3. Chapter 3

A s soon as he left, I slumped to the floor and leaned against the cabinet, my legs no longer able to hold me steady. In a short time, I had experienced a huge ebb and flow of emotions, pushing and pulling like the tide. It tossed me about like a crashing wave, leaving me unsure of how to reach the surface. Did I swim up or down or sideways or let it take me away?

I'd seen his face countless times since I left the palace. I had watched him grow and age in public view as did the rest of the nation, but it couldn't compare to seeing him in person. To seeing those rich golden eyes, to hearing his voice and his laugh. It sent me right back, back to the time when he was the person I could rely on above anyone else. The boy who had giggled against my lips when we first pressed them together.

He was here, before me, no longer the child of my past, but the man who would be king. Malachi was tall, much taller than I thought he would be. And handsome, devastatingly so. With a strong jaw, rich brown eyes, short trimmed curly hair, and rosy taupe lips. Lips that I focused on longer than I should have.

It would have been hard enough to see him again if that was all it had been. When I held his hands and my magic reached out to him, it was met with a sense of belonging that had been overwhelming. Something in Mal— Malachi —connected to me. It was the same, strange pull I felt when he'd been outside my door, only ten times stronger. So strong that it had been a challenge to seek out the charm that had caused his herbal affliction. It should have been a much simpler task.

Despite my distraction, there was another layer to the charm. A tether, as I'd told Malachi. If I hadn't felt so unsteady by the connection and the intense waves of nostalgia, I might have been able to trace it better, but my mind was a mess and not just because of the hangover that returned with a vengeance after Malachi left.

I should hate him for coming here when he needed something from me, for waiting this long to seek me out, but I couldn't, not when I'd dreamt of seeing him and talking to him my entire adult life. All of the anger and sadness I fought on a daily basis faltered at the sound of his laugh and his smile, parsley and all.

His coronation . It had always been the path that was set out before him. Even as a small child, he was told that he would one day lead the nation. A concept that was as much fairytale as witches were when we were young. And yet, here we were.

It wouldn't do me any good to stay in a heap on the ground. I needed to shake all of this weirdness off. After a cup of tea, I returned to my inventory, doing everything I could not to think about the prince, but no matter the jars I cataloged or the aromatic herbs I smelled, I couldn't get him off my mind.

Having spent the night purposely avoiding the queen's announcement, I now knew the gist of it, and my curiosity was piqued. Searching on my phone, I found a clip of the press release. Before I could watch it, I went to my bedroom, unlaced the corset, and kicked off my boots, falling into bed with my phone.

Taking a deep breath, I braced myself and hit play, the queen's face filling the screen. Her hair was almost completely white now. She seemed to have aged quite a bit since the late king's passing ten years ago. In the video, Malachi stood just behind her on the right side, with his lips pressed into a thin line, looking far too serious for his beautiful face.

The queen announced her retirement, choosing to step aside while she was of sound mind and body to let her son take her place. Reporters started shouting questions as the crowd went wild. She regally and calmly hushed them with her hand and asked Malachi to step forward.

He was in full regalia. A sharp suit with green fringed epaulets, a golden sash across his chest, and a sword hanging at his side. With the advancement of weaponry and technology, the sword was more symbolic than anything, but I had to admit, he looked pretty hot with it. Malachi gave a very moving speech, one that would have had me cheering if I had any sense of patriotism. I was too hurt, too jaded, to loyally follow our leaders, especially since I had been personally betrayed by those I was closest to. If anyone could change things though, perhaps it could be Malachi…Mal. I remembered the idealism and bold concepts he'd had as a child. I had to wonder how much of that had been programmed out of him.

At the end of his speech, he smiled. A fleck of green visible for only a fraction of a second before it was filtered or blurred out. I'd only seen it because I knew it would be there. I couldn't help but laugh. It seemed so harmless, childish really, but public figures, and leaders in particular, were scrutinized over the smallest things. Any person who saw it might have chuckled or thought it ridiculous, but there was something deeper at work.

I turned off the video, once again hit with many conflicting emotions. The sound of his laughter echoed in my mind, bringing a smile to my face. Fuck, I'd really missed it.

Was it wrong of me to hope something else would happen? Something that would bring him to my door one more time? I didn't wish him any ill will, but how could I go back to not seeing him or hearing him again after twenty years without. Anticipation bubbled within me, giving me a sense that today wouldn't be the last time, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon.

