When Kaze woke up the next morning, he found himself in Lunaria's bed. In his arms, snuggled up close to him, was a sleeping Lunaria.
Since the two went to bed naked, they were currently nude with nothing but a messed-up blanket carelessly covering their bodies with their legs exposed. Thankfully, all traces of their fluids and sweat had been cleaned up with magic by Lunaria the night before she they had a pleasant sleep.
The sunlight cutting in front the window next to them illuminated a lower part of the bed, forming diagonal shadows down the sheets. Sighing to himself, Kaze tilted his head back to the sleeping dragonkin. His hand reached over to stroke her head, in which he was given permission to touch her elf-like ears.
Last night, Kaze and Lunaria became lovers and mated.
It still felt like a dream, coupled with the warmth of the sunlight and the comfort of the bed.
"Please don't let this be a dream," Kaze muttered to himself. "If it is, I don't want to wake up…"
At the same time, a soft groan came from Lunaria. She shuddered a little before lifting her head slightly.
"… Kaze…?" Lunaria squinted at him before looking around her. "I'm naked…? … Ah…"
Realizing what she had experienced wasn't a dream, her red iris came to life as she buried her head in his chest. Her arms, once used to support herself to sleep, had now become wrapped around his body in agitation and excitement.
"Kaze!!"
"W-Woah… I'm here, Lunaria."
The dragonkin squealed happily as she slipped on top of his body, the two embracing each other with laughter and smiles. They both were glad that whatever happened was real.
"I'm… not in a dream, right?"
"Nope. You're mine, Lunaria."
"Mm… forever yours…"
Lunaria's gaze softened as she lowered her head. Kaze knew what was coming and accepted her lips, the two sharing their first morning kiss with each other.
"Mm~~~~ Kaze~~~~~~"
At the same time, Lunaria's tail began wrapping around one of his legs in adoration. It wasn't until they lacked air that their lips parted, only temporarily before Kaze leaned forward for more from Lunaria.
Rolling around bed while they wrestled for dominance over the other, Lunaria gasped softly when Kaze suddenly pushed her down and held her arms over the top of her head. A light blush spread across her face as she squirmed under him, feeling ecstatic from being dominated by Kaze in a rather aggressive manner. She bit her lower lip gently and looked up at him with a shy gaze, as if longing for him to do whatever he wanted with her.
Kaze stopped and hovered over her, taking his time to examine her body. It amazed him how as a dragonkin, she shared so much in common with humans but had her own differences. Last night, he was able to get a good look where her tail and wings were connected, especially where certain parts of her waist had scales that glimmered white, just the way she was in her dragon form.
His gaze became locked on her shapely breasts and nipples for a bit before lowering himself, resting his face in between her cleavage. To this, Lunaria simply smiled and wrapped her arms around his head, stroking his hair in the process. Just as he could listen to the sound of her heart thumping below her ribs, Lunaria was able to feel his gentle breathing with air being exhaled from his nostrils and onto her bare skin.
"Kaze… we have to get up," Lunaria told him in a gentle manner. "It's time for breakfast."
"How are we going to let the others know?" Kaze asked, suddenly feeling worried. "I mean… it's so sudden."
"Hm? We just tell them," Lunaria giggled, getting out of bed and walking to her bathroom. "Why are you scared?"
"U-Uhh, well… I released my semen inside of you so much last night, I might have made you pregnant…" Kaze gulped, sweatdropping like crazy after realizing what he had done.
"… Oh, you needn't worry about that. Dragonkins have a hard time getting pregnant with their own species, needless to say with a human," Lunaria easily shrugged off his worries. "Besides, we females have a certain time in our annual cycle where our chances of receiving the male's seed is heightened and mine is still far off. Otherwise, the chances are close to zero. As an extra precaution, I made sure to purify your semen upon ejaculation the night before to rid it of any fertilizing chance."
A huge wave of relief rushed through Kaze's body as he let out a loud sigh. How Lunaria did it was beyond him, but he was certainly glad that she took care of things already. Sitting at the edge of the bed, he glanced back to the bed where they made love and slept together before standing up.
"You're not coming in?"
