Lady Ronnie woke up as soon as the sun came up. First, she felt guilty for falling asleep in the middle of the shift, but then she smelled something cooking. She saw a campfire heat her cauldron, the smell made her mouth water. She was about to compliment her squires when she saw they were still asleep.

Her blood froze.

Lincoln was not in the tree where she left him. He just waited for they to sleep to escape. At that moment, he should be coming back with more dragons to kill them. It was then that she heard the sound of the river water.

There, she saw her prisoner bathing. She blushed at his muscular, defined body, his toned abs and the way his hair become when wet, and... the dagger in his chest?

"Good Morning!" He greeted, coming out of the water. "I see you like to get up early, too."

As soon as he came out of the water, he again exposed his whole body, but soon wore a tunic apparently made from leaves of trees. As he approached, she looked again into his deep green eyes, his warm smile...

He possessed something that expressed nobility, whether by his appearance, his posture, or even his manner of speaking. If she did not know what he really was, she might even be attracted to his attributes, but she was stronger than the desires of her body.

She returned to reality and drew her sword in a defensive position.

"How did you let go?"

He just smiled arrogantly and continued to walk toward her.

"This has a glaring flaw." He pointed to the dagger in his chest. "As much as it keeps me from transform, I'm still physically stronger and tougher than the three of you together."

"And why did not you leave?"

"If you have forgotten, we have an agreement, and a gentleman does not go back on his promise."

"Do you really consider yourself a gentleman? It's a lot of petulance on your part."

"Well, anyway, my stew must be ready by now, and we're going to need all the energy we can to get in the cottage before the party."

Ronnie stopped to think. That seemed a little suspicious.

"What are you talking about?"

"In three days, it will be one of my sisters' birthday, and I intend to attend. Maybe Rocky and Lana might be invited, but you do not seem like the kind of person who socializes with other people."

"I know how to socialize. With PEOPLE."

"Wow, that hurts. Why is it so hard to accept that we are people too?"

"You are monstrous aberrations that destroyed the kingdom years ago. How can I believe you are people?"

Lincoln was really hurt. He looked at her with a look of regret as she stared at him with hatred. They just stared at each other, not moving a single muscle, until Lana interrupted them.

"Morning, guys!"

They quickly changed to a more friendly attitude, both had their reasons to make the girl happy. At that moment, they noticed that Rocky was also awake, but had returned to his silent attitude.

The four ate the meal prepared by Lincoln, and even Lady Ronnie had to admit that the food was excellent.

After the morning meal, they clean the camp and store their things.

They prepared to leave when Rocky made an observation.

"Lady Ronnie, we only have three horses. How's Mr. Lincoln going with us?"

"Well, one of us will have to share the horse with him. I see no other way to solve the problem."

"Actually, you will not have to." Lincoln put some of the luggage on his back. "If you do not remember of yesterday, I can run as fast as your horses. In fact, you must accompany me. If we follow the route I've chosen and go as quickly as possible, we should be at the cottage in two days.

"Is not that going to ruin your plans?" Lady Ronnie assumed a mocking tone.

"Do not worry about it. In a few days, we'll probably be back to our routines."

The four of them rode on, with Lincoln moving faster than the horses. Lady Ronnie was a little annoyed by the presence of Lincoln in the group, but she had to admit that he was useful. Not only did he know the way, but his attitude gave them a sense of security.

Most impressive of all was the fact that he had the dagger in his chest for all this time and still managed to maintain his pace. He seemed to be willing to continue with the dagger if it made them trust him. He was somehow adorable and stupid at the same time.

At the end of the day, they stopped at the base of a mountain, where there was a small clearing, protected by trees on one side and the mountain on the other. They were about to prepare a small area to rest when Lincoln realized they would not prepare a campfire.

"Look, I wanted to understand that. Why do not you make campfires? And eat that food that does not need to be cooked?"

"Are you crazy or what?" The knight was furious with the comment. "We are a secret group in enemy territory. If any of the other dragons see a fire, they'll know we're here!"

"Hahahahaha!" Lincoln laughed so hard that he even started to cry. "My lady, I do not want to be disrespectful, but this is the dumbest thing you've said since we met. Tell me, have you ever seen another dragon besides me or my sisters? Or did you see any dragon in its beast form besides me?"

She was speechless about it.

Even in her travels through the other kingdoms, she has never seen a dragon, not even in the distance. She had seen paintings and statues, and had imagined what it would be like to face a dragon. Not to mention the "Fury", her fight with Lincoln the day before was her only experience with a dragon. Something was wrong.

"How do you do that? How can you hide your true forms?"

"Look at me."

