Princess's Struggle for Survival

A few days later, Theresa finally ended her visit and told Astrid that she would be returning to her homeland.

Unwittingly she had stayed in the human empire for almost a month. With the time wasted searching for the spatial ripples outbreak point before she came and the necessary preparations for the return journey, the whole round trip would take nearly two months.

The day before she left, Astrid specially held a banquet at the palace to properly see the dragon lady off.

Unlike the formal banquets she had given nobles in the past, this dinner was far more private. Astrid finally witnessed just how much a dragon could eat when they let themselves go.

Human round plates were, to Theresa, no more than little silver spoons used in the kitchen to scoop salt, one scoop might give a hint of saltiness, but it certainly wouldn’t fill a belly.

One dinner alone devoured the beef brought to the table that would be the equivalent of slaughtering two whole cattle; the other meats and fruits were innumerable, and they even had to fetch more spices from the treasury.

Only Astrid and Amalia kept the occasion quiet, told the cooks to just keep bringing dishes, and had head maid Elise wheel them in on a trolley, dismissing the rest of the servants from the room.

Otherwise the kitchen staff might have dreamed that they were cooking for the whole hall of nobles, when in truth the meal was only for the emperor’s table, counting Theresa, there were at most five diners.

After the main courses came dessert. Theresa ate cake bite after bite, entirely unbothered by the enormous amount of meat she had just consumed; cream did not even feel greasy in her mouth.

Astrid, by contrast, picked at a few decorative fruits on her dessert with a fork, placed them gently in her mouth and chewed silently, her rose-pink lips pressed closed as she ate without a sound.

After a while, seeing that Theresa had finished one plate, Lyra reached back to the trolley and brought another, setting it in front of the blue dragon lady.

No wonder dragons... their appetites were boundless.

Lyra couldn’t help feeling a little envious inwardly, if only she could eat like Theresa and never gain weight.

She took a sip from her goblet of juice and heard the silver-haired beauty on her left speak softly.

"Theresa seems to have a particular fondness for the cuisine of the Valeria Empire."

Having spent this time together, Astrid’s fondness for the learned dragon had grown. As they had both said, despite differences in race and upbringing, their personalities were compatible enough to form the basis of friendship.

"Considering Theresa won’t taste these imperial dishes again for a long time after she leaves, I asked the palace chefs to prepare extra beef and mutton pies, and some dishes frozen with ice magic. When Theresa wants them, she can just warm them on a mana stove."

Like pre-made meals in a former life, certainly not as good as freshly made food, but compared with the simple roasted fare eaten in dragon territory, these spice-laden frozen dishes were still a league above.

"Of course, the storage capacity of a space ring is limited, so it’s probably only enough for Theresa to try a bit. If she wants more, we can only hope she comes back to the Valeria Empire and stays longer next time."

Hearing Astrid’s gentle words, Theresa inclined her head slightly and expressed sincere gratitude.

"Astrid’s hospitality has made me hold the human race in high regard."

What she had read in books and heard from kin had been completely different: these small, intelligent creatures were humble, polite, and warm-hearted, excellent potential friends.

At least, that was true of the humans she’d met so far.

Astrid’s lips curved into a soft smile and she spoke in a low voice.

"I am honored to hear you say that, Theresa."

"By the way, a few of those pre-made dishes were made by me personally. I don’t know if you’ll be able to tell the difference when you taste them."

"You’ll probably notice. The appearance, the flavors, even the techniques are a bit different from the typical Valeria style."

Astrid’s life had become busier over the years. Unlike when she had first regained her memories, she no longer had time to improve her own meals or share a hot pot with the cold, delicate girl in the castle. She wasn’t sure whether her cooking had improved or declined.

Theresa paused with a slice of cake mid-cut, feeling flattered.

Having lived in the imperial capital for some time, Theresa now fully understood Astrid’s status in the empire. This silver-haired, noble human woman could be compared to a great elder of the dragonclans, perhaps even possessed power beyond that.

When she had asked Lyra to introduce her to human leaders to discuss future cooperation, she never expected to be presented to someone of regent rank right away, let alone someone who would personally prepare food for her.

Within her own clan, it wasn’t easy even to see a great elder.

Thinking of that, Theresa thanked Astrid again with a radiant smile and spoke softly.

"There’s no need to be so formal. Theresa is going on a long journey; as a friend, it’s only natural for me to help prepare decent travel provisions."

Hearing Astrid invoke friendship, Theresa felt even more embarrassed. She hesitated for a moment, then lowered her voice.

"I will remember what you’ve done for me, Astrid."

This unknown journey had turned out to be far more pleasant than she had imagined.

Astrid’s smile remained as she listened. Her red eyes, shaded by long lashes, looked like cold rubies.

Theresa took another small bite of cake and sipped her wine, then looked at the silver-haired beauty in the light and parted her pink lips.

"Then... Astrid..."

"If you have the time, you should come and visit my home."

"I, Theresa Dawn, promise that should Astrid and her loved ones come to my humble dwelling, I will receive you as honored guests."

Still, within the dragonclan she was at most a young dragon with some learning; her rank depended largely on her parents.

There was little she could offer. If Astrid came, she might find things less comfortable than in the capital, at least Theresa felt that aside from the comfort of the word "home," her lair lacked the conveniences of life in Capital City: no instant hot water, no food perfumed with countless spices, and not a mountain of books.

