The Dragon King's Heart

He turned to the balcony, just in time to see Laina and Margaret looking right in his direction. The Crown Princess and handmaid had been eavesdropping on their conversation the entire time. 

As soon as they were caught, they pretended to look elsewhere, until Florin called to speak to Laina. The Crown Princess was not expecting Florin to want to speak to her, so she was curious to know what it was about.

"What is it, Prince Florin?" Laina asked as she and Margaret casually returned to the table.

"I have made my decision," Florin reinstated.

"And what might that be?"

Florin got out of his seat and got down on one knee.

"Prince Florin, what are you doing?" Laina gasped in shock. 

Laina tried to get him up on his feet but Florin refused to do so..

"Whatever you wish to ask, speak your mind. But you don't have to do this."

Florin shook his head, "I know this is extremely bold of me. And quite honestly, I have no right to ask you to agree to my request. You have shown me great kindness, more than I could ever hope for. I hope that you would be willing to grant my one humble request."

"Florin," Laina said as she placed her hand over her heart, "If it is something within my power, I will make it happen."

"With your blessing, I wish to serve as your bodyguard. If you would have me, that is," Florin said as he bowed his head down.

Kol gasped in shock, "Florin, what are you talking about? Are you serious?"

At first, Laina thought she had simply misheard him. But she clarified with him and realized he was serious.

"But you're a prince, Florin. This… does not make any sense."

"I am merely a prince by name now, and should things in Sanguim change for the worse, my title would mean nothing. I am a skilled fighter, rest assured your Highness."

Laina turned to Margaret, seeking her opinion on the matter. The handmaid shrugged her shoulders. The vampire prince had been cordial throughout his stay with them. Furthermore, he got along well with everyone.

"With the recent lapse in security regarding your safety, perhaps having an additional bodyguard would be beneficial," Margaret justified the decision.

The handmaid was right. Just then, another reason popped up in Margaret's mind. She leaned in close to Laina and whispered it into her ear.

"This would give them the chance to grow closer to one another too."

Laina had not considered that until Margaret mentioned it. Further analyzing the situation, Laina realized perhaps this was the reason behind Florin's request in the first place. He wanted a way to remain in the palace and be close to Kol.

Becoming her bodyguard would be the quickest and easiest way to achieve this. Laina smiled as she got up from her seat. She invited Florin to the balcony so that they could speak in private for a moment.

Once they were alone, Laina got straight into it, "Is this truly what you wish to do?"

Florin nodded, "Yes."

Laina smiled as she looked out beyond the balcony, "You know, if you wanted to get close to Kol, there are many other ways to do so."

"What? No, your Highness. That's not… I…" Florin flustered as he attempted to defend himself.

But no matter how hard he tried to piece his words together, nothing seemed to work. Laina had hit it right on the nail. He could not deny it.

"Was it that obvious?" Florin asked as he placed his hand on the back of his head, a little shy as the truth came to light.

Seeing how flustered he was, Laina could not help but laugh. Laina and Margaret long had their suspicions but they did not want to interfere. After all, it was not their place to do so.

"Kol can be a little oblivious to these things. But give him time, push him a little, he'll come around," Laina advised him as she gave him a pat on the back.

"Back to the matter at hand," Laina continued, "I will fulfill your request."

Florin lit up with joy. But before he could say anything, Laina stopped him. 

"But in return, you have to fulfill my humble request. A simple barter trade, if you will," Laina explained with a grin.

"Fair. Anything the Crown Princess asks of me, I will fulfill to the best of my abilities," Florin replied.

Laina looked back into the room. She could see Margaret and Kol having a conversation with one another. Florin looked on to. She glanced over to Florin, to see him smiling.

Laina looked back down at the wine glass she held in her hands. With the situations that had transpired in the last few years, Laina had begun to cherish those close to her even more so than before.

She could not bear for anything to happen to them. So, she wanted to be prepared for any situation that might come. Laina did not know what spurred her to request it of Florin, but she knew it was what she wanted.

"If you are to become my bodyguard, I wish to assign you your first task," Laina said as she looked out into the night sky, " If things ever go south, I want you to protect and take care of Kol for me. No matter the cost," Laina said to him with a smile.

"Your Highness…"

"There may come a time, where I have to leave and I may never return. When that time comes, I hope that you will fulfill this humble request of mine," Laina said as she put down the wine glass and placed both hands on Florin's shoulders.

"Can you do that for me?" she asked.

Florin was taken by surprise by the Crown Princess's request. Hybrids and vampires had longer life spans compared to humans. Perhaps that was what she was referring to, so Florin took it as that.

"I will do my best, your Highness. I will fulfill your request," Florin said as he placed his hand over his heart.