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“The only feature I can distinctly remember is her red hair. Much like yours, but I think it was a different shade,” I tell her wistfully.
“Ah, one of the gods’ favorites. She was special,” she says, watching my fingers twirl the lock of hair.
“You know the lore, too?” I ask, dropping the strand.
Her smile widens, and I want to commit it to memory. Warmth and joy beam from her, and I can see why she is so beloved in her kingdom, even in secret. She’s everything a queen should be.
“You don’t live with this color hair without hearing the story constantly, especially when you’re young,” she replies, and my own face brightens with a smile.
The fates sure have led me on a strange path.
A small laugh escapes me at the thought. I survived a treacherous forest and the wrath of a ruthless king who rules over a kingdom of thieves and murderers, only to find myself standing in a magically beautiful place enjoying my time with their secret queen. I hope the fates know what they are doing.
We stand in silence, enjoying the view of the haunted forest from the bridge.
It’s actually quite beautiful from here and doesn’t look like the terrifying horror-inducing place I entered when I first arrived.
Pairs of yellow eyes glow back at me from within the forest’s depths, causing me to startle.Well, maybe it still is that.
The queen leans toward me, her arm flush with mine. My skin tingles under her touch, causing me to flex my hand.
“So, it’s Theo? Why not Teddy?” That awful name snaps me from my reverie.
“Please gods, never call me Teddy. Do I look like a stuffed animal to you?”
She looks me up and down as if considering my likeness to a child’s toy.
“No, I don’t look like a teddy bear, Queen.” I chastise.
She pushes into me, laughing, and I swear she wipes a tear from her eye.
“Well then, Theo,” she over-emphasizes my name, “we better head in for breakfast before Pyke hunts me down.”
I laugh, knowing he would do just that.
She walks behind me this time, and I feel her fingers slide across my lower back. The tingles travel up my spine, and I fight back a quiver. Gods, it’s like I am being zapped with tiny lightning bolts and set on fire in an entirely sinful way. The sensation stirring those forbidden feelings I keep forcing down. I take a deep breath, willing my cock to behave.
We follow the bridge back to the pathway and turn in the opposite direction from which we came. She turns around to face me, walking backward.
“So ...” the queen drags out the word longer than necessary. “Do only lovers get to call you Teddy?”
I burst out into a loud cackling laugh. She joins my laughter, all sadness erased from her face, and she is glowing.
“Wouldn’t you like to know? But unfortunately for you, I don’t kiss and tell,” I say, giving her a wink accompanied by a smug smile.
She laughs again, and it’s the sound of home. My heart stirs, and I fight back the emotions trying to rise to the surface.
Following the queen through another set of black doors, these smaller than the back entrance, the smells of roses and apples fill the air, welcoming us inside.
We make our way through The Keep, and the queen points out new sections I haven’t seen yet. As we near the large arched doors of the dining hall, the queen slows her pace. A petite woman leans against the door frame with her arms crossed, scowling at us as we approach.
“Another outing with the enemy, my queen?” the woman asks, her tight, black curls bouncing as she speaks. I aim to step toward her to introduce myself, but the queen places an arm out to stop me.
“What I do with my guest is none of your business, Kira,” the queen replies, her tone harsher than I’ve heard her use with any of her people.
Kira’s chestnut eyes dart from me to the queen as she glowers at us.
“I’m positive I’m not the only one interested in what you’ve been doing and saying to the prisoner, my queen.” She hisses.
