Chapter 25

Iknew he would come. I was as certain of it as the next breath I would take. He’d been trying to catch me since the confrontation and before tomorrow’s vote but I wasn’t having a bar of him. Not after the egotistical display with Eliasson. My mental shields were tightly locked down at all times. I knew they were impenetrable, even to someone with his powers. Which was good because I needed to mask my rage. For now.

‘So, this is where you come to escape the politics.’ Xylan said as he looked around, taking in the waves calmly lapping on the shore. They were a complete juxtaposition to how I was feeling.

‘One of many spots, I’ll have you know. Can’t be too predictable. I do have a reputation to uphold, after all.’ I cast a side-eyed glance towards him and got a chuckle in return. It confirmed I had successfully hidden the raging inferno inside of me from him.

‘May I?’ he gestured to the patch of sand next to me.

‘Only if you correctly answer this question.’ It took all my self-control to stop my lips from twitching upwards into a smile as I toyed with him, instead pasting on a serious face. I still liked his company, after all. Damn True Infinite bond.

Xylan raised his eyebrow in response. ‘Oh?’

‘Have an unlimited supply of wine or be able to read Once Upon a Woods over and over like you’re reading it for the first time?’

Without missing a beat, he scoffed, ‘Must one choose?’

‘My thoughts exactly. You have permission to sit.’

He held my eyes as he sat down, his face showing delight. But there was also a flicker of hesitation. Was he picking up on my emotions?

‘That’s a lot of pressure to put on a man, Valare. Are your questions always this intense?’ he joked.

I cocked my head to the side, quietly assessing him. ‘I don’t mess around when it comes to Once Upon a Woods, nor do I mess around with who I allow to sit on my private beach. You should know most don’t leave unscathed.’

‘Well, lucky I like a challenge,’ he countered, those pale pink eyes holding me captive. The eyes of a liar. For the first time, I wondered how he’s masking the true colour of his eyes. ‘And what does scathed look like to you?’

‘Oh, Pretty Boy, you really don’t want to know,’ I succumbed, responding to his flirtatious banter.

‘Oh, Minx, I really do,’ he goaded, desire sparking in his eyes.

‘Are you flirting with a kept woman, Your Highness?’ Despite my anger, I couldn’t deny his eyes admiring my body sent a fit of butterflies south. Damn fucking fate.

‘It depends. Is the ‘kept’ woman in question emotionally, spiritually, and mentally ‘kept’? Not just physically?’ he challenged. He shot me a knowing look.

I hummed, ‘And you say I ask the intense questions.’ I lowered myself back down onto my elbows, hands gripping into the sand to stop myself acting on the devil in my head screaming to jump him.

He shrugged, lying down on his side to face me. ‘Would we call that intense? Or simply calling it how it is?’

‘And how is it, Pretty Boy?’ I retorted.

‘You don’t love Eliasson,’ he said simply.

Of course, he would say that, knowing what we both are. Deceitful prick. ‘Interesting perspective. You can love someone in myriad ways though.’

‘True,’ he conceded. ‘You may love him as a friend and share a mutual understanding of what it means to be a royal and the obligations that come with it. You may even enjoy his body. But you aren’t in love with the man romantically.’

‘I thought it was clear that I’m here to escape the politics. I would say trying to drive a wedge between my husband and I isn’t exactly leaving politics at the door,’ I deflected.

‘I think driving a wedge between you two would imply there was something there to start off with and, rest assured, this discussion is the furthest thing from a political move.’

I had to suppress a scoff. Furthest? Really? I fucking doubt it.

‘What’s the Kingdom of Marlyst like?’ I questioned, abruptly changing the topic. I was also curious to see how much information he’d provide.

He cocked his head, eyes narrowed in annoyance from the change in subject. ‘Smooth, Minx. Real smooth.’

My eyes closed in frustration, and I took a few slow, calming breaths. I enjoyed his persistence when I watched him debate the other royals, especially my sister. But when that focused persistence moved to me? It was half a turn on, and half me wanting to scratch his eyes out. With the current True Infinite situation – a situation I had to remember he has no idea I’m aware of – it was the latter I was leaning towards.

‘Marlyst is beautiful. A lot colder than here if you’re up in the northern mountain range. My people who live in the south close to the Pass enjoy the heat that the Arloman Kingdom does. Most of them are blacksmiths who can work wherever and choose to be in a warmer climate. The further north in the Kingdom you are, the denser the forest becomes. In fact, most of the land is covered in acres of pine trees in the lead up to the Moondallelle Ranges.’

I opened my eyes to see him dreamily staring out at the ocean. He was clearly very fond of Marlyst.

‘And your palace?’ I prompted.

He cleared his throat. ‘What about it?’

