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“I ’m sorry.” I interrupted him once my racing heart slowed again. “Did you say the Frostspire royals are coming here?”

“Yes. The threat of the trolls is increasing, and we must work together if we are to remain strong.”

“I see.”

Asante noticed my trepidation. “Is there a reason you wouldn’t want to make the treats for them?”

"Oh, I mean, I just…" I stammered, searching desperately for an excuse. “I’ve never made something for an event this important. Wouldn’t you want your chefs to do this? They’re all so much more skilled than I am.”

“I want them to have something unique, something that says we are changing for the better. Giving them our normal delights won’t do that.”

“This is really important to you, isn’t it?”

“It is, but it’s okay for you to say no. This isn’t a part of our original bargain. You can just keep up appearances as we have been doing. It's working. Everyone believes we’re in love.”

“I’ll do it.” The confirmation fell out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Why was I being so agreeable?

“You will?” Asante sounded as shocked as I felt.

“Yes.” Already I was thinking of ways to change my food so they wouldn’t recognize it. “Wait, do I have to meet them?”

“No, you’re not officially a part of the family. No one would expect you to attend such an important meeting.”

“Great, I mean, it's enough pressure as it is just to be making the desserts.”

“I understand. And I appreciate you doing this for me.”

“It’s for the betterment of our people, right? How could I say no to doing even a minor part to make that happen?”

He grabbed my hand again. “Thank you, Kiala.”

“You’re welcome.” I nodded. “When are they coming?”

“Three nights from now. We just got word. Apparently, our side of the island isn’t the only one the trolls visited.”

A sudden, sharp pain shot through my stomach at the horrifying thought of trolls invading my home; the image of their grotesque faces flashed before my eyes followed by a deep feeling of guilt. I should have been there.

“That should be enough time.” I tried to act as if timing was my only concern. But deep down, I had so much more to be worried about.

I spent the next two days preparing for the event. I locked myself away in my kitchen, making variations of my recipes, hoping to make them different enough so they wouldn’t be recognizable, but not so much that Asante would question me about it. There were other questions that fluttered through my mind. Like how many people would I have to cook for? Would the king of Starwell also be there? Would other members of the royal family from Frostspire be there?

It didn't matter. Whoever attended the meeting wasn't my concern. I wouldn't have to be a part of it. All I had to do was bake sweets, hand them off to be served, and hide until the party ended.

If I could do that, I could avoid any drama.

Asante visited me the night before the event. I stood in the kitchen covered in flour and served him the best versions of my desserts. It was the first time I’d seen him since he asked me his favor. The smile stretched across my face as I watched his reaction to the food. He could be mad at me later if he didn’t like how the variations tasted during the meeting.

“They are going to love these.” He smiled and licked the fragranced cream from his lips.

“I hope so.” I smiled nervously.

“You’re being modest. You know they will.” He looked around the kitchen. “You’ve really made this space your own. Are you sure this is okay for you?”

“It’s perfect, cozy and quiet.” I smiled. “Thank you again for giving me this space to work in.”

“Of course. I want you to be comfortable here.”

I thought about what his uncle had said to me. Asante was a softy beneath the tough exterior.

“I hope everything goes well tomorrow.” I wiped down the table between us as if I hadn’t already cleaned it twice before he came.

“You need to relax.” He grabbed my hand, stopping the frantic motion. “Come on.”

“What?” I frowned as he stood and led me to the door.

“Let’s go for a walk.” He looked back at me. “It will be good for both of us.”

This time, we strolled through an unfamiliar part of their property. The sounds of birdsong filled the air. Moonlight from Rhyxis, the moon rumored to guide the subconscious, bathed the grounds, casting long shadows and creating an ethereal glow. Lunaterra had thirteen moons, all representing different faiths and practices. My favorite was Sylvos. It was the moon of the forests where I had often daydreamed about running off to live.

But I had to stay in the present, which made me think of Asante’s requests.

It felt even heavier thinking of the timing. It was a special time of year when new mates showcased their love. And because of that, dragons flew together in pairs, creating dancing spirals above our heads.

“Don’t worry.” Asante nudged me with his shoulder. “I won’t ask you to fly with me again.”

A nervous chuckle slipped from my lips. “I appreciate that.”

“I bet your dragon is beautiful.” He said, and my stomach fluttered.

“Asante-,”

“Sorry.” He held his hand up. “Dropping it now.”

“You’re acting like you like me.” I teased him.

“Am I?” He glanced at me.

“This is supposed to be a mutual arrangement, like a business deal. You’re not supposed to like me.”

“Well, maybe you should make it harder to like you.” He stepped away from me and I followed him.

“How can I do that?” I asked. “Tell me and I’ll do it.”

“I’m not sure.” Asante looked at me and his eyes darkened for a moment. “What if it’s not possible?”

