How the Emperor trapped a Witch

Chapter Forty-one: A Dragon celebration

Note: Gets a little steamy but nothing super fun. (Also, you guys choose- did you like the extra from chapter 10 and would like to see more? Let me know by commenting on this section here! Depending on how many people tell me if they liked it or not, I will write another extra for fun!)

"Is it safe to come out?" Someone calls around the corner which snaps me back into reality. There wasn't much I could do about my lips but I quickly finger-brushed my hair and fixed the shoulder of my dress which had fallen down my arm due to Alaric. 

Alaric didn't respond until I was finished before patting down a stray lock that I had missed. "It is."

Kimbra, Reid, and the humanized Suli inched out at his words then walked normally over to us.

"It's good to see you Celestia." Kimbra nods at me as I smiled back.  "You must be hungry."

My stomach growls in response causing my cheeks to heat up as everyone laughs. 

'You are looking a lot better Celestia.' Suli speaks in my mind briefly as we headed back through the crystal cave and past the mounds of treasure. 'I take it that you have spoken with him.'

I nod at his words since I wasn't very adept at communicating through the mind.

I felt light and airy; I still couldn't believe what Alaric had said to me- that he loved me. But when I look back at that memory now, I scold myself for forgetting about what Demon King Radna had said to me before he left.

If I had- the events that would soon come to pass and break this happy moment; wouldn't of happened at all.

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I yawned as the party continues on, feeling tired. Passing out from the recoil of the 'Empower' spell didn't actually refresh or recharged me at all so I soon found myself falling asleep as I ate.

Once we had all entered the Grand hall of the Dragons; a huge celebration started since the battle had been won and their missing clansmen had returned. It was actually funny to see Dragons drinking from large barrels of alcohol, crushing the wood with their sharp teeth as the drink dripped to the floor. 

Some Dragons started to sing songs in their native tongues filled with magic that displayed stories of their tales. Dragons flying and fighting, interacting with humans, elves, and other demi-humans, battling against Demons and more.

The songs weaved the magic to swirl around the large cave as other Dragons started competitions of drinking, strength, speed, and conjuring of magic.

One such competition was of creating figures of clay, each more elaborate and detailed then the next. One was of a Dragon that seemed like it was real, another was a creation of the hidden world outside, a giant tree with each leaf meticulously created to make it seem like a breeze was causing them to dance. To my great embarrassment there was even one of me, my hair flying out behind me as I held out my wand towards a clay creature.

The Dragon who had created it had been one of the many Dragons I had helped a few days ago who's orange scales flushed to a deep red-orange as I approached and thanked me many times for saving their life.

Alaric seemed to notice that something was wrong and quickly led me back to the cave that I had woke up in. Suli was still in the Grand hall with the others but there was a pile of furs which laid in the corner.

He leads me over to the furs then lets me sit down before unlacing my boots.

"I can get it Alaric." I mumbled, reaching down with my hands and fumbled with the knot.

"Allow me to do this." Alaric uses 'puppy-dog eyes' and it was extremely affective.

"Oh alright." I allowed him to gently push away my hands as he expertly unties the knot and looses the laces enough to pull off the boot with ease. I flop down backwards onto the furs with a small sigh then noticed that Alaric was unlacing his boots as well.

"Are you not going to join in the fun?" I asked as I watched him, enthralled by his large hands that moved swiftly and delicately like a pianist. He had stayed by my side the entire time so I wasn't sure if he had gotten to enjoy himself like the others. 

"I'm tired." He looked up at me with my favorite smile. "And this is your punishment for casting a spell on me. You are not allowed to leave my sight for a whole month."

Alaric scoots in with me between him and the cave wall. "And every night, you have to sleep next to me. Otherwise, I'm afraid that you might leave me again." His face falls as my heart throbbed in pain at his expression.

I knew that he knew, that he was shamelessly using his gorgeous face to his advantage since there was no way that I could say no to that face.

"Fine." I pouted while hiding that I was nervous with having him so close to me. I turned towards the wall and closed my eyes, hoping that I would actually fall asleep at some point.

This time Alaric went ahead and pulled me into his chest. I wanted to protest a little, but thought better of it; his face earlier had sent a small shiver down my spine but I wasn't sure if it was of fear or anticipation- it might of been both.

 I know that in the novel that Alaric is obsessive of people and/or things, but I never expected to become the main object of that character trait. I knew that he wouldn't ever harm me, but Alaric wasn't above locking me up in someway, whither through magic or actually imprisonment.

The main reason to him becoming like that is once again my sister who thought that possessive men were cool and sexy. I admit that she is right, but as long as its not super overboard.

Alaric's leg slides in between mine as he buries his face into my hair, squeezing me slightly.

"Tia?'  He says, knowing that I was still awake cause I had gasped a little. "If you awake up before me, don't leave until I'm up."

"Okay." I promised after a long pause.

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I woke up to the feeling of being smushed. I opened my bleary eyes and struggled a little to get a hand up to my face to rub them. Once my eyes were clear, that's when I realized what kind of a predicament I was in. 

At some point during my sleep, I had turned over and nestled into Alaric's exposed chest. His shirt had untied which allowed my hands to touch his tanned skin and I found myself tracing a long thin scar that cut across his left pectoral muscle.

My fingers trailed down, following more scars that I remember seeing years ago on the small boy that I just met. Alaric really grew up, he was now much taller than me and stood with confidence. I was really proud of him.

I was so wrapped up in my museings that I didn't notice that my hand hand trailed down to his stomach and Alaric had his eyes open: watching me with a raised eyebrow and amusement that pulled his lips into a half smile.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asks as I freeze while my face slowly starts to heat up.