A loud roar and a viridian shine of an incoming inferno.
Such were the things that assailed Guinnevere's eyes and ears as she used every ounce of her strength to get herself in between Ashen and the Elder Dragon's merciless attack.
'He's yours now. Don't let him go. Okay?'
The words spoken to her by the mysterious white-haired maiden resonated within her mind. Their weight readily apparent as Guinnevere laid eyes upon a weakened Ashen.
The thought of remarking his surprisingly weakened self did not even register in her mind for all she thought was-
'Save him! Don't let him die!'
-as she gripped Rhongominiad even tighter while the merciless ball of flames bore down upon her.
Of course even though she was resolute in facing the coming attack, she had not thought of what she should even do to stop it.
Magic? She already knew that her magical strength-no matter how greater it is from the norm, cannot match an Elder Dragon in a straight-up fight.
Physical force? Impossible. She does not have Ashen's absurdly monstrous strength that could split apart even flames in a single swing.
However, she did not feel any hesitation and her hand further tightened its grasp on Rhongominiad and without thinking, her body raised the golden lance in a thrusting stance.
'My forefather, chosen by the Sword and bearer of the stigma of dragons...lend me your blessing so that I may shield my beloved from all harm!', she pleaded in her mind and in response, Rhongominiad shined with golden light as if saying that her plea had been heard.
Now she had another option...and that is-
"Pierce through evil Rhongominiad, [Llus y Ddraig]!"
-with a lance of golden light, pierce through the flames.
*****
Sometime later...
Staring up on an unfamiliar white ceiling, Ashen lay upon a bed in wonder.
"How did I survive that?"
He felt his head ache as he tried to remember what had happened. For some reason, all he could remember was the fact that he had almost died in his fight with the Elder Dragon and that he ended up losing consciousness near the end.
'I lost that fight...', he grimaced, "Even using Excalibur wasn't enough...man...dragons are something else..."
As if reminding him of that fact, he felt intense pain shoot up his entire body as he tried to get up, "Urgh! Damn...!", he groaned as he immediately fell back down on the bed. His eyes wandered around and sees himself atop a white bed surrounded by hospital curtains all around him before finally looking down at his one remaining arm that for some reason was now completely bandaged from hand to shoulder, "What the hell just happened?"
And just as he had asked himself that-
"Father!"
-Evaline comes bursting through the curtains with a frantic look on her face.
"Eva...", seeing his daughter safe and sound made Ashen feel relieved. He was worried that maybe Evaline was unable to get out of the tower.
"Milady, please! His Majesty is resting!", following after Evaline was a maid who had a frantic look on her face as well. Judging from how she was visibly shaken, it seems she was trying her best to stop Evaline from barging in and disturbing Ashen whom she must have presumed to still be unconscious.
Not that Ashen minded though.
"Father!", without even batting an eye to the frantic maid, Evaline slams into Ashen attempting to hug him.
"Guh!", the wind was knocked right out of Ashen as his daughter pressed herself on him. Luckily, she was no longer wearing armor so the impact wasn't so hard. It still hurt him quite a lot though.
"Are you okay, Father?", Evaline asked with a sob.
'Not good. It seems I worried her too much...', Ashen thought as he looked at his daughter who started sobbing as she held him in her arms, "Ahaha...I'm fine Eva. Just a little groggy since I just woke up...", he assured her while stroking her head with his hand.
"But-!", Evaline started crying harder and was unable to respond.
Seeing his daughter in a sobbing mess and unable to explain, Ashen turned towards the maid who was dutifully standing right behind Evaline in silence, "You there, explain the situation.", he demanded.
The maid-hearing his command, brushed the corners of her eyes before standing upright and spoke, "Your Majesty, Her Highness-Princess Evaline, had been awaiting your return to consciousness for quite a while and since your wounds were so severe that the doctors and clerics were unable to quickly heal you, her highness had feared for the worst. Hence, she is in extremely relieved to see you alive."
'I can see that.', Ashen thought as he looked at his sobbing daughter. It couldn't be helped if that was the case. Even he admits that he could've died during his fight with the Elder Dragon. However-
"That's not what I wanted to know. What's the current situation of London?", he asked again.
The face of the maid cramped for an instant at his question, "Apologies, your Majesty. But as I had just recently come out of the Sanctuary, I have not grasped the full extent of London's current state.", she apologized with a slight bow.
