Chapter 37

I found Kerys on the balcony.

Hands braced on the wide stone railing and back turned to me, she stood by a group of ornate iron chairs, looking out over the bustle of Xalax'ar's busiest, most expensive market. Up here on the top floor of the commerce guild's tower, an organization I owned and led, the shouts of merchants proffering their wares and customers bargaining didn't reach us.

I paused on the doorstep, my heart swelling as I took in her ethereal beauty against the backdrop of the setting sun.

Apricot and pink streaked the sky, a strip of velvet darkness descending upon the colors, devouring them as the paling day fell to its knees before the caliginous allure of the night.

I couldn't help thinking that all of Xar'vath humbled itself, bowing to my wife's radiance.

Royal-blue silk draped over her curves like the moonlit ocean. It rippled in the warm evening breeze, and clusters of tiny azure gemstones, carefully sewn onto the fabric, flickered like fireflies. The halter strap neckline and a dramatic, plunging cut at the back revealed her slender spine almost down to her rear, each vertebra pressing against sun-kissed skin shimmering with the subtle sheen of scented oil.

She'd picked it out from thousands of bottles at Xalax'ar's most esteemed perfumer, not realizing it had been her favorite a hundred years ago, too. I smelled it from here, drinking in the heady fragrance.

Spiced rose. Saffron. Incense and vanilla.

It suited her so well. Sweet and alluring, with a touch of heat.

I rolled my shoulders, wetting my lips as I imagined drawing my tongue from the base of her neck to her firm ass, licking my way to her pussy.

Kerys spun around, skirt billowing. Her eyes were rimmed with seductive black liner, widening as they met mine, her smile bright as the flames dancing in my chest. My attention flicked to the outline of her pierced nipples beneath the gown, and she pulled her shoulders back, twirling once as if to present herself to me.

"What do you have there?" she asked, head tilting while she pointed at my hand, the fine golden bangles on her arms jingling. She tiptoed a few seductive, playful steps closer, hips swaying. "Is it a surprise for me?"

I noticed an empty glass perched on the railing, a puddle of red wine remaining at the bottom, the flush of alcohol tinting her cheeks.

Typical , I thought, and a smirk tugged on my lips . Always draining my vintage reserves and on the hunt for shiny gifts.

She might not have remembered all of her past, but Gods, my wife was back.

If I'd ever had a single doubt, the days since we arrived in the capital would have scattered them all. Kerys had come into full bloom. She was as radiant and fierce as the sun.

Maybe it was the close call in the monastery or the energetic atmosphere of the city, but as she breezed through the stalls in the plaza, spending my money on clothes and gems and perfumes, trying every delicacy and every wine, she became herself again.

Her confidence had returned. Her appetite for life.

I lifted the jewelry case and strolled toward her. "Only the best for my queen. Come to me, my darling wife, and let me look at you. As always, you're an apparition of pure grace on this lovely night."

Kerys giggled as she sprinted toward me, her strappy heels clicking on the marble tiles. She laced her hands behind her back, looking at the little box, then to me, brows quirked. I opened the lid, and she squealed.

"Oh Creators, they're gorgeous, Skrain!" She ran a freshly-manicured nail along the cascades of pear-shaped, dark sapphires and light blue tourmaline attached to golden studs. "Thank you!"

"They're enchanted as well, so you won't have to worry about your language skills tonight." I smiled. "May I put them on you?"

She gave an eager nod, brushing her wavy hair behind her ears. I pulled the backing off one earring and carefully threaded it through her pierced lobe.

"Did you color-coordinate our garments?" she asked, glancing at me from the corner of her sparkling eyes.

I huffed, my tongue toying with my lip piercing as I pushed the second earring through her other lobe. "I did. Don't you like it?"

"Oh, no! I love it! You'll be the most handsome man in the capital tonight."

My gaze drifted down over my blue silk tunic, half open to show off my locket and her name carved into my chest. I combined it with airy, light trousers, allowing for breathability, a braided golden belt and soft shoes made from the same gilded leather providing the finishing touches. I also had my horns decorated with fresh pearls, new jewelry in all my piercings.

Seeing Kerys's courage to rediscover herself and live true to the woman she found beneath layers of Ella, gave me the push I needed to look inward and search for the man I used to be, too.

I felt more like myself than I had in a century, and I was finally settling back into my emotions—controlling them, feeling them, enjoying them. Though the pact with Aculeus had prevented me from aging, I had felt like a frail old man all these years. My soul brittle, my bones aching with grief.

All of it seemed so far, so distant now, like someone else's bitter memories.

Through my wife's presence, her happiness, and her bravery, I was born anew. With Kerys in my life, I was a young man in love.

"I'm only the most handsome tonight, huh?" I quipped and flicked her left earring.

"No. You always are," she responded in a hurry, grinning. "The guests at the festival will whisper among themselves. Forget the Emperor, they'll say. Look at this man, isn't he divine?"

