Page 53 of Bound By Honey

For a moment, they stayed like that, their faces close enough that Sage could feel his breath on her skin. His gaze softened, and he smiled down at her reassuringly. "I've got you, honeybee. I won't let you fall."

Something stirred inside her, and she returned his smile, feeling suddenly safe despite being suspended above the abyss. She stared into Prince Finn's eyes, and for a split second, it was like all her worries had melted into nothingness, and it was just them—alone in eternity together on this bridge between two worlds.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind.

Prince Finn smiled and nodded, then released his grip on her waist. He stepped back and gestured for her to continue. Sage looked at him before turning back toward the end of the bridge.

The Hot Spring

Aspromised,Sagehada room to herself at the hot springs on the new island. It was beautiful, with a large bed that had the softest sheets she had ever felt and a balcony with an incredible view of the sea of clouds between the two islands. While she wasn't a fan of the crossing, she could appreciate the view’s beauty from afar.

Before joining the others for dinner, Sage decided to dip in the hot spring. Something to help her relax after a long day of hiking.

Sage followed the winding stone path until she arrived at the entrance. She paused in awe of the building, with intricate architecture, marble pillars, and tall statues. Three doors sat near each other on one wall. One for men, one for women, and the last where both were welcome.

She hesitated before pushing the woman’s door open, unsure what to find inside. The room was small and steamy, with a few rough-hewn wooden benches scattered around the edges. A handful of women were lounging on them, chatting in low voices. In the center of the room was a shallow pool filled with bubbling hot water. As she approached, she saw several more women soaking in it, their bodies glistening with moisture.

She chose one of the empty dressing rooms and stripped off her clothes, feeling awkward and exposed. Her hands shook when she emerged, naked as everyone else. It was as if all the conventions of clothing and modesty had been stripped away along with her garments.

The steamy waters were inviting, and Sage quickly found a spot. She sank into the pool, the warm waters soothing her muscles and the steamy air filling her lungs. For the first time in days, she felt at ease. The world seemed to drift away as she sank deeper until the sound of male voices caught her attention.

The muffled voices belonged to Prince Finn, Asher, Sawyer, and Colby. Something about dragons and a mission. Intrigued, Sage leaned closer to the wall to try and make out the rest of the conversation.

"The report said there were signs in the mountains near Hartshire," Prince Finn said.

"How reliable is the report?" Asher piped up.

"As good as any we are going to get for this," Sawyer said.

"Then it's settled," Colby said. "We'll head there in the morning."

"Do you think she will make it?" Sawyer asked. "It's going to be rough, and she hasn't been training for these sorts of missions like we have."

Asher's voice was extra quiet, and Sage had to strain to hear as many of the words he was saying as she could: "She should be fine."

"If we need to, we can always call Finn for help. He will save her." She heard a splash and the men laughing. "We all saw you two on the bridge," Colby said. "When did that start?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Prince Finn said. She could almost hear the smile in his voice.

A group of women moved nearby, their voices drowning out the Charming Four's discussion.

Sage's heart fluttered. Alone without other responsibilities, she allowed her mind to wander to Prince Finn. His behavior had grown more attentive and kind toward her as of late. Perhaps hers had in return. Had she developed feelings for him?

She strained to listen, but it was impossible. They were talking about her, right? Sage sank further into the pool in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. That didn't make any sense. Prince Finn would never be interested in someone like her. She wasn't noble; she was average in every way. She shook her head. Why was she worrying about this anyway? Did she want him to find her as more?

With a contented sigh, Sage sank up to her neck into the warm waters of the hot springs and allowed herself to drift off with thoughts of the future. After completely losing track of time, she was brought back to the present by her stomach’s grumble. Not yet ready to leave the warm water, even though her body resembled a prune, she reluctantly pulled herself out and wrapped her body in a fresh linen robe from a cart near the dressing room entrance.

After gathering her belongings and remaining barefoot, instead of attempting to slip her wet feet into her boots, she exited the women's dressing room and headed to her room. Her feet hit a wet spot on the stone floor, and her eyes flew open as she slipped, releasing a sharp gasp of pain and fear. Trying to catch herself, she stumbled back, her head hitting the stone wall, and tumbled onto the ground.

Sage tried to stand but found her legs wouldn't hold her weight, her vision blurring as a wave of dizziness passed over her.

Strong arms caught her before she could hit the ground, placing her in a sitting position. Through the fog of confusion, Sage realized that Prince Finn had caught her. He gently brushed some stray hairs away from her face. "Are you alright?"

Sage nodded weakly, though inside, she felt anything but alright. She gingerly touched the spot where she had hit her head, feeling wetness on her fingertips when she pulled them away. Her breath quickened as panic set in, realizing that she was bleeding.

"Easy," Prince Finn said in a soothing voice as he used his free hand to brush away tears that had started streaming down Sage's face. She looked up at him, so close now yet still so far away—his royal status separating them like an impenetrable wall between two worlds.

Prince Finn picked up a cloth from the pile he had dropped to catch her. He held it against Sage's wound to stop the bleeding before helping her back to her room so they could clean and bandage it properly.

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