It was close to two in the morning when Magnus finally managed to slip Rowan through the shadowed palace gates. The night was hushed and thick with secrecy as the two of them moved quickly toward the waiting carriage hidden among the trees.
"Uhm sir, I mean, Your Grace… thank you. I will never forget your kindness."
He turned to step inside but before he could, Magnus reached out and caught him. One hand holding Rowan's wrist while the other steadying him by the hip. With a sudden, quiet pull, Magnus drew him into a firm embrace.
"Take care of yourself, my prince," Magnus whispered against his ear that the words heavy with restrained emotion.
"I will follow you soon, so please… don't burden yourself with too much fear." He hesitated then slipped a small vial into Rowan's palm.
"And this… it may not be much but I bought it discreetly, these are inhibitor capsules. They should ease your mind, at least for a while."
Rowan looked down at the gift and was completely speechless. His throat felt tight and instead of saying anything, he just smiled and hugged Magnus like holding on to him with quiet gratitude.
Magnus, for his part, stood rigid in the embrace. Rowan's pheromones were sweet, delicate and intoxicating as it slipped into the night air, teasing his instincts mercilessly. That every fiber of his alpha nature screamed to devour and to claim.
Yet he forced it back, grinding down the hunger until his body trembled with restraint. His cheeks burned with heat, betraying the struggle he waged in silence while Rowan, so trusting in his arms, seemed blissfully unaware of the storm he stirred.
For one fleeting moment, Magnus let himself savor the warmth of Rowan's body pressed against his while memorizing the fragile weight before he would have to let go.
When Rowan was finally on the carriage and as its door was about to close, Magnus' restraint faltered. He stepped inside while his hands lifting gently to cup Rowan's face, thumbs brushing over his cheeks with a tenderness that betrayed his thoughts.
"Forgive me… for this insolence, my prince."
Before Rowan could even process the words, Magnus leaned in and pressed his lips to his. The kiss began soft and tentative but the heat of their shared pheromones quickly ignited that their tongues meeting in a careful, yet urgent dance.
And Rowan felt no discomfort but only a natural pull he could no longer resist. He responded instinctively, closing his eyes and circling his hands around Magnus' neck while drawing him closer. Then Magnus' eyes widened for a brief second at the boldness, then closed again, surrendering to the sensation and savoring every second.
"Sh-shit, shit! What the hell am I doing?!" Mari's thoughts were a tornado while screaming inside Rowan's head. "This is insane, I should be pushing him away, I should be screaming and I should be, oh god! His lips are so soft and why does this feel amazing?! No, this is wrong and wait, what do I even do with my hands?!"
Every thought collided with every other thought in a chaotic mess of panic and pleasure.
"This is fine, totally fine but wait, no, it's not fine, shit! But… maybe it's the best wrong thing I've ever done?!"
The kiss stretched on for several minutes, long enough to feel endless but brief enough that neither of them risked of being discovered. When Magnus finally pulled back, both of them were panting lightly as their breaths mingling in the close, silent space. Magnus kept his hands on Rowan's cheeks, pressing their foreheads together and eyes locking in quiet intensity.
"My prince… I love you. Please take care of yourself during your journey. Two of my men will await you at the inn ahead to ensure your safety. I shall follow shortly so I ask you… please wait for me."
Rowan's chest tightened at the confession and though words failed him, the warmth of Magnus' touch and the lingering taste of his lips as well as the sincerity in his eyes said everything.
He nodded while holding the moment and memorizing it before finally letting the carriage begin to roll away into the night.
Rowan squeaked silently with his lips parting just enough for the tiniest sound that only he could hear because of course, he had to look cool internally while losing his mind. "Oh, fantastic," Mari groaned inside his head. "I'm not Rowan, I'm me and yet here I am, melting over a grand duke like a complete idiot. Really? Really? Could this get any more humiliating?!"
Her thoughts bounced between panic and sass, flipping the situation upside down with every heartbeat. "I swear, if anyone ever finds out about this, I'm blaming you. Totally blaming you."
Mari's mind was spinning.
She'd never heard anything that sweet in her previous life back when she'd been a woman with curves to flaunt like full breasts, a plump ass and a body that could turn heads. But truth be told, she'd spent most of that life holed up in her cramped apartment while dealing with her nagging sister, Mary and even barely leaving the place.
And now… now she was in a man's body. A man's body that some grand duke-level guy was actually confessing to and kissing. His heart felt like it had taken flight, tumbling through a whirlwind of butterflies.
"What the hell is happening to meeee?!" Mari screamed internally, flailing in her own mental chaos. "I'm not Rowan and yet… I feel like I'm floating on air because of this grand duke! Oh no… my heart can't take this!"
After a moment of thought, he hugged his bundle of belongings and rested a hand on the hilt of his sword then drew the curtain aside to peek outside. Darkness still blanketed the world so he let the curtain fall again with a soft sigh of disbelief.
For a fleeting instant, he felt a pang of nostalgia for the palace but as Mari reflected on everything Rowan had endured there, he shrugged the thought away and shook his head.
"Miss the palace? That's… funny."
When morning came, Rowan woke up only to find himself in an unfamiliar room but, to his relief, he was unharmed. It took a moment for him to remember that he must have fallen asleep during the carriage ride.
Then he sat up in bed and quickly looked around, his eyes going straight to his sword. Luckily, it was just behind the corner of the bed and was easy to grab. Then he heard footsteps coming closer and immediately felt tensed so he placed his hand on the hilt and positioned himself.
Then the door swung open, revealing two men dressed in clothing similar to his own.
"Oh, Your Highness, you're awake. We brought you some breakfast," one of them said while bowing slightly.
"W-who are you?" Rowan asked cautiously while hands still clutching the sword.
"We are Lord Duskbane's knights," the taller one replied. "He ordered us to accompany you on your travels and ensure your safety."
Hearing this, Rowan relaxed slightly and sheathed his sword before sliding into a chair. "I see… thank you."
After a brief pause, he added, "By the way… do you have anything to tie my hair back? It's gotten too long."
The knights exchanged a quick glance and nodded.
"Your Highness, would you like us to cut your hair short as well?" the other asked politely. "It would help with your disguise and make travel easier."
Rowan considered it for a moment.
The suggestion made sense and truthfully, a fresh start even in appearance felt fitting. So, he smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Alright then… let's do it."