Iftia: Lyx Palace, Rowan's Bedchamber

• Rowan •

Upon waking, his eyes flew open as he jackknifed upwards. Raking his fingers through his hair, he scanned his surroundings. Moonlight streamed in from the window, flowing over the plush armchairs in the sitting area and everything in the room looked familiar. He recognised this as his own bedchamber and his eyes continued to roam but stopped when he spotted a lady right beside his large bed. 

No matter how much they looked alike, he would never mistake one for the other. He knew that the one with him now was Elianna. 

She must've pulled one of the armchairs from the sitting area to the side of his bed. Her legs were tucked close to her chest, all curled up and sleeping soundly. A soft chuckle bubbled out of him as he pulled the blankets aside and approached her slowly. His fingers reached out to tuck away loose wavy strands that had fallen and covered her face. He was careful not to wake her up but her eyebrows furrowed slightly and her eyes fluttered open, revealing the pair of beautiful amber eyes beneath her eyelids.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, his voice deep and gentle.

"You're awake," her said quietly, raising her hands to rub the remainders of sleep away from her eyes.

"Yes, love," he smiled. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"I'm glad you're awake. I missed you," she rasped out in a soft, sleepy voice.

He was sure that his heart tripped up in his chest and his mind refused to think because a sudden rashness caused him to circle an arm towards the small of her back, pulling her to face him. They were looking at each other eye to eye, their faces so close to each other that the thin layer of air between them was not enough for both to breathe, so they held onto their breaths. Her eyes widened in surprise, shining splendidly like citrines.

"Can I?" he whispered into the space between their mouths, breaking the silence. She gasped a little but closed her eyes as a sign of approval.

He carefully pressed his lips to hers. His hand lifted from her shoulder and curled around the back of her neck. She tasted so sweet that he nearly threw his self-control out of the window and take all of her in right at this instance. But he didn't. For now, he was all satisfied with being able to kiss her.

He was slow and careful with his advances, making gentle passes on her lips. From his hold, he felt her trembling as her fingers held onto his shoulder, bunching the soft cotton of his tunic. He left her lips for a moment to look at her. Her face was flushed in a pretty shade of pink and there was a breathless quality in her soft pants that made his body heat up to a dangerous level.

"Rowan..." she whispered against his mouth. The moment his name rolled off her tongue, a part of him snapped. He tightened the hand on the back of her neck to pull her even closer to him. His other hand roamed along her back, forcing a soft moan out of her. Her parting lips was an opportunity that he seized to deepen their kiss and the first touch of his tongue against hers was like striking a match to gasoline. He held her by the waist and pushed her down to the bed, never once breaking the dance of their tongues.

A hand slipped underneath the hem of her nightdress and smoothed it's way up till it reached her small waist. She flushed in a deeper shade of pink upon the touch and her amber eyes stared right into him nervously. He broke off the kiss, and she took a sharp inhale to catch her breath. Removing his hands immediately before he lost control, he rolled to the side and climbed off the bed.

"Where are you going?" her voice trembled, still trying to catch her breath. He turned around to look at her and his throat constricted at the sight of her chest rising and falling with her soft inhales.

"I can't promise to stop if I don't go and cool myself down, love," he said, voice strained.

"Oh." Her cheeks went red in an instant as she scurried under the blanket. He laughed softly as he made his way to the bath and turned the cold water on.

Yet, honestly, even the cold shower does not calm his arousal.

He reached down and wrapped his finger around it, stroking himself along the length as he thought about her soft lips, her mellow moans and the way she desperately gasped for air between their kisses. His body tensed together with the pleasure he felt as his grip tightened and his hands moved in steady motions. Eventually, he mouthed her name in a soft whisper as released rolled through him. He adjusted the water on high, letting the water beat over his head in pelting rivulets as they soaked into his skin.

When he was done with his shower, she had fallen asleep once again. He patted his hair dry and crawled into the bed, tucking her close against his chest before he drifted off in her scent of soap and cotton.

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Iftia: Lyx Palace, Study

• Rowan •

"Your Highness, a letter from Rivia came," Tristan reported, his expression grave.

Tristan went on to explain about the sudden situation between at the Rivia-Iftia border. A widespread disease had spread along both borders and the death toll had been rising. The inhabitants of the villages were growing anxious and paranoia. In the letter, Rivia expressed that they had done their best in trying to control the situation from their side but the villagers on Iftia's side were also in a dire situation.

Kaylon and Ilias had also rushed back from the Royal Medical Department, bringing Professor Hamley to discuss the situation.

"I would suggest bringing Lady Elianna with us," Professor Hamley suggested. 

"I refuse," he argued.

"Your Highness, this matter concerns the citizens of Iftia and the relationship with Rivia. Please make your decision with consideration to the Kingdom's standpoint," Professor Hamley suggested.

Rowan was unable to refute Professor Hamley's statement because the matter indeed concerned Iftia and their relationship with the neighbouring Kingdom. As the First Prince, it was expected of him to consider for his people and his hasty refusal to allow Elianna into this matter was unprofessional. He only wanted to keep her out of danger because the infectious disease was unknown and the border had been in hysterics because of widespread paranoia. When he weighed the situation properly, he held his head low and fought hard to contain his helplessness when he mentioned, "I apologise, please inform Elianna and I will respect her decision." 

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Iftia: Lyx Palace, Medical Office

• Elianna •

"I will go."

"Elianna, you know, you can refuse if—" Tristan tried to explain. He had rushed to her office from the study and he was frantic but he had explained everything in details to her. The suddenness of this incident was indeed alarming and she had already made her mind up before Tristan could finish explaining. 

"I know, Tristan," she assured him that she fully understood the situation and his explanation. "Still, I will go."

Since she arrived in Iftia, Rowan had helped her in many instances. Hence, she wanted to help him in any way possible. She wasn't afraid to go to the borders, in fact, she felt glad that she had the chance to help. It had always been a dream of hers to be a doctor and provide for the people in need. The opportunity came knocking on her door, it wouldn't make sense for her to turn it down.

Tristan still looked hesitant but he left her a notice, "Please prepare all that's necessary and we'll leave tomorrow morning." 

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