The next morning, after a restless night of reaching for the friend whose bed I once shared only to find it emptier than it ever had been, my phone rang with a number I didn't recognize. Groggy but no longer nursing a hangover, I considered ignoring it, but an alertness crawled under my skin. I'd long ago learned to answer when my magic was agitated.

"Ferns & Flora Apothecary."

"Florian?" The whispered voice had me sitting straight up in bed, my mind and body fully waking in that instant.

Forgetting formalities, I bit out, "Mal? Are you okay?"

"I am, yes. I think so. Actually, I'm not sure." He spoke in a hushed tone, making me wonder if he was hiding. What was he hiding from? Or who? Reporters often pondered on love interests for the most sought-after man in the nation. Did he have a lover that wasn't publicly known? The thought of it soured in my belly."What's going on? Are you in danger?"

A long pause had my instincts flaring, and I jumped out of bed, getting dressed quickly while I kept the phone to my ear.

"No, not necessarily. But I'm having some difficulty, and I wonder if it is another… thing like yesterday or just some sort of cosmic mishap."

Cryptic and not much to go on. "Can you give me a little more information?"

"Ah. Well, not…over the phone."

"I'm home if you'd like to come back to my cottage." I didn't know what else to do, especially with how little I knew. Concern about the unknown swirled with eagerness to see him again. I wished I could remain stronger when it came to him, but I couldn't deny that the small taste of his presence already had me longing for more.

"It was hard enough for me to leave the palace grounds last night. I'm under strict guard, even more so since the announcement." I could hear him take a deep breath, and when he spoke, there was a pained tone to his whisper. "I know you hate it here, but is there any chance you could come?"

The question sat like a boulder in my gut. "To the palace?"

"Please, Flor?"

Fuck ! My phone fell to the bed as I stood, placing my hands on my head. I'd spent a decade wishing to return and another wishing to never have to set eyes on the place again. Now I was stuck in the middle feeling both the pull and the repulsion to it. I would never even consider it if it weren't for the fact that the prince had asked. Only, it wasn't because he was royalty, it was because it was him . My curiosity and yearning outweighed the pain of the past. If this was my chance to see Malachi again, to help him, I had to take it.

I heard my name called from the phone when I picked it back up. Mal was whisper-shouting. "Florian!"

"Yes. I'm here. I'll do it."

I heard an uplift in his tone. "You'll come?"

"I will."

"Thank you, truly." The relief in his hoarse voice was palpable. I didn't know if it was because he wanted to see me , or simply because he needed my help. Either way, I couldn't resist.

"What do you want me to do?"

I could hear Malachi clicking his tongue in thought, much as he had when we were kids. "Do you remember where the service entrance is?"

Even all these years later, I could practically see the blueprint of the grounds in my mind. "I do."

"Great. Go there and ask for Oscar. He's a palace guard. I'll let him know to look for you."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you in a little while." The call ended, and I stood in shock for a moment, trying to wrap my head around what I'd been asked to do. And that I actually had agreed.

After a few minutes, I shook myself off and resolved to get ready, but as I stared at my closet, I faced another conundrum: what to wear. Most of my clothing was of a similar aesthetic as I'd worn the day before. I'd felt Malachi's obvious interest as he'd taken me in, but if we were to have a clandestine meeting, then perhaps I needed to tone it down. The thought made me grimace. I may have dressed the part for others, but I liked it, too. If I was going to be the odd one out, then I would fucking own it. Now, to try to pretend not to be me, at a time when I was already going to the last place I wanted to be, I felt like I was selling out.

I was doing this for Mal. That was it. I could handle a little discomfort to help someone who, despite how much I tried to deny it, still held a piece of my heart. Fuck it! I grabbed a pair of jeans I usually wore when I foraged the forest for ingredients and threw on a long-sleeve black henley. Not knowing what I was getting into, I brushed my hair up into a ponytail before wrapping it around like a bun. The person who gazed back at me in the mirror wasn't the local witch, or healer, or mysterious hermit. He was just an average guy. It might suit my purpose for tonight, but I didn't feel like myself.

Though my clothing wasn't the only reason for that. I felt off. I had since Malachi was here. And since hearing his voice on the phone. A tug pulled my insides, urging me to get closer to him.

I followed that pull through the Purlieu, and the outskirts of the city, and to the heart of the capitol. When the palace came into view, the equally strong forces that both compelled me closer and told me to stay away, made my stomach roil.

