Jumping to my feet, I gripped the railing, causing Zarian to gasp and grab the back of my shirt.

“You intend to jump down?”

“Of course I do. It’s only 10 feet. I can land easily,” I smiled at him over my shoulder, “would you rather I take you inside first?”

“Oh. Yes. I still can’t walk. But don’t jump down,” Zarian sighed.

“There is a tree I can jump to. Easily. I used to do it all the time and I still can. Don’t worry,” picking Zarian up with ease, I carried him back to his bed, tucking the blankets around him, “I’ll be fine,” with a cheeky smile and a wink, I turned and ran out onto the balcony, using the railing to launch myself and grab the branch of the tree below me, coming to land right in front of Antoni, “hi.”

“You scared me,” Antoni gripped his chest, his sunflower yellow hair fluffed around him and falling at his waist for the first time since I had known him as he normally kept it in a tight bun on the top of his head, “where in the world did you come from?”

“Up there,” I pointed to Zarian’s balcony.

“Ah. I see,” he cleared his throat, “I was just…”

“Wanting to talk,” smiling, I twirled his hair around my finger, “I need to apologize to you. For how I acted earlier. I was frustrated and I took that out on you. I need my space to work through all of the changes. I haven’t had a chance to escape with my own thoughts. I’m never alone right now so I can’t think about what’s happened. Not truly. My speech has changed to fit with all of you, I am no longer trapped in an abusive relationship, I have to learn to rule an entire kingdom, and ensure my daughter grows into the next Queen of Nouvelle. I have so much on my plate that adding to that everyone constantly questioning my emotions, what I plan to do in the future I never expected to happen has pushed me. I am truly sorry, Antoni. For yelling. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. You didn’t deserve that. But I need you to stop pushing me toward Zarian. Marriage, love, it’s the last thing any of us should be worried about right now. We have a war coming that needs our focus.”

“Prince Ezra I-I’m sorry,” Antoni took my hand, lacing our fingers together and the subtle warmth of the golden glow that formed between us caused me to relax, “I worry that… no. You’re right. We have other things to focus on right now than…”

“Can I take you somewhere?” I smiled, “to finish watching the sunrise?”

“We have a council meeting, I have to clean your chamber, you need to bathe and dress properly… we don’t have time for things such as the sunrise, my liege.”

“You’re breaking your promise. Say my name.”

“Prince Ezra.”

“Say my name,” I whispered, gently rubbing his cheek and he closed his eyes, leaning into my touch.

“Ezra,” he whispered in return, “we don’t have time right now.”

“When the war is over, when everything is calm, promise to watch the sunrise with me. We can spend a night on the cliffs and as the sunrises, we can have this very much-needed talk. The three of us.”

“I promise.”

“Good,” a crack of a branch drew my attention to my right and I shoved Antoni to the ground, ripping my knife from its holster and tossing it at the source, hitting them square in the chest, “we’re under attack! Get inside.”

“Who?” Antoni scrambled to his feet and gasped, “Serce.”

“Get inside! Bar the castle. I’ll wake Leon,” we raced inside, Antoni heading to where the children, Robin, and Mads were to start getting them from the castle and I climbed the stairs as quickly as I could, slamming hard against Leon’s door when I got close, “Leon! Red! Peri! Serce is attacking. Wake up, get the soldiers! Now!”

Leon threw the door open, adjusting his clothes as he did, “what are you talking about?”

“Antoni and I were on the archery range. There was an intruder. I already handled it but I could hear the sounds of hundreds of people coming over the hills. I promise you, we’re under attack.”

“Alright. Your armor and bow are in the armory. Take Antoni and get into position in the spire. Robin will guard the throne room as Mads and everyone who cannot fight will go through the mirror to Wickersham Forest. I will wake father and warn everyone. Red can rally the soldiers. Of everyone here, you cannot die. Do you understand me? If things get to a point that we appear to be losing, promise me that you will head to the forest as well.”

“I won’t abandon the castle. It’s my duty to stay here.”

“I will not allow my little brother to die in a war he is being forced into participating in. You have a child who needs you.”

“As do you.”

“She will have her mothers. If I die, I die. But the kingdom, father, Celeste, they need you. So, please. Promise me this, Ezra.”

“I swear,” I whispered, “but do your best to survive.”

“I always do,” he kissed my forehead quickly before shoving me down the hallway, “get to the armory. Now.”

