Astelion POV
The alleyway was a narrow, wound cutting upward into the mountain, with dense, encroaching shadows. The distant, forced music of the festival faded into a ghostly echo against the stone, replaced by the frantic, heavy rhythm of my own breathing.
The air up here was thin and bitingly cold, smelling of damp earth and old rock.
"I have to catch up to them," I muttered out loud, my voice sounding small against the towering canyon walls. I pressed forward, my boots skicking against the loose gravel. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
Out of the deep, pitch-black shadows of the alley, a figure stepped directly into my path. I froze, my heart leaping into my throat. The man was wrapped in nothing but a frayed, damp towel, his face obscured by the darkness.
Instantly, my defensive instincts flared.
The man smirked, misinterpreting my stance. He reached for the knot of his towel and, with a swift, arrogant motion, pulled it completely off.
My eyes widened. Shock slammed into me, and my hand flew up to cover my mouth as I stared at him. The man, completely unbothered by his nakedness, took a slow, confident step closer to me.
Then, the absurdity of the sight collided with my sheer adrenaline. A burst of hysterical laughter ripped out of my chest. I doubled over, clutching my stomach as wave after wave of uncontrollable giggles echoed off the stone walls.
The unknown man completely froze in his tracks, his confident smirk instantly evaporating into a look of absolute, bewildered horror.
Oh gods, that is absolutely embarrassing, I thought, desperately trying to catch my breath as tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I choked back another laugh, pointing weakly.
"Ohh... awww... itsss..."
The unknown man crossed his arms awkwardly, his face turning a deep, visible red even in the twilight.
"Why are you laughing?"
Here I was about to kill him, I thought to myself, my shoulders shaking as I continued to laugh. But honestly, living with that, he probably dies from embarrassment every single day.
"It's the size of my pinky" I laughed, wiping a tear from my eye.
His jaw dropped. "What?!"
I straightened up, waving a dismissive hand, my voice dripping with pure sarcasm.
"Nothing. It's perfect."
"Then why did you react like that?" he demanded, his voice cracking slightly.
Unable to hide my amusement any longer, I let out a sharp snort.
"Okay, look. It's too small. Hmmmm... more like tiny!"
"WHAT!!" the man shrieked, his manhood deflating.
"It's quite disappointing, really," I continued, shaking my head with mock sympathy.
"I have seen bigger even in books."
"W... h..." he stammered, his face turning an shade of purple.
"Oops. Did I hit a nerve?" I smirked.
"How dare you?!"
"Did I hurt your man pride?" I stepped closer, leaning in with a brutal, mocking grin.
"Look, I would love to sit here and look at your small penis trying to build its self-esteem up, but I actually have places to be. Bye, little twig."
With a casual, lazy wave of my hand, I released a sharp, concentrated telekinetic force. The invisible wave slammed into his chest, lifting his naked frame entirely off the dirt and launching him backward.
He crashed hard into the stone wall, his eyes rolling back into his head as he slumped to the ground, completely unconscious.
A satisfied smile spread across my face. Skipping slightly, my mood bizarrely lifted by the sheer ridiculousness of the encounter, I turned and continued to head up toward my destination.
But the lightheartedness didn't last long. A faint, deliberate scuff of a boot echoed on the gravel behind me. My smile vanished. My eyes flared into a bright, dangerous glow once more.
Keeping my back turned to play the prey, I casually ran my fingers against the cold, sweating wall of the alley. Activating my elemental gift, I felt the moisture deep within the stone.
With a subtle, pulling motion, I dragged the water right out of the wall, the liquid swirling seamlessly into the palm of my hand.
I closed my eyes, focusing on the freezing air around me. With a sharp mental snap, the swirling water solidified, hardening into a single, razor-sharp ice spike that floated lazily just above my skin.
The footsteps behind me grew closer, stepping right into my strike zone.
I spun around with speed, hurling the ice spike directly at the intruder's chest. But before the shard could pierce flesh, a ripple of atmospheric pressure collided with it.
The spike stopped dead in midair, shattered into a harmless flurry of frost, and dropped to the ground. Kiono stood there, lowering his hand with a teasing grin.
"Wow! Didn't know you loved me that much to kill me," he laughed sarcastically, brushing some stray frost from his uniform.
I let out a harsh breath, my heart hammering for a completely different reason now.
"Don't sneak up on people like that!"
Kiono took a step forward, his blue eyes locking onto mine in the moonlight.
"I promise I was not stalking you. This was all a coincidence. Besides, I liked how you handled yourself back there."
I rolled my eyes, a playful, familiar warmth bleeding through my panic. I crossed my arms, tilting my head up.
"Oh, shut it. You're obsessed with me, just admit it," I flirted, the corner of my mouth tugging upward.
Kiono didn't hesitate. He closed the remaining distance between us, his movements smooth and deliberate. Before I could utter another witty comeback, his hand slid around the nape of my neck, tilting my chin up as he pulled me firmly against his chest, burying his lips into mine.
Kiono slowly pulled back from the kiss, his thumb gently tracing my cheekbone as a soft, reassuring smile crossed his lips.
