Page 68

Stepping from the courtyard, we find ourselves in a corridor that leads to the estate’s inner rooms. My limbs feel heavy with relief, yet adrenaline simmers at the base of my skull.

Selene halts, turning to face me. Eryx and Zareth pause as well, forming a loose circle around her.

Ai stands off to one side, her expression more at ease after witnessing the ceremony.

Selene’s gaze drifts over us, a soft smirk playing on her lips. “Well. We just challenged an entire civilization’s beliefs. Where do we go from here?”

Zareth speaks quietly, a hint of tension in his voice. “We gather those willing to rebuild. We show them that purna, humans, and elves can coexist. We weed out the entrenched bigots who might resist. But they’ll think twice before moving against us all.”

Eryx huffs a playful laugh. “We also celebrate. That ceremony was monumental, but I sense you, my dear queen, need a more private completion of these vows.”

Selene’s eyes flash with a wry glint. “Perhaps. After we ensure Ai rests safely. Then, maybe we find a quiet chamber.” Her voice dips suggestively. “I want each of you to understand that I haven’t changed my mind about who truly commands whom.”

A wave of anticipation washes through me.

My vow to publicly stand as her partner doesn’t negate that behind closed doors, she still leads.

I yearn for the moment when we can collapse into each other’s arms, letting this day’s tension erupt into raw desire.

Eryx’s grin tells me he feels the same. Zareth remains impassive, but the flicker of color in his cheeks betrays his interest.

Ai steps forward, hugging Selene’s arm. “Will you come tuck me in first?” Her voice is small, tinted with lingering anxiety.

Selene softens, brushing a palm over Ai’s silver hair. “Yes, little one. I’ll see you settled. Then… we convene in my quarters.”

My chest tightens at that promise. Eryx and Zareth both share looks of excitement.

For all the city’s glances, for all the controversies, in private we embrace a dynamic that defies Orthani’s rigid caste.

She leads, and we stand willingly as her men.

The swirl of scandal and devotion only fuels the intensity.

We set off, guiding Ai to her temporary room.

She yawns, exhausted by the day’s tumult.

Once inside, she clings to Selene’s hand until gently coaxed to lie down.

Selene hums a soothing lullaby—a purna tune, perhaps—and the child drifts to a fragile sleep.

I watch from the doorway, heart full. This child was once the catalyst for Orthani’s potential ruin, now she’s a living symbol that purna have a place here.

When Ai’s breathing evens, Selene eases out quietly.

Her eyes find mine, a silent signal of longing.

Eryx and Zareth wait in the corridor, tension thrumming in the hush.

Without speaking, we all move in tandem, heading to the suite that once served as my private quarters, now claimed by her whenever she wishes.

The hallway is mostly deserted at this late hour, the city’s onlookers gone to rest or celebrate.

We enter the chamber, shutting the door behind us. The lamp on the side table casts a gentle glow, illuminating the half-ruined furniture. The siege spared little extravagance, but a soft rug remains, and the bed is intact. Selene turns to face us, eyes gleaming with triumphant energy.

Eryx steps forward first, playful challenge in his grin. “You’ve just declared your vow to Vaelith. Does that mean we watch from the shadows, or do we join the celebration?”

Selene snorts, crossing her arms. “Are you truly so dense? If I wanted just one partner, I would’ve said so. You’re here because I choose you all.” Her voice resonates with authority. “Now, come. Show me your devotion.”

Heat flushes my face. Even after proclaiming a public vow with her, I still ache to prove myself in private. Eryx moves behind her, brushing the back of her neck with a careful, intimate gesture. Zareth circles to her side, voice husky. “You commanded me to yield once. I remain at your service.”

She smiles, letting her gaze drift over us.

“Good. Then come to me,” she murmurs, stepping backward toward the bed’s edge.

My heart hammers as she tugs at the ties of her gown, letting it slip from her shoulders.

The faint lamplight glistens over her bare skin.

Eryx releases a soft growl of appreciation, Zareth inhales sharply, and I press my lips together, fighting the wave of desire.

In that hush, we converge around her. My fingers brush the side of her throat, feeling her pulse quicken.

