Chapter 66: Drunk Confession

Liv arrived at the dragon wing, the guards bowed at her and let her in without a second thought. The dragon wing was the most heavily guarded section of the palace, reserved for the sovereign and her immediate family, and the guards stationed there knew better than to question anyone of Liv’s rank.

She was the sovereign’s right hand, the general who had served Qazaethel for nearly five thousand years, and her presence was as familiar as the stone walls themselves. The guards did not stop her. They did not even look at her twice. They simply bowed and stepped aside, their expressions were blank and professional, and Liv walked past them without breaking stride.

The corridor stretched before her, long and dimly lit, the walls lined with depicting ancient battles and legendary dragons. Her footsteps echoed in the silence, each step was measured and deliberate, and she kept her gaze fixed straight ahead. She did not want to think about what she was doing. She did not want to think about why she was here, in this place, at this hour, when she knew she should be anywhere else.

But her feet carried her forward anyway, as if they had a mind of their own, and she did not have the strength to stop them.

But the high messenger was in front of the hall. He stood near the entrance to the sovereign’s private chambers, his arms are crossed, and his expression was smug and self-important. He was a tall man, thin and sharp-featured, with eyes that always seemed to be calculating something.

He wore the elaborate robes of his office, the gold embroidery catching the light of the torches that lined the walls, and he looked at Liv as if she were an intruder rather than the second most powerful person in the palace.

"Why is General Liv visiting the dragon wing in this ungodly hour?" He asked, and there was a firmness in his voice. "Aren’t you aware that it is forbidden for someone to visit a newlywed omega and alpha?"

Liv coldly looked at him and sighed. She had never liked the high messenger. He was one of those people who had risen to his position through flattery and political maneuvering rather than merit, and he never missed an opportunity to remind others of his authority.

He was the kind of man who enjoyed lording his power over others, who took pleasure in making people feel small. And right now, he was looking at her with that particular smugness that made her want to draw her sword and wipe it off his face.

"What about you, high messenger? Shouldn’t you be out there already carrying out the messages of the sovereign? Why are you still here?" She asked, and there was a sarcasm in her voice. She did not bother to hide it. She did not see the point. The high messenger was beneath her in rank, and he knew it, even if he liked to pretend otherwise.

"Insolence! I am the one asking!" The high messenger yelled, his face was flushing with anger. His voice echoed in the corridor, sharp and shrill, and Liv saw one of the guards flinch out of the corner of her eye.

"And how dare you use such wordings?! Have you forgotten I am the right hand of the sovereign?! You have disregarded my authority! And you act as if you are above me! You dare to raise your voice when my position in this hierarchy is much higher than you?! Have you forgotten, you may have the title of a high messenger but you’re still a mere messenger of the sovereign, and know your place!"

Liv could no longer contain her anger. The words poured out of her like a flood, sharp and cutting, and she watched with grim satisfaction as the high messenger’s face went pale. He had overstepped, and he knew it.

He had forgotten his place, had let his ego get the better of him, and now he was paying the price. Liv had spent centuries earning her position, had bled for the sovereign, had fought and killed and sacrificed more than this man could ever imagine. She was not about to let a mere messenger speak to her as if she were his equal.

"I... Forgive me, my Lordess," he said, but Liv was not buying it. The apology was hollow, empty words spoken out of fear rather than genuine remorse. She could see it in his eyes, the resentment that still burned there, the barely concealed anger at being put in his place.

"Get out of my sight before I skin you alive," Liv said, and the high messenger bowed and left. He did not look back. He did not say another word. He simply turned and walked away, his footsteps were quick and uneven, and Liv watched him go with cold satisfaction.

She has to sigh and look at Dawn’s handkerchief in her hand. The handkerchief was delicate, made of soft white silk with a border of golden thread. It was embroidered with the crest of Ashrein, the kingdom Dawn had left behind, and it still carried the faint scent of the princess’s perfume.

Liv had found it in the corridor outside Dawn’s chambers earlier that day, dropped and forgotten in the chaos of the wedding preparations. She had picked it up without thinking, had tucked it into her pocket, and had spent the rest of the day trying to convince herself that she would return it later.

But she had not returned it later. She had kept it, had held it, had pressed it to her face when no one was looking. She had told herself it was just a handkerchief, just a piece of cloth, nothing more. But she knew that was a lie.

She knew that she had kept it because it was Dawn’s, because it was something of hers, something that carried her scent and her memory. And she knew that she was standing outside the sovereign’s chambers now, in the middle of the night, because she could not stay away.

She knew this was not right. Rules say that you cannot visit the sovereign and their newlywed omega after the very wedding, as the night should belong to the royal couple alone. The marital night was sacred, a private moment between alpha and omega, a time for bonding and consummation.

To interrupt it would be an insult, a violation of the most intimate kind. Liv knew this. She had known it when she left her quarters, had known it when she walked through the corridors, and had known it when she stood before the guards of the dragon wing. But she was here anyway, outside the door, standing like she was delivering something important when it was just a piece of Dawn’s handkerchief she was going to deliver.

She shouldn’t be doing this. Dawn was now the Phoenix empress, a newlywed omega, and Liv was an unmarried alpha. Their positions were clear, their roles were defined. And Dawn already loved someone else. Liv knew that, had known it the moment Dawn had spoken those words in her chambers earlier that day.

