A/N I am so sorry for neglecting this fic. I hope this chapter is redemption for that. This chapter is going to be probably my largest chapter so far for this fic.

Content Advisory: This chapter is rated R for sexual content. I am just putting a warning on here so nobody is offended or anything like that.

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

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The castle had a presence about it that made people shiver. However, it was not the castle that made Dracia nervous; it was the person who was inside of it. She had run away from this city four years ago and now she had returned.

Two guards greeted them at the door and opened them. The hinges whined slightly and swung the doors apart, revealing a large entrance hall. The floors, walls, and ceiling were all comprised of jade, a seemingly fragile material. However, it looked to be in excellent condition. Two sets of staircases wound up the sides of the hall and led to a balcony that seemed to lead to a large chamber. Below the balcony was a hallway that went straight back for a few feet and then branched off to both sides. Taresin led all four of them up the left staircase.

The steps resonated their boots hitting them, sending soft twangs throughout the hall. Each step was constructed perfectly and was decorated with ornate carved figures. A figure that was present throughout all the steps was a snake wrapped around a rose. This seemed to be the royal crest.

At the top of the steps were two glass doors, each carefully guarded. Taresin approached them. "I am back from my mission. I failed unfortunately. However, you see these four people here? They healed my wounds and also wish to destroy the Hell Mages. As it stands now, I owe them my life, so they shall be my guests here in the castle. However, I need to make sure the king knows about them." Her voice had a commanding tone and a feel of superiority to it. She was of a higher rank than they were.

They both nodded and stepped away from the door. They did not open them for her. She pulled out a small crystal from a necklace around her neck and tapped it against the doors. They began to glow and then slowly opened. When the opening was large enough for all of them to fit through, they proceeded into the chamber.

Two men were present in the room, both bearing blond hair and dark blue eyes. As soon as Taresin stepped through the threshold, the man standing had her in his muscular arms, caressing her back and kissing her with all his being. He stepped half a step back but still held on to her. "I'm so glad you're alright," he whispered to her.

"I'm glad to see you too, Kanshei. Has everything been alright here?" Taresin looked warmly into her fiancé's eyes. It had been only a few days since she last stared into them, but those few days had seemed much longer.

Kanshei smiled lightly and stroked her shoulder. "Everything has been, well, normal." His eyes shifted to the other man, who was just now rising from the throne.

Taresin knew what this meant. The king had been behaving badly, with assistance from Carlin, a female Shade Knight, his fiancé. He was to be married in a month, just after his eighteenth birthday, and until then he was supposed to refrain from sleeping with Carlin, but lately he began to, and nobody put up much of an argument. They were in love, so it should matter little what they did in private. However, Kanshei and Taresin did scold both of them when they did misbehave, but only a light scolding. Those two were so cute together and it was hard to stay mad at them.

"I see." She glared with a smile at the king. Formalities between them and the king had been thrown out long ago. Kanshei and Taresin were like older siblings, so formalities had no use. "So, where is Carlin? Shouldn't she be here too?"

The king smiled. "She had business to attend to. Now, what brings you with those four here?"

"When I fought the Hell Mages I was badly injured and had to flee from Chentia, otherwise they would have caught and killed me. These people, without any offer of a favor, healed my wounds. They also seek the Hell Mages. Since I am in their debt, I believed it would be only proper to invite them to stay in the castle for the duration of their stay in Chentia. I do not believe they will cause any problems. So, do I have your permission to allow them to stay in the castle?"

The king, who was thin, but well built, walked up to Taresin and stopped next to her and Kanshei. Dracia noticed how all of them bore blond hair and dark blue eyes, and she was not the only one to notice this, but she was the only one to realize what this meant. She would have to speak up soon. Once the king got a good look at her----

"I see not a single reason to not let them stay here. After all, they did save one of my best bodyguards. However, I would like to get a good look at all of them." He began to walk a bit closer to them. Dracia had to speak up now.

"You are all Tentians, aren't you? And this city, Chentia, is also known as Tentia, if I am correct?" Her heart now raced. If she had kept her mouth shut, perhaps he would have overlooked her. No, he couldn't. He knew her face well and would have recognized it, if not today, then in another day or so.

Everyone in the room focused their attention on Dracia. The king spoke. "How do you know that?" he said, just realizing that she too had blonde hair and dark blue eyes.

