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It's not that she didn't like them, she just hardly had the chance to come in contact with them. Her occupation, both as a soldier and fake princess, rarely lent occasion to meeting youngsters.

So, naturally, she had no idea how to console the giant infant cuddled against her body.

Out of the many faces of the Dragon Emperor she'd been exposed to lately, this childlike one was by far the most bizarre.

"Should I?" The emperor let out a breathy laugh.

Reaching up, he caught a piece of Kel's hair and began twirling it gently.

"I'd have to sleep forever," he whispered, "to be free of this exhaustion."

A sharp pain stung Kel's heart. She'd had this thought before, that, every so often, the man currently wrapped around her didn't resemble a Dragon Emperor at all. Rather, he looked like an anxious weary child.

Suddenly, an urge to hug the man overwhelmed her senses. Her arms itched to encircle his body and pull it closer to hers. Was this a human's natural instinct to comfort a sad child?

"Your Majesty?" she asked, shrugging off her weird thoughts before she got carried away. "What will happen to Lila now?"

The emperor let out a slow breath before sitting back up, his expression darkened.

"There's no proof she did anything that could be considered a crime," he spoke quietly. "But I am highly suspicious that she had, at least, a small part to play in what happened to your comrade."

"You think she… on purpose…" Kel shuddered.

The way Lila spoke of Barclay and the emperor definitely made it seem like she was glad for what happened. She even had a sickening smile on her face as she discussed the whole ordeal.

But had she ever admitted that she was the one who did it?

Echoing her thoughts, the emperor clarified, "I'm not saying she was the one who acted, but if not, she's definitely working with the person who did."

"So Lila is a traitor?" Kel murmured, more to herself than the emperor.

"Traitor?" The emperor shook his head. "What an interesting concept. She's always been loyal to someone, I suppose, just not to me. Can you really call her a traitor for that?"

Kel didn't fully understand his words. For her, the line between betrayal and loyalty was clear.

Just like the way the king of Mevani had sent her away, quite possibly to her death, after some grand speech of familial love.

The same way Dash personally handed her off to the empire's forces with a hollow two-word apology.

Both completely opposite from the way Barclay had stayed behind to fight with her when everyone else ran away.

Was Lila guilty of betrayal, then? If she truly had a hand in Barclay's death, the answer was simple. How could the emperor not see it the same way?

"Ha," the emperor placed a hand against his forehead. "I knew there had to be more to it, something that I missed. To think.. it was her."

"But why would she do something like that?" Kel gulped. "She acted like she was my friend."

"It's less about you and more about me," the emperor mumbled.

"About you?" Kel questioned, jumping to her feet. "Then why Barclay? Why did it have to be a war hostage who means nothing to you?"

"I've made it impossible for anyone to get to me," the man explained, avoiding Kel's desperate gaze. "Even if someone wanted to betray me, I never left any openings."

He lifted his head, his eyes climbing Kel's body until they met hers. "That is, until.."

Trailing off, the emperor slowly rose from the chair. His gaze still locked with Kel's, he reached for her hair again.

"Until you," he finished, sliding his fingers softly down one of her golden locks.

Kel took a sharp breath in, her heartbeat suddenly thudding more distinctly against her ribs.

"What do you mean, me?" she asked timidly, entranced with the emperor's glowing red irises.

It felt as though she was peering at the most brilliant fiery sunset.

Their bodies were still several inches from touching, but a heavy friction filled all the space between them, causing Kel's shoulders and waist to tingle. Where was the exhausted child whimpering against her shoulder moments ago? She could no longer see him anywhere in the Dragon Emperor's features.

As she stood lost in the emperor's stare, time completely at a standstill, Kel remembered the first time she'd seen those eyes.

How many weeks had it been since then? Their first meeting was merely months ago, but Kel felt completely disconnected with the girl shivering helplessly in the Dragon Emperor's powerful aura.

She had been panicked and confused, her entire being chasing after a single goal: survival. When she laid eyes on the continent's most terrifying tyrant in such a state, she was overwhelmed with fear.

All their interactions had been that way at first, Kel's fear intensifying each time she came in contact with the man. Somewhere along the way, however, the powerful emotions she felt toward him began to shift toward something else--something she couldn't describe in words.

Twice in Serin's palace, she'd been plunged into an inescapable darkness, and twice the emperor had freed her from it.

The pain and terror she felt at the knowledge that everyone she ever loved had sold her off should have been too much for any person to bear. And for quite some time, it was. It didn't take long, though, for Kel to push her agony out of her mind and continue smiling.

How had it happened?

Was it because the emperor kept her busy with Spencer Regan? Was it because he sent her Lucy, Thane, Roland and even Ira who all reminded her how it felt to have companionship?

After Barclay's death, when she felt like she would burst from the rage swirling through her frame, the emperor had come to her again.

No matter how far Kel tried to run, he always chased her. She couldn't escape him, even in her dreams. She should hate and fear him, the ruler of an enemy empire and her captor, but she didn't. Instead, he was someone she thought about constantly when he wasn't in her presence. He was someone she yearned to embrace when he looked vulnerable.

He was someone..

"I-I want you too," Kel mouthed, hardly exhaling enough to produce a sound.