The sun rose slowly over the horizon, casting its first golden light across the Silver Dragon Temple like a beacon of redemption. After the cool night, all creation finally basked in the warmth again. The morning sunlight was gentle, the breeze so pleasant that one could wish time would stop right at that moment—
Except for a certain pair of "destined-to-be-together" lovers.
On the balcony of the queen's chambers, two figures leaned heavily against the railing, their faces drooping like marionettes with cut strings.
"Where did you even get the idea to keep going until dawn?" Leon mumbled, his voice rough with exhaustion. "Some ancient text? Remind me to burn it later."
"Ahem, well," Rossweise replied, her own voice hoarse, "the scroll only mentioned staying up late—I merely extended it to dawn. But I'm a Dragon Queen... Am I supposed to be compared to the common dragons in those stories?"
"Oh, please, Your Majesty," Leon groaned, running a hand through his disheveled hair, "isn't it a bit unnecessary to compete over this kind of thing? And it was just an all-nighter."
"But then again," Rossweise said with a weak but proud smile, "any form of entertainment is subject to artistic embellishment."
Stories of staying up until sunrise were one thing, but Rossweise had managed to take that concept to a whole new level.
The most astonishing part? Leon had kept up with her the entire time. If these two weren't meant to be, who would be?
"There's a saying, 'Only dead cattle sleep well,'" Leon mused aloud. "But with us, it's more like: 'Unyielding as iron, tireless as oxen, endlessly changing sheets, and wiping down floors.'"
The two of them took a short break, supporting each other as they staggered back into the living room. However, as soon as they stood at the threshold, they refused to go any further.
The inside was a battleground—a testament to their overnight escapades. The sight was sheer chaos. Rossweise leaned weakly against the doorframe, her gaze falling on the thoroughly disheveled room.
"Did I... cause all this?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Yep," Leon confirmed, leaning against the opposite side of the doorway. "Don't you remember?"
"I..." The queen's face, which had been slightly pale, suddenly flushed bright red.
She honestly didn't remember the details of the night. And she had a good idea why.
Casting a nervous glance at Leon, she silently hoped he hadn't guessed the truth—
"It's understandable if you don't remember," Leon said, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "You were hardly conscious for most of it. You spent most of the night reaching new highs—"
"Shut up!" Rossweise snapped, her embarrassment overriding her exhaustion.
"Oh." Leon's smirk widened.
After years of intimate encounters, Leon had become quite well-versed in this area. Maybe he wasn't sure about other women, but he'd certainly mastered the way a female dragon's passion ascended in beautifully layered curves.
For instance, when they'd just started, Rossweise would keep pace with him, matching him time for time. But as the night went on, her intensity would far surpass his.
Which was why her voice was hoarse this morning. Blame it on the stubborn man who insisted she call his name over and over last night.
"It was... intense, sure," Rossweise grumbled, "but there's no reason to keep shouting your name! So childish!"
"And what are all these marks?" she continued, gesturing vaguely at various surfaces in the room. "Deep here, shallow there?"
Rossweise glanced at him, then took a sharp breath as a particular memory surfaced.
"Don't tell me they're from your—"
"No," Leon interrupted calmly, "they're yours."
"H-how do you know that?" she stammered.
"You said last night that you'd use a purification spell on yourself afterward, so I didn't hold back."
The queen shivered. "How can you say something so... so explicit with a straight face?"
"Because my sense of shame shattered during last night's 'battle,'" he replied without hesitation.
"..."
Unapologetically brazen and undefeated!
Rossweise sighed softly. "I thought we'd only stay on the bed."
Leon shrugged casually, "The bed was already soaked, so we moved to the living room, the bathroom, even the entryway—"
"Okay, enough details," Rossweise cut him off, her cheeks burning.
Leon helped Rossweise to the sofa, laying a clean blanket down before letting her sit. He then turned to survey the messy room, assessing the damage.
