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twenty-three

I woke to the sound of Lusha gasping and slamming the door. “Sorry, Miss Marigold!” I cracked an eye open. I’d fallen back asleep—it was well into mid-morning now. Galen was passed out on his back, his mouth gaped open. I laughed softly and it was enough to wake him.

“Hi.” I smiled, kissing his shoulder.

“Hi,” he said with a reciprocal peck, sitting up. His stomach muscles expanded as he stretched. Feeling bold, I stared at every beautiful inch of him.

“Galen, if it’s not too personal, would you tell me what your pneuma form is?” I rolled over until I was laying on my belly, my chin resting on my folded arms. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and scratched his head until his hair stood straight up.

As I watched him stretch again with feline grace, I blurted out, “I know what you are—I’d bet my life on it.”

“You shouldn’t make bets with your life, love. Especially in a land of cursed faeries that would happily take you up on it.” He stood up and faced me. My mouth went dry as I took in his muscular, lean body.

In a matter of one… two… three seconds… a gigantic, golden lion appeared in my bedroom.

His fur was the same fiery color as his hair; auburn with flecks of gold that weaved through a brilliant, thick mane.

His head was the size of my torso. He was so big, he filled up nearly all the floor space in my room, leaving me sitting on my bed, unsure if I should be afraid of making any sudden movements.

Many things in this new world had surprised me, but nothing had prepared me for the awe-inspiring sight of Galen’s lion form. I wanted to reach out and touch his velvety face, bury my cheeks in his luxurious fur; but instead I watched him in silence… waiting for his next move.

Galen approached me slowly and it took all of my bravery to keep from backing away as he laid his massive head on my lap and purred .

I cautiously stroked between his eyes, up into his silky mane, scratching behind his ears.

His purr increased in volume and I grinned down at him, giving him a kiss on the nose.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.

“You are glorious, in both forms. And I want you to know that I’m done fighting this.

I’m ready to be yours, for you to be mine…

if you still want me.” He blinked up at me with emerald eyes that held the reflection of his soul, even in his feline form.

“Losing my mother… I think it stunted my ability to dream. It was a loss that consumed my adolescence, but I think I’m finally ready to let myself live again.

I still have doubts… I might never be able to let them all go.

And I think you may understand that, in your position.

Sometimes duty takes precedent over what we want—over who we wish we were.

But right now, I sit here before you, telling you that I care…

and I don’t want you to disappear again. ”

Galen transformed back into his Fae form and appeared on his knees before me. “I’m not going anywhere. Although, I feel at a slight disadvantage kneeling before you in the nude.” We laughed together at the situation—at the fate that brought us together.

“Somehow, you look at me like I’m not a liability, even after seeing me broken—knowing what I’ve done.

It makes me want to be better. It makes me feel invincible.

I’ll try to not be a disappointment to you,” he said as he sprinkled kisses on my hand, up my arm, and along my neck.

“Let’s keep this a secret for now—until we have more leverage with my mother and the Elders.

Once you can world walk, they’ll approve of our relationship.

The last thing I want is for them to target you because of me. ”

He tapped his fingers against my thigh as he waited for my answer. To his relief, I gave no protest. The less Sylvia knew about us, the better. I hadn’t forgotten her warning to stay away from her son.

“You have my heart… and my protection. You have since the day I met you,” Galen whispered, resting his chin on my head and holding me tightly. Warmth bloomed in my chest and it felt like hope. Perhaps with all th ree Princes on my side, I had a fighting chance at making it out of this world alive.

Later that morning, we sat at a small table in my room, eating a light breakfast of biscuits and raspberry jam, while sipping on tea. It was a peaceful moment and I wanted to savor it. I wanted to experience more of this with him.

“Could we spend the day together and pretend that you’re not Prince Galen and I’m not from another world… just for today?”

“I’d like nothing better. I had a few things I was supposed to do today, but I’m happy to put them off in exchange for the chance to charm your pants off.” He leaned over to kiss my cheek while I chewed a piece of biscuit.

“But I’m not wearing pants,” I replied with a hard swallow. My periwinkle dress was the color of today’s blue skies. It left little to the imagination with a deep neckline that plunged down, showing off freckled, tanned skin.