Dracia's fists clenched slightly. She had to go through with this. If she did not, she would never be able to look at herself in a mirror again. She could not be a coward. "Dacian, I believe you know why." The king, upon hearing his name, walked up to Dracia and looked carefully at her. His eyes widened.

"Dracia?"

Dracia lowered her head and her muscles tightened. She was so afraid of this moment. She held her head up to look into Dacian's eyes. "Yes, it's me. I have returned."

Everybody, except for Dacian, gave her a surprised glance. What was she talking about? Dacian had on his face a look of anger, not surprise.

"It has been four years, Dracia, and now you decide to come back? Why? You disgraced our family and ruined our name. Our line of royalty should have never been broken, but you broke it." His dark eyes went cold. Dracia's did the same.

"I did not count on coming to the castle. I came to Tentia to rescue the daughter of Dancia's Regent Ander, Lady Felnei. We believe the Hell Mages took her and I came here, very hesitantly I might add. And I never planned on being a disgrace to this family, but I could not marry that man!" Her face was growing steadily crimson.

"It was not a matter open for you to discuss! You were the queen of Tentia and you threw that away just because you disliked the man you were to marry!" Dacian's face grew crimson as well.

"I barely knew him! At least you have your choice of women! I had no such courtesy!" She was nearly screaming at this point.

Dacian was about to yell again, but Trangan stopped him. "Wait a moment, please! First of all, what the hell is going on?" Trangan looked very angry and it seemed to be directed towards Dracia. She could not blame him. She had lied to him about almost every fraction of her existence. Now, she needed to tell him, even though he would most likely cease to be her friend. Let alone something more than a friend.

Dracia turned to Trangan with watery eyes. "I'll tell you everything. However, you will probably want me dead afterwards." She took in a deep breath. "I was the first born to Asiatus and Mariw Feletious and I was born a princess. My full name is Dracia Feletious, not Dracia Talson as I told you when we first met. Being the first-born, I was the heir to the throne. Dacian here, my brother who is four years my junior, was the second-born. We were the only children born to our parents.

"We were both brought up to rule, I more sternly than my brother. We quickly learned everything about politics in the kingdom and how to deal with them. We even had to rule the kingdom for a whole week by ourselves, although our parents kept a close watch. I seemed better at it, though Dacian was still a boy and had not learned the necessary skills that I had.

"When I turned was seventeen, I was given the title queen, although my parents still held more power than I did. With this title I gained new responsibilities, such as ruling the kingdom while they were away and deciding how to tax the people. I had been told that I would have to be married by my eighteenth birthday and that scouts were already looking over candidates, but at the time I was not worried. Two months before my eighteenth birthday, I met the man I was to marry.

"He was a handsome prince from some faraway country and he had a very pleasant outward manner. He charmed me from the start. However, as the wedding drew closer, I began to see a side of him I did not like. I told my parents, but they paid me no mind. So, on the day before the wedding, I ran away, and this is the first time I have ever returned." Tears had not yet fallen, but they seemed ready to.

Trangan's face had a very angry look about it. "You lied to me. Everything you told me was just a lie. How could you do that to me? To Felnei?" His voice was hard, but he was not yelling, yet.

"Yes, I lied, and I am sorry about it, but if I had to go through our first meeting again, I would not tell you anything different. And as for Lady Felnei, she knew everything. However, I could not tell anyone else about my past for a good reason, and that reason was to protect Lady Felnei.

"You see, many people want me dead, because even though I ran away from my royal duties, I am still the queen of Tentia regardless. It was my job to guard Lady Felnei with my life and if anyone knew about my being the queen, well, they would capture Lady Felnei and hold her for ransom; the ransom being me."

"So, that's why Felnei was taken. Because of you!"

"Yes, because of me. I don't know how people found out about me, but they obviously did, since when Felnei was captured, the captors left a note saying they wanted my head in exchange for Felnei."

Dacian interrupted. "So, why go after you? I am the ruler of Tentia now, not you. Why are you the one they want?"

"Because, I am a woman and the true ruler of Tentia. If they just go after you, I can still take over. They know that if I did, the kingdom would become much stronger and I would be hard to uproot. If they take me out first, you have nothing to fall back on, and you, no offense, are not a very strong leader. I admit that you have done a good job of ruling this city, but you are a man, and men can be manipulated much more easily. This has been proven many a time."

Trangan was nearly fuming. "Like you manipulated me."

