As Zenith hurried toward the door, trying to think of some way to outsmart the dragon, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. He turned around to find the woman—the one who had sat on his lap earlier—standing there, looking up at him with wide, tearful eyes.
"Hey, what's going on?" Zenith asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm kinda busy with the whole getting found by a dragon thing, so if this is a love confession or something, can it wait?"
The woman didn't answer. Instead, her bottom lip trembled, and before Zenith could even process what was happening, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.
"I... I can't believe this," she sobbed into his chest, her voice shaking. "You don't understand! You don't know how long we've waited for this moment! A man... a real man... and now you're going to leave? I won't have anyone to talk to! I won't ever get to be near a man again!"
Zenith stood frozen, his mind racing. The woman clung to him, tears streaming down her face. "What do you mean, you won't get to... What are you talking about?"
She pulled back just enough to look him in the eye, her expression desperate. "We... we haven't had men here for centuries! And now that you're here, you'll be whisked away by the queen or some other royal, and I'll never get to—" Her voice broke off in another sob. "You'll be gone, and I won't even have the chance to be close to you again!"
Zenith blinked, trying to process the emotional outburst. "Whoa, whoa, okay, slow down there. I'm not leaving anytime soon. I've got a dragon after me, remember? And I'm not exactly looking to become some kind of royal trophy."
"But what if you have to go?" she whispered, her grip tightening on him as if he might vanish at any moment. "What if I never get to spend time with a man again in my life?"
Zenith blinked again, his face flushed with both discomfort and confusion. "Well, this is a lot to unpack all at once." He awkwardly patted her back, unsure how to comfort someone who was crying over... well, him. "Look, I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I'm pretty sure the dragon's not going to just let me skip out on this whole 'royal summons' thing. So maybe... maybe just chill for a bit? I'm still figuring out what's going on here too, alright?"
The woman sniffled, but her grip loosened just enough for Zenith to take a breath. She pulled back slightly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"But... you're so perfect," she muttered, almost as if she was in awe. "How could I... how could I possibly let you go without... knowing you?"
Zenith chuckled nervously. "Look, I'm flattered, really, but this is a lot to handle. I mean, can we just... not make this whole thing a sobbing mess for the moment?"
Saphira, who had been standing quietly by the door, rolled her eyes. "Oh, great. Just what we needed. A love-sick admirer and a magical dragon outside. Perfect timing."
Zenith turned to Saphira, still trying to figure out how to handle the situation. "Yeah, I'm starting to feel like I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time." He turned back to the woman, giving her a small, awkward smile. "Look, we can talk about... whatever this is later. But right now, there's a dragon outside looking to make sure I don't live another day. Can we save the emotional drama for after I don't get eaten?"
The woman sniffed one last time before nodding, her face red but clearly trying to hold herself together. "Okay. I'll... I'll be here when you get back, then," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Zenith gave her a small wave, then turned to Saphira. "Well, that was... something. You think we can get out of here without the dragon noticing?"
Saphira glanced at the window, where the dragon's glowing eyes were now scanning their building, its presence impossible to ignore. She smirked. "If you think we can escape, you're even more charming than I thought. But for now, I suggest we focus on not getting eaten."
Zenith took a deep breath. "Alright, so I guess it's save the world or save myself first. Got it."