Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Medieval Life is Not Instagram-Worthy

Walking through a sixteenth-century forest with a ridiculously attractive king while magically bonded for life was not something Maya's college orientation had prepared her for. The fact that her new "husband" kept stealing glances at her legs every time she stepped over a fallen log wasn't helping her concentration either."So," Maya said, attempting to break the increasingly charged silence between them, "those men who were trying to kill you. Tuesday activity or special occasion?"Adrian's mouth quirked upward. "More of a weekly occurrence, I'm afraid. The crown comes with many perks, but job security isn't one of them.""Right. And here I thought customer service was a dangerous profession." Maya ducked under a low branch, trying not to notice how Adrian's hand automatically moved to steady her waist. The brief contact sent warmth shooting through the magical mark on her palm. "Any particular reason they want you dead, or is this just general medieval politics?""My uncle believes he has a stronger claim to the throne," Adrian explained, his voice taking on a harder edge. "Lord Cassius has been gathering supporters for months, spreading rumors that I'm unfit to rule. Today's little ambush was probably his way of testing my defenses.""Lovely family dynamic. And let me guess—you can't just have him arrested because politics?""Because half the noble houses are related to him, and the other half are watching to see who comes out on top," Adrian confirmed. "Welcome to royal life, where everyone smiles to your face and sharpens knives behind your back."Maya winced. "Yeah, this magical bonding thing really picked a great time to happen. Nothing says 'stable relationship foundation' like death threats and political intrigue."They walked in comfortable silence for a while, both lost in thought. Maya found herself stealing glances at her unexpected companion, trying to reconcile the fairy-tale king with the very real man beside her. He moved through the forest with easy confidence, automatically checking their surroundings while maintaining a pace that accommodated her shorter stride. Every gesture spoke of ingrained nobility, but there was warmth in his eyes when he looked at her that made her stomach flutter.The mark on her palm pulsed gently, and she realized she was starting to recognize the rhythm—it seemed to sync with her heartbeat, growing stronger when Adrian was close and fainter when he moved away."Can I ask you something?" Maya said suddenly."Of course.""How are you so calm about this? I mean, a strange woman just fell on you, we got magically married by a voice from nowhere, and you're acting like this is only slightly more unusual than your morning coffee."Adrian stopped walking and turned to face her, his expression thoughtful. "Would you prefer if I panicked? Because I can certainly oblige if it would make you feel better.""That's not what I meant—""I know." His smile was gentle, and Maya felt her heart skip. "The truth is, Maya, I've been king since I was sixteen. I've learned that the crown requires accepting impossible situations with grace, whether it's a plague outbreak, a dragon sighting, or a beautiful woman falling from the sky into my arms.""Wait, dragons are real here?" Maya's voice pitched higher."Only in the northern mountains, and they generally keep to themselves unless disturbed," Adrian said casually, then continued as if he hadn't just shattered Maya's worldview again. "But to answer your real question—I'm calm because you don't feel like a threat. Dangerous to my peace of mind, perhaps, but not to my safety."The way he looked at her when he said 'dangerous' made Maya's cheeks heat. "I'm not dangerous. I can barely kill a spider without feeling guilty.""You killed twelve of my uncle's best assassins simply by existing," Adrian pointed out. "I'd call that fairly lethal.""I didn't kill them! They ran away because I'm weird!""You're not weird." Adrian stepped closer, and Maya caught a hint of his scent—leather and something clean and masculine that made her want to lean into him. "You're extraordinary. In one moment, you saved my life, accepted a magical bond without fainting, and managed to make me laugh during what should have been a traumatic experience. Most ladies of the court would have swooned three times by now.""Yeah, well, most ladies of the court probably don't have student debt and a caffeine addiction," Maya muttered, trying to ignore how good he smelled. "Speaking of which, please tell me this kingdom has some form of coffee.""We have excellent wine and ale," Adrian offered hopefully."Wine for breakfast. Sure. That won't create any problems in my life."They resumed walking, and Maya tried to focus on their surroundings rather than Adrian's extremely distracting presence. The forest was beautiful in a way that seemed almost otherworldly—trees that towered impossibly high, flowers in colors she'd never seen, and the kind of pristine air that made her realize how polluted her own world had become."It's gorgeous here," she admitted. "Like something out of a fairy tale.""Most fairy tales don't mention the lack of proper sanitation or the average life expectancy of thirty-five," Adrian said dryly."Oh God." Maya stopped dead. "Bathrooms. Adrian, please tell me you have some form of indoor plumbing because I'm already having a cultural adjustment crisis and I cannot handle medieval toilet situations right now."Adrian's laughter was rich and warm. "The castle has very modern facilities, I assure you. Running water, private chambers, even scented soaps.""Thank every deity ever invented," Maya breathed. "I was about to have a complete breakdown.""Over toilets?""You don't understand. I'm a city girl. I need hot showers and proper bathrooms and coffee shops on every corner. I once cried because my apartment's WiFi was down for six hours.""What's WiFi?" Adrian asked, looking genuinely