LOGINFrederick’s POVI woke before the sun had even risen, the room still wrapped in the quiet darkness of early morning. For a moment, I remained still, listening to the soft rhythm of Natalia’s breathing beside me. She had somehow managed to move closer during the night, leaving no space between us, and the sight of her sleeping so peacefully made it difficult to remember why I had been so determined to get out of bed in the first place.Then I remembered.I had things to attend to, conversations I needed to have, and matters in the kingdom that wouldn't resolve themselves. With a sigh I carefully I shifted beneath the covers, trying to ease myself away without disturbing her.I had barely made it halfway across the bed before an arm tightened around my waist.I stopped.Natalia’s eyes were still closed, but I guess she had noticed my attempt to leave. She pulled me back against her and hugged me tightly to herself."Where do you think you're going?" she mumbled groggily.I looked over
Olpheus’s POVEloise remained quiet for a while after my answer, her fingers tracing idle patterns over the back of my hand. I could tell she was thinking about something, so I remained silent until she said what was on her mind.Then she lifted her head."Is he still in prison?" she asked looking up at me with those beautiful eyes.I looked at her. "No."Her eyebrows rose. "He's not?""No, my love. My father is no longer in prison."She seemed to relax at once, and a small smile spread across her face. "Oh. Thank goodness."I couldn't help studying her, she seemed genuinely relieved."Thank you for telling me," she said, her smile widening.I brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "You don't have to thank me for answering a question.""I know, but I still want to.""Then I suppose I shall have to get used to it."She laughed softly, and I was about to tease her about her habit of thanking me for every little thing when something else came to mind.My smile faded slightly."Eloi
Olpheus’ POV"For trying to run away. For not telling you how I felt. For making decisions without giving you the chance to explain things to me." She continued.I brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face."You were frightened.""That doesn't make it right.""No, but it helps me understand." I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "And if we have to begin again, then we will. As many times as we need to."She closed her eyes briefly, leaning into my touch."I just don't want to hurt you again.""You cannot promise never to hurt me, Eloise. Neither can I promise never to hurt you. We're human, and we will make mistakes." I tilted her chin until she was looking at me again. "But we can promise to talk to each other. We can promise not to let fear make every decision for us."She remained quiet for a moment, seemingly considering my words.Then she whispered, "You make it sound so easy.""It isn't." I gave her a small smile. "But I intend to make it worth the effort."Something
Olpheus’s POVThe first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was that Eloise was still asleep in my arms.For a moment, I didn't move. I just lay there, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest beneath the covers, allowing myself to take in the sight of her without the usual distractions that seemed to follow us everywhere. There were no guards knocking on the door, no urgent reports demanding my attention, no court matters waiting to be settled. There was only the quiet morning, the warmth of our bed, and the woman who had somehow found her way back into my arms.My woman.The thought brought a smile to my face before I could stop it.I had spent so long convincing myself that I could live with the distance between us, that I could endure the uncertainty of loving someone who no longer remembered me. I had learned to accept her hesitation, her questions, and the way she looked at me sometimes, like she was trying to piece together a puzzle and the most important pieces had bee
Eloise’s POV“You shouldn't worry about that.”“How can I not worry about it?”“Eloise—”“No.” I shook my head, gripping the letter between my fingers. “I have to worry about it. If I don't, who will? You keep acting as though my safety is the only thing that matters, but what happens if they manage to use you against yourself? What happens if they trick you into making a decision that gives them exactly what they want?”My voice trembled towards the end, but I refused to look away.“I don't want you to lose everything because of me.”For a moment, Olpheus simply watched me.Then he let out a long breath, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.“You are just too good for me,” he murmured.I blinked.“What?”A faint smile touched his mouth.“You heard me.”I stared at him, caught between confusion and the sudden warmth spreading through my chest.“I am being serious!”“I know.” His smile softened. “That's precisely why I said it.”I looked down at the letter, uncertain what to do
Fredrick’s POVThe warmth of her body beside mine was comforting.It was nice to just lie in her arms without any worries. I wished every day could be like this…Everything was fine until I felt her arms wrap around me slowly.I wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but her hands slowly trailed their way across my body in a manner that was far from innocent.I caught her hand in mine before it could go any further, but when I looked in her eyes, there was a fire in them that burned to my very core.“Natalia,” I said, not realizing how breathless the words sounded. My body was responding to her already. I felt like a dog in heat.When it came to her, I couldn’t for the life of me find even a thread of self-control left.I didn’t know what I wanted to ask her, but I knew I needed her… and I needed her now.Maybe she read my mind because the very next second, I felt her straddle me, sitting right on top of the bulge that sat right between my legs.She looked right into my eyes as she gro







