“Take me, Nick,” I cried, fingers biting into his shoulders.
Any restraint he had been executing faltered, and he plunged his hard cock into my ready center. I called out his name, and he called mine. I rode him until we crested together, my muscles liquifying as I draped over him, face buried into his shoulder.
He held me in his arms, stroking the back of my head until our breathing returned to normal. I dressed again, and we descended from the cabin. Nick left first, extending his hand to me with that roguish smile. I tried stifling my amusement but failed. Slapping my hand into his, he escorted me out. I caught sight of the carriage driver as Nick closed the door. The poor man’s cheeks were red, and he pretended the reins needed a thorough once over.
“Oops,” I said under my breath.
Nick assessed me, tracking my gaze until he too discovered the embarrassed footman. “Mr. Aoki, why don’t you take the rest of the day off?” Nick chuckled, running his hand up and down my back, though he displayed not one ounce of shame or regret.
Our poor staff.
“Very kind, Your Majesties. No trouble if you need me again,” the middle-aged man said without making eye contact as he bowed his head. He scurried off without another word.
“Come, I’ll show you the progress they’ve made,” Nick said, leading me toward the heart of the village.
Arms intertwined with the man I loved, I recalled the genuine fear he had shown in the carriage at the thought of somethinghappening to me. It wasn’t unlike the fear I carried and projected onto Melody.
But Nick didn’t scold me for what I’d done. Caroline’s fate had been sealed the moment she attempted assassinating the king. He only expressed his concern, his anguish over me going alone and the dangers that accompanied it.
It dawned on me then. I didn’t need to fight my worry for Melody, I only needed to channel it better. She could make whatever decisions she wished, and all she required of me was my support.
I could offer her more than that.
After ensuring the residents from Argora Vale settled without issue, we returned to the castle. I ran straight to Melody’s rooms, desperate to apologize. I needed her to know I wouldn’t restrict her, but that I would be by her side. Queenly duties be damned.
When I burst into the room, I was met with empty silence. There was no fire in the hearth, no staff tending to the room. Only a folded over piece of paper rested on the vanity. My chest became a hollow, cavernous thing. I timidly walked over, grabbing the parchment that read ‘Nora’on the front.
Nora,
You were right. I was foolish to think I could march back into a battleground and come out victorious. If I’m being honest with myself, the thought even scared me. But Dante has come up with an idea. It’s possible my light magic could be used to stop the curse from spreading.
I’m going to Argora Vale to try, to see if I can do something great with this magic.
Tio is with me, and we’re traveling with Dante and his gray friend Jasper. Hopefully I’ll return with good news.
Don’t be too mad at me.
All my love,
Melody xx
My eyes burned with regret. I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell her how I would be a better sister. I hadn’t returned fast enough to go with her, to support her choices. To watch her harness her magic like the blonde badass she was, regardless of being wrapped in manners and decorum and pretty dresses.
While I was glad she didn’t return to the front lines, Argora Vale held its own very real dangers.
A knock sounded at the door. “Your Majesty?”
“Yes?” I wiped aside the tear that slipped free and faced the staff member in the doorframe.
“Prince Marco has returned.”
57
Melody
I’d been navigating The Cursed Kingdom for days, and still hadn’t adjusted to the decrepit scenery. We hadn’t needed a sign to identify the divide between the kingdoms—the wall of petrified trees made it obvious enough. Seeing the destruction first hand was as daunting as the rumors portrayed. Had I not been traveling with a massive beast, a large stone creature, and Tio, I wouldn’t have dared step foot into these cursed woods.
The damage was extensive considering it happened a century ago. Magic so dark it choked out life from the very ground. It was a wonder the trees hadn’t crumbled from their sickly blackened state. Perhaps if the magic had spread like a blanket that would have been the case, but it spread more like fingers stretching into sand. The ground hadn’t been completely wrecked, evident by the tufts of green grasses, brown vines, and sparse evergreen trees.
