forum Kingdoms of metallic scarlet ((one-on-one//private// 18+))

Started November 04, 2023 by @ElderGod-Carrots

tune

In all honesty, Ariella didn't know what she was doing here. She didn't know Dominic. They weren't lovers, they weren't friends, they weren't even acquaintances. He had ridden in just that morning, almost ran her over, and then bled all over her as she tended to his wounds and escorted him tot he infirmary. She didn't owe him anything. She didn't need to be here. She could leave him to his night terrors and his stubbornness and wash her hands of him. She would tolerate him because of her parents and indulge him because of her mother, but other than that, she had no reason to be here.

And yet, she couldn't help but feel some sort of pull towards him. She did care. After all, he had risked his life to come here and warn them about their impending danger. He had ridden here day and night to race to them. He had assassins after him and his father would likely kill him on sight, all to warn her family that his father planned to march on them. He didn't know who they were. Ariella and her family could have easily been horrible people and deserved to be killed and yet he rode anyway. He was here. He planned to fight against his father, his own father. He planned to take up arms against the very men Dominic had fought with for years. It took courage and bravery to do that. He deemed Ariella's family worth fighting for. How could she not fight for him in his hours of need?

She watched him silently as Dominic got up to grab blankets from the closet. She kept her face neutral. She didn't want him catching on to her thoughts. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she pitted him. Ariella didn't. She was almost in awe of him, though she would never admit it. He was ten times the person she could ever be. And perhaps he could be a terrible person who just got lucky with a good first impression, but Ariella didn't think that was the case. He was a better person than most people thought, than even he thought.

Her nimble fingers picked at the blankets, an anxious habit from her youth that she had never seemed to have gotten rid of. "If I returned to my chambers, you would never let me back in, even if I was just going for a book. So I think I will stay right here." She looked at him, faking the confident smirk on her lips. "You could always come over here and entertain me."

She knew he wouldn't pick her up on her offer, or at least, she hoped he wouldn't. She didn't truly mean it, she just wanted to see how far it would take to fluster him. She wanted to see what buttons she could push to get on his nerves. Riling him up was easier than falling down a rabbit hole of how she should be on his knees thanking him for potentially saving her family. She had vowed to herself a long time ago she would get on her knees for no man. She wasn't about to make an exception now.

Logically, Dominic knew that he should be keeping his distance from the princess in his bed. They didn't know one another and they certainly wouldn't be a proper opportunity to do so with war on the horizon. He would be fighting on the front lines, going against men that he had trained with for years, men that had become brothers to him over the years. He would be spending his time calculating the best plan of attack with the king and prince of Araniel and Ariella would be off doing whatever it was that she spent her time doing. Reading, probably, from how she spoke about wanting a book for entertainment.

They would not be spending time together beyond that of basic communal times with her family, any events that would involve them needing to be together, like the upcoming ball for her brother. He didn't need to be getting attached to someone he had just met, someone who would no doubt keep her distance if she ever found out about his past. Who would even want to be around someone so broken and pathetic as he was?

Regardless, she was looking at him with a smirk that boiled his blood as much as he didn't show it. No, the prince laid out his blanket over himself, propping one knee up as he lounged back on the too-small couch, and rested his arms behind his head.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Maybe it was foolish to entertain the thought of going over to the bed, but it was a chance to distract Ariella from pressing him about his night terrors and he was going to take the opportunity while he could. He wouldn't move from the couch, nor would he actually do anything because that was a can of worms he wasn't going to open tonight, if ever. No, but he could tease a little from his spot on the couch and do what he could from a distance. He wondered what was going on through her head the moment that his words left his lips, if she would fluster or if she had something in mind that she wanted. Something told Dominic that she didn't, she was simply playing around with him but if she was going to do so, so was he.

It was why he let his gaze drag over what he could see of her far too slowly than was necessary as if imagining what she looked like under that skimpy little night dress she was wearing. It didn't do matters at all for his imagination, especially when she was illuminated by the light of the moon which only added to her beauty. He wouldn't deny that she was an attractive woman, if stubborn and insufferable already, from the way her braid fell over her shoulder, to the curve of her body and arms and soft, inviting lips. The night dress had left little for the mind to think about considering how small it was, and Dominic tried not to think about how easy it would be to rip the dress from her, or if she was wearing anything underneath.

Ariella knew that she was playing with fire. That she was putting her hand over an open flame and praying she didn't get burned. It was a dangerous thing, being here, talking to him the way that she was. She was in his room, in his bed. He could do anything to her. Even if the guards were a shout away, they would never make it in time. Dominic could kill her or have his way with her before they ever made it to the door. And yet, Ariella felt it in her bones that he wouldn't lay a hand on her. Her intuition hadn't failed her yet.

Her breath caught in her throat as Dominic's deep voice echoed through the room. She hadn't been expecting the response that he gave her. She had been teasing him to get a rile out of him, to bring out that snappy attitude and make him forget about his dreams. Memories more like. Bad dreams didn't drag someone out of their sleep with screams. Only memories could do that. A part of her wondered what memories could be so bad that could cause such horrific nightmares. And another part of her hoped she never found out. Because if something could be so horrible as to hurt him, how did she stand a chance in the world?

She swallowed visibly and forced herself to breathe again, and then prayed that she wasn't noticeably flustered. She calmed herself and let that playful smile fall on her face. It was a smile she used more than she would like to admit. It was so easy to get men to tell you what you wanted as long as you smiled at them. "I suppose we'll never find out, will we? You'd have to get off that couch to start with."

Fire. Burning hot fire.

Except this fire came from somewhere else. There wasn't a flame she was holding her hand over, waiting to see if it burned her. It was a fire building inside her. A desire that she should not have. Not for him, not for anyone ever, unless it was a man her mother wouldn't agree with. And even then, it would only be to spite her mother. This was different. This was something she didn't like, only the problem was, she did. It was building up in her stomach and if she didn't take control of this situation, she feared where it might lead. What she might do. Dangerous indeed.

"What helps?" She asked, hoping he didn't realize how obvious her change of subject was, or notice how she squirmed slightly where she sat. "What helps the nightmares? Or at least to go back to sleep? We can have a sleeping tonic brewed for you if you would like." Though she would understand if he declined. Once had been enough for her. She didn't like the way it took control of her body. The way she slept, it was more like falling unconscious than a true night's sleep. She woke up feeling groggy and more tired than the day before. But if it was needed, she wouldn't discourage him. "There are teas that promote good sleep as well, if you're not a fan of the tonic."

Dominic was glad that he had propped his knee up, and even more glad of the blanket that covered him.

He cursed his wandering mind, cursed Ariella for not wearing more clothes when she had come into his room, cursed her for coming into his room in the first place because if she hadn't, then he wouldn't be in this situation. He could always pick her up and carry her out, it wasn't like she wasn't half his size and he wasn't a trained soldier. Dominic towered over her, Gods, even his shoulders were larger than her waist was in comparison. It would be so easy.

Just as it would be so easy to do a number of other things to the princess that her parents wouldn't like. He could break her if he wanted, in more ways than one, and it was slowly becoming a matter of whether or not he wanted to do so, but whether or not he should. Because Gods was it tempting to see how far he could take it before she eventually left. He wondered if he riled her up enough she would go scurrying back to her room to cool herself off from his words and actions. Not only would it allow him the opportunity to cool down, but also got her out of the room so he wouldn't have to explain about his night terrors. It was a win-win situation. However she was just as stubborn as he was, and Dominic had a feel she wasn't going anywhere anytime.

But it was obvious that Ariella was visibly flustered, trying not to squirm and all he had done was give her a long once over and said one sentence that insinuated that she wanted him and she was already struggling. Good. It was better that way. Especially when she was trying to distract him by the abrupt change in conversation. Oh no, she wasn't going to get away with that so easily, not when she had started this. Nothing would ever come of what was said here and now, but Dominic could have his fun with the princess just for one night.

