Riyala had been working herself to the bone to try and make sure the dragonborn rebuilt their world to its former glory, and Riyala hadn’t taken a single day off in that time! Both Talum and Gruwen could tell that Riyala was overworking herself, and it was actually Talum who had gone to Earth to speak to Gina about Riyala since they knew that the only way Riyala would take time off from work was if Jason told her to! So they couldn’t hide their amusement when they noticed just how well their plan had worked! Riyala still had a lot of work planned for today, but she had thrown all that under the bus the moment she saw Jason!
Riyala turned to glare at the two guards when she noticed them smiling, and the guards quickly killed their laughter and stood straight! Riyala was about to say something to them, but she melted as Jason patted her head softly! Riyala immediately forgot about the guards as she leaned into Jason like a clingy cat, and Jason spoke to the guards.
"I’ll be taking her off your hands for a while. Tell the king to handle any issues that come up till she gets back."
The guards saluted, and Jason waved goodbye as he and Riyala fell into the shadow.
The news of Jason’s presence on Radagan spread across the entire world very quickly, and many royals and nobles immediately began asking for Jason’s whereabouts since they wanted to meet with the Overlord to offer their greetings, but no one was able to track Jason down! And even if they did, Jason’s location was protected by an entire army of dragons that would never let the dragonborn come close!
Within the Flaming Forest in the western region of Radagan, Jason was sitting on a large bed made from a combination of moss, leaves, and flowers inside the Sacred Cave of the Priestess of Fire. Jason had taken off his jacket and shirt, so he was shirtless, and he was leaning back on his hands and watching Riyala as she moved around and picked some fruits that were hanging from various plants that grew inside the cave. There were various blue lilies lighting up the cave like fireflies, and it allowed Jason to appreciate Riyala’s beauty from where he was. Riyala had also discarded her priestess uniform, and she was now wearing a simple strip of cloth around her chest that showed off a lot of her cleavage and another strip of cloth around her waist that looked like a miniskirt! This was a traditional indoor attire worn by many newlywed Radagan women, and it was meant to draw their partner’s attention at all times! And from the reaction Riyala was getting from Jason, the attire was definitely working! Riyala bent over to pick a red grape from the shrubs, and Jason smiled as his eyes followed the curve of her ass. Did that get bigger?
This thought went through Jason’s mind, but Jason didn’t have time to think about that as Riyala began walking back towards him with a basket of fruits and meat.
"Sorry I couldn’t get anything more, babe. If I knew you were coming, I would’ve prepared a feast."
Jason chuckled at Riyala’s downcast expression, and he waved her over with a smile.
"I’ll enjoy anything you give me, so you don’t need to worry about that. Come sit with me."
Riyala smiled as she walked barefoot across the soft bed, and she placed the basket in front of Jason before sitting beside him. Jason leaned over and gave Riyala a soft kiss before he gently pushed her head down. Riyala was a bit confused about what Jason was doing, and she was even more surprised when Jason placed her head in his lap and began to softly stroke her hair. Riyala felt her cheeks reddening from how close she was to Jason, and when Jason spoke, she felt a shiver go down her spine.
"I’m worried about you, babe."
Riyala tried her best to suppress the heat that suddenly gathered in her stomach when she heard Jason’s voice from so close, and she pushed that feeling to the side and focused on what Jason had said! Jason was worried about her? Why? Riyala asked Jason what he was worried about, and Jason chuckled.
"I can’t believe you’re asking me that. When was the last time you slept, Riyala? From how dark your eyes are, I’m sure it’s been a few days at least. I understand that you’re trying to help your people get back on their feet, but I don’t like seeing you work yourself to the bone like this. Even Gina is worried about you."
Riyala’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment as she curled her legs up to her chest. Jason moved his hand to caress Riyala’s exposed stomach, and he could see Riyala’s body relaxing as she finally spoke.
"I’m sorry for worrying you."
Jason laughed.
"You don’t have to be sorry for anything. I’m just telling you how I feel about you working yourself so much. But I still don’t understand it. I know you have capable nobles working for the people, and the king is there as well. Why are you putting so much weight on your own shoulders? You should let them carry some of the problems too."
Riyala went quiet for a long time after this, and Jason simply continued to rub her smooth stomach while waiting for a response. Riyala knew that Jason was right about her overworking herself! Riyala had taken up roles that she could’ve easily given to other people and that prevented her from having any free time to herself. If Riyala continued like this, then it was only a matter of time before she broke down. In truth, Riyala already knew exactly why she was working herself so hard, but Riyala didn’t know if she could say this to Jason without sounding like a fool. It was such a silly reason that Riyala was sure Jason would laugh at her for it!
But Riyala also knew that she couldn’t keep worrying Jason for no reason. Jason had come all the way here simply because he was worried about her, so Riyala owed him an explanation! Riyala’s cheeks darkened even more, and she seemed to fold in on herself as she finally spoke in a very soft voice.
If it had been anyone else, then they would’ve definitely missed what she said, but Jason had extremely good hearing, and that was why he easily picked up Riyala’s words. But Jason’s brow rose in surprise since he couldn’t believe what he had heard, and he asked Riyala to repeat herself. Riyala’s blush only grew, and this time she almost looked like a tomato as she finally said:
"I wanted you to acknowledge me."
Jason let out a silent breath once he heard this. Jason honestly didn’t know what to say to that. The idea that someone was doing all of this just to try and gain his recognition was absurd, and Jason felt a little sting in his heart as he wondered why Riyala felt the need to do this! Riyala immediately noticed the emotions swirling inside Jason, and she quickly sat up to face Jason as she spoke!
"It’s not because of anything you did, Jason. Don’t think like that."
"Then what is it?"
Riyala twisted her fingers together, and she looked away from Jason’s curious gaze as she answered.
"I... I know I don’t have many achievements in my life. Both Gina and Hesabeth are amazing. They’ve done so much and accomplished so much, and I can see how proud you are whenever you talk about their accomplishments. I-I wanted something like that too."