East Kingdom
— Why are you already getting dressed? — I asked, sitting up in bed and staring at the girl in front of me
— You don't need to cry, Queen, I promise I'll come back, I just need to handle some things about the last battle that happened — Camilly answered, still getting dressed
I rolled my eyes, annoyed by her audacity in being ironic with me. After what happened at the lake, it was almost obvious something would happen between Camilly and me, she'd caught my attention over the last few years, always standing out among the other children, or even among other soldiers, her petulant and cocky way irritated me and at the same time intrigued me. She didn't fear me, didn't even fear death, but she stayed here, swore loyalty to me, and as unbelievable as it sounds, it was of her own free will. I admit, I always tried to push her away, broke her heart countless times hoping it would make her hate me or run away, but that never happened, no matter how much I hurt her, she always came back, with the same audacity and intensity. That somehow made me pull back, looking into someone's eyes and after so long not seeing fury and fear, scared me, feelings like those were easy for me to understand and control, but when I look into Camilly's brown eyes, I don't see either of those two, I see intense and dangerous feelings that, if not controlled, will lead her to ruin. And maybe, they'll also lead me to mine.
But instead of having the slightest bit of sense and completely pulling away from that girl, what did I do? I took her to bed. It's not like I could've avoided something like that anyway, the two of us were there in that lake, naked, and with her telling me she'd dedicate her life to saving me from the darkness that torments me so much, there was no way to avoid it, my attraction to Camilly was never weak and, together with those other factors, it could only end with the two of us on top of my bed. To be honest, I don't regret touching every part of her body, both with my hands and with my lips, and I certainly don't regret repeating that action dozens of times in the days after that one.
— I thought you'd already sorted everything about that battle
I got out of bed, still completely naked, I heard Camilly sigh, she turned toward me, her mouth fell half-open and the words seemed to vanish from her mind, I smiled, knowing that right then her eyes were wandering all over my body. A good few seconds passed before the girl stopped blatantly staring at me, her eyes met mine, my body reacted quickly to her lustful gaze, I could see the flames spilling out through the brown of her eyes
— Don't you think it's a pretty dirty trick to use your irresistible body to distract me? — Camilly asked, breaking into a wide smile and raising one of her eyebrows
— I'm not doing anything — I smiled, ironic — You, as my loyal soldier, shouldn't get distracted so easily — I said, walking slowly toward her
When I got close to her half-naked body, which was only covered by pants and a bra, it was almost automatic how my hands took hold of her waist. I pulled her closer and ran the tip of my nose along the entire length of her neck, feeling her sweet scent that left me intoxicated, her skin shivered
— You know I'm not just your loyal soldier — she whispered, I moved my face away from her neck to look at her — I'm your right hand and main guardian, my main objective is to always be paying attention to your majesty, and it's undeniable that this always happens — Camilly said. Her eyes connected to mine, without barriers, limits, or hesitation, they saw all the things I had to show, whether good or bad
Every time she did this, my mind formed hundreds of plausible reasons for her to be so hypnotized and look at me with such intensity and passion, it placed us in such an intense and illusory atmosphere that it made me think maybe she sees someone else when she looks at me. Maybe she sees the person she thinks I am and that made me distressed, thinking about the possibility of Camilly being convinced that I'm something I know I'm not, it makes me fearful of the possibility that someday she'll open her eyes and no longer see light in the middle of my devastating darkness. It was obvious she saw something in me that she herself invented, there was no other explanation for the fact that she looks at me with such tenderness and passion
— You're doing it again — she murmured, pulling me from my thoughts — I can see it in your eyes, you're bothered because you're overthinking things that have simply already been explained to you — Camilly said, leaving me surprised
I thought she would always have the power to steal the words right out of me
— How can you know what I'm thinking? — I asked, without looking away from hers
Camilly smiled while wrapping her arms around my neck, yes, that smile, it was wide and innocent, that smile held me in an inexplicable way, it was light and engaging, I wondered how a girl like Camilly could smile like that. I knew deep down that brave and petulant girl carried a lot of pain, I could tell from her gaze, in it you could notice the presence of something that tormented her every night, which had gotten worse since she started facing wars for my kingdom. I was aware that she already carried this pain before arriving in the East, on the day of our first meeting, I remember saying harsh words to her about how, if she didn't fear death, it was because she no longer had reasons to live. I didn't know much about her past, actually, even she knew more about mine, the only things I knew about it were that Camilly came from the Southern kingdom, which was completely destroyed and became just a place full of rubble and corpses. I don't know what she did in her kingdom, whether she was someone important or just a peasant, I also didn't know why she was the sole survivor of all the inhabitants of that kingdom. The person who destroyed the Southern kingdom was known for leaving nothing behind, the queen of the Northern kingdom was called the lady of blood, her name was unknown to everyone who didn't serve her, only her nickname was used to refer to her person. It was at this point that my doubts about Camilly's past grew, why would someone like the lady of blood spare the life of a 13-year-old girl? I think maybe I'll never know the answer to that question, nor even about the emergence of her peculiar lion-shaped mark
How intriguing could this girl be?