"My parents' house is close by," he murmured, his voice a low, soothing hum against the quiet of the mountain pass.
"How about we spend the night there, and you can meet them tomorrow?"
My heart did a sudden, flip. Oh no. I completely forgot about meeting his parents.
It had completely slipped my mind. Panic must have flashed across my face, because Kiono let out a soft chuckle.
"Don't be nervous," he said, leaning down to press a warm, lingering kiss against the skin of my neck, sending a delicious shiver straight down my spine. I let out a helpless little giggle, the tension completely draining from my shoulders.
"I have everything planned. I even got you a dress that I know you would look absolutely stunning in."
"Okay, okay, fine," I breathed, batting playfully at his chest.
"Let's go." He smiled, wrapping his warm fingers securely around mine.
"Let's go this way so we can take a stroll and enjoy the scenery."
As we walked together hand in hand, Kiono kept glancing down at me with a protective expression. Under his gaze, the heavy, fears of the festival and Cion's shadowy pursuit completely melted away. For a few stolen moments, I wasn't a traveler fighting a desperate war against time, I was just a girl walking with someone she loved.
I looked around, finally taking in the true beauty of the city outside of Castel's oppressive grip. Glowing lanterns illuminated vibrant bursts of pedal tree flowers, and the distant sounds of citizens singing and dancing filled the night air.
Kiono even stopped at a brightly lit market stall, laughing as he won me a soft teddy bear and slipped a delicate, beautifully crafted little bracelet over my wrist.
But the lighthearted peace shattered into pure awe when we finally reached our destination. We stood before the breathtaking estate. My jaw dropped, my mouth hanging completely open as I stared at the towering structure.
It was an absolute masterpiece of architecture, bathed in golden light that reflected off a massive, crystal-clear pool. Elegant spires reached toward a twilight sky of deep violet and fiery orange, while lush, flower-draped balconies and cascading waterfalls framed the entire compound.
"Are you sure you're just a guard?" I stammered, my voice barely a whisper as I looked up at the jaw-dropping structure.
"This isn't a house, Kiono. This is a castle."
Kiono awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish, incredibly handsome grin breaking across his face.
"Well... I didn't want to scare you off by telling you I am also a prince."
My head snapped toward him so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. I stared at him in absolute shock, my eyes darting back and forth between his regular guard uniform and the literal Castle in front of us.
Before I could process the revelation, he took my hand again, leading me past the grand archways and into the main compound. As we crossed the threshold, rows of maids and guards immediately straightened, bowing deeply.
"Long live the prince," they greeted in a synchronized, respectful chorus. I was still in utter disbelief, walking beside him with my mouth wide open like a fish out of water.
Kiono looked down at me, a deep rumble of laughter vibrating in his chest, before he playfully used his fingers to gently nudge my chin upward, closing my mouth for me.
The interior of the palace was nothing short of magical. Towering arched ceilings were adorned with gold leaf, and massive crystal chandeliers cast a warm, romantic glow over polished floors.
We walked up a majestic, sweeping grand staircase. As we ascended, I let my fingers trail lightly against the cool, heavily carved wooden railing, feeling the smooth, polished texture beneath my palm.
Finally, we reached the heavy doors of his private quarters. When he pushed them open, I stepped into the stunning bedroom displayed.
Tall, beautiful arched windows looked out over the misty, pine-covered mountains we had just escaped. Deep blue velvet drapery hung over a massive, inviting bed that looked fit for royalty, and the soft glow of table lamps cast cozy, dancing shadows across a private library alcove and plush leather seating.
"Wow," I breathed, turning in a slow circle to take in the sheer luxury.
"This is just so unbelievable and unexpected. How did you hide this for so long?"
"I wasn't trying to hide it," Kiono said softly, a casual shrug of his shoulders as he closed the heavy doors behind us.
"It was just never brought up."
He unbuckled his heavy guard armor, letting it clatter to the floor before pulling his shirt over his head and tossing his shoes aside.
I turned around and completely lost my train of thought.
My gaze locked onto him, openly admiring the view. A breathtaking man, his heavily defined shoulders and sculpted chest glistening slightly with a light sheen of sweat.
His dark hair was perfectly tousled, falling slightly over his forehead, his blue hypnotic eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light of the bedroom.
Kiono caught me staring, a dangerous, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
I didn't answer. Instead, I slowly bit my lower lip, the sudden heat in the room making my pulse race. I stepped closer, closing the distance between us until the heat radiating from his bare skin washed over me. Slowly, deliberately, I reached out and ran my hand down the broad, hard muscles of his chest.
I swallowed hard, my breath hitching as I looked up into those burning blue eyes.
Kiono's breath caught, his gaze darkening with sudden, intense desire. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist, pulling my body flush against his bare chest. Leaning down, he buried his face in the crook of my neck, his lips brushing against my skin before he shifted up to whisper against my ear, his voice a low, rough growl that turned my knees to jelly.
"Don't start what you can't finish," he murmured, his breath hot and intoxicating against my skin. "If you start I have no intentions of letting you rest."
Before I could even gather the breath to reply, he leaned in further, gently nibbling on my earlobe, sending a wave of electricity crashing straight through me.