The Fire Prince's Claim
Nefetia leaned back against the silk cushion, wondering if she had misread the situation. The temple courtyard had already become a sea of people. Colorful flags fluttered in the wind, and shields emblazoned with the crests of various kingdoms gleamed under the sunlight. Chariots draped in clusters of red rubies, green palanquins etched with wave patterns, and silver matte carriages shaped like rough gray stones all jostled together in a chaotic tangle. Hundreds of attendants moved busily between them, shouting and waving their arms as they struggled to form proper lines.
“Stop at a suitable spot.”
“Your Highness, this is the Kepet procession. How could we possibly stop in such a shabby corner? We should claim a more central position than the others…”
“That is unimportant. Position us near the entrance and return.”
At Nefetia’s command, the procession shifted sideways and halted close to the entrance. As she stepped down, using the men’s backs as stepping stones, Nefetia had thought that waiting here might allow her to catch sight of the Solinar procession.
“Inform Shadia. Have her deliver the offerings to the priests immediately. I shall rest in the shade here, so make your preparations.”
“As you command, Your Highness.”
Having skillfully dismissed Shadia, Nefetia settled into a suitable spot and tried to wait for Arkin. Just then, the prince of Igninof—with flame-red hair and clad in armor—suddenly appeared before her, blocking her path.
“Well, if it isn’t the Princess Nefetia of Kepet.”
His voice, laced with a metallic edge, rang out sharply like a blade. The man, resembling a ball of fire, strode forward and offered her a formal bow. His hair was a vivid red, as though aflame, and his intense eyes were the same burning color.
“Who are you?”
Nefetia regarded him with a hint of wariness.
“Merely a man who has long admired the beautiful princess. It wounds me that you have only now revealed your lovely form before me.”
He smiled softly and stared at her intently. His long, narrow eyes held a fierce, seductive gaze, yet there was also something cunning in his expression.
“I did not ask for your circumstances. I asked for your name.”
“Ah, of course. Allow me to introduce myself. O great princess of Kepet, blessed by the sun, destined to ascend the throne as the mighty ruler of the desert. The one who has come seeking you is…”
He knelt and took Nefetia’s hand, pressing his lips to it. When his mouth parted with a soft sound, Nefetia’s brows furrowed openly in displeasure.
“I am Prince Draconis of the Fire Kingdom, Igninof. I have long wished to meet you.”
Nefetia tried to pull her hand away, but Draconis refused to release it and continued speaking.
“Surely the beloved Princess Nefetia is well acquainted with my homeland of Igninof. Given the friendly relations between our nations, I imagine King Mahati has spoken of it often.”
“I… do not know much about your homeland.”
Nefetia answered slowly, blinking. A strange sensation stirred faintly where their hands touched. While the prince’s eyes remained fixed on her, she felt as though she could not escape anywhere. It was a sensation oddly similar to when she faced Arkin.
But why? I find this man utterly disagreeable…
Suppressing the queasiness rising within her, Nefetia tried to free her fingers, but it was not easy. The red-haired prince clung to her slender hand with eyes brimming with reluctance.
“I have offered prayers at the temple every day, yet it seems the gods have not conveyed my heart.”
Draconis let out a low whistle.
“Thus, I have waited for this very moment. I knew I would see you here, in this place, just as you are now. You have always appeared in my dreams, after all.”
When Draconis pulled his lips into a wide smile, dimples formed on his cheeks. The sensation transmitted through Nefetia’s hand grew slightly stronger than before. It felt like a sharp, ringing vibration, as though her palm had struck a piece of metal. Nefetia looked down at him in silence.
“Everything is unfolding exactly as I predicted. Do you feel this sensation now, between our joined hands?”
His two red eyes stared at her with relentless intensity, as if refusing to let her go. Still gripping her hand, Draconis slowly lowered his voice. His fingers, which had been holding Nefetia’s, began to move little by little.
Nefetia lowered her gaze. The feeling persisted. Draconis’s hand, with its long, spider-like fingers, had wrapped firmly around her wrist. An invisible force seemed trapped within it. It scraped against her skin with a tingling sensation, then occasionally pressed down firmly into the center of her palm.
“I have heard a prophecy. That the Princess of Kepet, Nefetia, and I are… Hetasept. Fated partners.”
The man’s short nails dragged across her palm, tickling it. Nefetia watched him carefully, lost in thought. Where had this man obtained information about the Hetasept? What was this feeling, and why had he appeared before her at precisely this moment?
“If we align our bodies, something quite pleasant will surely occur. We would experience the ultimate pleasure that does not exist anywhere else on this earth.”
Nefetia’s eyes narrowed slightly. Draconis smiled with a gaze drenched in lust.
“If one must match bodies, it is only natural to prefer a man of high status and nobility. Especially since I am the prince of Igninof, after all.”
The Fire Prince lazily toyed with Nefetia’s hand as he laughed softly.
“Say the word whenever you wish, Princess. If it means I can enjoy you alone in secret, casting all else aside, I would do anything. I am confident in that.”
The princess’s gaze slowly swept down his body. Her expressionless, downward glance was difficult to read, yet Draconis felt his body heat up under it and instinctively licked his lips. Filled with anticipation, he whispered secretly.
“I shall bring you pleasure until the long night fades. We will burn through the night until the bed breaks, and by morning, that soft voice of yours will be hoarse.”
“…I shall consider it.”
Nefetia answered briefly. Having obtained the princess’s reply, Draconis departed with a thoroughly satisfied expression. Nefetia watched the Igninof prince and his sturdy guards for a long time as they walked away. Flower petals scattered like rain from Floria’s flower carriage drifted down over Nefetia’s head as she remained deep in thought.
The dining hall, which had fallen deathly silent, was now filled with Nefetia’s mocking voice directed at Draconis.
“You clearly said it yourself: ‘If we align our bodies, something quite pleasant will occur.’”
Draconis was flustered and at a loss. Confusion and anger swirled together in his red eyes.
“When did I ever say such a thing… I would never grovel like that…”
Even as Draconis waved his hand dismissively, the surrounding commotion had already grown too loud to contain, like a stirred beehive. Finally, Draconis whipped his head around and shouted savagely.
“Everyone shut your mouths! When I said that, I—”
He needed to salvage the situation, but lacking the words, Draconis’s red eyes twisted into an ugly scowl. Nefetia leaned in close until her face was right in front of his and sneered at him with full force.
“Perhaps you hoped to gain some national benefit by sharing intimacy with me? How admirably patriotic of someone destined to sit on the throne.”
When several people struggled to suppress their laughter, Draconis ground his teeth audibly.
“It was merely a joke. You are reading far too much into it.”
“Anyone who saw us at the time would never have thought the prince was joking. Because…”
Nefetia smiled and glanced around the dining hall once.
“You were in full heat toward me. Your trousers looked ready to burst.”
Draconis’s face flushed a deep crimson, as though he had never imagined Nefetia would publicly reveal their conversation. Sparks seemed to fly from his eyes.
“I…”
“In the end, whether here or there, the prince is nothing more than a cheap male prostitute. With this, your dignity has fallen to the ground and your homeland Igninof’s reputation has been tarnished. How truly pitiful and unfortunate.”
Nefetia declared with a contemptuous glare.
“Ah, damn it all.”
He had suffered a crushing defeat. Not only had he failed to recover his losses, but he had also been thoroughly humiliated.
“Kepet princess, you will regret today’s events.”
Biting his lip hard and running a hand through his hair, he ultimately stormed out of the dining hall. When he flung the door open roughly and slammed it shut with a bang, silence returned to the hall.