The Dragon King's Heart

"Kol, what are you doing?" Laina asked, in shock as to what just happened. 

The bodyguard hybrid vampire looked up at his master, "Master hurt, bleeding."

Laina removed her hand from his and stood back up, putting some distance between the both of them. Kol had some really weird antics that she could not understand. Margaret, who was also caught off guard by what had happened, stood there in shock for a moment. 

When she regained her senses, she ordered Kol to pick up the remaining glass pieces while she tended to Laina's wound. 

"It's just a cut, nothing serious," Laina played it off. 

"It's still a cut," Margaret chided her. 

The handmaid placed her hand over the wound and whispered a short incantation. When Margaret removed her hand, the small cut on Laina's finger glowed. Moments later, the wound healed on its own. 

"That is a useful skill to have," Laina commented. 

Margaret grinned, "Indeed. Especially for an injury-prone princess, I think it's good for her handmaid to have such a skill."

"Injury prone? When have I ever been injury prone?" Laina pouted. 

Both the princess and the handmaid shared a good laugh. As the night went on, it was time for all of them to turn in. The next day, Margaret woke Laina up bright and early. They had yet another long day ahead of them. 

While Laina was having breakfast in her private dining room, a messenger came to see her. Margaret tried to hold him off so that Laina could finish her breakfast in peace. But he insisted on seeing Laina immediately. 

"I am not just a messenger, Miss Margaret. My name is Nexus, I am a representative from Galatix Bank. I am here because my superior, Madam Fiona would like to speak to the Crown Princess about some financial matters," the apparent messenger explained. 

"Is it so urgent that it can't even wait till the Crown Princess is finished with her breakfast?" Margaret asked as she crossed her arms. 

Nexus rolled his eyes," If it had not been this urgent, would you think I would be rushing you? Madam Fiona is a busy person and she only has this time slot available to speak to the Crown Princess, so could you hurry up?"

Margaret was enraged by the attitude the representative was giving. She was about to give him a piece of her mind when Laina called out to her. She had heard their entire conversation while she finished the last of her pancakes. 

"It's alright, Margaret, just send him in."

Hearing Laina's orders, Nexus went straight in without a care for Margaret who was standing in front of him in the doorway. Laina was wiping her mouth with a napkin as Nexus placed a briefcase on the table before her and opened it. 

He took out a small device from the briefcase and placed it on the table before Laina. He then took out what resembled a portable typewriter device and took a seat across from Laina. 

Margaret was about to scold him for not having even the decency to greet Laina properly, but Laina stopped her. She knew how much debt Kinshearth owed to Galatix Bank. It was no small sum of money. 

Nexus adjusted his glasses on his nose ridge before looking up at Laina, "Miss Laina-"

"Crown Princess Laina," Margaret seethed at Nexus with a death glare. 

The bank representative cleared his throat before continuing, "Crown Princess Laina, I do apologize for this unscheduled visit from us. Madam Fiona, the Vice President of our Finance Management Department, would like to speak to you."

Nexus leaned over the table and pressed a button on the small device he had placed on the briefcase. In an instant, a hologram of the bust of a woman appeared before them. Laina was taken aback for a moment but kept the surprise to herself. 

The lady had shoulder-length hair, a sharp chin. Like Nexus, she too wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses. 

"Ah, contact is established. Greeting, Crown Princess Laina, I hope you've been well." the hologram spoke. 

As soon as the hologram began speaking, Nexus began to type on his device. He recorded down the entire conversation. 

"Ah, you must be Madam Fiona? It's a pleasure to meet you," Laina replied with a smile. 

Laina turned to Margaret and called her over. She told the handmaid to send all the guards outside. The conversation with Galatix Bank was to be done in secrecy. The fewer people knew of the situation, the better. 

Once that was done, she rediverted her attention back to the hologram. 

"I understand you don't like running around in circles, your Highness, so I will cut straight to the point. The purpose of our call today is regarding some worrying rumors we've heard about Kinshearth's financial situation..." Fiona explained. 

Laina nodded. She knew the bank would have called to visit sooner or later. After word of the competitions she had held in the palace spread across Kinshearth and beyond. Surely they would question her frivolous expenses. 

"As I am sure you've been made aware, the crown owes Galatix Bank quite a large sum of money. We have not even begun to take into account the interest rates incurred.

While Kinshearth has had a great line of credit with us. The recent expenditures you've made are worrying my superiors. Hence, the purpose of my call today is to check in on the progress of repayment. 

The outstanding payments for this month have yet to be paid."

"I understand your concerns, Madam Fiona. Rest assured, the crown will repay its debt. Actually, since you've called me, this saves me the trouble of getting in touch with you. I have a proposal to make with Galatix Bank," Laina explained as she rested her elbows on the table, clasped her hands. 

Madam Fiona raised an eyebrow, "Oh? A proposal?"

Laina nodded, "Indeed. It is a working business proposal, where Galatix Bank would be an investor."

In all her years of work, Fiona had rarely ever heard of a royal offering the bank a business proposal. Most of them just wanted to borrow money to fund war expeditions or frivolous spending. 

She had expected Laina to be the same. The previous members of the royal household in Kinshearth had always been the same. They borrowed and paid the interest, allowing the crown's debt to snowball. 

But something told Fiona that Laina was going to be different. 

"Tell me more."

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