My eyes were heavy. My body ached. Memories of the tavern flooded back—the awful men, the fear, the pain. But then Malachi came. Malachi. Suddenly, I became conscious of a hand holding mine. The touch was warm, familiar. I felt it lift my hand and the gentle pressure of lips placing a kiss on it. Summoning my strength, I opened my eyes.

His face was the first thing I saw. Malachi's strong features softened with relief as our gazes met. His eyes were a mixture of fierce protectiveness and deep concern.

"Elara," he breathed, his voice a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. "You're awake."

I tried to speak, but my throat was dry and sore. The words came out as a croak. "Malachi..."

"Shh," he said, squeezing my hand gently and handing me a cup of water. "You're safe now. Just rest."

I looked around, trying to make sense of my surroundings. We were no longer in that wretched tavern. The room was dimly lit, and the soft glow of a fire cast flickering shadows on the walls. I was lying on a comfortable bed, wrapped in warm blankets.

"Where are we?" I managed to whisper.

"In a safe place," he replied, brushing a strand of hair from my forehead. "We're in an inn, far from those men. My men are guarding the perimeter."

A wave of relief washed over me. We were safe, for now. I let my eyes close for a moment, savoring the feeling of security. But then, another thought struck me.

"Leif and Minerva... are they okay?" I asked, struggling to sit up.

"They're fine," Malachi assured me, gently pushing me back down. "They were a bit injured, but nothing serious. They're resting in the next room."

I nodded, the tension in my chest easing. Knowing my friends were safe was a comfort I desperately needed.

Malachi's expression turned serious. "Elara, I need to know... did they... hurt you badly?"

His voice trembled slightly, and I could see the pain in his eyes. I reached up and touched his cheek, feeling the rough stubble beneath my fingers.

"I'm okay," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt. "They didn't get the chance to... do anything too bad."

His jaw tightened, and I could see the anger simmering beneath the surface. But he took a deep breath, calming himself. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there sooner."

"You saved me," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "That's all that matters."

He leaned in, pressing his forehead against mine. "I swear I'll never let anything like that happen to you again."

I believed him. In that moment, with his hand holding mine and his presence a shield against the darkness, I felt safe. I knew there would be challenges ahead, dangers we would have to face. But for now, we had each other. And that was enough.

"You saved yourself, little bird," he said, and my heart warmed at the endearment. I shook my head, memories of the ordeal flashing through my mind. I had tried my best, fought with everything I had, but without him, I would have been doomed.

"Stop that, darling. Don't sell yourself short," Malachi said, his voice firm but gentle. "That moment when that sickening man had that knife to your neck..." He caressed my neck, his touch feather-light where the knife had not cut. His eyes were truly sad, reflecting a depth of emotion that made me squeeze his hand in reassurance.

He offered a small smile, continuing, "I didn't know what to do. All my years in battle, and it was that moment that left me uncertain. But then, you took your fate into your own hands. You saved yourself. I was just there to support you."

His words were sweet, and I could see he truly believed them. But I needed him, and he was there for me when it mattered most.

"Malachi," I began softly, "I might have acted in that moment, but without you, I wouldn't have had the chance. You gave me the strength to fight, to take that risk. I could feel your presence, and it gave me courage."

He looked at me, his expression softening even more. "You are braver than you know, Elara."

I was finally with him. After all the pain and hardship, I had fought my way back to Malachi. It made me so happy to have him by my side, to feel his warmth and hear his sweet words. But something was bothering me. There was much we had to talk about, unresolved issues that lingered in the back of my mind.

"Malachi, we need to talk about..." I began, my voice tentative.

"Shh, darling. I know, I know. But right now, you need to rest. The castle doctor will be here soon," he interrupted gently.

He was right. There was time to figure things out later. Right now, my body ached with every reminder of the ordeal I had endured. My ankle throbbed, my side pulsed, my neck stung, and my face felt like it had been slapped multiple times, which it had. I listened to Malachi, taking a deep breath as I tried to relax.

As my eyes closed, I felt his lips press gently against my forehead. The gesture was so tender, so comforting, that it made me feel safe. Despite the pain, despite the worries that would have to wait, I was back with him. And in this moment, that was enough.

