Bery took Valerie's outstretched hand and allowed the dragon to pull her up. The Kanai'ns hands patted down her skirt, and she reached out to help Emary up as well.

The elven princess smiled. "You are still just as kind as the day I met you."

"Thank you. Though, I feel like you were the most kind. You always bought my paintings and took them with you when you left. I am grateful."

Valerie clapped her hands and grinned. "Yes, you are both kind. Since you are both so kind, I would like to treat you to a trip." The dragoness looked towards her eager kitten and placed a hand on Bery's cheek. "I know that you have been holed up in here for a while. I never intended to keep you locked away forever."

Bery chuckled. "Though, I bet you would love to do exactly that."

Emary sighed as she watched the two. "Watching you both makes me feel awkward. I am impressed the two of you are so close after a short period of time."

"Mm," Valerie said, "our hearts became intertwined quickly. It was a match made with the threads of fate."

Bery pulled on Valerie's hand impatiently. "Where are we going?"

"You are so cute when you become excited, but if I give it away…"

"Just tell me, please!" Bery's ears waved around madly, and her face adopted a pleading expression. Her bottom lip curled, and her ears settled to the sides of her head.

Valerie struggled to meet the kitten's gaze, eventually relenting under those soft blue eyes. "I really can't deny you when you look like this. There is a place in the enchanted forest towards the north. I thought you would look so lovely there at night time, so I scouted it."

Bery's expression shifted and became solemn. The Kanai'n forest?

Emary smiled at the two of them. "I think that would be good for me as well. I can accompany you two there, and we can split off. I do still need to report to my father."

Valerie caressed Bery's face. "You trust me, don't you?"

Bery met the dragoness's fiery gaze and nodded. She allowed herself to be pet by her dragon lover. "I do trust you, but if we are going to that place, you can't let go of me."

The scars of being abandoned by Bery's own family still remained. It had gotten much better with Valerie by her side, but there were some feelings she couldn't shake.

"I would never dream of letting go of you. Even if lady Kanai herself were to present herself to us, I would still hold you."

Bery's eyes widened. "Lady Kanai? Do you think it would be possible to see her?"

Valerie shrugged. "Gods are enigmas. They're reclusive beings, and they have a pact with the land. I am sure that if you wanted to see her deep within your heart, then such a thing might be possible."

Lady Kanai…

Bery's eyes flicked towards the sky. It was a gorgeous blue with no clouds in sight, similar to the tips of Bery's ears. In truth, Bery had always wanted to see the goddess at least once in her life. Surely, in the afterlife, she would float towards the goddess. There's a question I always wanted to ask you. Do you really hate me?

No answer came, a cool wind blew from the surface of the nearby water, ruffling the fur on Bery's tail.

Emary tapped on Bery's shoulder. "These kinds of things take time, but I believe lady Kanai is always watching you. I think she loves you deeply."

"I hope so…"

"Well," Valerie said, "she can't love you like I do. I will never let anyone take that position from me."

Bery giggled at the dragon's possessiveness. In truth, she felt the same way about Valerie. At first, she tried to imagine what life would be like without the dragoness. Picturing those things now made her feel horrible. She didn't want a future where she couldn't see those black horns. But what about when I die? Will she be able to continue on?

"Notice, there is no chance lady Valerie will ever let you die. You can consider yourself functionally immortal. For all intents and purposes, the administrator will be alive forever more."

Huh?

Valerie stared down at her kitten. "Are you imagining something silly? If you keep spacing out, I am going to have to kiss you again."

"Uh…"

"Please don't," Emary said. "I can only handle so much sappiness in one day. I am surprised you two can be so openly affectionate. My father and mother would never do such a thing."

Valerie scoffed. "Your father and mother are elven royalty. That cannot be compared to this situation. Those two would rather maintain appearances. Not that it's wrong to do so. However, Bery and I are under no such obligation." The dragon turned away. "Now then, we can speak and move at the same time."

Bery stared at Valerie incredulously. "You aren't going to transform and fly us there?"

"Sometimes it's better to take things slower, my dear kitten. Besides…" Valerie turned and looked meaningfully towards Emary.

Bery followed her eyes, and then she remembered. Right, she is probably traumatized by dragons. The kitten's eyes flicked back towards Valerie, and she smiled before hugging the dragon's arm.

"You really are so thoughtful."

Valerie's cheeks adopted a light shade of red, and once again, she had to turn away from Bery's glittering eyes. "I am only doing this because of you, kitten. I will respect your friends, and I will respect their feelings, all for you."

Bery looked between her lover and Emary. "I don't think that's true at all. You really are a wonderful person."

Emary nodded in agreement. "There is no need for you to preserve my feelings at all. I never imagined that one of the scariest dragons in this world would be a big softy. Imagine my surprise…"

The dragon's cheeks went bright red, and she coughed into her hand. "Don't expect that these tables can be turned. In any case, walking is good for you. I would worry if my kitten didn't get enough proper exercise. You need to stretch those kitten legs."

Bery pouted. "Don't you dare try to turn this around. You were being shy! That was so cute!"

Valerie pulled her kitten close and kissed her on the lips. "Who is shy now?"

Bery's face scrunched up. "That's not fair!"

"You two would make a lot of gold in a traveling play."

Valerie grinned at the suggestion. "My kitten would make for an excellent stage designer. Her paintings would serve as a good background."

"Now you two are just making fun of me."

The group laughed and started walking towards the north. Bery knew that the valley outside Valerie's castle was full of monsters, but none of them even dared to approach the group.

Valerie held onto Bery's hand. "If your legs ever get tired, let me know. We can stop, or I can start carrying you."

"Thanks, but I think my legs will be fine. Even though I'm weak, I'm still Kanai'n."

Valerie pet Bery's head. "You know you are not weak. Physicality is only one aspect of life. You persevered through difficult circumstances. That is very admirable."

"I agree," Emary said. "I have always thought as much."

Bery looked at Valerie's face, finding only earnestness in her expression. The same was true for the elf beside them.

"Valerie," Bery said, "you are amazing. When we get to the enchanted forest, get ready. I will press you with all kinds of questions."

"I look forward to it. Though, you can really ask me anytime. For you, my life is an open book. I guess in your case, a beautiful painting."

The group got into a steady walking pace beneath the clear sky. They walked around a cliff face and back up towards the river. Now that Bery could orient herself, she realized something. This was likely the same river she'd gotten lost at when she was a little girl.

She remembered the face of the strange old lady that saved her, a mysterious woman that came into her life and left soon after. Though she was a human who had nothing to do with the Kanai'ns, she still came to Bery's rescue. I wonder who that woman was?

Emary looked towards Bery and decided to speak after being quiet for a while. "You know a lot of people care for you. I am sure that the merchant guild wishes to see you in high spirits."

"We can't go back there right now," Valerie said. "There is likely to be chaos across that kingdom. They will need some real reform. Hopefully their next leader is vastly different."

Emary nodded. "I think that's another reason I will need to be on my way soon. It's very important for our leadership to get an early hold on the situation."

Bery looked forlorn towards the elf. "Do you really need to leave so soon?"

"You needn't worry. I will stay a little longer until it's safe to depart."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.