— Your eyes — Camilly said, I stared at her without understanding the meaning of her answer, I was completely lost — You asked me how I knew what you were thinking, so I answered — she clarified
— And what do my eyes reveal to you? — I asked, with a rare good humor. It wasn't every day people were lucky enough to see me with it
— Everything — she smiled and moved even closer, our faces were centimeters apart — When the blue of your eyes gets darker and unfocused, it's because you're thinking about something that makes you angry and stressed, that explains why you're not very aware of your actions or words when you're irritated — she shook her head and clicked her tongue, as if scolding me for such a thing — And when your eyes are lighter and shaky, it's because you're upset or fearful about something. I always see that look when you're on your favorite balcony of the castle, watching the beautiful sunset, at first I didn't understand why those sad eyes in such a beautiful and serene place, but after the day we almost kissed, I understood it was because that moment was the only one where you could reflect on everything you hide inside — her hand caressed the side of my face while she gave me a gentle smile, her words were calm — And lastly, even though I haven't seen it yet, I imagine your eyes get light and bright when you're happy, I can even imagine them a little squinted like that leaving the little wrinkles at the corners of both showing. Even if I never get to see it, in my mind, the image of them smiling and shining toward me is already almost perfect — Camilly said, looking at me in that way that left me unsettled
And once again, I found myself speechless, the confident way she talked about my mannerisms left me stunned, I never imagined anyone would come to know me like this, with all the details and flaws. It only made me want to pull back even more, the fact that she knew so much about me reinforced the idea that she really loved me, that would destroy her and I knew that, but I had promised Camilly that I would at least let her try to save me, and that was what I would do. For the first time in a long time, I would allow myself
— Seems like you really know me very well, little lioness. Both on the outside, and on the inside — I whispered the last part maliciously, close to her ear
A slight blush took over the girl's cheeks when she recognized the lustful meaning of my words, even though we had already touched and seen each other intimately many times, Camilly always got embarrassed when I suggested things like that. It amused me a lot since, in my eyes, it made her even more attractive
— I hate when you do that — Camilly said, a pouty expression filling her flushed face
— I know — I said, smiling victoriously
Before Camilly could retort with some petulance, I pulled her by the nape and brought our lips together in a quick kiss, I could feel her shoulders relax and her barriers give way, I knew at that moment she was surrendered, surrendered to me. When I pulled our mouths apart, I noticed she kept her eyes closed for a few more seconds, then, when she opened them, I could see that familiar brightness inside them. Camilly smiled and rolled her eyes, amused
— Always winning the battles, but know that I'm the one who will win the war, Freya — she said, smiling provocatively as she called me by my first name
Again, a strange feeling took over my insides when I heard my name leave her lips, I didn't know what it was, I just knew I liked it. Camilly only called me by my first name when we were alone, she was aware that if she did it in front of other people, it could generate disrespect toward me, which would lead to consequences for everyone involved. So, to avoid more unnecessary deaths, we agreed that she could call me by my first name, but only when we were alone. I had never allowed anyone to call me just by my name since I became queen, not even Megan, it seemed Camilly managed to pull out every single "I never" from me
— No, no, Queen — she pulled away as soon as I tried to pull her into another kiss — I really have to go, I just need to organize some things, I'll be back soon — Camilly said, giving me a forced smile while putting on her shirt
I crossed my arms a little below my breasts and raised one of my eyebrows, I was curious about why Camilly needed to "handle things from the last war" when it had happened weeks ago. This was rather strange
— And what, specifically, do you have to organize? — I asked, not bothering to hide my suspicion
That would make her nervous and make her admit she was trying to string me along. Camilly swallowed dryly, seeming cornered, I narrowed my eyes at her, making her even more nervous. When I took a step forward, she started talking
— I could stay and explain a lot of boring things about my post-war obligations, but I really have to go, Queen, see you later! — she said goodbye, giving me a quick peck and almost running out of the room
I frowned, not understanding her attitude. I decided, for now, to leave that aside, later I would find out what Camilly was hiding. At the moment, I also needed to handle some things
_
— So, did you understand all the orders perfectly? — I questioned
Megan stared at the miniature kingdom, marking all the spots where the searches should begin
— Yes, your majesty, we will do our best to find it — Megan said, seriously
Ever since I had ended things with her, our relationship became restricted to general and queen, which remained only because Camilly had refused the general position I offered her. She even got angry at me for doing such a thing, said that if I was thinking about turning her into a new Megan, I should give up, because I would never succeed. I remember being surprised by her reaction, but, after reflecting a bit, I came to the conclusion that it really did seem like that was my goal in offering her that position, even though at the moment I did it, I was only thinking she would be happy with such an important role
