Zayn exhaled in relief.
’Finally.’
The servants arranged everything quickly, and soon enough, Zayn stood outside, staring at the open carriage door like it was the gates to freedom.
The Duke patted his shoulder. "Rember, lad. Treat my daughter well."
Zayn stiffened. "Uh — "
Celestia suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "You better visit soti!"
Zayn awkwardly patted her back. "Sure. Yeah. Totally."
And then — it happened.
Celestia pulled back slightly... and then leaned in, her lips eting his.
Zayn froze.
’Wait. WAIT. What the hell—?!’
This wasn’t just a peck.
Oh no.
She tilted her head, deepening the kiss, and then —
’Did this flat chick just use TONGUE?!’
Zayn’s mind short-circuited.
Under normal circumstances he would reciprocate this but then again... her father was watching.
Back to the kiss though...
It was warm. It was soft. And it was definitely not what he signed up for.
Celestia, however, seed to be enjoying herself, pressing closer, her fingers curling into his jacket.
The maids watching nearby gasped.
One even fainted.
Zayn, still paralyzed from shock, had his brain going a million miles per second.
A deep, nacing throat-clearing grunt snapped him out of it.
Suddenly — his entire body was yanked back.
The Duke had grabbed both of them by the collars and pried them apart like misbehaving children.
"That’s ENOUGH," he growled, literally lifting them both off the ground.
Zayn coughed. "Y-Yeah, totally. That was — uh — accidental."
Celestia licked her lips. "I wasn’t done."
The Duke shot her a glare. "You are now."
She huffed. "Father, I’m grown — "
"You’re grounded."
Celestia gasped. "You can’t ground , I’m an adult!"
The Duke crossed his arms. "Try ."
Zayn took this mont to slowly step toward the carriage. "Welp. It’s been fun. Goodbye forever."
Celestia whipped around. "I will find you."
She tucked the two gold coins into his pockets during her kiss, he could feel them.
The only thing he was grateful about through this whole shenanigans.
Zayn imdiately slamd the carriage door shut.
The driver — who had been staring wide-eyed at the entire scene — whipped the horses into motion, and they sped off down the road.
...
It had taken hours — long, exhausting hours but at last, Timberstead’s familiar wooden walls and lantern-lit streets ca into view.
Zayn exhaled, leaning back in the carriage seat. Finally.
The journey had been surprisingly uneventful.
Normally, traveling at night was just asking to get jumped by bandits, but apparently, their driver was a walking death flag for any would-be attackers.
The man had barely spoken a word the entire trip, but Zayn had seen the glint in his eyes, the subtle way his muscles shifted whenever he reined in the horses.
This was no ordinary driver — he was dangerous.
Which was great.
It ant Zayn could nap in peace without worrying about getting stabbed in his sleep.
As they pulled into Timberstead’s gates, Zayn stretched, grabbed his belongings, and hopped out.
He turned to the driver, giving a small nod. "Thanks for the ride."
The man grunted, tipping his hat before flicking the reins and riding off into the darkness.
Zayn rolled his shoulders, feeling the weight of his gear settle comfortably on his back.
He was carrying three swords now — the "noble" sword, which looked nice but wasn’t really practical; his original sword, sturdy and reliable; and the Soul Water Blade, a weapon he definitely needed to figure out how to use properly.
His stomach growled.
’Yeah, food first. Then sleep. Then sword experints.’
With that in mind, he made his way through the familiar streets, past taverns filled with rowdy laughter and the occasional drunk being thrown out onto the dirt.
He finally reached the inn where his party stayed, the warm glow of lanterns spilling onto the wooden porch.
Zayn, being a civilized human, knocked.
A few seconds passed.
Then, the door swung open — revealing Bran, who looked like he was just heading out.
The tall, muscular warrior blinked at him.
Then grinned. "ZAYN, YOU BASTARD!"
Before Zayn could react, Bran grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him like a ragdoll.
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!"
Zayn swayed on his feet, dizzy. "Stop shaking !"
Bran finally released him, laughing. "Man, you just disappeared! We thought you got eaten or sothing!"
Zayn straightened his jacket, huffing. "I was on a job."
Bran waggled his eyebrows. "Yeah the GUILD Master told us, said it was sothing pretty important."
Zayn pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course it was."
Bran smirked. "Really? Well co in though."
Zayn stepped inside the inn with a sigh of relief, finally back ho after what felt like an eternity of traveling, political drama, and dealing with way too many noble families.
"Sit down, man. Food’s already on its way." Bran grinned, his broad shoulders heaving as he slid into the chair across from him.
Zayn took a seat, not questioning how the food had already appeared, Elisse probably made it.
"So, how’s the town?" Zayn asked, grabbing the bowl of stew placed in front of him.
The rich aroma of beef, vegetables, and spices filled his nostrils as he dug in.
It tasted as good as it slled.
Bran stretched his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Not bad. We’ve pitched in a bit for the rebuilding. You know, trying to help the town get back on its feet after the ss. Elisse and Kara have been working hard, though. They’re all worried about you."
Zayn felt a little guilty hearing that.
He hadn’t realized his absence had been so noticeable.
"I’m sorry, I didn’t an to leave you guys hanging like that. But hey, the mission’s done, and the noble families can deal with their own sses for now."
Bran waved off his apology with a lazy flick of his hand. "No need to apologize. You were doing important work, and we know it wasn’t easy."
He looked around the room for a second, as if making sure no one else could hear. "But let’s be real... Elisse was really worried. She’s been up at all hours asking if anyone’s seen you."
Zayn felt a pang of warmth in his chest.
"I’ll check in with her soon."
Bran nodded, then leaned forward with an eager grin. "Speaking of checking in — how about you check in with ? I’ve been dying to take a little break after all the work around here."
Zayn raised an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting?"
"Red Light District," Bran said.
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