Ashen narrowed his eyes. He was considering the probability of the maid lying to him. However, he was not foolish enough to assume she was, granted that she had told him that she had just come out of the Sanctuary.
'No one else-other than trusted confidants of the Royal Family-are allowed inside or even know the existence of the Sanctuary.', he eyed the maid who still has her head lowered, 'That old hag wouldn't be stupid enough to mistake choosing confidants. So I guess this maid could be trusted?', he surmised in his mind.
There a lot of other things he wanted to ask about but since the maid obviously did not look like she would be able to give any satisfactory answer, Ashen just shrugged, "Don't mind it. In any case-", he pointed at Evaline, "-mind helping me out with my daughter here? I can't sit up if she keeps on plastering herself on me like this."
The maid raised her head with a surprised look on her face for some reason. She stared at Ashen for a good 5 seconds before finally moving to get Evaline off of Ashen.
"Milady! His Majesty wishes to sit up. Please step back for a moment!", the maid pleaded to the sobbing Evaline.
However-
"NO!"
-Evaline chose the worst time to act like a child throwing a tantrum and held fast to Ashen.
'Urgh!', Ashen grimaced as he fought off the urge to just grab his daughter and fling her away. Not that he could even do it in the first place. Afterall, Evaline is quite the worrywart and she is quite extreme when expressing her concern towards Ashen whenever he gets himself hurt and of course, since she is the only one Ashen could not bring himself to be very mean to, he could not just deal with her as he does with the rest of mankind.
"That is enough, Eva!"
Suddenly, the stern voice of Guinnevere resounds. Causing everyone present to stop and look.
"Your father cannot move with you pressing him down like that. Now move away and let him go.", Guinnevere commanded.
Evaline stared at her for a good long minute before finally apologizing to both Ashen and Guinnevere and then stepping back with a sniffle.
'Aw...don't sulk like that kid. It makes me feel guilty.', Ashen had that momentary thought but he quickly switches gears and turns to face Guinnevere.
"What's the situation?"
Guinnevere froze for a moment as she looked at him as he asked that but then she sighed as if she was exasperated at him and replied, "The siege of London has ended and the enemy has all but completely retreated."
Ashen narrowed his eyes in doubt but because Guinnevere noticed his doubt, she quickly continued, "I myself confirmed this fact with the rest of the Knights of the Ashen King who managed to lure away the Hydra and subdue without any fatalities."
Hearing her say that, Ashen felt impressed by the Knights as even he ran from the Hydra. For them to actually lure it away from and subdue it without any fatalities is quite a feat even amongst the greatest of warriors in modern human society.
'Guess I owe those guys big time huh?'
"London is still in a state of emergency but for now, everything is fine. The entire country is now under martial law and entry and exit from the country is extremely restricted to prevent any possible mishaps and before you start talking, I made sure that land, sea, air, and magical routes are all under strict surveillance by the Knights of the Ashen King."
Ashen quickly closed his mouth as he was actually about to ask about those very same things that Guinnevere had pointed out.
'Hmm...so she did a decent job in the aftermath eh? Not that I care.', was what he thought.
"Is that so? Well...Urgh!", Ashen sat himself up with a groan but holds up his hand to signal to Evaline and the maid that he was fine before turning to Guinnevere once more.
He looked at her for a few seconds and then, "Eva, take that maid and leave us for a moment. I wish to talk with your mother alone for a while.", he asks Evaline to leave him and Guinnevere alone.
Evaline looked at him worriedly and was obviously reluctant to leave his side however, understanding his words, she reluctantly assented and then bowed towards him and then left the place without the word followed by the maid who did the same.
'Not so childish afterall huh?', Ashen thought as he saw how his own daughter acted like an adult and understood him.
He knows she was very worried about him and he is very thankful for that and he is truly happy that nothing worse happened to her during the whole ordeal but right now...he has other problems he must address.
*****
"Stay on your bed for now Ashen. I can't have you bleeding out and dying on me right after you just woke up."
"Ah shut up. I get up when I when I want to get up."
"Why you-! Just lie back down!"
"NO!"
Once again, Ashen and Guinnevere are at each other's throats as soon as Evaline was not around.
"LET. ME. GO!"
"NO! Just stay still on the bed!"
"NEVER!"
Their voices echoed around them as they began wrestling each other atop Ashen's bed; Ashen struggling to get out of it and Guinnevere trying to push him back down.
Normally, this would've made for quite the raunchy situation for any couple, however-
"Grant me the force to hold fast the mountains and the lands, Gravity!"
