Bonus Epilogue
UNRELENTING WINDS
Sometime in the Future
He was pacing in his rooms. Not even the gentle sound of the sea through his open balcony doors could soothe him right now.
Ashtine was supposed to be here nearly three hours ago.
Granted, this wasn’t entirely unusual. They both got caught up in one thing or another, making them late for their far too infrequent meetings these days.
He would have sent a note by now. Ashtine, on the other hand, probably hadn’t even realized just how late she was.
The worry was likely for nothing, but here he was, worrying nonetheless.
He was debating sending his own note after another thirty minutes slipped by when the cry of a hawk reached him. His stomach sank in relief, but it was short-lived when Nasima appeared alone.
When no silver-haired beauty followed her.
The silver hawk swooped into the room through the balcony doors, gliding to the back of a chair where she perched. Large, round eyes stared at him, her beak clicking in admonition. As if he should already be somewhere else.
He took a step closer, reaching out a hand to slide his fingers over soft feathers. “Where is she?”
Her head tipped to the side, examining him, and even after all this time, he still had to force himself not to fidget under the spirit animal’s scrutiny.
“Is she with the winds?” He paused for a beat, then added, “Or at the Citadel?”
Nasima let out a screech at that, her wings flaring out before nestling against her body once more.
It was all he needed.
“Thank you,” he said with a small bow of his head.
He moved to grab a cloak, the northern part of the continent experiencing the harsh winter months right now, as he debated where to portal to.
Her rooms were where he usually went, but he doubted she was there.
It was late, so there shouldn’t be many roaming the Citadel, but their relationship was still a secret.
If anyone other than Sion, Renly, or Ermir spotted him, he would need to explain the presence of another Court’s prince sneaking around in the midnight hours.
He was still debating when Nasima let out another loud screech, the cry grating to his ears. Clearly, the time for weighing his options was over.
Summoning a water portal, he stepped into Ashtine’s quarters, finding them empty as expected. He moved quietly through the bedchamber, pausing to listen for a beat, before continuing to the sitting room.
Renly quickly pushed to his feet from where he’d been seated in an armchair, relief visible as he took in the prince. “Nasima found you then,” he greeted.
The worry Briar had been feeling increased tenfold at the words. It had been ages since they’d had to intervene and send Nasima to him. “What is wrong? Where is she?”
“Nothing is wrong yet,” Renly said. “But it is a pattern we recognize.”
“Where is she?” he repeated again, unable to keep the low growl from his voice.
“In the catacombs. Her usual room. Take the back stairs. You won’t be seen,” Renly answered. “Sion will meet you there to admit you into the libraries.”
Briar was already moving, having traversed the hidden stairwells with Ashtine numerous times at this point.
“Prince Drayce,” Renly called after him, and Briar paused, looking over his shoulder. “Noelle reported she has not eaten today.”
Godsdammit.
“Send food down. I’ll see to it,” Briar replied, already moving once more.
His steps were quick as he descended the stairs all the way to the catacombs, and he found Sion in the hall, just as Renly had said. Not even the usual sentinels stood their guard at this door tonight.
“Prince,” Sion said with a nod of his head. “Everyone is in bed. You shouldn’t encounter anyone else,” he continued, letting his magic identify him as he pushed open the heavy doors to allow him entry.
“Thank you, Sion,” Briar replied. “Renly is having food prepared and sent.”
“Noted.”
Then he was rushing through the shelves and stacks of books until he came to the nondescript door. He knocked twice before pushing it open, Ashtine having murmured a distracted response.
And there she was, sitting on the edge of that worn plush sofa, books and scrolls scattered around her.
Feet in wool socks. A cold cup of tea off to the side and an uneaten meal in the corner.
She didn’t even look up as she turned the page of a book, and then seemed to compare it to something on the scroll.
“It’s cold here, my dear,” he said, leaning back against the closed door and smiling as she jumped at the sound of his voice. “It’s why we agreed to meet in my Court tonight.”
“Briar,” she breathed, rushing to stand, then stilling to look helplessly around at all the texts scattered about. “I am late?”
“Only by a few hours,” he replied with a wink.
“That cannot be true.”
Briar arched a brow.
“I mean, it can be true, but it seems unlikely,” she amended, her eyes darting from him to the clock on a shelf. “Oh.”
His smile fell then, and he moved deeper into the space, coming to a stop before her. He took her shoulders, gently running his palms down the length of her arms and back up again. “I am told you have not eaten today. Why did you not summon me if the winds have been—”
“It hasn’t been the winds,” she interrupted with a soft sigh, pulling from his touch and lowering back to the sofa.
He followed, settling beside her with their thighs pressing together as he reached to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Then what is keeping you from me, my dear?”
Her eyes fluttered closed at his touch, and he gave her a moment to breathe deeply. “Talwyn grows more insistent about this weapon with each passing day.”
“She is pressuring you on this?” he demanded, working to keep his voice even. “The Oracle told her of the weapon. Not you, Ashtine. It is ultimately her responsibility.”
“Yes, but I am her Third, and more importantly, I am her friend. I wish to be of aid to her. She is suffering more than she lets on.”
“I am not dismissing your noble intentions,” he said gently. “But just like with the winds, Talwyn’s claims on your time cannot overtake your own wellbeing. You need to eat. And rest. And not miss important meetings.”
She huffed a laugh at that, turning to him. “I apologize I lost track of the hours.”
“No need,” he replied. “We will make the most of what time we have left tonight. Renly is sending food.”
As if in summoning, there was a knock before the door opened and Sion appeared, a tray in hand. Relief flashed across his face when his gaze fell on his princess, and he turned to swap the tray with the old one.
“You are well, Ashtine?” he asked when he faced them once more.
“We are. Thank you, Sion,” she replied with a nod.