It was why he stood, slowly, making sure each move was pointed, made sure that his shirt was sitting in a way that showed his boxers and what lay beneath them. Dominic hummed as he moved to the end of the mattress and rested both arms on the posts of the four-poster bed. He only towered over Ariella even more in the position that he was in now, "And what makes you so sure about that, princess?" His voice was nothing but a low rumble in his chest as made a point to raise a brow, tilting his head as if feigning innocent although the smirk on his lips conveyed otherwise.

"No teas or tonics can help with the dreams," Terrors, "I have tried many, if not all, and none help. You will just have to find a pair of plugs for your ears to drown me out in the evenings if you require your beauty sleep."

Ariella had not anticipated how this night was going.

She had not expected to find herself in the prince's bedroom in the middle of the night after his screaming had drawn her from her bedroom. She hadn't expected to ignore the advice of pretty much everyone in her life by going into his room. Even her mother would be horrified, but only because it wasn't dignified for a lady unless there was a ring on her finger. And her finger was certainly bare. Ariella planned on keeping her finger bare for as long as she could help it. Which would be forever, if she had her way. As a princess, it was doubtful but she could still try. Trying was better than not trying at all. And if all else failed, she could always run into the woods and make a life for herself.

She wasn't even wanted by Dominic. He didn't want her here. He had vocalized it several times. He had seemed to enjoy his chicken more than he had enjoyed sitting beside her at dinner. Though he had been open to the idea of her giving him a tour, she was positive it was only because he was trying to make nice with her parents. If he scorned the queen, he scorned the king and he would lose his sanctuary. He had to play nice.

But if he didn't want her, why was he at the edge of the bed? Why was he leaning against the posts of the bed? Why was he looking at her like that? Perhaps he might not know her. Perhaps he did not want her, her body was a different story. And she found she didn't hate his attentions. That her skin felt ablaze as his gaze left her eyes trailed down her body that was visible above the sheets. Her gown didn't leave much for the imagination. The straps left her arms bare and the neckline was low enough her breasts were practically on display. If she had been thinking, she would have grabbed a robe. But, she thought something had been wrong. She hadn't been thinking. She hadn't thought she would need one. And she certainly hadn't thought she would find herself here.

If he felt free to google her body, it was only fair to do the same. She couldn't help that he was practically on display for her. The hem of his shirt fell just short of the bulge in his underwear. She couldn't exactly not look at it. It was practically eye level with her. In her defense, it looked at her first. His thighs were thick with muscle and likely larger than her head. His arms were well sculpted and he wasn't even flexing. She hated that his shirt obscured her view of the rest of him. She couldn't understand why he was covering up. Had he not been towering over her, she might have thought he was shy.

Perhaps she had drank too much (she had only had one glass), but tonight she was daring, bold. She rose up on her knees, letting the blankets fall away, and crawled the small distance to the foot of the bed, looking up at him through her eyelashes with siren eyes.

"I'm sure we can figure something else out, if teas and tonics do not work," she murmured, her voice lower than it should have been.

This was a bad idea.

It was a terrible, inviting, bad idea to continue whatever it was that was going in in that room. Dominic needed her to leave before things got out of hand and went further than either of them wanted things to go that evening but he couldn't stop himself. Lack of self-control had always been his downfall, just as it would be there and now. He would not initiate more than teasing unless she did. If she touched, he would do the same, but he wasn't going to lay a hand on her until it was as obvious as daylight that she wanted it more than a simple distraction from his own mind.

All of it was just to take his mind of the terrors, and she was doing a damned good job and making sure that he wasn't thinking about it, even if it might not have been exactly what she had had in mind when she walked into his room before. This was entirely because of one comment that she had made. One comment and they had ended up in a vulnerable position that they certainly should not have been in on their first night of meeting.

But Ariella was alluring and temping in a way that no one else had been for quite some time. Maybe it was because of the fact that he knew they shouldn't be doing whatever it was that was occurring, maybe it was because there was death looming on the horizon and they didn't have much longer left with one another. Maybe it was because either one of them could shut it down within seconds. Dominic didn't know. Didn't know if he wanted to know the reasoning as to why he was tempted by the princess before him. It wasn't a position that he had wanted to be in about ten minutes ago, but a position that he was finding himself quite enjoying now that he was here.

Dominic's eyes darkened as he watched her crawl the short distance across the bed to him, even on her knees with the leverage of the bed she was still shorter than eye level from the prince and he wouldn't deny that it had his stomach coiling at the thought. Tiny. She was so tiny. He couldn't help but imagine what it would look like if he got his hands on her body. How he would be able to hold her waist with both hands and be able to touch his own fingers, or how his hands would cover her ass so easily. That tiny slip of fabric she was wearing was becoming more of a nuisance as they continued, and if he hadn't had any self-respect, it would already have been gone from her body.

"And what, exactly, do you have in mind, Ariella?" Dominic was sure it was the first time he had used her name in conversation, and he knew it was said as more of a seductive purr than anything else, especially as he leaned down a little until they were eye to eye. So close that if either one of them leaned in their lips would touch. So close that they were sharing air with one another.

Ariella had read about this in her books. She has read the stories about love at first sight, which she never believed in herself. She had read the books where they had nights of passion, where he looked at ger with such intensity she could almost see it. She never thought she would actually experience it.

The men she attracted were ones she shouldn't be with. A sage in the library or a guard off duty. The few men she had allowed herself to articulate in illicit affairs were always men her mother woukd be horrified to know about. People of common birth and poverty. People she woukd considered beneath them. To the men, Arielle was something they could not have and wanted a taste of. They feared the wrath of her father to soil her reputation but that didn't mean they wouldn't take what she was offering. And they did take.

This was entirely different. This wasn't hiding away between the bookshelves or in a broom closet trying to find an ounce of pleasure. This was intense, real. She couldn't describe the way he was looking at her. She wasn't sure she wanted too. She'd rather reamin ignorant of that gaze. She'd rather believe it meant nothing more than him wanting a taste of her body like all the rest. A forbidden fruit he shouldn't have. She was ignoring the fact that he was exactly the kind of person her mother wanted for her. He was a prince, an heir, and about to inherit his throne if destiny was kind to them. Their union would make Ariella queen and open up a new set of trade deals and alliances between the two kingdoms. Because that's all she was good for, according to her mother.

To her surprise, he didn't touch her. He didn't even kiss her. He wanted to. God did he look like he wanted too. But his hands remained firmly on the bed post. His eyes were dark and he was looking at her in ways that no man had ever looked at her, and yet he didn't move. She didn't know if she felt relieved or not. She didn't know if she wanted him to grab her, kiss her, and throw her down on the bed. Or if she wanted him to leave her alone.

This was her own doing, her own fault. She had started this with one little tease, one innocent little challenge. One that she never thought he would do. She hadn't expected him to get up, to cross over to her. She would have thought that he saw her as no more than a nuisance and brushed her off. And yet here he was, standing in front of her, and he wanted her. But was she ready to be wanted?

Ariella placed a hesitant hand on his chest, so different from the confidence she had been facing. Her fingers closed around the fabric and she clutched at it as her gaze lowered for just a moment. He was closer now. So close she almost brushed her lips agaisnt his as her own parted. How easy it would be to kiss him. But Ariella didn't like easy. And this, this was not who she was. She didn't fuck a man she just met because of pent up frustration. That wasn't fair to either of them.

Her hand flattened and she gently pushed him back. Her touch, of course, wasn't strong enough to do anything, but she hoped that it conveyed the message she needed space. "Perhaps training could help. While it's not recommended to work your body to the brink of exhaustion, it might do the trick. I can do some research, see what I come up with." She breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. "For my beauty sleep, of course."

It was not just for her beauty sleep.

The prince had had his share of encounters over the years, ones that rangers from far too young when he had had no idea what was happening, just that it was wrong, and ones that he had engaged actively in himself. Ones that he had wanted to some degree. All of them had been nothing more than one-night stands, than a night in bed with someone who could take his mind off of what had happened the day of, or the weeks prior. Nothing more than an outlet of pent-up frustration with someone who didn't know who he was.