— Alright, I'll take my leave for now — I said, turning my back to her and ready to leave the room, I stopped for a few seconds, remembering something else — Don't forget, Megan, it's very important that you find that mirror — I warned, without even looking at her
I didn't wait for Megan to say anything, I just left the room. I went to my room, I had no more obligations that day, which would allow me to rest, I entered the silent room and sat on the edge of the bed, moved my head from side to side making my neck crack, a tired sigh escaped through my lips. Being queen was certainly not easy, especially when you're searching for an artifact that's almost impossible to find
I was trying to stay relaxed when, suddenly, I feel hands covering my eyes. At first, I even had the instinct to attack, but as soon as the sweet scent of her skin penetrated my nostrils, I was sure whose hands those were
— Guess who's back? — her voice came like a whisper in my ear, slow and seductive
A discreet smile took over my lips, for seconds, I forgot the fact that she had lied earlier today. Only for seconds
— Are you going to lie about this too, Camilly?
The coldness in my words made Camilly sigh, she took her hands off my eyes and moved away
— Of course you would investigate my story, wouldn't you? — Camilly commented, ironic
She got off the bed and stood right in front of me, both her hands resting on her waist. I pressed my lips together and hardened my expression to show her that I was the only one there who had the right to be angry, it seemed to work, since Camilly swallowed dryly and undid her petulant girl pose
— Why did you lie? — I asked directly
I stood up and stared at her with crossed arms, she sighed
— Okay, I wasn't organizing things about the war or anything like that, I had to lie because actually I was… — her cheeks started gaining a rosier tone and her sentence died halfway
I furrowed my brows at her reaction. Why was she embarrassed?
— Why were you…? — I prompted her to continue the sentence where she left off
Camilly took a deep breath before continuing
— Because I was planning a surprise for you — she let it out in one breath
My eyebrows rose, showing my surprise, I wasn't expecting something like that
— Well, if your majesty had waited another ten seconds, I would have told you about it and also could have invited you to accompany me to the place of your surprise — Camilly said, now with her well-known confident and challenging tone
— This surprise is outside the castle? — I asked, even more surprised — I won't have time to go out, I'm full of things to do still today — I lied shamelessly, in desperation to escape her surprise
I was nervous, even though on the outside my expression remained neutral, on the inside everything was messy. After all, why did she dedicate so much time to making a surprise, and a good one at that, for me? I didn't even know if I should accept this, I'm Freya, the ice queen, a cruel and emotionless woman, to begin with I didn't even know why I had accepted that she try to save me. I didn't need to be saved
— Hey — I was awakened from my thoughts by the warm touch of her hand on my face, it was then that I focused my vision on her, Camilly was very close, I hadn't even felt her approach, she stared at me with that look, oh yes, that look that carried no demands or fear. That look that carried only the purest love I had ever seen in my entire life — Let's just… try, okay? — she spoke in a calm tone that brought me some peace — You don't have to succeed, not today, I don't even care if you never succeed or never love me back, I just want you to try, Freya. I just want you to try to leave this darkness — she said. A small smile adorned her lips
I let out a sigh, knowing I couldn't escape that look. I took another step toward her, leaving our bodies practically glued together, I used my right arm to hug her waist and lost my left hand among her soft brown strands, Camilly, understanding my intention, held my face caringly between her hands. Without wasting time, she kissed me, each time our tongues tangled, I felt electric currents run through my entire body. Not even I could deny how good kissing her was
— Hey — she pulled away, letting out a low laugh — I'd love to continue this, but we have to go to where your surprise is. If we take too long, we'll miss the best part of it — Camilly said, excited
— Alright — I rolled my eyes — Tell me where this place is, I can use my magic to take us there — I said
already preparing to use my powers to transport us to the place she spoke of. Besides ice magic, the only power I could use was the one that allowed me to transport myself from one place to another, even though I had a distance limit, this power was still very useful to me
— No way, Queen — Camilly said, leaving me confused, she smiled — No magic, war, or anything that reminds us of our daily life. We'll go by horse to the place, it'll be just me and you, without anything else coming between us — she declared, still excited
— As you wish, little lioness — I said, holding back a smile that wanted to escape without permission
It seemed that, for the next few hours, I would be at the mercy of that petulant girl
_
— We're here — Camilly announced, stopping and getting off the white horse she was riding
I got off my own horse and looked around. We were on top of a high hill, the green grass with some newborn flowers covered it completely, it didn't seem to snow there as intensely as in other places in the kingdom, which had miraculously spared its vegetation. The view we had from up there was simply impeccable, the entire horizon was at our disposal to admire freely, there was no castle, wall, or anything that didn't belong to nature, just a beautiful view of the meeting between sky and sea. It was perfect, completely flawless
— It's beautiful, isn't it?
