4. Nox

CHAPTER 4

Nox

T he training grounds were busy, as the barracks usually were mid week. Soldiers were training in different circles. Nox was in the center of the biggest; sweat was beading on his chest, on his neck and forehead. His shirt had been stripped long ago, swords were thrown to the sides. He was in the ring with a bloodied nose, most likely what would be a black eye and a split lip.

"You're off your game, Greenwood!" a soldier yelled from the side. He was leaning on a fence, others crowded around watching the fight. Lucas was grinning like a fool as he spit blood from his own mouth. No one ever got in many hits to Nox, he was bigger and stronger. He had earned his place as captain, he was essentially undefeated in the ring. But here he was, a handful of punches had made it past him and his head was spinning as a result.

"One last round, Black," Nox seethed through his teeth. Lucas Black was one of his closest friends. He was a brother really. Other than Kellian himself. While Kellian and Nox were similar in age and grew up on castle grounds, Lucas had shown up as an orphan at sixteen. One of the older soldiers took him in after his mother died of a sickness that had plagued his village. He was from the northernmost villages, just before the borders and the northern gate to the isles. He had grown strong, a good fighter, loyal to the bone. Everyone liked him and his cheery disposition. The exact opposite to Nox himself, who instead distinctly reminded others of an angry rain cloud. Dark and brooding and could potentially turn into a storm.

"Raise the stakes, old friend?" Lucas shouted over to him. Nox nodded for him to go on, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "You lose, I cover your tab at Mayers Pub," he started making Nox scoff. He had a tab alright, aside from the generous salary of being the captain, Nox had spent almost every night at the Pub before a few weeks ago. Before Aura.

It seemed more than just a few weeks now. She consumed his every thought. She was striking and beautiful and terrifying. Aura was the only one who could keep up with his sharp tongue. The only one who refused to back down from him. She did, in fact, outrank him as she was the princess, heir and a guardian to The Hollow. That only made him want her more, of course. But his favorite thing about the white haired tiny chaos creature was her ability to gut a man without a single thought. She loved her daggers more than any other weapon. Used her size and speed to her advantage. He had taken over her training a year ago, after one of the older soldiers retired. Kellian personally asked him to oversee her training, saying he wanted her training with the best. At all times, so she was always ready. Aura did not have the ability to shift as Kellian did. While still an heir, he assumed Kellian worried about his more human sister if anything were to happen.

In the last year they had trained, and Aura had focused all her energy on hunting a shadow beast. One that had finally been locked back into Hel where it belonged last night. Aura had proved herself over and over again. But Kellian never stopped worrying for his sister and had then given Nox his last command, two weeks ago.

To be her personal guard.

Aura however, did not know of this, and it was after that things became a little more confusing, and Nox had seen her in a way he hoped no other male would ever do again.

Fuck, what was that.

No.

She was not his. He had to accept that.

"And if you win—" Lucas pulled him out of his thoughts. The same thoughts that had clouded his mind and let the damned man get in four punches. "I'll cover your night shifts for a month."

Nox paused, shifting his weight from heel to heel, a month was a long time. And nights free meant more nights with her .

That was enough to get his shit together.

A shout from another soldier indicated for them to fight. This time, Nox cleared his mind, slamming down his mask. All his emotions shoved behind the steel. He threw punch after punch, dogged Lucas' hits easily and landed two punches inturn. Lucas grunted in frustration. This round was about to be a lot harder for him.

A few minutes later the fight was over, Lucas sporting a matching broken lip and blood trickled down from a cut on his brow. Both men's knuckles were blotchy and red.

Nox grinned like a fool.

He had won.

It was night when Nox returned to his house. The gravel beneath his boots crunched, with the moonlight lighting his path. They had all headed to the pub after the fight. Nox was slightly wobbly on his feet, much to his own dismay. He shoved the key into the front door, unlocking it easily and made his way up the stairs, he was anything but quiet. He missed a step and banged a sore shoulder into a wall. With a groan, he pulled himself up and went up the last set of stairs. When Nox got to his bedroom, the door was askew. He assumed Aura had left to see a healer. When she said she needed one after nearly drowning in the tub, he had run to find Kyeria, knowing she would be the best. He shouldn't have left her alone in the tub after such a long and exhausting battle, but finding her there, limp in the water made his skin crawl.

It rattled him, and he didn't do rattled.

He pushed his way into the room, the door creaking as he entered. The bed before him was a chaotic tangle of pillows and blankets, a testament to the disarray of his mind. Without hesitation, he shed his clothes, which still carried the stench of the pub, and collapsed onto the disheveled bed. The mattress groaned under his weight, and he let out a weary sigh, only to be jolted upright by a soft mumble and a groan.