Usually they happened on the road, away from Verillia. In the middle of nowhere, a small town where he had managed to evade the guards outside his tent, wandered over to the tavern and found someone willing to have a night of fun with, or at least a few hours. He had always been back by sunrise and no one had ever known. There were, of course, the few maids that had wandered into his room during the wrong times and had begged to be used to make up for it, and Dominic wasn't one to deny pleasure, not when he needed an outlet. Nothing ever came of it, and generally, the maids feared what would happen to them if the prince spoke a word of it to his father. They quit not long after, but Dominic made sure to always find them work somewhere else if that was the case.

Never had he slept with another royal. That was a line that hadn't been crossed and he doubted would be. As much as Ariella was tempting in ways no one else had been before, if they were to sleep together and someone were to find out? Oh, it would lead to a horrible end for them both. One that would probably result in marriage and he certainly didn't want that. For a multitude of reasons he would never marry, but the prince wouldn't deny that it was mainly because he was afraid of becoming like his father. If there was one thing in the world he never wanted, it was becoming like the horrible man that he had to call kin.

When that hand landed on his chest, Dominic couldn't help the way he tensed under the touch. Half of him told him to stay completely still, not move and remain where he was standing if only to see where it might lead, the other wanted to grab at her hand and tell her to fuck off out of the room. Leave him alone and don't ever touch him again. Because as much as the teasing was fun, a good distraction from his own mind, what lay under that shirt was not something he wanted her to see. It wasn't something he wanted anyone to see again.

His hands tightened around the bed posts to the point where they would have broken if he moved an inch, a muscle in his jaw tensing. But the princess was flattening her hand and gently making a move to push him away, and Dominic did without question. He didn't need to be told twice when any arousal that had built up in his chest had diminished by just a simple touch to a part of his body that he didn't want to be seen by anyone ever again.

"For your beauty sleep," Dominic echoed, though his own voice was gruff as he took a few steps back from the bed, "If you're not leaving you should rest. I'll try not to scream again, Your Highness." He crossed back to the couch, this time lying on his side as best he could so he didn't have to face the princess in his bed as he pulled the blanket over his body once more.

(never marry my ass. we'll see how long it takes.)

Ariella felt his chest tense under her touch. His grip tightened on the posts and she could almost hear the wood groaning in protest. Was his body testing in anticipation or was there something else hiding under there? She lifted her eyes from his tense chest up to his face, his eyes. It almost felt as though her eyelashes brushed against his as she lifted them. There was something else that was in his eyes. Desire was gone and there was something like anger, and perhaps even fear lay inside them instead. What had happened in those few spare seconds that had caused such a change?

She hadn't truly realized just how close they had been until Dominic put space between them. She watched from where she was still kneeling on the bed as he crossed the room back over to the couch. The too small couch for his frame. She was almost tempted to invite him back to bed just so she didn't have to see his sad form hanging off the couch. But she knew she would be making a mistake if she invited him over to the bed. That if she was laying next to him, she didn't have enough control over herself to keep her hands to herself. And neither of them wanted that right now.

She did need to sleep. It was late. Or early. Very early. Dawn couldn't be far off. She had stayed up through the night, reading a book and her mind running miles a minute. And then this. His nightmare, the screaming. It had brought her out of bed and ever since she had been here, teasing him and testing their grip on their control. She wasn't sure how long time had passed since she had crossed the threshold of his room. Time seemed to have stood still while he had been standing over her. While his voice tempted a deep, dark part of her and caused her desire to rise. It could have been an hour before dawn or four, she couldn't be sure. What she did know was that she was going to regret it in the morning if she didn't sleep now. While the guards knew she was spending the night, she didn't need her maids finding out and reporting back to her mother. She would need to sneak back into her room early in the morning to beat them. The only issue with that was that she had to wake up early.

"Goodnight, Prince Dominic," she called from where she was still perched on the bed. Where she still kneeled at the foot of the bed. She needed to move. She needed to climb back up the bed and get under the covers. The only problem was, she couldn't seem to move. Her limbs felt frozen. Dominic had done something to her. He was making her feel a way she never had before. Dangerous. He was dangerous and if she didn't keep her distance, she was going to get burned.

The only distance she was able to put between them tonight was her moving back up to the headboard and getting under the covers. She didn't think her legs would have been able to carry her back to her room even if she tried, if she wanted to. But tonight, she would sleep here. She told herself it was because she was too tired to walk back to her room and that the real reason was that she wanted to be here in case he had another nightmare. So she could comfort him instead of shutting everyone out.

She laid her head on the pillows and surrounded herself with the scent of Dominic. She would never admit just how calming it was, and how quickly it put her to sleep.

The prince didn't respond to the soft goodnight from the visitor in his room, instead staring out to the balcony across the threshold of the room and watching as stars seemed to twinkle in the soft evening light. It would be a few hours till the sun began to rise and he didn't know whether he was going to be awake or not to watch it ascend over the horizon. Half of him knew he needed sleep, he was exhausted and the pain from his injury was slowly coming back, albeit a little less intense than it had been yesterday and now just in an uncomfortable ache, but the other half was afraid of another nightmare. He had already woken Ariella once that evening, he didn't want to wake her again, not when she was staying in his room with him. There would be no doubt that a scream from him would startle her more so now that they were in the same room.

Instead, he took to watching the stars from where he lay, listening to the soft breathing of the princess in his bed until he heard Ariella's breathing even out and knew she was asleep. Good. At least one of them would be able to catch a few decent hours of sleep before morning. He was going to have to go into that meeting with Galen exhausted but what else was new? He had done so many times with his father. Here, though, there was a heavy weight on his shoulders. The added pressure of being the guest in this palace, that he was the reason they were all worried about the incoming threat.

But if he hadn't told them they would undoubtedly fall to Verillia's hand. At least now they had a chance at fighting back, at winning, against his father. There would have been none if he hadn't come and told them of the danger brewing in the south. Dominic wondered how different things would be if he hadn't overheard his father's conversation with the advisors. Would he still be back in Verillia, training, enduring the wrath of his father's hand? Maybe even helping him plan for war without knowing the true extent of the plans, or knowing that the planning was in fact real and not a hypothetical. He didn't know, didn't know if he wanted to know what would have happened if things went differently.

The couch wasn't the most uncomfortable thing that he had ever slept on, but with his size, it certainly could have been a lot better. Yet eventually the prince managed to gain a few hours of sleep. Nothing too deep that caused him to dream, and certainly nothing good enough to have him feeling refreshed by the time he woke with the sun, but it was enough. It would have to be enough. He couldn't go back to sleep now otherwise he would never leave the room.

Slowly, and trying not to groan, Dominic sat up from the couch and cracked his neck, his stiff muscles from sleeping on the couch. Hopefully, he wouldn't have a visitor in the middle of the night again so he would be able to see in the bed again. After a moment of waking himself up, he stood and looked over to the princess who was sprawled out as if she belonged there. He had to avert his gaze quicker than he would have liked, otherwise, there was going to be a repeat of the hours before and he didn't need to be dealing with that first thing in the morning. Taking one last glance over at Ariella, Dominic moved to the bathing chambers as quietly as he was able.

Ariella was not a pretty sleeper. She might look beautiful during the day, put together with her hair done and pretty clothes. But that wasn't without her work cut out for her. There was a reason she usually slept with her hair in braids. Loose braids that wouldn't damage her hair but also keep it from getting tangled as she turned and moved in her sleep. And if she didn't, well, it looked like this. A tangled mess on her head that would take her forever to comb through.

See, Ariella had a bad habit of moving in her sleep. It wasn't just a little unrest where she turned around a few times. No. More than once as a child, she woke up with her feet where her head should be and her head where her feet would be. She had woken up laying horizontal on the bed when she knew for sure she had laid down the correct way. And while she's not as bad as she used to be, she's still pretty bad. Unless the sheets were nailed to the bed, she was getting tangled in them and pulling them up from where they were tucked under the mattress. She would spread like a starfish across the bed, on her front or on her back. And she had a bad habit of drooling. Sometimes she breathed with her mouth open, involuntarily, and would cause her to drool.

