Kel found herself falling asleep in the carriage often during the coming days of travel.
It seemed Calix intended to ravage her thoroughly and completely every single night without fail, until the point Lucy felt the need to pull him aside and give him a lecture.
Kel overheard them once just outside the inn the party had stopped at for the night.
"Ke-I mean, Her Majesty is not superhuman! You need to let her rest once in a while!" Lucy was in the middle of scolding an unimpressed Dragon Emperor.
"I believe that's between me and her, not you," the man insisted with folded arms.
"Why don't you just go take a bath or something and handle your little 'problem' on your own instead of exhausting poor Kel!" Lucy shot back.
"Problem?" Calix's voice grew dangerously icy. "What exactly are you trying to imply, Dame Lucille?"
Lucy bore her teeth.
"No normal man-"
"I-I don't mind!"
Kel suddenly stepped in, feeling like Calix may inflict a drastic punishment on the woman again if she didn't say something.
"Eh?"
Both Lucy and the Emperor turned to her, their eyes still ablaze from their argument.
"I don't mind," Kel repeated. "That the Emperor and I.. well, you know.."
If she was being completely honest, saying she didn't mind their nights spent with bodies entangled was a massive understatement.
Somehow, she became weak thinking about it.
The way Calix carefully explored every inch of her body, stopping to swirl around the parts that made her flinch the most. And when his fingers were no longer enough, he'd use his tongue. Licking, caressing, and suckling each sensitive place on her skin.
Eventually, he'd bury himself inside of her, and she'd cling to him while he rocked back and forth. At some point, she too had begun to feel the intense hunger that Calix always complained of.
The desire to devour him. Or to be devoured by him.
She didn't know which it was.
"Kel.." Lucy trailed off, her gaze softening. "It's not normal to sleep all day like you do. You're wasting too much energy on this wolf."
She shot Calix a sudden glare, who gave her a look of warning in return.
Dame Lucille was on thin ice.
She was usually well aware of how far she could go--how far she could push the Emperor--and was careful not to overstep those bounds.
But for Kel, a girl who'd just barely become an adult, trapped by the lustful clutches of a vicious tyrant, she had no choice but to stand up.
Kel tried to speak up again and ease her friend's worries, but Lucy put her hand up and spoke, ignoring the murderous aura erupting from the Emperor behind her.
"I will drag the medical officer into this if I have to," the woman warned. "He may even suggest separate sleeping quarters for the remainder of the journey."
Calix opened his mouth and closed it again. His hands curled into fists at his sides.
Kel knew Lucy had him in checkmate. Even an Emperor couldn't supersede the orders of a doctor. Especially concerning the health of the future Empress.
"State your terms," Calix growled through clenched teeth.
"What was that?" Lucy turned to face him, her hands on her hips.
She was clearly pleased to have won this round.
"I said, tell me what it is you want me to do!" the Emperor barked.
Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Just keep it short," she shook her head as she turned to leave. "And not every single night! Give the poor girl a break!"
"... Fine." Calix stood glaring at Lucy's back while she walked away.
Kel on the other hand, had reached a level of embarrassment she didn't realize was humanly possible. Judging by the scorching heat in her cheeks and sweat on her brow, her face probably resembled a tomato by now.
"Are you feeling shy?"
It seemed Calix had made a very quick recovery from his rage and found it within himself to tease her.
"If Lucy went so far as to talk to you, then that means," Kel whispered, ".. they all know."
"Hmm? Who's they?" Calix probed, tilting Kel's chin up toward him.
"E-Everyone," she stammered, jerking her head out of his hand. "Everyone knows about us."
"Shall I gouge their eyes out then?"
Kel paused.
"How would that even help?!"
"Wouldn't it make you feel better?" Calix shrugged.
"No," Kel frowned.
She couldn't tell if the man was joking or not, but knowing him, he probably wasn't.
"It would make me feel better right now," Calix gnashed his teeth.
Ah. He was still angry.
Kel didn't know what to say to him. She, herself, was still feeling unbelievably embarrassed by the whole thing.
Having any sort of private life was a first for her, and the idea of so many people knowing about it was just too much.
".. I'm sorry, Kel."
Calix spoke again, this time in a kinder voice.
"This was my fault."
"Eh? N-no!" Kel immediately jumped in. "It wasn't your fault!"
"I should have restrained myself better," the Emperor went on. "I don't know why I lose all self control when it comes to you."
"Well.." Kel lowered her voice. "It's not like I disliked it.."
"Those are dangerous words, Kel," Calix chuckled, taking a step back. "Especially to a man who just admitted he can't control himself around you."
"Huh? Oh!" Kel blushed again as she realized what she'd just said.
Apparently, Calix wasn't the only one with a lack of self control.
It seemed strange to her, though, that she'd never experienced such unwholesome desires before now. Even nights spent sleeping in the same tent as other soldiers or sharing a bed with Dash, she'd felt nothing.
It wasn't until she met Calix that she realized her heart could pound so hard with a single thought or discovered the strange flitting sensation that took over her stomach every time he touched her.
Was she incapable of feeling that way toward someone until now, or was her heart just waiting for the right person?
Perhaps, it really did have something to do with the ancient blood running in both of their veins.
But in the end, all she knew was that she was a girl in love for the first time.
And Calix.. well, twenty-eight is a bit old to have a first love, but he seemed like a boy in love for the first time too.
"Anyway," Calix interrupted Kel's thoughts.
"It seems we'll have to find something else to entertain ourselves with. For now."
