Page 38 of The Wild Prince’s Favorite (The Dragon Empire Saga #3)

She wondered what the elders would think of her letting a Dragon Clan man do her hair.

.. but she kind of enjoyed it. Despite his large hands, Kassein’s fingers were very gentle, not pulling at any point, just combing through and moving the strands in a mysterious way.

It made her nape feel a bit hot, and blood rushed to her cheeks again.

Alezya tried to ignore those feelings again and stay still.

Moreover, it felt like Kassein knew exactly what he was doing, and she could feel him quickly move through her strands, combing it here and there with his fingers, and tying the long strand of that strange fabric in it.

When his fingers finally left her hair, she couldn’t help but let out a faint sigh of relief.

Then, he stepped back, and she was free to touch and feel what he’d done. Just from what she could visualize, it ought to be pretty.

He’d braided the sides while leaving the rest to hang loose, with a pretty, butterfly-like knot binding some of her hair together at her nape.

Her hair wasn’t too tightly done like a married woman’s hairstyle, but it wasn’t as free and loose as her people would expect from a rejected woman either.

It was in some strange area in between, out of the norms.

She liked it. The idea that such a vibrant, unique thing was adorning her hair made her feel ten times prettier.

She felt guilty for feeling so when so many things were going on, but it made for a wonderful parting gift from him.

She wished she had something to give to him, but the only thing she owned was her mother’s necklace, which she wanted to give to no one but Lumie.

Alezya turned back around and smiled at him, hoping to convey how grateful she was. Kassein nodded, but he quickly avoided her gaze again, making her feel dejected. Instead, he went to the fire and began cooking something in a pan.

Eggs! The biggest eggs she’d ever seen too. What kind of animal did those come from...?

She’d been lucky enough to find eggs twice before, but those were about three times the size of the ones she’d found!

They were much bigger than most birds she knew, except for rare vulture eggs.

Although she’d hoped to leave as soon as possible, her stomach immediately begged for a taste of those before she went. She’d need the strength after all.

Even worse, Kassein brought out something she assumed to be bread, but a different bread from the type she knew.

Everything was done cooking in a matter of minutes, and soon, a plate full of eggs, bread, and fruits was pushed into her hands.

Alezya sighed, but she resolved herself to eat nonetheless, knowing she’d need the strength, and guilt wouldn’t do her any good.

Moreover, she didn’t know when she’d have her next decent meal, as she wasn’t foolish enough to expect a warm welcome once she got back.

It would even be a miracle if her life wasn’t harder than before, after what she’d pulled.

.. although she was going there blind about her father’s intentions.

She only hoped Lumie had been properly fed all this time.

Her father couldn’t be bothered with taking care of a child he didn’t acknowledge, so she silently prayed the clan’s nannies or her cousin had at least fed her decently.

With those thoughts in mind, her breakfast had a taste of guilt, but it still filled her stomach well. Kassein was still silent and avidly avoiding her gaze, which was beginning to upset her quite a bit.

He still didn’t look at her when they were done and he took the plates away. Unwilling to press him, Alezya simply put on the coat, hoping it was fine for her to take it with her.

Then, she resolved to call him, to let him know her intentions.

“Kassein?”

He finally turned his green eyes to her. She smiled, but her heart wasn’t there. She showed him the entrance, with a determined expression, hoping to convey what she wanted to say.

To her surprise, he seemed to understand right away and nodded.

He grabbed his large cape, and strapped it on his torso, obviously getting ready to go out.

Probably to gauge how her walking was that morning, he gestured for her to go out first with his open hand.

Alezya nodded and took the few steps to the entrance.

Much to her relief, she was fine to walk on her own. It was still painful, but not nearly as much as it used to be, and she could easily endure it to walk. The climb should be fine too.

As she was the first one out, Alezya glanced around.

It was very early, but this place was already busy.

She saw lines of men pass by, all of them running in tight formation at the same pace, clearly for some sort of training.

A lot of them spotted her and lost focus while turning their heads, losing the pace they were supposed to follow or making the ones behind them stumble.

