“...What a-about now?” she asked carefully, glancing at her cousin’s peaceful figure.

“I am still working on it. ...But I think running from Lady Tessa isn’t going to give me the answers or the resolution I need.”

Cessilia smiled, relieved for the two of them. Sabael wasn’t as stubborn as he seemed, and he was a good man. Becoming the interest of a girl like Tessandra was likely forcing him to reconsider the values he had grown up with, as well as challenging his own pride. It probably wasn’t easy, but he had come back anyway. Perhaps those two would be able to find the key to their understanding after all.

For a little while, neither of them added anything, both lost in their thoughts while on the way back to the castle. Cessilia hadn’t drank as much as her cousin, but this little walk helped her shake off that bit of tipsiness, and instead, her heart was gradually filled with expectation. It was a bit late, but she hoped Ashen hadn’t changed his mind on their date.

“...Princess, watch out.”

Sabael’s nervous voice took her out of her reflection. He had stepped in front of her by reflex, but she could still spot the large, hooded figure standing ahead of them, right outside the castle’s gates. It was a bit unnerving to cross paths with an imposing silhouette like this in the middle of the night, but Cessilia immediately recognized that familiar frame. Her heartbeat accelerated a little in anticipation, and she put a hand on Sabael’s shoulder.

“I-it’s alright,” she said. “C-can you g-go and p-put Tessa to b-bed for me?”

“...Are you sure?”

Cessilia nodded, catching a glimpse of shiny, white hair under the hood.

“Yes, d-don’t worry. N-Nana should still b-be up, t-tell her not t-to wait for me either.”

“...I understand.”

Although he hadn’t recognized his King under that hood, he politely nodded at the large man standing in the way, and made a little detour around him, still carrying Tessandra, a cautious expression on. He was confused as to what was going on, but he knew not to ask. Cessilia watched him walk away and disappear inside the castle with Tessandra.

As soon as he was out of sight, she almost ran to Ashen. He opened his arms just in time to hug her tight, burying his face into her large curls.

“I missed you...” he whispered against her ear.

“I m-missed you t-too... D-did you wait a long t-time?”

“I saw you coming back from afar, I wanted to greet you as soon as I could. ...Who was that?”

“S-Sabael? He’s Naptunie’s b-big brother...”

“...Is he interested in your cousin?”

“Yes... T-Tessa has been the one ch-chasing him, b-but I think he has feelings for her t-too.”

“...Hm. Good, then.”

Cessilia frowned, a bit confused why Ashen would care about Sabael and Tessandra’s relationship... until she quickly remembered that she had touched Sabael’s shoulder. She blushed.

“Ashen... Are you j-jealous?” she muttered.

She had expected him to deny or laugh it off, but instead, he very gently caressed her cheek with his palm, pulling his face closer to her.

“...If they see what I see, I can’t blame them for falling too.”

His words made her blush even more as soon as she understood them. Yet, the King gently put a kiss on her lips, a naughty smile on. His lips were a bit colder, and had a faint taste of beer that evening. Had he been drinking too? Despite the misty wind blowing from the ocean, Cessilia’s body warmed up instantly to the King’s touch. The way he was tall enough to cover everything else had something a bit intimidating yet exciting about it.

However, even hidden under a cloak, his tall silhouette was hard to conceal. The guards making rounds around the castle kept glancing their way, probably wondering who that couple was shamelessly reuniting in front of the doors...

“L-let’s go,” Cessilia suggested, pulling him inside.

Ashen didn’t follow her lead, though, and instead, wrapped his arm around her waist to take her to one of the side streets away from the castle.

“We’re having our date outside,” he whispered. “I promised I’d make you see my home, didn’t I?”

Cessilia’s excitement increased immediately, and she let him lead her.

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter 15

Since she had almost only ever seen him inside the castle, Cessilia couldn’t help but be a bit excited about the two of them going on a date outside. Being so close to Ashen, in a foreign country, and spending time together incognito was like a dream come true. They were like any other couple going down the streets, holding each other close and acting lovingly. It was as if Ashen refused to part with her for even a second. Even as he kept his arm around her waist while walking, he made sure his coat was also partially covering her, and from time to time, would secretly surprise her with a peck on her hair or temple. Cessilia was only just now realizing how long the two of them had been due for some time alone, with no eyes on them, no bodyguards or servants around.

