______
Lucina
---
"ARGH—!"
The scream tore out of me before I could stop it.
My knees struck the earth hard, the impact jarring my bones as if I'd been dropped from the sky itself. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. The world spun violently—green leaves, pale petals, shards of sunlight slicing through my vision in blinding fragments.
I had escaped.
No—I had torn myself free.
The magic still burned inside my chest, wild and unstable, like a wounded beast clawing at my ribs. Every breath felt wrong, too sharp, too shallow, as though my lungs hadn't caught up with reality yet.
Then—
THUD.
Something heavy collided with me.
I gasped, instinctively bracing myself with shaking hands. A flash of silver filled my vision, followed by a sickening warmth spreading across my legs.
"No… no, no—"
I looked down.
A knight lay slumped against me, his armored body shielding mine, his weight anchoring me to the ground. Blood seeped from beneath the polished metal, staining the earth dark and irreversible. His chest rose—once—twice—shallow, ragged breaths fighting to remain.
I recognized him instantly.
One of the kind ones. One who had smiled at me without fear. One who had sworn, without hesitation, to protect me.
My throat closed.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" I whispered, my voice breaking as my hands hovered uselessly over his wound, too afraid to touch, too afraid to make it worse.
The forest around us was eerily silent, as if even nature was holding its breath. No footsteps. No laughter. No divine voice curling around my name.
Where are they…?
A sudden crash of movement shattered the stillness.
I flinched, forcing myself upright, every muscle screaming in protest. Through the trees emerged armored figures—mud-streaked, bloodied, exhausted.
Hakan's soldiers.
Alive.
Relief hit me so hard it almost knocked me back down.
"I don't see any Brionian soldiers!" one of them shouted, scanning the perimeter.
"I can't see any on this side either!" another replied, sword still raised, eyes sharp with lingering adrenaline.
They noticed me then.
The clearing stilled.
For a heartbeat, no one spoke.
Then—
"IT'S OUR VICTORY, YOUR MAJESTY! WOOO!"
Their cheer rang hollow, cracked by exhaustion and disbelief, weapons lifting weakly into the air. They had survived. They had won.
But the sight of the wounded knight at my feet wiped the triumph from their faces.
The senior commander strode forward, his expression hardening as he took in the scene. His voice dropped, urgent and controlled.
"Now's not the time for this, Your Majesty. Hurry up and go back to the palace."
Another soldier rushed forward, pulling a horse by the reins. "He's right! You need to return immediately—Lady Lucina must be protected! I knew something like this would happen, so I prepared a horse in advance!"
The knight—the one who had offered me that horse earlier—met my gaze. Despite the chaos, despite the blood, he gave me a small, apologetic smile.
"Forgive me for going first and leaving you here," he said softly. "I'll leave this place to you. I won't be long."
His soldiers straightened at once.
"YOU CAN COUNT ON US!"
I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to steady. "Thank you… all of you."
He mounted the horse in one swift motion and rode off at full speed, armor flashing between the trees as he vanished toward the palace.
I pressed my trembling hands together, staring after him.
Please… let me get there before they do.
---
Part II: The King's Return (Hakan)
A few days later, I returned.
My armor was scratched and dulled, travel-worn and heavy against my exhausted body. Every step toward the palace felt unreal, as though I were walking through a memory rather than solid ground.
Still, when the familiar spires rose before me, something in my chest finally loosened.
"WELCOME BACK, YOUR MAJESTY!"
Knights and attendants bowed deeply, voices overlapping in relief.
I didn't slow.
"WHERE'S LUCINA?"
The answer came instantly. "She should be inside the palace."
"Good."
I moved past them without another word.
The temple entrance was crowded—too crowded. Priests, knights, maids… all gathered, all whispering, all glancing toward the same doors.
So they did all come for her.
I raised my fist and knocked sharply.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Are you there, Lucina?"
Silence.
Then, faintly—fragile and anxious—
"J-Just a moment…!"
The door opened.
She stood there, pale hair framing her face, eyes wider than I remembered, but unmistakably her.
"Hakan!"
She ran to me.
I caught her without thinking, hands cupping her face, my thumb brushing her cheek again and again just to feel warmth, just to be sure.
She was real.
She was alive.
