116

❤️ Why Can't You Feel The Same? ❤️

"Yes master," Cando said, bowing his head slightly at Dean then straightening up without glancing at Rumi. It was as if there was no one in the room other than the two of them.

"I want you to take Rumi around the palace, she is my ally, unless you want to leave now," Dean said as he shifted his gaze back to Rumi, directing the question at her.

"I don't have anything to do back at home at the moment." Rumi answered, her eyes never leaving Cando. She wondered why the handsome man hasn't glanced her way since. Wasn't he seeing her? Or is she not beautiful enough?

"That settles it then," Dean said with a bright smile and returned his gaze back to Cando. "Show her around and while you are at it, call your brother for me." he added afterwards.

"Of course master," Cando said, trying not to grind his teeth. Why can't Dean send someone else to take the girl for her stu.pid sight seeing in the Palace? Why him? What's there to see in the palace anyway?

He took a deep breath in and exhaled before facing Rumi, glaring at her. "Shall we or should I carry you my Lady?" he asked in a mocking way.

Finally, he was looking in her direction even though it was the opposite. She could have felt angered by his glaring but somehow she found it strange that she was loving it.

"Walking will be fine, lead the way Cando." She will use this opportunity to get to know more about him.

Cando grimaced when she said his name and tried not to let it show on his face but with the pained look Rumi was giving him, it seems he failed in that aspect.

Without much words, Cando turned around and left the throne room knowing fully well that Rumi will be following him.

His first stop was at Kando room. He knocked once, ignoring the body that was much closer to his. He hates it.

Kando opened his room door, opening his mouth to snarl at who had knocked but shut his mouth when he saw who it was. He blinked his eyes multiple times when he saw the lady standing behind his brother's. Was that not the girl who had brought food for Storm or was his eyes deceiving him? What is she doing in Kudarma Kingdom?

"Did you remember something?" Kando asked taking his eyes off Rumi to stare at his brother, his eyes screaming 'What are you doing with her and why is she here?,' kinda look.

Rolling his eyes at his brother as he muttered 'Later' and then cleared his throat. "Master requested your presence at once."

Kando's body became tense when he heard those words. He nodded his head at his brother.

"Be careful," Cando whispered and left his mind praying for the safety of his brother. He took Rumi round the palace like he was instructed and only stopped once they got to the gate. He turned to face her, glaring at her. "You can leave now, I have shown you everything there is to show in the Palace."

A bit startled and happy that he was talking to her, he hasn't said a word to her since when they left the man whom she recognized as the one who came with Juno to Ashland. The one in the cell, she wasn't paying much attention to him but she would recognize him anywhere. And Cando...one look at him you'd know they are related.

"I can't leave without telling the Emperor a goodbye at least," Rumi said wondering why he was always glaring at her when speaking to her. "Come, let's go and meet him."

"He is busy," Cando said in abstraction. He wondered what Dean must be doing to his brother who had entered the throne room a few minutes ago. He had seen him and if he had the power he could have stopped his brother from going but this is Dean they are talking about and they owned him their lives. No noise was coming from there so it seems all is going on well for his brother.

"And I don't care."

"Suit yourself then," Cando said in exasperation. "You know the way that leads to his throne room, so go meet him." he added and turned to leave her when her next words stopped him.

"I will tell your master you insulted me and refuse to do as I say." Rumi said with pride as she watched him as he slowly returned his gaze back to her. Her smile was frozen and she gulped hard when she saw his eyes, she couldn't describe the darkness. Has she struck a nerve with what she said? He closed the distance between them and his manly scent invading her nostrils. Was she insane if she said it turns her on? That she loves this darker angrier side of his? Anyways, she was not a sane person to begin with. Giving him her best smile as she stood on her ground. She is Rumi and this handsome angry guy that she is beginning to like doesn't scare her.

"Are you threatening me?" Cando demanded angrily. If not that she was now his master's new ally he would have killed her without a second thought. But nevertheless he imagined killing her and it lessened his anger a bit.

"Are you coming with me or should your master do the commanding for me?" she fires back, not backing off from his glare.

Cando was angry, very angry, but couldn't do anything. He swallowed the vile words he had for the annoying girl and started walking towards the direction of Dean's throne room.

__

Kando tried not to show his fear when he bowed before Dean.

"I haven't been myself since I returned from Ashland," Dean began ignoring Kando greetings. "I am angry at myself and most especially Kira but I won't jump into any conclusion until I hear from her," he added. "The hostage you brought back, bring her at once to me." he ordered expecting Kando to carry out his orders but the man wasn't leaving. "What is it? Didn't you hear what I said? Bring me the girl."

What kind of lie will he use for Dean to believe him?

"She escaped, master." Kando said, his head lowered. Truly she had escaped.

He waited but didn't have to wait for long.

"What? That's impossible!!"

"It's true, master."

"I find this hard to believe. How can a girl escape the four walls of my palace and my guards including you and Cando?" Dean shook his head, still not believing it.

"I was surprised, myself, I searched everywhere in the palace but couldn't find her."

"Have you checked the-"

Kando didn't allow him to finish when he interrupted, he knew what Dean wanted to say.

"Yes, I have checked and the guards at the great wall didn't see her, I went there early this morning." Kando wondered why Dean wasn't aggressive at the information of the missing girl. He was glad that his neck was still with his body but was also curious on why Dean wasn't destroying the palace. "I think magic must be involved."

