The Fire of the Golden Dragon

"Chapter 5" The Day of Appraisal

"Forget it, who's going to believe you," she looked at her hand and gasped again.

She walked to the garden again and instigated amassing grapes.

She takes the grapes and pours them into a wine presser, the windlass crushes the grapes in the container and then the juice comes out in the concrete basin.

Then Esperanza stores that juice into a huge amphora where it gets fermented and ready to serve.

"Oh, Gosh this was tiring," after winding up all the work Esperanza breathed in composure, carrying a huge pot of wine was another task for her, and those pots were really heavy a muscular man could get down by pulling those pots up. She sits in the room where the wine amphora was the place to get some rest.

"Master, do you know she is in the vineyard she is working alone there," Mason tells this to Caspian and he frowns.

" You are right, her delicate hands are pushing and pulling all that heavy stuff," Caspian felt bad for her.

"But this is her job, they earn from it huh?" Mason said and Caspian frowned.

" After I get married to her I will not let anyone see her beautiful face, I will cage her in my home in my room, without my permission she will not be able to go anywhere," Caspian let out in a thunderous voice.

" Yes, Master, you should she is so beautiful you need to keep evil eyes off her," Mason said, and Caspian nodded.

"Let's go and see what she is doing," Caspian said and stepped towards the vineyard.

Esperanza was sleeping when a pair of blue eyes were staring at her, his muscular and heavily marked body was clouding over her, her every breath was saying that she was exhausted and her position was telling that she was craving for rest, that man who was standing in front of her having a pure skin and he was wearing a tight yellow and white attire that fighters wear, and whole of his waist was covered with weapons, he seems to be a fighter, his face was marked and his every feature was deep, he has stunning jawline and cheekbones they were high and enchanting, he has a sharp nose and sharp lips, his face was long and his mouth was just perfect, he was tall and handsome, his hairs were brown and were ruffled like he didn't comb them, was so tempting.

Suddenly he heard someone coming he looked around and jumped over the roof he sat on the ceiling and saw who was coming.

"My, Master, she is sleeping," that was Mason and Caspian who went to see her.

Esperanza seems enchantingly desirable suddenly Caspian's heart wants to ravish her and get all her innocence.

"Master, what are you thinking?" Mason asks and that disgust is rolling off Caspian's face.

"Do you know how many years she got turned? Caspian asks.

"I think this is going to be her eighteenth birthday this year," Mason said.

" Oh, impressive," Caspian smirked.

"You need to leave us alone, I never see this beauty helplessly sleeping like this," Caspian said.

"What do you mean Master?" Mason asks.

" I mean, she turned over things when it comes to our marriage, I think I should make her mine, so she doesn't get any option, just me," Caspian smirked mischievously.

"Master, but she is innocent," Mason was not wanting this at any outlay.

"Shut up Mason you don't know anything, go outside and wait for me," Caspian said and Mason had no option instead to obey him.

" Master maybe you will never see her again after this," Mason whispered a thing when he was stepping outside.

"My Esperanza I am not wrong, I am just doing this because I can't let you go, any time any beast can attack you, and take it from you, I want to be the only one," he let out and smirked.

That man who was standing above and watching him coming closer fisted.

And his jaw was clenched, he skimmed Caspian's strength intensely and smirked.

He knows Caspian's power, and without coming in front of anyone he has to protect Esperanza.

A blue light appeared from his eyes and Caspian was about to take off his shirt, suddenly he was not able to push her shirt off, his body became dependent, powerless, even vulnerable, he was not able to hold his weight and that man was gleaming his eyes while absorbing all his powers.

"What... What is happening to me," He let out with all the strength he left, he didn't have the power to speak also.

Suddenly Esperanza opened her eyes and saw him helplessly standing above her, her eyes widened and she got off from here abruptly.

" Caspian .......," her breath went faster and she gazed at him with disgust.

"Help me Esperanza my body is not working," he let out and Esperanza frowned.

" What do you mean?" She asked and Mason heard them talking.

He stands at some distance but Esperanza calls him

"Mason, come here fast," Esperanza let out.

" I want your support Esperanza what are you doing," Caspian cried for help but Esperanza felt disdain.

" Don't worry, your helper is coming," She let out and smiled softly at Caspian.

" Mason," She whispered, Mason came and saw his Master struggling while standing.

" Take him, he is not able to walk, and what are you guys doing here?" Esperanza asked the foremost query.