Dracia took in a quick breath and realized that Trangan was correct. But she wished that he weren't. She did not want to lose his friendship, his kindness. She had grown attached to him. She loved--- She mentally shook her head. She barely knew him two months ago, so how could she feel that way for him? But, there was no other feeling to describe what she felt.

"Trangan, I never meant to manipulate you, I only wanted to protect you. These words are hollow, you probably think, but to hell with that! This is the goddamned truth! If you had gotten too close to me, you would have gotten hurt, and I see that you are hurt anyway. And, I was an idiot and screwed up my plan, because I got attached to you, I began to feel things for you. I love you!" She retracted immediately from the realization at what she had just told him. Tears fell down her cheeks uncontrollably. She took one look at Trangan's shocked face and lost it. She fled from the room, weaving through various passages, finally finding her room, left as she remembered it. She went inside, shut the door, and fell on her bed, crying to no end.

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Trangan stood in the spot he had been in when he yelled at Dracia, bearing a very shocked and confused look. Had Dracia just said that she loved him? He must have heard what she said wrong, but the line ringed loudly and clearly through his head: "I love you!" That small phrase had stopped his anger dead, as had it stopped his body. Every fiber of anger he had felt only moments before had dissipated into nothingness.

Everyone had shocked looks upon their faces. They heard what Dracia said just as clearly. Dracia never seemed the type of person to feel love and what she had said to Trangan made their thoughts of her turn upside down. They never expected it.

A sharp thud rang through the room. They all turned around to see what the noise was. Trangan was on his knees, still with his shocked look. What she had said must have been too much for him. Taresin and Kanshei, finally fed up with this, walked over to Trangan. Kanshei lifted Trangan up by his shirt collar and made him stand. In an instant, Trangan was back on the floor, but not for the same reason. He stood back up and noticed Taresin looked pissed. She had punched him across his face. "Trangan, you are an idiot! Why did you just stand there? Oh yes, we know what Dracia said shocked you, but you did not need to stay here for all this time!"

"What?" He was confused.

Taresin almost hit him again, but refrained. "Dracia said she loved you! She ran off right after she said it and you just stood there! She was crying and is probably crying even more right now! Don't you feel the same way about her?"

Trangan almost said "what" again, but understood this time. How did he feel for her? He must not have hated her, not even now, for his anger went away in an instant. Like was too weak of a word. "Yes," he whispered to himself. "Yes!" Everyone heard. He did love her, though his mind was still not clear on the why part of that fact.

"Then get your ass in gear and go comfort her!" Trangan responded immediately, asked where she would go, and then proceeded to find her.

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Her pillow was soaking with her tears and was still being soaked. She was curled up on the large bed, crying. Why did she have to tell Trangan that? That was a hidden thing, but it came out. Oh well, he already hated her enough as it was.

The door creaked open and then shut softly. Someone walked slowly over to her. She ignored them and kept crying. The person stood a few feet from the foot of her bed. "Dracia, please get up and let me talk with you." It was Trangan's voice.

"Why do you want to talk with me? I manipulated you, remember?" She still cried softly.

This was a side of Dracia he had never even imagined seeing. He would have to be gentle when he spoke. "I wasn't thinking at the time and I feel like an idiot. Please, Dracia, I want to talk with you face to face."

Reluctantly, Dracia pushed herself out of bed, stood up, and walked over to Trangan. His face had changed. It was now sad with watery eyes. "Thank you. Dracia, I didn't mean to yell at you. I just reacted on impulse, not giving you the courtesy you deserved. I am so sorry."

Tears ran slowly down her cheeks still. "You have no need to be sorry. I lied to you and I understand why you were angry."

"But telling me who you really were took courage. You knew I would react that way, yet you still told me."

"I had to. And, you should not take any blame for this. It was my responsibility to tell you who I really was. Now you know who I am, so I don't expect you to do any more than talk to me this one time."

Trangan stepped closer to her. "I don't care."

"What?" Trangan stepped close to her and placed his right hand on her cheek, stroking loose strands of hair.

"I don't care that you lied to me. I don't care that you're a queen. I don't care about any of it. All I care about is your feelings and how much I hurt them just a while ago. I never should have done that. You have feelings, the same as every other person, and I should have realized that. Dracia, I love you." He tilted her head and kissed her cheek, working his way to her lips. When their lips met, they shared a short kiss, and then they broke away. "Dracia, do you truly feel the same way about me?"

