't even come close to my incomparable wife!" he said, puffing out his chest with dignity.
She immediately burst out laughing, since she had already heard several times from Darian that his wife was very jealous. "I'm glad you're learning how to talk properly."
"Are you saying I didn't know how to talk properly before?" Darian asked.
"Hehe, you're a rascal who talks without any polish. But... for some unknown reason, I'm happier when I'm with you," she replied, smiling like a little girl having fun.
"Oh yeah? Weren't you happy just now?" Darian asked subtly.
She sighed, a bit embarrassed. Then she turned, seeing only Gofan's back. "I used to like him a lot. Sometimes, I even dreamed about him. So I felt happy seeing him and extremely excited to receive a gift from him. But, I don't know why, I feel this kind of pressure that makes me uneasy. I think I'm scared."
"Scared of what?" Darian asked, curious.
She looked at Darian with a smile. "I'm not sure. But even though being with him makes me very excited, it also gives me this restless feeling. With you, on the other hand, even if I don't feel happy or excited, I feel a lot of peace. It's a very comforting feeling."
"Meh, you're like a merchant seeing a rich person walk into your shop. I gave you half of everything I got, and now you're saying nice things to charm me and get more." Darian said with an amused expression.
The princess smiled innocently, clearly enjoying herself. Today, she finally saw Prince Gofan again, the one she had thought about day and night. But now that she saw him, she felt this strange sensation she couldn't explain.
She had always been fascinated by the romantic stories coming from the Golden Scale Kingdom. As a princess, she didn't have many close relationships. Her father and mother were busy with politics, and the only one she could spend time with was her Big Brother.
But the love of a Big Brother wasn't enough for a young woman just beginning to discover her feminine feelings. The first time she saw that grand, handsome, and gentle Gofan, she was deeply impressed.
So she began to long even more for that kind of romantic feeling, something she had never experienced but had read so much about.
But Darian's arrival unconsciously changed her thoughts. He didn't spoil her at all. He scolded her, insulted her, and made her cry several times out of anger. And yet, sometimes he also treated her exceptionally well. He was even willing to share half of those precious treasures with her, which made her extremely grateful.
On top of that, he was like a deep well. He didn't seem very eye-catching on the outside, and yet no one could imagine how deep he really was. The more time she spent with Darian, the less she understood him. He was like a mystery that made her want to unravel it.
Sometimes he was domineering, sometimes kind, sometimes stingy, sometimes generous. Sometimes a single sentence from him made her laugh; other times, it made her cry.
And so, little by little, she realized that being with him made her feel at peace, as if no matter what happened, he would be able to handle any situation with ease. Soon, she started reflecting on everything he told her, because she felt she could trust him.
At that moment, they finally walked along a red carpet that led to the tables and chairs in the hall.
The hall was extremely spacious, and there was a clear distinction between the tables. About 20% were on a higher level, where the most important people from the four kingdoms would sit. All the other tables and chairs were in the lower section.
Darian wasn't a prince, so he didn't have the qualifications to sit in the highest area. He found a solitary table, with a single chair at the lower edge.
He had barely sat down when a wave of perfume surrounded him. Lanaya had arrived as well.
"Miss, are you drunk? Your seat is up there." Darian pointed toward the main seats.
"You're the one who's drunk. Sitting up there is exhausting. Just the toasts, blessings, greetings, and formalities are enough to wear someone out to death. I don't want to deal with that, so move a bit. Why is your butt so big? Are you trying to take up two seats by yourself?"
She forced Darian to shift a little and sat down right next to him on the same chair, which was luxurious and actually big enough for both of them.
Darian snorted. "Aren't you afraid your father will scold you for this?"
"That won't happen. He told me earlier that I could stay by your side as much as I wanted, so if I'm here, he can't complain," she replied calmly.
At that moment, everyone had already taken their seats. Seeing Lanaya take the initiative to sit next to Darian, King Ostarion and Prince Davion exchanged smiles.
On the other hand, Gofan's expression had turned somewhat strange. He would've accepted her sitting anywhere—except next to Darian. On top of that, she was whispering to him in a way that looked questionably intimate.
He took a deep breath and quickly calmed himself.
He needed to endure. Tomorrow would be a new day, when they would enter the Sacred World. His plans regarding the princess had completely changed after what he saw at this gathering... but in the coming days, he would deal with this matter the proper way.
