He stood and followed Elissa out the door. “Well, that was… interesting. Your brother seems to enjoy playing with fire.” “If he ever finds a girl,” she sighed. “I shudder to think what sort of hellcat she will be.” Elissa laced her fingers in his. “It’s actually a little surprising he hasn’t ever found anyone who he even fancied enough to take to bed.” Her brother was a rather private person despite his penchant for exposing others’ secrets. However, she felt sure she’d know if he had actually had his way with someone. “I don’t think he’s quite romantic enough to be waiting for the one, or whoever mom deems is going to be the one.” She shrugged, looking at him as they exited the castle and walked into the gardens. There was an archway covered in Ivy that marked the entrance and boxwood hedges making walls around it

“Not yet, at least,” he replied. “I hope that someday it’ll be safe. The desert… has its own beauty, and my people… well, when we’re not being murderous barbarians or treating women like chattel, we’re inventive and resilient.” He scooted a little closer against her side. “But if we can secure peace, then I’m optimistic. I would at least like to take you to see the badlands. It’s an old mountain range, I think, that was stripped of life by the desert sun, leaving only bare, wind-carved stone behind.” “That sounds kind of... pretty…” she admitted, sounding surprised. “I mean, hot and harsh but...pretty…” she nuzzled her face into his neck, kissing it gently. “Come back soon, but more importantly, come back safe.” She nipped a little harder at his neck. “I don’t want to have some sort of long-lost love backstory. It makes me too romantic and desirable, and I have to marry someone, eventually. Otherwise, my siblings aren’t allowed to. So I really don’t want to have more emotions and fe

She felt the first few streams of light bleeding through the window and stretched, still in his arms. The last thing she wanted was for it to be morning. She wanted to close the curtains and pretend it was still midnight, but it wasn’t. They’d slept peacefully, and now dawn had come. She wanted to cry again, but instead, she stared into his sleeping face, cupping it in her hand, and gently kissed his lips. “Good morning, love…” she whispered as she tucked a stray hair behind his ear. He groaned and squirmed and stretched before his arms rammed into her. His eyes flew open for a moment, but he stopped short as he realized what had happened. He smiled and relaxed back into the bed. “Hey beautiful,” he replied softly. He slid his arms around her again and hugged her warmly. “Did you sleep well?” He was still enjoying the fuzzy feelings of just waking up, and he really didn’t want to