The Princess And The Lord-Chapter 1409: The Girl and The Dragon

The girl’s expression shifted slowly, the brightness in her face dimming and the joy in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by something far and distant, "Evereth, as you know is— I mean, was a creature that called as the firstkind," she said quietly, almost as if speaking to herself.

"And he had lived for a very, very long time, feared by many and worshiped by some, regardless, he had been alone for a long time...I can only imagine how lonely he must be, then again, Evereth might not have known what lonely was untill he met me..."

Her voice faltered for a moment, the weight of memory creeping into her tone. "He found me to be precise. I must’ve been seven or eight at the time, I don’t remember much, but I remember my father had died in a hunting accident and my mother... she fell ill and passed not long after, perhaps she was brokenhearted, doesn’t matter, in the end I was left alone."

She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the fabric of her sleeve.

"You know... people back then weren’t like they are today," she said quietly. "Maybe it was the world we lived in. The land was harsher. The danger was everywhere. It hardened people’s hearts, made them colder... crueler."

Her fingers tightened slightly around the sleeve, as if she were holding on to something slipping away. "In a world where survival was a daily battle, kindness felt like a luxury most couldn’t afford. And overtime... cruelty became the norm."

The girl sighed, her shoulders slumping under the weight of memory. "In my tribe... if you couldn’t contribute, you were considered a burden," she said quietly. "After I lost my parents, there was no one left to look after me. And I was too young to offer anything of real value to the tribe..."

She drew in a shaky breath, eyes fixed on some distant point only she could see. "It didn’t take long before people started to look at me differently. Like I was a liability. A leech, draining their strength, their resources... their lives."

She paused, eyes distant now, as though she were seeing something far beyond the distance, something she had buried long ago, "So they abandoned me," she said simply. "Left me behind."

There was a long silence before she continued, her voice softer now, but steadier. "The world was different back then. It was wild, dangerous, and savage. The lands were filled with beasts that roamed freely. Giants still wandered the outer lands. No place is safe, and for a child, being left alone in that kind of world... it was the same as a death sentence." She gave a short, bitter laugh, not mocking, but worn.

"I wandered through that wilderness for a week. Just me, and the silence, and the cold. No food. No shelter. Every sound could have been the end of me. Every shadow looked like teeth. I remember being hungry, scared, cold... but more than that, I remember as if I’m alone in the world."

Her hands trembled faintly, but she smiled through it, a smile filled with both sorrow and strength. "But when you think about it now, for someone my age to survive that long out there... it was nothing short of a miracle."

Zhao Li Xin remained silent. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t offer comforting words. He simply listened. His eyes held no pity, just a calm, steady presence. And somehow, that made her feel lighter. She breathed a little easier.

Her voice grew brighter, the warmth of the memory slowly returning to her expression. "I was half-dead when Evereth found me. I don’t even remember what happened. One moment I was lying on the ground, too weak to move, and then suddenly... he was there staring at me. He was bigger than any beast I ever saw, very intimidating yet utterly beautiful, his scales sparkle like gems, and his eyes sparkle like stars. I should’ve been afraid. But I wasn’t, maybe I don’t mind being feasted by something so beautiful." She tilted her head, as if marveling at the mystery of it even now.

"Evereth just stared at me," she said, her voice softening as a hint of warmth crept into her tone. "And before I knew it, he reached down, picked me up in his claws, and carried me away."

She gave a faint, wistful smile.

"Honestly, I was terrified... but also strangely excited. I mean, who cared? I just let myself enjoy that rare moment of happiness, I thought I’m gonna be dead, anyway."

She paused, eyes shining with the flicker of an old, unexpected memory. "But to my surprise... he didn’t hurt me. Not even a scratch. On the contrary, he gave me food, a raw meat that is, but that’s for another story." She waves her hands and continues. "He also gave me fruit and water. He even used his dragon breath to warm up the cave so I wouldn’t freeze."

She exhaled slowly, her voice laced with quiet wonder. "He was a dragon... ancient, powerful... but in that moment, he was gentler than any human had ever been to me, isn’t that ironic?"

The girl looked up and smiled widely. "And from that moment on...he will always be with me." She gave a soft laugh.

"The truth is, I don’t know why he saved me. Maybe he was tired of being alone. Maybe he saw something in me. Or maybe it was just a whim, a strange, fleeting choice he made." She blinked her eyes, and her eyes glistened, not from tears, but from the weight of gratitude.

"But whatever the reason was, I owe him my life. Because of him, I found the safety that I thought it died with my parents, because of him, I never feel afraid anymore, and most of all, I never feel lonely anymore."

She opened her arms wide, as though embracing the invisible bond that tied them together. "And from that day, I decided, no matter what, we would always be together. Through storms and fire. Through joy and sorrow, we promise to become a family."

Her smile blossomed, it was soft and radiant, like sunlight that chased away the shadows that still lingered in her voice.

"So... when did it turn bad?" Zhao Li Xin asked, his voice calm, almost casual, with a note of certainty that came from experience.

The little girl shrank her head, "How did you know?"