Running through the castle, I met Antoni at the bottom of the stairs as he ushered the palace staff and children up the stairs to the throne room, Celeste refusing to unwrap herself from his leg as Mads held Sidra next to them, Robin kissing him softly.

“Celeste,” I squatted down and her eyes filled with tears as she threw her arms around my neck, “I promise that things will be okay. Go with Mads and Morgan to the forest okay? Play with the other children. Nothing bad can happen to you there, I swear. As soon as the battle is over and the castle is safe, I will come through the mirror and bring you home.”

“But your magic, Papa. It’s still not back,” she sniffled, squeezing me.

“Most of it is. I promise I will be okay. I’m going to be up high. No one will get me. I swear.”

“O-okay,” she nodded, “I can be brave like you!”

“You always have been, Princess,” I laughed, kissing her cheek to hide back the fear when I realized how close the thunder of soldiers had gotten to the castle, “you have to go now. All of you. They’re close. Be safe. Be good. I love you.”

“I love you too, Papa,” Celeste smiled, kissing my nose, and finally followed Mads up the stairs.

“Prince Ezra,” Robin nodded, his hand over his chest, “I’m going to guard the throne room. I won’t let anyone through until I know that they’re all safe.”

“Where is my father?” I hopped up, taking Antoni’s hand.

“Currently in the throne room. He will be the last line of defense if I am to fall.”

“You’re not allowed,” I quickly shook my head, “none of you are allowed to die do you understand me?”

“I can’t promise anything.”

“Just try. Did anyone get Zarian?”

“He was the first one through. My home is protected with enchantments as well as the forest. Everyone will be safe.”

“Tell Zarian I will be there as soon as I can. Good luck, my friend,” I hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before dragging Antoni through a side door and along passages that I remembered leading to the armory that had been hidden from most people.

“To the armory then?” Antoni whispered, freezing when I did.

“Yes. Then to the highest spire. We’re going to stay together. You promised me. Do you intend to keep that promise?”

“Always.”

“Good. Then,” I wrapped my arm around his waist and before he could say another word, I kissed him as deeply as I could, my free hand now on the nape of his neck as the small passage we were in began to glow, “you are not allowed to die. Let me take any arrows. Let me be struck down by swords. I am willing to die if it means that you won’t. Swear to me that you will make it through this.”

“Ezra,” he gripped the front of my shirt, his hands trembling, “I’m scared. I’ve never been scared of a battle before. There is so much I can lose right now.”

“I know. How about this,” I hooked my pinky finger through his and a look of confusion flashed on his face, “it’s called a pinky promise. It can’t be broken. If it gets to a point where it is clear that we are going to lose, we leave Nouvelle. You, me, Zarian, and Celeste. We leave Tadreprospera. I can find a portal or open another. I brought a few items from the land of reason. I have them in my pocket. I can use them to open one. Then, we leave.”

“But we won’t remember this place.”

“But if we all go through together, we will remember each other. Antoni, promise me this. If things go bad, we jump in and leave. I am willing to face any consequences I may have regarding Celeste if it means I can save you.”

“Ezra… I can’t promise you that. Don’t open one to the Land of Reason. I can quickly transport us all to Appanolia. Allow me to do so. If the tides change, we go to where I’m from,” he took my hand in his before resting his forehead against the center of my chest, “Please.”

“Whatever you want. I will follow you anywhere. Just don’t die.”

“I promise,” he smiled up at me and I bent down, slowly kissing him again, my hand tangled tightly in his hair, “you are confusing me.”

“I’m choosing you,” I whispered against his lips and his eyes grew wide, glowing slightly with how dark the passageway was, “you and me… possibly Zarian. But for now… Choose me as well. I didn’t think you would grow to be so important in such a small amount of time. So get through this with me. Then we can talk about what to do next. Okay? I promise to properly court you both. Which is so different than the Land of Reason but we don’t have the time to keep talking about this. We have to get our armor and get to the spire.”

“Ezra wait,” he gripped my hand as I started to walk away and I stopped, looking at him over my shoulder, “I choose you. I have always chosen you and I always will. I want Zarian as well but I will leave that to him when he’s healthy. I’m scared. I don’t want you to die. I can give you one final piece of magic if you’ll allow me to.”

“Will it cause you any harm?”

“No. But it will make me a bit more… susceptible to damage. Do you trust in me?”

“You know that I do.”

“Then give me your hand.”

I held my left hand out and he slowly removed my wedding ring, tossing it to the floor. I watched as he undid the latch of his necklace and allowed the ring that held his longevity to slide into his palm, a shaky breath escaping him as he slid it onto my hand, a sudden jolt shooting through me as warmth flooded my system, the entire passage sparkling due to a light the emanated from the stone on the ring.