“Even better,” he said, grinning like a wolf.

“Would you like to go to the lake today? We could go swimming. The water is pleasantly cool in the heat of the day, although you probably don’t mind the heat with ice in your veins. I, on the other hand, am always hot. I should’ve been born in the arctic.”

“Well, now you have your own personal cooling system,” I laughed, waving my fingers at him and blowing an icy breeze.

“I knew there was a reason I couldn’t stay away.” He nipped at my finger, pulling my hand to his and licking sticky jam off my palm. My stomach dipped in anticipation of what today would bring.

“I don’t have anything to wear. I’ll have to ask Lusha if I can borrow a swimsuit.” It was difficult for me to picture faeries wearing the full body costumes women had to wear in Aurelius when they wanted to go in the water.

“Why would you wear a suit to swim? Nature intended for us to swim in the nude. ”

I blinked at him. “I suppose that works too…” I was so very far from home.

We made it down the gravel path, to the private beach that the castle butted up against. There was no one else in sight; not even Robert had followed us down the winding trail.

I was surprised to find sand, just like beaches on the ocean.

It had been ages since I’d seen the sea, but I still held nostalgia for its salty, pungent smell.

The lake air was sweet in comparison. A floral aroma drifted in with the warm breeze. And then there was the intoxicating scent of the Prince who walked beside me. I took a deep breath.

Dense forest sat on either side of the castle’s private beach, sheltering exotic birds that chirped and trilled.

They were so colorful that I could spot them from a distance.

Vibrant blues, neon green, and one large red bird with extravagant tail feathers.

The sand glittered in different shades of pale pink, contrasting against the cerulean water.

The waves were gentle, fading in and back out with a soft hush , like a mother soothing her infant. It made me think of her .

Was she protecting me from afar? Keeping me out of the Queen’s schemes?

Sylvia had been quiet for too long. I let the gentle wind and the hum of the ocean melt my worries away…

until all that was left was Galen. His uhra shimmered a bright gold in the sunshine, like a pearlescent seashell.

It overpowered his typical red and blue, which were barely visible.

An after-effect from my magic, I assumed.

Was that what my soul looked like? I’d tried to find mine in the mirror, but for some reason, it evaded me.

We set down our basket of picnic items and laid out a blanket. Were we to strip down in front of each other in broad daylight? I could hear Thea tutting at me from here.

“Would you like to swim?” Galen asked, taking my hand and walking to the water’s edge. I dipped a toe in and found it delightfully warm.

“Perhaps a drink first?” I suggested. Liquid courage felt necessary. Why did this feel so awkward ? There was a new layer of vulnerability—of expectation between us. Something held me back from fully relishing the moment, but I couldn’t figure out what it was .

He poured us each a glass of sparkling wine and came over to sit behind me on our blanket. Wrapping his brawny body around mine, he worked the knots from my shoulders, easing my anxiety. I leaned back into him, savoring his warmth.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever had a date like this,” he admitted.

“What is courtship typically like in Nymera?”

“I wouldn’t really know. I’ve never gotten to experience a typical life. Most of my time with women has involved more sex than conversation. And I had no interest in bringing Isla here… I’ve never wanted anything serious until now,” he confessed.

My stomach twisted at his words and I took a swig of champagne. “Can I ask you about something? It might be a sensitive topic…”

“Of course. I’ll tell you anything—everything,” he replied, nuzzling into my hair. Such feline mannerisms he had.

“Why did Rafael attack you yesterday?” I couldn’t see his face, but felt his body stiffen.

“The most obvious reason is that he was jealous of what he saw; me… on you.”

Jealous ? That was ridiculous; though I refrained from scoffing out loud. Raf had tried to kiss me last week, but it was because we were caught up in the moment, not because he wanted me. He’d said as much.

“If you say so. But you seem to mutually resent each other. Does it go deeper than sibling rivalry?” I fidgeted with my necklace, currently hot between my fingers.

“Rafael is… disrespectful to everything I stand for. Everything I am, as heir to the throne. He shirks his responsibility to the Crown at every opportunity and then seems to resent me for not doing the same. I can’t run away from duty as easily as he can.”