"H-Huh? No, I think I will just leave-"
"Oh, it's fine. We already saw each other naked, so what's wrong with showering together?"
Lunaria used magic to drag Kaze to the bathroom with her as he tried to sneak out of the room, a vicious smile on her face.
"I still have to punish you for being so rough to me last night and treating sex like training~"
"I-I'm sorry!!!!"
Thankfully, all Lunaria really wanted from Kaze was for him to wash her hair for her. Obeying to her request, Kaze helped his girlfriend scrub her hair while water rained down on their bodies from above.
"… Lunaria, can I ask you something?"
"Mm?"
"How are you so calm? I mean… we just had sex and are naked together… and we just started dating…"
"It's something that comes with age I suppose. Humility or not, you human couples like to overreact at every little detail. The moment I became lovers with you last night, I have placed my trust in you to not expose every little detail about me to anyone else, be it physical or mentally. You should also have made the commitment to do the same when you proposed to me, so isn't that to be expected?"
Met with such a matured answer, Kaze could only nod politely.
"Besides, think of skinship as a form of bonding between couples. It is as you said, we just got together. There are many ways to get a couple to learn about each other, with one of them being our nightly activities and preferences. From now on, don't be afraid if you do feel lustful: it is only natural that a healthy growing male teenager like you would want to mate with his girlfriend. I will try to assist you… if I can."
Turning around, Lunaria gave him a confident grin before grabbing his erect little brother with her hand.
"Like right now. Does showering with me turn you on so much?"
"A-Ahh, not so rough… I hope I'm not being rude, but the way you act makes me suspect you either tried dating before, or you are already void of your previous trauma."
"… I suppose that is true. I still shiver in fear at the thought of what I have experienced before, but then I remembered what we did the night before and my fear dissipates. Kaze, please… help me in overcoming my past as my partner."
"I… will, Lunaria. I have already promised Laevia-sama that I won't let you down."
- - - - -
In a fresh pair of clothing, Kaze left Lunaria's room together with her, who was dressed in her official royal clothing that he was already used to seeing.
"Are you sure you want to enter the room like that?"
"Hehe, are you nervous?"
What Kaze referred to was regarding the fact they agreed to walk together while holding hands. If anything, the way their fingers entwined between one another with Lunaria sticking to his side was a clear sign that their relationship had progressed in anyone's eyes. The best way to transmit the information was through their actions than their words, which was both more powerful and unanticipated.
Still, Kaze felt his heart thumping violently out of fear and anxiety to the sort of reception he would receive. After all, he fucked a dragonkin royal without anyone knowing.
"S-Sort of…"
"You trust your friends to be the type who wouldn't disgrace you if we get together right?"
"I suppose."
"Then it's alright. If anything happens, you have me."
"Feels bad for a guy like me to rely on a female for protection…"
"Not when the female is a princess and a dragonkin."
The two eventually arrived at the dining room where everyone had already gathered. It was obvious that they would be the last to arrive out of the rest since they woke up fairly late after last night's endeavour.
As soon as they showed up, all eyes immediately turned to their direction.
"… Um… good morning," Kaze timidly greeted everyone, his hand still holding Lunaria's.
It only took a few seconds for the scene to register in everyone's mind. Reginsleif and Laevia both smiled happily at the revelation, already expecting their daughter to have become lovers with the human male.
"Congratulations, Lunaria-sama," Ilesta and Tuarle bowed at the two from the Emperor's side. "Congratulations, Kaze-sama. Please take care of our princess from now on."
Finally, his friends all scrambled out of their seats and ran towards the couple to confirm it for themselves. Cheering and screaming at the top of their lungs, the dining hall was filled with cries of joy and surprise at the success of their friends.
"You really went and did it," Yuuji gave Kaze a light punch on his shoulder. "You took the princess for yourself."
"Lunariaaaaaaaa!!!" Irene sobbed, hugging the dragonkin tightly. "Congratulations!!!"
"Laevia-sama told us about everything," Mitsui explained, wiping a tear from the corners of her eyes. "May Kaze be the person to heal you."
"What? When?" Kaze felt surprised by Mitsui's words. "How? Why?"