In the dim light, Nox strained his eyes to make out the figure nestled among the tangled sheets. Long, white hair fanned out across the pillows, a stark contrast against the dark fabric. Her small frame was almost swallowed by the mass of blankets, her presence so unexpected that he had nearly missed her.

Aura .

The princess who had always made it clear—never spend the night. Yet here she was, fast asleep in his bed, her form curled into the warmth of his sheets. She had waited for him, despite everything. A pang of guilt twisted in his gut. The battle, the near loss of her—it had shaken him more than he cared to admit. And now, to see her here, in his home, her presence, a quiet reminder of what he had almost lost, weighed heavily on him. She had waited for him, and the thought of it settled deeply, a bitter mixture of regret and longing.

"Princess." His voice was a gentle murmur, barely more than a breath as he poked her shoulder. She only groaned softly, her form curling deeper into the pillows, her white hair splaying across the bed like a silken halo. Nox exhaled heavily, the weight of exhaustion pulling at him. He was too drained to rouse her now, and a reluctant part of him didn't want to at all.

A stark internal conflict waged within him. He had always braced himself for the fleeting nature of their encounters—heated, passionate, and then over as quickly as they began. This was different. She was here, asleep in his bed, her warmth an unexpected balm against the chill of his loneliness. He slid under the covers with deliberate care, trying not to disturb her, but she stirred slightly, turning to face him with a sleepy murmur. His heart ached as he felt her body nestle closer, her trust in him manifesting in this rare and vulnerable moment. Nox wrapped his arms around her, pulling her snugly against him, his touch both protective and tender. It was a rare and precious intimacy he had never thought to experience—an intimacy he had only dreamt of, never daring to hope it would come to pass.

The truth clawed at him, a gnawing awareness that this closeness was something he had never been granted before. She had always made it clear: their encounters were transient, a fleeting storm of passion and then separation. This, this quiet vulnerability, was a new terrain, one that stirred a turbulent mix of fear and longing within him. The trust she placed in him, even if she was unaware of it, was a fragile thing, a trust that took more than just the nightly visits to forge.

He knew he would face the repercussions of this unanticipated closeness in the morning. For now, he would hold her, savoring the warmth and the rare comfort of her presence. As he closed his eyes, he wrestled with the tangled mess of emotions that surged within him, knowing that the consequences of this night would weigh heavily on his heart come dawn.

Nox jolted awake with a sharp punch to the arm, his eyes flying open in surprise and irritation. "That is a very rude way to wake someone up," he grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The dim morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Aura, perched on the edge of the bed, leaned over him with a look of exasperation, her tousled hair framing her face.

"Why didn't you wake me!" she demanded in a fierce whisper, her frustration barely contained.

"You wouldn't wake up!" he protested, raising his hands in mock defense. Despite his efforts, she delivered another sharp jab to his arm. "Fuck!" he hissed, trying to keep his voice down as the sounds of the waking barracks drifted in through the window. His shift wasn't due until noon, but he usually stayed up with the early crew, overseeing the soldiers. Today, though, he had let Lucas take over.

"Just use the back door," Nox muttered, burying his face in the pillow, hoping for a few more moments of peace.

"Nox!" She poked him again, and then again, her touch insistent. He finally dragged himself up, meeting her gaze with a mix of irritation and curiosity. "What?" he grumbled, his patience wearing thin.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, her voice almost a whisper.

His breath caught in his throat. The apology, so rare and unexpected, halted him mid-grumble. He stared at her, taken aback by the sincerity in her eyes.

" I was a little rude when you woke me in the bath, that was dangerous. I shouldn't have done that when I was that tired. Let alone with an open wound." Her head dropped. The disappointment in herself was evident. He knew she struggled with this, watched her push herself down, trying to be smaller and smaller. So he plastered on a smile, even a little smirk, and reached out a hand, tilting her chin up.

"You just love to drive me crazy, princess ." His deep voice carried a weighty resonance. Her eyes slowly dragged up to look at him, taking in his shirtless self.

"It is rather fun." Aura smiled and bit her lip to try and stop from continuing to smile.

"What time is your next shift?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

There she was.

His little storm cloud.

"Hours from now," he said, propping up on his elbows. She hummed her answer then pulled the blankets aside to get under them again, pulled a leg over his waist and straddled him.

"Seems like I'm stuck here till you can sneak me out," she said, trying to rationalize her excuse. He could see right through it. She wanted to be here instead. With him, with his touch. But she had a hard time admitting that to herself. He was fine with giving her the time, giving her the games and the teasing and the verbal sparring. He would be what she needed him to be.