When I awoke again, the sun was in the sky and the doctor was there, expertly tending to my wounds. Malachi's worry showed in his restless pacing, but his tension eased as the doctor assured him that none of my injuries were major and would heal with time. We planned to leave for the palace as soon as possible; Malachi wanted me to be in the safest place while I healed.

Finally, in this moment, I was rested, my wounds tended to, and we could talk. We both looked at each other, mouths ready to speak, but the door flew open. Leif and Minerva burst in, their faces etched with concern.

"Elara, are you alright?!" Leif shouted, rushing to my side, only to be pushed aside by Minerva.

"We have failed you and deserve to eternally suffer the consequences," Minerva said, dropping to her knees.

"Oh, Minerva, no, it's fine. There was nothing else you could do. And yes, Leif, I'm perfectly fine. I'm glad you are too," I reassured them.

I saw Malachi roll his eyes, a mixture of annoyance and amusement on his face. "I thought I told you two to wait to speak to her when we were back at the castle," he said with a sigh.

Minerva stood, looking both relieved and apologetic. "We couldn't wait. We needed to see her, to know she was truly alright."

Leif nodded vigorously. "We were so worried. We had to be sure."

Minerva grabs my hand tenderly, confusing Malachi even more. He gives me a questioning look. The last time he saw us together, we were far from friendly. I just smirk at him. It was a rather sudden change, I agree, but Minerva is a close friend now.

Someone appears at the door. "Your Majesty, the carriage is ready," he announces, causing Malachi and me to sigh. We keep getting interrupted and haven't had a second to talk.

"Do you feel well enough to go now?" Malachi asks sweetly. I nod.

Malachi begins to offer his hand to help me, but as I extend my hand to grab it, Minerva takes it instead. "I'll help her," she states matter-of-factly, practically carrying me to the door. I look back to see a shocked look on Leif's and Malachi's faces.

Minerva mutters under her breath, more to herself than to me, "No one will ever harm you again. Not on my watch."

Minerva and I rode in the carriage back while Leif and Malachi rode on horseback. Thankfully, all our horses were unharmed and still at the tavern, so we were able to take them along. I wished Malachi could have ridden with me, but Minerva was relentless. She watched me like a hawk, reacting to every slight noise I made as if I were on the brink of collapse. I assured her repeatedly that I was fine, but her worry was unshakable.

As the carriage rattled along the uneven path, I finally coaxed Minerva into telling me what had happened to her and Leif. They were fine but had been tied up in a dark basement. At one point, they had nearly broken free of their ropes, but the men noticed and put them in chains instead.

Minerva's voice trembled as she recounted how helpless she felt, hearing my screams from upstairs and being unable to reach me. "I felt like a failure," she admitted, her eyes welling with tears. "I promised to protect you with my life, and I would die before letting someone hurt you again."

I reached out and squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her. "There was nothing you could have done. I'm okay now, and it wasn't your fault," I said softly. But her guilt was still evident in her eyes.

Gradually, after much persuasion, I managed to convince her that I was truly alright. Seeing her relax a bit, the tension in her shoulders easing, brought me some relief. We continued our journey, the rhythm of the carriage wheels and the gentle sway lulling us into a quieter, more reflective state.

Leif and Malachi rode close by, their presence a constant reminder of the safety we now had. Every now and then, I caught glimpses through the window of Malachi looking back at me, his concern evident, but he respected Minerva's fierce protectiveness. In those moments, a small smile would tug at my lips, grateful for the unwavering support surrounding me.

When we arrived at the castle, Malachi helped me out of the carriage. He leaned down to my ear and whispered, "Finally, we can talk." I couldn't agree more. There was so much we needed to discuss. As we began to walk inside the palace, I noticed the way everyone was looking at me. Their expressions were a mix of thankfulness and relief. I had never properly met most of these people, so I couldn't understand why they looked at me that way.

I shot a confused look at Malachi, and he wore a guilty expression. "I may not have been the easiest to deal with these past few months," he admitted, and everything made sense.

We finally made it to Malachi's wing after I managed to convince Minerva that I was safe, with Leif's help to gently steer her away. Once inside, we both released a sigh of relief, and he guided me to sit on the couch. Our eyes locked, intense and filled with unspoken words.

"Darling-" "Malachi-" we said at the same time, then both released a slight giggle. We were about to speak again when the door slammed open.