“Maybe I can start making the desserts bad again.” I shifted the tone. “I could go back to making them how I did when I first got here.”

“Don’t you dare.” Asante reached out, pulling me closer to him.

I gasped as my chest pressed against his. “What are you doing?”

“Breaking the rules.” He took a deep breath, then lowered his face to mine.

“Asante.” I pulled back just a little, but not enough to break his hold.

“Will you hit me?” His brow raised.

“I-,”

A smirk lifted at the corner of his lips. “It’ll be worth it.”

He kissed me again. That time was different. As his lips lingered against mine, there was no pain to counteract the feelings. There was nothing to distract me from the taste of him, the way my body responded to him. And there was nothing to drown out the screaming voice in my head.

Oh god, I like him!

~*~

The next night, I sat nervously in my room after making hundreds of pastries and handing them off to the staff, who would serve them to the royals. The urge to run away, to disappear where no one could ever find me, gnawed at me constantly. That was the perfect solution. If they couldn’t find me, there would be no way to mistakenly encounter their guests. Asante gave me his word. I wouldn’t have to go to the party, but my intuition gnawed at me to take further precautions. I ignored that feeling, choosing to trust what he said and headed for bed.

I had just pulled the covers back on the bed when I heard the excited chatter of women approaching my door. Panic had me looking at the window. Could I jump out without breaking my neck? The answer was no.

Knock, knock, knock.

Time was up.

“Yes?” I opened the door as if unaware of why they were there.

“Your sweets were a hit! They can’t stop talking about them.” The woman entered my room and pulled the cloak from my shoulders. “I hope you aren’t leaving. They want to meet you!”

“Meet me?” I panicked. “No, I can’t.”

“What do you mean, you can’t?” She reached for me, ready to start her work. “Now, let's just fix your hair and change your dress!”

The walls felt like they were closing in on me and I backed away from the woman, swatting her hands away from me. “Stop, don’t touch me.”

My lungs felt ready to explode in my chest. I sat on my bed and gasped for air. “I can’t do this!”

“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice heavy with worry. “I’ll get help!”

The woman ran out of the room, leaving me alone. I stood only to close the door behind her and placed my back against it. Maybe this was the solution. Freak out and stay in my room until it was over.

“Kiala? Are you okay?”

My plan to stay hidden went out the window, as Asante’s voice called out from the other side of the door. How could I ignore him? Would he go away even if I asked him to?

“I’m fine.” I called out.

“Please open the door.” His voice sounded strange. “I can tell something is wrong. Please let me in.”

I should have ignored him. I should have told him to go away, but I didn’t. Instead, I stood, wiped the tears from my face, and opened the door. Before I saw his face, I turned and walked away, allowing him to enter behind me.

“What happened?”

“Nothing. I didn’t expect-,” the pain in my chest returned as I struggled to catch my breath. “I’m sorry Asante, I just can’t go out there. They want me to, but I can’t.”

“Are you afraid?” He looked at me like he wanted to shield me from the world. “Do you think someone will hurt you?”

His question had the walls moving in again. “It’s not that, I just can’t. I don’t want to see them.”

“Then you don’t have to.” He didn’t question me any further. “Don’t worry about it. Don’t get yourself upset like this.”

“But the queen.” Finally, I took a deep breath. “Your mother will be upset if I don’t go.”

“She’ll understand and if she doesn’t, she can be mad at me. I’m the one who said you wouldn’t have to do this.” He grabbed my cloak the woman had draped on the chair and wrapped it around me. “Let’s go.”

“Where are you taking me?” I looked up at him as he tied the hood around my neck.

“Away from here.” He smiled. “What I should have done before this started.”

“You can’t leave. The meeting isn’t over.” I wiped the tears from my eyes, suddenly sobering up. “It won’t look good if you do.”

“Kiala, please.” He touched my cheek. “Just let me do this.”

He led me outside to the stables where the serabringers were. I thought we would take them for a ride again, but Asante detoured away from the doors and instead led me to the field at the side of it.

“I know you won’t shift into your dragon and fly with me. I respect your choice, but at least let me carry you.”

He didn’t wait for my protest. Asante turned his back to me. He stripped away his clothing, placing them neatly into the bag he carried for that purpose. He secured the strap around his leg. Designed to stretch with his growing form, the strap sat loose against his skin. After one last glance at me, he transformed, the air crackling with energy as his human form shifted into a magnificent dragon. The dragon's beauty was breathtaking; his scales gleamed, and his powerful wings caught the fading light. The varying shades of emerald on his scales were like a thousand tiny gems reflecting the light, some dark and others so bright they seemed to glow. My favorite color.

