Denzel felt like slime.
His body was slowly turning from rigid to slime. there was no doubt, he was definitely turning into something wobbly and jelly.
"Young master, are you okay?"
"Mason," Denzel fell on his knees, holding his knees. "I.."
Mason, the keeper of the house gulped looking at the devastating state his young master was in.
"Young master Denzel!" Sheryl jumped from the corner of the room, landing next to Denzel even before anyone could blink. There were whispers going around the house. "What happened?"
Denzel looked up at them. "I.." the whispers increased with gasps.
Did the dragon king do something? Did he abuse poor Denzel? Did he threaten their young master?
"Get a hold of yourself!" Mason cried, crouching down next to him and placing both his hands on his shoulders.
Sheryl watched closely.
"I had to tolerate father's jokes." Denzel wiped his tears from his sleeves.
"Jokes?" Sheryl frowned. "Did he insult you and your being?"
"No." Denzel shook his head. "I'd be happy if he did. Instead he cracked all the dad jokes he had collected over the period of time."
Flynn Colton, who was assigned as a worker for Denzel, tripped over air and fell face first on the luxurious carpet. "Why am I working here?" He mumbled to himself.
"Young master.." Mason sniffled. "Please regain your calmness, we understand your misery."
"Is this how I'm supposed to react in this situation?" Sheryl watched Mason and Denzel console each other in their 'misery'.
"No it's not." Flynn answered, completely losing it.
The two of them on the floor cried, hugging each other, and that was when something snapped in Sheryl's head. She walked forward and pushed Mason away.
Sheryl held her hand forward.
"Enough." She said. "That is enough of physical contact."
"What-" Denzel scowled from behind her. "Hey, that's disrespectful to Mr. Mason. He's worked here for as long as I can remember."
Everyone could see Sheryl's face.. except Denzel. It was as if someone had slit Sheryl's family's throat in front of her.
"Hey, calm down." Flynn force swallowed his saliva down his suddenly dry throat. He couldn't believe Sheryl was giving out such a tremendous aura.
"Is that so?" Sheryl pul her hand back down, her expeessions returning to the straight face.
"Yes. Stop doing that!" Denzel whined, and just like that, Sheryl was back to normal.
For everyone who had watched this scene take place, it was quite a frightening one.
"I'm going to escort you back to your room now, Young master." Flynn said. "Would you like to be anywhere else?"
"Eh?" The dragon prince shrugged, stretching his hands above his head and while yawing, he said, "No, I'm completely used up today. Would like to just go to bed."
"Good night, young master Denzel." Mason bowed, and everyone else followed right after. Sheryl did so too, but instead of staying right where she was, she started walking behind them.
"Goodnight." Denzel smiled, eyes crinkling. And it was the first time Sheryl had seen him smile since yesterday.
"Beautiful." She nodded to herself. "I can see why you need guards."
Denzel's smile fell at her words. "Can you not kill the mood everytime?"
"I apologize, young master, I wasn't aware I was doing so."
"You're still doing it."
"I apologize, young master-"
"You're like a broken radio."
"I really, wholeheartedly apologize-"
"Shut up."
Once they were back to the young master's bedroom, they made sure to tuck him in bed together.
"Goodnight, Young master."
"I'm 21." He sighed for the nth time today. He was tired, because stupid people like these keep showing up to his everyday life to make it even more disastrous than it already was.
"Say, young master," Flynn licked his lips and he suddenly looked nervous and fidgety.
Sheryl pushed her glasses behind to clearly listen to what Flynn had to say.
"What?"
"You weren't all knackered a moment ago just because the king had cracked a bunch of jokes, were you? Something happened, right?"
Denzel's breath hitched. He eyed Flynn through the corners of his eyes. The atmospheric temperature dropped, when his gaze drifted towards Sheryl and landed on her.
He lifted a finger and pointed towards her. "It's her."
"Her?" Flynn's hand flew to grip a dagger on his waist that he was given by the king for protecting himself and Denzel. "W-Why? What's.. what's with her?"
Flynn was very trusted around here.
"I had to take care of her today instead." Denzel massaged his own temples with his fingers. "Please buy her casual clothes to wear to campus."
Flynn sighed. "As you say, young master."
The room fell silent, and Sheryl couldn't read the atmosphere. She just stood in her place and watched.
Denzel sat up and leaned against the headboard of the bed. He looked down at his hands.
"Tell me, is it true.." his whispers we're almost inaudible. "Is it true that the Leviathans broke into the country?"
Sheryl and Flynn shared looks. "Did you hear about this from the king?"
Denzel nodded. "He told me.. all of it. He told me why I was going to stop attending university from now. Forget about the clothes, Flynn."
11 years ago, the Leviathans attacked Dematris, the dragon's domain. And no one has been able to forget that particular incident.
Even after all these years, there still are people who live for power, who live to avenge and who live for their loved ones.
Sheryl wanted to know who Denzel was among all these. He was a prince afterall.
"Young master Denzel, it's time for bed."
Denzel chuckled softly. "Fate, huh? It bites you back even after you escape."
"Young master.." Flynn looked away, unable to meet eyes. He quickly bid a goodnight and pulled Sheryl out of Denzel's bedroom. He closed the door and took a deep breath. "This is bad."
"I don't see why it's bad. He deserves to know." Sheryl stated clearly.
"What?" Flynn frowned. "How can you not call it bad? If the Leviathans get young master-"
Sheryl's face stiffened. "They need to get through me first."