"And look at his stunning wife, they'll say," I cut in. "Aren't they lucky to have each other?"

"Very," she purred, long, dark lashes fluttering. "By the way …" She bit her glossy lip, eyes flicking to the floor. "I adhered to your order, master."

My dick throbbed. I fucking loved it when she called me master.

"I'll have to check for myself," I said and grasped her hand, raising it, twirling her. Her laughter echoed across the balcony as I pulled her against my chest, into a long kiss. My mouth covered hers, my hands dancing over her waist, one sliding into the side slit of her dress to her bare hip.

"Good girl," I murmured. "You've done exactly as I told you. No panties tonight."

I teased along her cunt, playing with the diamond above her clit. She moaned, and when I found her already wet, I sunk two digits into her. Her pussy clenched around me, her hips rolling as she fucked herself with my fingers.

I let her, sucking on her lips while I kissed her, my other hand twisting her nipple through the dress until she tensed. I knew she was close to coming, and she whined as I pulled out of her.

My rock-hard erection strained against its cloth prison. By the Gods, I would have loved to fuck her, but my priceless treasure deserved a lesson in patience. Before the night ended, I'd have her coming on my cock—though I had no intention of letting her know about that. Not yet.

For the next few hours, she would suffer.

Her eyes went wide as I licked her essence from my fingers before I reached into my pocket, pulling out my second gift for her.

Apart from our plan to gather the second ingredient for the soulstone— the royal blood of a broken heart —I had come up with an idea to make our visit to the theater even more enjoyable.

I knew how much my wife loved exciting entertainment, lavish debauchery, and naughty secrets. Tonight, she'd get all three.

The weighty golden plug shone in the twilight, and Kerys's breath stuttered as she drew a finger over the bulbous tip. She traced down the thickening, girthiest part in the middle to the drop-off point where the metal narrowed into a smooth neck, ending in a round, flat base with a faceted sapphire.

Under different circumstances, I would have considered this indulgence a distraction, but Emily was to play the main character during our ploy. We only had supporting roles.

"For me?" Kerys repeated her question from earlier, but her tone was low, unabashed desire in the two syllables, and her heated stare shot right to my groin.

Fuck, the little minx knew exactly how to make this difficult for me.

I drew the tip of the plug up the inside of her thigh, making her shudder. "You'll wear this for me tonight."

"All night? It's so big …" she said and let out a low moan as I dragged the metal between her folds, coating it in her slick arousal.

"You'll wear it for as long as I want you to, Kerys." I pushed the toy inside her cunt, and her head tipped back as she fell forward, against me. "By the end of the culture festival, you'll be dripping down your legs and begging for my cock like my perfect, dirty slut. Won't you?"

"Y-yes, master," she keened. "Anything to please you."

I pulled the slippery plug from her pussy and pressed it against her tight asshole. Slowly, I twisted the tip inside. Her legs trembled, her hands reaching back, under her skirt, spreading her cheeks for me.

"Consider this your punishment for every time you've defied my orders, my darling wife," I growled, watching her mouth slacken and her eyes roll as I pushed the toy all the way inside. "A disobedient brat like you has to walk among Xar'vath's elite with a plug stretching her tight ass."

I ran a finger along the rim of her puckered hole, adjusting the gem, making Kerys curse under her breath. Her distant gaze was glassy, and my other hand found her chin, making her look up at me.

"You'll meet the Emperor and his wife tonight," I whispered. "You'll speak to the most important people on the continent, all while squeezing that thick toy in your little hole. Better make sure they don't notice, or you'll ruin both our reputations. Can you promise to be a good girl and hold back your orgasms until I allow you to come?"

She nodded.

"Say it out loud," I demanded.

"I … I'll be a good girl. I won't come until you give me permission. I promise, master."

A spike of desire surged from my balls into my cock. Hells, this woman was my weakness. My beautiful, flawless, dearest weakness.

Her love was the glistening sword to impale my heart, and she was the sweet poison to end me. I'd drink her until my final breath, throw myself onto her blade until the last drop of my blood was spent.

"I'm warning you, Kerys. If I catch you taking the plug out or touching yourself, giving yourself any kind of relief …" I brought my hand down onto her ass in a hard smack. She yelped, shoulders snapping up and eyes round. I couldn't stop myself from smirking.

She was so fucking hot trying to keep it together.

"If I catch you doing any of that, I'll tie you up and fuck you in the central plaza," I finished, pointing over the railing. "And I'll let anyone who wants to have a turn."

She frowned. "You wouldn't."

Pah. Of course I wouldn't , I thought, but my answer was a different one—for the sake of her thrill.

"Try me and find out, Kerys."

She pouted before taking a deep breath. Her shoulders squared, an impish smile curling her mouth as she laid a dainty hand on my arm.

"As you wish, my beloved husband," she cooed.

I grinned, trying to get my raging erection under control as we walked from the balcony into the spacious living room and to the exit.

My wife wouldn't be the only one having a hard time keeping her composure tonight.