The male’s gaze slid to Briar, and he gave him a slight nod.
Sion left, and Briar stood to retrieve the plates of food.
Small portions of roasted lamb and potatoes, bread and honey-glazed carrots.
He wasn’t remotely hungry, but he picked at his food anyway as Ashtine ate, telling him of her research in between bites.
When her food was nearly gone, he slid more of his onto her dish.
He was sure she knew, but she said nothing.
When both plates were nearly emptied and set back on the tray, Ashtine settled into his side, her feet tucked under her. A comfortable silence fell between them while Briar dragged his fingertips up and down her arm.
He hummed softly. “If Sorin weren’t in such a dark place right now, I would tell him of our relationship so I could take you to the hot springs within the Fiera Mountains.”
She tilted her face up to him. “There are hot springs there?”
He nodded. “They are divine. One of the few things I like more about the Fire Court. One would think the Water Court would have hot springs.”
“There are no mountains in the Water Court,” she reasoned. “And they are the Fire Court. It does make sense that they would have them.”
He grunted his disagreement.
“I wonder if they are similar to the ones within the cliffs,” she mused.
Briar stilled. “What?”
Her brow creased. “I do not know how to make that statement clearer.”
He swallowed his huff of laughter. “I did not know there were hot springs within the Shira Cliffs.”
She nodded. “They are quite lovely.”
“And why haven’t we visited them?”
Her lips turned downward. “It simply never occurred to me.”
He gently extracted her, getting to his feet and reaching for her hand. “Then let’s go.”
“Now?” she questioned, but letting him pull her up anyway.
“I don’t see why not.”
“It’s the middle of the night, Briar.”
“And neither of us is sleeping, Ashtine.”
“Obviously,” she grumbled, and he loved these moments. The moments when she could grumble. When it was just her and him. Not a prince and princess. Not rulers. Just the two of them with something they were keeping hidden from the world lest the realm tarnish it.
Briar squeezed her fingers in his palm. “Shall we?”
A smile graced her lips, and they quietly crept from the small room, making their way out to the hall where Ashtine could conjure a wind portal.
A moment later they stood in a cavern, moss and flowers scattered along the floor and walls, and strands of ivy draped along the ceiling.
And just as she’d said, a large pool stretched out before them, steam rising from the surface.
The air was thick with humidity, and he immediately set his cloak aside.
Turning to Ashtine, he said, “Remind me why you have never brought me here before?”
She smiled, bending down to remove her wool socks and placing them with his cloak. “I often forget it exists. I rarely have time to visit.”
“We will have to remedy that,” he said, stripping off his tunic and toeing off his boots.
Ashtine was already at the water’s edge, walking through the edge of the warm water.
“Ermir would bring me here from time to time when I was a child. But as I got older and my responsibilities increased, those visits became less and less. Until eventually, they simply … ceased. I didn’t even notice.
” She turned to face him once more, opening her mouth to speak more, but her eyes went wide. “You are naked,” she blurted.
He smirked because she wasn’t wrong. He’d stripped down completely. If they were going to get into that pool together, he wanted her to be naked as well.
Closing the distance between them, he reached for the skirt of her dress, pausing.
But she only lifted her arms, letting him slide the garment over her head.
A moment later, she was as bare as he was, and he held her hand as they waded into the water until it covered her chest and lapped at the base of his.
Skimming his palm along the surface, the water gently eddied and swirled around them.
Her hair still piled on her head, she moved out further until she was swimming rather than touching the bottom, and she turned back to look at him. “How does this compare to the hot springs in the Fiera Mountains?”
“A thousand times better,” he answered without hesitation, following her path.
“They are that different?”
“The ones here include a naked princess.”
She laughed, the lilting sound a beautiful melody to his soul.
He reached out, finding her hips and tugging her into him.
Her legs wrapped around his waist, soft parts of her pressed against hard planes of him.
Her arms wound around his neck, and then she was kissing him, letting him taste what he’d been craving for weeks.
This was worth the secrets and the sneaking around. This was worth the late nights and meetings under the stars. But there was a part of his soul that was getting restless. Not to leave her. No, if anything, it was becoming clearer and clearer with each day that would never be an option.
She pulled back, pressing her brow to his, and her breaths quick as they both sucked in air. Her fingers toyed with his hair, and those piercing sky-blue eyes held his.
“Someday things will change,” she lilted.
“I know,” he answered.
“I fear what those changes may hold.”
“We don’t worry about it now.”
“Sometimes that is not possible, despite best efforts.”
“I know,” he said again, brushing his lips along her cheek. “I am trying to find a way.”
She leaned back to see him better. “You are?”
“I refuse to believe what we have is a mere coincidence,” he answered, pulling her with him as he swam closer to the edge. “And I refuse to lose something we both deserve to have.”
“Briar, we can’t—” She paused, clearly trying to phrase whatever she wanted to say correctly. “We both knew what this was going into it.”
“That’s just the thing, my dear,” he replied, pressing his back to the stone wall of the spring. “I don’t think either of us knew what this would become going into it.”
“But we did. We agreed,” she insisted.
“I distinctly remember us agreeing to not knowing what this was. That we would discover it together,” he said, his mouth finding her neck, gently kissing and sucking.
“That is true,” she breathed.
“And I’ve discovered that I will fight for us to keep this happiness we’ve found,” he murmured against her skin. “If you will do the same.”
Her head tipped back, and he cradled it in his palm as his lips moved higher.
“Yes,” she sighed, melting into him, and her pleasure pulling her under. “If we can find a way, I would wish to keep this forever, my heart.”
There was no more talking then as kisses turned into more. As hands roamed and primal needs took over.
But she’d given him permission to find another way, and he wouldn’t stop until they could keep this forever.