This morning, she had managed to wrap the blankets around her stomach and her legs, leaving the area in between free of sheets. She was lying diagonally on the bed, on her stomach. She had one leg pulled up and the other outstretched. Her nightgown had risen some with all her tossing and turning, and while the important parts were covered, it had become blatantly obvious she was without underwear. In her defense, she hadn't been expecting to leave her bedroom until morning, dressed for the day.

The sun was peaking through the curtains, illuminating the room and yet she did not wake. Not even the harshest of rays on her face would wake her. Some mornings, her maids had to fight her to get her out of bed. The smartest thing would have been to ask Dominic to wake her once dawn came so she could sneak back into her own room. But she hadn't thought he would do it and believed that she would have been able to wake up early enough. She had overestimated herself. She was not waking nor did she want to wake. Her body was exhausted. She had slept little last night. She had slept little the past week.

Too much had been going on. She was currently fighting with her mother. Her mother who was currently pretending they weren't fighting with a new "prospect" to sell her daughter too. Ariella was frustrated and upset and she didn't know what to do. She was starting to come to terms with the fact that she would never win. She would never get the life she wanted for herself. Sooner or later, her mother would win. And short of killing herself or running off into the woods and praying she was never found, she would be out of luck. She would have to make the best of her situation. But she would still hold out as long as she was able to. Enjoy her life free, or as free as she could ever be being a daughter to the monarch, until her ultimate demise.

For someone who was so put together during the day, Ariella was certainly a sight to behold in the mornings. It was funny, really, and more than a little endearing if he was being honest with himself, which he was trying his best not to be. If he could remain ignorant and pretend to be oblivious then he wouldn't have to worry about whatever might occur between him and the princess. Probably, hopefully, nothing. Neither of them seemed thrilled on the prospect of being around one another for longer than they had to be.

Last night had been nothing more than Ariella trying to distract him from his own mind, and she had done a damned good job. Dominic was more than aware that the teasing, the subtle flirting, was just a way to rile him up, and test his strength and his mind and the princess had definitely pushed it. But nothing had happened. Nothing would happen. They could pretend like the night's events were nothing more than a dream, or even forget about them entirely. No, Dominic didn't need to be distracted when he had to prepare and help Galen with war. He shouldn't be getting distracted by a pretty woman.

Yet he was. Even in the morning when Ariella looked like she had just gone five rounds with the bed sheets as her competitor, she was still pretty in her own little way. A mess, yes, and definitely not looking anywhere near royal or regal like she should be, but she was pretty. Funny, without meaning to be, and tempting, too. From the way her ass was practically out on display for him, perky and touch and begging to be touched, Dominic didn't stop himself from ogling as she slept at her lithe form. God, he wondered if her skin was as soft to the touch as it looked, if she would bruise easily or redden under his hands if he pressed down harder than he should. The thoughts were enough to make him hot and bothered, and if he had been around someone he would have been embarrassed. He wasn't though, because he was essentially alone with the princess and no one had to see the impacts that his own thoughts had on him.

He had to look away before things got worse. Dominic crossed to the bathing chambers and shut the door with a soft click behind him that was too loud in the quiet rooms, echoing through the spaces to alert whoever might have been listening that he was awake. He wondered when Ariella would wake. Dominic hoped she would be gone by the time he finished bathing since he needed to grab a change of clothes before breakfast which were in the closet outside. The prince drew the warm water of a bath and steadily stepping in, fighting off a content groan as the water eased into his aching muscles in more ways than one.

Ariella did not want to get up. She should have anticipated this last night because she went through the same thing every night. Whenever she got an ounce of decent sleep it was so hard for her to wake up from it. She would never admit that she had slept well last night. And she certainly wouldn't admit it to Dominic. She wasn't sure if it was the soft mattress and blankets, or the lingering scent of Dominic. She didn't think it was the former but refused to admit even to herself that it was the latter.

The click of the door was strangely what woke her up. That combined with the ray of sunlight in her eyes, her eyes fluttered open only to snap shut as she realized the sun was right in her eyes. She groaned loudly and shoved her head in the pillow. But when she realized a moment later how uncomfortable and hard to breathe it was to be face down on a pillow, she rolled over. The problem with rolling over was that the upper half of her body was pretty much out of room on the bed. So when she rolled, she suddenly found herself rolling off of the mattress and landing on the ground with a loud thump and a yelp. That was going to leave a bruise on her arm. it wasn't like the bed was only a foot high. It was at least half her height. And falling from that height would knock the breath out of her at the least.

She grumbled a string of curse words as she debated grabbing the blanket and a pillow off the bed and just going back to bed on the floor. Her first good night's sleep in a week and it had been rudely interrupted. She sat up, wondering why her maids hadn't woken her, only to look around and realize exactly where she was. Last night's events had momentarily escaped her mind and it was all coming back to her now. She had no idea what the time was, only that she had to get back to her room and quickly. She didn't really want to be caught by her maids, the guards were bad enough.

She knew better to look in a mirror before she left. She didn't want to see the mess that was her hair. The guards pointedly ignoring looking at her said enough. She felt scandalous, sneaking out of Prince Dominic's room as if she had something to sneak from. So she might have slept in his bed, and slept the night, but they hadn't done anything. He hadn't even touched her. She had been the one that touched him. He had just stood there and when she pushed him away he had left.

Ariella slipped back into her room, releasing a sigh as she noticed her room was empty. Her maids weren't there yet. She thought about going back to sleep but she would never get up if she got back in bed. Instead, she sat at her vanity and pointedly ignored her reflection as she worked at the knots in her hair. She had gotten almost all of them out before her maids had arrived, surprised at finding her up. She had just dismissed it on a bad night's sleep and nothing more. As long as the guards didn't open their mouths, everything should be fine.

The flitted about her room, cleaning it and preparing her for the day. They dressed her in a dusty rose gold gown. A pearl necklace was clasped at her neck and pearls in her ears. her hair was swept up in a half up braided hairdo. She looked feminine, soft. Vastly different from her sharp mind and wicked tongue and yet she couldn't help but feel pretty. She knew it was her mother's doing, even if no one said it. But she refused to let that sour her mood. Not right now. She looked pretty, even beautiful perhaps. She could almost rival her sister's beauty. Almost, but she never would. Something that she had long accepted and come to terms with.

Dominic would be with her father now, if he wasn't already. Everand would likely be with them which meant Ariella was left to have breakfast with her mother. Something she wasn't eager to have. She debated skipping breakfast altogether and going to the library, it was where she was more comfortable. But just as she was making the plans to head to the library, she received her mother's summons to breakfast. Something she couldn't very well ignore. Not now. So with gritted teeth, she held her head up high and went to dine with the lion.

Dominic couldn't remember the last time he had had a bath that was so relaxing. Maybe it was because he was sore and tired and aching, or maybe it was because he needed the time to cool his brain off, he didn't know. What he did know, though, was that after last night with Ariella, and those moments of seeing her in bed while sleeping, he had more than needed the time alone.

Because his mind drifted back to the princess and his hand wandered and Gods she was going to be hard to get out of his head if she continued to look like that. Dominic knew that his terrors persisted every night, and if she came in once, what was to stop her from doing so again? Would she wear that stupid little strip of fabric again, would she at least wear undergarments next time? He didn't know, and Dominic didn't want to decide on an answer when he had a clear picture of the curves of her body. Especially when he thought about how she had looked in his bed, lounged out like she owned the room, like she belonged there. Inviting him in with batting lashes as she had fucking crawled across the bed to him and kneeled before him. How could he not think about what she would look like on her knees in other scenarios? If her lashes would be stuck together by tears while she choked, or if he would be able to destroy that damned night dress as easily as he wanted.

It was wrong to be thinking of the princess in such a way when they had only just met. He supposed that it was no different to how he had thought about others he had slept with over the years, the one night stands of evenings of pleasure. Yet somehow this felt different. It felt wrong to be having such thoughts about the woman, the princess, when he barely even knew her. Why it bothered him now he didn't know, because he had had no issue with those thoughts before about anyone else yet somehow, Ariella was different. She was already under his skin in a way no one else had been for a good long time. The prince didn't know whether to be scared or intrigued, probably both.