"Looking at this," he said, scratching his head, "we can't have the maids clean up—not unless you want them knowing that their queen and Lord Leon are closet... enthusiasts."
Rossweise raised her eyes, saying softly, "Let me rest a bit, then we'll clean up together."
Her voice was still raspy. Leon, after a moment's thought, crossed the littered floor to the kitchen. Shortly after, he returned with a cup of honey water.
"Here," he said, kneeling beside her, "this should soothe your throat." He offered the honey water gently.
"Thanks." Rossweise took a careful sip. The warm sweetness slid down her throat, comforting and smooth.
"I've been thinking," Rossweise began after a few more sips.
"About what?" Leon asked, settling on the floor beside the sofa.
"In the future," she said with mock seriousness, "let's aim to wrap things up before midnight."
Leon blinked, then chuckled, "Oh, come on, Your Majesty. Midnight? You're a seasoned dragon queen! Forget midnight, you could easily go until three, right?"
Rossweise shot him a glare, playfully kicking his chest with her bare foot, though he caught it easily.
Her small foot rested against his bare chest, feeling his firm muscles and steady heartbeat. Her ankle was locked securely in his large hand, unable to move.
"Let go," she demanded with feigned sternness.
"You reached out to me," he countered, his grip firm but gentle. "And now you want me to let go? Life's not that easy."
Rossweise laughed despite herself, playing along. "What's this, feeling like a dragon foot for breakfast?"
"Of course!" Leon declared dramatically. "Last night's 'foot' wasn't nearly enough. Time for a breakfast top-up."
"Idiot." Rossweise wriggled her foot free, her expression softening. She stretched her legs out on the sofa, opened her arms, and made a 'come here' gesture.
Leon knew exactly what she meant. Standing, he moved closer, allowing her to wrap her arms around him. Finally, Rossweise could relax completely, leaning into his shoulder, feeling entirely at ease.
He was bare-chested, and she rested her hand on his abs, her slender fingers tracing the muscles down to his waist.
"You did well," she murmured contentedly.
"It's nothing," he replied casually. "Not hard at all."
"I wasn't talking to you."
Rossweise poked Leon's side. "I was talking to it."
Leon started to reply but then thought of something even better.
"If you're going to thank it," he said with a mischievous grin, "shouldn't I get a thank-you too?"
"For what?"
Without waiting, Leon moved as if to pull his pants off—
"Stop! Stop right there!" Rossweise grabbed his wrist, playfully scolding as she lightly punched his chest. "Thank you, all of you, Leon. Happy now?"
Grinning proudly, Leon stood and gave a little shake of his leg, clearly pleased with himself. He might not be an official dragon slayer anymore, but his skills hadn't diminished one bit!
The two cuddled on the sofa, waiting for their energy to return before tackling the cleanup. Then Leon's gaze fell upon a piece of old parchment poking out from under the coffee table.
The drawer of the coffee table was slightly ajar—probably bumped open during last night's... activities.
Curious, Leon leaned over and picked up the paper. Rossweise leaned in closer, noticing it was covered with names written in elegant script.
"What's that?" she asked, squinting at the neatly written rows.
"These are..." Leon's expression turned serious as he scanned the list. "Dragon King names."
The couple exchanged a glance, memories surfacing. It was from long ago when they had infiltrated the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan to investigate secret dealings with the Empire. They'd obtained this list from the one who was supposed to succeed Constantine as the next Crimson Flame Dragon King.
"This list contains all the Dragon Kings who colluded with the Empire," Rossweise murmured, her voice losing its playful tone. "Either you've already taken them down, or they faced divine punishment at the Dragon King Tribunal not long ago."
"Hmm..." Leon studied the list for a moment, his finger tracing down the names until it settled on the last entry.
"But despite all of this," he said quietly, "there's one name here who hasn't yet betrayed us."
Following Leon's line of sight, Rossweise read the name aloud, her voice barely above a whisper,
"Warhammer Dragon King... Adam."