The Soft-Hearted Prince and His Dragon, Chapter 8

Synopsis

After all the dangers, it turns out that mental cages can sometimes be scarier than physical ones. How does it feel for Sen to be in his human form after so long?

Story on Wattpad.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7

Chapter 9 comes out September 3, 2022, and ends our story.

8 - Sen

I sat there for hours, watching Galen sleep. He’d be alright—his wound wasn’t as nasty as it could’ve been. He didn’t need to suffer any injury had you not resisted turning into your human form, a little voice in my head said. It was true. Since I had shapeshifted anyway in the end, it was all for nothing. How did I allow myself to be so selfish? How could I let the fear of being rejected mess up with my values and expose him to such danger?

At times, those unjoyful thoughts were substituted by the urge of going back to my dragon form before Galen wakes up again. He said he liked me, but from my experience, that meant nothing after I shapeshifted. I fought the thoughts as hard as I could. He risked his life to stay by my side. The least I could do was to show him who he’s really staying with.

Galen growled and moved. I watched his sleepy eyes open and come into focus as he came around. “Hey,” he said, and I watched another wide smile spread across his face just as it did when he woke up before. His usually so melodious voice had a tinge of hoarseness in it.

“Hey,” I responded. My heart was beating wildly as if trying to jump out of my chest and run away. Somehow it felt more manageable to fight for my life than to stand in front of a man I cared for so much and show my real self. I wondered if other people had that, too.

I followed Galen’s look as it slid down his body. He blinked when he realized that he wore fresh clothes and that his side was bandaged in a piece of clean fabric. “I washed your wound and changed your clothes. I didn’t want an infection to get in,” I said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

For a moment I panicked, because talking to him made me forget to keep turning my head away. I didn’t want him to see. I didn’t want him to see it so badly.

“I appreciate it. I’ll attend to the wound as soon as I gather some strength, but… Sen, how do you feel?”

“I’m alright,” I shrugged. “I cleaned and bandaged my wounds, too, when you were out. A few of them were deeper, but nothing I won’t survive. My scales protected me well.”

Galen nodded, not interrupting his stare. “Sen, what is it?”

“What do you mean?” I looked away. I was not able to withstand his inquiring gaze.

“You can barely look at me. Is it about your scars?”

I didn’t answer, which I suppose was enough of an answer for Galen. “Show me,” he said, reached out for my hand and squeezed it. I squeezed back. Then I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I turned my face straight towards Galen. In the silence, my head was a disarray of old memories and guesses on what goes on through his head. While the left side of my face was smooth and tight, the right showed fire burns all over. It looked like a crumpled piece of clay. I opened my eyes again when a minute passed, and I still couldn’t hear any reaction.

Galen seemed to be waiting for that. “Come closer, please,” he asked softly and reached his other hand towards my face.

I was so surprised that I jerked away from him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered when I caught myself. I leaned forward again.

“Can I?” he asked.

I nodded. My chest was uncomfortably tight, and my breathing short and quick.

Galen’s fingers brushed against the injured side of my face and caressed it gently, examining the skin. It felt like being burnt alive, but something else was lurking underneath that terror. Was it… hope? I didn’t think I was still capable of that emotion.

“Closer,” Galen whispered again. Our faces were now only a few centimeters from each other. I could feel his warm breath on my skin and my chest so close to his. An image of our chests pushing against each other flashed through my head. My vision blackened for a moment from the amount of emotions trying to settle in my body. Galen’s eyes were gazing at me with a force of a summer storm. He lifted his head to bring his mouth to my ear. I shivered.

“I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you,” he whispered. “And I mean it. I know you might think that the scars make you repulsive, but your face is as dear to me as any ever was. And I can’t wait to explore and memorize every little piece of it. If you let me.”

He laid his head back down. At first, I didn’t have it in me to respond. Was this really happening? I stared at the man in front of me. I searched for something in his expression that would tell me he was only humoring me. But his face was soft, his eyes sparkling. Is it possible that he could see me and like me for who I was? Without thinking, I reached out towards his face and touched it. I was surprised when a laugh came out of me.

“What’s funny?” Galen inquired.

“Man, it’s so nice to be able to finally touch you,” I admitted.

“Dragon wings not good enough for human intimacy?” Galen responded and winked at me.

I could feel myself flushing, but I didn’t withdraw my hand. “That wink of yours is gonna kill me one day.” My voice trembled, and for once, I didn’t feel ashamed about it.

I ran my index finger alongside Galen’s cheekbone, down to his chin, and then up to the left corner of his mouth. The touch was light, but I instantly started sweating.