"You're back," she said, gripping my arms as though afraid I might disappear. "Is the war… finally over?"
I looked at her—really looked at her—and felt the weight settle deep in my bones.
The war of nations may be over.
But the war for Lucina is just beginning.
---
Understood. Below is a clean, fully expanded novel-style passage, written in first-person (Hakan), enriching emotion, pacing, and internal tension—without adding new events or continuing beyond the final line you provided. The scene ends exactly at Marissa's escape and Hakan's roar.
👑 The Dragon King's…
Episode 68 — Expanded Passage
Part I: The Hasty Return
(I, Hakan)
My lungs burned as I crested the final ridge overlooking the palace.
Each breath scraped my throat raw, the weight of my armor pressing down on my shoulders like a second body. The war was ending—its echoes still ringing faintly behind me—but my thoughts were already far ahead, racing toward the one place that mattered.
Lucina.
I planted my sword into the earth and leaned against it, forcing air into my aching chest.
"HUFF…"
Below, my men spread through the forest clearing with practiced precision. They were battered, bloodied, and exhausted—but alive.
"I don't see any Brionian soldiers!" one of them shouted.
"I can't see any on this side, either!" came the reply.
A moment passed. Then relief broke through the tension like sunlight through storm clouds.
"IT'S OUR VICTORY, YOUR MAJESTY! WOOO!"
Their cheers rang out—ragged, hoarse, earned. Any other day, I would have lifted my sword with them.
Today, I couldn't.
My gaze had already locked onto her.
Lucina knelt in the dirt, her pale hands stained red as she tended to a wounded knight sprawled at her feet. Her shoulders trembled—not from fear, but from sheer willpower holding her upright.
The sight drove all exhaustion from my body in an instant.
A senior commander hurried to my side, urgency etched deep into his expression. "Now's not the time for this, Your Majesty! Hurry up and go back to the palace!"
Another soldier rushed forward, gripping a horse by the reins. "He's right! You need to go and see Lady Lucina immediately! I knew this would happen, so I prepared a horse for you in advance!"
I hesitated—just once.
My eyes met Lucina's.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly, the words thick in my throat. "Forgive me for going first and leaving you here. I'll leave this place to you. I won't be long."
My men straightened at once, saluting with fierce loyalty.
"YOU CAN COUNT ON US!"
"Thanks," I replied, a low, strained chuckle escaping me despite everything.
I mounted the horse and spurred it forward.
GALLOP. GALLOP.
The world blurred as the forest rushed past. The blood-soaked victory faded behind me.
All that mattered was reaching her.
______
Hakan
A few days later, I finally returned to the palace.
The gates opened at once. Knights snapped to attention.
"WELCOME BACK, YOUR MAJESTY!"
"Where's Lucina?" I demanded, my voice cutting through the hall before anyone could say more.
"She should be inside the palace," a guard replied immediately.
"Fine."
I moved forward, my steps slowing only slightly as I took in the scene around me. The halls were crowded—too crowded. Priests, knights, attendants, unfamiliar faces.
Did they all come to look after her…?
I stopped outside her chamber and knocked sharply.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Are you there, Lucina?"
There was a pause.
Then—"J-just a moment…!"
The door opened.
"Hakan!" she cried, rushing toward me.
I caught her instantly, pulling her into a tight embrace. My arms wrapped around her as if letting go would make her vanish.
"H-Hakan…!" she gasped against my chest.
"You're back," she murmured, pulling away just enough to look up at me. "Is the war… finally over?"
"No," I answered softly, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. Stroke. Stroke. "Not yet. But it will be soon. When I heard you'd be giving birth soon, I came back as quickly as I could."
She stepped back.
Too suddenly.
"Oh…!" she said, raising a hand to her mouth. "I-it's just been so long since I last saw you."
Something inside me tightened.
I slowed my breathing. Measured her voice. Her posture.
"I'm so glad…" I said carefully, placing a deliberate pause between each word. "You're… safe."
My eyes never left her face.
"Lucina," I continued quietly, "why are you stuttering again?"
Her smile wavered—only for a fraction of a second.
I tightened my grip, my gaze sharpening as I scanned her from head to toe.
"Where's your maid?" I asked. "I've never seen her leave your side."