If she could, she would stay longer.

Astrid, graceful as ever, rested her leg and didn’t decline. She nodded in reply.

"I would love to see places humans haven’t reached yet, Theresa’s homeland."

"When the empire enjoys good weather and the people live in peace, when I’m not so busy, I’ll pick a suitable day and go."

For now that wasn’t possible. The Kingdom of Velys was not pacified, Brennild was still alive, and the empire’s conservatives remained restless; the potential threats were too many. Astrid could not spare the time for travel. Worldly journeys would wait until everything had settled.

Theresa understood that. She hadn’t met Astrid often, but through Lyra’s descriptions she knew the imperial princess was overwhelmingly occupied.

"All right. I’ll wait for your news, Astrid."

After saying that, Theresa thought of the possibility that Astrid might fly into dragon territory unknowingly and be attacked as an intruder. To be safe, she added quietly,

"I’ll draw a rough map of the terrain before I go, so Astrid doesn’t accidentally enter the territory of hot-tempered dragons."

Good and bad existed among humans; dragons had them too. Many of her kind looked down on humans as ants.

Astrid replied softly and lifted her wineglass.

"Then I thank you in advance, Theresa."

Theresa, familiar with human etiquette, set down her knife and fork and copied Astrid, raising her glass to meet the others in the air.

A clear clink sounded as the liquid in their goblets sloshed like a sudden churning sea.

"To our friendship."

"To that."

Astrid pressed her lips to the rim, her gloved hand holding the fragile stem, and tipped the wine to her mouth. Through the transparent glass and the crimson liquid, Theresa saw a face pale as moonlight.

"..."

Astrid... is truly beautiful...

Even by dragon standards of humanoid beauty, Theresa could find no fault. Smooth skin, delicate features, everything was flawless.

Theresa’s cheeks flushed slightly. Astrid drained her glass and set it down; the white throat gave a small swallow. The cup touching the table made a crisp sound as Astrid teased in a soft voice.

"Seems your tolerance for alcohol doesn’t match your appetite, Theresa."

Despite her massive body, just a little alcohol had flushed her cheeks into a tipsy glow.

Somewhat un-dragonlike.

Under the table, Amalia pressed her two pale legs together and shifted her attention from Lyra’s small fidgeting to Theresa. Had her threat sense just pinged? It felt like it had.

Across from her, Lyra for some reason also felt something odd. Her shining little shoes pressed against a chair leg; her white silk-clad feet rose slightly on their toes, exposing the soft pale heels.

Theresa thought for a few seconds and suddenly realized she’d been dazzled by a human’s beauty. She was a little startled.

She remembered the storybooks in the imperial royal library. Their descriptions of dragons were largely correct, powerful, proud, fond of shiny jewels, but in some respects they were seriously mistaken.

For example, because of their size and strong wings, dragons supposedly pillaged the wealth of other intelligent races and... kidnapped human princesses from the Valeria Empire.

Thinking it over, if dragons and humans had never fully severed ties since ancient times, and if every imperial princess was as elegant and beautiful as Astrid, even Theresa, a female dragon, couldn’t help stealing another glance. It was easy to imagine ill-disposed dragons attempting to snatch princesses, among the dragons Theresa knew, there were indeed some who might do such a thing.

A few seconds later,awed at human creativity in imagining dragons, Theresa relaxed and answered, moistening her lips.

"Probably... because we rarely drink it in daily life."

"There isn’t such a beverage where we live."

Dragons mostly drank water. Drinks they could make were scant: melted ice water mixed with syrup from sweet berries or the juice of sour fruits, nothing like the human variety of processes, sedimentation, purification and fermentation.

Astrid, who had been pondering whether dragons actually seized princesses, listened and after a moment said,

"In that case, before you leave, take some of the empire’s fine wines with you."

"A few casks should fit in the space ring."

She wasn’t carrying a mountain of elemental crystals this trip anyway.

Theresa thanked Astrid warmly and said she would share some with her kin.

They ate a little longer; dessert was nearly finished and the trolley that had once been piled full now lay empty. Astrid smiled and told Elise to bring mouthwash to clean the grease from Theresa’s lips.

"Since you leave tomorrow, we’ll stop here for today. Theresa, go rest in your chambers."

"I’ll hand you the travel paperwork first thing in the morning. Don’t risk flying across the border."

Strictly speaking, the Valeria Empire and the Kingdom of Velys were not at peace yet. A stranger flying in imperial airspace could be mistaken for an enemy and attacked by anti-air defenses, causing needless losses.

Theresa didn’t understand politics in depth, but she had heard enough about human affairs to know the two countries were not on good terms. Bound to Astrid by friendship, she even felt a hint of hostility toward Velys.

"All right. I’ll follow the proper procedures."

Noticing a trace of regret flash across Astrid’s eyes, Theresa asked quietly,

"What’s the matter, Astrid?"

Did her friend feel sad at her leaving?

Astrid blinked and confirmed Theresa’s guess.

"Theresa is a scholar worthy of respect and a friend I like. It’s only natural I’m reluctant to see you go."

She paused, then added,

"And also..."

"I’ve never seen your true form. That’s a pity."

She truly wanted to see what dragons in this world looked like with her own eyes.