"Stop!" I barked at the cab driver, desperate to get out of the car.

"Alright, but I'm charging you the full fare." He looked at me in the rearview mirror. "And if you hurl, it'll be extra."

"Whatever, just pull over."

The driver merged around traffic and pulled to the side of the road. I paid him, and exited the cab as quickly as possible, drawing in deep gulps of air, trying to calm the churning in my stomach.

It looked like I would have to walk the rest of the way, which was fine. The cool breeze felt good on my face and helped steady me. I always felt uneasy in the capitol anyway, though I hadn't been this far into the city in a long time. The noise, the pollution, the traffic, it all pressed in on my magic, making it harder to sense it. It was there—it was always with me—but it was easier to tap into when I could concentrate better and with nature closer at hand.

Step after step took me closer. News stories ran on a ticker at the bottom of the billboards, and Malachi's stern face was on a carousel of images along with the queen's and the construction project that had been underway for longer than I'd been out of the palace. A highway that had become the brunt of ridicule both by residents and from people in neighboring regions, especially with the promise of easing traffic though it did nothing but make it worse.

The heavily-guarded main gate stood before me. A large wall formed the perimeter of the palace grounds with guard towers at regular intervals. It was covered in pink bougainvillea vines, making it beautifully deceptive. It looked pretty but had long thorns and could cause a rash if you brushed against it. A natural defense system.

A large iron gate sat open at the driveway entrance. It was always open during the day, except during times of crisis. Open didn't mean accessible though. It was symbolic. The royal family loved symbolism. An open gate was like an open door in an office building. To show that they are approachable and available for the people under their care, but that didn't mean anyone could simply walk in.

I took a left and followed the wall, careful not to walk too close to it, knowing it was monitored. Signs were posted along the wall that warned against loitering. I kept my head down and my hands in my pockets, focusing on breathing, while my feet guided me by memory. When a break in the sidewalk appeared before my vision, I looked up and saw a manned guard shack in front of a closed, vine-covered gate. It was made to be less conspicuous, to blend in with the walls.

This was not the symbolic opening to the people. The service entrance was used for deliveries and workers but was also one of the few exits for the royal family or revered guests, allowing them to come and go with less attention.

I stopped long enough that it garnered the attention of the guard at the gate. He stepped out of the shack with a taser raised. Slowly withdrawing my hands from my pockets so he could see I wasn't pulling a weapon out, I lifted them above my head.

"Oi! No loitering. Please proceed away from the gate immediately." He took a few careful steps closer, watching my every move.

I really hoped Malachi's friend would come through. A small voice at the back of my mind wondered if I'd been set up. But with how Malachi had sounded on the phone, I believed him. "I'd like to speak to Oscar, please."

The guard's stance softened slightly, the taser lowering a few inches. "Come again?"

I kept my hands in the air, trying not to cause any alarm. I was second-guessing my apparel now, looking like a regular Joe, and wondering if my usual attire would be more or less suspicious than the serial killer look I currently donned.

"A guard named Oscar? I'm supposed to meet with him."

"Don't move. I'm going to call this in." He kept the taser pointed in my direction and his eyes locked on me while he reached for the radio at his shoulder. He was just about to call it in when a voice startled us both, and I could practically feel the twitch of the man's finger on the trigger. I closed my eyes, bracing for the inevitable shock that would come.

"Raul!" At the sound of his name, the guard relaxed slightly, as a man approached inside the gate. "It's okay. He's with me."

"What's going on, Oscar? This isn't protocol." Raul narrowed his eyes as they darted between the two of us.

"The order comes from Green Bird, and this is highly confidential. There will be no record, understood?"

Green Bird. I hadn't heard the codename since I was a kid. It was something I used to love teasing Malachi about. Not that he had any say in the matter, but it didn't make it any less fun. The name was used by security when trying to protect the royal family and other dignitaries, and not wanting to let their location or situation be known to anyone that might be listening.

The taser was latched to the man's belt. "Understood."

With one more sidelong look at me, he walked back to the shack and pressed a buzzer that allowed a secret walk-through door to open in the wall next to the drive-thru gate. I heard the snick of the locks releasing and found the exact place where the hidden handle was beneath the pink flowers. Pushing my way in before Oscar could open it for me, shock at being inside the walls for the first time in twenty years had my feet freezing in place. It was…a lot.