She smiled again—too sweet, too practiced. "My maid? Um… she went to go get something earlier."
A cold chuckle slipped from my throat.
"Ha…"
I shook my head slowly. "You can't even pull off a decent act."
My hand moved.
The blade slid free with a quiet raise.
"Lucina doesn't stutter when she talks to me anymore," I said, my voice calm and lethal. "And she always calls her maid by her name."
I swung the sword.
SWISH.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE REAL LUCINA?!"
She laughed.
"Hahaha… pfft."
Crimson light exploded outward with a violent FSSSSHHH. Her form warped, skin and silk melting away, revealing golden hair and eyes burning with malice.
"I thought you'd be as blind as that fool," she sneered. "But you're smarter than I expected. I'll give you that."
My blood froze.
"I'll give you that," I growled. "You sound just like—no. It can't be—"
"That's right," she said smoothly. "I'm Marissa. Leader of the Dragon Slayers."
My vision snapped to the side.
There—Lucina.
Unconscious. Restrained. Helpless.
"What did you do to her?!" I roared.
Marissa smirked, gripping Lucina's face with obscene familiarity. "Don't worry. I'm not going to kill her. I still have a use for her."
She raised a small object in her hand.
CRACK.
The floor beneath her shattered, stone collapsing inward with a violent CRUMBLE.
"I came here to take care of something," she said lightly. "But now that I've been caught…"
She stepped back, heels clicking against broken tiles.
CLACK.
"…I'll be going."
Her voice echoed with mockery. "Till next time—if we ever cross paths again."
A blur of movement.
"Your Eminence?!" a voice cried as a man in white and gold rushed into the chamber.
"What brings you here?" I snapped, spinning toward the Cardinal.
"Ah—did you… meet Marissa, the leader of the Dragon Slayers?" he stammered, horror draining the color from his face. "She—she kidnapped Lucina!"
My thoughts collided violently.
Then all those people earlier… were they following her orders? Since when—?
Guilt and fury surged together, crushing my chest.
I should have protected her.
I lunged forward, grabbing the Cardinal by the front of his robes.
Marissa was gone.
"DAMN IT…!!"
My roar thundered through the empty hall as the faint sound of retreat echoed distantly—
FWOSH.
"HUFF… HUFF…"
Each breath tore through my chest, heavy and uneven, as the remnants of battle still clung to my body like a second skin. The metallic taste of blood lingered at the back of my throat, and my muscles screamed with every movement—but we had done it.
We had pushed them back.
"I don't see any Brionian soldiers!" one of my men shouted, his voice echoing through the forest clearing as he swept his blade through the air, eyes sharp and alert.
"I can't see any on this side, either!" another replied, lowering his weapon at last.
A heartbeat of silence followed.
Then—
"IT'S OUR VICTORY, YOUR MAJESTY! WOOO!"
Their cheer rose, ragged but triumphant, bursting from chests held together by sheer will. Helmets lifted. Weapons trembled in exhausted hands.
Yet my chest felt hollow.
The victory rang distant, muffled, as a sharp, gnawing urgency clawed at my thoughts. I could feel it—something was wrong.
"Now's not the time for this, Your Majesty!" a soldier called urgently. "Hurry up and go back to the palace!"
"He's right, Your Majesty!" another knight insisted, already moving. "You need to go and see Lady Lucina. I knew this would happen, so I prepared a horse for you in advance!"
I exhaled slowly, forcing a smile onto my lips. A low chuckle slipped out—not from humor, but from gratitude.
"Thanks, everyone."
My gaze dropped to the wounded knight lying on the ground, his breathing shallow but steady. I knelt briefly, gripping his shoulder.
"Forgive me for going first and leaving you here," I said quietly. "I'll leave this place to you. I won't be long."
My men straightened as one.
"YOU CAN COUNT ON US!"
I mounted the horse and urged it forward.
GALLOP. GALLOP.
Mist swallowed the forest path as the world blurred past me. Branches whipped by. The cheers faded behind me.
All that mattered now was getting back to her.
A few days later, I finally returned.
The palace gates opened wide, guards snapping to attention the moment they saw me.
"WELCOME BACK, YOUR MAJESTY!"
I barely acknowledged them.
"Where's Lucina?"
"She should be inside the palace," a knight replied quickly.
