She looked peaceful in her sleep. She had managed to lure me back into the bed in the middle of the night.

Not that it was much of a fight. I was sleeping on the floor, because Mari told me to give Veya some space, and practically freezing to death.

She was barely conscious, but she called out for me. When I asked her what was wrong, she pulled me down onto the bed and refused to let go of me.

So, I pulled her into my arms and fell asleep.

It was just after dawn. I couldn't move because Veya was on top of me and I couldn't fall back asleep either.

I didn't really mind, it just felt rude to stare at her. But she was just so nice to look at. She was almost too perfect.

In her sleep, she looked like an angel. She could've been sculpted by the finest artisans in Kalheim.

Her steady, soft breathing calmed everything in me. I grabbed one of her hands and held it to my cheek. For a woman who was always working with her hands, she had surprisingly soft ones.

Her eyes slowly opened.

"Good morning," I spoke softly.

"Morning." She hummed. "You're still here?"

"Where else would I go?" I smiled.

She yawned. "Home?"

I brushed my thumb along her cheekbone. Words I knew I could never say lingered on my tongue. You are my home now. Only if you'd come with me. "I'm still waiting for Elyse."

She nodded and closed her eyes. "Oh right. I forgot about that."

I looked up at the ceiling. "What are we doing, Veya?"

She shifted slightly. "Laying in a bed?"

"Veya."

She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at me. "This is all new for me, okay? I don't know what I'm doing, we just have to figure it out as we go."

I stared at her for a moment. "What exactly do you mean by new?"

There was no way she'd never been in a relationship before.

I studied her face. I couldn't have been the first person to notice her.

Up until now, I'd imagined she'd been with as many people as I had. She would only lack experience if she wanted it that way.

Then again, she had been so afraid before. Maybe she just had never committed to anything?

She answered before my thoughts could spiral any farther. "You're a prince, I'm a magi. We're supposed to be enemies." She laid back down on my chest.

"Maybe it doesn't always have to be that way?" Even as I said the words I knew how unlikely it was. My people hated the magi more than anything.

"Maybe," Veya whispered. She sounded more hopeful than I was.

I sighed. "There's something I need to tell you if we're going to continue whatever this is."

"What?" She looked up at me uncertainly.

"Elyse is my friend, but we've fooled around a few times." I bit the inside of my cheek.

"By fooled around you mean..."

"She's obsessed with gossip. I had all the best sources. So I gave her all the best gossip in exchange for-"

"For how long?" She cut me off.

"A few years." I wanted to kick myself.

"I thought you said it was a few times?" She frowned.

"I thought that would make it seem better, then it felt like I was lying to you." Can I just melt into the bed? "I'm sorry, I should've told you right after we kissed."

"Is she anything more than a friend?" Veya sat up.

"No," I answered. "Lust doesn't guarantee love."

"Then why did it go on for so long?" I expected her to judge me but she just looked curious.

"She was just always there. If you get what I mean."

She nodded once to herself. "I could be... there. If that's something you'd want?" She looked down, but I could see that her face had turned bright red.

I cleared my throat. "You say that like you haven't been inside my mind."

The blush on her face deepened. "We should get dressed, Mari will be ready with breakfast soon."

I nodded and stood up.

She was ready and walking out the door in seconds. She turned to me right before she left. "Thank you, for telling me. You didn't have to."

"Yes, I did. It would've been cruel not to."

"In that case, thank you for choosing to not be cruel. I know many men who wouldn't have considered that."

She was gone before I had time to respond.

...

This is a bit short, but it's here.

It's been a long-ass time. Idk why I can't write, I just can't.

Smut coming soon, probs. Idk. *coming soon* can mean many things. Might be tmrw, might be next year. lol

<3