(BL) The Villain wants a Divorce!

”Ser Hune, Lord Draken said that he might be able to help. Will you allow him to do so? All with your permission, of course.” Cass asked her carefully. Draken flinched, but said nothing. It wasn’t meant as a jab, just a statement, and Ser Hune glanced between them.

”You aren’t going to do it?” She asked and Cass opened his mouth, before he shut it. He sighed.

”Lord Draken has...some secret talents that make him uniquely qualified. Uh...” Cass trailed off. ”Ser Hune, are you familiar with a fellow who works for me by the name of Byron?” A flash of recognition in her gaze, before she swallowed, a feeling of guilt radiating off of her.

”I, uh, yes. We come from...a few towns away from each other. He’s a good kid.” Cass could tell she was scrambling. It was clear that she probably knew that he was a spy, and if she did, she was terrible at hiding it. It was honestly pretty cute, and given what Byron had said about why he had been sent, it only made the feeling that they hadn’t sent him to spy for malicious reasons even more clear.

Cass bent, leaning forward to whisper in her ear.

”Well, Draken helped Byron reach full maturity, as one of his race can do.” Ser Hune’s eyes went wide, before she glanced at Draken, then turned back to Cass who was grinning.

Cass half expected her to go even paler, like her husband was doing behind her. Instead, she held out her hand quickly. Looking towards Draken with a look of anticipation.

”D-Do you need to touch me?” She asked and Draken nodded, coming in closer and kneeling on the ground so he wasn’t towering over her, and was at her level. Given her current condition, Cass probably would have reacted poorly if he had asked her to stand. Draken glanced at Sir Sanders, who had clearly heard what Cass had whispered and had frozen, staring at Draken with concern and a little bit of fear.

”Worry not, mate of the fairy, I have no intentions to hurt her. Cassian has approved of my help, and I shall help.” He said gravely, and Cass almost snorted. He was trying to sound cool, but instead he sounded like an old man.

He was an old man. In like a mid 20’s body.

Sir Sanders swallowed, before sliding his gaze towards Cass. He took a minute but he eventually relaxed. He braced himself, nodding towards Draken.

”Okay. If Lord Blackburn said it was okay...okay.” So, after that, Draken closed his eyes and a wind began to pick up around them. Cass kept his hand on Ser Hune’s shoulder, as did Sir Sanders, and soon the energy that Draken was conjuring began to flow into Ser Hune’s body.

She let out a soft gasp, shuddering, before the colour began to return to her face. Cass also could feel a bit of the energy pouring into her pour into him through their connection and the nausea faded. It was surprising, and after a few more moments the wind faded and Ser Hune looked like a million bucks.

”T-Thank you, Lord Draken! That was amazing!” Ser Hune gushed, clearly thankful and back to her happy self. Draken chuckled, reaching out and ruffling her hair like an old man, or older brother would do. Sir Sanders looked a bit upset at his actions, but held his tongue. Ser Hune seemed to take the action with ease.

That alone told Cass that she either came from a big family, a close community, or was just an accepting person by nature.

”It’s the least I can do for one of the tribesmen that looked after my friend’s child.” He said, affectionate, and Ser Hune’s jaw dropped, before she glanced at Cass. It was clear that she thought she had fumbled her way through a decent response, but both Cass and Draken didn’t really believe her. That was okay. Cass was glad to see that Byron had good role models around him, and hadn’t been too manipulated by the fairies.

It was clear that Draken thought the same way, with the affectionate way he was treating Ser Hune. She seemed flustered by the sudden attention though, and Cass wanted to give her some relief from her anxiety. The great red dragon from legend wasn’t about to descend onto her little town and destroy it.

Cass smiled at Ser Hune, and watched as her eyes widened in surprise at the action, as did Sir Sanders. Both looked shocked at the way that Cass was looking at them, while Draken glanced back at him, beaming.

”He means well, and I’m not upset. As you can see from my reaction, Byron told me himself.” He said and she panicked.

”I didn’t approach you with those intentions!” She said. Clearly she wanted to clear her name of any and all suspicion, completely forgetting that her good friend, Sir Forsythe, who served Cass, was nearby. Her gaze slid to Sir Forsythe, who might have had these inclinations about Byron, that he might have been a spy, but hadn’t known the full truth. Cass winced.

