Saving The Abandoned Empress

173 “Cathain’s Gift”

“I-”

Cathain was stunned a little because of the sudden question, but Eleanora dragged him before he could confess.

“Forget it, I don’t wanna hear it anymore... Let’s dance!!!”

“Wait- Dance?!”

‘She is going to dance in the battlefield?!’

‘She is drunk for sure...’

But Cathain didn’t mind that and let her drag him near the bonfire.

“EVERYONE!!! LET’S DANCE!!!”

“...”

.....

Everyone was speechless as how could they dance without any music, that to in an open place like this?

But then suddenly a drumming sound was heard and everyone looked at Jennifer with astonishment.

Who had turned the big cooking pan upside down and used her hands to play it like drump.

Seeing his sister doing such an awkward thing alone, Cedrick decided to join with two spoon as a drumstick to play.

As they both played it together, the sound become quite pleasing to ears and soon, some knights joined the fun too.

‘They are insane...’

Dion thought as they looked at them, but then ended up playing with them too.

Where Cathain thought either he should sent them into music theatre instead of training them as knights.

Then Eleanora’s sparkling eyes came into his view, which was looking at him with anticipation to dance with her.

He looked around a little and felt it awkward to dance like this in the middle of a war.

The celebration was a awkward party at the first place, now dancing felt even more awkward.

“Let’s dance... Please...”

Eleanora hiccupped in the middle of her words because of the alcohol and because of the bonfire, her blue eyes looked more sparkling.

“If you don’t then am going to find another partner!”

Eleanora got mad as he was still standing without doing anything.

But her wrist was grabbed by him as soon as she turned and Cathain smriked at her.

“Don’t you dare, My empress...”

He pulled her closer to him as he threw his over coat, which was held on his hands away.

Eleanora gasped as he caught her waist strongly and gripped her hands into his, before they started to dance tango in a fast speed.

“YAAAYYY!!!”

“GO ON, YOUR MAJESTY!!!”

“SO BEAUTIFUL!!!”

The knights kept cheering for them as everyone enjoyed the night.

Specially Eleanora, who laughed happily after a long time.

She felt like all the fears she had till now was gone as she danced crazily with him.

Unlike those classic waltz they had danced till now, this tango dance with messy steps and weird music felt better to her.

Even the knights, who was afraid of their lives till now felt relieved and full of vigorous.

Even if they die in the next battle, they have no regrets as tonight, they have enjoyed the best moment with everyone.

Where, Cathain felt his heart beaming with happiness as he saw how happy she is.

‘I hope for your this smile to never fade away... And always be happy,’

…

It was already midnight when their celebration finally ended and everyone returned to their own rooms.

Cathain carried the sleeping Eleanora in her room but she woke up before he could put her down.

“Hey... Where’s my gift?!”

“...”

‘She still remembers this?!’

“Gimme my gift, otherwise i will tell that red eyed beast to eat you!!”

“...”

‘She is confused again... I shouldn’t let her drink again, specially when am not around!’

“Where’s....my giftttt???”

“Want it now?”

“YES!!”

Cathain put down Eleanora on her feet, before he bent down to speak again.

“I can’t give you the gift here... Shall we go out? I discovered a good place here,”

“LET’S GO!!”

“Okay... Keep your voice down, don’t wake up people.”

“Hmn!”

Cathain chuckled a little as he saw how obedient the drunk Eleanora is.

He took her hands and went out from the Scunthorpe Fort secretly.

Originally, he wanted to take her there after winning the war as if they can easily get attacked by leaving their camping fort.

He discovered this place in the map, when they was shifting here from Demacia and Ionia Fort.

“This is the real ‘Lake Of Promise’, the Rua’s royal mansion also have a similar artificial lake, which was created by copying this one.”

Cathain spoke as he stopped near a wide and deep lake, where the ducal house of the Valentino family was situated.

But as the first emperor divided the empire into kingdom and created the Valentino empire, that ducal house got gradually abandoned by the next generations.

After going through thousand years, there is no sign of that ducal house anymore; only that lake remained.

The moonlight shone upon the lake’s water and Eleanora stared at it with amusement.

“I really like it... It’s so beautiful...”

“But i heard it’s a artificial lake,”

“Does that matter?”

“...”

Cathain was speechless but at the same moment, he found their conversation rather familiar.

It was not the first time...

Like he have spoke this same words to her before this too.

‘Why did i felt like that?’

Cathain thought but then decided to not think much about this unnecessary things and approched her from behind.

“Close your eyes,”

“Is it my gift?!”

“...Just close it!”

“Okay, Okay!!”

Eleanora spoke as she closed her eyes in excitement and Cathain took out a locket from his pocket.

The locket was crafted by Cathain with his fire magic from a red mana stone.

It had the shape of a crescent moon, as the stone was red; it looked like a bloody crescent moon.

.....

“Now you can open it...”

As soon as Eleanora opened her eyes, she looked at her neck to see the locket.

“It has my mana, so you won’t be cold anymore as long as you hold it with your hands.

Concentrate to fuse your own mana in it, this way it won’t run out magic no matter how long you use it.”

Cathain was concerned about her health as he saw how she kept on smoking herbs to keep herself warm.

Even if it was herbs, smoking is still bad for health.

That’s how he came up with the idea to create a locket with his burning fire mana, which will work better then smoking herbs.

“Why does it looks so ugly?”

“...What?”

Cathain was stunned to hear that the locket was ugly, but he couldn’t deny it as it was his first time doing this.

“A-Am sorry... I don’t know how to do this... So-”

Smooch

Eleanora held his cheeks with one hand to pull him down as she tiptoed to kiss his other cheek lightly.

“...Thank you for this, for thinking about me,”

She spoke with a bright smile and Cathain kept staring at her blankly.

He didn’t expected her to like it this much, let alone giving him a kiss even if it’s on his cheek.

He felt his heart racing and found himself approaching her more closer.

“Elee... Will you remember what happened today, after you wake up tomorrow?”