’How utterly infuriating,’ I thought as I gazed down at the unconscious face resting in my lap.
Arthur Nightingale—the man who had vanished for over a week on so mysterious guild mission, completely unreachable despite my increasingly frantic attempts to contact him. And when he finally reappeared, it was with Reika in tow and an eight-year-old girl nad Luna who had imdiately proclaid herself his daughter with the kind of absolute certainty that only children possessed.
I’d briefly wondered if they had sohow managed to produce a child during their week-long absence, but even Arthur wasn’t capable of such biological impossibilities. An eight-year-old girl required considerably more ti to develop, after all.
Regardless, my questions would have to remain unanswered since Arthur was currently unconscious.
Again.
’Can this man win a single fight without collapsing afterward?’ I wondered with exasperation, my fingers unconsciously tracing the sharp line of his jaw. The familiar gesture had beco almost automatic whenever I found him in this state—which was disturbingly often.
As my fingertips accidentally brushed against his lips, my breath hitched slightly. Heat flooded my cheeks as I realized what I was doing, and I quickly pulled my hand back as if burned.
’What the hell is wrong with ?’ I chastised myself silently. ’I am the Crown Princess of the Slatemark Empire. I command armies and shape the fate of nations. I am not so lovesick schoolgirl who gets flustered by touching her boyfriend’s face.’
But even as I told myself that, I couldn’t forget the crushing despair that had nearly destroyed when I thought Arthur had betrayed us by joining the Red Chalice Cult. The mory of that mont still made my chest tighten with phantom pain—the absolute certainty that my world was ending, that the most important person in my life had beco my enemy.
I had been ready to end it all rather than face a future where Arthur and I stood on opposite sides of a battlefield.
’I’m pathetically weak when it cos to him,’ I admitted reluctantly. The failed raid, the loss of face before the Imperial Court, the strategic implications of our botched mission—none of that had mattered in the face of potentially losing Arthur. My pride, my reputation, my duty as Crown Princess—all of it had paled beside the terror of imagining a world without him in it.
And now here he was, sleeping peacefully in my lap with that annoyingly perfect face that drew admirers like flowers drew bees. Arthur wasn’t conventionally the most handso man in the Empire—there were nobles with more classical features, court dandies who spent fortunes on enhancent surgery—but there was sothing about him that made people stop and stare.
Sothing that made far too many won flutter their eyelashes and find excuses to speak with him.
’Too many flies buzzing around what’s mine,’ I thought with a surge of possessive irritation.
The Imperial physicians had examined Arthur thoroughly after we’d brought him to the palace. Their diagnosis was reassuringly mundane: magical exhaustion leading to temporary unconsciousness. His brain had simply overloaded from whatever technique he’d used during the battle, and now he was recovering through natural sleep. They assured he could wake at any mont.
Which was exactly why I had stationed myself here with his head in my lap, claiming this position like a territorial cat. Mine and only mine.
I let my perception extend slightly, analyzing the mana patterns flowing through Arthur’s sleeping form. The readings made my eyes widen in surprise—he was definitely high Ascendant-rank now, a significant jump from the mid-Ascendant strength he’d possessed before the mission.
’What exactly happened?’ I wondered. The reports from my strike team were fragnted at best—sothing about impossible magical phenona, reality-warping effects, and enemies that simply ceased to exist. None of it made sense, but the evidence was undeniable.
Arthur had faced down forces that should have been far beyond his capabilities and erged victorious, even if unconscious.
He was growing stronger at an alarming rate. Stronger, smarter, more capable with each passing month. And despite my possessive nature, I couldn’t help but feel a fierce pride in his accomplishnts.
’My brilliant, powerful, infuriating man.’
A soft whimper from across the room drew my attention to where Luna was curled up in a chair, still sleeping after her earlier emotional breakdown. The poor child had cried herself into exhaustion when she thought Arthur might not wake up, clinging to his hand and calling him "Daddy" with desperate intensity.
I wasn’t heartless enough to be jealous of an eight-year-old girl’s attachnt to her father figure. The bond between them was clearly genuine, and seeing Arthur’s protective instincts toward the child had only made love him more.
But I was absolutely heartless enough to neglect informing Rose, Rachel, and Seraphina about Arthur’s current condition. Let them wonder where he was for a while longer. This was my ti with him, and I wasn’t sharing.
Arthur’s breathing began to change subtly, becoming less deep and regular. His eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks as consciousness started to return, and I felt my heart rate accelerate in anticipation.