Camilly hugged me from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder, only then did I wake from the trance that beautiful view had placed me in
— It's perfect — I said, still admiring the beauty of that place
— A perfect place for a picnic, don't you think? — the girl asked, letting me go and standing in front of me. She opened a charming smile
It was only then that my eyes fell on the checkered cloth spread on the grass, on top of it, there was some food. On a tray, there were several little cheese cubes, also on the cloth, there were two pots, in one of them, beautiful and appetizing strawberries, in the other, what I deduced to be whipped cream, which made it an extremely inviting foam. Besides these appetizers, there were two glasses and a bottle of wine
— I know it's not one of those banquets you're used to, but I loved eating these things during my childhood — she thought for a bit and laughed — Except for the wine, of course. I used to like eating cheese with grape juice, but I think the wine will do a great job replacing it — she smiled and stretched her hand toward me — The sunset is about to start, would you like to accompany me, Freya? — she asked me gently
I stared at her for a few seconds, just to appreciate the contrast that the background landscape made with her already enchanting beauty, then, and only then, did I take her hand and accompany her to where the cloth was
— This is really good — I admitted as I ate another piece of cheese with a sip of my wine
— I told you — Camilly said, conceited, making me roll my eyes but smile on one side
We had been there for a few minutes, just sitting appreciating the beautiful landscape and waiting for the sunset to arrive. I think for the first time in a long time, I truly felt relaxed
— When I was just a child, I loved things like this, you know? Mixing sweet tastes with salty ones, textures, everything — she turned her face toward me — I used to think about things like traveling the whole world and experiencing different things — her gaze became harder and duller, then she turned her attention to the horizon again — I loved the small pleasures of life — Camilly said, her smile was sad, it didn't reach her eyes. Not like the others
And it was at that moment that I knew, Camilly had lost a lot, maybe everything. I saw in her eyes the pain of pronouncing the word "loved" in the past tense. She loved the life she had, and then overnight she simply lost it, indeed, that girl had been through a lot, things that maybe even I wouldn't come to understand
— Someday I'll take you to travel all over the world, I promise — I spoke that phrase with such conviction, that even I myself was surprised
Camilly didn't say anything, she just stared at me for a long time, slowly, a small, but sincere, smile appeared on her lips. And there it was, that relentless love, burning me intensely
— The sunset just started — Camilly let the words out, making me turn back to stare at the horizon somewhat anxiously
I could hear her brief laugh in the background, and then one of the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen in my life began. I thought nothing in the world could make me divert my attention from the horizon at that moment, but then, my subconscious made me glance at the person beside me. Camilly seemed lost in her own thoughts
— What are you thinking about so much? — I asked, unable to contain my curiosity
Camilly shifted her attention from the sunset to me, a charming smile took over her lips, she shrugged casually
— Can you imagine? You and me on an incredible trip around the world? — she asked, still staring at me
— Sounds tempting — I whispered, leaning on my left arm and bringing my face even closer to hers — And how long would we stay away? — I asked, looking at her without any discretion
Camilly turned her face completely toward me, her eyes gazed at my lips for a few seconds, then soon after they turned to mine. Such an innocent and pure smile took over Camilly's face that it made me lose sense of reality, the words that came next left her mouth in such a natural and sweet way, that I felt something that had been dead inside me for a long time, come back to life
— How about forever?