“A-Antoni?” I stuttered, staring at the ring.

“I am now mortal,” he smiled, “I will age at the same rate as you. I gave you the physical manifestation of my magic. It will grant you one life should you be on the border of life and death so that we will not be separated until I pass. It’s all I can do to keep you safe.”

“Why would you…”

“Because I have been in love with you for twenty years,” he smiled, running his thumb over the ring, “You are the only person I have ever kissed. The only person I trust. So I choose you to be the one to receive my gift. To receive the actual piece of my heart. I trust in you to keep it safe and protected.”

“B-But you were so against… so against us…”

“Because you aren’t supposed to choose me,” he laughed, “because you were so dead set on Zarian as a child. But you’re an adult now and can actually see those around you. You finally noticed me. That’s all it took. With the spirit bond, you just had to notice me finally. It was the last piece to make things whole and right. We can win this battle together and heal the land. I will be happy to stand at your side and run Nouvelle. If you’ll have me, my liege. We can add Zarian later if he wishes. I love him too after all.”

“Say my name.”

“Ezra,” he whispered, a small smile on his face and I quickly picked him up, wrapping his legs around my waist and pinning him to the nearest wall, my lips finding his in a desperate kiss.

“You make it through this with me and everything will be okay. We’ll raise Celeste together. Run the kingdom.”

He panted softly as I slipped my tongue into his mouth, my hands now firmly gripping his rear as I groaned, “Ezra!”

“I can’t control it I’m sorry,” I whispered, “you taste and smell so good I…”

“You’re… pressing against me…”

“I know,” I laughed, nipping gently at his neck and he leaned his head back, his hands gripping my back, “This isn’t how we do things here I know that. I’m sorry… I’m scared and this is how I find comfort. Being intimate in some sense with the person I care for.”

“It feels good I do not mind,” he scratched softly at my back and I groaned, rocking my hips up against him.

“Don’t scratch like that. It drives me insane,” I growled softly, grateful to be in a place only I knew of, “this is the worst time.”

“It may be the only time,” he whispered in my ear, “we might die.”

“I… don’t wish to think about that.”

“Ezra,” he rubbed against me again and I leaned back, looking into his eyes, “I’m not going to die without feeling you…”

“Is… this really how you wish it to be the first time?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“It will hurt.”

“I know. That’s okay. I trust you.”

“W-Well. Okay,” I smiled, kissing him again as I slowly set him down, my fingers hooking into the top of his pants. I pulled them down, helping him to take them off before laying his leg over my thigh and slowly teasing with my fingers, Antoni melting immediately in my arms, “Oh I… didn’t realize I had turned you on as well…”

“Is… that what you call… oh my…” he dug his fingers into my arm as I slid a finger in followed by another, “Ezra I…”

“Shh. No need to tell me. I’ll know when you do,” I rested my forearm on the wall above his head and continued on, waiting until I could feel him tighten and I smiled, kissing him to stifle his moans, “There we go. So good.”

“H-How will… we,” he panted, his eyes closed and I quickly undid my pants, picking him up once again and he let out a squeal as I wrapped his legs around my waist.

“Like this. It’ll hurt. I’ll be gentle as I possibly can,” I pressed slowly against him, watching his eyes roll back and before I knew it I was buried inside him, a grunt ripping from my chest, “fuck you’re so tight.”

“It… doesn’t hurt…”

“I got you ready. I made sure you were relaxed enough so that when I did this it wouldn’t hurt you as badly. I never want to hurt you. I’m going to bounce you against me okay? Just keep your arms tight around my neck. I won’t drop you.”

“Okay.”

Hooking my arms under his legs, my hands on his lower back I slowly started pushing him against me, rocking my hips at the same time. Antoni’s head fell back, hitting the wall but he ignored it as he was once again tightening around me.

“Fuck,” I hissed, “I… I’m sorry but… I’m not… it’s been so long I’m going to…”

“Do it,” he leaned forward and kissed me roughly, biting at my lips and I gripped him as tightly as I could, slamming hard and fast before I froze, spilling over with deep-throated groans, “it’s warm,” he laughed breathlessly.

“I… didn’t think this through… you’re going to have to… be stuck with that until the battle is over,” I kissed him again before my eyes flew open, “you can get pregnant.”

“I…”

“You can.”

“Yes.”

Shit.