Dawn had finally broken, casting a soft glow across the room as Mavislin worked diligently at the Viceroy's desk, finishing the last of her reports detailing the battle with Lunaris and her kin.
However, she opted for a shorter, more concise version—after all, she had to prepare for the upcoming Inner Council meeting, the quarter-annual gathering of the First Seats and the Beast, where they would exchange intel and discuss matters of importance.
The thought of meeting Beast again irked her. As she jotted down a list of key points for the meeting, Mavislin glanced over at the bed, expecting to find the Viceroy still asleep. Instead, she was met with his steady gaze.
He was wide awake, watching her intently, his legs crossed and his chin resting on his knuckle, as usual. The only difference was the faint smile playing on his lips and the fact that he was lounging comfortably in a lavish silken robe of deep crimson.
"What? You've staring at me a lot ever since the fight... Are you alright? Have I got an extra horn on the top of my head?" quizzed the dragoness, seemingly annoyed at Zenos's gaze.
"No."
"Then stop staring or else I will dig out your eyeballs," spat Mavislin, going back to her notes.
"I welcome you to try."
"Of course you would. How's your body? Having two major fights back to back will usually result in a torrent of body aches..."
"Only if one is a stranger to the battlefield. But you and I... we are no such thing. Combat has been the very essence of our existence, woven into every moment of our lives."
"Ah, I nearly forgot that you live for the battlefield. Apologies, I am too used to Matt complaining about muscle cramps after a particularly hard fight. It took me a while to convince him to walk around after the battle against Tarasque."
"You and I both do."
"Hmph. I fight because if I don't, I don't get paid."
"And yet, even now, you still feel it—that rush, the exhilaration that grips your soul when you take up your blade and carve through the battlefield, desecrating all who stand before you."
"One might say your very essence in this wretched realm was forged for war, judging by how effortlessly you dismantled Lunaris's statues."
"Lest you forget, you destroyed all eleven of them—each one holding the rank of a Commander within the Northern Cartel. You deny it, yet I revel in it. And perhaps, you too should cease to resist. Embrace it, as I have... along with these newfound emotions."
The girl scoffed, folding her arms across her chest as she pushed herself away from the desk, her chair sliding back with a soft scrape. Eyes closed, she turned toward the Viceroy, a subtle challenge in her stance as the air between them thickened with unspoken tension.
"If I were to indulge my desires, I think my entire Covert Ops would crumble. You and I may be the same in some aspects but I am not given the liberty to do what I want as compared to you," responded Mavislin, letting out a small laugh before staring at the pair of azure eyes.
"And you think I am a free spirit, able to do whatever my heart desires?"
"Let's see... The countless bloodshed when you stomped on the fallen soldiers of Nuas and Akhaten before inciting a rebellion between the two just because you wanted some form of entertainment."
"The conquering of the Campania and forcing Valokia to heed your commands. And when your men came back with bad news, you'd slaughter them. Or how about that time you leveled an entire brothel to the ground because the Legion had sent spies to your location?"
"Oh, and before I forget, you have a major habit of executing those who flee from battle. Do you honestly want me to go on?" challenged Mavislin.
Now it was the Viceroy's turn to laugh, causing the poor confused dragoness to raise an eyebrow.
"If you were to continue, I fear I might witness the next sunrise in your company. Yet, I find myself... pleasantly surprised by the depth of your interest, and the diligence with which you've studied me. How unexpected, that you would go to such lengths."
He paused, a rare glint of amusement crossing his eyes.
"Though I must confess, I am slightly embarrassed I have not shown you the same courtesy. It appears I have much to learn—about you," finished Zenos, with a soft and amused smirk.
"Please don't. Leave me and my past be, I don't need an overgrown tank digging up my past and annoying me with it," replied Mavislin, turning to her work as she waved her hand at him as if telling him to go away.