My charms have always been my best tool. Whether in bedding a woman or convincing a tight-lipped sailor to tell me where another treasure lay.
I am skilled with my tongue in many ways.
Before it was a means to gain something, information, or attention. I realize that while I desire a fairy wish, I'm not flirting with Arden because I wish to gain favor with her. I'm doing itbecause I like her. I enjoy the way her green skin darkens. The way she can't look at me for too long when I grin at her.
There is no space in our arrangement for affection. I have no wish to stay here, and she has no desire to ever leave. Whether by magic or honor, it matters not.
Yet, I can’t stop my heart racing when I stare at her or the painful state of my cock whenever I catch her scent on the wind. If things were different, I would've bedded her by now.
More than that, I would've done the one thing I've forbidden my sailors from doing: forsaking treasure hunting in favor of a soft bed and the comforts of a female.
It was an easy temptation to avoid thus far. The desire I felt for women before Arden was powerful, but altogether fleeting.
My trysts would never last longer than a month before the sea called to me, luring me towards another adventure. With the Queen, I would never tire of her company, her nearness, and, Gods spare me, her bed.
If I were ever fortunate enough to have her, I'm not confident I would have the strength to leave.
"Your silence speaks for itself."
Arden's wings flutter as she floats a few feet away.
I don't like the stiff set of her shoulders or the physical distance she's put between us. My hand lifts as if to pull her back, but I have no right to. My feelings will perish from disuse.
I vowed to keep my hands off her, even if touching her is what I want more than anything.
It is not just enough to be close to her. I want to see her interact with her subjects, hear more about her life, and watch her rule over her realm with her quiet authority. I want to learn her every secret and the darkest wishes of her heart.
All of those desires shall not come to pass. I will leave this place, hopefully alive and no longer cursed, and Arden will remain untouched. Our time together will bleed into a pleasantmemory in which I saved her realm, and she thanked me with a wish and passage back to the human lands.
Still, I can’t have her believing she means nothing to me. That my words are hollow. I like teasing her even if I have no right to. The need to make her understand spurs me forward.
The gnawing in my stomach intensifies as my feet move with haste over the bumpy ground. She floats faster. Eager to be away from me.
She claims I am her servant, and I follow her like one.
"Arden, it's not like that."
"You don't owe me any explanation," she says without turning.
"I want to—shit!"
My feet snag on a root, and I stumble forward again. I catch myself before I make contact with the ground.
Darkness settles in around us. The trees overlap with darkening leaves blotting out the sun. The gentle forest creatures have dispersed, making Meadowmist eerily silent. A putrid scent wafts from up ahead. The low hiss of steam weaves through the thick trunks and whipping blades of grass
The wind has picked up considerably.
A freezing breeze slices through my thin shirt and trousers. Glancing up, I take in the concern on Arden's face as she wraps her arms around her middle. The tremble of her body lodges my heart in my throat.
"You're cold."
"I'll be fine, Finn. Watch where you step. The Deadlands are closer than before."
I ignore her warnings. Her comfort is my primary concern.
"Here, take my shirt."
Arden hovers to my side, shaking her head. The wariness in her eyes banks as I stiffen under another cold burst of wind.
