The Dragon King's Heart

"Don't worry, Miss Margaret. We have everything under control."

That was what Neil said to Margaret and Marius before they took their leave. Renovations of the shophouse were complete. Every floor was decked out with new appliances. 

As per Laina's instruction, before she left for Dracona, all the needs of the children have also been met. New clothes, warm beds, and all necessities were purchased. 

"Are you sure you have everything? You have to tell me if you don't," Margaret asked worriedly.

Marius placed his arm around her shoulder, "They'll be fine, my love. You worry too much."

Margaret nudged him on the arm, "There's no such thing as too much worry. It is because of my over-worrying that Laina survived till this day."

She was right about that. As her handmaid, Margaret took great care of Laina. Although they encountered some situations along the way, she still survived in one piece. 

"Yes yes, I know. But I'm sure they are fine. Right, Neil?" Marius asked he gave the kid a wink. 

Neil nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! Just like what Marius said. We'll be fine. After all, we will see you in a couple of days."

With the amount of food Margaret had insisted on getting them, it was more than enough for them to last through all of winter! They had everything and more. Finally, Margaret relented. Marius and she were preparing to return to the mansion in the woods. She had received a recent letter from Kol, informing her that he would return soon with Florin.

Now that she found out Laina knew about Dante's curse, she wanted to check with Kol and Florin to see if they knew about it too. Marius had sent Dante a message but had not heard back from him about it since. The chances of Laina intercepting it was high. 

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"Yes, we won't be away for long. Laina should be returning soon as well," Margaret added. 

They had received Laina's message moments ago. She too was returning to Luzernia soon enough. Everything was falling into place. In a few days, the shophouse would have its grand opening. If they were lucky, perhaps Dante might return with Laina too. 

In the present, Neil collapsed to the ground. He was on his knees with tears welling up in his eyes as he watched the fearsome fire before him. His face was covered with soot and dust. He could barely catch his breath. 

He turned to his side. Everyone managed to get out alive but they had casualties. Rosie was unconscious from the fumes, others were coughing. They had inhaled too much smoke while escaping for their lives. 

Neil gritted his teeth as he punched his fist onto the cobblestone ground. He got back up on his feet. He made a beeline for the front door of the shophouse. 

"Neil! No!" one of the children yelled, holding him back. 

"Let go! I need to save it! I promised Margaret! I promised Laina! I... I..." his tears was beginning to blur his vision as he crumbled to the ground once more. 

The children had been counting down the days to the return of the others. That night, they cooked a large meal to share. There was roast chicken, soup, and piping hot bread that was fresh out of the oven. By the time the plates were washed, lights went out for everyone. 

"I don't think I can eat for another month!" Rosie squealed with glee, a wide smile on her face. 

She was hugging a teddy bear she named Buttons that Laina had gotten for her before she left. Neil tucked her into bed himself. 

"Do you think Laina will bring us gifts?" Rosie asked. 

Neil smiled, "She's already given us so much."

"But she promised," Rosie pouted. 

"Yes, she did promise," Neil chuckled, "I'm sure she will. Now get some sleep."

He was the last to turn in. He triple-checked the front and back doors, making sure they were locked before he went to sleep. Some might say he was too cautious. 

Now, he was blaming himself for being careless. All of them were sleeping soundly in their warm beds when something unexpected happened. The piercing sound of shattered glass ran through the ground floor. Neil was the only one who jolted awake. 

He peered out of the room carefully, holding a lit lamp in his hand. He was shocked to see the ground floor lit brightly. When he checked the doors earlier, he also made sure to switch off all the lights. 

When the plume of blackened smoke rose, he knew what it meant. There was no time for him to panic. He yelled for all the children to wake up immediately. There was no time to take any belongings. 

"What is going on here?" someone from behind yelled, bringing Neil back to the present. 

The entire shophouse was now up in flames. The neighboring shophouse owners ran out of their homes. Everyone came running out to see what was happening. The fire brigade had been called but have yet to arrive. 

"How did this happen?" someone in the crowd asked. 

"It's these kids again! Always causing trouble!" someone else yelled. 

"We didn't do anything!" one of the children protested.

Neil stood up. He could see the crowd of adults gathered. All of them had that look in their eyes. A look of disgust and dissappointment. He could feel the weight of their glares crushing down upon him. 

"We were being set up! I heard the glass window break. Someone threw something in to set it on fire!" Neil voiced up, the other children backed him up. 

One of the adults pointed at them while shaking his head, "You lying little children! Now you're trying to push the blame on other people?"

"We should have kicked you out a long time ago!"

"Yeah!" 

"Kick them out!" 

The crowd that had gathered was almost turning into a mob. The children huddled close together, fearful for their life. Some of them were already in tears. Neil held himself together. He clenched his fist, shaking in anger. 

All he ever wanted was a home for the other children and himself. None of them ever knew the warmth of a fireplace for long. Most of them never had a full meal in their belly.. Just as things were going well for them, everything was up in flames.