I arrived at the imperial castle completely changed.
During the entire return journey from the duchy, the guards and the driver had used me mercilessly. My body still remembered every thrust, every strong hand gripping my hips, every hot load they had left inside me. The respect the servants and soldiers once had for me had completely vanished; now I only saw mocking glances and whispers when they thought I couldn't hear them. I was still the prince, yes… but also the toy of the road.
My grandfather, before the carriage entered the main courtyard, allowed me to put on my normal prince's clothes: an immaculate white shirt, dark pants, and a light cape embroidered in gold.
I dressed in silence, covering the pink lingerie I was still wearing underneath, stuck to my skin with dried cum. At least on the outside, I once again looked like the heir to the throne.
When I stepped down from the carriage, my heart skipped a beat.
There she was.
Elyra.
My childhood friend. The girl with whom, at twelve years old, we had secretly promised each other that we would get married one day under the willows in the garden.
Now she was the new Saint of the Central Temple.
She stood at the main entrance, bathed in the golden light of the sunset. Her pure white robe, with delicate golden details on the sleeves and hem, fell elegantly to her ankles.
The light veil over her shoulders gave her an almost ethereal appearance. But I couldn't help letting my gaze drop for a second… her massive breasts, full and round, strained the sacred fabric in a way that was impossible to ignore. Her narrow waist contrasted brutally with those wide hips and that generous ass that made the robe cling softly when she moved. She was the perfect image of purity… and at the same time a temptation that hit me straight in the chest.
The moment she saw me, her face lit up.
"Allen!"
She ran toward me without caring about protocol or the servants' stares. She stopped just one step away, looked me in the eyes with that tenderness she had always had, and without thinking, stood on her tiptoes and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek… so close to the corner of my lips that I felt her warm breath brush against my skin.
I hugged her with the same affection, wrapping my arms around her and closing my eyes for a second. Her body was soft, warm, and smelled of white roses and incense. For an instant, everything that had happened on the trip disappeared.
"Elyra…" I whispered against her silver-white hair. "It's been so long since I last saw you. I missed you so much."
She pulled back just enough to look at me, her blue eyes shining with emotion.
"I missed you too, Allen… I was delayed coming after I heard you fell into a coma. Saint duties… it's very difficult to leave the Temple when they need you for blessings and ceremonies. I wanted to come running, but they wouldn't let me. I'm so sorry…"
She took my hand naturally, as if we had never stopped being those children who used to play together. She gave a respectful bow toward where my grandfather was standing in the distance, then gently pulled me along.
"Come, let's walk. The flower garden is still just as beautiful."
We walked together through the castle corridors. Our hands remained intertwined. The servants watched us with curiosity, but no one said anything. When we reached the garden, the scent of roses and lilies enveloped us. We sat on the old stone bench under the weeping willow, the same one where as children we had made that silly and beautiful promise.
Elyra turned to me, still holding my hand.
"Tell me, Allen… what has happened since I've been away? I know you're engaged to Aiz."
I nodded, feeling a pang in my chest.
"Yes… it seems the wedding will be soon. I hope you can be with us too."
She looked at me with a sweet, almost melancholic sadness. Her fingers squeezed mine tighter.
"Of course I can be there… but I would love to be the woman you marry."
The silence that followed was soft, filled with years of memories.
I took her other hand as well, looking at her with genuine affection.
"Can't a Saint get married?"
Elyra lowered her gaze for a second, smiling nostalgically.
"I would need permission from the High Priest… and that's not easy at all. They say a Saint must give herself completely to the Goddess. But…" she lifted her eyes and looked directly into mine, "I have never stopped thinking about that promise we made right here. Do you remember? You gave me a flower from this garden and told me that when we grew up, you would marry me so no one else could have my flowers."
I smiled, feeling a strange warmth in my chest.
"Of course I remember. You were the only one who let me win the races through the hedge maze."
Elyra let out a soft, almost musical laugh.
"And you were the only one who defended me when the other kids said my white hair was ghostly. You were always my hero, Allen. Even now, even though life has taken us down different paths… I still feel like this place," she pointed at the garden, "is still ours."
She moved a little closer until our knees touched.
"I'm not asking you to change anything about your engagement to Aiz. Just… let me be close to you these days. Let me remind you of how we used to be. Let me be, even if only for a while, the Elyra who promised you her heart under this willow."
I stayed looking at her. Her blue eyes, her gentle smile, the way her silver-white hair glowed in the last rays of the sun. For the first time in a long time, I felt something clean, something beautiful, something not stained by the darkness that surrounded me.
I took her hand and brought it to my lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles.
"Then stay, Elyra. Stay with me these days. I need to remember it too."
She smiled, a smile that lit up the entire garden.
"I'll be here, Allen. Always."
We stayed there, hand in hand, under the willow that had witnessed our childish promise. For a few minutes, the world seemed to stop.
And for the first time in a long time, I felt my heart beating not only from shame… but also from something close to love.