"Just now, before you guys came down," Chris laughed and crushed Kaze with a huge hug. "Oh buddy! All the times we joked about you and the princess, yet you truly did confess."
"Congratulations Kaze," Albert applauded with a rare smile. "Take care of Lunaria."
"Iyaa~ who would have thought?" Noel shook Kaze's hand and hugged Lunaria. "Sir Ethan would go nuts over this."
"Of course he would. We are talking about potentially the first couple in half a century between a human and a dragonkin," Rena nodded in agreement before congratulating Kaze and her best friend.
"Congratulations," Sera gave them both a warm smile. "Please, Kaze, treat Lunaria like you always have. This is my request to you as a long-time friend of hers and your friend."
"About time. You should have confessed ages ago," Shoko cheekily smirked at Kaze. "So, how was your night together?"
"You knew??"
"Who wouldn't? Especially when I can smell your scent on each other."
The reception from the rest of the princesses were about just the same with a few variations. They were equally as happy for their eldest sister and for Kaze.
"They fucked…" Lunatea blushed lightly.
"They fucked," Lucentia nodded.
"T-They fucked?" Lunaea stammered.
"They fucked, huh?" Luniel smirked at him.
"Why is that the first thing you are all concerned about?!" Kaze's face instantly flushed red in embarrassment, causing laughter to erupt once again.
Back at the table, Lunaria and Kaze sat side by side in their seat, together with the group for their breakfast.
"We shall have a celebratory feast tonight to cheer on Kaze and Lunaria," Reginsleif declared, standing up to address everyone in the hall. "Kaze, Lunaria, as a father, I wish you two the best of luck together. My daughter placed her trust in you, please treat her with the love and respect she deserves. A dragonkin and human couple would surely be met with a lot of difficulties, overcome them together. Who knows? We might be seeing the two at their wedding day."
"F-Father!" Now it was Lunaria's turn to act embarrassed, causing a few laughter and cheers down the table.
"It is as my husband said. It doesn't matter that you are a different species, what that does matter is how you treat your partner in love. As a mother, I also wish you two the best of luck," Laevia agreed with her husband.
As the group had their breakfast, they discussed the activities available for the day. The fourth day was a free day, meaning that there wasn't anything planned for the group since it was meant to be treated as a day for everyone to relax and take a break. In other words, they were free to do whatever they had planned while adhering to certain rules and guidelines.
Needless to say, Kaze and Lunaria were going to be spending the day together. While they were a couple, it was also necessary to take this chance to hang out with their friends as much as possible before returning to Tristania. After all, there was no guarantee that they would ever return to Aravel soon.
Breakfast quickly ended and those with plans immediately left to tend to them. The rulers of the nation had work, leaving the princesses to join whoever it was that invited them to go along with each other.
"Kaze, do you want to move your things over to my room?" Lunaria asked him. "Since we're lovers, might as well stay together when we can."
"Are you fine with it? What if you need to have your personal space?" Kaze felt a little concerned about her decision.
"If anything, I feel the need to stay with you. The bed is going to get pretty lonely without you being by my side~"
"… I'm going to pack now."
"I'll be waiting at the main hall."
Kaze ran to the common hall area where their rooms were located. Ensuring that everything had been packed before leaving, he went to where Lunaria's place was to place his stuff before meeting with Lunaria again.
On the way out, he passed by Luniel, who had just left her room as well.
"Kaze, hold up."
"Eh? Luniel? Is something wrong?"
"No, I just needed to let you know to leave your schedule for the afternoon free."
"After lunch you mean. Why?"
"Lunaria-nee told us before about your abnormal way of fighting. More accurately, your way of using mana. Lunaea and I plan to run a diagnostic on you to study the way you conduct mana."
"Oh? Does Lunaria know about this?"
"She should; she was the one who requested it from us after all. Don't worry, Lunaria-nee will bring you to our lab later. I just needed to inform you beforehand, so you won't get caught offguard if you get brought there later."
"Huh… was she that concerned about something so minor?"
"Utilizing mana is like breathing Kaze, it becomes a part of our everyday life. I am intrigued to know what it is that you do that allows you to use mana differently. So, for research purposes as well. A subject like you don't simply show up, you know? I need to make use of this opportunity when I can, as well as to find out why it is you can make Lunaria-nee moan-"
"Okay, I will let her know!"