’Finally,’ I thought with relief. ’Ti to get so answers about what the hell happened out there.’
Arthur’s azure eyes opened slowly, blinking in confusion as they focused on my face. For a mont, he looked completely disoriented, as if he couldn’t quite rember where he was or how he’d gotten there.
"Cecilia?" he said softly, his voice rough from sleep. "How long was I...?"
"Three days," I replied, trying to keep my tone casual despite the relief flooding through . "The doctors said you suffered magical exhaustion, but your vitals have been stable."
Arthur started to sit up, but I placed a firm hand on his chest, keeping him in place. "Don’t even think about moving yet. You collapsed after using so kind of technique that apparently broke several laws of magic. You’re staying right where you are until I’m satisfied you’re not going to pass out again."
A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Worried about ?"
"Obviously not," I lied with automatic reflexes. "I just don’t want to deal with the paperwork if you die on Imperial property. Do you have any idea how much bureaucratic nonsense is involved when soone of your status expires in the palace?"
Arthur’s smile widened, clearly seeing through my deflection. "Of course. Purely practical concerns."
"Exactly," I said firmly, though my fingers were already checking his pulse and temperature with obvious worry. "Now explain to what happened in that monastery. My strike team’s reports sound like fantasy novels."
Arthur’s expression grew serious as mory returned. "Luna," he said suddenly, looking around the room until he spotted the sleeping child. "Is she...?"
"She’s fine," I assured him quickly. "Changed, sohow—the physicians say she has no traces of supernatural enhancent left in her system—but perfectly healthy. She’s been sleeping in that chair for the past six hours, refusing to leave your side."
Relief flooded Arthur’s features. "The Grey worked then. It removed the artificial power without harming her."
"The Grey?" I prompted, my curiosity sharpening. "Arthur, what exactly did you do out there?"
He was quiet for a mont, his azure eyes distant as he processed recent events. "Sothing I probably shouldn’t have been able to survive," he said finally. "I used a technique that gave temporary access to forces beyond normal reality. It was... overwhelming."
"And now?"
"Now I’m back to being rely human," Arthur said with a rueful laugh. "Well, mostly human. High Ascendant-rank human, apparently."
"Speaking of which," Arthur said, fixing with a questioning look, "how much trouble am I in for disappearing without authorization? I imagine the Imperial Court isn’t pleased about the failed raid."
I waved dismissively. "Nothing that can’t be managed. I told them you were conducting deep-cover intelligence gathering that required complete communication blackout. Technically true, since you did infiltrate their organization."
"And the fact that we ca back with a mysterious child?"
"Rescued asset from cult experintation," I replied smoothly. "Also technically true. The Court loves stories about heroic rescue missions."
Arthur’s expression softened as he looked at . "You covered for ."
"I covered for us," I corrected, feeling heat rise in my cheeks again. "We’re partners, Arthur. When you succeed, I succeed. When you’re in danger..."
I trailed off, not wanting to admit how terrified I’d been during his absence.
"When I’m in danger?" Arthur prompted gently.
"When you’re in danger, I worry," I said reluctantly. "A little. Barely noticeable amounts of concern."
Arthur reached up to cup my face with his hand, his thumb brushing across my cheek in a gesture that made my heart skip. "I missed you too, Cecilia."
"I didn’t say I missed you," I protested weakly, even as I leaned into his touch. "I said I was worried about the paperwork."
"Of course," Arthur agreed solemnly. "The paperwork must be truly terrifying."
Before I could formulate a properly scathing response, a small voice interrupted from across the room.
"Daddy? You’re awake!"
Luna had stirred from her nap and was now staring at us with wide, hopeful eyes. The mont she confird Arthur was conscious, she scrambled out of her chair and ran over to us.
"Daddy, I was so scared!" she said, throwing her arms around Arthur’s neck in an enthusiastic hug. "You wouldn’t wake up and Cecilia said you were just sleeping but you looked so pale and—"
"I’m okay, sweetheart," Arthur assured her, returning the hug with obvious affection. "Just tired from using too much magic. But I’m fine now."
Luna pulled back to study his face carefully. "Promise?"
"I promise."
As I watched the interaction between Arthur and his adopted daughter, I felt a complex mix of emotions. Affection for both of them, protective instincts toward Luna, and a growing certainty that our little family was about to face challenges that would test all of our bonds.
But for now, Arthur was safe, Luna was free, and we were together.
It would have to be enough.
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