Eventually, when Dominic had sorted himself off and the water had gone cold, did he rise out of the bath feeling a little more refreshed than he had been previously. The prince wrapped a towel around his lower half, hair wet and dripping down his golden skin as he peaked a head out the door. Ariella was gone. He didn't know whether he was happy about that or not. Of course, that meant he could dress and wander around his room without having anyone see him and his body, which was the main issue when it came to sharing spaces with someone during the evening, but also he couldn't help but be drawn to the woman despite not knowing her for very long.

Dressing in soft, thin white pants, his boots, and a sand-coloured shirt with what looked to be a soft pink undertone, Dominic left the room, hair still wet as a guard led him to Galen's study. The king was there, as was the prince, and Dominic bowed his head in greeting which was returned by the other two as he entered. Once the door was shut Galen wasted no time in asking questions about his father's plans, which Dominic answered without protest. Everand was taking notes while the other prince and the king spoke, laying out maps while Dominic presented the warpaths his father would most likely take, and where Galen would need to defend the most. He didn't know how long they were in there for, but food was brought to them, knowing the three men would be hungry as they spoke and too wrapped up in their conversations to go to breakfast with the two women in the palace. No, they stayed for a good long while.

Breakfast was unusual, to say the least. Her mother was chirpier than usual, and less critical than normal. Actually, she didn't think her mother had said a critical thing about her other than she looked tired. And Ariella was tired but that's what not sleeping well for a week did to a person. She would be surprised if there wasn't a hint of bags under her eyes. At least it wasn't noticeable enough to warrant cosmetics to cover it. It might have almost been a pleasant breakfast if Ariella wasn't so suspicious of it. She kept waiting and waiting for her mother to mention where Ariella had been all night. For her to say that she knew where Ariella had been and that action must be taken immediately. She thought she had gotten to the guards in time but perhaps she hadn't Perhaps one of them was on her mother's payroll and whispered every little thing in her ear. But Ariella made it her mission to know which servants were on who's payroll and now of those guards were on her mother's.

"Oh look at the time," her mother said, setting down her glass, "You'd best collect Prince Dominic. Your father and brother might keep him there all day if we let them. Your father can get carried away so easily." Ariella knew that. They all knew that. her father could lock himself in his office for days if they let him. If a maid wasn't sent to bring him food, he'd never eat. If her mother didn't go to collect him for bed, he might not sleep. He let work consume him and it was only his family that could anchor him and bring him back. And even then, he ignored them. Like Ariella, whom he ignored most of these days.

Ariella rose from her chair, bowing her head to her mother. Her uneasiness of this meal drove her to leave the dining room. It was sad perhaps, that a pleasant conversation with her mother made her more uncomfortable than a critical one. She had never really felt any love from her mother. As a child, she was pushed aside because of her brother and pushed into the arms of nannies. It was only when she was old enough not to need them anymore that her mother turned her attention to Ariella. It started out small, just little critiques here and there. But as her sisters left one by one, it got worse. She would never be good enough. She'd never be as pretty as Evangeline or as talented as Margery. She wasn't complaint, she didn't behave, she didn't look put together. It was always something. She would never be good enough for her mother, or her father apparently.

Ariella knew the path to her father's office well. She walked it many times, trying to join him in his office, even if it meant sitting at one of the couches drawing. He used to let her as a child. It was easier to let her color silently than bug him endlessly for him to let her in. He used to hang her drawings on the wall behind his desk so he could look at them. Then one day, he didn't let her in his office anymore. Her pictures had disappeared from his wall and he slowly started cutting her out of his life. She didn't understand and after years of asking for him to clarify, she finally stopped.

She used to spy on him searching for the answers she so desperately sought. But when she figured out she would never get them, she started to spy on him to fill other curiosities. She wanted to know how life was in the palace. Her father wouldn't speak to her and her mother wouldn't say a word. Her tutors would only reveal so much. He rather she came to him with the information. he didn't believe in spoon feeding her information. So she had to find it another way. And that way was spying on her father.

It would have been easy to send for a maid to fetch Dominic. It was a maid's work. And yet she welcomed the silence of the halls as she walked through them, even as she spied a soldier or two tailing her from a distance. They hadn't been there when she had gone down for breakfast.

She wanted to get this day over with. The sooner the better. The more she was around Dominic, the more she tempted a side of her she didn't want to meet. She couldn't show that she had any affection for Dominic. Her mother would tie them into a betrothal quicker than she could blink. Her mother had a way with getting people to do things they didn't want to do. So it wouldn't matter what Dominic's thoughts were on marriage, her mother would get him to do it. Space would be good. Space was needed. But it was hard to put space between them when she was giving him a tour of the palace.

She sighed softly to herself as she raised her fist to knock on the door. There was a shuffle and hushed voices before Everand opened the door. He seemed surprised to see her at the door. "I'm here for Dominic," she said, loud enough her father and Dominic would be able to hear. "I'm to be giving him a tour of the palace."

Dominic didn't know how long he and the other two men stayed in the study for, all he knew was that it was long enough for his eyes to start hurting and his brain to stop working. There was only so much that one could do on lack of sleep, a tiring journey, and recovering from an injury that had had him passed out within seconds of his head hitting the bed yesterday. Discussing war strategies was not something that he wanted to do with his time in the morning.

Regardless, he wanted to see the training grounds of the palace. Ariella had mentioned them last night during their little escapade and forbidden teasing session and the prince was eager to check it out, if only for his sanity. Maybe he could train to the point of exhaustion and pass out that evening like he had done yesterday.

Training had always been a way for Dominic to clear his head. At the end of the day, his sword was always there for him. The heavy metal that balanced so easily in his hand wouldn't wrong him. He could take his anger out in the training rings where his opponents were equally trained soldiers and could fight back, could taunt and test his limits until one of them lost. Usually, it was his opponent. There were few who could beat him in a fight when it came to Verillia's royal guard. The captain was one of them, although usually they were equally matched. But the main had trained him, taught him all he knew. When it came down to it, the captain was aware of his weaknesses and faults in a fight and could use them to his advantage, and was one of the only men who was able to do so. The other was his father. Well, it had been his father in his prime, the old man now was less skilled was a sword and Dominic would easily be able to best him but hadn't had the chance. Truthfully, he was too scared to even attempt to fight back against him.

The knocking on the door was almost a blessing as the conversation turned to that of his father and Dominic's personal relationship and it was one that he was not ready to have with the other two men. If at all, and when he saw the princess standing at the door he couldn't help but feel a little relieved. He blamed it on the fact that he was desperate to get out of that room and into the sunlight and not because it was the princess who had come to steel him away. A tour, yes. Eveline had said that yesterday evening and he had agreed. Now was the time, he supposed, to follow through with it. He had no doubt that it was her mother that had sent her to collect the prince. It seemed like she wanted them together as much as possible.

"I'm sure we can resume these conversations later, Your Majesty," Dominic said, bowing his head as he moved away from the table. He wondered if the other prince would join them. They had spoken about Dominic attempting to train him, but perhaps that was for another day when his arm was healed and he was at his full strength. It would only be a few days, he hoped. If he continued to drink the tonics he was given then he had no doubt that it wouldn't be long before he was back to normal and could show Everand how to wield a sword correctly. It would be needed when war arrived. How was he to fight on the front if he was not able to pick up a weapon?

Everand's lips lifted up in a smirk. "Mother finally sent you? I was wondering how long it would take. How was breakfast, dear sister?" Ariella would have smacked the smirk off of his face if her father wasn't standing just beyond the door. She could only imagine his reaction, and it wouldn't be in her favor, even with Ever riling her up. She was barely able to contain the eye roll.

"Pleasant as usual, brother. I'm not sure why you're insulating otherwise." Being around her mother was never pleasant but they needed to appear as a unified front in front of their guest. Even she understood that. She had read between the lines her mother had spoken at breakfast. She could play nice, for now. Or at least in front of her father. While misbehaving usually got his attention, or used to, this was not an instance she wanted to get in trouble for. Not with war on the horizon. The last thing she wanted to do was make anyone's life harder than it was right now. Planning a war couldn't be easy. She didn't need to add to their mental load by acting like a brat. As long as they didn't ask her to marry, she shouldn't have an issue.

