Fifty
*Freya*
I stumbled through the lush palace gardens, my hand clutched tightly in Rafe’s as he pulled me along. The early morning glow sparkled on the leaves and rainbow petals surrounding us. My curiosity flickered like a flame. What could he want to show me at this hour?
“Where are you taking me?” I asked breathlessly, picking up my pace to match his long strides. The rising sun painted Rafe’s bronze skin and dark hair in a golden glow.
He glanced back at me with a playful smirk. “You’ll see. We’re almost there.”
Anticipation bubbled in my chest as we entered deeper into a maze. Finally, Rafe pushed aside a curtain of dried willow branches, revealing a hidden field. I gasped. Nestled between moss-covered boulders was an enchanting stream. Ribbons of shimmering blue light danced upon the crystal waters, casting an ethereal aura. Tiny rainbow-winged fairies flied and twirled above the bubbling current. Their giggles tinkled through the air.
“Oh Rafe,” I breathed, unable to tear my eyes away. “It’s… magical.”
Wonder flooded through me as I took a tentative step closer. The stream seemed to pulse with an ancient, soothing energy I couldn’t name but felt deep in my bones. One bold sprite flew towards me, hovering inches from my face. I held perfectly still, entranced, as she reached out a tiny hand and stroked my cheek with the gentleness of a rose petal. Her touch sent a pleasant tingle across my skin. How was this possible? Real life magic existed?? Wow…
“I thought you might like it,” Rafe murmured, moving to stand beside me. His voice was low and soft. “This is my family’s most treasured secret, passed down for generations. The fairies bless these waters with peace and healing. No darkness can penetrate here.”
I turned to him, my heart so full it pressed against my ribs. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
The light of a thousand stars glimmered in Rafe’s eyes as they met mine. In that moment, I felt the rest of the world fall away, leaving only him and me, our souls entwined in this perfect slice of peace.
“This stream is called the Oasis of Peace,” Rafe said softly, his gaze still locked with mine. “No matter the troubles we have, once we step into these waters, they melt away for that time.”
His expression grew wistful, almost vulnerable. “Before my mother passed, she would bring me here whenever the weight of my future felt too heavy to bear. For a few hours, I could just be a boy, splashing and playing, with no thought of the crown I would one day wear.”
Rafe’s words painted a vivid picture, I could almost see him as a carefree child, his laughter ringing through the garden. My heart ached for the man who now stood before me, carrying the burdens of the whole pack on his shoulders.
“The magic of this place is reserved only for those of royal blood,” he continued, his tone weighted with something I couldn’t quite grasp. “We are never allowed to share with anyone who is not family or royal blood.”
I swallowed hard, a lump rising in my throat. “Then why did you bring me here?”
The question hung in the air between us, bright and burning as the rising sun. Rafe said nothing at first, he reached up and unclasped the golden chain that always hung around his neck. The pendant of his family crest glinted against his olive skin. It was extremely beautiful.
Slowly, he placed the chain around my own neck. The metal was warm from his body heat, and the unfamiliar weight of it settled over my hammering heart. Rafe’s fingers brushed my nape, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Because I want you in my future, Freya,” he rasped, his eyes blazing with emotions that stole my breath. “My queen, my Luna, mine. There is nothing I wouldn’t share with you, no part of myself I would keep hidden away.”
Tears blurred my vision as the indication of his words washed over me. I reached up to cradle his face between my trembling, the tender feelings in my heart threatening to overwhelm me.
Unable to speak past the feelings clogging my throat, I stretched up on my toes and pressed my lips to his, trying to pour every ounce of my feelings into the kiss. Rafe’s arms came around me, strong and sure, holding me to him as the rest of the world faded away in a whirl of color and light.
My worries about my horrible step sister and the ladies at court dissolved like a mist beneath the sun as Rafe’s mouth moved insistently over mine. Nothing mattered except this – his taste, his scent, the intoxicating feel of his hard body against my softness.
Eventually, we broke apart, both of us flushed and breathing hard. Rafe rested his forehead against mine, a boyish grin tugging at the corners of his sensual mouth.
“Told you this place was magical,” he murmured, and I couldn’t help the breathless giggle that escaped me.
Still smiling, he stepped back and began pulling off his clothes with ease. My mouth went dry as more and more of his sleek, muscled form was revealed to my hungry gaze. What if someone was watching us??
He remained only in a pair of short linen breeches, Rafe went into the luminous water. The shimmering liquid lapped at his perfect torso as he turned to me, one hand extended in invitation.
“Come on, Let me show you what true enchantment feels like.”
For a moment, I was reluctant because as much as the water looked beautiful, it looked untouchable too. But the heat in Rafe’s eyes, the promise of pleasure quickly burned through my shyness. With fingers that shook only slightly, I unlaced my gown and let it slip off my shoulders to pool at my feet.
Rafe’s sharp intake of breath as he took in my nude form made me feel powerful, beautiful, cherished. I boldly held his darkening gaze as I walked into blue colored water. It was cool and silken against my bare skin, seeming to welcome me, to draw me in deeper.
But it was nothing compared to the sensation of Rafe’s hands skimming over my waist and hips as he pulled me to him, fitting my body to his as if we’d been made for each other. Perhaps we had.
I wrapped my arms around Rafe’s neck, lost in his passion, my lips finding his even as he lifted me off my feet. My legs wrapped around his waist, the water warm against me as he carried me into the center of the shimmering pool, tiny sprites danced around us in a dazzling rainbow…
“There’s another secret about this stream,” Rafe murmured against my ear, his voice husky with desire and something deeper, more profound. “If someone tainted by black magic dares to enter these sacred waters, the purity of the oasis will burn their skin like acid until they run out of it.”
I pulled back slightly to search his face, my brows lifting in surprise. “Really? Then… you brought me here because…”
“Because I know your heart, Freya. I know that despite the schemes and betrayals that surround this kingdom, your soul remains untarnished.” His fingers traced the delicate line of my collarbone, his touch igniting sparks beneath my skin. “I needed you to understand how much I trust you, how much I believe in you and your powers. You are extremely special to me Freya”
I was speechless as I stared at his devastatingly handsome face. I couldn’t believe how perfect this moment was and I didn’t want it to end.
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