"Thank goodness you're okay! Do you know how worried I was?" I looked up to see Felicity, the maid who had served me when I was first held captive. She had become a good friend during my time here, and I had always regretted leaving her behind. I had hoped she was well. She rushed right past Malachi the Conqueror as if he were a mere kitten and hugged me tightly.

I giggled, genuinely surprised by her boldness in front of Malachi. "I missed you too, Felicity," I said, embracing her. She used to be so meek around intimidating men like Malachi, but now she seemed fearless.

Malachi raised an eyebrow, amused by the scene. "I see you've made quite an impression," he said, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Felicity pulled back slightly, still holding my hands. "You have no idea how much we all missed you. The castle wasn't the same without you," she said, her eyes brimming with emotion.

Suddenly, Felicity squeezed a little too tight, and I let out a slight sound of pain that immediately caught Malachi's attention.

"Okay, enough, Felicity. She's hurt," he said sternly.

Felicity quickly released me and stepped back, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking..."

Before I could reassure her, she was interrupted by someone at the door. It was Torin.

"I told you to give them some time," he said gently, moving to hold her by the waist. The sight surprised me but also filled me with joy. I knew it! I had always thought they would make a great couple, and the smile that spread across my face was uncontrollable. No wonder she was so unafraid of Malachi—she was with his best friend, who was just as intimidating.

"I know, I know, I just had to see her," Felicity said, her eyes still wide with concern.

Torin started to gently guide her out, offering a smirk in my direction. "Sorry," he said, clearly not meaning it in the slightest. He looked genuinely happy, and it made me happy to see them together.

Malachi shook his head, amused. "I've never seen Torin smile so frequently," he commented, watching as the couple left the room.

Once they were gone, Malachi turned his attention back to me, his expression softening. "Now, where were we?"

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the past few days starting to lift. "We were about to talk," I said, my voice steady.

"Yes," Malachi agreed, sitting beside me and taking my hand in his. "We have a lot to discuss."

I nodded, feeling a mix of emotions welling up inside me. "Thank you again for coming for me, Malachi. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't."

"I'll always come for you, Elara. Always," he replied, his voice filled with a quiet intensity that made my heart swell.

I got butterflies, but then the feeling of guilt crept in. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just left like that. I should have heard you out and tried to understand."

"No, no, no, Elara, you were right to leave. I was wrong. I did everything wrong, and I hurt you, which was the last thing I wanted."

I looked at him, wanting to say everything was okay, and he looked at me as if saying he was eternally sorry. I realized we could go back and forth like this forever. We needed to talk this all out, and we had been waiting to be alone so we could. But right now, I was with him, and I was alright, and that was enough. He opened his mouth again, and I could see another "I'm sorry" forming on his lips, and I just couldn't stand it. I grabbed his face, stopping him.

He looked shocked and stared right into my eyes. It was now or never. I didn't know what overcame me, but I leaned forward and kissed him. Realizing I had cut him off, I pulled back, suddenly self-conscious. But then, I felt his hands take hold of my face, pulling me back in for a long, passionate kiss. It was a kiss that held so much in it—all the longing of these past months.

Our lips moved together, erasing the distance that had been between us. All the misunderstandings, the pain, and the regret melted away in that moment. His hands were firm and warm, grounding me in the present, reminding me that we were here, together.

He pulled away, and I couldn't help myself but try to bring him back. I wasn't ready for this to end. His warmth, his touch, grounded me in a way I'd never felt before.

"Elara," he said softly, and I pecked his lips again, surprised at my own initiative. His breath hitched slightly, a small indication that he was affected too.

"Darling, wait," he murmured, his voice filled with a mix of amusement and seriousness.

I smiled and commented, "I think we've waited quite a while, Malachi." I saw the smirk playing on his lips, but he grabbed me by the cheeks, stopping me from kissing him again. My heart sank with disappointment. I had never thought of myself as a romantic, but being with him now, I just wanted to shower him with my affection. Why wouldn't he accept that?

"There is something that I really need to tell you. Something I should have told you when we first met," he said, standing up and facing me. His expression was grave, a stark contrast to the playful mood just moments ago. I looked at him, confused. What had he been hiding from me?

In that moment, he got on one knee. My heart jumped, and for a second, I thought he was about to propose. But then my world stopped as he held up a ring. Not just any ring. My mother's ring. The same ring I hadn't seen in years. The ring I gave to that little boy who made me feel like I mattered.