"You're leaving?"

Alera was unable to take the surprise out of her tone. Not when she needed Jere now more than anything. He was going to leave her alone to endure this by herself?

She saw him startle, so he hadn't heard her approach. Perhaps for the best, when he turned around and stared at her. Only then did she remember what she was wearing and how ridiculous her hair must have looked. But he didn't seem to notice any of that—his gaze was solely on hers.

"Alera."

And there was something in that stare that threatened to take her breath away. She even forgot what she was wearing—all of her attention was on Jere.

"You weren't even going to say goodbye." Not a question. She inspected the horse—the same horse she had worked with yesterday. She saw the saddle bags tied to the saddle—this was not just a short trip through the forest he was planning. Jere was planning on leaving. On leaving her...

She watched him, waited for him to say something, anything, but he just stared at her as if he wasn't prepared for her to be there, or stop him, and that made her feel even worse.

She felt the tears threaten to fall, but she had held it together so much already that day. What was one more disappointment? She just wasn't expecting it to be Jere. She shrugged her stiff shoulders, barely certain he would have been able to see it beneath the conglomeration of her dress, and she clenched her jaw. "Well, I don't blame you. I'd leave if I could too. I just... wish you all the best."

She could barely get the words out, but clenched her fists at her sides to maintain her composure as she turned on her heel and steadied herself to walk back towards the castle, the fate, the rest of her life—

Until she was stopped. By a pair of strong arms wrapping around her waist and she felt breath on the back of her bare neck.

"I could never leave you, Alera," Jere breathed against her skin "Even if my own life depended on it, I would remain by your side until the end of days, and even then the gods or whoever is watching over us would need to rip my soul away from this realm to keep me away from you."

"I would never ask that of you," she breathed as she turned around to face him. He still had his arms wrapped around her. She braced her hands against his strong chest because she didn't know where else to put them while she focused on what he was saying to her.

"And you don't have to. You don't have to ask anything of me, Alera. Ever. Everything I do, I do willingly, with all of my heart and soul. All for you."

"But... why?" Her heart thudded in her chest. A part of her knew the answer—has always known. But she needed to hear it from him. As if hearing the words made it real and there would be no coming back from it.

He cupped her face with his hands as if that was reason enough, but his gaze was intense as it met her eyes.

"Because I love you, Alera. I have for so long and I was so scared of telling, but now I have to. I have to let you know that it's now or never for us. I am ready to take you away from here—something I should have done so long ago. But I'm prepared to fight for you. To save you from the cruel fate your father and this kingdom have thrown at you. Because I love you. I love you..."

"Jere..." Alera was beyond words. She was numb, but not because of anything he had said affecting her in any negative way. She was elated that he felt the same way she had after all this time. That he said it first... she just didn't know how to respond. But she could no longer deny her heart. She had to tell him how she felt—that she felt the same way he did toward her. But the words were not coming. How could she put into words how much he meant to her?

She could tell by the look on his face, the longer the silence was drawn out. "Alera, I'm sorry. You don't have to feel the same way. I just needed to tell you, to let you know that there were options, and I was ready and willing—"

Alera didn't let any additional words come out of his mouth, not when she pressed her lips against his in the most brazen and forward response she could think of—she kissed him hard as she gripped the front of his shirt. She didn't think about her own inexperience, she just wanted to taste him.

And he was more than happy to oblige as his arms wrapped around her and he held her close against his warm body as he returned that kiss tenfold. Like years of suppressed emotions were going to be made up in that kiss. By both of them. But she needed to breathe, and that was the only reason she broke away from his lips. But she didn't go far. She leaned her head against his, unable to help but smile.

"I have wanted to do that for so long," she admitted, looking up at him.

His look was incredulous. "Why didn't you?"

Her hands roamed over his shirt, feeling that strong chest beneath. Wanting to run her hands over his skin there, too. Being this close to him was intoxicating... "Because I was afraid of doing something wrong. Of losing you. What we had."

Jere shook his head before she could finish. "There is nothing you could do that could have done anything wrong, Alera."

"But who I am... what I am..."

"None of that has ever mattered to me." He cupped her face between his hands. "I have always loved you for you. Not your title. Not your bloodline. You."

"Unfortunately, that might not be enough at this time."

Both Alera and Jere spun out of each other's arms towards the voice behind them. Jere's father, Palo, was standing in the doorway leading in towards the stable, but they were so stupid. If anyone else had seen them, it would have been death for Jere, or worse.

"Please don't tell them," Alera started begging by instinct and habit. "Or if you must, please keep Jere out of it. This was my fault, my doing, I kissed him, I—"

"I know whose fault it is, Princess," Palo said as he pushed off the door and walked towards them, towards the other side of the horse. "And I know because the two of you refuse to keep your hands off of each other, Jere's life, and quite possibly my own, are now in danger."

"Please, name your price and I will pay it." The words fell from her before she realized what she was saying. "Let Jere go and I will remain. I will cover for him, anything please..."

"I am not here to bargain with you, Princess. I am here to buy you both some time."

"What?" Her surprise was evident, but Jere was already moving back to the horse before she could question his father's sincerity.

"I'll do what I can to get you two out of the castle walls, and to safety beyond. If what you both say is true, and this Prince Nicholas is as cruel as he may intend to be, I will have nothing left to lose myself and will also need to flee. I will not stand by and allow my son or you, Princess, to be hunted. So I must go as well."

It was a lot to ask, Alera knew. And even more to sacrifice. But Palo was an honorable man, regardless. If he was willing to risk it all for her sake, then she knew what she suspected about the arrangement with Nicholas to be correct and they needed to escape.

"The sooner we can leave, the better," Jere was saying as he finished tightening the straps on the saddle bags. "They remain distracted by the Abignor entourage to notice us missing until we're beyond the realm and well into safety.

Jere wasn't , but it was all happening so fast. They both looked at her expectantly, like she needed to make a decision then and there. Which she knew she did, but there was no way she would be able to leave, not dressed as she was.

"I will need to pack," she told them. "Just a few items. Once I can't leave behind."

Jere looked her over. "Your mother's necklace."

She nodded.

"You have no time for sentiments, Princess," Palo urged, but Jere but him off.

"For this, we do." Because he knew what it meant to her, that it was the last part of her she possessed, and it could never be replaced.

The look she gave him was grateful and loving. And she nodded. "It would be best to travel under the cover of darkness, anyway." How many times had she considered doing just this as she looked out her window at night? The coward that she was, she never moved forward with it. But now... now, with Jere at her side, she knew anything would be possible.

"I still don't think this is a good idea, Princess—"

"It'll be fine," Jere assured his father and looked back at her. "We'll meet back here. Tonight. At the moon's rising."

She nodded and walked around the horse, petting his snout gently before approaching Jere. "Thank you," she said, giving him a quick but meaningful kiss. She heard his father clear his throat, and they both smiled.

She walked back to Palo and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you to you too."

He seemed caught off guard by her affection, but returned the hug briefly. "Make haste princess, and may the gods be watching over you."

She didn't want to correct him that there were never any gods watching over her, but Jere's father was the voice of reason and caution, louder than her own fears in all of these plans. So she gave him a small smile and nodded as she picked up her dress and hurried back to the castle.