After a day of riding the sun was finally setting. The day consisted of light conversation between me and Reo and mainly silence coming from Eun-ji and Kazuto. We reached an area where we would rest. The breeze of spring had cooled down to a chill and the sun that was over our heads was setting leaving paintings of orange and yellow coloring the sky. We dismounted our horses and tied them up to the trees.

Eun-ji started to gather up wood to make a fire. “Do you want some help?” I asked.

“No need princess.” She walked swiftly away picking up more wood. After the fire had been started we sat around it. Kazuto seemed to be deep into reading scrolls while Reo was munching on bread that he had brought for the journey.

“Have you ever seen a dragon before Kazuto?” I questioned trying to start some conversation.

He kept looking down as he replied, “Once three years ago when I was commanding out East. Only for a brief moment though.”

“I’m excited for you all to meet Amree. She is a very beautiful dragon, she can sometimes take some time to open up to new people but she is extremely kind.”

Eun-ji looked at me questionably, “Do you own this dragon?”

I shook my head, “Not at all… if anything it’s a mutual relationship. When every Northerner is born a dragon will choose a child that they feel a connection with. After that a bond is formed between them for life. Oh! Reo, I meant to ask you if you were born in the South or the North?”

He finished chewing, “Ah, when I was younger I was abandoned by mother, if it hadn’t been for Kazuto who had given me a job and a home in the castle I probably would have starved to death on the streets.”

Kazuto looked up and sighed, “You credit me with too much.”

“He denies it because he is so modest.” Reo said to me in a whisper that was meant for everyone to hear.

I smiled. “I truly think this experience will be good for everyone. After all we were destined to meet eventually Kazuto.” He stared at me for a moment before responding, “I suppose so.”

Throughout our time eating I could catch Eun-ji stealing glances at Kazuto. It made me laugh to think how Kazuto could even make such a formal and cold girl blush just by reading scrolls. Reo got up and walked over to me and Eun-ji’s eyes were fluttering open and shut, obviously tired from today.

He patted my shoulder and handed me a flask of water, “Try to go to sleep early Kana, we have another long day ahead of us tomorrow” He smiled and warmth radiated off of him. I nodded my head and smiled back at him.

At one point I had fallen asleep. It was now completely dark by the time I had awoken again. When I looked around I could see that Kazuto wasn’t sitting by where he was previously. I jumped up suddenly. My mind immediately thinking someone had kidnapped the prince, or worse. I ran towards where the horses were and as I turned towards a tree I had bumped into him and fell to the floor. I gripped my nose and looked up smiling, “Thank god, I thought you had been prince napped.” He reached his hand out for me to grab and pulled me up.

“Are you okay?” His eyes looked tired from the night.

“I’m fine, couldn’t sleep?” He shook his head.

“Would you mind talking for a while I walked towards a log on the ground motioning for him to sit down next to me. Instead of sitting he stood above me towering over me. His facial features were dim in the moonlight but for some reason he looked even more handsome right now.

“I know you may not like me, and i’m not sure what your reasons are, but I hope you will keep an open mind for the sake of both of our people. To me, war is the biggest murderer upon all men. When it comes down to it we are all just people, and whether from the South or North innocent men, women, and children would die.” I clenched my hands thinking about Orella and the already poor people who were living in the South. A war would devastate the economy and them.

“The North hasn’t been involved in conflict princess, I have been a commander in army since I was 16 years old. Your ignorance could be a dangerous thing when you become queen. Dragons could wipe out a village, and murder children women and men, without a war” His eyes were piercing into mine as he said this. I stood back up, wanting to have slightly more even ground when talking to him.

“Ignorance?” I stared at him, “You think that because you are a king you can take and kill whatever you please. I’m not here to fight whether you think that or not. Dragons have feelings and they can hurt just like you and me. They can cry and feel emotion. And you assuming my ignorance means nothing to me. I think it is you who is the truly ignorant one. My mother had died in a battle where you and your men were stationed in battle between the Clanide kingdom. I could sit here and blame you, because you were the commander.” My nails were digging into my hands. “I could sit here and blame the whole Southern race for something that wasn’t there fault. But I’m not doing that, instead you are the one who is putting blame on a whole race of innocent creatures that we value.”

“Do you know who was there for me when my mom had died? Amree was. She had sat with me through the grueling nights of tears and confusion and grief. She had mourned my mother as well. Even if I could understand the reason that you are sending out your men to kill dragons, I wouldn’t be able to accept it.” I hadn’t realized but I was breathing heavily at this point. Our faces were a mere inches apart. I had never gotten this riled up, but for some reason the princes emotionless face drove me to a point of anger.

He took another step closer to me, placing his hand on the tree that stood behind me. He looked pissed. Then his face changed, and he took a step back from me grabbing my shoulder.

“Get some sleep princess, you will need your rest to keep lecturing- informing me about these dragons.” He let me go and turned to walk back to camp. My shoulder tingled at where he had just removed his hand.