MasukAlright, they did it 🤭 Did you enjoy this steamy chapter?
Lena’s POV I sat in the solar for a long time after Alistair left, the ghost of his touch still lingering on my skin. The memory of our encounter kept playing in the back of my mind. It felt like he was trying to leave a permanent mark on me, something to keep me anchored to him while he went out to battle. I finally stood up, smoothing my skirts and trying to shake the lingering daze from my head.The main hallway was quiet, the usual bustle replaced by a heavy, expectant tension. Helen was waiting for me near the arched doorway. She didn't say anything, but the way she adjusted my shawl told me she knew exactly what I had been doing. She led me back to the Consort wing, where a light meal was waiting.I picked at the food, my appetite gone. I kept thinking about what Alistair said regarding the Queen Mother. He looked so genuinely worried, and Alistair didn't worry about "mild weariness.""Helen," I said, setting down my fork. "I want to go to the Queen Mother’s chambers. Now."Hel
Alistair's POV The rhythm of the training yard was the only thing that calmed the storm in my head. I stayed until the torches burned down to stubs, my muscles screaming and my practice sword notched from a hundred clashes. When I finally retired to my chambers, sleep came quickly, though it was filled with the metallic scent of blood and the sound of charging horses.I awoke in the early afternoon and sought out Lena. She was in the solar, looking through some administrative scrolls. She looked up and smiled, but my expression remained somber."My mother is failing, Lena," I said, sitting across from her. "The physicians claim it is a weariness of the spirit, but I fear it is more. Now that the transition is complete, she seems... ready to let go."Lena’s face softened with concern. "I’ll go to her right after this. I’ll bring some of those herbal teas she likes. Maybe she just needs some company.""I would appreciate that," I replied. I pulled a map of the High Citadel between us.
Alistair's POV The morning light filtered through the heavy silk curtains in thin, golden needles. I remained still, watching the slow, even rise and fall of Lena’s shoulders. The memory of the night—the heat of her skin, the way she had looked at me with such absolute surrender—was still fresh in my mind. I felt a peace I hadn't known in three hundred years.Lena stirred, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks before her eyes opened. When she saw me watching her, a deep crimson flush spread from her neck to her forehead. She immediately tried to pull the furs over her head, hiding her bare shoulders."Good morning, my Queen," I teased, reaching out to tug the covers back down. "There is no need to hide. I have seen everything there is to see, and I find it all quite remarkable.""Alistair, stop," she muttered, her voice thick with sleep. She was so shy for a woman who had been so bold only hours before. "It’s too early for you to be this... you."I chuckled and leaned over, pressi
Lena’s POV Alistair stepped closer, his shadow stretching long across the cream-colored silks of the bed. He reached out and slowly unpinned the heavy ruby collar from my neck, setting it on the table with a soft clink. Then, his fingers moved to the gold crown on my head. He lifted it gently, setting it aside, and ran his hand through my hair, undoing the pins that held my loops in place."You look far better without the weight of all that on your shoulders, Val'thira," he whispered, his breath warm on my skin."I feel lighter," I admitted, my voice a bit shaky. "But you... you’re still covered in the mud.""Then help me," he said, his eyes locking onto mine, dark with want.I reached out, my fingers trembling as I undid the buckles of his mud-stained leather spaulders. I pulled the heavy pieces away, letting them thud onto the floor. Next came the light battle-tunic, which was damp and smelled of rain and iron. As I pulled it over his head, I saw the expanse of his chest. It was br
Lena’s POV The moment the Great Hall doors slammed shut behind Alistair, the air in the room seemed to thin. The celebratory music had stopped, replaced by the panicked murmurs of nobles and the clattering of plates. I looked down at my hands. I was wearing a crown that felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, but there was no time to be a porcelain queen."Axel!" I called out, my voice cutting through the noise.He was at my side in an instant, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "My Queen. We must move you to the inner sanctum.""No," I said, standing tall. "If the Drakos bypassed the Iron Gate, they might have sent small scouting parties ahead to infiltrate the city while everyone was distracted by the coronation. We need to lock down the palace, but we can't just hide."I looked at the layout of the palace in my mind. "Axel, the servants' tunnels. They connect the kitchens to the outer walls. If scouts get in, they’ll use those. Block the southern entrances with iron bars and statio
Alistair's POV The Great Hall was a sea of faces, but my focus was entirely on the woman walking beside me. Lena’s hand was small in mine, yet her grip was steady. She wore the crimson velvet like she had been born to it, though I knew the weight of the rubies around her neck was taxing her strength. It looked like it was getting on her nerves too, I chuckled internally. We reached the dais. The High Priest stood between the two empty thrones, holding the Ancient Crown of Valerius which was a heavy circle of black iron and raw diamonds. To his left sat the Queen’s Crown, a more delicate gold piece set with blood-red rubies."Alistair Valerius," the Priest intoned, his voice echoing off the high rafters. "Do you swear to protect the blood and the soil of the Nocturne Territories until your last breath?""I so swear," I replied, my voice resonating with the authority of my ancestors.He placed the iron crown upon my head. It was cold and heavy, a physical reminder of the burden I now







