I’m sorry that I left.
I’m sorry that I failed.
I’m sorry that I’m trapped here again.
In the end, he didn’t say anything. Silence stretched between them until it was a living entity, a fourth being in the room.
Minutes that felt like hours passed before Luna exhaled.
“I know.” She moved towards Marius again, wiping her tears with a handkerchief the king produced from his pocket. She sniffled and pressed her cold lips against his forehead. “I’m glad you’re back and you’re safe. We’ll discuss everything else once you’re feeling better.”
The royals left shortly after that. They wouldn’t be far—their suite was a floor above his—and Luna promised they’d return as soon as the sun set. They shut the door behind them, but not before Marius glimpsed several guards standing in the hallway. He overheard Sebastian telling them not to leave the prince alone.
Marius would’ve been offended, but Odette’s medicine had taken hold of his mind. He drifted off to sleep, the memories of riding Azil while Vivienne ran beside him filling his mind.
At least now, he’d tasted freedom.
Maybe it would be enough.
The fever must’ve dugits claws further into Marius than he’d realized. Or maybe it was a lingering side-effect from the First’s scratches.
Either way, he slept on and off for a week. He dreamed of everything and nothing. One moment, he was hunting down the First and stabbing a silver-tipped stake through the creature’s heart. The next, he was exploring the Southern Kingdom, riding dragons, and crossing the Indigo Ocean to meet the fae.
The only constant in his dreams was Vivienne. She was always there, no matter what he was doing.
Waking and sleeping blended together. The bedroom drapes were closed, and he kept track of time using his sister’s arrivals. She and her husband came daily like clockwork, showing up at dusk and remaining by his side until dawn.
Odette returned three times to administer the same purple medicine and check his fever. Marius took the medicine willingly. The sooner he was healed, the better. He needed to get to Vivienne.
Every day, he tried to get Luna to talk about his bodyguard or the First, but she kept refusing. She’d close whatever book was on her lap and insist he rest. When he pressed her, she said they’d talk about it later. All he could get out of her was that his bodyguard was still alive.
Marius hadn’t dared ask about Felix. If the royals didn’t know the groom had helped him, he didn’t want to accidentally implicate his friend. He’d check on him once he was declared healthy.
By the end of the week, Marius was itching to get out of bed. His cough was gone, his breathing was strong, and his mind was clear of the fog that had been plaguing him. Earlier that evening, he’d showered and changed into a fresh tunic and pants.
He finally felt like himself again.
When Odette came in and declared Marius fever-free, he knew it was time to talk to Luna about Vivienne. He wouldn’t let her avoid the question again.
The moment the door slipped shut behind the witch, Marius turned to his sister. She was sitting on the edge of his bed, petting Noir. The cat, one of the many that his sister owned, purred contentedly. Sebastian was giving them space, which for him meant that he was sitting at the desk on the other side of Marius’s room, working on papers.
Marius drew in a deep breath. “Luna?—”
A knock came on the door.
Of course. Talk about bad timing.
The king rose from the desk and strode to the door with predatory grace, shadows ripping behind him with every step. Luna’s hand stilled on the cat’s head, a small smile dancing on her lips as she watched him.
Over the years, Marius had gotten used to the way his sister looked at her husband as if he’d personally hung the moon in the sky for her.
And maybe he had.
No one could dispute the fact that the king made his wife happy. The two of them balanced each other out in a way Marius had never seen before. Maybe one day, if the gods blessed him, he’d have someone in his life who cared for him as much as the king loved the queen.
Sebastian opened the door, his large frame blocking the hallway from sight.
“Yes?” he asked.