For a moment she was confused. Since she'd seen him naked the day before, she'd avoided looking at him. However, she did not understand what he meant. Even if she found him attractive, he was nothing different from a normal human.

And that's when she understood.

"THAT is your true form. You only change when you have to!"

"Now you understood." Lincoln was radiant. "Normally, we are exactly like humans, but when it is necessary, we appeal to the beast form. Even in Dragon Domain, we walk the territory in our normal form. It is not as if we are winged beasts all the time, so avoiding the comfort of a campfire for fear of being sighted is stupidity. There are few of us who live in houses, so campfires are so common that I doubt anyone will be suspicious of any "secret mission" going on."

"And how will I know it's not your trick to ambush us?"

Both squires looked at her in complete disbelief. After all, she was still wary of Lincoln.

"Well, with all respect Lady Ronnie, can you explain what's going on here?" Rocky could not remain silent anymore.

"What are you talking about?"

"It does not seem just prudence of you." Lana assumed a reproachful tone and crossed her arms. "It's as if you have something personal against the dragons."

The knight was offended, but eventually recognized that her squires deserved to understand why she was so aggressive toward Lincoln. She sat down and told them to sit down too.

"It's ok. If you really want to know, then yes, I have a deep hatred for dragons. When I was a child, my father was one of the greatest Silent Knights, and eventually died during the "Fury", protecting our kingdom. Then, years ago, my brother was sent to Dragon Domain on a diplomatic mission, of which only two knights returned, counting how they were wiped out as soon as they arrived without having time to negotiate."

Although Rocky and Lana were perplexed by the story, Lincoln was irritated. He knew what had really happened on that "diplomatic mission," but he now understood why Lady Ronnie hated his kind. Even if he did not like to know that she believed in this version, he could not help feeling sympathy for the knight.

He then knelt down and put his hand on the dagger's haft, making them all look at him. With a tug and a groan of pain, he removed the dagger, and held it out to the knight.

"If you really think killing a dragon will solve your problems, then get it over with. I will not resist." He pointed to the forest. "In that direction you will find a river. Follow the course of the river and you will arrive at a lake that is in front of the cottage of the princess. I only ask that, after you kill me, you stop this crusade of revenge."

Lady Ronnie picked up the dagger, still stunned at what was happening.

She had realized how much Lincoln looked foolishly kind, but that was totally stupid. At the same time, she could not help but feel admiration that he was willing to die for his people. Before she could say anything, Lana ran ahead of him, raising her arms to blocking him with a determined look.

"If you're going to kill him, you'll have to kill me first!"

The knight was surprised. She realized that the squires seemed to still like Lincoln even after they knew what he was. Even so, she did not understand why Lana was so willing to protect the dragon.

"Okay, let's calm down." She accepted her defeat, and threw the dagger to the ground. "I do not trust him or his kind, but since you two are so willing to trust him, I'll leave my personal opinion aside and try to give him a chance." She then stared at Lincoln. "Since you do not think we're in danger, what do you suggest we do?"

"Well, to begin with, I'd have them fetch the wood while you prepare things for a roast, and in the meantime I'd go in the woods to get some animal to eat."

The knight had to agree that biscuits, fruits, and some vegetables were not enough for a full-day effort, especially for not stopping at all during the whole day.

She accepted the proposal and told Rocky and Lana to get as much firewood as they could. Lincoln left his cloak and entered the forest, returning only a few minutes later, with a wild pig not much larger than a medium-sized dog, without the skin and apparently washed.

"Not that I'm interested in your life, but are you a savage or an intellectual after all?" She tried not to show it, but she still had difficulty looking at him without getting lost in thoughts about the lad.

"A bit of both. When I was a kid, my father taught me how to hunt and how to fight to protect my sisters, while my mother taught me how to read, write, and take care of a home."

"The best of both worlds, huh?" She stopped to think. "Every time you mention your family, you talk about sisters. Do not you have brothers?"

"Nope. Of all eleven of us, I am the only man, having five older sisters and five younger sisters."

"Wow, did not your parents have any hobbies? I do not want to imagine what it's like to live with so many people in the forest."

"We do not live in the forest. It's like I said, some of us live in houses, while others are content to set up camp in different places, a sort of nomadic way of living."

"So your family has a house? And where exactly do you live?"

"Actually, very close to where we're going. As I said, it's the birthday of one of my sisters, so I've chosen a route that is beneficial to both of us."

"You seem to care a lot about your family."

"And why not? We're a family, are not we? What are the brothers for?"

She got a little depressed right now. She paused to think about how devastating it was to lose her big brother years ago. She almost did it with five girls, two of whom she had already frightened. Assessing the situation, she began to question if she was not the monster of the group.