Ever stepped aside, allowing Dominic to have a direct path to Ariella. She lowered her eyes from him, fixating here gaze on her brother's shoes. She didn't understand why she couldn't look at him. Why the very thought of him had her cheeks reddening in a blush. Last night had been a mistake. She shouldn't have gone to his room. She shouldn't have done what she did. Crawling to him, what had she been thinking? She hadn't been thinking, not clearly at least. She had just wanted to help take his mind off of whatever had him screaming in the middle of the night. It had worked, though, hadn't it? She wasn't awoken last night after she fell asleep because he fell into another nightmare. It had worked. She just wasn't sure she was happy it worked. If he now expected something from her. He had backed off, sure, but was to say he would again. If Ariella was smart, she wouldn't put herself in that position. She would distance herself from him so as not to tempt herself or him. But she knew, she knew her mother had other plans. Her mother was likely planning every available minute they each had for the two to be together. Eveline was taking advantage of the fact that Dominic couldn't leave, not unless he wanted to face the wrath of his father.

It was only as Dominic came to her side that she raised her eyes and caught Everand's gaze. He was looking at her with a knowing smile. She froze for a moment, wondering if he knew what she had done, where she had been last night. But that was impossible, right? She had paid the guards enough that they shouldn't whisper a word to anyone. Ever winked at her, causing her cheeks to heat and she gave him a scalding look. Ever was only teasing her for avoiding looking at Dominic. That had to be it. That's what she prayed it was. She would find out later just exactly why Ever was teasing her. He would likely come to her later with notes on the meeting.

Ariella raised her arm, expecting Dominic to take it with his good arm. She half expected Everand to join them, as it was proper for her to have an escort, but her father was calling him back into the study and the door closed behind him, leaving the two of them alone in the hall. Or as alone as they could be with four guards now behind them. She wanted to roll her eyes at them too. She missed the days she didn't walk around with a guard following her everywhere. The only times she used to have a guard with her was when she went into the city, which was less frequent as of late, and when she took walks around the palace.

"Well, you have already seen my father's study. This hall consists of several councilmen studies as well as an assortment of meeting rooms. The war room, which I'm sure you'll be acquainted with soon enough, various council meeting rooms and such. I'd show you them but I'm not allowed inside." She started walking down the hall. "I'll take you to my favorite spot in the palace and we'll work our way from there."

It was clear to someone who had a fucked family dynamic that from the reactions, teasings and conversation that the siblings were having with one another there was obviously something going on behind closed doors that he wasn't aware of. Ariella's tone conveyed it all, along with Everand's clear smirk that was clear as day, no matter how hard he tried to hide. So, the princess and her mother didn't get along so well. Somehow that wasn't a surprise to Dominic in the slightest. A part of him wanted to question her on her relationships with her family, but his gut told him that she would only lie to present a certain scenario. After all, why would they want to show their guests that they were dysfunctional?

Dominic knew the feeling all too well.

Because the King and Crown Prince of Verillia looked as happy as possible when it came to public appearances. There seemed to be no trouble between them, no conflict other than that of the personal family issues all people experienced - such as fighting about whether or not elbows belonged on the dinner table - and that the two were a united front. No one would have ever guessed how vile the King was. No one would have thought him to be the man who so easily let his 'friends' and court members abuse his only son in any way they liked, or that he even partook in the abuse, too. No. It would be cause for scandal. An insane thought to propose such a thing when the two men acted as if they were as close as they could be. Dominic understood, and he would not press on the matter, at least for the time being. There was no need to cause conflict when it wasn't his place to comment.

A distant part of his heart wondered what he and his brothers might have been like had they still been alive. Would they have been as close as they had been as children? Or would there have been a clear favouritism considering he was the heir and they were not? Dominic hoped it would have been the former, but he would never know. That opportunity had been ripped away from him before he had the chance to create memories with them that would have lasted lifetimes. Ones they could have spoken to their children about.

Had the king not been behind him in the study, Dominic would have denied Ariella's arm no matter how customary it might have been for him to do so. After last night he didn't want her thinking that there would be anything between them. Last night, even if she had started it, was nothing to him. It had been a good distraction, she was a beautiful annoying distraction from his own mind, but nothing more. The implications of them sleeping together were too grat to risk when they did not know one another and if anyone found out - if her parents found out, he would either have to marry or leave, neither of which he wanted to happen. Dominic had to keep his distance, at least for the most part, and make sure that nothing more than a few teasing words were exchanged. Nothing more than fun. Nothing physical. But as it was, he wrapped his good arm around her own with a soft nod to Everand before the door was shut and he was left with her and the guards.

Gods, he hated behind watched, "I'm sure many of the councilmen's rooms look similar, regardless," He replied, looking down at her for a moment, "What is your favourite place, Your Highness?"

Ariella gripped his arm firmly, her skirts molding around him. For every two steps she took, he took one. He was over a foot taller than her, bigger than her in every way. And as much as she hated to admit it, they seemed to compliment each other once more. Her dusty rose gold gown, trimmed with white embroidery matched his color palette, even if it lacked color. White pants and a sandy-colored shirt. All he was missing was a coat or even at least a vest and they could have made a fine couple. Oh, how she loathed her mother for putting these thoughts in her head. It certainly had nothing to do with their activities the night before. Ariella tipped her head to look up at him, looking at him for the first time since she had arrived at the study. "You'll just have to wait and see, prince."

The library would be anyone's guess as her favorite room in the palace. It was where she could most often be found. When she wasn't attending her duties, or avoiding her duties, she was likely hiding away in the library with a new book, or old. The smell of new books and old lingered on her skin. The dark eyes under her circles were usually from the hours that had escaped her while immersed in a novel. Ink stained her fingertips from writing her notes on paper. And yet as much as she spent in the library, it was not her favorite place in the palace. It was close, yes, but everyone knew about her favoritism toward the library. Everyone knew she went there for solace or to learn or just be. She couldn't truly escape in the library. Even when running from her duties or her mother, they always found her in there eventually because that's where they knew she would go.

But her favorite place was someplace that rarely anyone visited. It was only truly occupied during eclipses or when the planets were subjected to align. When they were not, it was rather empty. Empty and utterly alone. No one would ever think to find her there. So up and up they went. Step after step they climbed. The servants diminished the further they climbed. Ariella's thighs were burning and yet they still had yet to climb. The reached a spiral staircase, the last of stairs they had to climb.

"Wait for us here," she said to the guards. Where they were going, there wouldn't be enough room for them all. And while she was willing to share this room with Dominic, for what reason she did not know, she was not willing to share this with palace guards. It was bad enough their captain knew. Ariella released Dominic's arm as she began to climb. There was no one around to see whether or not Dominic was behaving with Ariella nor did she care. Perhaps she didn't want him to behave with her.

As she reached the stop of the stairs, the astronomy room was revealed. A chalkboard half erased, papers scattered, a giant telescope. But most of all, a stack of books that certainly didn't have anything to do with astronomy. Her own collection of books. She walked over to the desk and spun so she was leaning against it as she faced Dominic. With her foot, she discretely pushed the empty wine bottle under the desk as she spoke, "This is where I come if I truly need to get away. No one thinks to look for me here."

Mystery seemed to be a reoccurring theme with the princess by his side, and Dominic wouldn't lie to himself when he found it intriguing. Whether that be the reasons as to why she visited his room in the middle of the night and seemed insistent on staying, why she seemed to actually care about his well-being, and now, leading him to a place that he would only understand when they arrived. Ariella was proving to be full of surprises. Then again, he could have guessed that upon first meeting when she addressed him in such a way that one would have deemed rude. It didn't matter if they were both royals, there was supposed to be respect in tones and when he had shown up on his horse, there had been none. At least now there appeared to be a little, but that could simply be because the princess knew who he was.

