Archer looked at the beautiful tiger woman standing in front of him, gave her a charming smile, and introduced himself, "I'm Archer Wyldheart. Are you Ashoka Ganesha?"
She nodded before responding in an Indian-like accent, instantly catching his attention, "I am. It's good to meet you finally. May I join you? I often come here to relax."
"Of course," he motioned to the space next to him. "Don't let me scare you away."
The tiger woman giggled. "Dragons don't scare me. Maybe when I was a little girl, but no longer," she said.
Her revelation caught Archer's interest, causing him to question, "Why?"
"Because I can fight them when they're not in the air," Ashoka replied with a grin.
He sensed a challenge in her words, prompting him to huff and ask, "Are you looking for a fight?"
Ashoka giggled before nodding, causing Archer to agree as he informed her, "I may be about to shrink if I use the mana. Do you have a Primal form like the others?"
"Yes, but I unlocked it in my teens, which was many moons ago," she replied. "Let's fight on the training field."
The duo walked through the palace gardens while heading for the training field. When they arrived, Archer noticed Nala, Maeve, and Talila fighting in a free-for-all, which caused him to admire their prowess.
Ashoka joined him as she spoke, "They are all beautiful; I see that is your weakness."
"Guilty as charged, I do love a beautiful woman, but I have to be interested in them before anything can happen," Archer replied with a smile.
She started laughing, which was a beautiful sound, and Archer found himself loving the noise, but it stopped before she spoke, "Let's fight; I want to see if the rumors are speaking facts or lies."
Archer nodded before transforming into his dragon form but ordered it to shrink him,
allowing him to fight Ashoka, who also radiated as she turned into a massive tiger that stood eight feet tall and twelve feet long.
She was brown all over with orange stripes, causing him to smile in excitement as they were the same size. Ashoka made the first move and lunged forward. Archer chuckled before jumping to the side and lashing out with his tail.
The tiger woman dodged the swing and lunged onto his back, but Archer flipped around before squashing her; following that, the duo started fighting by biting and slashing at each other's skin.
Some of Archer's scales sent sparks flying when Ashoka's claws hit them, but it only left behind minor damage. He counterattacked by lunging at the giant tiger, biting her shoulder, and, ultimately, having her by the back of the neck.
Ashoka growled, her claws swiping at Archer. With a playful grin, he quickly restrained her, holding her like a mere kitten. He released her, but she wasted no time-immediately pouncing on him.
They tumbled and wrestled on the ground, their playful combat a mix of rolling, grappling, and finally laughing as an hour passed. Archer returned to his humanoid form, followed by Ashoka, who was sweaty,
The woman turned to him; her brown eyes gleamed excitedly and fondly. "Why did you hold me like that? It's been over thirty moons since that happened," she said with a smile.
"Will you bend the knee?" he answered with a cheeky smile.
Ashoka's cheeks went dark, but she didn't avoid eye contact before answering, "Are you always this lewd? You just met me and already want me on my knees."
He laughed but nodded as he spoke, "I am, but I meant, will your empire become part of Draconia, which you can rule over however you like, apart from paying me a monthly tax that will be reinvested into the empire."
"What would my people get in return?" she fired back.
"Access to all government programs once they sign a population census; I will build a train network all over Ganesha Empire and forts that my legions will occupy to deter bandits,
outlaws, and invasions."
"So you want to take over my empire completely?" Ashoka asked with narrowed eyes.
"No. You can worship whatever gods you like and continue life as normal apart from your lands. You would be secure, and your people would be well taken care of," Archer replied with a smile. "Plus, I have my company to earn coins, which is already netting me millions of coins used to improve Draconia."
After that, the two of them started eating, and when Archer saw the dishes all over the table, he got excited. There were all kinds of meats, slices of bread, rice, and noodles, which took
him by surprise.
Ashoka's laughter danced as Archer continued sampling the delicious dishes, which he loved every bite of. Unperturbed, he focused on the feast, savoring each bite with evident
satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the tiger woman started her meal, her eyes occasionally flickering toward Archer
with a hint of curiosity. The dining hall doors swung open, and Hecate, Aisha, and Brooke strode in, their eyes immediately finding Archer.
Their faces brightened with warm smiles as they made their way over. Aisha went to order
food while Brooke, brimming with affection, gave Archer a tight hug and a tender kiss before
stepping back.
Hecate followed, greeting him with a peck on the cheek and a loving hug. They joined the table as Brooke spoke to Ashoka: "Ash, how are you finding palace life? I hope you're not
bored yet?"
"No, it's lovely here, Lady Brooke," she replied. "I love the library and training with the Royal Guards; they are strong warriors."
Archer watched with interest but let the women converse as Aisha approached the table, her eyes sparkling warmly. "Hello, my darling. How was your trip to Valoria City?"
"It was enjoyable," he replied with a grin. "The food was excellent, but I must say, the palace's meals are even better."