Mason gives him his shoulder and takes all his weight on him but Caspian becomes so fragile he is not having any weight now.

" I don't know, I was not here, Master wanted to meet you," Mason takes out whatever he was having in his mouth.

"I think I should go now," Mason said and took his master with him.

Esperanza gasped and looked around and asked herself.

"Why was he here?" But she had no time for other things every night they had great traffic at their tavern, and all slavish and foppish people joined together and enjoyed their night at their tavern.

She turned and suddenly that man jumped down from the ceiling.

Esperanza felt his presence and veered around quickly.

She stopped and her green eyes stared into his blue eyes and Esperanza was familiar with these two eyes.

" Remember me?" He asked in his heavy manly voice that was seductive and hot.

Suddenly her heartbeat went faster and that handsome man smirked.

" Who..... Who are you?" She asked with a wobbling tongue.

" So it means you forget me," he asked in a playful and expressionless tone, from gesture he seemed to be a cold and heartless person.

Her mind clicked on that incident when she met for the first time to a dragon.

"That..... That dragon," she let out and a wide smile took place on his lips.

" You remember me," he was really happy to hear this but her hard expressions were not letting that happiness out.

"What... What are you doing here, you need to leave," she said and he frowned.

"I was lucky for you, my dear," he let out and she frowned.

"You need to be pleased, a handsome dragon is here to rescue you," he smirked and she swirled her eyes.

" How arrogant are you, why I would be pleased, and listen, Mr. Dragon, your and my worlds are different you need to be there where you belong," she was letting out everything and that man was all shut and hearing her brave voice.

" My lady, how brave to call a dragon an arrogant, and thank you for threatening me but your attempts are fragile," he let out and she took a step back.

" Don't be afraid of me, that man was about to ravish you, if I was not here then you would lose your innocence forever, do you understand fragile human," his words made her eyes widen and her body went shuddering.

"You need to take care of the people around you, trust me," he let out and she stayed in his eyes, his eyes stuck in her eyes and her was staying in his.

" Be careful, this is not a woman's fault that they are beautiful, but the only fault they make is they forgets they need to keep an eye around her environment, they don't know which kind of person is surrounding them," his deep words were all clear to Esperanza but she can't sneak her eyes from his strong gaze.

"Do you want to say anything?" He moved closer to her and her jaw dropped her eyes went wide and she looked up, that heavy body was towering over her.

" Orion......," she whispered and he smirked.

" So you remember my name," he smiled softly his expressionless and cold face was not abiding by that smile, he is a fighter and the fighter doesn't smile.

" What are you doing here? Are you here to destroy my village?" Esperanza asks because she knows how dragons feel revolted by humans.

" No little one, I am not here to destroy anyone, I am here to see you only," he gives his answer and Esperanza was figuring out which kinds of weapons he was holding on his waist.

And on his back, he was holding a huge sword.

" What are you? ....... I... I mean why are you holding all these weapons? Are you a slaughter?" Esperanza asks and he was shocked, no one ever talks to him like this, he was amused by her questions, and her innocence and naivety are attracting him.

"No, not a slaughter but kind of," he replied.

"Kind of mean?" She asked.

" Means, I slaughter but not animals," his reply made her stuck he snickered and her eyes went wider.

"Why... Why do you need to do this?" She asked.

"My life is an everyday battle, my life is a living warfare every moment, my eyes are keeping keen around everyone because in this world no one wants me to live," he let out and looked down.

"This is not a thing, I want you to live, I waited for you every day since the day we met, but you never came," Esperanza let out and those words penetrated his heart.

" You are lying," he said and she made a tragic face.

" No, I am not lying," she replied and all his world went stopped.

" Don't say that no one wants you to live maybe someone," Esperanza looks deep into his eyes and his breath stops for a while.

"I will be around you whenever I fetch out of my battles, I will be around you, but you have to save yourself when I am not around," he said and Esperanza nodded with a smile.

"Can I ask you one thing?" She asks.

"Anything," he replied.

" Why these battles for?" She asked and he smiled softly.

"This fight is between me and all the dragons around this world, I am looking for those irresistible powers that everyone said have vanished, but my people know they are somewhere, and we will discover it soon,"

"And after getting those powers, the Drakon world will get their real king," he said and her eyes were wide while listening to all this.

"So you are fighting against the kingdom?" She asks.

"Yes, I am fighting against that outlandish kingdom, whose people are so absurd, they don't know they are living in bleak," He said and she was listening to everything so exceptionally.