Rocky arrived bringing in a good amount of logs and twigs, and began to set the fire, while Lincoln seasoned the wild pig. Lady Ronnie was impressed to find that Lincoln had seasonings in pockets inside his cloak. However, she was more impressed when Lana came back carrying an absurd amount of logs.

She did not seem to be having difficulty with weight, but with balance. Even after discovering that Lana was strong enough to always beat the other squires, even whem outnumbered, she had no idea how strong the girl was.

Although she liked Lana, she began to find the girl suspicious. Strength, ability, willingness. After discovering that dragons walked naturally between people, she began to be suspicious.

As soon as the wild pig was ready, they feasted. Even though she was of noble family, the knight did not restrain herself while eating. She could not tell if it was the meat or the seasonings of Dragon Domain that Lincoln had used, but that was the best roast she had ever eaten. Lana, on the other hand, had even less manners and looked like an animal eating. Even Rocky, who spent most of his time passively, was advancing voraciously against the food. Lincoln, on the other hand, showed perfect self-control and refined manners when eating.

As soon as the meal was over, both Rocky and Lana fell like stones in their sleeping bags. Lady Ronnie was about to get ready for bed when she saw that Lincoln was going into the woods carrying some wood.

Intrigued, she followed him silently, hoping to be able to speak to him privately when he stopped. From behind a tree, she saw him head for a hot spring at the base of the mountain, and light a small fire in front of the water. He undressed and hung his cloak and tunic on a nearby tree, and went into the water, closing his eyes and immediately assuming a serene expression on his face.

That gave the knight an idea.

She also took off her clothes, and hung them in the same tree that Lincoln had hung his.

"Hey, do you mind if I come in?"

As soon as he opened his eyes, Lincoln was surprised by the sight of the beautiful knight's body. Her soft curves and set muscles, her firm breasts practically staring at him. He immediately placed his hands under the water, in the region of his waist, his face became as red as the flames that he released the day before.

"Oh, do not tell me the young man with ten sisters has never seen a naked girl?" She teased him, slowly approaching the water.

"I-it's not the s-same thing. They are my sisters. Dragons are not attracted to relatives."

"So you you think I'm attractive?" She took on a sensual stance and a seductive look, making him even more red.

"W-well, it's just... I mean... you... dammit."

She put aside the seductive attitude and went into the water, which reached her neck as she sat down.

"Relax, Lame-o. I'm just messing with you."

Lincoln was panicking. In an instant she wanted to cut off his head, and in the other she was flirting with him.

It was impossible for him to understand what was going on inside the knight's head, but still he could not help looking at her. He always had problems with girls, but they were always attracted to him. None of them had put a sword and a dagger into his chest the same day. Incredibly, he found that aggressiveness appealing.

For a while they were silent, Lincoln embarrassed as Ronnie stared at him with hungry eyes, a defiant smile on her face. Seeing that he did not react for some time, she decided to break the ice.

"Lincoln, if I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?"

"What do you mean?" He was taken aback by the question. "I know you do not trust me, but I did not lie at any time."

"No, it's not something you said, but something you did. I want to know what's between you and Lana."

Lincoln's blood froze. He believed in sincerity, but this was Lana's secret, not his.

"What do you mean?"

"It's more than clear that there's something between you. The way you look at each other, the gentle way you talk to her, and how she imposed herself a few hours ago when you did your great selfless act. I do not know what you want, but I must remind you that she's only sixteen."

As much as Lincoln wanted to keep Lana's secret, he could not let Lady Ronnie insinuate that he was trying something dirty with his little sister.

"(Sigh) Okay, but you have to swear by your title of Silent Knight that you will not tell anyone, not even your king, unless Lana allows it."

The knight was caught off guard. She wanted answers, but now he was demanding something that would morally oblige her to hide something from her kingdom.

"It's ok. You have my word that I will not tell anyone unless Lana allows it."

"Well, if you're okay, then fine. The truth is... Lana is my sister."

"And with "sister", you mean..."

"Exactly. My younger sister, five years younger than me."

She was a little surprised. After what happened earlier, it was understandable that Lana would stand in front of her brother, even if she pretended he was just an acquaintance.

"Wow, this is surprising. I never imagined that we would have a dragon at the Academy. If I may ask, why has your family enrolled her at the Academy?"

"It's her dream. Years ago, our older sister, Lori, met a Silent Knight and ended up having a link with him. After that, Lana wanted to be a knight, just like him.

"Sorry, but what is this "link"?" She began to take an interest in the story. It is not every day that a dragon is willing to tell you about the secrets of its kind.