"I thought so too," Dean said. "But weren't you supposed to know when there is an unwanted presence in the palace, be it magic or whatever?" he asked all of a sudden.

"I am sorry I wasn't alert." Kando apologized.

"..."

Whatever Dean wanted to say got Interrupted by Rumi and Cando's presence.

"I hope we are not interrupting anything?" Rumi asked casually as she covered the distance between her and Dean and only to stop when Cando stopped besides his brother. "I changed my mind about eating, I am greatly famished." she added.

"Of course, Kando will ask the servants to bring you food."

"I would like to eat it in Cando's room if it is not too much to ask."

"And why should I allow you? If you don't know, Cando and his brother like their privacy." Dean said much to the surprise of Kando and Cando.

Rumi smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't matter, besides I find Cando intriguing and interesting. In fact I found him quite interesting and he was a great host. I like him already. I just want to get to know more about him." she explained.

"I am beginning to think you came here for Cando instead of me," Dean said with raised brows.

"No I came here to see you but I just happen to like Cando. Won't you grant me this little request of mine?"

"Very well, Cando will take you to his room," Dean said, getting up on his feet.

"But master..."

"There will be no but Cando." he stopped the forthcoming protest from Cando. "Just let her eat in your room," he added and left them without another word.

"That was strange." Kando said aloud to himself. Dean wasn't angry at the sudden disappearance of Gwen like he had expected the man to.

"You call that strange? Agreeing to what this lit.tle girl said is what you're calling strange?" Cando said in anger. "It's more than strange!" he yelled out.

Kando and Rumi said at the same time.

"I wasn't referring to the riff raff, brother." Kando said.

"Don't call me little," Rumi said and what Kando said settled in her brain. "Who are you calling a riff raff?" she demanded angrily, balling her fists as she glared at Kando.

"Whatever," Kando said dismissively and turned to leave, his brother following him. Nobody needed to tell Rumi twice to follow them.

Both brothers were quiet, they didn't want to speak in front of Rumi and didn't say anything. They arrived at Cando's room and he opened the door for Rumi to enter and when she did, he closed the door behind her and he and his brother left there.

"Do you know her?" Cando whispers.

"Yes, I have seen her in Ashland but I don't know why she is here or why our master agreed to her request." Kando said to him with the same tone.

"That's our master's new ally." Cando told him.

"I don't believe it. She was all over Storm when I saw her last and now she is our master's new ally? Something doesn't seem right."

"Exactly, I don't trust her one bit and not to mention how she killed a guard. She is good, very good with a sword, she's a fighter." Cando told his brother. "I wonder what offer she made with our master."

"Maybe the offer was so good that our master did not punish me," Kando said.

"So you told him?"

"Yes, but I lied that magic was involved and he believed me."

"Unbelievable," Cando said with a smile which turned into a frown when he remembered something. "Let me go and tell the palace cook to prepare something for that girl in my room. I hate her presence already." he added. He hates the fact that he has no say in this. If it was up to him he would have shove a finger right in her eyes and twist that mouth of hers.

"And she finds you- in her words- interesting and intriguing. I think she likes you which is hard to believe because she has eyes for Storm."

"I don't like her and she is not even my type."

"What is your type Cando? Remember love happens when you least expect it." Kando told him with a wink.

"Not for me, I have shield my heart against that," Cando said. "I will see you later." he added and hurried towards the direction of the kitchen. He just wants this Rumi of the Palace.

Kando quietly went back to his room and once he closed the door behind him and rested his back on the door, he slid down and sigh sadly.

He misses Gwen so much.

___

Dean's Room:

Once Dean was in his room and began pacing around slowly, his mind wandered to Kira and he wondered what his love might be doing right now. When he saw her with Storm- Edgardo- she wasn't chained to the horse or to him, so he wondered why she hasn't escaped since.

He should be angry at Kando for Gwen's disappearance but couldn't since it involves magic but he wouldn't deny that part of him refusing to act was because he was thinking of Kira.

He loves her. He wants her by his side. He regretted sending her and Kando to Ashland. What was he thinking?

All of a sudden, he halted in his movement, and his hands held his head as a serious headache started approaching in his head. The X symbol was visible and was glowing brighter than before. Blood was coming out as Dean tried to claw out whatever it is that was causing him serious pain on his forehead but couldn't, in fact what he was doing increases it.

The more he tried, the more the pain increased. He tried to shout out his pain but couldn't. He fainted, falling to the ground with a loud thud.

The X symbol stayed on his forehead for almost a minute before it was gone and within two minutes, Dean was up to his feet. His two red eyes glowing in anger and at the same time his dragon's roar was heard which shook the Palace foundation.

His long red hair burning in fire.

Somehow he has seen two things.

First was Storm slee.ping with his Kira, with what belonged to him. He had watched Kira grow into a beautiful woman and hadn't touched her yet. He had kept her pure to prepare her so that she can be a bit like him and now Storm has taken what he had kept to himself. What he had deprived his body from having.

And to fuel his anger, seeing Kando flying Gwen out of the Palace in the middle of night, made him mad.

And even though he was angry, he still remembered who Storm was, Edgardo, and he would be a big fool to rush to Ashland to kill him or declare war against Ashland.

But for Kando, that traitor...