Shadow Slave: The red Goddess of War and her dragon

Kai and Cassie strode down the brightly lit hallway, their elbows still intertwined. Cassie held on, not just for comfort but to keep up appearances.

No need to freak out anyone who didn't know that the blind seer was not actually blind. First impressions were stubborn things, no matter how powerful a Saint she was, most people's minds would still paint her as completely blind at first glance.

But at that point, it wasn't like anyone unfamiliar with her -aside from the Knights of Valor- would see her anyway.

And the same Knights of Valor were currently escorting the two of them.

Not many were allowed this deep into the estate, only the highest ranks of the Valor Clan or their Saints had that privilege. Kai could only ponder why such privacy.

With each step, the Knights' thick-plated armour rustled uncomfortably, betraying their true purpose. It wasn't built for battle, but rather for show. Well, they didn't really need knights when half of the Fire Keepers were present, scattered throughout the whole property.

But Kai couldn't care less about what the knights were wearing or who was guarding this place. Right now, his mind was consumed by one thing. Morgan.

'What should I even say to her?' Kai asked himself over and over again. 'And how do I speak to her, casually or formally? Effie said it was my formality that irritated her in the first place… so would Morgan like it more if I was casual with her?'

'Wait, no! I can't speak to her casually in front of everyone,' Kai's heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest.

[Are you by any chance thinking about what to do with Morgan?]

Cassie's voice echoed in his mind, full of her usual sweetness and calm, yet he could catch the subtle hint of tease in it.

Sigh

[Yes], he admitted, quickly shifting his gaze to the side in light embarrassment.

A soft smile tugged at the corners of his companion's lips.

[As hard as it may be, just try talking to her like you would to a friend. Not someone as close as Neph, but maybe like you'd talk to Effie's husband. Does that make sense?]

She offered him a solution and he thought it over for a while, then sighed, shaking his head.

[She will kill me.]

Kai answered stressfully, not knowing what to do.

Unfortunately, there was no time left to think. They had already reached the end of the hallway.

In the last ten minutes, he somehow managed to come up with literally nothing…

The two knights who had escorted them took their positions on either side of the double doors.

Cassie gave a nod -observing the world around them through Kai's eyes- and the knights immediately swung the doors open.

The moment it unlocked, his ears caught the sound of a conversation.

Taking a deep breath, Kai braced himself for what was to come. He steadied his nerves and looked forward through the now-open door.

"And I'm telling you, you should talk to him, princess!" Effie's amused voice was the first thing Kai heard, followed shortly by Morgan's. The tone was unmistakably hers.

Her voice was clearly irritated, if not slightly angry. "It's not my problem that your friend is so-" Morgan's face twitched in annoyance as she threw her hands up in frustration. "-so stuck-up! And I was talking to my dear sister, not you." She finished with a scoff.

"Kai is the least stuck-up person I know," Neph retorted with a shrug, her elegant frame casually leaning against a crimson, cushioned chair.

The princess of Valor rolled her eyes. And as she did, her two vermillion orbs landed directly on the entrance.

Right on Kai and Cassie.

Morgan glanced at the two of them from the corner of her eye, her expression deadpan, her lips still parted from the conversation she'd been having. She was clearly stunned by their appearance.

"Oh Kai, Cassie!" Effie called out, waving them into the spacious, luxurious room with a bright smile.

The design -who would've thought- was mostly vermillion and Romanesque. The room was adorned with rich wooden furniture and long, flowing vermillion cloths draped across the walls, each one depicting an anvil with a sword piercing through it.

Athena was sprawled out on the soft, plush triclinium, that somehow was long enough to fit her comfortably. Her husband -the Awakened whose name everyone always seemed to forget- sat on the opposite side of the room, quietly sipping from a glass.

The poor man was visibly sweating, clearly uncomfortable being surrounded by so many powerful Saints.

Nephis, clad in a pristine white knightly suit with red accents around her collar and sleeves, glanced over at the newly arrived guests.

Her face was as straight as ever -at least, it would appear that way to anyone else. But those present in the room could clearly discern the subtle smile playing at the corners of her lips. Subtle, but a smile nevertheless.

"Kai, we were actually just talking abo-" Effie began, her voice booming like usual. But she was quickly cut off as the grape she was about to pop into her mouth was sliced clean in half right before her face.

Morgan, her hand outstretched like a blade, shot Effie a sharp gaze as Cassie and Kai stepped into the room.

Thud

The two doors slid shut with a soft thud as Effie scoffed, tossing the remains of her grape into her mouth.

"More uninvited guests?" Morgan's voice cut through the room, her sharp gaze locking onto Kai, while not even sparing Cassie a glance.

Not giving Kai a moment to breathe, Morgan continued, "I don't need anybody in here who seems to be unfamiliar with me to the point they can't hold a conversation." She crossed her arms, then looked back at Nephis, as if picking up on a non-existent conversation.

[She is mad, but she didn't kick you out, right?]

Cassie thought, raising an eyebrow. She let go of Kai's elbow and stepped forward on her own.

Kai was, to say the least, completely flabbergasted and at a loss for words. His already nervous mind spiraled even further.

'Calm down, Kai! You're a damn grown man, stop acting like a kid!' he tried to steady himself.

"Sorry... Morgan," Kai said after clearing his throat. His voice was calm as he decided to take Cassie's advice and keep it casual with the princess.

Not like he had a better choice anyway.

Stepping further into the room, he spoke again with a sheepish and warm smile. "I just wanted to have some privacy with my friends. If you aren't against it, of course…" Kai scratched the back of his head nervously.

Morgan scoffed, but didn't refuse him. "Whatever, you're lucky my sister likes you, otherwise I'd cut you up before you even took a step into the room."

Kai knew the last part was a lie, which helped ease his mind a bit. He nearly exhaled in relief, but quickly fought against it.

Thanking their host, Kai made his way to a seat next to Cassie and Effie. As he sat down, sinking into the cushioned chair, he let out a sigh, his gaze drifting to Morgan, who was still standing in the middle of the room, her posture as intimidating as ever.

Though he had to admit she looked rather cute and beautiful in the dress.

'What are you even thinking about!?' he thought, judging himself, but a sudden hushed voice pulled him back to reality.

It was Effie, leaning toward him and whispering as quietly as she could, "Go talk to her, champ. Trust me." Her voice was teasing, accompanied by a soft snicker.

Kai glanced at her from the corner of his eye, barely moving his head. "What do you mean…?" he whispered back curiously.

"Before I got here, she was telling Nephis how mad you made her," Effie's words did nothing to reassure him, but Kai still listened intently. "She was so irritated by you-" Effie chuckled before adding, "-but trust me, that wasn't out of hate."

Kai gave her an awkward smile, listening like a clueless child.

'As if you would know something like that, Effie!' he silently criticized her.

Yet a spark of hope still flickered in his heart at her unbelievable words. And knowing whether she lied or not was useless in this situation. If she truly believed what she was saying, it wouldn't trigger his Flaw.

'Maybe she's right, Kai? Just give it a try,' he thought hopefully, giving himself a mental slap to sober up.

Now, all Kai had to do was wait for the right moment.