Kai followed after Morgan, keeping two steps behind the princess. 'She's tall…' he noted, silently examining her figure as they walked. He was considered tall himself, but the Princess of the Valor Clan was only a couple of inches shorter -two at best. And if she wore heels, she'd likely stand eye to eye with him.
"You know I can feel your gaze, right?" Morgan said, not bothering to look back or slow her pace.
Kai instinctively flinched, halting for a second. "I didn't mean to, Princess. I was just…, thinking about how tall you are," he muttered, trying to de-escalate the situation.
She scoffed and waved a hand lazily. "I don't care, just messing with you." Kai could tell she wasn't lying through his Flaw, and with a quiet sigh of relief, he quickly caught up the step he had missed.
---
"So, what exactly are you trying to propose to them?" Lady Morgan asked as they ascended a stairway leading to a different wing.
The castle around them was gloomy, lacking much color, its walls built almost entirely from cold, ancient stone that probably preceded their entire race. It felt imposing, but Kai expected the rooms themselves -ones he had never set foot in- to be far more regal and lively.
Kai rubbed the back of his head, his auburn hair tangling between his long, bony fingers. "I just wanted to see if it would be possible for your Great Clan to lend us a few units to help defend the remaining settlements." He hesitated, waiting to see if she would respond before continuing. "I'm sure you know about the situation in the Waking World… it's horrible to say the least."
Morgan ascended the stairs in silence, as if thinking about something deeply, while Kai followed a step behind.
He glanced up, waiting for a response -only for his eyes to land somewhere they definitely shouldn't have. His eyes snapped downward instantly, and he barely recollected himself from flushing a deep red colour, 'Focus Kai!'
"Not going to sugarcoat it, Dragon, but they'll probably pretend to consider it and forget the moment you leave Bastion," she said, her tone polite, yet he could hear the unmistakable mockery.
Kai cleared his throat, involuntarily glancing up at her figure for a split second. "It's still worth trying," he said with a determined tone.
Morgan hummed in amusement before finally stepping onto the last staircase, leading them into a long hallway.
Light streamed in through gigantic windows on their right, casting a warm glow over the thick vermillion carpet that covered the floor. Unlit torches lined the wall to their left, each one positioned between tall, regal wooden doors adorned with golden engravings. Three in total.
"One of my rooms is over there," Morgan said suddenly, pointing toward a door and keeping the small talk going for reasons Kai couldn't quite understand. He was momentarily confused, not sure how to respond. "I'm sure it looks wonderful," he said after a moment, his voice slightly awkward.
She scoffed, and something told Kai she was rolling her eyes. Unfortunately, he couldn't confirm his hunch, as he was still walking two steps behind her.
"Nervous?", Morgan asked annoyedly, leading him through an archway and into a big hall. "You better be, because these grumpy morons are waiting for you behind that door." She turned to face Kai, leaning casually onto one leg, her thumb pointing toward the large metallic gates behind her.
Kai gulped and gave the princess a short bow, "Thank you for escorting me,"
"Yeah, yeah off with you," Morgan waved him off, turning on her heel.
Not wasting another moment, Kai strode toward the gates. Two bulky knights on either side slowly began to open them.
---
Nearly an hour later, Kai walked out through the same gates with a deep, frustrated sigh and a devastating, sad frown on his face. It had gone the same way it always did.
The Elders were rather imposing, each word that left their old lips carried authority. Kai noticed that none of them were a rank higher than Ascended, most of them being mere Masters.
After thanking the two knights who held the gates open for him, Kai stepped back into the hall. One of the knights flashed him a grin and opened her mouth, clearly about to ask something, but the second knight quickly elbowed her, silencing her before she could embarrass herself.
Kai smiled faintly at their interaction, but the moment he looked ahead and saw Morgan, his smile faltered. Leaning casually against the wall with her arms crossed, she scoffed, "Took you long enough,"
He looked at her with clear confusion on his face. His mind quickly flew over different possibilities, coming up with a reasonable explanation for why she might still be waiting. 'She probably just wanted to escort me out of the castle, so I don't end up wandering around in here.'
"Stop standing there and move! I'm already tired of waiting," Morgan grumbled, her tone surprisingly unladylike. The space around her felt sharp and distorted, as if looking at a mirage.
With a gulp, Kai stepped forward, offering a slight bow of his head. "Are you here to escort me back out?"
"Aha, yeah, something like that," Morgan replied indifferently, the sharp aura around her fading. Kai's gaze shifted to the wall she was leaning against, where slight cuts ruined the ancient stone.
Her voice snapped him back to attention. "If I have to tell you to move again, you'll regret it."
Kai immediately straightened up and followed her, quickening his pace to make sure he stayed a couple steps behind her once more.
"So, I assume it went exactly how I told you it would?" Morgan asked after a moment.
Kai couldn't help but recall his conversation with the Elders. Because of his Flaw, it had been far worse than it should have been. With each sentence they said, he felt his hope for any real help slip away. He'd known they were lying, of course, and now they could prepare and plan without their assistance, which was good, but that didn't make it any less exhausting. It wasn't just the disappointment in knowing that his fellow humans wouldn't help; it was the fact that he couldn't even hope while waiting for their refusal.
"Yes, they were dancing around the issue and said they'd think about it," Kai sighed. "Always the same."
Morgan chuckled in response, barely holding back a louder laugh. "Yet you still keep trying. How pathetic."
Kai couldn't help the frown that pulled at his beautiful face. 'That really helps…' he thought bitterly.
As they walked through the hallway, Morgan suddenly stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. "You know what? I'm hungry, and you're my responsibility at the moment. You're coming with me."
"Huh…?" Kai couldn't even get the words out to ask what was going on as Morgan picked up her pace, heading down a different stairway.
Snapping out of his stupor, he hurried to catch up. "I mean no disrespect, Lady Morgan, but I need to make a report as soon as possible."
She didn't acknowledge him, completely ignoring his complaint and leaving him no choice but to follow. 'What even is happening…?' he sighed inwardly, giving up on arguing with the princess before she decided to cut him into pieces.
"There's a café near the bridge," she spoke firmly. "One that serves good food." Morgan continued down the stairway, not sparing a glance to see if Kai was following. She didn't even consider the possibility that he might not be.
'I remember Effie saying Morgan's a picky eater and that she should put on some mass…' His thoughts trailed off as his gaze lingered on her figure for a moment.
Shaking his head, he nearly slapped his own cheek to snap out of it. 'Focus, Kai! Stop being a creep!' he reminded himself. Yet, his mind refused to quiet down. 'Wait… I'm going to eat with Morgan? In a café? Effie would have a blast if she was here.' Kai sighed.