curious.Maya opened her mouth to explain, then realized the futility. "It's... never mind. The point is, I'm not exactly wilderness survival material.""You're handling this better than you think," Adrian said gently. "Most people would have gone completely mad by now.""The day is young," Maya replied darkly.They continued through the forest, and Maya was just starting to think they might actually reach civilization when she heard it—a child crying, somewhere off to their left."Do you hear that?" she asked, grabbing Adrian's arm.He nodded, his hand moving instinctively to his sword hilt. "Stay behind me."They followed the sound through dense undergrowth until they reached a small clearing where the most adorable cottage Maya had ever seen sat like something out of a storybook. It was tiny but perfectly maintained, with flower boxes under diamond-paned windows and ivy climbing the stone walls.The crying was coming from inside.Adrian approached the door cautiously, but Maya pushed past him before he could stop her. "It's a child," she hissed. "I'm not going to let you intimidate some poor kid with your sword."She knocked gently on the wooden door. "Hello? Are you okay in there?"The crying stopped abruptly. After a moment, a small voice called out, "Go away! I'm not supposed to talk to strangers!""We're not going to hurt you," Maya said softly. "My name is Maya. What's yours?"Silence."Are you hungry?" Maya tried. "We have... uh..." She looked at Adrian helplessly."Dried meat and bread," Adrian supplied quietly."Food," Maya finished. "We have food."The door opened a crack, revealing one enormous brown eye. "You don't look like bandits," a small voice observed."We're definitely not bandits," Maya assured her. "Can we come in? It's getting cold out here."The door opened wider, revealing a girl of about eleven with tangled auburn curls and a face streaked with tears. She was thin—too thin—and her clothes were patched but clean."I'm Lily," she said shyly. "Are you really not bandits? Because the last strangers who came here took all our chickens."Maya's heart clenched. "Where are your parents, sweetie?"Lily's face crumpled. "Mama died last winter from the fever. Papa went to the village three weeks ago to sell our grain and never came back. The neighbors said bandits got him on the road.""Oh, honey." Maya was through the door and kneeling in front of Lily before she consciously decided to move. "You've been here alone for three weeks?"Lily nodded, tears starting fresh. "I didn't know where to go. Papa said never to leave the cottage because the forest is dangerous, so I stayed and waited for him to come home."Maya looked around the tiny cottage. It was clean but sparse, with barely any food visible and a cold fireplace. This little girl had been surviving on her own, probably terrified and slowly starving, still hoping her father would return."Well," Maya said firmly, making a decision that was probably insane but felt absolutely right, "you're not alone anymore."She looked over her shoulder at Adrian, who was watching the interaction with an unreadable expression. "She's coming with us.""Maya," Adrian said carefully, "taking in orphans isn't exactly—""Non-negotiable," Maya cut him off, using the tone she'd perfected during her brief stint managing a boutique. "Look at her, Adrian. She's eleven years old and she's been living alone in a forest full of bandits and probably wild animals. I'm not leaving her here."Lily looked between them with wide eyes. "You want me to come with you?""If you'd like to," Maya said gently. "We can't promise it'll be easy, but you'll have food and safety and people who care about you.""Are you married?" Lily asked suddenly, looking at their hands where the magical marks were still faintly visible.Maya felt her cheeks burn. "It's... complicated.""They look like marriage marks," Lily observed with the blunt honesty of children. "My mama and papa had marks like that, but theirs were golden."Adrian stepped forward, and Maya was surprised by the gentleness in his voice. "Lily, would you like to come to the castle with us? You'd have your own room, all the food you could eat, and Maya here to look after you.""A real castle?" Lily's eyes went wide. "Like where kings live?""Exactly like where kings live," Adrian said solemnly, "because I happen to be one."Lily looked at him skeptically. "You don't look like a king. Kings wear crowns and fancy clothes.""I left my crown at home," Adrian explained seriously. "It's very heavy and not practical for forest walks.""Can I see it when we get to the castle?""Absolutely."Maya watched this exchange with growing warmth. Adrian could have been impatient or dismissive, but instead he was treating Lily with the same courteous respect he'd show any adult. It was ridiculously attractive."Pack whatever you'd like to bring," Maya told Lily. "We'll wait outside while you get ready."As they stepped back into the clearing, Maya caught Adrian's expression—amused, admiring, and something deeper that made her pulse quicken."That was well done," he said quietly."I couldn't leave her there.""I know. It's one of the things I'm beginning to admire about you." Adrian's voice was soft, intimate. "You have a good heart, Maya Chen."Before Maya could respond to that loaded statement, Lily appeared in the doorway with a small bundle of clothes and a wooden doll clutched in her arms."I'm ready," she announced. "But I should warn you—I talk a lot and I ask too many questions and I sometimes have nightmares.""Perfect," Maya said firmly. "We'll fit right in together."As they set off through the forest with their new companion chattering happily between them, Maya caught Adrian watching her with an expression that made her stomach flutter. The magical mark on her palm pulsed warmly, and she realized that despite the impossible circumstances, she was starting to feel something dangerously close to contentment.Which probably meant they were about to walk straight into disaster.