Free Web NovelChapter 21: Chapter 21: The Midnight Contract
Ryophlira POV
By the time I finally returned from my etiquette class, my body felt completely hollowed out. I was still trapped in the gown Mother had insisted on an cascading masterpiece of iridescence, spun from layers of lavender, pink, and gold chiffon that pooled around my ankles like an enchanted mist. My hair hung down loose, cascading over my shoulders, and my feet throbbed against the crystalline, glass-like heels with their intricate gold filigree and translucent butterfly wings.
Ari had slipped out to retrieve my dinner tray, leaving me to drown in the suffocating quiet of my own room. Needing to breathe, I open the doors to my balcony, stepping out into the cool evening air to escape the weight of the coming days.
But the peace didn’t last.
As I looked past the wall, movement caught my eye. Shadows dark, fluid, and terrifyingly fast were racing directly toward the palace. Within seconds, the alarm crystals across the courtyard flared to life. Piercing sirens cut through the night air, and a sea of royal guards rushed out weapons drawn.
I rolled my eyes, a bitter sigh escaping my lips. "Why of all nights?"
Assuming it was just another frantic security drill or a false alarm triggered by my brother’s paranoia, I turned to walk back into my bedroom.
I froze.
Standing right at the entrance of the balcony to my room, completely undisturbed by the chaos outside, was a towering silhouette. In the dim light, my instincts took over before my brain could process. Acting on pure, adrenaline-fueled survival training, I channeled a burst of raw momentum and punched him square in the chest with full force.
He reacted instantly, throwing up his hand to block the strike. The sheer, explosive impact echoed through the room. Even though he caught the blow, the momentum sent him flying backward across the polished floorboards. His heavy boots skidded through the dark, only stopping inches before he crashed into the far wall.
"Damn... you really have been holding back," a low voice rumbled.
Shaking out his wrist and rubbing his hand to dull the ache of the blow. The second the familiar, arrogant cadence hit my ears, I realized exactly who it was. I looked up, locking eyes with his face.
Yue-Senn.
Panic flared. I bolted inside, quickly shutting the balcony doors and pulling the heavy curtains tight to block out the flashing alarm lights outside. When I turned back around, his eyes were glowing in the shadows, a wicked, infuriating smirk plastered across his face.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded, my voice a sharp whisper as I marched toward him. "You haven’t reached out in days!"
Before he could answer, a subtle shift in the air pressure told me everything I needed to know. I sensed two more distinct presences hiding just beyond the curtains on the balcony. Acting in one fluid, rapid motion, I stepped out of my butterfly heels, threw my hair up into a tight, practical topknot, and braced myself to rip the balcony doors back open to face the threat.
Yue-Senn moved like a shadow, instantly closing the distance between us. He placed a heavy, warm hand on my shoulder, his grip grounding me. "Relax. They are with me." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
The curtain nudged aside, and the balcony door clicked open. An older gentleman looked to be in this early sixty, barely 5’5" with a crown of muted blonde hair and sharp, assessing grey eyes, stepped into the room wearing the structured robes of a high priest. Right behind him strode a towering man 6’2"dressed in an immaculate, stiff servant’s suit. He looked to be in his late twenties, with neatly parted dark brown hair and observant hazel eyes.
They stepped silently onto the rug, adjusting their clothing as if sneaking into a secure royal wing was a casual evening stroll.
The door to my room swung open, and Ari returned, carefully balancing the heavy tray of food. The moment her eyes fell upon the three uninvited men standing in my bedroom, the atmosphere turned lethal. With practiced ease, she gently placed the tray on the nearest table, her hand instantly diving beneath the slit of her skirt to pull a gleaming, knife from her thigh holster.
"I advise you all to step back from the princess," Ari said, her voice dropping into a polite, chillingly sweet register while maintaining a flawless, serene smile. Her light blue eyes, glowing with the dangerous murderous intent. "Or I will kill you all."
"It’s okay, Ari," I said quickly.
Ari’s gaze darted to me. Seeing my nod, she smoothly slid the knife back into her thigh holster, her posture remaining rigid. She marched straight past me, slapped Yue-Senn’s heavy hand off my shoulder with a sharp crack, and physically pulled me back several inches, planting herself like a wall of iron in front of me.
Yue-Senn merely chuckled, holding his hands up in a mocking gesture of surrender, his smirk widening. "Easy there. I am not here to harm the princess. After all she is my future wife."
"Why are you here?" I asked again, ignoring his teasing. The confusion was making my head spin. He had gone completely dark, leaving me to drown in my own doubts, and now he was standing in my room like a thief in the night. "I need answers."
I gently nudged Ari aside, I walked over to him, to look him dead in the eye. His men remained perfectly still by the balcony doors, watching the exchange like statues.
"I know my father can be a bit much," I continued, crossing my arms over the of my chest. "But you literally went completely no contact for days. And now you’re just showing up uninvited"
Yue-Senn didn’t answer right away. He reached out his hand, his long, fingers moving toward my face. I flinched slightly, my breath hitching as his thumb lightly brushed the curve of my cheek. His gaze trailed downward, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the bare skin of my neck.
"I see the mark is gone," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave into something dangerously dark. "We will have to fix that."
I slapped his hand away, glaring at him. "Answer me!"
"I had things to take care of," he said, stepping closer, his imposing frame casting a long shadow over me. "I do fear your father’s wrath, princess, but I am no coward, and I certainly never back down from what I want. I saw you training from the trees. But I also saw that your perfect little kingdom has a rat."
My heart dropped. "So it was indeed you. I knew it. What rat are you talking about?"
"You have a maid who is a spy for the South," he stated bluntly. "I went no-contact because I had to ride back to the North immediately to ensure my people were secure, and to make sure that you will be safe the moment you cross my border."