Kaze escaped before Luniel could tease him again. With a giggle, Luniel waved him off as he disappeared down the stairs. He then reconfirmed with Lunaria once he met up with her, in which it was explained that the test was just going to be a normal check-up.
Moving on from that, Kaze and Lunaria remained in the palace and decided to talk with each other a little more. Since their relationship was still considered a secret, explained over breakfast by the rulers of the nation themselves, it was perhaps not the best idea to go around town flirting. As such, it was already a given that spending time together was going to have to be done within the confines of the palace.
They chose a place they could sit together and talk, being a private room reserved only for the royals of the nation to take a break in. Since the dining hall was really just somewhere for a large crowd to sit together and eat, the Rentaria family had their personal space to relax, as Kaze and the others knew. It just happened they weren't invited to the private dining room, which was much quieter and plain looking compared to the luxurious feel the dining hall gave off.
There, Lunaria and Kaze chatted over tea while lightly flirting with each other. The only other person close to them or in the room together was Ilesta, tasked by Laevia for accompanying the couple. Since Kaze was still a guest, despite being Lunaria's lover for now, it was only necessary to treat him to the lengths they would to any other guests with a few exceptions.
"Kaze-sama, what has Lunaria-sama been calling you?" Ilesta asked with a smile. "I'm curious."
"Huh? Um… her lover?" Kaze tilted his head at this. "Is there something wrong with it?"
"Nope. I was just wondering if you found it weird since the standard term for human couples in love would be 'boyfriend', 'girlfriend', and such."
"Ah, now that you mention it… I just took it naturally because this is my first relationship."
"Lunaria-sama, why don't you enlighten him?"
"Kaze, you see, this is more on the dragonkin slang," Lunaria nodded at Ilesta's words. "We would address each other as 'lovers' without caring about gender identification. For you humans, 'lover' would be more appropriate for married people. For married couples in Aravel, we call each other 'mates'."
"Ah, so Laevia-sama would be Reginsleif-sama's mate then?"
"Mm hm. Feel free to call me your lover anytime you want, Kaze."
"I think I will stick to Lunaria for now. 'Lover' feels like something more suited for you to call me by, Lunaria."
"Hehe, it's like a pet name of sort. Anyway, I think it would be appropriate we take this time to discuss what we should do from now on."
"You mean, about us being lovers?"
"Yes. Ilesta?"
At Lunaria's command, Ilesta walked from the corner of a room with a black fabric similar to the pamphlet Kaze and the others had. She placed it in front of Kaze and Lunaria, spreading it open for texts to form on a large glowing rectangle on the fabric.
"No matter how many times I see this, it certainly looks so out of the world," Kaze shuddered in admiration. "Wouldn't this completely replace books?"
"I would say no. It is incredibly difficult and expensive to produce something like this, albeit its convenience," Lunaria frowned a little from what Kaze said. "Well, not like you would know that. This sort of technology is only restricted to the researchers of this nation, after all."
Tapping the upper left corner of the rectangle, a keyboard with symbols appeared, taking the alphabet and numbers of the common language of the world. Kaze's eyes jumped in surprise at this, for he finally saw how words would be produced on the fabric.
"Lunaria-sama, should I leave?" Ilesta begged her pardon.
"No, it's alright. I need you to be here in case any problem occurs," Lunaria smiled at the maid and turned back to Kaze. "What we will be discussing now is to be kept in private. This means that we won't mention this to Yuuji and the others discretely."
"I-I understand. What will we be discussing?"
"Rules to our relationship, as I have said. Mother already set out a list of rules for us to follow for the time being before we get disclosed to the open world. As of right now, even if we return to Tristania, we can't openly date too."
"Yes, that is the case. What did Laevia-sama write?"
"Hmm, this is my first time reading it too. Let's see…"
Scrolling past a bunch of words, the writings zoomed to the very top where a title read 'Rules to Adhere to'. Ilesta, meanwhile, stepped back to her usual place behind Kaze and Lunaria against the wall, awaiting her orders as a maid.
"The first rule is pretty obvious: no flirting in the open. Anything about us needs to be discussed in private, or where we can't be seen or heard."