Oscar shook me free from my paralysis with a firm squeeze on my shoulder. I could feel his assessing gaze roam over every inch of me. He led me toward the garden at the back of the palace, keeping us in the shadows as much as possible.

"I am sworn to protect His Highness at all costs, but it is not only duty that drives me. I care for him, too. If you do anything to hurt him or put him in harm's way, I will not hesitate to end you. Understood?" His words came out in a cold, clipped tone.

"Understood." It was the only response I needed and the only one I could manage as my feet stepped on earth they hadn't touched since I was a child. The smells and sounds hit me viscerally, nearly overwhelming me with sensory memories. I didn't realize I'd stopped walking until Oscar turned around and stepped into my face.

"This isn't a tour. I've already told the prince that I am not in favor of this meeting, but he insisted. If you want to see the palace, sign in through the front gate and pay for a tour guide."

"I don't need one. I've seen it." Lived within these very walls for a third of my life.

One of his brows arched high in curiosity, but he said nothing as he turned around and led me at a quick pace to the private gardens. There were few places on the grounds that were safe from prying eyes, but the queen's garden wasn't somewhere anyone was granted access to, unless invited by one of the immediate family. It was also one area where palace guards didn't patrol. A small haven in a world filled with people watching everything you did.

Oscar showed me to the side entrance, but stepped aside indicating for me to pass. "Do not think that I am not near enough to respond if you even blink weirdly at the prince."

I dipped my head in understanding. It was comforting to know that he was well-protected, but it also served as a reminder of how stifling it was here. It was something I often thought about when I reflected back to my childhood. As a kid, I didn't notice as much. It was simply what I'd grown used to, and the games Mal and I would play to get around it. Through adult eyes, I saw it much differently.

Now, looking around the garden, it was strange to see it from a different perspective. I wasn't the tallest man, but much taller than I'd been when we played hide and seek here. The bushes seemed smaller, the statuary not so monumental.

The gazebo in the center of the garden had statues of former rulers on each side. Malachi's ancestors. His family had ruled the nation for two hundred years. I couldn't imagine a family history that went that far back. To have lived in the same house as the five generations that came before. But then I had no family history, at least none that I knew.

I walked into the gazebo and sat on the curved marble bench, unable to swing my legs as I had the last time I sat upon it. It was beyond surreal to be here again. For as long as I tried to hide from the image of the palace, being within its walls brought a sense of longing. Footsteps approached and that intense pull I felt yanked me from my reminiscing.

"Flor?" Malachi whispered behind me.

I turned in my seat to see him approaching cautiously. When he saw my face, he visibly relaxed, though his eyes drifted to the bun on top of my head for a moment before returning to my face. He offered me a sheepish smile.

"Your highness?" I dipped my head in a slight bow.

Malachi waved it off before rushing into the gazebo to sit beside me. His thigh was mere centimeters away from mine, and I could feel heat radiate from him. I fought the urge to move closer, needing to touch him as my magic reached for him.

"I told you already, you don't need to be formal with me," he said in a soft tone.

I indicated to the garden around us. "I kind of feel like I do. Look around us."

Malachi pursed his lips, but continued speaking quietly. "There was a time when you didn't care about the surroundings here."

The statement made me put my guard up, and I slid sideways, putting a little more space between me and the prince. "Well, a lot has changed."

His lips turned down, and he rubbed the scar on his wrist. I was torn between the need to comfort him and the reminder of how my time here had ended.

"Thanks for coming. I am no longer able to leave the palace without an escort, but I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable for you."

"Why are you whispering? Are you worried about being overheard? Is this garden no longer private?" I sent my magic out to see if I could sense anyone's presence or any cameras or equipment. All I felt in the vicinity was him. But he flooded all of my senses, making it hard to focus beyond that.

Malachi opened his mouth to respond before sighing and lowering his voice. "No. We are safe. But I think this might be part of my…charm problem."

I turned to face him, tucking one of my legs under the other. "What do you mean? Is your voice gone?"

He shook his head. "No, not gone, but…"

I sat in suspense waiting for him to finish. When it seemed he wasn't going to, I softened. "I'm here, okay? I may not be thrilled about where we are, but I'm with you. Whatever it is, just tell me."

Malachi coughed, as if trying to clear his throat, and when he spoke at a regular volume, it sounded loud in the quiet around us. "When I woke up this morning, I…" whatever he was about to say was cut off by a loud croaking sound. If I hadn't been staring right at him, I would have looked around for a bullfrog.