As long as he was hers.

"Anything in mind?" He smirked.

"I have a few ideas," she said back, her golden eyes glowing dark and clouded. He always adored that about her. Aura was bright, always. She was light incarnate, aside from her literal light powers. But when she wanted him, when she was turned on, she was dark and cloudy, like a storm .

The hours passed quickly. Their limbs were lost to one another, tangled in the bedsheets. His rough hands had roamed her body, and thoroughly spent them both. She had washed again before pulling on a fresh dress someone had brought her. It was simple, but it was blue. Goddess above, Aura in blue, was the most dangerous combination. She was striking, and breathtakingly beautiful.

"So, we had training in the forest and then you escorted me to the gardens later?" she said, making up their cover. Nox shrugged, he would go along with whatever she chose, it wasn't hard, she had sound reasoning behind most of them. They snuck out the back door, Nox locked it this time behind them and they took the small, barely visible path through the trees to a main garden path walk. Then they began their fake walk through the gardens.

The sun was high, Nox had donned his armor, his red thick cape attached to the neck, signifying his ranking. The others had grey capes for the second highest rankings, below that were no capes and only armor. It was earned in the royal army. Nox had earned his grey cape early on, being the youngest to ever receive a grey.

Kellian had made Nox his high guard a few years back now. They had always remained close even after the separation between a barracks kid and a royal was larger than it was as kids running through the castle grounds, forests, and mountains. Kellian had been blessed with the ability to shift into a dragon form and Nox was the first he told it to. They were loyal to the other. Because of that, the whole fucking his friends sister thing sat uneasy in him. But he shook it off anyway.

Nox stayed a few steps behind Aura as she walked, escorting her in a professional capacity instead of walking with her. He was rather fond of watching her as she moved gracefully through the gardens; they looped back to her mothers gardens filled with lavender, light sprites bouncing between the gardens, butterflies flew by aura, as if they wanted to be near her and her light. She was faintly glowing at the moment, something Nox had begun to pick up on. Her hair seemed to glow in the daylight. Sometimes a dull light encircled her hands or arms, swirling up her limbs in a way that was practically invisible unless the sun hit just right. The first time Nox had noticed it, he began to pay closer attention. On their many excursions out to track the shadow beast, Nox realized just how powerful Aura's light was. Before the shadow beast, she had not used it much, not that he had seen. She seemed to be hiding it, not liking to use it at all it seemed. But in the past few weeks, something had shifted, he assumed she found purpose in tracking and ultimately banishing the beast back to Hel. He was itching to know what she would do next, what self imposed quest she would pick to take on. Aura was not one to sit still for long. He would probably catch her sneaking out in the next few nights, wandering into the mountains to sit at the lake. He had followed her there a few times now; not that she knew. Since Kellian assigned him as her personal guard, he was tasked with knowing where she was at any given time. And while Aura was rather slippery, he was in the shadows following.

Nox followed Aura around the gardens before she announced she was going to her rooms. He escorted her there, watched her close and lock the door behind her, and waited for Lucas to finish his sweep. His golden hair and tall stature made him stand out in the dark stone walkway, he peered at the paintings on the wall before eyes sweeped the rest of the hall, spotting Nox at the end. He nodded walking over.

"Nox," he greeted.

"Did you find anything?" Nox asked. Lucas had sent a message to Nox late the night before, one of the light sprites left it on his open window sill, a small gleaming stone atop it, an update from Lucas on a rather unsettling issue.

"Nothing, her door was unlocked, and only the desk looked rearranged," Lucas updated. It was about a week ago that Lucas had spotted the post outside of Aura's chamber empty, the door ajar, and when he entered, someone was slipping out of the window in a black cloak. He had reported it to Nox immediately. Aura had been with Nox that night in his own home. While she was safe and threat levels were normally rather low, someone sneaking into her rooms and rifling around was not something he liked. Nox wanted to gather more information before speaking with Kellian, but her rooms being rifled through twice filled him with unease.

Nox knew it was time to tell Kellian.

Which meant explaining why Aura was not in her rooms , for multiple nights.

Nox left Lucas at his post, and took off on the familiar path past the bed champers and to the towers, one specifically that held Kellian's Observatory. It was a glass encased tower, all of his treasures and findings filled the room. Vines wrapped around the open pillars and bloomed, no doubt an addition from Kyeria. He had been there many times, the two of them would hide in the old tower when they were younger, hiding from trouble or a prank they had played on someone else.