The streets of the Capital were already incredibly quiet for that time of night. It wasn’t even that late yet, but they only crossed paths with a few people on the way. The shops were already closed and people were rushing to get to the safety and comfort of their homes. No one really paid attention to the tall couple walking away from the castle, quietly flirting with each other...

“Aren’t you cold?” he asked.

“N-no, I’m fine.”

Cessilia was always a bit embarrassed at how little she could control her emotions around Ashen. Her heart was fluttering and her cheeks turned pink every single time. She could act strong and smart with anyone, but with the white-haired King, she was back to her innocent thirteen-year-old self again. It was a warm feeling, but she was always a bit afraid he would find her too childish. She tried to keep her breathing steady and stand tall next to him. If she hoped to really become his Queen, she needed to graduate from her childhood crush to turn this into a proper relationship...

It was strange. She had always felt confident, but not so interested by men’s curious gazes on her. Cessilia knew she was pretty, but she also knew her cousin Tessa was prettier than her, and she wasn’t interested in making herself particularly stand out either. Things were only different with Ashen. Each time she saw him, there was this terrible desire that surged within her, like a bold, feisty creature whispering in her head. She wanted his attention, his love. Something had definitely changed from her younger days now that she could experience proper desire. She wanted to always be a little bit closer to him, and to attract his dark eyes. She hated any woman near him, and the mere thought of Ashen being with another woman would make her irrationally mad. That creature was a bit scary, but it was also empowering her. Cessilia felt much fiercer, like a female dragon ready to protect her territory. He was her man. The only one for her.

“We’re here,” he suddenly whispered.

To her surprise, they had stopped outside a house like any other, just slightly bigger, perhaps. Nothing was making this house particularly stand out from the others in the same street. It was a two-story house, with a deep blue roof in a quiet alley. The neighborhood did look as if it was nicer than most, and there was no one outside, just a few street lamps every four or five houses to light the way.

The house in front of them looked like it hadn’t been vacant long, or it had been taken care of so nothing really looked out of place. However, there was a heavy lock on the door, and all the windows were boarded up. A little sign was even put up front to tell people to stay out.

“Th-this is your... house?”

“The one I was born in and grew up in, yeah... the only place I kept good memories in.”

Ashen’s expression was quite solemn as his dark eyes kept staring at the building in front of them. Cessilia couldn’t quite decipher his gaze, but there was something a bit... sad in it. The King himself seemed to be staring with mixed feelings, a hint of nostalgia in his dark irises. After a short while, he took out a little key and went to open the lock. It opened up easily, and the King took the heavy chain off the entrance door. Cessilia could see the almost painful expression on his face.

“D-did you c-come back here before?”

“Once or twice... when being in the castle gets too bothersome and I need to be alone. Sometimes I just stand here, though; for some reason, walking inside is the hardest part. No one else knows I bought this house back. I don’t... I don’t even really know why I bought it.”

He slowly pushed the door, which didn’t squeak, or even make a sound. Everything was so solemnly quiet. They stepped inside in an almost religious silence.

This ought to have been a pretty house a decade or two ago. The white ceiling was high, with pretty, wooden arches between the different rooms, and large, glass windows. A thin layer of dust was covering the wooden floors and the furniture, but everything else was kept in good condition. It would take but a week to put everything back into a usable state again. It was hard to imagine Ashen had grown up here, though. He was standing there awkwardly, staring around as if he had no idea what to do. Cessilia took his hand without looking, and he held hers back, as if to reassure each other with their presence. They both looked like strangers intruding in that quiet, forgotten space. There were stairs going up, but from what Cessilia had seen outside and the height of the ceiling, the second floor was probably an attic and wouldn’t be high enough for their tall figures to stand.

“Our bedroom was upstairs,” muttered Ashen, whose eyes had followed the same path. “Me and my brothers... It was big for three boys, back then. We could run around and play in every nook and cranny... Now, I doubt I would be able to stand in there.”

“...You never t-told me about your b-brothers b-before.”