This could get bad. He could feel it. Sir Forsythe was a quiet man, but there were some things that he did explode about. Disrespect was one of them, and he had a feeling betrayal was another one.

”Sir Forsythe, don’t get too mad at her. I’m the one who told Byron he could work for me. I am also the one who hired them.” Cass told him, taking in the angry way he was looking at his two friends. His fists were clenched at his side, his frame eerily still. This was going to go badly, he could feel it.

”A spy?” He hissed. ”On my Lord?” Cass was glad that Draken healed them, since they were going to need the energy to get through the angry talk Sir Forsythe was going to have with them. ”We will have a word after his Lord takes his rest.” Sir Forsythe finished and Ser Hune and Sir Sanders nodded. They appeared apologetic, but Cass didn’t know if Sir Sanders knew about it or not.

He didn’t really care either.

Draken rose to his feet, dusting off his knees before turning to Cass with a smile.

”If everyone is feeling better, shall we go get you a place to rest and get those hands bandaged up, hmm?” Draken’s tone was pleasant, happy. He was probably thinking that he had done a great service for Cass, and was feeling happy about that.

It was practically written all over his face. He liked to be helpful to those he considered his own, and this happened to be one of the few times that he had been truly helpful. Sighing, Cass ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head before he bid Ser Hune and Sir Sanders goodnight, and good luck.

They seemed to pale at his second well wishing, but Cass had bigger fish to fry.

”Thank you for helping out.” Cass told Draken. He meant his words, and that seemed to shock Draken even more. The man had been using his senses to locate where the others were in the spread out camp that the temple had created, and their people were adding to.

Draken’s gaze was shocked, his orange eyes wide, and Cass was surprised to watch as his pupils flickered from the human form they were currently, into the slitted dragon form he had seen a few times now.

”Y-You’re welcome? I didn’t do much.” Draken stuttered, flushing, and Cass sighed.

”I’m not so much of an asshole that I wouldn’t thank someone when they did something nice for me, Draken.” Cass told him, and watched as Draken swallowed thickly. He was still flushed, but had resumed walking. Cass and Sir Forsythe followed after him, used to this kind of behaviour since Byron did the exact same thing.

They used their noses first, their eyes second. It was an interesting thing to find out, and Cass wondered if that meant that their vision, as a race, was not reliable, or reduced. He thought it would be rude to ask that of Draken, so he hadn’t brought it up. It would be rude to ask Byron since he had grown up around fairies, not dragons. He wouldn’t have the answers to the questions he had.

”I don’t think you are much of an asshole at all.” Draken told him. ”Except maybe that you don’t call me by my name.” He muttered, and Cass gave him a look. Was he really being serious? This whole conversation was one of the reasons he’d gone to sleep in the carriage!

”Is it really that important to you?” Cass pressed, at this point just exhausted that they kept bringing it up. Draken nodded.

”It is a big deal. I told you before that Draken isn’t even the name I gave myself. It’s what the humans gave me. Lucian is the name I chose, and that is the name I would prefer. I will tolerate Lucy from a select few, but I do not want to be called Draken. Especially by you.” Draken gave him a sideways look, trying to look pitiful, trying to win his favour.

He looked like an idiot, and Cass was doing his best not to laugh in his face. Provoking him after he’d just helped not only him, but Ser Hune wasn’t exactly polite.

”Fuck.” Cass said quietly as they grew nearer to where the others were. He could tell because he could hear Vespertine and Lady Fiona talking. ”Alright. From this point on, you are Lucian. Is that better?” Cass asked and Dr-Lucian smiled brightly. Widely. Innocently.

Something twinged in Cass’ chest, and he brushed it off.

”Yes! Thank you!” Lucian clearly wanted to hug him, squeeze him, but Cass gave him a look that halted him in his tracks. That didn’t stop the goofy grin on his face. ”Alright. The rest of the group is up ahead. I am beginning to see a small problem though.” Draken told him and Cass frowned.

Before a dawning horror filled him. This was a damn romance fantasy novel, after all. There could only be one thing this could be.