Nox knocked on the familiar wooden door. Some shuffling ensued inside before he heard Kellian shout, "Come in." Nox pushed open the door, and saw the disarray. Papers were strewn along the tables, and Kellian was leaning over a telescope jotting down notes, his hair a mess, and unsurprisingly looking overly tired.

"Kel," Nox sighed. "Have you even slept?" he asked his friend.

Kellian only waved a hand dismissing Nox and his worry.

That was the end of that.

"I have something I need to inform you about," Nox said, keeping his tone as even as possible. But Kellian spotted it and turned, abandoning his task at hand immediately.

"What's wrong?" The pen was dropped to the table, his golden eyes were pinned to Nox. Nox sighed.

"Last week—" Nox started, earning a glare from the prince. Kellian was a kind royal, he had always been, he would lead with that kindness, but he was fiercely protective, especially over his little sister. Nox tried to shut off his mind, quell his emotion behind a wall of stone. This was not going to be easy.

"Lucas was doing night rounds, on Aura's wing."

"When?" Kellian's voice was clipped.

"While you were gone with Kyeria to the Isles," Nox reported smoothly.

"Where were you?" Kellian glared. Nox swallowed and continued.

"Lucas had the shift. He does rounds every two hours, otherwise is posted by the door," Nox explained. "When he got back from a round, Aura's door was ajar. He knocked and called her name, sometimes she's off with Esmeralda or Kyeria into the night." Kellian's eyes glared further, "but with you both gone, Lucas entered and someone much larger than Aura was sneaking out a window, wearing a dark cloak. He did not catch their face, and they disappeared into the night," Nox finished.

"Did anyone hunt them down?" Kellian asked, voice struggling to stay even.

"Yes, Lucas followed on foot, and sent a sprite to alert the guard on watch that night, and one to me." There was a pause, Nox felt his heat rate escalating, already seeing the next question from the prince,

"Where was my sister?" Kellian's voice was dangerously calm now, like he could see right through Nox's calm exterior. Nox took a steadying breath and met Kellian's eyes directly.

"With me."

In a second, Kellian had moved, slamming Nox into the stone pillar behind him.

"In the middle of the night, Nox?" he seethed. Nox swallowed and nodded trying to remain calm, despite the dragon prince who stood with fire in his eyes, and hand pushing into his shoulders, pinning him to the pillar.

"Yes." Nox nodded. Kellian shoved him again and let him go, taking multiple quick steps back from Nox, he ran a hand through his long white locks, palming his face.

"What the fuck," Kellian growled. "My sister?" he screamed. "My fucking sister, Nox."

"It wasn't my secret to tell." Nox's own disappointment in himself shown, in angering his most trusted friend, in angering the prince, the brother to the woman his heart was tangled with. "Not until now, not until she could be in danger."

Nox had never wanted to keep it from Kellian, but Aura insisted, it was just a way to relax as she said, it wasn't anything. The words still stung in the back of his mind. It had become more complicated than that now. He knew it. She knew it. But neither had uttered any verbal confirmation that the looks they shared were more heated, carried more importance and meaning than they used to. The sharp words and jabs they sent each other were once real, true words, but now, they were only a game. Just the precursor, then they were electric, if not explosive. Nox didn't want to give that up, so he had kept his mouth shut. But this was different and he had been battling himself knowing he needed to inform his commander, the prince to the kingdom. But the last few days had been chaotic, he almost died, they all fought back the beast, and finally rid it from the land. There wasn't exactly a spare moment to tell his friend, "By the way, I am sleeping with your sister, it's not serious just letting off steam. Until we almost died and everything changed but it's no big deal!"

"I trusted you." Kellian seethed. His stare was lethal, and Nox questioned his ability to leave this tower not bloodied. Because he knew, Kellian may not like to fight, not in human form, but he could pack a mean punch. Nox would much rather not be on the receiving end of the rage brewing on his face.

"Kel, listen?—"

"Don't you fucking dare. My sister, Nox! The person you are meant to be guarding, protecting, not fucking." He spat out the last word like it made him physically ill.

"Kel—"

"You're dismissed." Kellian turned on his heel, back to his desk, sitting with a humph and picking up a pen. He began writing and ignored Nox completely.

"We need to discuss the intruder—" Nox crossed his arms, staying in place.

"Send someone else." Kellian glared. Nox sighed, walking towards the prince,

"I understand you are mad, we did not plan it, it just…happened," Nox said gently. Kellian let out a groan,

"I do not want to hear it, Greenwood."

"Fine—" Nox bit out, "but hear this, someone, and I don't know who, broke in to the princesses room, rifled through her desk and correspondence and left in the middle of the night. We have an issue Kellian, and she doesn't know yet, I came to you first."

