"Well, I asked Doria where could I find you and she took me to the clearing." Prince shrugged resting his head over my shoulder, his hands were firm on the reins of our brown pegasus though.

It was his response when I asked mid-flight how he knew to find me that time in the clearing.

"I knew it! She eavesdropped on us. By the way, why were you looking for me?"

"I felt your shock and erratic breathing," his drawl was tired and sleepy, must be an effect of early rising.

The cruel words once again surfaced through my mind and I looked around to distract myself from the scratching pain.

There was a long stretch of reddish brown land and occasional dry canals beneath us. The sky here was a murky gray even though it was close to noon.

This was the infamous No Man's Land. A place where exiled of all kinds, from all around the realm, dwelled. A sorry hell for those who survived the merciless lands and vile predators lurking behind each crevice of stones.

I spotted a patch of leafless gnarled, mold-infested brown trees on my left and had an eery sensation of eyes watching us from within their dark depths.

I suppressed a shudder and focused on the flapping pair of wings behind us. Our guards were well within our reach should anything happen. And my husband right behind me. I had nothing to worry.

"You have nothing to worry," Prince mumbled against my throat, eliciting a shiver of a different kind.

"You said you can't read minds?" I whispered, trying my best not to remember the feel of his lips, his delicious weight upon me on our bed last night.

"I can't. But I do sense the soft hum of your heart." He nuzzled further into the hollow of my throat and I was acutely aware of the guards flying right behind us.

"Hearts hum?" I asked, a feeble attempt to steer the conversation to safer side.

He hummed in a deep throaty voice and my whole body warmed despite the chilly wind.

I gulped. "You should sleep. It seems like a long ride."

"Three days," he held the reins in one hand and pulled me flush against his chest, earning a gasp from me. "You're right. I should sleep. Help me."

"H-How-"

He shushed. "I'm sleeping," he said, trailing his hand through the curves of my waist and his mouth over the column of my throat.

This was pure torture, the way my whole body was aflame with unspeakable want and I had to stifle my moans to preserve my dignity in public and look at this cruel man. Enjoying thoroughly teasing me with no regard whatsoever.

"You call this sleeping?" I managed to utter through my breathless reverie, "I call this cheating."

"Cheating," He mumbled against my jawline, now tracing the top of my upper thigh. "How?"

"Sleeping doesn't require moving like this," my voice wobbled in an attempt to control my breathing.

"Moving how?" the infuriating man asked, now nibbling on my earlobe.

A hot coil of pleasure burned through my core while the cool air dried off my sun-slicked sweat on my skin. Suddenly, the flowy fabric of my tunic felt too clingy as I threw my head back.

"Esme..."

That name. That damned name on his sinful lips seemed to break something within me and I snapped in half.

"Like this." I pulled his head down with both hands and kissed him with a firm mouth, relishing the way he responded with equally intense fervor.

Consequences and public place be damned!

***

We reached Ravendale exactly three days later. Another few hours before the imposing, seven-story, gray beast of a palace graced us.

Towers and black turret roofs in more numbers than I could count surrounded the humongous main structure that stood erect proudly like a king.

Vines of ivy curled around the tall, narrow windows, long balconies, and square balustrade borders of the central roof.

We landed right over the stone roof. Guards stationed around the balustrade, bowed the instant they spotted their prince and rushed to open the chained iron gate attached to a tower on our right.

The heavy gate groaned and lifted up as Prince jumped down from our pegasus and helped me find my footing on the ground afterward.

"Welcome home, Your Highness." He smiled, offering his arm.

It was a calculated step that I recognized as a way to introduce me to the common folk of the palace as his equal.

I was not a stranger to the Beverdon family any longer. I was a part of it.

My insides wobbled at the impending meeting with the king. But my coven had taught me anything as the Coven Daughter, courage or feigning it well was the key.

So I smiled back, raised my chin, and took his arm. "Thank you, Your Highness. Please, lead the way."

And so, we ventured inside the maze that was my permanent residence from now.

The palace was indeed a heady maze of hallways and balconies and stairs and hallways. By the third turn, I forgot which direction we had even come from, my head swirled with so many identical wide gray hallways, high ceilings, and marbled floors with intricate floral patterns. The only indication of direction was the flickers of dying sunlight coming from the windows and occasional balconies we passed through.

Some time around we spotted a noble passing through a hallway adjacent to us and Prince stopped to ask where his father was. And so, we were headed to some second-floor study chamber.

I had yet to see a servant around, though. It was strange that there were guards present but no household staff. How did they manage things here?

"Where are the servants?" I asked.

"They use separate route to navigate around. We can't see them."

"Why?" I looked up.

He shrugged. "It's a rule of sort, I believe. Generations old. A silly one if you ask me."

"Do they carry contagious disease?" I couldn't help the bite out of my voice.

This was silly, indeed.

"Don't ask me. Ask my father. He's the one set to not brush his hands with lower class on his way around the palace."

"That's-"

"Pompous? Preposterous? Stupidly royal? I know."

"I was going to say outrageous. But you beat me."

"It's the reason I don't mingle with the higher-ups in the court unless absolutely necessary. I prefer books over company. Books aren't presumptuous like people."

"Then why are you set on being the king? I'm no expert but I know kings mingle a lot. I've seen Baba do that back in coven."

"Thought I already relayed my reasons?" There was a flicker of humor in his carefully restrained voice.

"You did but it's also clearly something you despise."

"My dear, sweet, inquisitive wife, I'd love to indulge in you with all my well-guarded secrets, but it seems we have to wait."

"Why?"

He pointed his chin forward.

A tall, wooden double door loomed before us.

"We've arrived."