"It's something that happens to us. When we fall in love, it is something definitive, for all life. We simply can not live without the person with whom we created the link, and we will do anything to make the other person happy."

"I must admit, I did not expect this from you." Lady Ronnie was beginning to sympathize with the dragons. "It sounds like something really wonderful."

"Well, I believe it is, but personally I find it somewhat uncomfortable while it does not occur."

"As well?"

"Until a dragon create a link with someone, we emanate a certain pheromone that attracts the opposite sex, to have a way to begin a relationship. In my case, it seems that I have some problem with mine, because the girls do not stop chasing me. It has reached the point where I use seasoning in my cloak to try to go unnoticed in the capital."

Lady Ronnie now understood why she was attracted to Lincoln. She was drawn to his body by being a potential candidate for him. She had already had problems with gallants and their indiscreet proposals, but she could not imagine what it must feel like to be harassed at all times.

"If so, why do you insist on going to the capital? Any of your sisters can not go instead?"

"You've met Lana, have not you? My other sisters are not much different when it comes to temperament. Besides, I have to go to the Academy, and keep an eye on Lana."

"So that's how you met Sir Rusty and Rocky. Your sister must be very important for you to take such a risk. I can not imagine how Sir Rusty would react if he discovered her secret."

"Well, actually, he already knows. Both him and Rocky. In a training session in the woods with Rocky, she lost control and transformed in front of them. You can not imagine how much I had to beg for him not to oust Lana from the Academy."

"Now I understand why he recommended the two to this mission. Still, I do not understand how you persuaded him to keep your secret."

"Have you ever seen Lana's puppy eyes? It can melt a glacier. Besides, we've made a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"Although Rocky had sympathized with Lana and was willing to keep the secret, Sir Rusty thought the risk was worth some reward, so we agreed that I would give him some spicy grapes when it was time to harvest."

Lady Ronnie was shocked. She knew that Sir Rusty might be a jerk most of the time, but she did not imagine he could be so low as to extort a guy who would do anything to fulfill his sister's dream.

Still, she could not help but think she would do the same thing.

One of the most expensive products of the kingdom was the wine of spicy grapes, which only grow on volcanic soil, and the only volcano in the kingdom is exactly in Dragon Domain, causing the kingdom to import wine from other kingdoms. Getting fresh wine of the best quality to keep a secret seemed like a great deal.

"Still, it seems a bit unfair. I mean, I know it's important to your sister and everything, but that's relatively expensive. The last time I checked, these grapes cost one hundred silver coins per pound."

"Well, in the kingdom's markets, yes, but here in Dragon Domain is just a natural resource like any other. In fact, before the "Fury", there was a vineyard to supply the whole kingdom, but since the whole area became forbidden territory, the only peaceful solution that King Albert found was to buy from other kingdoms."

She noticed that he looked sad about it.

"You do not seem to be satisfied with this situation."

"Do you think I like hiding in my own kingdom? If it had not been for the current impasse, we would probably have overcome the "Fury" a long time ago."

"What do you mean?"

"As you may know, the dragon princess forbade any human to enter Dragon Domain after Sir Daniel attacked the king. What you do not know is that he did not die at the time, only some time later. While he was alive, she could rule the kingdom in his name, but when he died the authority was taken, until the next Dragon King be crowned.

"So, until she gets married, the dragons do not take orders from anyone?" She was intrigued. If the dragons had no command, then how come there has been no conflict in the last few years?

"Actually, there are two problems. First, tradition says that the eldest daughter only becomes queen if she gets married and there is no son, older or younger. Second, she may command the dragons, but she can not revoke the decree that was given with the king's authority. And even she is suffering from it, since she can not leave Dragon Domain while on temporary command."

"So you have a dragon prince too? I confess I'm surprised. Do you know him?"

"Well, you could say we're very close." He was now more confident and playful. "What kinda makes our alliance an act of betrayal, but he sure would let it go."

"So I'm being led by a big shot? How lucky I am. So that's why you live near the..."

She froze, realizing something crucial she had ignored.

"Wait, is your prince and your princess children of the Dragon King with Princess Rita?"

"Yes, exactly. As I said, she ran away with him, and they married in Dragon Domain."

"But then, your prince is not only the inheritor of Dragon Domain, but also the inheritor of the entire Silent Valley!"

"He certainly is, but he does not care. He has no intention of being king of either side of the kingdom. Just like me, he just wants to have a quiet life by reading a good book under a tree."

"You're telling me that he could claim all this territory, and he's not going because he just do not want to?" She was more annoyed than surprised. "He could put an end to this whole current situation by unifying the kingdom into one."