‘Where is it in your Kingdom? Is it in a town like Amarald? I don’t know anything about it,’ I pressed.

‘Somewhere between the pine trees and mountains.’

He doesn’t trust me. Despite what he knows about me. About us. Honestly, the only one who shouldn’t trust the other in this situation is me. ‘What’s it called?’

Obviously not seeing the harm in telling me the name, though, he replied, ‘Mayurial.’

‘Hm, that’s pretty.’

His eyes swung around to land on mine, ‘Indeed. Very pretty.’

Despite myself, I couldn’t help the blush that rose to my cheeks, catching his double meaning.

‘What do you do for fun in Mayurial?’

‘I’ll have to show you one day,’ he said.

What game was he playing? He’d already ensured I’d be coming to his Kingdom. Still I shot back, ‘Is that an invitation?’

‘It is,’ he replied sincerely.

‘Why?’ I was interested to see how he would reply.

‘Because friends invite their friends over to one another’s houses for play dates all the time,’ he said, his dimples pronounced as he smiled.

‘Oh please, we’ve known each other for only a few weeks, I would hardly call us friends at this point. Where are you really going with this?’ I asked.

‘Why are you being so weird about this? Haven’t you heard that if a relationship feels right, you should just flow with it?’ he countered teasingly, looking at me. ‘Fine,’ he conceded, seeing the frustration on my face. ‘You’re right.’

‘Well, yes, I’m usually right about most things but which, in particular, are you referring to right now?’

‘It’s only polite that if I show you mine, you should show me yours.’

I gritted my teeth. I’m going to kill him and his innuendos. But, yes. It is polite to be transparent. The handsome bastard actually winked at me. And didn’t that just do something to the spot between my thighs. It has a mind of its own.

I rolled my eyes, using my years of training to appear unaffected by his words. From the outside, at least. ‘You’ve already seen my home. You’re in it right now. Not to mention, you’re way too close to my own personal quarters.’

Deciding two could play the game, on those last words, I rolled to face him, my top leg moving slightly forward allowing the slit to fall to the side, revealing more skin. I watched his eyes trail up and down my body, unable to hide his interest.

‘Oh, I’m not referring to Amarald, Minx. I’m talking about your real home,’ Xylan said knowingly.

‘Trust me, the Salistyan Queendom is not worth your time.’ Unless you’re a fiend for oppressively suffocating environments and toxic masculinity, that is.

‘Oh, yes, I only had to engage in a two-minute conversation with your sister to figure out that Salistya is not my idea of a good time,’ he said with a grin. ‘I was referring to your true home. The Solista Isles.’

My head snapped up to his, trying to gauge his intentions. His face gave nothing away. ‘What are you playing at, Marlyst?’ I ground out, rising off my elbows to sit up and face him. He knew visits to the Isles were highly coveted and not open to the rest of the continent. And the fact he pegged my feelings on the Isles unnerved me.

He noted the change in my stance. ‘I’m not playing at anything, Solistan.’ He paused when my eyes flashed at his use of the word. ‘You want to see my home, which is highly desired to outside eyes. I want the courtesy reciprocated. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.’

‘And why should I trust you?’ I said between clenched teeth.

He shrugged, shifting himself to mirror my seated stance. Facing me, our bodies were now less than an arm length away from each other. ‘I’ll show you something of mine, if you show me something of yours.’

My breath hitched as his arm reached forward to grab a loose lock of hair that had fallen across my eye. He twirled it around his finger before tucking it behind my ear. His fingers landed on my mark, setting off the warm, humming pulse. I loved and hated that it calmed me down.

‘Can I check we’re still talking about places, here?’ I breathed out, momentary distrust forgotten.

‘Why should we limit ourselves to one meaning?’ he replied, fingers travelling down to massage the junction between my shoulder and neck.

‘You’re entering dangerous territory, Pretty Boy,’ I warned. This wasn’t how this conversation was supposed to go down.

‘Don’t act like you aren’t enjoying yourself. I don’t see you pulling away.’

I couldn’t help the fluttering of my eyes as they closed, whimpering as his fingers held the back of my head. The stroking continued, but this time it felt like it was inside my mind, reminding me of the Lull.

‘I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours,’ he whispered gently, all traces of teasing gone.

I swallowed deeply, letting out a shaky breath as I nodded in agreement, suddenly needing confirmation, to see his eyes. His true eyes. He better let me see them, otherwise, I’ll throttle him.

Xylan closed his eyes, breathing deeply in and out for what felt like millennia. Just when I was starting to worry, a shimmering pulse surrounded us for a moment. He opened his eyes.

Where there were once pale eyes, the real, fuchsia eyes of my True Infinite stared back at me.