The man across from me immediately closed his mouth and the sound stopped.

I stared at him with wide eyes. "What was that?"

He pressed his lips together and a slight pink color rose in his golden skin that enhanced his already warm undertones. His voice returned to a whisper when he spoke again. "When I woke up this morning, I felt like I couldn't breathe, like something was stuck in my throat. I kept trying to clear it, but it didn't help. And when I talked…that happened. It seems okay when I whisper, but any louder than this and it's not good."

"So you have…a f rog in your throat?" I asked carefully, trying to mask my amusement.

He shrugged. "It seems so. Please tell me you can help with this. I can't very well go on whispering forever, and I hate to think what might happen at the dinner party tonight."

I snorted at the thought. "Sorry, but that sounds entertaining as hell. Probably far better than any normal dinner party. I would love to be a fly on the wall to see all the uppity-ups get croaked at."

Malachi's eyes twinkled with humor even as color deepened on his face. "There are a few I wouldn't mind cutting off and leaving them speechless."

"Tell me who and what you would say."

He got to his feet and held the front of his shirt as if it were the lapel of a jacket. It was only then I took in his casual attire. The tee was probably some sort of luxurious material, but it was a simple white shirt and he wore gray sweatpants. Sweats that left nothing to the imagination. In all the clips I'd caught of him on social media or on the news over the years, I'd never seen him dressed down. Malachi always at least had a suit on for public appearance. Seeing him like this made that longing from so long ago build again, only with very adult interest added to it. Pushing attraction aside, it was nice to get to have those quiet moments with him that were only us. For an instant it felt like that again.

Malachi lifted his chin and spoke in full volume. "Excuse me, Mr. VanDerGelder, but I would have to disagree with your thoughts about the working wage. Burropp !"

I clapped a hand in front of my mouth, doing nothing to conceal the laugh that burst out of me at the loud inhuman croak that came from him. Malachi's eyes flashed at the sound of my laughter, and a crooked smile appeared on his beautiful face. This one felt more genuine than the smile he used for speeches.

"Lady Fairchild, you have made a serious miscalculation in siding with the burropp party, whose beliefs work against single women as yourself."

A grin stretched my lips as I applauded. Malachi gave a full bow before sitting back down beside me. "Well done. I'm not sure it's really that much of a concern."

Malachi shot me a glance before chuckling. "It could prove useful."

I faced him and wondered what it was like to talk to all of these powerful people. "Would you ever do that?"

Malachi twisted toward me and said, "Do what? Burropp ."

His mouth opened wide to let out the bellowing croak, making me laugh. I pushed against his arm playfully. "Stop it."

He stared at me with wonder, as if he was captivated by me. His eyes drifted up to my hair again. When he spoke, he whispered, to hold back the croaking, but it made it feel more intimate, too. "I really liked it when you wore it down."

I felt my magic hum beneath my skin at the comment, and my fingers itched to take the elastic band out and let it fall over my shoulders. Forcing my hands to stay in place, I gave him a soft smile. "I wasn't sure how careful I needed to be, so I went for blending in as much as I could."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you out here like this. Do you think you can help me again?"

"I can try. But I want to know something first." I was certain I could help him, but I wanted to see if any of the boy I once knew was still there, or if he was as much a stranger as he sometimes felt.

Malachi dipped his head. "Yes?"

"Those people at your party. Would you actually tell them those things? Would you stand up for what you believe in?"

Malchi's lips pressed into a thin line. "It's complicated. As prince, I am powerless, merely a representative of the crown. A pawn."

"And when you're king?"

He drew in a deep breath and turned away to look out at the garden. "I hope so. I want to be. I want to be the kind of leader who is passionate about his people and the matters that affect them. What good is a ruler who is only looking out for their own interests? I know my parents have had to make some difficult decisions during their time, and I haven't agreed with many of them, but it's hard to say what you'll do when you're not the one who had to make them."

At the mention of his parents, I felt that pain that had been present for so long returning, pressing in on my chest. "There are difficult decisions, and then there are cruel ones."

Malachi looked at me. "Cruel? I don't ever want to be that. It's a lot of pressure, though, a lot of influences, but I want to stay true to myself. I am going to try really hard to do so."

I placed my hand on his leg, ignoring the way his muscular thigh felt beneath my touch. "You will. If you are anything like my best friend from childhood, you will. Let your heart guide you, Malachi. It's a good one."

