The Crown's Fire - Chapter 188

Chapter 188: Dream Catcher
Ezekiel halted in his trance and turned back to approach Cora. “Announce my presence to Queen Regent now and tell her that I want to have dinner with her inside her carriage.”

Cora blinked rapidly and responded, “I will do, Your Majesty.” She curtly bowed and began to walk past him, but Ezekiel added, “Also, get Aurum back and let it stay with you throughout the journey.”

She turned to look at him, starting to protest, “Your Majesty, I—”

Before she could continue, Ezekiel cut her off, “That one bargained a deal with me. Bear with it for now until the Global Summit ends. If you truly think you can’t handle the responsibility, then I will personally get it back from you, Cora.”

She shrugged and replied in a low tone, “I will do as you say, Your Majesty.” Ezekiel watched as Cora approached Katelina’s convoy, patiently waiting in the same spot.

Soon, Cora returned and said, “Please follow me, Your Majesty.” With a knowing smile, she added, “The Queen Regent was quite surprised, but she gladly accepted your presence for dinner inside her private… carriage.”

Instantly, Ezekiel’s face lit up, and he quickly gestured for Cora to walk faster toward Katelina’s carriage, as if it were his first time there.

Inside, Katelina greeted him with a curt nod. “Your Majesty.”

There was already food on the small table, and he sat opposite her. “Let’s have dinner first. I have something important to discuss with you later,” Ezekiel hummed. Ignoring Katelina’s intent gaze, he started cutting the roasted meat and put some on her plate, including the side dish and mashed potatoes.

“Hmm, do you want me to sit beside you to have a closer look at my face?” Ezekiel teased, noticing how Katelina was still staring at him. He grinned, seeing how she blushed so hard. “You look so lovely with those red cheeks,” he remarked.

Katelina quickly forked a piece of meat and said, “We should eat…” Ezekiel chuckled and then started eating with her.

Meanwhile, Katelina’s heart was racing. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she felt a mix of excitement and nerves. When Cora informed her that the king wanted to have dinner with her, she was utterly shocked. When did he even arrive? No one sensed his presence at all.

Then it dawned on her…

She frowned in the middle of their meal and directly asked, “Can you also turn invisible, Your Majesty? I’m sure Lady Cora already informed you about Aurum, and it turns out he can turn invisible. The dragon inside of you is of the same race…”

Ezekiel smiled and said, “Yes, I can turn myself invisible, like this.”

Katelina gasped when Ezekiel suddenly disappeared and then reappeared.

“You… Were you with me all along? That flapping sound last night and this morning? Including the voice I heard just this late afternoon?” she asked in quick succession. So she wasn’t hallucinating after all?

Ezekiel simply nodded, not denying her questions.

“I couldn’t help it because I was so worried. My dragon Khal told me that my presence alone could help you feel at ease since you’re Khal’s twin flame. And it worked last night. Didn’t you sleep straight and peacefully?” Ezekiel explained.

Katelina’s face contorted as she pointed out, “I drank Lady Cora’s potion last night!”

“Do you want to bet tonight? I will help you sleep well without having a nightmare. If I succeed, I’ll become your personal sleeping potion and dream catcher. But if you still have that nightmare, I promise I won’t bug you and will only see you when you truly seek my presence first,” Ezekiel straightforwardly bargained.

Katelina parted her lips in disbelief at how shameless the king before her was. But what fascinated her the most was that she wasn’t annoyed by it, but rather entertained.

Composing herself, she narrowed her eyes at him and candidly remarked, “Aren’t you too shameless, Your Majesty?”

“Well, I’m only shameless around you, my Kate,” he chortled.

“I can’t believe you are bargaining like this with me,” she complained. She knew she could easily just say no and tell him to leave her alone. But…

“Are you scared?” Ezekiel challenged.

“What you are suggesting is too improper! I am the Queen Regent. Sleeping with a man? Do you want to tarnish my name and create a scandal, Your Majesty?” she reasoned, wondering why she wouldn’t simply say no to him.

Ezekiel had a cheeky smile as he said, “I don’t mind a scandal, my queen, as long as it’s with you. I am more than willing to take responsibility for you, Kate.”

There was no point in reasoning with this man at all!

He leaned forward and cupped her cheek with his palm. His face was so close to hers, and her body didn’t even follow her mind’s command to back away.

“Stop worrying now, my queen. Let me leave for now so people will see that I left your carriage… But later, I will come back in my invisible form, and then you can decide if you want to kick me out or not.”

After saying that, he even winked and then got out of her carriage, leaving her utterly speechless. Apparently, her body was not following her rational head at all.

She shook her head, trying to focus on finishing her dinner. The thought of Ezekiel’s proposal lingered, making her heart race with a mix of excitement and apprehension. Could he really help her sleep peacefully without nightmares? And why did the idea of him being close bring her a strange sense of comfort?

Her thoughts swirled as she finished her meal. She cleaned up, preparing for the night ahead. The camp outside was settling down, and the sounds of the wilderness grew louder as night fell. She could hear the occasional murmur of the guards and the rustling of leaves.

Katelina settled into the plush, custom-made bed in the expansive royal carriage, her thoughts swirling. She gazed up at the ceiling, mentally replaying the events of the evening. While her logical side urged her to dismiss any notion of his return, a spark of curiosity, almost tinged with hope, lingered within her.

Katelina gulped as she turned at the carriage door. “Will he truly sneak inside my carriage?” she whispered with a frown. The audacity of King Ezekiel both frustrated and intrigued her.