The Princess and the Thorns

“PLEASE EXCUSE US,” said Amelia, before crossing the window into Princess Camila’s bedroom. She was followed by Cerys and Xana, and then finally by me.

The Princess and I met eyes, acknowledging each other with a firm nod. By God, she’s gorgeous. Her green eyes are puffy from crying, but her fiery red hair, and sharp facial features are astounding. And her figure — Maladriel have mercy, did someone chisel her out of marble? I swear, she’s hands down one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen, even on billboards back on Earth.

“Turn around,” Amelia snapped, grabbing my shoulders and spinning me away from her liege.

Whoops.

I think she caught me checking her out.

“Fufufu, John seems to like you, Princess,” Xana impishly blurted out. “You had his nose flaring, and his heart pumping with that killer body of yours.”

No comment, ma’am!

I have a right to remain silent!

“Oh John, you’re the worst,” said Cerys, with a tinge of mischief. “You laid in bed with Amelia just the other day, and you already have eyes for another woman?”

“It. Wasn’t. Like. That!” Amelia barked through gritted teeth, struggling not to yell at the top of her lungs.

The Princess was shocked for a moment, but then —

“Pffft!” she snorted behind me, her earlier grief melting away. “Oh, by Maladriel... You haven’t changed a bit!” she said, crying and laughing at the same time.

To be fair, I can’t blame her for the emotional whiplash. We did fake our deaths earlier, only for her friends to crash at her place and make a ruckus. She and the girls go way back. How many times have they fooled around like this before?

“Mwahaha! That’s where you’re wrong, Princess,” Xana replied, before adding with bite, “Behold my power!”

With a snap, Xana produced a small flame over her fingertip.

“X- Xana!” the Princess gasped. “You can use magic! How?”

“It’s thanks to John here,” Xana replied, glomping me. “He’s my boyfriend,” she added, grinning ear to ear.

“Oh my,” said the Princess. “I didn’t know you were taken.”

“We met recently,” Xana explained. “Cerys and Amelia like him too, but they’re his concubines.”

Holy shit, Xana.

“My, he’s popular!” the Princess replied in wonder as I covered my face. My back is still turned to her, but dude, Xana’s gonna get me killed here.

“He’s the best,” Xana assured, utterly ignoring my woes before adding fuel to the fire. “And I’m sorry to say this, Princess, but I don’t make exceptions. If you want a piece of him, you’ll have to get in line.”

“Xana, enough!” Amelia burst out, red with anger.

But, unlike the paladin...

“Ahahahaha!” the Princess was having a field day. She laughed and laughed for a solid minute before regaining composure.

“Maladriel preserve me…” said the Princess, clutching her belly. “I’m sorry. I just can’t with you, Xana.”

“Hehe~” Xana gave a smug laugh. “I love you too, Princess.”

I’m sure it’s reciprocal. When we first arrived, the Princess looked like she’d been to a funeral. But now, she’s all laughs and giggles as if nothing had happened.

“So, girls,” said the Princess, finally collecting herself. “Can you introduce me to this boyfriend of yours?”

“He’s not our boyfriend,” Amelia said under her breath, before adding in haste, “Wait, Your Highness! Shouldn’t you change clothes first?”

“It’s fine,” the Princess dismissed her. “After that scare you gave me earlier, I’m sure I can take this much. Besides, you wouldn’t have brought him here if you didn’t trust him completely.”

You go, Princess! Tell her!

“But he’s a base, lecherous man!” Amelia accused me. “He ogled you, my liege.”

“N- No, I didn’t…” I quietly said on reflex.

“Pffft!” the Princess laughed again, not believing me in the slightest.

“Please dress properly,” Amelia implored her.

However…

“It’s alright,” said the Princess, without a concern in the world. “I’ll take it as a compliment. You may face me, John.”

I gulped as I turned around, to be met with Princess Camila in her full glory. As one could expect at this time, she was clad in her nightgown, and it left little in the way of imagination about her curves.

“I am Princess Camila von Caelum,” she said, as if reciting a title she’d known her whole life. “Daughter of King Cedric, heir to his throne, and acting regent of Sylphadim. And with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”

And on she passed the baton.

God, what am I supposed to say here?

“It’s— It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness,” I stammered. “My name is John Doe, and I am… well… a dragon.”

She raised an eyebrow at my words.

“Hm? A dragon, you say?” asked the Princess, crossing her arms as she examined me. Then, she subtly pressed her arms together, drawing attention to her cleavage.

My eyes were glued to it by reflex, and I had to tear my gaze away in panic, before Amelia had a chance to slap me.

“Ehem,” I cleared my throat, sweating buckets. Oh God, she saw me.

“You seem very human to me,” said the Princess, paying no mind to my indiscretion. “I’ve met two dragons before, but neither of them saw me as a woman.”

Holy shit, it was a test.

In but a split second, the Princess weaponized her looks to get a read of me.

I dropped my guard because of Xana’s levity, but the Princess is no joke.

“There’s a reason for that,” I said, turning to meet her challenge. “Besides, you’re every bit as beautiful as you are dangerous. I’d be a fool not to admit it.”

She’s verbally sparring with me, so I can’t let her looks get to my head. If I want to stand at her and the girls’ level, I must answer in kind, and face her head on.

“You’re bold,” said the Princess, a satisfied laugh hidden at the corner of her lips. “I like that.”

“Don’t forget there’s a line, Princess~” Xana teased as she clung to me. I swear, it’s impossible to be serious around this girl.

“Fufufu, I’m aware,” the Princess replied. “But I have no intention of taking him from you. If anything, I’d like to know to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit.”

Her tone was jovial at first, but her expression swiftly darkened.

“And more importantly...” she added, her tone dropping an octave, “I’d like to know why you faked your deaths.”

The lighthearted atmosphere immediately shifted. With this, even for Xana, we are no longer fooling around.

“It’s all in this crystal, Your Highness,” I replied, before extracting an item from one of my pockets.

It was a memory crystal, given to us by Godwin.

Everything related to me, my history with the Rose’s Thorns, and our ongoing fight against the Cult of Croxas was stored in it. We had specifically inscribed the crystal as a memoir, to bring Princess Camila up to speed about our circumstances.

Furthermore, the crystal included the vision of Silvano in the temple, and all the corroborating evidence we managed to extract from Radomir. In the end, our plan was a success, and we acquired a treasure trove of insider knowledge about the Cult of Croxas from him.

With it, no question remained about Silvano’s treachery. The man was a traitor through and through, and he helped the Cult spread its influence deep inside the Kingdom.

The courts, the military, the guilds… every power broker in the realm was compromised, with a number of moles strategically planted in them. If left unchallenged, Silvano could snap his fingers and bring the Kingdom to its knees.

By all the Gods, this was a chance we wouldn’t allow him.

“Please watch it in detail,” I said, offering the Princess the key to Silvano’s destruction… and, with it, the Kingdom’s one chance to purge the Cult’s rot.