She didn't have to even think about it. "Yes." This time, they kissed for a long period of time.

Trangan's hands moved gradually from her face, down her chest and to the bottom of her shirt. He slowly moved his hands underneath the fabric and up her body. Her abdomen was smooth and soft, velvety almost. He continued up her body until he reached her breasts. Feeling the rounded flesh, he retracted his hands slightly. She had no underclothes on, like she usually did. This would prove much easier, since he would not have to delicately peel off every layer of clothing. He moved his hands up again and stroked the inside of her breasts and moved up to her neck. This would be the easiest way to remove her shirt.

As Trangan moved up her shirt, she felt around his waist for the top of his pants. They were easy to find. She took both of her index fingers, one on each side of his waist, and tucked them into the top, slowly working them downward. As she pulled them down, she moved her hands to the front of his pants, making it a bit easier to pull them down. Her hands brushed up against flesh, but it was not either leg. She smiled and continued to pull his pants down.

They had temporarily stopped kissing, making it much easier to remove clothes. Trangan pulled off Dracia's shirt at nearly the same time s Dracia pulled off his pants. It seemed Trangan had not been wearing underclothes either.

Next, they shoved off each others boots, letting Trangan's pants fall to his feet. Dracia worked on Trangan's shirt, feeling the rippling muscles as she worked her way up. Trangan took his time with her pants, slowly pulling them down. His shirt fell to his side. He was now completely naked, but Dracia still had her pants on. He sped up his pace and removed them.

The last thing to be removed was Dracia's hair ribbon. When that was taken out, golden hair fell to her waist. Trangan looked at her with a longing. She looked like an angel.

He lifted her up gently and placed her on the bed, kneeling beside her. She looked so graceful, so harmless without her clothes on. Her armor always made her appear strong and powerful. But, although she had a hard shell, she was soft and silky on the inside. His body tensed up in desire for her and he could tell her body had done the same. His whole being knew this was right, that he and Dracia were right, that no one would ever be able to compare to her in any way.

She breathed slowly, trying to calm her body down, but her heart beat too fast. She wanted this so badly, yet she wanted it to be a mutual want, not just her own desire. She hoped her body pleased Trangan, that it did not deter him in any way. Trangan inched closer to Dracia and wrapped his right arm around her neck, clutching a large handful of her golden hair in his hand. He searched her eyes for any hesitance, and found nothing but desire. He brought her lips up to his and gently kissed them. Her tongue pressed at his, wanting to dance with his. He obliged and their tongues mingled and played with each other. Just kissing her made his desire burn hotter and faster than he though possible.

He knew this was not the first time Dracia had been with a man, for with beauty such as hers, how could any man resist her? However, he did not care about that. She loved him, not some other man, and that was all he needed to be happy.

Dracia trailed her hand down Trangan's well-sculpted chest, running her fingers down slowly and teasingly. She went beyond his chest and abdomen and stroked him softly. He moaned lightly as she ran her fingers up and down, but he did not break the kiss.

Trangan did not want to tease Dracia, for she did not deserve that. She deserved to get what she wanted when she wanted it. He leaned Dracia back to the bed, keeping their lips together, and slowly moved inside of her. Dracia broke away from the kiss abruptly with a gasp. Trangan withdrew himself from her, thinking that he may have been wrong about her being with someone else. He may have hurt her. "Dracia, did I hurt you?" He stroked her fine hair.

Dracia's body was tense with anticipation. She needed him now. "No, and don't you dare stop." They resumed their kiss and Trangan made his way back inside of her. Each stroke he made inside of her elicited a moan or gasp from Dracia. Soon, Dracia began movements of her own, eliciting the same moans and gasps from Trangan.

They danced well past midnight, their bodies not wanting to separate. Climaxes had drained much of their energy, but when they could no longer continue, they laid on the bed, still connected. They kissed each other softly and fell asleep in each other's arms.

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Trangan woke and saw Dracia was still beside him, but she had separated from his body. It was not the most comfortable position the sleep in anyway. He stroked her hair lightly and felt happy. For the first time in years, he felt completely happy and nothing bothered him. He felt as if he could deal with anything now.

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A/N I re-did this chapter because the sex scene sounded kind of fake the first time around, so I hope this sounds a lot better. And thanks go to Chaosrayne for suggesting a part in that scene.