Chapter 395: What he desire
What an unfortunate day to have ears, Jorma thought.
His sensitive ears were practically bleeding at this point, and the force of the attack had even left his feathers in disarray. He could still hear, but at the moment, his eyes were providing far more interesting information.
The entire throne hall had been shaken by that single snap. A long, linear crack ran around the walls, while dust and fragments of stone had fallen from the ceiling. At the very center of it all, lying at the bottom of the enormous crater formed by the impact, was the unfortunate warrior who had been unable to withstand the attack from such close range.
Luke scratched his head and glanced at the fallen warrior.
"He might die if you leave him here. What should I do?" he asked, directing the question toward the woman who was barely managing to contain herself upon her throne.
Before anyone could answer, someone suddenly appeared beside the unconscious warrior and lifted him from the crater.
Luke watched as the warrior was carried away, only for the person carrying him to shoot him a hostile glare on the way out.
Luke merely shrugged before returning his attention to the Queen.
"Is there any other trial you wish to put me through, my lady?"
Agatha suddenly rose from her throne and began descending the steps for the first time.
She was a tall woman with a powerful frame that carried itself with an effortless authority. Her red hair swayed with every step, while her sharp eyes remained fixed on Luke as though she were trying to determine what kind of man stood before her.
Meanwhile, Jorma stepped closer to the human and lowered his voice.
"Don't be foolish. Ask her to help us negotiate with the Dragon King. She is his mate, so surely she must have some influence over him."
Luke grinned.
"So she has a mate, huh?"
He shook his head before replying, "I know what I'm doing. Trust me, this will be better than simply asking for her help."
If Jorma could have dragged Luke aside at that moment, he would have reminded the man exactly why they had come here in the first place. Luke had taken the enormous risk of crossing the border for this very purpose. Surely, he could not have forgotten his people simply because he had laid eyes on the Empress.
"You. Step forward."
Agatha's voice cut through his thoughts as she reached the final step.
Luke glanced at Jorma before walking forward. He stopped a few feet before the woman and tilted his head.
"Is this the part where you go back on your word?"
Agatha's expression darkened. There was a clear warning in her scowl.
"We live for our pride. The day we are stripped of that, we cease to exist."
A faint, humorless smile touched her lips.
"Why do you think that guard glared at you just now? Because he will be executing the warrior you defeated."
Luke fell silent for a moment.
He had not expected that.
Then again, the dragon warrior had entered the fight with the intention of killing him as well. By the laws of this place, perhaps there was nothing unfair about the outcome.
Agatha studied him before speaking again.
"What is it you wish for, human? Whatever it may be, I will fulfill it."
There was an edge beneath her words, subtle but unmistakable. It was not an offer made out of kindness. She was warning him to choose his next words carefully.
Unfortunately for her, Luke had no intention of filtering his words.
"I want to see more of you. I want to spend the night in your chamber and become closer to the Queen than any human has ever dared."
Jorma wanted to teleport himself to the farthest corner of the world.
What was this man thinking?
He had actually asked a mated woman to spend the night with him.
Yet the reaction Luke received was surprisingly satisfying.
Agatha simply turned around.
"Follow me."
Luke glanced over his shoulder and gave Jorma a reassuring nod.
It did absolutely nothing to ease the old man's anxiety.
Luke followed Agatha, walking beside her as they ventured deeper into the fortress.
After several moments of silence, Agatha finally spoke without looking at him.
"I might have underestimated you. I deployed someone quite hot-blooded as your opponent."
Luke shrugged.
"Regretting your choice? I can go another round if that's what you want."
Agatha suddenly turned and stopped.
They had already moved far from the throne room, beyond the eyes of the guards and away from the watchful gaze of the messenger. For the first time since leaving the hall, there was no audience to witness their exchange.
Agatha looked directly into his eyes.
"You know who I am. You know whom I belong to, and yet you dare look at me as a woman?"
Luke snickered.
"That's the appeal of hunting. The harder something is to obtain, the more satisfying it becomes when I finally get to feast upon it."
Agatha's eyes narrowed.
She studied him in silence, her expression becoming increasingly difficult to read.
She could not remember the last time someone had looked at her this way.
Most people lowered their eyes in her presence. Others spoke carefully, their voices betraying a mixture of fear and respect. Even the strongest among them understood the distance between themselves and the woman who stood before them.
But this man was different.
Luke was not looking at her as a Queen, an Empress, or the mate of the Dragon King.
He was looking at her as a woman.
And there was something almost unsettling about the way his gaze lingered, as though he were stripping away every title and layer of authority simply by refusing to acknowledge them.
She then suddenly turned and started walking.
Luke looked at her and was surprised when she pulled her armour away and tossed it aside.
Next, she tore her vest and threw it away as well.
Stopping, she looked over her shoulder, her eyes holding a challenge...a warning.
Luke grinned and took the challenge with an eager front.
~~~
A/N:- Trust him; there is a reason other than wanting to sleep with dragon mommy.