The War God’s Favorite

 The Military Camp
“So, His Highness is taking you there? To the Camp?” asked Nebora.
She was helping Cassandra fold some clothes to pack for the journey. They had no idea how long she would be gone, so Nebora had decided to lend her some of her clothes again. Cassandra hesitated, looking at one of the dresses.
“Yes… Nebora, are you sure I can take these?”
“Yes! Patrina will get us new clothes in no time with all that gold you gave her, so don’t worry about it. It’s a pity we only have one red dress, though. Maybe you could try to preserve it?”
Cassandra shook her head.
“It’s fine either way. I’ll just get new ones when I get back.”
“True…Oh, what about jewelry? Do you want us to buy you some?”
“I’m going to the Military Camp, not a party!” sighed Cassandra.
What would jewelry be good for? She was already wearing the slavery collar anyway. Plus, it would only make things heavier and harder to carry. It would probably look weird too. A slave wearing jewelry, that would probably be a first! 3
Nebora pouted. “Oh, fine. We’ll dress you up once you’re back. Make sure you take some warm cloaks though, it’s freezing up there. You make sure not to get wet, and if it snows, stay inside, all right? And make sure to keep the wood dry. It’s a pain to light up otherwise.”
Cassandra listened to Nebora’s advice carefully, as she had never been so far north before. She was a bit excited at the prospect of seeing snowfall for the first time in her life, but a bit worried about the cold as well. She didn’t even know what a military camp was going to be like.
“Do you need anything else? Patrina packed up some food too, but the trip there will be short with His Highness’ dragon…”
“No, this should be fine. Thank you, Nebora.”
Her friend smiled as they both got up, Cassandra holding her little bag. She only had her dresses, a pair of shoes and a few balms and soaps that Nebora had insisted on her taking. As they left the room, Nebora followed her closely, giving her more advice about the cold.
“And eat more meat,” she said as they reached the inner court. “It can’t be bad for you, skinny girl.”
Cassandra chuckled.
“I got it, Nebora, don’t worry.
“Why wouldn’t I worry? You’re way too nice and clueless. Oh, and watch out for the men! I mean, they should behave with His Highness around, but…
“Nebora, I will be fine,” said Cassandra with an amused smile.

To think she was so hostile to her only a couple of days ago. Now Nebora was acting like a worried, older sister. It was a first for Cassandra, but she truly appreciated it. When they walked back into the kitchen, Marian, Prunie and Bina were waiting for her. The three younger girls said goodbye to her, and Cassandra felt her heart tighten a little, seeing that Prunie and Bina had already gotten so attached to her and were sad to see her leave.
“Do you know how long you will stay there?” asked Bina.
“No, His Highness hasn’t said anything.”
“Stop whining, she will probably be back next week,” said Nebora.
“We will pick up some pretty dresses for you!” said Prunie, with a big smile.
“Thank you, Prunie.”
Cassandra gave each of the girls a hug before she went out to the inner court again, all three of them following behind her. The Prince was there, putting a large saddle on Krai’s back. The dragon was waiting patiently, its head turning to Cassandra when she arrived. It had big bags on its back as well, though they still looked like nothing compared to its actual size. Krai let out a loud growl, looking excited. Except for Cassandra and Nebora, all the other girls froze and stepped back from hearing that. They were still terrified by the mere sight of the gigantic Black Beast, and didn’t dare approach. Nebora wasn’t looking so good either, but she didn’t look as afraid, and still managed to follow Cassandra a few steps closer.
“A toothpick…” she grumbled.
“It’s fine, Nebora,” said Cassandra with a little laugh. “I’ll see you later, all right?”
Nebora sighed and stopped staring at Krai to look at Cassandra. Her heart warmed a bit when she looked at the young woman. She was too proud to admit it out loud, but her heart had done a one-eighty about Cassandra, and though she knew why she had hated her at first, she now thought it was silly. Cassandra was loving and lovable, unlike her own prideful personality. She sighed and stepped forward to hug her.
“Be careful, alright?”
“I will,” said Cassandra, hugging her back a bit shyly.
