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They were silent as the prince escorted her back to her chambers. She could feel the tension rising between them with every step, and her heart pounded against her chest. Sure, she had flirted with him for fun on multiple occasions, but she never thought he would reciprocate the feelings. Was she imagining it? It was the middle of the night. Her exhaustion could have been clouding her judgment.

Maybe Aleksy’s judgment was also clouded because of the coronation tomorrow. Certainly, he had to be nervous that Magdalena was receiving her gift, knowing he would have to face off against his sister soon in the trials to see what sibling kept the magic.

When Aleksy and Dagmara arrived at her suite, her hand lingered on the doorknob.

“Thank you, for tonight,” she said. “I didn’t know that you ordered the knights to inform you of my return.”

Aleksy shifted his weight, taking time to search for the right words. “I can’t really sleep on the nights when you have a mission. Knowing you arrive back safely puts me at ease.”

“Oh.” It was a terrible, stupid response. However, she couldn’t quite think clearly with her nerves erupting inside. His gaze was intense. She bit the inside of her cheek, restraining herself from ruining the moment by saying something she regretted.

To her relief, he continued. “I…worry about you sometimes.” He corrected himself. “Often, actually.” His face was getting redder. “But maybe that’s just me.”

“It’s not just you,” Dagmara blurted out. Her breath was shallow and the air around her began to thin. It was now or never. They had eyes for each other for a long time, but neither had acted on their attraction for one another. That was what was going on, right? Dagmara suddenly feared she was misreading the prince.

He took a step closer.

She shifted forward, nodding, telling him exactly what she wanted with only her eyes.

The prince swooped his arm behind her back, pulling him against her chest. He cupped the back of her head with his palm, pressing his lips to hers.

She felt like her entire body was on fire. The pain in her shoulder and face no longer mattered. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and feeling his body against hers. Her heart rate intensified, and it didn’t have anything to do with her health.

Footsteps down the hall made Dagmara pull away from him. “Someone’s coming.”

His forehead was against hers, and he only wrapped his arm tighter. “I don’t care.”

Dagmara laughed, and he cut her off as he kissed her once more. Between kisses, she said, “You don’t mean that, trust me.”

“You make me forget I’m a prince.”

The footsteps echoed in the corridor, signifying that they were getting closer.

Dagmara pulled her lips away, despite wanting more. “We can’t get caught the night before the coronation. Come inside.”

Aleksy watched her carefully. “Are you sure?”

“If you’d rather leave…”

“I’d rather not.”

He pressed his mouth to hers once more, deepening the kiss. He reached behind her back, opening the door to her drawing room. Her bedroom was only one door away. He supported her around the waist as he gracefully led her backward into the room. They didn’t stop kissing for one moment. He kicked the door shut with his boot before pressing her against the wall. She arched into his embrace as he swept his tongue into her mouth.

The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly snapped Dagmara out of the trance.

She jerked away from Aleksy, gasping for breath. Her eyes immediately found her fifteen-year-old brother seated at the desk, holding cards in both hands.

“Teos!” Dagmara’s blood turned to ice.

Aleksy ran his thumb against his lips, turning his back to Teos in embarrassment. His hand was propped against the wall next to Dagmara’s head, and he leaned his forehead into his bicep.

Dagmara slithered out from underneath Aleksy. “What are you doing here?”

“This is my suite too,” Teos said.

“I mean—what are you doing up?” She gestured toward the door to his bedroom on the opposite end of the room.

Teos let the cards flop onto the pile between his hands. He leaned closer, propping his elbows on the table. “What are you two doing up? I thought you were working tonight.” He raised his eyebrows and tried to repress his smile, but two dimples formed on his cheeks.