He lowered his neck, allowing me to climb onto his back. He nudged me with his wide nose to tell me to hold on. I gripped my hands in the hair that ran down the back of his long neck and allowed Asante to carry me away.

I buried my face in Asante’s neck as he carried me. The deafening whoosh of his wings was almost overwhelming, but beneath it, I could feel the steady, powerful rhythm of his heart. It was a powerful, steady beat, and as I pressed my ear against him, his pulse resonated like a drum against my skin, a rhythmic soundtrack to our flight. Instead of looking at the lands that passed beneath us, I closed my eyes and listened to his heart.

I tried to hide my disappointment when he finally landed. He perched carefully on a cliff overlooking the fire dragon territory, lowering his head to let me get down from his back safely. I placed the knotted ball of his clothes at his feet, then turned my back to give him privacy to redress. While he dressed, I took in the view. I could see out all the way to the ocean. I didn’t realize what I was searching for until I didn’t see it. The sails of troll ships. Where were they?

“I figured you would like it.” Asante joined me, unaware of what thoughts raced through my mind. “This is one of my favorite spots.”

“It’s breathtaking.” I swallowed my concerns. “You come here a lot?”

“Yes, not as much as I used to, though.”

I turned to further inspect the cliff and noticed the opening to a small cave. “What’s this?”

Asante stepped in front of me. “Before you go in, promise not to judge me.”

“Why would I judge you?” I pushed him aside and walked into the cave and gasped when I saw what he tried to hide. “Asante!”

I had never seen an actual dragon hoard before. Most people would never have one, and if they did, they kept it a secret. Inside the cave was Asante’s hoard. A massive collection of items, some worth more than I could calculate and others holding only sentimental value.

“You said you wouldn’t judge me.” He held his finger up.

“I said no such thing.” I corrected him. “This is a lot to take in.”

“Well, don’t please.” He dropped his head and pretended to pout. “It is my shame. You can’t make fun of me for it.”

“You really take this dragon thing seriously, don’t you?” I laughed. “Just like the old dragons, flying around and gathering things to hoard.”

“I know we’re supposed to have evolved past this, but I can’t help it.” He threw his hands up. “I love my things. My mother hated it. She tried everything she could to get me to stop. And as far as she knows, I did. I found this place a long time ago. The only one who knew about it was my brother, and he swore to keep my secret safe.”

“It’s kind of cute.” I laughed as I moved around the space cataloging the different jewels, tapestries and other trinkets. “Thinking of you as a child doing this. And besides, now I know your dirty little secret.”

“Will you use it to blackmail me?” he asked. “What would people think if they found out their future king did this?”

“Maybe?” I tapped my chin with my finger. “I mean, I could definitely use this for leverage. I’m not sure for what yet.”

“That’s not fair,” he groaned. “At least let me know the bargain now.”

“I think it is.” I started going through the piles of odds and ends. “There really is no reason behind any of this, is there?”

“I go through phases.” He chuckled and pointed to a stack of gray rocks. “Like that, for two years, I was obsessed with the stones at the edge of the ocean. I would sneak down there by myself to gather as many as I could.”

“And no one ever caught you?” I pointed to the stack of plants at the back wall of the cave. “That couldn’t have been easy to sneak up here.”

“If they did, they didn’t speak about it.” He shrugged. “Maybe they knew and ignored it. I wasn’t supposed to be their king. They may have just assigned me the eccentric brother tag like they did my uncle.”

“Thank you for sharing this.” I turned to him. “It’s funny, yes, but I get how difficult this must have been for you to trust me with.”

“It was worth the risk if it made you feel better. Did it?”

I nodded. “Actually, it does.”

“Good. Then I guess you can make fun of me about it.”

Asante found two cushions in his stash that were from a royal party. He said he hoped to gather more but couldn’t. After giving me the backstory of his ploy to take the cushions, he sat them at the opening of the cave and helped me sit on one before taking the other for himself. We sat, looking out at the night sky and inhaling the salty scent of ocean air as the cool breeze brushed across our skin.

“I’m not supposed to feel this way about you.” Asante finally broke the silence.

I looked at him. “What?”

“I can’t help it Kiala, I keep trying to correct my thinking. I know this arrangement between us isn’t real. But there is something about you I can’t get away from.”

“It’s the food.” I nudged him. “Once I’m gone, you won’t have it anymore. It will fade.”

“It really isn’t.” He shook his head. “I considered that, but it’s not true.”

A sudden rush of heat surged through me, and my heart pounded in my chest. “It isn’t?”

“It’s you, Kiala.” Asante shifted in his seat to look me in the eye. He grabbed my hand to pull me closer. “It was you before I knew you could cook. Before the first time you slapped me or put me in my place. It was you when I first saw you.”

“When I fell?” I laughed. “How could that possibly be the moment?”