" I will meet you that day when that golden light will be in my cage, that day we will take down these differences, that are held between humans and dragons," He said and she smiled softly.

"Everything seems to be dangerous, but promising," She replied.

" Just wait for me, one day I will come and take you with me, " he said and she was stunned by hearing his words.

" Maybe we are just friends," she let out and he was shocked and embarrassed.

"Yes, friend you are right, we are friends, and when I rule that kingdom you will be my special one," He said and she smiled softly.

"What the hell am I saying, he shook his head and then smiled," Esperanza was shocked by his words, he got confused and she predicted she smiled a bit and he realized.

"I have to go now," he said and she nodded.

He placed his hand forward, and with trembling hands, Esperanza followed her hand forward.

When her hand comes into his hand his world gets lightened up.

He never felt that softness before, he was satisfied and never wished to leave this hand.

His eyes were wide and stayed in her eyes, they were shaking hands silently and lovingly.

He was not letting go of her hand, the first time he felt that feeling in his life, he didn't want to leave there but his rules didn't seem to be synchronous with this.

She is human but why is she so auspicious, why does he want her hands to stick with his, he has taken really hard training where things like love and care are not, he has grown up where blood shedding is normalized, in his heart there is no space for love and care, but why his heart is beating for the first time.

"Orion, would you like to let go of my hand," she speaks up and he comes out of his dreamland.

"Oh, yeah, I need to go now," he spoke out and turned, he closed his eyes, and when he opened his eyes the same rage and bitterness ruled his eyes.

He ran like he had never been there and Esperanza was watching him curiously.

Esperanza fetches out of the world of dreams and is again turned on to work.

Ezra was sitting in his bed and considering appraisal day, today he was entrusted to look over all the issues related to his kingdom, and he didn't want to avail this he wanted to learn more because he knew he didn't know much about ruling, and he couldn't ever rule like his father.

Today he was intensely missing his mother, he knew if she was here she would talk to his father and sort all the matters.

" Mother," he let out and gasped and also placed his hand between his chest, he held the locket at his neck, it was a round locket and a golden dragon was embellished on it.

That was a gold locket that his mother gave her when he was too young.

"After you have gone no one treated me like you did, everyone said that I am the prince and the next king of the Drakon world, "

"They halted me from crying they said boys don't cry boys don't complain, boys don't act delicate,"

"Why everyone is so stereotyped, why can't boys cry, why can't they have feelings, I want to cry, but I am afraid that everyone will humiliate me, and Father would feel humiliated too,"

" Maybe I could find someone who could understand my feelings," he gasped and got out of his bed.

"Raymond, what am I going to wear today?" He asked Raymond who was standing outside his room.

" Thank goodness, you made up your mind," Raymond gasped and walked in.

"I really don't want to but I have to," Ezra replied.

" For the sake of your father, you have to," Raymond nodded and Ezra took a deep breath.

Raymond clapped his hands and the combatants walked in, they placed extremely decorative clothes and a delicate headpiece on Ezra's bed and Raymond told them to leave.

"What are these, and why?" Ezra was frustrated now.

"These are the clothes you are supposed to wear today," Raymond replied and Ezra took them into his hands.

That was a golden and white royal mantle that was draped over both shoulders and that was a long cloak, the fabric was expensive and incredibly embroidery.

The headpiece was settled with jewels and heavy gold that circled expensive jewels.

" This is a total heft," Ezra turns around towards Raymond.

" My king, you are becoming a king now, the prince era is over," Raymond replied.

" Now you are grown up, and nearly you are going married to a beautiful woman and your wife is going to give birth to a new prince, then that prince will become a king one day," Raymond elaborated.

"Marry!" Ezra was suspiciously gazing at him.

"Yes, my lord, marry, every girl in the kingdom is waiting for your one glance, and you will find your better half," Raymond smiled and Ezra smirked.

"No one in this kingdom deserves to be my wife," Ezra replied, and Raymond frowned.

" Why my lord, why do you think this way? " Raymond asks.

" Raymond every girl knows who I am, and they have to accept me happily because of my status, but I want someone who is oblivious to my status and shows me the love and care that I am looking for," Ezra said and Raymond was all mute.

"You can't find any, because every lassie of this world knows who you are," Raymond said.

" Maybe there is someone," Ezra replied with a dreamy smile.

"My lord, we will look for her but now you have to get ready," Raymond said and Ezra nodded.