Page 122 of Of Realms and Chaos

The next morning, I woke to an empty bed. I groaned, sitting up and searching the room. It was quaint, the natural rock of the mountain being met with wood to craft a livable space. A large tapestry hung on the back wall, depicting what looked like The Royal City—the towering castle upon the hill surrounded by small cottages wrapped in vines and lilies of the valley sprouting from the grass. A wave crashed into the cliffside, water splashing against the Ayad castle. The art did not look like anything I had seen of Bellamy’s, somehow making it less alluring despite the lovely imagery. Small wooden tables sat on each side of the bed, which had a thick red quilt. A petite wardrobe was placed on the opposite wall from a desk that resided below the window.

Bellamy’s scent of smoke and cinnamon filled the room, wrapping me in the smell of home.

I moved to get out of bed, stretching as my toes touched the floor. Then the door swung open, revealing the prince himself. His hands held wooden trays, food and beverages stacked on top. Around his hips were a pair of black cotton trousers, which hung so low they showed the V of muscle pointing downwards as well as the dusting of black hair starting at his navel and trailing south. Nothing covered his torso, the ripples of muscle looking even larger than they had been in Shah’s castle. He was like a living sculpture. Even the black lines—which currently ran from his elbows to his chest and stopped at his hips—only heightened his beauty.

Hair wild and cheeks flushed, he walked forward, shutting the door with a bare foot. From his mouth hung a single flower, the muted red stem and vibrant green leaves perfectly highlighting the lively red petals. I gasped as he got closer, thinking of the first time I ever saw one.

“How did you get a Salvia Splenden? You said they only grew in Haven.”

His hands deftly placed the trays at the end of the bed, not a single drop of tea or food spilling. Then, almost hesitantly, he grabbed the flower from his mouth, snapped the stem, and tucked the flower behind my ear.

Cheeks blazing, I smiled up at him, reaching to touch the flower. It was as soft as I remembered, the delicate petals smelling of fresh fruit and mint. Bellamy’s face was open and full of joy, his eyes sparkling with love. I could sense the way it pulled me in, that unfaltering loyalty and commitment to me, just as clearly as I could sense the thousands of other residents within the mountain base. Even with their thoughts and feelings pressing against my mental gates, my focus did not waver from the male before me.

“You liked them; I could tell. And so did I. They were special to me. So, the last time I met with Calista, I took some. Lara has taken good care of them. Though I have twice caught her trying to convince them that they might be better off dead.” His laugh was enchanting, the deep sound singing to my soul. But his words…they were a reminder of my many wrongs.

“I am so sorry for how I treated you back then. I cannot begin to explain how hard it was to live within my own head. Fighting against two hundred years of lies and manipulation, it was taxing. And I think a part of me thought that if I admitted that you were not the enemy, then it would mean I was.” He watched me as I spoke, his eyes downturned and his lips pursed. “You deserved better. You still do.”

His lips were on me in an instant, a claiming kiss that only broke for him to repeatedly mutter the same word. “No.”

Somehow, I forgot how perfect it was to exist beside him. And now, I wondered if I would ever be able to split from him again. He sat on the edge of the bed, our lips parting. He rubbed our noses together then placed a kiss to my forehead before bending down to grab my feet. I smiled as he adjusted them on his lap, fingers massaging as he spoke.

“The trainees are excited to meet you. I have planned a few sparring sessions where they will get to experience firsthand what you can do. I want you to give it your all, magic included. Every single one of them should be covered in their own piss by the end of the day.”

This time, it was my turn to chuckle. Pulling my feet away from him and moving onto my knees, I leaned forward and flicked his nose, promptly stretching over him to grab a cinnamon roll. When he smacked my backside, I let out a loud snort and nearly choked on my bite. As payback, I took the pastry and shoved it into his face, watching with more desire than amusement as he took the whole thing and my finger into his mouth. I felt his tongue circle my pointer finger before releasing it with an audible pop, my jaw slack as he chewed with a smirk on his face and a mischievous glint in his blue eyes.

Shaking my head, I snatched another from the tray, this time quickly returning to my spot near the pillows. We ate mostly in comfortable silence, only small conversations sparking here and there. The chai smelled divine, and I knew the second it hit my tongue that Ranbir had made it. Though I knew he forgave me, it was still hard to finish without thoughts of Winona—of all lost since then—swirling through my mind.

Once we finished, Bellamy took the trays and placed them on one of the tables then swiftly got up and went to his wardrobe. Black leather caught my eye, the stitching detailed enough that, even from a distance, I could see the demon sigil on it. After collecting everything he needed, the prince walked over to me, offering me his hand.

I took it, knowing exactly what he planned. Though I was aware, I still felt butterflies take flight in my stomach as he slowly slipped the top over my head, his fingers and lips meeting my skin here and there.

Before putting on my undergarments and trousers, he grabbed one of my legs and lifted it over his shoulder, mouth diving between my thighs. I jerked against his tongue, my fingers threading through his hair both for stability and as an anchor to life itself. His free hand grabbed my backside, squeezing hard and shoving me further into his face. I could not stop my head from falling back, a whimper leaving my lips as he feasted upon me.

“Gods, Ash. You taste so good,” he rasped, a moan following his words. I returned the sentiment, whimpering and grinding against his face in ecstasy. “Yes, Princess, fuck my face. You are doing so good.”

If his tongue had not left me teetering on the edge of oblivion, then his voice would have. I chased that high, one of my hands palming my leather-clad breast and the other holding onto Bellamy’s hair for dear life.

“Now, come in my mouth. Do it for me.”

With his name on my lips and his head between my legs, I did as I was told.

And then, because I enjoyed the high of control just as much as the plunge of release, I took my turn on my knees before him.

***

A short time later, after we cleaned up and he finished dressing me, it was his turn. I shamelessly watched him pull the leather on, a smug smirk on his face the entire time. Every inch of it clung to him, hiding nothing of his shape and…assets. My feet took me forward of their own accord, just as my hands mindlessly explored his body. I was only given one lingering kiss, and then he was behind me, rubbing soothing circles into my scalp and braiding my hair back.

The prince was like gravity pulling me out of space. Past the stars made up of heartbreak and despair, out of the suffocating darkness made of fury and hopelessness, and to him—my beacon of light. For the first time, I felt like maybe I was close to deserving that unconditional love.

When he finished, he went back to his wardrobe, sifting through a drawer until he found what he was looking for. He came back with a stick of kohl and an intricate set of straps. I smiled at both, knowing exactly what I was about to be practicing. But Bellamy decided to apply the kohl below my eyes first, trapping his bottom lip between his teeth as he worked—teasing me without even realizing.

“Why do you do these things for me?” I could not help but ask, so unaccustomed to the type of love that came without conditions and orders. Over time, I came to the realization that I might not ever get used to it.

“Other than getting to touch you?” he asked, winking down at me. I rolled my eyes, earning a series of chastising tsks before he continued. “It soothes me. I enjoy being the one to take care of you, and I feel like this is the only way I can do so.”

“I like doing things on my own. I never got to make choices before.” It was a defensive response, one that was not necessary when I knew in my heart that he did not wish for me to be different.

A sparkle of amusement lit his eyes, melting the frozen depths that always stood in stark contrast to his fiery soul and the sunshine of his mind. “Being autonomous does not require being alone, and accepting help does not equal weakness.”

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