When Ludwig reached his chamber, he found that Penny was sleeping. Her necklace was glowing brilliantly. There were soft white, shadowy tendrils of magic emanating from it, kissed her skin as if they were dying to merge in her. He watched her in awe as he stood on the side of her bed. Though the magic of the necklace was working, he didn’t know what kind of an immortal would she turn into? He walked to the bar, poured a glass of whiskey for himself and then walked out to the balcony. He gaze traveled to the cottage where she had lived for a few days when she had just come to his kingdom. He took a sip from his glass and swirled the alcohol on his tongue to savor the taste. He felt so much better and anchored now that the girl was with him, now that he had claimed her, and now that he had marked her. The heaviness and loneliness that he always felt in his heart filled with… warmth. He decided that no one would ever live in that cottage.&nb