His brows lifted and eyes shone with hope. "You think so?"

As much as I wanted to hate him—had spent years trying to—I couldn't. "Yes. I do. I can feel it."

We shared a soft smile, and his hand rested over mine. I let my magic reach out through our connection. Malachi's eyes slid closed, and his smile grew. "That feels really good when you do that."

I always wondered if people could sense it. Most didn't react when I used my magic, too focused on whatever task I was doing to create a potion or balm for them. "What does it feel like to you?"

He hummed softly. "Like sunshine." Malachi's face tilted up as if he were soaking in the sun. His long neck stretched, looking so very lovely. Beautiful. The man was beautiful. While his head was back, I searched his body, guiding my magic to move through him for the source of the charm. At the base of his throat, beneath his Adam's apple, I could sense a shape, magical in substance, not physical. It pushed back against me, and I realized I would have to work a little harder to undo it.

"Can I touch your throat?"

Malachi's eyes opened, and he gave me a questioning look, but nodded slightly. "Yes."

I climbed off the bench, needing a better angle, and knelt in front of him, trying to ignore the heat that stirred at the position. "This might be a little uncomfortable, but I need to focus my magic. If I hurt you, please let me know, and I'll stop."

Malachi whispered, "okay," before leaning his head back to give me better access. With one hand on his leg for balance, I reached up and placed my hand at the base of his throat, fingers wrapping around gently. I closed my eyes and pushed my magic out. It met resistance and I strained, my hand squeezing lightly, not enough to bruise him. I could feel the moment it started to give and the charm began to dislodge itself from Malachi.

He coughed, and I could feel his body tense, but he could no longer speak. Not with the mystical frog climbing up his throat.

"It's okay. It's almost over, I promise." I kept pushing, urging it to move. It was then I heard a noise. A gate opened, but I couldn't stop, not now. If I did, it might block his airways for how hard the charm was trying to latch on.

"Your highness? Are you alright?" The guard, Oscar, shouted.

Shit ! The timing could not have been worse. I had to keep going. I couldn't let him break my concentration. I felt Malachi's hand land on my shoulder, gripping it tight as panic started to rise in him.

"Hold on, Mal. It's a little stronger than I thought, but I've almost got it." I could feel it ascend, could feel Mal's throat muscles trying to force it back down with the instinct to swallow. "I need you to relax, Mal."

Footsteps pounded forward. "Oi! What are you doing?"

Fuck ! I knew this didn't look good. With my hand around the prince's neck, it probably looked like I was strangling him. "I'm…helping…him." I breathed out slowly, not looking at the guard, trying not to lose my hold on the enchantment.

I could hear a weapon being drawn. "Unhand him and back away this instant, or I swear I will make sure no one ever sees you again."

Malachi waved a frantic hand at him, trying to get the guard to back down, while I gave an extra push of my magic. The charm dislodged at last, expelling from his body. Malachi coughed and gasped, and I fell back from the exhaustion of the effort. He bent over, hacking.

The guard rushed toward me and grabbed me, pinning my hands behind my back. Weariness and dizziness swarmed me, and I was too disoriented to fight back.

"Wait!" Malachi rasped before coughing once more.

"Sir?"

Malachi stood up, and when he spoke, he had a stronger voice. A stronger, frogless voice. "Don't hurt him!"

"He was choking you, sir."

"No! No, he wasn't. He was helping me, just like he said. Release him."

The guard hesitated for a moment before letting my arms go, but he stayed close to me, showing he was ready to act if he thought I was a threat.

Malachi reached down and helped me to my feet. I wobbled slightly, and his arm wrapped around my waist to steady me. "Are you alright?"

I leaned against him, trusting him to keep me upright. "Yes. It just put up more of a fight than I expected."

He stared down at me and swept a thumb across my cheek, uncaring that his guard was watching us. "Thank you."

Feeling a little more steady on my feet, I stood upright. "My pleasure."

"Can someone please explain what just happened?" Oscar looked between us, confusion and concern on his face.

I slid a glance to Malachi. It was up to him what he wanted to share. I knew the guard must have been a trusted one who seemed to care a great deal for Malachi, but I didn't know how much he was comfortable telling him.

"Florian is an old friend, Oscar."

"And you let all of your friends choke you? No offense if you are into that, but it seems something like that should be kept to the bedroom and not in the queen's garden."