She chuckled, but a quick shout from their leader running beside them got them back in formation.

Other men were busy with what ought to be daily chores, some moving large buckets of clothes with a grimace, or pulling carts around. She could hear the clatter of weapons in the distance, but the calm atmosphere suggested it was some sort of training.

Alezya felt a bit melancholic; while well aware she was an intruder in a man’s world, her curiosity made her feel unsatisfied she hadn’t been healthy enough to explore more of this foreign world.

“Alezya.”

Kassein had walked ahead of her, and much to her relief, he seemed to be headed toward the mountain too.

While she nodded and followed him, Alezya couldn’t help but think about his attitude again. Did that mean he’d just been waiting for her to get healthier to send her back? Or had he understood her intent from the beginning? ...Or was it because she’d hugged him the previous night?

She couldn’t get her faux pas out of her head. It was even worse to think she was going after making that mistake, leaving things unresolved between them. Although she knew she most likely wouldn’t be coming back or seeing him again, Alezya felt unsettled.

The two of them remained quiet during their walk through the camp, and that silence felt heavier than anything that could be explained by a lack of vocabulary.

Soon enough, they reached the far end of this place, close to the foot of the mountain, and Alezya saw for the first time the large wooden walls that separated their worlds.

There were a lot of men working on some damage that had been done there, and most were seeing her for the first time, unable to not stare. She tried to ignore them, but she did step closer to Kassein, a bit nervous.

That other man was there too, Tievin. He was wearing a different coat again and that bored expression, with his nose a bit red.

He asked some questions to Kassein, judging by his tone, but the latter didn’t bother to answer.

A couple of times, Tievin glanced her way, but she didn’t know what he was thinking.

He walked with them for a little while toward the barrier, speaking to Kassein the whole time despite him not answering.

Then, when they reached the wall, standing a few feet away, he shouted something. Much to Alezya’s surprise, several men ran over, and like a rehearsed choreography, they grabbed large ropes and pulled. It took a few seconds, but the wooden panel in front of them was gradually lifted.

She opened her mouth, shocked. That was such impressive engineering! The barrier stood firmly to protect them, but they could lift it anytime with the strength of twenty men thanks to those large ropes...

When she realized her own people’s main defense was simply using their expertise of the mountain to hide, it hit her again that they’d never win against the Dragon Clan.

Her father’s dream of conquering these lands was just laughable.

Even if she spilled everything she’d seen for Lumie’s sake, it would take her clan decades to compete with the Dragon Clan, and this made her feel a little bit more hopeful.

After exchanging a glance, she and Kassein walked beyond the wooden wall, which shortly closed behind them. Things got a lot more tense and silent from then on. Alezya glanced up at those mountains which had been her home her whole life.

They felt much taller and imposing when she was looking at them from down here.

Now that it was time to go back, the only thing that was pushing her forward was the prospect of seeing Lumie again.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been foolish enough to go back.

After what she’d done, she knew all too well that things were bound to get a lot worse for her than being treated like a pariah.

“Alezya?”

Kassein gently calling her name got her attention. He was standing ready, waiting for her to make the first move to go back. She nodded, and quickly followed him.

In a sense, she was grateful he was taking her back, as she imagined he’d escort her at least part of the way. Before, she would have been worried it was too dangerous for him, but now that she’d realized who he was and what his body was capable of, she knew she needn’t worry anymore.

Moreover, they’d chosen to go back in the early hours of the day, which might be the safest, when the sunrise was blinding a good half of the inhabitants of the mountains.

With the snow, people would avoid looking at the large white area, and with a bit of luck, the arrival of two people wouldn’t be noticed too soon.

It felt strange to walk toward her home with Kassein by her side, walking just one step ahead of her. She could tell he was keeping a protective stance, expecting to be attacked at any minute.

What kind of man was ready to stand in front of the enemy’s daughter to protect her from her own kind? He probably didn’t even understand what situation she was in, and yet, he was acting so selfless.