"Hey, I did not say he's not going to take over the kingdom, I said he has no personal interest in it. Even so, he knows we can not continue in the current situation, so as soon as possible, he will become king and then allow humans to enter and exit Dragon Domain again, even though he has responsibilities that keep him from leaving Dragon Domain."

"Wait, if he becomes king, can not you get out of here?"

"Unfortunately, the Dragon King must stay in Dragon Domain unless one of his relatives agrees to rule while he is away. And I guess after all these years of not being able to get out, his sister will not want to stay here."

Lady Ronnie felt bad for the prince's fate. On the one hand, he could end the conflicts between the two species, but then he would lose his freedom. Even though she was a knight, she knew she could come and go through the kingdom, and even refuse a mission if she did not agree. But what should it be like to be able to rule over the whole kingdom but not in he's own destiny?"

"Well, I guess I'm done here." Lincoln started to get up. "Do you mind looking the other way?"

"Come on." She said, getting up at once. "If you act like this when a girl stands in front of you, how will you create your "link"?"

"I've seen naked girls. As I said, women chase after me." He looked down, blushing violently. "It's just that... with you... I feel like... I want to keep looking."

This made her embarrassed, too.

She had never been praised for her appearance by a really sincere person with no second intentions. Although she did not want to admit it, she was actually feeling something stronger than distrust for the lad. Something hot, which left her breathless.

She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her guide's neck, staring into his eyes as she hugged him tightly.

"Tell me, how do you know you've already had that "link"?"

"W-when I realize I can not live without that person. When I can not think of anything or anyone besides her." He was trying to keep himself under control, but feeling her body against his own left him in another reality.

"Then I must have a link, because I can not stop thinking about you."

She began to kiss him violently, as if there was no tomorrow. He returned the kiss, their tongues struggling for control.

They stroked each other, their hands sliding freely without any restraint.

Lincoln put his hands on the knight's firm, soft buttocks, releasing a soft moan.

She decided to feel Lincoln's firm six-pack, her hands feeling each part of the Young man's firm chest.

They were in paradise.

Until her hands felt two scars.

She stopped the kiss. Her blood froze as she ran her hands over the marks her blades had left on Lincoln's chest. Her mind reminiscent of how she tried, relentlessly, to kill the man who was now giving her the best emotion she'd ever felt in her life.

From the moment she met him, he was gentle and kind to her, and all she did was treat him with disdain and hurt him. Even now, she could feel that he was really being sincere and kind, and not just feeling physical attraction. She looked him in the eye and saw the same sincerity she had seen from the first moment she saw him.

"Why?" She brought him back to reality, tears in her eyes. "Why do not you hate me? I tried to kill you. I used your sister and another kid to blackmail you. I spoke ill of your kind. How can you look at me without a single trace of anger?

He put his hands on her face, wiping away the tears. He looked at her tenderly, and smiled sincerely.

"I confess I felt angry at you when you attacked me. And I felt even more when tou stabbed me after I saved your life. But after you told the reason for hating dragons, the anger was gone. I know what it's like to feel angry when someone we love is taken from us, and I could not consider myself a good person if I thought ill of you because of it."

"You make it sound so easy. How do you deal with anger?"

"With love. I know that when I'm bad, I have my family to comfort me. Thinking about them gives me the strength to move on, no matter how. Do not you have anyone to vent your suffering with?"

"I do not let people come near me. It's been a long time since I stopped caring about my well-being. It all came down to avenging my family or dying in combat."

Suddenly he hugged her. Not to feel her body, but to comfort her. Their hearts beat as one. At that moment, she realized that she would do anything to feel this comfort every day.

Lincoln, however, felt he could not live without her. Even with her strong temper and seemingly unsteady humor, she was the only girl who had aroused his interest. The others flirted with him, even undressed in front of him, but he showed no reaction at all. He was desperately in need of the company of this moody knight, and would not want it any other way.

"Did you mean it when you said you could not stop thinking about me?" He hesitated, searching for the right words. "Because I think I'm feeling a link with you."

"Really?" She took on a smug face and a defiant look. "What if I did not mean it?"

"Then I will not leave you alone until you feel the same for me."

"All right, Lame-o." She lay on the floor, seductively inviting him to come closer. "Show me what you can do to make me love you."

"Are you sure you want this?" He approached slowly, his eyes full of desire. "We have to leave in the morning, and I do not know if I can hold myself after we start."

"So this is going to be a long night!"


Sorry to end like this, but I promise that will have other hot scenes ahead.

Tomorrow, I'll put the next chapter of Legend of Dragon Domain and also start the next arc of Earth Loudest Heroes.

The two are somewhat large, so I can not tell what time I'm going to post, because I'll have to finish translating.