He chuckled. “I saw you long before that. Hidden behind those old ladies, wrapped in a scarf. It was your eyes that caught me. The way you were clearly judging me and everyone else around me. I was making my way to you before you fell. That’s how I got to you so quickly.”

“Asante.” I tried to stop him, but he continued.

“It’s you. And I think that’s what makes your food so intoxicating to me.” He lifted my fingers to his lips. “These are the hands that make the love you put into your food. I feel it in every bite.”

“Love?”

“It isn’t love for me, it’s the essence of who you are. You are love, Kiala. I can tell.” He kissed my fingertips. “I want to earn your love. I want to deserve your heart.”

“You’re going to kiss me again, aren’t you?” I asked when he looked at me with those dark eyes.

“You’re going to let me,” he inched closer, and slipped his arm around my waist. “Aren’t you?”

I nodded slowly, the anticipation building with every inch, only stopping when his lips pressed against mine.

Under the moonlight, surrounded by his hoard, our kiss deepened. It may have been improper, but at that moment, none of that mattered. Asante’s hand caressed my back, and my hands found his neck and head. I massaged the back of his neck as he pulled me to his lap. After a moment of hesitation, as our eyes met and our breath caught, we returned to our kiss.

“I want more of you.” Asante spoke, his kiss moving from my lips to my chin.

I dropped my head back and pushed my hips against him, a gentle encouragement. I wanted more, but I couldn’t say the words. He did no more. His kiss lingering, needing more from me. So, I pulled back from him, just enough to allow the moonlight to wash against the skin between us, as I slipped my hand between our bodies and confidently stroked him through his pants. I held his gaze as I moved my hand, encouraging the growth beneath my palm. That was all he needed. Asante shifted his weight, pulling a blanket from a dark corner stacked with fabric. He laid it out on the cave floor, then lowered me onto it.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes.” I said, breath heavy with anticipation.

“Your first time should be special, Kiala.”

“How innocent of you,” I smiled, returning my hand to the place between his legs.

He groaned and slammed his lips against mine. Lowering his weight on top of me as he did.

He paused as if he would ask me again. Was I ready? Was this what I wanted? My mind felt cloudy, but my body was ready to accept him.

I lifted my back from the ground, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him closer. How could I convey to him that I wanted him? This could be the only chance we had. Soon I would fly away from my home for good, and I would take the memory of him with me.

As we kissed, his body warmed. That inner fire revealing how much he reciprocated my sentiments. As our kiss intensified, we undressed. Slowly pulling back layers of fabric to reveal our flesh. I blushed when the quick exhale crossed his lips when my breast were exposed to the moonlight. Chills spread across my skin when he pulled the dress over my hips and down my legs. The back of his fingers left a heated trail across my body.

Asante admired me. With each moment that passed, I felt more like a work of art than a woman longing for his touch. I lay bare to the world as he kneeled beside me. Then he grabbed my foot, bringing my toes to his lips, and gently kissed them before moving up to my ankle.

“Praise the gods,” he moaned the first religious sentiment I’d heard from him.

My back arched when his lips met my knee. My thighs spread, urging him to go further. And moments later, I gripped the blanket beneath us as Asante tasted me. I imagined my pastries in his hands, the sweet jelly on his lips as he coaxed me to the edge. How many ways could I feed him?

His lips left me, and my body seized with frustration. I wanted more from him. But I had to be patient, just like with my dough. I needed to give it time to rise.

Asante was an artist, painting my body with his kisses and brushes from his fingers. Again, he lowered his chest to mine, putting just enough of his weight on me to spread my legs. His hand slipped beneath my back and he positioned his dick against me. Just as he entered, he capture me with a kiss so passionate it took my breath away. I gasped as I accepted him.

He was warm, unlike the ice dragons I’d had before. It didn’t take time for him to heat up. He started hot and only got hotter. And the more his temperature rose, the more I felt the ice inside me thaw. Was this the fear our ancestors had? Would his fire kill my ice? Just as I decided it didn’t matter, I felt his lips shiver against mine.

“Are you okay?” I spoke with a soft gasp as he continued his slow strokes.

“Never better.” He grinned.

“You’re shivering.” I smiled, lifting my hips to accept more of him. “Maybe we should stop. It’s cold in here. I don’t want you to get sick.”

“That won’t happen.” He growled. “I’m fine.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt the sizzle of my newfound heat against the cool of his body. Our energy had entwined and, as we continued, the cave filled with our steam.

Does he know? Why didn’t he want to stop? Is this okay?

Those thoughts flittered through my mind, but as quickly as they came, they faded away. Asante’s heat returned to him. The shivering stopped, and he continued to take me.

That night, underneath the moonlight, ignoring the world and all the problems that awaited, I gave myself to Asante.

Time and time again.