Fearless

"Azer! Nice meeting you, I heard your wife has returned so you set this banquet last minute?" King Raddan of Dor said.

(I won't be using names of kings/queens or other new characters from the book since I kind of want to make the plot different here.)

I stood beside Kitt, his arm wrapped around my hip, he pulled me closer until there was no space between us anymore.

Kitt greeted kings and nobles while I stood beside him, smiling silently and speaking only when necessary.

Kai is talking to other noble men, masking all his emotions away. He wears different masks but I see the tormented man beneath.

"Oh, Kitt; such a beautiful wife you have here!" An old guy with a dad bod exclaimed, walking over to us.

Kitt's grip on my hip tightened, but he kept a smile that is obviously fake. The guy looks like he is in his mid-fifties.

"Yes, indeed she is. But mind you, she is mine." Kitt possessively said, his eyes glaring daggers at the guy.

Once the guy left, his hand loosened but kept its grip on my hip. "Who was he?" I mumbled softly.

"No one. Just a fat noble dude who wants to hit on you." Kitt said with disdain and anger.

I didn't press further, Kitt definitely hates that man. Maybe not, but he was definitely mad at the guy for complimenting me.

Kai walked to us, a small smile tugging on the corner of his mouth.

"May I have this dance?" Kai asked softly, extending his hand out to me. I know Kitt doesn't want another guy to steal me from him but it is his brother.

"You may." I smiled softly, not revealing a hint of anything that was going on between us.

Kai put his hand on my waist, the other tangling with my hand. He pulled me in the sea of nobles slow dancing with each other.

"Kitt is probably fuming." I said with annoyance that Kai just ignored and smirked.

That dimple. I have memorized every detail of his face, his stormy gray eyes, his inky black hair and his defined jaw and that small dimple that shows whenever that smirk or a smile comes up.

"Let him, maybe he can even let some stress out." Kai answered casually like we are talking about a normal person's anger, not the King's.

Kai swayed me gently, his feet moving with mine as he leaned in closer to my ear, whispering, "Darling, I'll find you a way out of here. I promise." Kai's gentle voice soothed some fear I didn't know I had going on before he extinguished it.

"Promise?" I whispered back.

"No promises, Darling. But I will try my best." Kai's hand went to my hip as he pulled me closer.

He shifted his hand from my hip back to my waist as we continued dancing. We continued like that until Kitt stole me back and took me to dance.

~~~

"My love, why don't we try to conceive an heir?" Kitt suggestively said as we both lay on the bed.

"I don't know, I am still nervous." I looked down, fiddling with the ring on my finger.

"It will be quick, please?" Kitt softly said, taking one of my hand in his and gently rubbing my knuckles.

"No. Not yet." I muttered, at that, Kitt sighed and nodded, letting go of my hand and turning his back to me.

I know I have been distant, but I just can't find the right time to have an heir with him, for the kingdom and maybe also for us. Maybe I can still love him.

Once I found Kitt deep in sleep, I stepped swiftly and silently off the bed. I checked back on him before twisting the knob of the door and walking out.

I found myself walking across the silent gigantic halls of the palace, my sandals uncomfortable on my feet, but it is better than walking barefoot.

(This will not be like chapter 54.)

"Didn't expect to see you here, Darling." A husky voice like silk rang out, making a shiver run down my back with its coldness.

I quickly turned to see the tall guy looming over me. Kai. I sighed in relief.

"What are you doing here?" I asked brusquely.

"I should be the one asking you, Gray, or shall I say, Azer." Kai chuckled lowly.

"Nothing, just walking around here." I forced a smile to at least appear friendly. If I can't love him freely and if he's gonna serve me and my husband, I might as well be friendly.

"Wanna take a walk?" Kai softly said, reaching his hand out to me.

I took his hand, and he of course took that as a yes. Kai took me to the large palace gardens.

I looked up to see the glittering stars hovering above us, the moon glowing with a light that made Kai's features glow even more and the soft air whispering soft nothings into my ear.

"Careful, you seem to be enjoying this, Darling." Kai chuckled, staring at me while I stared up at the moonlit sky.

"Never." I scoffed as Kai pulled me down on the patch of soft grass.

Kai laid down beside me with me laying down after him.

"I feel suffocated. Kitt wants an heir." I don't know why, but I felt a sudden urgent to rant to Kai.

"I'm sorry if I can't do anything yet. And before you tease me, I'm serious, I'm sorry." Kai softly said.

I just nodded, sighing to myself and picking a lone daisy. Kai suddenly smiled and sat up, pulling me up with him.

"Before I leave, why don't we make flower crowns first? Maybe even teach me a thing or two?" He muttered, softly and cheekily at the same time.

"Fine, fine." I chuckled softly, sitting up and picking wildflowers to twist and tangle to make flower crowns.

~~~

An hour passed, Kai's hands are full of daisies and other kind of flowers, then came running to me like a little kid excited to tell their parent about a toy they found.

"Is this enough?" Kai called out while running.

I chuckled, taking out my dagger, making Kai immediately stop. "Whoa! Whoa! I'm not trying to get myself killed here!" Kai held his hands up full of wildflowers.

"No, no I'm not gonna kill you, yet." I teased, making him chuckle lowly and sit in front of me.

"Here, use this to cut the thorns on some flowers." I handed Kai the dagger.

Kai took the dagger and began slicing the thorns off. While I twist and tangle the stems of the flowers.

Kai smiled, "found this." He put a forget-me-not behind my ear, the nostalgic smell of the flower bringing me back to the willow tree.

I bit my inner lip to stop myself from smiling, Kai chuckled at that.

"You know, I'm not gonna bite if you smile." Kai teased, a smile tearing from my lips.

Maybe, I can just smile, just for now. In the dark, we are no one, just two people making flower crowns under the moonlit sky.

I taught Kai how to make flower crowns, gently guiding his hands to make a flower crown.

"Finally!" Kai exclaimed, holding his first flower crown that didn't look like mashed stems of flowers mixed together.

Kai softly smiled, the only thing soft about him, then placed the flower crown on my head.

"The queen that you are, your Majesty." Kai tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I told you, no formalities." I groaned as he chuckled loudly.

I thought I would never feel content, but here, with him. I feel full, I feel whole. I feel like I found the missing piece of my puzzle.