"Fine."
As I moved through the hall, my steps slowed. Too many people stood gathered there—priests, attendants, unfamiliar faces whispering behind cupped hands.
Did they all come to look after her…?
I pushed the thought aside and stopped before her chamber.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Are you there, Lucina?"
There was a pause—just long enough to set my nerves on edge.
"J-just a moment…!"
The door opened.
"Hakan!"
She rushed forward, and I caught her instinctively, pulling her into a tight embrace. Her body felt warm—solid—but something about the way she clung to me felt… off.
"H-Hakan…!" she gasped.
"You're back," she murmured softly. "Is the war… finally over?"
"No," I replied, lifting a hand to her face, my thumb brushing her cheek. Stroke. Stroke. "Not yet. But it will be soon. When I heard you'd be giving birth soon, I came back as quickly as I could."
She stepped away.
Too abruptly.
"Oh…!" she said, touching her mouth. "I-it's just been so long since I last saw you."
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"I'm so glad…" I said slowly, measuring every word. "You're… safe."
I studied her face—every blink, every twitch.
"Lucina," I continued, my voice low, "why are you stuttering again?"
She froze.
I tightened my grip, my gaze sweeping over her in a sharp scan.
"Where's your maid?" I asked. "I've never seen her leave your side."
Her smile came too late. Too sweet.
"My maid? Um… she went to go and get something earlier."
A cold chuckle escaped me.
"Ha…"
I shook my head.
"You can't even pull off a decent act."
Steel slid free with a whisper as I raised my sword.
"Lucina doesn't stutter when she talks to me anymore," I said calmly. "And she always calls her maid by her name."
The blade cut the air.
SWISH.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE REAL LUCINA?!"
She laughed.
"Hahaha… pfft."
Crimson light exploded outward with a violent FSSSSHHH, swallowing her form as flesh and silk melted away. When the glow faded, a blonde woman stood before me—eyes sharp, smile wicked.
"I thought you'd be as blind as that fool," she hissed. "But you're smarter than I expected. I'll give you that."
Rage twisted my face.
"I'll give you that," I snarled back. "You sound just like—no… it can't be!"
"That's right," she said smoothly. "I'm Marissa. Leader of the Dragon Slayers."
My blood ran cold.
"What did you do to Lucina?!" I roared.
She reached out—and dragged her into view.
Lucina.
Unconscious. Limp.
Marissa's fingers gripped her face possessively.
"Don't worry," she said lightly. "I'm not going to kill her. I still have a use for her."
She raised a small, dark object.
CRACK.
The floor fractured violently, stone collapsing inward with a deep CRUMBLE.
"I came here to take care of something," Marissa continued. "But now that I've been caught…"
She stepped backward, heels clicking against broken tile.
CLACK.
"…I'll have to get going."
Her smile widened.
"Till next time—if we ever cross paths again."
She vanished.
A man in white and gold rushed into the room.
"Your Eminence?" I demanded sharply.
"Ah—did you… meet Marissa, the leader of the Dragon Slayers?" the Cardinal stammered. "She—she kidnapped Lucina!"
My thoughts collided violently.
Then all those people earlier… were following her orders? Since when…?
Guilt slammed into my chest like a blade.
I should've protected her.
I lunged forward, grabbing the Cardinal by his robes.
"Why didn't you stop her?!" I shouted. "A single demonic creature should've been no match for you!"
He recoiled, pain flashing across his face.
"You're absolutely right," he said quietly. "That was… until she disguised herself as the woman I love."
My heart jolted.
"What do you mean…?"
He looked at me, eyes heavy with regret.
"That's right. Marissa deceived me by transforming into the woman I love."
I staggered back.
"Hold on… what did you just say?"
His voice softened, trembling. "Is she… your daughter?"
"Yes," he continued, before I could speak. "Lucina is my daughter. And Marissa… is her mother."
The words crushed the air from my lungs.
"I foolishly let her deceive me," he whispered. "I fell in love with her."
He lowered his gaze.
"I came here to make amends for the mistakes I made in the past. I wanted to protect my daughter… and punish Marissa."
The truth settled between us like a crushing weight.
Lucina—daughter of the Cardinal.
Marissa—her mother, and the leader of the Dragon Slayers.