Either way, as they walked through the palace Dominic was keenly aware of the eyes on him. From the guards behind them to the servants scurrying around and attending their duties. Anyone who seemed to pass them glanced in the direction of the pair and it was difficult not to glare at them as they passed. If anything they appeared to be a couple, from how they were dressed to almost match, even now, to how they held one another as if meant to do so. Dominic didn't know whether or not he liked the thought.

Up and up they climbed and Dominic was more than glad that the guards were dismissed as they ascended the stairwell until it was just the two of them. He kept his gaze lowered to the steps beneath him out of respect for Ariella, even though images of last night flashed through his brain. The thought of pushing her against the stairs flickered through his mind as clear as day and Dominic dragged his brain out of those thoughts before they became too difficult to deal with. Only once they arrived at the top did he finally raise his gaze to the small room and for the first time that day, something that might have been the barest hint of a smile flashed across his lips.

"It is quite out of the way to get to," He mused, heading to the telescope with intrigue alight in his honey-brown eyes, "And would be disappointingly pointless if you were not here when someone reaches the top." Calloused hands ran along the cold metal of the telescope and once more did that hint of a smile flicker across his lips, "I have a place similar to this back in Verillia."

A tower out of the way from the rest of the palace, albeit a little bigger. A room with a telescope and books of astronomy and space and stars lining the walls and scattered on the floor. Globes of the continent, maps of the sky and a giant gap in the tower ceiling where he could see the stars through the magnificent telescope. It had been his mother's and his place when Dominic was a child, a secret that they shared form the rest of the family. The prince made sure to keep the tower under lock and key. His father didn't venture that way because he was told it was only storage, and Dominic made sure that the maids kept away regardless. No one went in or out but him, now. A perfect place to escape and study the sky, a passion that no one knew about now.

Ariella planted both hands on the desk behind her. The dark oak wood had once been a thing of glory, when scientists had swarmed this room. But that was long ago, before her father had their own building constructed out in the city. Now they rarely ever visited here, unless they were bringing their research. Occasionally for eclipses and planet alignments her father would invite them to the palace and make this tower somewhat of a spectacle for courtiers to watch and gawk at. But other than that, it was empty and her solace.

She wasn't sure what had prompted her to bring him here. She could have very well left this place out of her tour and kept this all to herself. She had never shared this space with anyone. Eric, the captain of the guard knew, but only because he stumbled upon her one day. She had made him swear never to tell a soul. This was the only place she could get away from everyone without them knowing. Even her brother didn't know she frequented there. Less so these days, but she still came here as often as she could. Hell, the bottle she had hid under the desk was just from earlier that week after her fight with her mother. She had come up here to drink away her problems.

She watched him carefully as he approached the telescope. She didn't bother with the metal thing. The first time she had used it, it had hit her eye and given her a black eye for a week. She vowed never to touch it again. Ariella watched him touch it with such ease, as if he was familiar with telescopes. "All the more reason to come here. No one really bothers with this place. The only reason there isn't a thick layer of dust everywhere is because I keep it clean."

Perhaps even more odd than the prince being familiar with the telescope was a princess cleaning. princesses never cleaned. They had servants to do that for them and yet she kept this place. As clean as it could get. She didn't touch the notes or the chalkboard scribbled with scientific writing. She put them away or left them where they were. A few of her own notes were scattered on the desk. Notes that would never do anyone good as she was a woman and turned away from everything. But if Everand could have use of them, she would give them to him. Better to see him succeed and their parents be proud of at least one of them. They would never be proud of her.

"Tell me about it," she said, "your place back in Verillia. What was it like? How is it different?" She had only ever known the walls around her. She had never traveled to other countries. She'd never even traveled around her own country. She had ventured as far out to the neighboring cities but never any further. She had never been important enough to bring with during diplomatic trips to other kingdoms. Even now, all of her suitors came to her. She longed to see the outside world. She longed to see more than just this. And if she had to see it through someone else's eyes, then so be it.

Science was not something that many would have picked the Crown Prince to be a lover of, especially that of the stars. Astronomy was a difficult subject to understand and for the most part, people left the scientists to their own devices when it came to their studies. But not Dominic. The prince had loved the sky since the moment he could see, being enraptured by the planets and the stars with dreams to walk among them one day. His mother, Saoirse, had only fueled the fire for that love, showing him the old tower that had been abandoned long before he came along.

Saoirse had been a lover of the sky just as much as her son, and when she had found the tower the Queen had claimed it as her own until the day she showed her eldest the room. Then, it had become theirs. Her father had been an astronomer, and she had always supposed it was in her blood to love the stars above. Always she had hoped that her children would share the same passion, and when Dominic had done so, she couldn't have been happier. All the books inside the space had belonged to her and her father. Many had been taken from her father's study, or that of the astronomers guild in Verillia where he had worked. Saoirse had taken as many notes and books, objects and trinkets as she could get away with until the tower had become her own astronomy guild. No one but her father knew, because it was preposterous for a woman, and then a Queen of all people, to be so fascinated about science and the stars, and to be so smart with it.

Dominic learned the art of the stars as soon as he was able. Octavian had been a little hesitant with his son's passion, only because during lessons he would become distracted from his studies but was aware it made him happy. In the end, he forbade Dominic from anything related to the subject. Tried to, at least, but Dominic still had his tower where he toiled away at books and calculations with his telescope.

There had been so many times when he and Saoirse had spent the day up in the tower away from the palace to talk about their findings, or snuck out to the guild to speak to the scientists there and gain as much information as they could. There had been nights where he had sat in her lap, huddled in blankets and Saoirse had sung him to sleep while gazing at the sky above before carrying the boy to bed. When she had died, Dominic had thought that the love he held for the stars died with her. It was a loss that would never heal. With her and his brothers, Ezra and Otis, gone from the world leaving only him and his father, what else was there if not pain? Dominic had left the tower alone for months after their deaths, but found that reconnecting with that passion was rekindling and reconnection with his mother, in a way.

"Larger than this one," Dominic said, moving to admire the work of art that was the telescope before him, "With many more books. There's a large chalkboard on one side, a desk not too dissimilar to yours with bookshelves on all sides," He leaned down to peer into the lens of the scope, "I have a telescope like this one, bigger, and copper, but just as beautiful. Many small ones, too. My mother and I would sometimes take them into the gardens when I was a child." Giggling and pointing to the different stars they could see, sitting in the soft green grass and making notes, tracking the planets, "All my notes are in there, the place is littered with them." Big pieces of parchment he had hung and stuck to any available wall or table with scribble marks to map the changes he saw.

Ariella pushed off of the desk and strode over to him, standing opposite of him across the telescope. She kept her hands behind her back, watching the telescope as if it would reach out and swing at her again. One black eye was enough for her to handle. When she was sure it would not move, she looked over it at Dominic, observing him observing the telescope. It was strange, perhaps, that a prince, a crown prince at that, enjoyed astronomy. But then again, it was stranger yet for a woman to enjoy reading and politics. Ariella was beginning to think they were not so different. They were two sides of the same coin.

His voice softened as he spoke of his mother. He loved her dearly, then. Ariella wasn't sure of what happened to her, she had been so young herself. But she knew that the Queen of Verillia had died, along with two of her sons, leaving Dominic the sole remaining child. Her curiosity was peaking and she was almost tempted to ask him what happened. But why would a stranger tell her the horrific details of what happened to his mother? She would not even tell him of the discourse between her and her family if he asked. She had no right to ask him something so personal.

"It is not lost. You will get it back." Her voice was soft and kind. She cleared her throat, taking a step back from the telescope. She had already tempted fate too many times. She didn't need to tempt it anymore. "You are free to come here whenever you like. Court can be stifling. Between my mother and father and Everand, there will come a time when you need to get away. All I ask is that you keep this between us." It was a big thing to ask. They weren't friends or even friendly. And yet she asked it of him. He had been kind to her last night, in his own way she supposed. He had respected her and her boundaries, which was so unlike anyone she had met before. And when she looked at him, she saw more to him than what was on the surface. If she could trust him with her body, she could trust him with this, or so she hoped.

