“You will have me forever,” I reply with a heavy breath, finally glancing over to meet his gaze.
He has said his intentions of me, of us, out loud, and I want him to know that I understand fully what those words mean.
Keane’s eyes are hard when he catches my gaze, but they soften almost immediately at my response. He releases his own small breath in anticipation to my answer, the two of us watching eachother in perfect silence.
You will have me forever, Keane. For as long as my life can give.
A flash of sunlight darts between us from a large ray that reflects off the outer wall of Gaumond, the sun finally beginning its slow descent in the sky. The city is still a bit farther ahead but we’re gaining ground with every step we take, with every word of his that brings us closer. I raise my hand to my eyes to block the sharp light and notice the thick smoke rising above the black walls and the smell of firewood waiting to greet us from afar. Keane follows my glance and slowly takes in his capitol city from atop Ash with a wide smile, his gaze looking forward with pure and absolute pride.
“Twelve,” Keane states as he looks over Gaumond on the horizon. He tips his head in thought, “and thirteen...”
I stare at his smile, watching his lips move in anticipation.
“Your return to my court… to my home…”
My heart leaps towards him and the castle beyond, knowing exactly where his words are going to lead.
“Thatdamntwo piece, Alexis,” Keane breathes heavily, “I nearly lost myself to the sight of you that night.Didlose myself to the sight of you.”
I smile and applaud myself internally, remembering the shaking ground below my feet when I walked into his court.
“Every inch of my being wanted to be on you,inyou. But I had to watch again as every fucking person in my court looked at you in their own desire. I willed myself to stay quiet and composed, telling myself that they could not have you, that they would never be allowed to have you, but you kept turning everyone’s heads with every single one of your steps, so much so that I nearly had to stop looking. I have never been as possessive over you as I was in that moment, and I hated that still I couldn’t act on it, that our touches and claims over eachother were still a secret,arestill secret…”
Keane scowls at his words before he looks at me with intensity. “There will be no more hiding, Alexis. I will keep the secret no longer. Everyone in this damn Old World will know that you are mine, beginning tonight.”
“Keane,” I cry his name softly, feeling my heart pound furiously against my chest.
I open my mouth to tell him that I’m ready for that as well, that I stopped caring about the secret the moment we left that meeting with his father and walked down the halls of the castle without any attention or consideration to the rumors or glances that followed us. But Keane is shaking his head, stopping my words before they can even leave my lips, his gaze telling me to wait.
“Not yet,” he says.
Not yet. This is his moment, his turn for words. Mine will come under the Shadow Oak as we promised.
Keane extends the whiskey and holds my gaze over the drink, his grin returning. “Twelve is still not over,trouble.”
Ancients.
I nod and lean over the space between us, quickly grabbing the canteen and not daring to let him touch me.
“I watched you take your seat next to me at court that night, but you were so far away. At the time I didn’t realize what consumed your thoughts, just knew that I had to bring you back to me, tous. So when you told me that you wished to see me standing under the Great Oak in Bardot, I heard you, heard the meaning behind those words. Every part of me was hit by desire, by lust, because again,yousawme. Saw me for my own worth and what the being of me demanded. And I could’ve taken you…” he sighs, looking out to road ahead, “Ancients know I wanted to. I was ready to take your hand and leave court in that moment, to bring you to me fully under the Shadow Oak….”
“But it was not the time,” he shakes his head softly, “and I’m glad that the circumstances have led us to where we are now.”
I grip the whiskey hard as the smell of campfire and smoke begins to hover over our senses. Keane continues to look down the road as I take a heavy swig and will the drink to calm my whole body. And whether coincidently or because our souls are yearning for the city as one, we both release a large sigh from atop Ash and Millie when we ride out of the forest and straight for the large entry gates of the proud Black Capitol.
Gaumond is striking. Absolutely striking. It takes my breath away. It’s harsh black façade is reflecting the red and orange sunset over the entirety of it, and I’m reminded again of the first time I saw the Black Capitol and how I thought the city and horizon were quite literally on fire. Our ride right now gives it the same justice, so much so that our arrival makes Stormfall wake from his sleep as the Bird of Ash takes in the sight around him. He caws loud, louder than I’ve ever heard before, then pushes off my shoulder and glides straight down the road in welcome.
The Prince brings Ash closer as a few Warrior soldiers spot our horses on the main road with wide eyes. Their gazes take me by surprise, as I’d grown accustomed to being unseen, but we both smile in greeting as one of the soldiers leaves his post and walks out to greet us.
“Your Highness,” the young man bows, looking up at Keane in confusion, “we were not expecting you.”
“No,” Keane nods his head in response, “this was an unplanned trip. Lady Alexis and I have some things to handle in the capitol.”
The soldier’s brown eyes flick to mine in even more curiosity before he bows his head in greeting.
“Do you wish to call court tonight, Your Highness?”
“No, thank you,” Keane shakes his head as Stormfall dips from the sky and encircles the three of us. The soldier watches the Bird of Ash in small amazement before Storm glides down and lands perfectly on Keane’s right shoulder, his black wings spreading wide behind the Prince’s back. I have to look away from the bird to hide my laughing smile, knowing full well that Stormfall wishes to make his own grand entrance to the patrons of Gaumond.