The princess loved someone else. She had dreamed of marrying someone else. And Liv was just a general, just a friend, just someone who had been foolish enough to let her heart get involved in something it had no business being involved in.

But then she knocked. She raised her hand and knocked on the door, the sound was soft and hesitant, and she hated herself for it. She hated herself for being so weak, for being so unable to walk away.

"Your Majesty?" She asked. She knew Qazaethel was not inside the bedchamber. She had never seen Qazaethel walk the route through the dragon wing earlier, had not seen her enter the chambers, had not seen her anywhere near the eastern wing.

The sovereign was probably still in the throne room, still working through her endless scrolls, and still avoiding the wedding night she had never wanted. It was just Dawn in there. Just Dawn, alone.

"Your Majesty, it’s me, Liv. I am here to return you something," Liv said, and there was no response at first.

She waited. The silence stretched, thick and heavy, and she felt her heart begin to race in her chest. She should not be here. She should not be doing this. She should turn around and walk away, should return to her quarters and forget about the handkerchief and the princess and everything else. But she did not move. She stood there, frozen, her hand was still raised, her breath was caught in her throat.

"Your Majesty?" She called out again.

Liv frowned and sighed. She was ready to turn back when the door suddenly opened up and Dawn forcefully pulled her inside and closed the door. The movement was so quick, so unexpected, that Liv stumbled forward, her balance was almost thrown off, and she had to catch herself on the edge of a nearby wall to keep herself from falling.

Dawn was blushing furiously, her cheeks was flushed with color, and her words were slurred. "Shhh~ don’t make a sound~" She used her index finger to gesture for her to keep her voice low. The door was immediately closed behind them, the latch was clicking into place, and Liv found herself trapped in the sovereign’s bedchamber with the newlywed empress.

The room was warm, lit by a single lamp on the bedside table, and the air was thick with the scent of wine and perfume. The bed was huge, draped in silks and velvets, and it had clearly not been slept in. The covers were still smooth, the pillows were still arranged in their careful display, and there was no sign of Qazaethel anywhere. Liv had been right. The sovereign was not here. Dawn was alone.

"I’ve been drinking the marital wine alone. It’s too tasty. Qazaethel is not here, that’s why I got myself drunk, hehe." Dawn giggled softly, and Liv smiled softly despite herself. The sound was so light, so innocent, so unlike the heavy silence that had filled the room moments before.

Then Dawn suddenly coughed and held her chest. "Oh? Your Majesty, are you okay?" Liv asked, concern wasflooding through her. She stepped closer, her hand reached out instinctively, and she saw the way Dawn’s face had gone pale, the way her breath had quickened.

"I feel hot and... It feels very uncomfortable," Dawn confessed, and Liv glanced at the wine jar on the table.

It was the marital wine. Liv recognized it immediately, the ornate bottle with its golden stopper and the two cups beside it, one untouched and one half-empty. Marital wines are only good for one shot. They were for couples who were going to do the consummating ritual, a sacred tradition that bound alpha and omega together in the eyes of the gods. The wine was enchanted, designed to heighten sensation, to deepen the bond, and to make the night unforgettable.

Liv’s eyes widened, and she supported Dawn’s weight as the empress swayed on her feet. "You’re not supposed to drink the entire marital wine, and you knew your alcohol tolerance was weak," Liv said. Her voice was almost a whisper, still remembering Dawn’s instruction for her to keep her voice quiet.

"Sorry~" Dawn said like a child, even fumbling at Liv’s waistbelt as she pouted. Her fingers were clumsy, uncoordinated, and they tugged at the leather of Liv’s belt without any real purpose.

Liv felt like an arrow struck her heart at seeing Dawn like this. The empress was adorable, her guard was completely down, her usual poise and composure was stripped away by the wine. She was vulnerable, open, and trusting, and Liv wanted nothing more than to protect her, to hold her, and to keep her safe from the world.

"God~ you look so adorable," Liv said, her voice was still barely a whisper.

But Dawn heard her and smiled brightly. Then she wrapped her arms around Liv, standing at her tiptoe just to pull Liv in a kiss.

Liv’s eyes widened at the sudden action, and she didn’t know why she didn’t push her away. Instead, she closed her eyes and leaned into the contact. The kiss was soft, hesitant, tasting of wine and something sweeter. Liv gently made Dawn’s back lean against the wall, trapping her there, and she felt the empress’s hands tangle in her hair, pulling her closer.

They broke the kiss, and Dawn gasped for air.

"You’re an idiot, do you know that?" Dawn continued to pout. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"..." Liv was confused.

"I’ve been showing you hints that I like you, yet you’re not even noticing. I look like a fool!" Dawn said, and Liv was shocked to hear Dawn’s drunk confession. "You’re so naive. I’ve been waiting for you to come to me and take the hint, but you’re an idiot!" Dawn kept saying.

Liv softened and kissed her forehead. The gesture was gentle, tender, a stark contrast to the heat of the kiss they had just shared. By that, Dawn relaxed and raised her gaze to look at Liv.

"I’m sorry... Is it too late to make amends now?" Liv asked.

Dawn shook her head. "Not really."

Liv smiled and scooped Dawn up, and gently laid her down on the bed that was meant for Qazaethel and Dawn as newlywed couples.

Liv approached the marital wine on the table and poured herself a small cup of it and drank it without pausing. After that, she turned to Dawn and started undressing herself.

"Then let me make it up to you," Liv said, and that’s how the night will start.