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The shadows of uncertainty that had been clouding his features vanished as his relieved smile, bright and warm, spread across his face.

Gently lifting her hand, he pressed his lips to her palm, leaving a soft kiss.

She listened intently as he held her hand.

He recounted a mesmerizing story about the death of the kingdom’s beloved king and queen, a young prince unprepared for the responsibilities entrusted to him, the odd friendship that would form an alliance, and an elderly panda who gave him an enchanted tome long ago that would change not only his life, but those of others and the kingdom.

Vivid images of three young men, one a king, one a knight, and one a human filled her mind, their faces etched in her memory, their stories swirling around her like a whirlwind until she felt as if she were a part of their amazing adventure.

As his voice faded, her heart swelled with love for the lonely king who held a protected power, the weight of his responsibility heavy upon his shoulders.

She took a step forward and, with a whisper of a smile, pressed a tender kiss to his lips.

“You are my brave king.”

“And you are my enchanted fairy queen.”

The tender moment was interrupted by the heavy thud of boots against the stone floor outside the door, echoing through the great hall outside.

They turned in unison when the double doors burst open and Polar appeared.

Dust caked the tall, burly shifter's face and coated his clothes.

His eyes, heavy with grim intensity, swept over them both, preparing Elizabeth for the news he held about her father.

“I can walk, you blasted dodo birds. I’m not feeble.”

Her father’s voice, sharp with mock irritation, made Elizabeth gasp in shock. Polar's expression shifted to amusement, and he stepped out of the way, allowing her father to come into view. A joyful cry escaped Elizabeth's lips as she surged forward and embraced her father.

“Careful, girl. I’m not as steady as I’ve been trying to convince these featherheads,” Harold chuckled.

Elizabeth gently cradled her father's face in her hands, looking for any sign of hurt. He was sporting a black eye and a cut on his lower lip. She chuckled at his grumpy face, relieved he was safe and sound.

“How? The guards—” she asked, her words tumbling over each other.

“Bumbling idiots, foxes. They aren’t the brightest shifters,” Harold said with a grin.

“Where did you find him?” Or’Ang asked Polar.

Polar shook his head. “Charging like the crazy human he is after Lord Beasley with those two stubborn mules and that rickety cart of his,” he said.

“But, you were unconscious! I saw them toss you into the back of the cart. Lady Fiona ordered them to toss you over the cliff,” Elizabeth said.

Harold’s eyes twinkled with mischievous. “That was their first mistake, thinking they had knocked me loopy.” He tapped his head. “I’ve a much harder head than they realized. Second was tossing me into the cart.”

He retrieved a long tube and a thin piece of wood with small red and blue feathers on one end from his waist. A wide grin spread across his face as he offered Or'Ang the long bamboo tube, who looked at it with a furrowed brow.

“What is this?” Or’Ang asked, curious.

“The man I traded with got this intriguing weapon from another man, who got it from a shifter sailor who claimed he traded for it with a small shifter on a remote island.

Rumor has it that placing this small piece of wood into the larger one and blowing will instantly incapacitate any creature, big or small, before they can react.

I was in the middle of a wild ride, headed for my demise, when the box popped open and everything spilled out.

I always accept the Goddess' gifts with gratitude, and to my astonishment, I disabled the guards one-by-one with a single puff.

I scrambled onto the seat, snatching the reins.

Then Toby, Gwen, and I took off in pursuit of that shifter witch and her arrogant father," Harold said with a laugh.

Polar nodded. “We caught up with him just before dawn.”

“Yes, siree. These little things are amazing,” Harold said, tapping the tip of the dart before his eyes widened and his mouth formed a circle. “Oh, dear.”

Elizabeth gasped in shock as the dart hit the floor and her father's eyes rolled back.

Polar reached out and stopped her father from falling to the hard floor.

With the large shifter supporting her father, Harold emitted a snore that was broken and uneven.

The sight of her father knocking himself out sent her into a fit of laughter, her body shaking uncontrollably.

“You silly old man,” she whispered fondly, smoothing his unruly hair.

“Polar, can you carry Lady Elizabeth’s father to a chamber to sleep off his adventure,” Or’Ang requested.

Polar chuckled and nodded. “Who’s the dodo now, human?”

A snort of laughter escaped Elizabeth's lips, and she instinctively covered her mouth with her hand, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

A wave of joy and relief washed over her as she watched Polar hoist her father onto his shoulder and carry him out of the room, the sound of his footsteps fading in the silence.

A soft look of emotion filled Anna's eyes as she stood at the entrance.

“Cook has prepared a meal to break your fast if you are hungry, sire, my lady,” Anna announced.

As he stepped forward to guide Elizabeth to the dining hall, Or’Ang handed the long tube to Anna.

Anna stared at the blowgun, her brow furrowed in confusion.

She shrugged, however, and tucked it into her pocket.

Elizabeth smiled at Or'Ang, her fingers twitching with anticipation, ready to pen this latest adventure to the story she was creating.

"You haven’t perchance seen my satchel, have you?” she inquired, already knowing the answer by the way his eyes twinkled.

He lifted her hand, his lips lingering on each finger, sending a jolt of electricity through her. A mischievous glint danced in his eyes as he nodded. The deep emotion in his eyes made her feel warm inside.

“Yes… and I can’t wait to read more of your amazing tales.”