I coughed out a laugh as color rose in Malachi's cheeks. "Florian also happens to be a distinguished healer."

"A healer? What's wrong? Do I need to call for a doctor?" Oscar shifted, stepping closer to Malachi.

"Uh, well, Florian isn't a typical healer. He has special talents."

The guard quirked a brow. "What does that mean exactly?"

"The prince is being polite. He means I'm a witch," I said with a wink.

Oscar's jaw dropped for a moment before he regained his composure. "A witch?"

"Yup." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Magic was one of those things that existed but was rare enough people didn't know what to do with it, though there tended to be a general consensus of unease. Being in the palace, I didn't know if it was still seen as forbidden or even talked about.

Oscar matched my stance, not backing down but not on the attack either. "Only if you mean to bring harm to any member of the royal family."

Malachi stepped between us. "I asked him here, Oscar. He came because I needed him."

"I'm not sure I understand."

Malachi reached over to me, and I couldn't help but take his hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and there was a time it had been. "I can't explain it fully, but I've had an affliction of sorts, and it's not something that doctors can help."

The guard shot me a pointed look. "And you can?"

"I have so far and will continue to do everything I can if it's needed."

"How serious is this…affliction?" Oscar looked between us.

Malachi waved it off. "It's been minor nuisances, playful pranks really, but ones that would undermine my standing in public."

He tilted his head and looked over to the prince at my side. "Does this have anything to do with the parsley in your teeth?"

"Yes, but I am very much parsley-free now." Malachi grinned widely to show off his non-herbal smile.

"Okay. I meant to say something about it, but I didn't want to embarrass you."

"In the future, please tell me if I'm going to look like a fool in front of the public, not that there was anything I could have done about it."

"Will do. But the choking, was that a part of this?"

"I wasn't choking him. There was a magical entity of sorts that had latched onto Mal's… His Highness 's throat. I coaxed it to leave."

The guard's brow popped again. "That…sounds serious. What do you think is the cause of this? Do we need to be on alert?"

Malachi clicked his tongue. "No. I don't think so. In the meantime, however, Florian will be granted full access. You will pass along the message that he is allowed to move freely through the palace and may come and go as he pleases."

Oscar lowered his head in a bow. "Yes, sir."

"Please leave us, I wish to confer with my friend," Malachi spoke in a more commanding tone, leaving no room for the guard to linger. He bowed and walked away, flashing me one more assessing look as he left.

"I'm sorry, Florian. I didn't expect him to check in so soon."

I gave him a shrug. "He seems to take his job seriously, and since that job is protecting you, I can respect that. Besides, I can't imagine how alarming it was to find us like that."

Malachi laughed. "We'd better save the choking for the bedroom then." His mouth clamped shut and color burned through his face as he realized how that sounded.

"Why, Prince Malachi, I had no idea you were so kinky." I laughed and walked away from him, perusing through the garden.

He hurried after me. "Wait. No, I'm not. I didn't mean it like that. I was just… Crowns !"

A snort popped out of me, and I turned back toward him, leaning in to whisper against his ear. "Don't worry, it's not my thing. The only thing I like to choke on is cock."

Malachi stood frozen with his jaw hanging, and I tapped his cheek lightly with my hand before walking away. He had been fun to fluster when we were younger. It was nice to see that hadn't changed.

The weariness that had settled into me after the struggle with the frog charm dissipated. I felt lighter now as I looked around the garden, knowing I had been given access and wouldn't have to sneak around anymore. Strange how I found it to be a relief to be allowed here after so many years of thinking of it with disdain. What would the queen think of her son reversing the decision that had cast me out? One command from Malachi. Was it really enough to undo all that had been done?

I stopped in front of the steps that led into the palace and stared up at the doors. What was it like inside? Was it as I remembered? Were there any familiar faces? What would they do if they saw me? Would they even recognize me?

Malachi's presence drew near, making my tired magic hum with excitement. He stood behind me, and his spicy scent filled my nose. His chin rested on the top of my head, reminding me just how tall he'd grown.

"Do you want to go in?"

That was a loaded question, one that should have a simple answer, but nothing about being here was simple. "I don't know. Are you sure it would be allowed?"

"I'm sure I allow it. As future king, that's gotta count for something, right?"

"Okay." The word came out before I could even think about it. Malachi extended his hand and I took it, letting him lead me up the stairs.