"Why you-GUH!"
-it doesn't look like one when one of the two casts gravity magic on the other.
Ashen was immediately pulled backed into the bed unable to move a single muscle as the gravity in his immediate surroundings intensified to a level that he could not resist and then there was Guinnevere, who had ended up straddling his waist in her desperate attempt to keep him down.
"I'm sorry! I had no choice!", she apologized for her actions.
She hears Ashen click his tongue in annoyance, unable to retort as he is the target of the spell. his eyes however said a lot, 'You dare to use magic on me?!'
It was understandable for him to react that way. At first, Guinnevere thought that him asking Evaline to leave the two of them alone was because he wanted to talk to Guinnevere about the state of London, but then she remembered that Ashen was not a person who likes to be left alone with someone he genuinely loathes which Guinnevere is pained to admit to herself.
Hence, she concluded that he was planning on getting up and probably would've tried running away as soon as he confirms that he could stand.
Not that he could've done so in his current condition.
"You are in no condition to be even walking!", she exclaimed.
"It's...", Ashen groaned. The pressure of the gravity spell causing him to struggle to form a smooth sentence, "only...been...a...day...since...then...I...can...handle...the...pain! I'm...not...like...you!"
Seeing his defiant state, Guinnevere could not help but recall the scene of him almost dying to the Elder Dragon's attack and then that mysterious lady with white hair that looked like a grown-up Evaline who told Guinnevere to never let him go.
'I don't know why, but something tells me that if I let him do as he pleases again, he won't be coming back!'
Is the thought that ran through her mind as she locked eyes with him.
"O...", she hears him start to mutter, "Oberon..!"
In the instant he had called out, the robed fairy, Oberon, appeared in a flash of light and quickly dispelled the gravity spell with a wave of its hand.
'Damn-!', Guinnevere thought. However, contrary to her expectations-
"Puha! I thought I was gonna die..."
-Ashen remained on the bed gasping for air. Almost as if he never planned to take advantage of Evaline's absence and run away.
"Eh?"
"Don't 'Eh?!' me...get off! I feel like my body had just been crushed under a building goddammit!", he snapped.
But Guinnevere did not buy it and remained straddled on his waist, "No! I know that as soon as I get off, you'll command Oberon to take you out of here!", she declared with certainty.
It was a common ploy of Ashen. One that Guinnevere is very accustomed to since he constantly used it to get away from her, Evaline, and the rest of the family years ago.
'If there is one thing I am confident in, it's in knowing when this hopeless idiot is scheming some-'
"I swear...I'm not even thinking of running away...Guin..."
"You can try and trick me all you want, but I am not-wait...what did you say?", Guinnevere's train of thought was cut short as her body reflexively responded with the line she had been saying in response to Ashen for years, crossing her arms and even scoffing in mockery of Ashen's futile attempt at persuading her but then just as quickly, her mind completely fell into confusion as she tried to replay and process what Ashen had just said.
"Do I have to repeat it? Get off me. I'm not even planning of running away, Guin..."
Though it was as frank as he could possibly get, the usual insult which he always uses as a prefix in calling her wasn't there. Heck, he did not even use the detestable nickname that he had been calling her for years.
"Eh?", Guinnevere stammered for the second time, "What-But you were just-"
"I know I'm in no condition to just go around prancing like an idiot. At least trust me to know when to just stay still..."
"LIKE HELL THAT'LL HAPPEN!", Guinnevere could not help but react.
To her surprise, instead of furthering her annoyance with yet another snarky remark, Ashen simply sighed and relaxed himself, "Well...if you're not getting off, at least make it so that you're not pressing the majority of my abdomen down...it hurts...", he groaned.
"Huh? Oh-!", hearing him say that, Guinnevere realized that she was pressing down on Ashen's stomach with both hands, "I'm sorry...", she sheepishly apologized while taking both hands off of Ashen. Her worries and frustration was now replaced with the awkwardness of having done something wrong causing her to be lost on what she should do.
"It seems the danger to the King has passed. I shall take my leave.", Oberon suddenly interrupted before quickly disappearing in a flash of light. Causing the already awkward atmosphere to become even more awkward.
Just like that...the two of them are now left alone.
However, a nagging thought suddenly appeared in Guinenvere's mind;
'This is the perfect time to have a decent talk with him!'
"Since we're alone and all...let's have ourselves a decent 'heart-to-heart talk' shall we?"
It seems the both of them had the same idea.