"Because," Zhao Li Xin replied with quiet confidence, "That’s usually how it goes."

She let out a bitter laugh, and sadness filled her eyes. "Well... just like you expected," she murmured, "Nothing more deadly than human greed." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Her eyes dropped to the ground, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Years after that, I don’t know how, the chief of my tribe eventually learned about my relationship with Evereth. At first, they were amazed, curious. Then... they became greedy. They wanted to use Evereth’s power to dominate other tribes, to tame the beasts, to conquer the wilds. They begin to dream of ruling the world... with Evereth as their weapon."

She raised her chin, defiance flashing across her young face. "But I refused. I would never let anyone use my evereth, my family, like that!"

Zhao Li Xin nodded slowly. "And I’m guessing... they didn’t take that very well."

"They didn’t," she said, pursing her lips. "At first, they tried to be sweet. They told me I owed them; they said that because my parents were from the tribe, I was still one of them. They said how much they regretted abandoning me. Said they had searched for me the moment after they left me."

"It’s a lie, of course." Her voice grew hard."Because I remember. I had waited in the same place they left me for nearly a full day, but no one came! Eventually, a beast came and I had no choice but to run."

She took a breath, steadying herself as she wrestled down the storm of emotion. After a moment, she continued. "And then... when kind words didn’t work, they turned to threats. Not too much, of course, they were still afraid of provoking Evereth’s wrath. But they were relentless. Maybe they thought if they pushed long enough, I’d break. That I’d give in."

She lifted her chin slightly, a flicker of pride flashing in her eyes. "But I didn’t. I held my ground. I’m stubborn like that. I mean... what did they expect for a girl who survived a week alone in the wilderness? If I weren’t stubborn, do they think I would hold on long enough untill Evereth found me? RIDICULOUS!"

She let out a sharp snort, almost scoffing, but then her voice shifted, softening into something heavier. Somber. "But then..." she paused, her breath catching in her throat, "I don’t know who came up with this stupid, yet cruel idea. Who knows who planted that stupid thought in their head?" She clenched her fists, her voice beginning to crack with anger and frustration. "They thought Evereth stayed with me because he liked having a human child around. So... why not find another one to replace me?"

Her little jaw tightened. "So those idiots begin to search for someone like me, same hair, the same mannerism, even almost a similar voice. The only difference is the girl is obedient, and they thought their plan was perfect."

Zhao Li Xin let out a cold, humorless chuckle, not at her tragic story, but at the painfully familiar pattern. He wasn’t surprised by their shamelessness; he had seen it far too many times before.

Ever since he became the leader of the Hei Shen Sect, people had lined up at his door, each one desperate for his favor, eager to use him for their own gain.

They came from all walks of life, different genders, ages, and backgrounds, yet they all shared one thing in common: they wanted his power. For a long time, Zhao Li Xin believed that was simply human nature. Everything, in the end, came down to gain or loss, benefit or cost. Eventually, he stopped questioning it. He accepted it as the way of the world.

Until he met Lory.

Her expression crumbled, the weight of memory pressing down on her like a storm cloud. She clasped her hands tightly as if trying to hold herself together.

"One day... they used a girl who used to be my friend." Her voice trembled. "Can you believe that?"

She let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh, the kind that held no humor. "She came to me, all wide-eyed and urgent, saying she needed to talk about something important. She said the chief was planning something terrible that might hurt Evereth. She told me I had to come right away."

A flicker of pain passed through her eyes."But then... she reminded me not to bring Evereth. Said she was afraid of him, that this matter might make Evereth sad and upset, so I agree." She shook her head slowly, her voice barely audible, trembling beneath the weight of betrayal.

"That night, I went. Alone. I trusted her. I remember, at that time, she was the only one who cried when they left me behind. The only one who looked back at me, so I thought she was still that same girl, the one who used to play with me, laugh with me."Her voice cracked, and she gave a shaky breath. "I forgot... how shallow, how fickle the human heart can be."

She paused, eyes glazed, staring into the memory as if it were unfolding before her again. "They lured me deep into the woods. I didn’t realize something was wrong until it was too late. By the time I sensed it, I was already surrounded... ten grown men, waiting."

Tears slid down her cheeks, one after another, silent and unrelenting. "They beat a thirteen-year-old girl with sticks... again and again... until she was unrecognizable." Her voice was hollow now, as though detached from her own words. "Then they threw her broken body off a cliff... like garbage... to be devoured by beasts."

She didn’t sob. Her grief was quieter than that; it was deeper, restrained, and far more haunting. "But they forgot the beast sensed is sharp, and for the first kind, it was even sharper. Evereth smelled my blood, he heard my pleading voice, but when he came, I had already thrown off the cliff, but somehow, Evereth managed to clutch my lifeless body before I hit the ground."

She paused, her breath catching. "Evereth then place my broken and lifeless body to the ground, he nudged his giant claws to my body to see if I was still alive...but, I’m already dead"

She wiped the tears from her cheeks, then she drew a long, steady breath. "And that’s when hell breaks loose."