She made towards the stairs. "Come, we have much to see. I'd like to be done by lunch." Araniel was by no means as rich as Verillia and she very much doubted that their palace was any larger than theirs, but it was still grande and vast. There were many rooms and halls to see. The courtyard was something to behold as well. They had a beautiful garden. Araniel provided much of the food for their neighboring kingdoms. Their soil was rich. And while they grew the best food, flowers flourished as well. their garden was vibrant and lush. There was nothing they couldn't grow. And yet Ariella hated it. the scent was harsh on her nose and it gave her a headache every time she passed through them. She hoped to make their time there quick.

She held her skirts as she walked down the stairs. While she was confident with most steps in the palace, these were steeper and she'd rather be seen holding her skirts than tripping down the stairs. The former was more dignifying than the latter. As she neared the bottom, one of the guards held out his hand to help her down the last few and she took it, thanking him quietly. "I'll show you the royal suite next. It's where my mother, father and Everand are housed. While I don't expect either of my parents to call you to their rooms," or at least she hoped they wouldn't, "Everand might. And besides, I'd rather you know where everything is than know nothing."

Dominic rarely spoke of his mother. She had been everything to him when he had been a child. Now all he had were memories and dreams that would never come true. It made things worse with how his father changed after her death, too, along with his brothers. Without them Octavian had crumbled, the part of himself that had been locked away rising to the surface in full force and headed straight for his eldest without a care in the world of how it would affect the young boy. No one, he had no one.

He didn't know if he would ever return home. Ariella sounded so sure that he would but his heart ached, as if mourning the loss of Verillia before it even arrived. He might not voice his concerns but quite frankly, the prince was more than a little worried that they wouldn't win this battle. The Verillian army was great. Powerful. They had more numbers than was necessary and one of the strictest yet best training programs on the continent. How they were going to beat that was beyond him, especially when Aranial's army in comparison would barely even make a dent. They needed allies. Many allies. Needed to recruit other kingdoms to their cause if they hoped to win and defeat his father. It was a lot of work, and Dominic was worried they wouldn't have enough time to prepare. He could only hope.

But hope was slim when the prince had spent his entire life hoping for something better only to be let down night after night. Whether that be a quick death at the hand of a court member, even his father, or for the man to return to his former self. Whatever it might have been, he had been let down time and time again. Hope wasn't something he had much left of, if at all. And being in the study with Galen and Everand that morning? Dominic wasn't feeling entirely confident that things would go their way. So his tower in the palace, where he had spent years and years learning, gathering as much knowledge as he was able until he practically qualified as an astronomer himself was already lost in his mind. There was no going back there and he doubted he would ever see it again. If the fight was taken to the front of Verillia, to the palace itself, if anything happened to that old tower it would all be lost regardless.

"Your secret is safe with me." Dominic would not tell a soul about the space she had up here. He knew all too well what it was like to have a space to escape from the pressures of life from, and he didn't want her to lose her space just as he had lost his own. That wouldn't be fair.

He followed her as she made for the stairs, a little reluctant to leave the room, but did so anyway. If they were up there for too long it would become suspicious, and he wasn't about to tempt his luck. Dominic didn't need Galen down his neck any more than he might have already been. Besides, he was looking forward to the gardens. Another space that he loved just as much as the sky and the tower to the world beyond were the gardens back home, and he wanted to see how Araniel's compared, "I doubt your brother will call me to his chambers, but it is necessary to know where they all are, in case of emergency."

Ariella looked back at him as he finished descending the stairs. "Don't be so sure. Everand will call you to his chambers, likely sooner rather than later. And he will give you the same speech he has given all of my suitors that have come to the palace. And if not for that," which he would, he always did, "Then to at least discuss what happens in your meetings and have a private discussion of how to move forward. Even my brother does not voice all of his opinions in front of the council. He'll invite you to meet with him, gauge your position, and go from there." She failed to mention that sooner or later, she would know everything that was spoken in those meetings as well.

The walk to her family's suite was much shorter than the walk from the study up to the astronomy tower. This part of the palace had several rooms. the king and queen's suites, Everand's room, a private dining room and sitting room. There were two more rooms on this floor, empty. Ariella had been offered one of them when all of her sisters had left the palace and thus left her alone on her own floor, but she had denied it. She was content where she was. She had made the room her own and wasn't looking to move rooms. the lighting would be different, the bathroom was on the opposite of her own bedroom. No, it was much easier to keep her own room. And it was as much distance she was able to put between her and her mother. And now that all of her sisters were gone, there were certain things she could get away with now that she couldn't before.

She pointed out each of the rooms. "Father's rooms, mothers, Everand. Those two over there are empty. This is our private dining room and attached to it is our private sitting room. While we typically dine with the rest of the court, we use these occasionally. You'll likely find yourself in one of these during your stay." During his stay, because he wasn't staying here. He was visiting. Gods knew how long he would be here. Until the end of the war and he was free to go home, assuming they won this war. And war could take months, years. Ariella should get used to seeing his face. he wasn't going anywhere for a long time. "Our rooms are on the floor below along with several other guest rooms, which will be filled in the upcoming weeks as guests start arriving for Everand's birthday."

She headed for the stairs. The next room on her agenda was the library. Her second most favorite place in the palace. She could practically smell the books as they neared the great double doors. The smile on her lips were not forced as the doors were opened. She took Dominic's arm once more as she led him into the library. "I'd liver here if I could. I tried once, by slowly moving my things into the library. My nanny caught me when I was trying to bring down a chest of all my clothes and shoes. I didn't get very far out the door. She made me grab everything I had brought down here and put it all back where it responded. Then she and the librarian got into a fight. The librarian feigned innocence, claiming she had no idea what I was doing but we all knew otherwise."

She ran her fingers over a desk as they passed it. She had spent so much of her time here. She spent more time in the library than anywhere else in the palace. So many memories of being hunched over desks for her lessons or curled up on a couch reading fiction. "This is where I usually am. If you can't find me anywhere else, I'll be here." Part of her prayed that he never came looking for her, yet she secretly craved what he could give her. Near the back with the oldest of tomes which no one ever frequented, her skirts bunched up at her hips while she was pressed to a bookshelf, a hand clasped over her lips to keep her quiet.

She swallowed and blinked rapidly, dismissing the fantasy from her mind. She would only hurt herself further if she allowed herself to get attached. And she refused to do anything her mother would approve of, even if it meant denying herself happiness. Out of spite for her mother, she had vowed to remain unmarried. And she knew herself well enough that she could not prevent the feelings that would come if she were intimate with the prince.

Ariella showed Dominic the various sitting rooms and tea rooms on the first floor. Her gaze was trained a second too long on the grand piano sitting in the middle of one room. A piano her fingers were well familiar with. The great hall was next, and through there, the kitchens where they were shooed out almost immediately. The kitchens were important to know for when the midnight hunger set in. Ariella came down here more than she would like to admit to steal a sweet or five.

"I think this next room is more suited for you," Ariella said as she pushed open a door. Inside was the palace armory. "When your arm is healed up, you may choose your weapon of choice. they range in different sizes and weights but all are rather standard. If you wish for something more customizable, more personal, there's a blacksmith in the city. There's no one better than he is. Everand or myself can take you to him should you wish to visit. After your wound is healed." She gave him a look that said she would be dealing with him personally if he did not allow his arm to heal before starting up training once more. "We'll pass the barracks as I show you the courtyard. You can enter those on your own time. I don't think it would be very proper for me to go inside."

Ariella had one more place to show him before they went outside. Or rather, she would show him the door. She would not dare step inside. Sometime when she passed, she swore she could hear screaming. they claimed it was soundproof and sound could not escape but she did not quite believe that. Not with the screams that haunted her sleep from the prisoners below. "I'm sure Father and Everand will give you a proper tour of the dungeons. Even if they had not banned me from stepping inside, I would not go inside. It is not someplace I would like to be." Not because it wasn't proper for a woman, but because it was a reminder of the horrible things her father could do. The things her brother would soon do. The interrogations, the torture, all sanctioned by her father. She did not want to think her father had such capabilities, no matter what the prisoners might have done.

"And on that note, shall we proceed to the courtyard?"