I’d never seen her mind in the state it was in last night, before. Unknowingly, the magic tether between us sucked me in, forcing me to live it alongside her. She wasterrified.Terrified of being back there, of enduring it all again.
It enrages me to think that a man of such little substance has given her a reason to be that frightened. And as fatigued as I maybe… I couldn’t bring myself to take my eyes off of her, wanting to be there in case the memories came back to haunt her a second time.
Outside the doors, I can hear the young soldiers fidgeting. It's morning, and they're trying to find some way to knock and wake us.Not yet.I pool a small amount of my Wield in my palm and command it under the doors.
Thu-thud.
A smile works its way across my lips while I sink further into the mattress. I palm her hip, kneading my fingers into the soft skin and drag her backwards, fitting the curve of her ass against my hips.
She hums approvingly and rolls her hips right against… "Damn woman…" I growl.
My teeth graze across the exposed skin of her shoulder, and she shudders. The serpents adorning her body wind around her bicep, responding to my subtle touches. She lets out a quiet gasp and rolls herself over until she’s on her back, my arm draping lazily across her stomach. I move my palm over her belly button and trace the pattern of the serpent coiled there, waiting for her to look my way.
"You're terrible at letting a girl sleep in."Her groggy voice fills my mind, and my smirk becomes a wide grin. I tilt my head and eye her from my peripheral vision.
"You're horribly distracting. It didn't seem fair for me to let you sleep when I got no sleep at all."
Her brows scrunch together,"what? The strenuous witching hour activities weren't tiring enough?"She quips, and I pull my lip between my teeth, sawing it back and forth as I try to find a retort."Hmph,"she hums, flipping herself over again,"well, I can't say it was all that eventful for me either."
My eyes widen at the insinuation, and I scoff, flopping onto my back,"you were asleep in minutes after the last round… adeepsleep."I emphasize.
Her shoulders shrug against the sheets, resting her hand dramatically across her forehead. “Maybe it was boredom that lulled me to sleep so quickly—"She sighs.
“Youuuu.”I groan, pulling her harshly on top of me. My hands tighten around her, dragging her body harshly on top of mine. Eveera squeals as I settle her on my lap, her wild hair spilling over her shoulders. I press the heel of my palms into the dip above her hips, anchoring her, "your problem,Nightmare…"I coo, "is that your body betrays every word coming out of that pretty little mouth."
Her cheeks heat, and she squirms, my smile growing wider with each huff of frustration.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"For fucks sake." I snarl, grabbing and throwing the covers around her shoulders, before I move her off of my lap. Three more loud raps on the wood ring out before I notice the doorknob twisting.
In barges Felix andbothof my men. All of whom duck their heads down when they notice me lying shirtless in bed with a questionable lump under the covers next to me.
HerOurhead of council, sighs, "next time the two of you want privacy, let's not incapacitate the squires outside your doors. They're there for your protection,Eveera." He calls.
She barks out a laugh, the sound muffled by the fabric. "Ah, yes,tweens.My noble protectors. Maybe once they hit puberty, I'll take them seriously." The words are jumbled, and based on Felix's expression, he is uninterested in hearing any of her rebuttals.
"Remember that you were only fifteen when you took over the Crown — and even then you wantedeveryoneto take youseriously." Her body stills, and I bite down on my lip, silencing my snort. "Get up. Get dressed and be the Queen this kingdom needs.Now."
Eveera waits a moment to pop her head out from underneath the covers, and the disappointment on her face shows she was hoping he’d be gone by the time she resurfaced. He levels a disapproving stare at both of us and turns on his heel.
"YOU SAID YOU WANTED US TO GET ALONG!" She shouts, her face blooming bright red with both embarrassment and anger.
"We're at war. Doiton someone else's time." He calls out, and she huffs at his dismissal, slapping a pillow over her face to muffle her frustrated screams.
Ben rocks back and forth on his heels, whistling quietly as he takes in the sight of us. "Well… this isawkward," I stretch my arms behind my head, ignoring the twinge from the still-healing stab wound, and raise my brows at my gawking guards. “I'm guessing you're too beat to spar this morning?"
“Mmm.” I hum.
He clicks his tongue, muttering in agreement while Will stands there, frozen in mild horror as he looks between Eveera and me.
She sits up, holding the sheet precariously over her chest, as she looks him up and down. "Mousy, I'm surprised you've caught no flies in that mouth that always seems to be open."
Her voice breaks his trance, and he glares, clamping his lips shut. Satisfied with her getting underneath his skin, she rolls over top of me, dragging the sheets with her as she climbs off the bed.
I clamp my hands down over myself, the chilly air accosting me, but it’s too late, my men–
"Holyyy—", "Bleeding gods, Ror! Cover up!"
