Preparation I

Sevastian heaved a sigh, having managed to convince Azrael it was the right thing to do. Marking her would mean no one had the right to touch the King's property. Although he understood Azrael's fear and knew how he had suffered when she passed away, that shouldn't stop him from moving on.

Sevastian slumped in a chair, raking his hand through his thick locks. He closed his eyes and released a sharp breath. He was deep in thought, everything was weighing down on his shoulder and he was tired.

"Sire," Sevastian opened his eyes and saw a knight bowing to him. "Lord Dargan sent a message." The knight passed the scroll to Sevastian.

"And the king?" Sevastian asked, taking the scroll from the knight. His eyes scanned it, and it seemed to be for the king.

"I have searched the whole palace but an not find him," the knight responded with a bow.

"Very well! You may leave," Sevastian dismissed him. It seemed Azrael was in a bad mood. He usually leaves the palace to clear his head. Did marking the girl really worry him? If so, they would have to come up with another way to claim the girl.

Sevastian opened the scroll, his eyes scanning through the message. What?! His eyes widened in disbelief. What does Dargan want now? Dargan wasn't stupid enough to start a war over a mere slave. It was well known that even though the King and the Lord worked together, they were sworn enemies, yet they didn't fight each other.

Dargan was coming to the palace to relay some messages. Sevastian wondered why he didn't just state the message in the scroll, but Dargan, being who he was, wanted to anger the king and probably take back the girl. Azrael wouldn't let that happen.

He rolled the scroll, placing it in his pocket before walking out of the courtroom. To his surprise, he found Azrael in the corridor.

"My King!" He bowed, to which Azrael nodded in acknowledgment. "Where did you go?" he asked.

"The woods. Why?" Azrael tilted his head to the side.

"You know you shouldn't be out alone as..."

"Oh, spare me the lecture, Sevastian," Azrael said, waving his hand in the air. "I can very much take care of myself," he added with a smirk as he noticed the look on Sevastian's face. "Don't believe me? It's been a while since we had a duel," Azrael said, to which Sevastian shook his head furiously.

"I do not intend to duel with His Majesty. We have other important things to do," Sevastian replied with a bow. The last time they dueled, Azrael had lost control and almost ripped his heart out. He wasn't in the mood to wait ages for his wounds to heal.

"What is that?" Azrael asked, pointing at the scroll in Sevastian's pocket.

"Oh," Sevastian exclaimed, taking the scroll out of his pocket. "This came today from Lord Dargan." He handed it to the king, who did not take it from him.

"What's the message?" Azrael asked, staring blankly at Sevastian.

"Lord Dargan said he would be paying a visit to the palace in two days. He stated that there are important matters that needs to be discussed in person. No other information was given," Sevastian explained.

"In person, huh?" Azrael asked with a light chuckle. He knew damn well why the Lord was coming here. "Azrael, if you don't want to mark the girl, we can look for an alternative."

"I will. Get the preparations started," Azrael stated, walking away from the corridor.

Sevastian was in disbelief. What had changed his mind? Maybe taking a stroll in the woods did help after all.

---

Elysia heard a knock on the door, which made her jump from the bed. Who was at the door? Was it the king? Isn't this the king's room? Why wouldn't he just walk in? Another knock, this time louder, jolted her from her thoughts.

"Come in?" Elysia said, unsure if that should be her response.

Three women walked into the room. The two younger women were wearing maid's uniforms, while the older woman, who looked to be in her mid-fifties, wore a plain dress. They bowed their heads, which made Elysia even more confused.

"Lady Elysia, the king said we should help you prepare for the marking ceremony," the older woman said. Elysia wasn't given time to register what the woman had said as she spoke again. "My name is Madeline, and this is Helen and Sarah," the woman said, pointing to the two other girls.

Elysia took a deep breath. "C-can I please get an explanation of what is going on?" she asked in a lowered voice. Nothing made sense to her. First, she was sold to the slave traders, then bought by a 'Dragon Lord.' She tried escaping, only to end up with the Dragon King instead. Could things get any worse? Now they were treating her like she was some sort of princess, preparing her for a marking ceremony. She didn't even know what that was supposed to be. She wasn't given any information.

"My lady, why are you crying?" the slim maid named Helen asked, worry on her face.

"The king is going to kill us?" the second maid, Sarah, who was chubby and short, said with panic in her voice.

"GIRLS!" Madeline shouted, sending a glare at both girls. She stepped forward, wiping the tears from Elysia's face. "My lady, there's no need to cry. I'm sure the king will explain things to you," Madeline said, trying to console Elysia.

After about five minutes, her cries subsided, and when she looked up, she saw relief on the girls' faces. Was she a burden to them? She didn't like this at all!

"I'll explain what the marking ceremony is to you, and we'll get you ready, okay?" Madeline asked, wiping away the tears from Elysia's face. If the king found out she had cried because of them, that would be the end of their lives.