Kellian's writing paused before looking up to Nox who was hovering over him now.

"I am fucking pissed at you," Kellian said, dropping the pen loudly and crossing his arms. He leaned back on the creaky chair and stared outside. Nox watched the shift, watched the Heir take over from the older brother.

"Why would someone break into her rooms, what could they have been looking for? We are a peaceful land."

"That's what we need to find out."

"We need to tell Aura," Kellian said sternly. "She deserves to know."

"I agree, but my command is to you first, your highness." He bowed his head. Nox could put aside the frustration of his own personal issues and be the loyal soldier. He was Kellian's second in command, his captain. His life was dedicated to keeping this family and this kingdom safe, as Kellian was to this sacred land and protecting the Dragon's home from the outside world.

Kellian reached for a small fairy whistle that sat on his desk. It was a simple small instrument, carved into a tiny piece of wood, only the length of a finger. Kellian raised it to his lips and blew into it. There was no sound to the human ears, but it was high enough of a pitch to alert the light sprites that served as royal messengers. Ember fluttered in through an open window quickly.

"Your highness." Ember bowed her small glowing form to the prince.

"Ember." He nodded. "Nox has reported someone who trespassed into Aura's room whilst she was gone. I would like two sprites stationed at her window, and one stationed at Kyeria's and Esmeralda's each." He informed her. She nodded quickly.

"Right away, highness." She turned to Nox and waved, a cheery smile evident on her glowing features, Nox nodded in acknowledgement. He had always liked Ember. She had worked her way up the ranks of the messenger sprites, from a young sprite when he and Kellian were younger to the lead messenger for the heirs themselves. Ember's form fluttered away, back out the window and through the skies. Nox saw two dragons flying, a large grey one and a small deep purple one. He knew Ameline was the smaller of the two but not the larger one. It was darker than Fendiah's dragon.

Nox nodded in the direction. "Who is here?" he asked Kellian. Kellian rolled his eyes.

"An elder from the council, he is insufferable. I hope Ameline is annoying the Hel out of him."

Nox grinned, oh she was.

"Is this really necessary?" Esmeralda's voice was calm and dismissive as she continued to pore over her book. Nox's presence at the doorway of the library's first floor was rather normal these days, but Esmeralda did not like having a guard nearby, which was made known by her small scowl on her brow. The room exuded a cozy ambiance, with a crackling hearth casting a warm, flickering glow against the rich, wooden shelves. Esmeralda sat comfortably on a cushioned bench beneath a large, sun-drenched window, a thick knitted blanket draped over her lap. Kellian had ordered extra guard on the whole royal family, Esmeralda included. But the young witch was not the biggest fan of having a shadow.

"Yes," Nox replied, his arms crossed in a firm stance. He opened his mouth to press his point further but was cut off by the sudden, loud meow of a cat. His gaze darted around, searching for the source of the noise amidst the sprawling shelves and soft, golden light of the library.

Esmeralda's lips curled into a mischievous smile as she pulled the blanket back slightly. Nestled amidst the folds of fabric was a tiny, fluffy black kitten, its eyes wide and curious. The kitten let out a soft, plaintive meow, and Esmeralda giggled softly at the sight of Nox's bewildered expression.

"What is that?" Nox asked hesitantly.

"My cat." She responded with twinkling eyes, seeing if he would say anything. He did not say a damn word. Because the last thing Nox was going to get involved in was a cat in the castle, when Kellian hated the creatures and had banned them from being inside the castle ever.

"I did not see this," Nox grumbled, "stay here till your guard arrives." He quickly turned out of the room and down the stone hall. He was not looking forward, lost to his own grumbling when he turned a corner and ran right into someone. A small squeak came tumbling out and he reached out his hands to catch the person before they both toppled over to the ground.

"Look where you are walking!" Aura scolded him, and shoved his arms off her. He rolled his eyes and looked down to the petite princess.

"You are not supposed to be alone," he said, looking behind her and finding no guard.

"Turns out Issac isn't great at his job," she said, crossing her arms, a stubborn look on her brow. She leaned against the wall, her hip jutting out. He noticed her clothing then, training clothes. A long linen tunic over brown trousers and high laced boots, her sword strapped to her back, a dagger at her thigh.

"Where is he?" The guard on duty was supposed to be with Aura.

"I slipped out." She shrugged. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Take it up with your brother, Ror."

"Stop calling me that!" She scowled.

"Sure thing, Princess." He smirked and walked past her, determined to find Issac and give him a little training on how to avoid losing a princess.