Rossweise was right. Whether she got pregnant after their intimate moments was entirely her decision.
"But even so, do you think you can control me with that? How childish!" Leon retorted.
The Queen raised an eyebrow, a grin playing on her lips. "Oh? So you are saying you will never touch me again?"
Leon stayed silent.
"Don't want me to light up your dragon marks anymore?"
More silence.
"Don't want to kiss my ankles and knees again?"
"That's enough…"
"Don't want to see me in a bunny suit anymore?"
Smack!
Leon slapped the table. "Enough, Rossweise! You don't need to threaten me with… that. Do you think I, Leon Cosmodeous, am a man who would sell his soul for a moment of pleasure and let you have your way?"
Rossweise smiled mischievously. She stepped silently toward him, slipping off her shoes. Her smooth, fair feet brushed against the wooden floor.
She leaned down, her gaze tender. "You… you are not that man?"
"I… am that man."
He could endure many things, but the thought of never seeing her in a bunny suit again was too much. The bunny-suited Rossweise held a place in his heart that rivaled even the great Donkey!
Rossweise smiled and pinched his cheek. "I was just joking with you."
Leon sensed she was now here for serious business. "So, how exactly can I help with increasing the Silver Dragon population?"
"Promotion."
"Promotion?"
Rossweise patted his shoulder. "Yes. You and I are the best promotion!"
.
.
.
Several days later, at the Silver Dragon Temple, most of the tribe had gathered. Rossweise stood on the podium, delivering a passionate victory speech. The tribe below listened with excitement and fervor. Though she disliked public appearances, she was a queen skilled at stirring her people's emotions.
Leon listened quietly from the crowd. The Silver Dragons around him were eager to get closer to their prince.
"Hey, you are pushing me!"
"I was here first! You are the one pushing!"
"Prince, was I not here first?"
"Prince, I greeted you earlier!"
Leon smiled helplessly. "Everyone, please calm down. Listen to Her Majesty's speech."
After his casual remark, the nearby Silver Dragons quieted and focused on Rossweise.
After summarizing their victory, Rossweise got straight to the point. She was a leader of action, not empty promises.
"Look at the companions around you. Have you noticed something?" Rossweise asked.
The tribe members looked around but stayed silent. It was an unwritten rule; the leader was setting up her next point.
Rossweise continued, "Perhaps you have noticed. Compared to a few years ago, our numbers have dwindled significantly."
"The continuous wars have ravaged our population. If this continues, we may not have enough left to preserve our kind by the next war."
The crowd broke into discussion.
"Her Majesty is right. Protecting our homeland requires numbers."
"But with our race's reproduction, recovering quickly is impossible."
"Should we borrow soldiers from Princess Ishabella?"
"Her forces are also recovering from war. Borrowing is not an option."
"Then… cocoon-birth?"
"If we use cocoon-birth, the mother becomes weak. It is too risky if we are attacked. It cannot be a large-scale solution."
"This is a real problem."
.
.
.
Rossweise listened, then slowly raised her hand. The crowd fell silent.
"I have considered all your thoughts. Each has its drawbacks."
"While raising the next generation, we must guard against outsiders. A perfect solution is not easy."
"But everyone, while we think in traditional dragon terms, have we overlooked what is right before us?"
Rossweise smiled, teasingly keeping them in suspense.
"Right before us? What is it?"
"I have no idea. Prince, do you know?"
Leon smiled wryly. Their thought processes were why they were endangered. But Rossweise had told them to think outside tradition. The answer was obvious.
"How long are you planning to stay down there, my dear?" Rossweise tilted her head on the stage, her hair falling to one side. She smiled with narrowed eyes, showing a rare public gentleness. Her sweet "my dear" ignited the crowd.
"Did Her Majesty just call the prince 'my dear'?"
"This is a public occasion! How improper! … I love it. More, please!"
"After three years of marriage, I expected 'husband,' but 'my dear'… I have no words!"
.
.
.
"Step aside! Let the professionals handle the fangirling!"
Shirley and Milan raised two flags high. Shirley's read: "Revive the glory of the Silver Dragons, and it is our duty!"
Milan's flag had a slogan unfamiliar to the dragons: "Life continues through love… and dreams shine because of children."
"What does that mean?"
"I understand the words, but not together."
"Look, the prince is on stage!"
All eyes returned to the stage. Leon and Rossweise stood side by side.
"I told you," Leon whispered. "Empire slogans about childbearing are not for dragons."
"It is fine. I will explain it," Rossweise said with a shrug.
"I am sure you all know the man beside me," Rossweise said, slipping her arm around Leon's. "We met and fell in love three years ago. We built a family and have three lovely, well-behaved children."
"What do you think of them?"
Shirley shouted, "Princess Noah is the best!"
Others joined in.
"Princess Muen is the cutest dragon baby!"
"Then I am taking Princess Aurora! Sorry, everyone!"
.
.
.
"It seems everyone loves the princesses," Rossweise continued. "So you should know, since I married Leon, all our children were born via live birth."
"In the past, cocoon-birth was our norm. Dragons from cocoons inherit the mother's power more easily. Plus, it can be done without a partner, reducing the risk of betrayal."
Dragons valued "pure love" highly. While rare, mates sometimes abandoned each other after intimacy, scarring those who cherished this ideal. This was another reason for preferring cocoon-birth.
The Silver Dragons listened intently.
"I am not forcing anyone to fall in love. Love is a free choice. It can cross ages and statuses—" Rossweise glanced at Leon, her voice soft, "or even species."
Leon was stunned for a moment, then smiled slightly, squeezing her hand.
"But trust is the hardest thing for love to cross."
"I cannot guarantee the one you love will love you back. Long-standing doubts have caused many of us to close our hearts."
"Before I met Leon, I was the same. I wondered if I had lost the ability to love."
"But then I met him. The man who changed my life forever."
Leon took a sharp breath. In a way, he certainly had.
"I used to not understand 'love.'"
"Some say it is love at first sight."
"Others say it is enduring life's trials together."
"But my husband taught me what real 'love' is."
Her tone was soft now, no longer impassioned. She spoke like she was telling a beautiful story.
"Love is knowing all of a person's flaws, yet choosing to stay with unwavering determination."
"Love is the freedom to spend today with them, even if tomorrow is the end of the world."
"And love… has let me witness the most beautiful aspects of this world."
"So, what I want to say is… I have never thought Leon would betray me."
"Because the moment we fell in love, our eyes had only each other."
.
.
.
Evening settled. Leon leaned against the balcony railing, gazing at the courtyard behind the temple.
After the Queen's speech, the Silver Dragons' enthusiasm for having children had reached a new high. Now, they were celebrating with a party in the courtyard.
Of course, "wanting kids" and "partying" were not directly related—that would lead to chaos. They were celebrating weathering the recent crisis and looking forward to a bright future.
Leon looked at the silver-haired beauty in the crowd. She stood out like a star, the bonfire light illuminating her delicate face. She laughed, linking arms with her maids as they danced a traditional dragon dance around the fire.
Her promotional plan was progressing smoothly, already showing early success. Many were starting to try, bit by bit, to bravely fall in love.
A few days ago, when Rossweise first proposed this idea, Leon had asked her, "Is this really for the tribe's revival, or do you truly feel this way?"
Rossweise had thought for a moment and said, "Both."