Eryx takes her hand, pressing light kisses along her wrist. Zareth stands behind, smoothing gentle touches over her shoulders.

The tension is thick as we reacquaint ourselves with her warmth, each of us wanting to claim but also to be claimed.

The memory of the vow in the courtyard merges with the rawness of this moment, forging a heady swirl of lust and devotion.

Selene’s voice emerges low and resonant. “Slowly,” she says, “we have all night.” She glances at me, a flicker of mischief in her gaze. “But remember who owns the final word here.”

I give a faint nod, stepping in to cup her cheek. “You do,” I whisper. “Always.” My mouth finds hers, the kiss electric. Eryx’s hand glides up her arm, accentuating her hum of pleasure. Zareth leans in, nuzzling her temple. She arches, encompassed by us, her soft moan fueling the swirling hunger.

Time dissolves into a flurry of touches, kisses, whispered affirmations. The bed behind us beckons, but she keeps us standing for a while, relishing the tension. My body roars with pent-up need. We survived the siege, we proclaimed a vow—now we indulge in the savage bond tying us together.

Eventually, Selene allows us to guide her onto the bed’s center, where we continue our slow, deliberate worship of her body, each man finding a place that pleases her.

She gasps, eyes fluttering, as Eryx teases along her collarbones, Zareth focuses on her thighs, and I cradle her head, kissing her deeply.

The synergy of four bodies unfolds in a mesmerizing dance, every moment steeped in dark romance that defies Orthani’s dusty rules.

She murmurs commands, sometimes pressing me down so she can tower above, sometimes beckoning Eryx or Zareth to shift angles.

Our ragged breaths mingle, building a crescendo of ecstasy that fuses the day’s triumph with an undeniable physical union.

The swirl of raw desire and unwavering trust sets me ablaze.

By the time we near the peak of our passion, my mind is adrift in a haze of her voice, her heat, the brush of multiple limbs.

When we collapse, hours later, each of us panting in a tangled sprawl, I realize how thoroughly we’ve shattered Orthani’s expectations.

A single woman commanding three men’s devotion under one roof, publicly and privately, forging a new standard for relationships.

And the city can only watch, stunned that we have the audacity to exist so boldly.

Selene lies with her head on my chest, Eryx curled at her side, Zareth angled behind her, all of us drifting in sated exhaustion. My eyes sting with the fierce love I never knew possible. She stirs, murmuring, “Thank you,” in a lazy hush.

I press a tender kiss to her temple. “For what?”

“For letting me stand as your partner in front of Orthani, for giving me your unwavering backing. And for accepting that I share myself with more than one man.”

I tighten my arm around her, ignoring the vestiges of jealousy that used to plague me. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’ve changed everything—for me, for all of us. I want to see Orthani learn from this.”

She smiles in the dark. “They will. Soon enough.”

Eryx shifts, voice muffled by the sheets. “We’ll guide them, or tear down those who refuse. We’re unstoppable, remember?”

Zareth’s soft rumble: “Yes. Let them fight us if they dare.”

We drift into a contented silence, hearts beating in sync.

In the quiet, I imagine the dawn of our new rule.

With Selene as the pivotal figure, we’ll mend or break Orthani’s old caste laws, forging a city that doesn’t fear purna or enslave them.

The vow we made, sealed by that public ceremony, cements my place at her side—and Eryx’s and Zareth’s in her life.

Orthani stands on the brink, uncertain whether to celebrate or protest. But it’s too late for them to revert to blind cruelty. We hold the city’s future in our hands.

Sleep pulls at me. I let my eyes close, contentment washing away the day’s tension.

In the hush, I sense Selene’s breathing slow, Eryx’s hand resting lightly on her hip, Zareth’s calm aura lulling us.

We share a bed, share a vow, share a dream of a new Orthani.

Let the city wonder, let them adapt. We have shaped a new reality from the ashes, standing united in defiance of every stale tradition.

And as I slip into slumber, I hold her close, vowing silently that I will never let Orthani’s fear crush what we’ve built.

We’ll protect Ai, protect each other, and guide this battered city into the future Selene envisions.

The old shadows fade, replaced by a bright dawn of our own making—purna and dark elf, forging a path that none dared dream before.