"We are permitted, without discretion, to do anything allowed by law… To report our locations should we be out for a certain time… To read the cultural aspects of a dragonkin's law…"
Kaze read out the lines one by one, with Lunaria correcting him from time to time or giving her elaborations to parts they did not understand. The list itself was pretty standard, having things that were already expected of them or by logic that they had to listen to. If anything, the rules weren't as strict as Kaze would have expected from a royal family. This was also probably because they trusted Lunaria enough to produce these set of rules.
"Wait, what the heck? 'Sex is allowed anytime…' What type of rule is this?"
"Um, Lunaria? What do you mean?"
"Well, this rule implies mother expects us to NOT be having enough sex."
"E-Eh?? Is our… um, personal confinements and emotions… also Laevia-sama's concern?"
"Of course. As my lover, you are expected to excel in most areas, including your sexual prowess. Unlike me, you aren't properly educated on bedroom activities, which is why I have to be responsible as your lover to teach you. As such, by avoiding sex, we would be neglecting one aspect of being a lover."
"Uhh…"
"Hm? Is something wrong, Kaze?"
"Do you not feel embarrassed by repeating such a word out loud?"
"You mean sex? To fuck? To copulate? Making babies?"
Kaze cringed each time Lunaria repeated a variation of the same word with similar meaning. A confused look reflected on her face as Ilesta simply giggled at Kaze's innocence.
"Kaze-sama, you are surprisingly pure, even if Lunaria-sama has already been tainted so deeply…"
"H-How could you or the others tell what Lunaria went through?"
"Like Shoko-sama, Laevia-sama, and Lunaria-sama's sisters, us dragonkins and foxkin have sensitive noses. You should be aware that we can detect each person's scent or any irregularities, especially when semen gives off such a distinct and sharp smell. This would include sweat and saliva induced with hormones. Think of it as an animal knowing when its mate is in the heat."
"Ah, that explains it… No wonder Lunaria was not worried, because you would know one way or the other."
"Your mindset is very human, Kaze-sama."
"I am human…"
"Well, what I meant was humans tend to hide admitting to stuff like this since humans don't have as akin a sense as we do. If one lied well enough, the truth would be covered, but at what cost? We dragonkins value honesty most of all, even if it means that we have to admit to cardinal sins like cheating."
"Kaze, as Ilesta has said, don't ever, ever cheat on me," a dangerous glint flashed past Lunaria's eyes. "Honesty aside, cheating men die in Aravel."
"T-They get sentenced to death?!"
"Um, that was an exaggeration. Dragonkins value honesty, meaning that if a man or woman cheats in a relationship, they would be disgraced such that it would be better off if they were dead."
"Ah, I understand."
"That said, if you ever get tempted, do let me know. I will be sure to remove such sin from your heart."
"… But polygamy is allowed in Czech. Can that be counted as cheating?"
"So is it permitted in Aravel, as is in Goddess Tiel's doctrine. Whether it be a male-based or female-based polygamy, interspecies or homogenous one, what is more important is how you would treat your partner."
"I see…"
"That said, the line between a polygamy and cheating is very fine, Kaze. A polygamy means you take responsibility for every lover or mate, you know? Cheating is… blatantly lying to your partner about who you are seeing in secret. At least with a polygamy, it is accepted that one person is in a relationship with multiple women."
"…"
"… Kaze? Don't tell me…"
"N-No! I don't! It's just I have a bad feeling about something…"
"You are tempting me to read your memories, Kaze."
"What happened to trust?!"
"Ilesta, hold him down."
"Certainly, Lunaria-sama."
"W-Wait! I confess!"
Eventually, Kaze admitted to Lunaria about what Lucentia did to him. While it was not much, the real issue was her kissing him.
"… Oh, it was just that?"
"What do you mean 'just'?!"
"Well, if it's about Lucentia, then I already know."
"… What is it that you know?"
"Oops, I said too much. Well, ask her about it yourself. We should move on."
"Wait, I feel like you are glossing past something really important though?!"
With Kaze feeling rather baffled by something Lunaria so casually ignored, their talk continued for a little while more before cuddling.