“Closer,” Galen repeated in a hoarse voice. I leaned over him again. I could feel my mouth approaching his before we actually touched. That fraction of a moment of being a few millimeters away from his lips and expecting the kiss was maddening. Our lips brushed against each other, and it was like thousands of fireworks exploded in my body. Galen’s kisses found their way to my face and down to my neck, driving me completely insane.

After a few moments, I forced myself to pull away. If I thought turning into my human form in front of Galen in the middle of a fight with Dikos Mas was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, I was wrong. Breaking this kiss was, I thought. And there was not even that much humor in there if I was to be honest. “We need to be careful about your injuries,” I explained and almost laughed at the disappointed look in Galen’s eyes.

“If that’s absolutely necessary,” he sighed, but I could see that he was tired.

“I’m gonna lie down here, right next to you,” I said and did so. I hugged Galen, being careful not to touch his injured side, and planted one more kiss on his neck. I never wanted to let him go.

He groaned at my kiss. “Just to make one thing very, very clear,” he said. “Next time you’re taking my clothes off, I want to be conscious.”

“I promise to make sure you’re up,” I whispered back. Galen’s laugh came out teasingly low.

Later, I told Galen about how the end of the battle went. Up to the last moment, I had believed, I would manage to handle it. But with more and more men running in, it had become clear this was too much even for me.

Even outside of the fight, turning into a human was terrifying. The form was bringing back way too many bad memories and traumas. So the idea of turning during a fight—especially with Dikos Mas—had left me frozen and numb. Only when I had heard Galen’s scream and had seen him take a cut, I realized that this time I couldn’t win. So I had planned to put him into the boat and send him down the stream on his own. Since we both had managed to stay by the river bend, it hadn’t been hard to get to the boat. I had been keeping the men away with my fire.

“But you were completely out. If there was any danger down the stream, you wouldn’t be able to take care of yourself,” I explained.

“So you shapeshifted. To come with me, to protect me,” Galen finished.

“I did.”

“Thank you,” Galen whispered. I could see he understood what a difficult decision it was. “And I’m sorry for being an ass about you coming for me in the forest. I felt guilty for putting you in danger…”

I laughed bitterly. “I feel guilty. If it wasn’t for me and my fears, none of this would—”

“Don’t say that,” he stopped me. “I chose to stay. And you have good reasons for your fears.”

I shook my head and wanted to protest, but he didn’t let me.

“We managed it together, like a team. I like that.”

“I like that, too.”

He squeezed my hand. I still needed to say more, though.

“Either way, thank you, Galen. If it wasn’t for you, I would have never turned and left that cave. Before I met you, I would have rather died in the dragon form than save myself by turning.”

“I don’t see how I changed that…” Galen objected.

“You did. Your belief that I deserve better made me think that perhaps I do. It planted a seed and nurtured it. And your stubborn insistence on staying by my side… Thank you for believing in me,” my voice broke.

Galen smiled softly. “How was it? To shapeshift for the first time in so long?”

“Terrifying. I thought I would vomit and black out,” I admitted.

“But you didn’t.”

“It was hearing your voice asking me not to leave you that kept me going through with this.”

Galen put his hand on my shoulder and planted a light kiss on my cheek. I was amazed by how easy it was for him to initiate physical contact. I hoped one day it would come as easy to me.

“How does it feel now?”

“Still scary,” I admitted. “There are moments when I realize my body is completely tensed, and everything in me aches to turn.”

“I suppose these things take time,” Galen said. There was a moment of silence.

“I hope the Dikos Mas who helped us is okay,” Galen changed the topic, and I was grateful for it.

“I hope so, too.”

“It’s good that you were nice to him.”

I shrugged. Battles were often won through turncoats. It’s the hit the enemy doesn’t expect and cannot plan for. I knew one little act of kindness and humanity can go a long way.

We spent a few more days in the cave where the mountain river took us. This one was different from our previous home. It was smaller and open at one end, overlooking a valley full of trees and a small village in the distance. I thought the village must be beyond The Far Far Away Land’s boundaries, back in Galen’s kingdom. We made plans to get there.

No one seemed to follow us. I didn’t expect them to. Even Dikos Mas were afraid of the mountains and wouldn’t set off into them.

There was fresh water here, and we brought some backup food reserves on the boat. This meant we could spend most of the time resting and healing. I haven’t shapeshifted once since we came to the new cave. One day Galen asked me what the reason was. My face flushed, and I guess the answer was written all over it. Galen didn’t ask again. Yes, it was easier to do certain things together when I was in my human form.

“I want you to know that I love you in both forms, okay?” Galen said. I took a deep breath, calming the emotional storm inside me and pulled Galen closer. For a moment, we sat there, breathing fresh air as the setting sun illuminated the valley below us.

Click here for the final chapter 9.