The two girls separated, and Cassandra walked over to Kairen. The Prince immediately took her bag from her hands to put it among the others on Krai’s back and without a word, helped her climb up over the dragon’s sharp scales. He sat behind her, Cassandra right against his chest, and covered her with one of his familiar fur cloaks. It was a bit too warm and stuffy, but Cassandra knew she would need it for later. Kairen didn’t wear anything other than his usual armor, though. Without a glance towards the servants watching them from the ground, he gave a silent signal to Krai, and the dragon took off immediately.
Cassandra watched the others below, but just like before, she was just too frightened and as they got higher, she ended up closing her eyes. Her lips started to feel cold, and she wrapped herself even tighter in the cloak. Would this really be enough in the North frontier? Kairen held her tighter, too. Cassandra was amazed by the warmth of his skin. Did he ever get cold?
Under her, Krai’s scales went from lukewarm to cold, too. Despite it’s natural temperature, the icy wind was even having a cooling effect on the dragon. Cassandra was happy to have the fur and the saddle between her bottom and the dragon’s back, unlike last time.
“How long will it take, My Lord?” she asked when she felt safe enough to open her eyes again.
“Not long,” Kairen replied simply.
Cassandra didn’t ask anything further. Instead, she decided to rest against his chest, and watch the incredible scenery. She was still lacking a few hours of sleep, but she fought against the tiredness to take in the view. It was a breathtaking sight, just like before. She could already see the range of mountains they were headed to, which were much higher than the mountain the Onyx Castle was built on. (2
Behind them, it was an ocean of green, a forest so vast Cassandra already couldn’t see the castle anymore. And to the east, the Great Sea. Cassandra couldn’t help but remember her long lost childhood when she saw that dark blue sea. Would she ever be reunited with her younger sister? She was only two years younger… Was she still alive? What did she look like now? Cassandra had tried to search for her for a while back in the Capital, but as a slave, it was just too difficult. Maybe she would be luckier now… Deep in thought, she sighed and caught Kairen’s attention.
“Are you too cold?”
“No, my Lord, I was only lost in my thoughts.”
“What thoughts?”
Cassandra hesitated for a bit. The Prince’s concerns were probably far from her own. Seeing how he was frowning and waiting for her answer, she decided to be honest. Nebora had advised her to be a bit more selfish after all.
“I wondered if it was possible to look for someone? If we go back to the Capital?”
“Who are you looking for?”
“My younger sister… I lost track of her many years ago.”
Kairen stayed silent for a while, and Cassandra wondered what he was thinking. Did he find this annoying? But she had that little glimmer of hope in her heart, and now, she knew it wouldn’t disappear anytime soon.
“Maybe,” he eventually said.
However, he didn’t add anything else to that enigmatic answer. Cassandra only nodded slowly. She wasn’t expecting much, but she felt a bit disappointed. She probably wouldn’t be able to hear about her younger sister’s whereabouts anytime soon… It probably wasn’t a good time, either. She had just been brought to the North and most likely wouldn’t be back at the Capital again for a while.
“Cassandra.”
She looked at the Prince wondering what he wanted, and without a word, he silently kissed her. Cassandra was completely taken by surprise. Kairen’s lips were warm and passionate, as he plunged his tongue between hers. She moaned, trying to catch her breath while responding to him. It was so sudden, if he wasn’t holding her so tight she might have fallen off.
Yet, the kiss felt somewhat different, a little sweeter than their usual ones. Cassandra felt his warmth, and her heart felt a bit lighter while answering him. Cassandra was surprised by his sudden display of tenderness. Was he trying to comfort her?
After a while, their lips parted, Cassandra blushing. She was expecting him to say something after that, but he didn’t, and only looked forward. She was trying to figure out what it meant when Krai suddenly let out a loud growl.
Cassandra looked down. Far below them, she could see a long building. It took her a while to realize it was actually a very, very large wall, affixed between two mountains. As Krai started descending, she noticed a myriad of tents of various sizes lined up a few kilometers behind the wall, with a few buildings throughout. The Military Camp!
The Black Dragon’s growl caught the attention of the army below. As they got further down, all the soldiers lined up in perfect rank, their armor shining under the sun. Cassandra was astonished by the sheer number. How many men were there? A few thousand? She couldn’t even try to come up with a number as there were just too many! She even saw flags in front of some ranks, probably to separate them into groups. As Krai was about to land on a large platform, she could hear the men yelling orders.
“Get in order for His Highness’ arrival! Faster!”