"We need to inform my father of this immediately," I said, turning toward the door.
"Don’t worry, I already took care of it," he countered smoothly.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. "Great. So now you can leave."
"We are getting married today, darling," Yue-Senn said, his voice entirely too casual for the bomb he had just dropped. He gestured to the short blonde man behind him. "The priest is ready."
A heavy, awkward silence descended upon the bedroom.
Ari, Ki-ri, and the elderly priest all stood perfectly still, suddenly looking like they wished the floorboards would swallow them whole. It was obvious that Yue-Senn and I had completely forgotten they were even in the room. Ari glanced over at Ki-ri, raising an eyebrow in silent, unimpressed judgment of his master’s chaotic methods. Ki-ri shifted his weight, adjusting the cuffs of his servant suit, and gave the priest a helpless, weary look that clearly communicated: Yes, he is always like this. The priest just clutched his holy book tighter, his grey eyes darting between Yue-Senn and me like he was waiting for an explosion.
"What is the rush all of a sudden?" I stammered, my mind racing. "We already moved the wedding date up once!"
"Well, because we are madly in love and simply couldn’t wait," Yue-Senn said, the mockery in his eyes flashing brilliantly. "After all, since we already had sex that night at the spring inn...why not, when you could possibly carrying my child"
"We did what?!" My voice cracked, my face exploding into a furious, burning red. "I really think you need to get your head checked!"
Panicking, I whipped my head around to face the three spectators who were watching us like a theatrical play. "We didn’t! I swear to gods we didn’t! I am not carrying his child!"
Ari couldn’t contain it anymore, a small, muffled giggle escaped her lips, though she quickly masked it behind her hand. The elderly priest offered a deeply uncomfortable, shy smile, clearing his throat awkwardly, while Ki-ri just let out a loud, deliberate cough to break the tension.
Yue-Senn stepped into my space, his eyes locking onto mine with total gravity. "They can’t stop a wedding if we are already married, Ryophlira. Plus, if they sees just how deeply in love we are, who can stop it?"
"So this is your big plan?" I whispered, looking up at him in disbelief. "To fake being in love?"
"It’s a small part of a bigger picture," he murmured.
Before I could protest, his large hand shot out, catching me firmly by the waist and pulling my body flush against his chest. He raised his free hand, waving it sharply toward the priest. "Start the rites."
The priest scrambled forward, his voice trembling slightly as he began reciting the vows. I tried to pull back, but Yue-Senn’s grip was absolute, holding me tightly against him as the words washed over us. Ki-ri stepped forward, holding out a cloth. Resting upon it was a breathtaking ring an intricate, twisted gold band shaped like delicate leaves, cradling a massive, glowing emerald shaped like a crescent moon, paired with a matching golden band etched with matching foliage.
Yue-Senn took the ring, sliding it onto my finger.
"It is done," the priest whispered, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. "You may kiss the bride."
I glared up at the prince, my chest against his. "Kiss me, and I will knock your teeth out."
Yue-Senn smiled down at me, a low, dangerous sound vibrating in his throat. "Don’t worry, princess. It’s not something I would ever dream of doing."
He held my hand tightly, but with his other hand, he slid it up my back, his palm pressing firmly between my shoulder blades to tilt my upper body back into his space. "But this... this I have to do."
The threat of violence died in my throat. I didn’t push him away. He lowered his head, his face inches from mine, his glowing eyes searching mine with an intensity that made the air in my lungs turn to liquid fire. The tension between us was thick and heavy. He let go of my hand, using his fingers to cup my chin, gently lifting it and tilting my head to expose the length of my neck.
Every logical part of my brain screamed at me to refuse, to fight, to tear myself out of his arms. But my body betrayed me. Deep down, a shameful, desperate ache had been dying for his touch ever since that night under the duvet.
He lowered his lips, placing a soft, deceptively gentle kiss on my neck. I let out a sharp gasp, but the gentleness vanished as his teeth grazed my skin. He sucked and bit down hard, marking me.
A weak, breathy moan escaped my lips, and my hands instinctively flew up, fingers curling tightly into the fabric of his shoulders just to keep myself upright.
In the background, the rustle of fabric echoed as Ari, Ki-ri, and the priest all swiftly turned their backs to us, respecting the sudden, intense privacy of the moment.
Yue-Senn didn’t stop. He dragged his lips down my neck pressing another burning kiss to my collarbone sucking and marking me. Then down to my bare shoulder where the chiffon had slipped. The room felt incredibly hot. My knees felt entirely weak.
He slowly pulled back, his breath hot against my face as he stared down at my flushed face and blown-out pupils.
"I want to devour you," his voice thick with raw, unchecked hunger.
I opened my mouth to speak, to yell at him, to say anything to regain control, but the words completely failed me. My heart was hammering against my ribs like a caged bird. In a moment of pure, unthinking impulse, I reached up on mt tippy toes, cupped his rugged face in my hands, and pulled him down.
I kissed him.
It was sudden, soft, and completely unexpected, a shy, desperate taste of his lips. It was my very first kiss.
Before he could react, the reality of what I had just done crashed through my foggy brain. Shocked by my own audacity, I shoved his chest with all the strength I had left, breaking his grip and taking a massive, panicked step back.
"Don’t... don’t say anything," I stammered, my face burning so hot. "I have to go."
Confused, overwhelmed, and completely terrified of the swirling emotions suffocating my chest, I turned sprinted across the rug, and bolted straight out the doors of the room.
I ran down the dimly lit corridor as fast as my bare feet could carry me, my mind a chaotic of panic and longing completely forgetting, in my blind escape, that it was my own bedroom I had just fled.
