25. Raea
Raea
The moment the heavy palace doors close and the heralds announce our names, the 'Prince and Princess' masks snap back into place. But my need to feel his hands on me doesn't care about protocols.
We slip away to the beach below the cliffs before the meetings begin, desperate for one more hour where we don't have to be royal.
“The air smells like you,” I say, wrapping my arms around Ryker as we walk along the beach below the palace.
He hums lazily, wrapping an arm around my waist and dipping me for a quick, chaste kiss.
His citrus scent isn't just a smell anymore—it’s my anchor.
The need for him makes my skin feel too tight when we aren't touching, and every second our hands are interlaced feels like my internal battery is finally recharging.
“I wish I could bottle it up and take it home with me.” Ryker hums warmly and kisses my forehead.
Gods, last night couldn’t have been more perfect.
After the Queen left, Ryker distracted me by toying with my gown, earning a reproachful glare from Mera and a warning not to mess it up.
Little did I know we had a meeting with Okenen’s publicity team, to which I zoned out for parts of it while I thought about every interaction I have ever had with Ryker and wondered why I ever fought this undeniable, insatiable love and need for him.
I had been lying to myself for so long, refusing to see him—all of him.
Now, I can’t imagine life without him. He’s already so essential to my entire being.
The sun catches my ring, and I let out a little squeal for the thousandth time today.
“Is this a good enough spot?” he asks, stopping so that Maya, his social manager, can grab a quick photo of us.
Our relationship has caused quite the buzz in the media. Everything from a royal baby on the way to power-grabbing relationships. After meeting with members of the publicity team this afternoon, we all agreed it was time for the Q&A we agreed upon last month.
Maya nods, and I reluctantly pull the moss agate raindrop from my finger, and the loss of it is a sharp, localized ache.
As it settles against the skin between my breasts, I feel the heat of Ryker’s gaze.
The Bond doesn't just want the ring on my hand.
It wants his hands on me, regardless of the cameras.
Ryker’s eyes follow hungrily, taking in my chest and making me laugh. Maya poses us in a few friendly poses: ones of us laughing, splashing each other, me on his back, but never any romantic ones of us. I catch her hiding her smile when Ryker kisses me between poses.
This morning, another gossip blog claimed we had already Bonded and the Ceremony in two weeks is only a formality, so naturally, now both kingdoms are relying on Maya and Anneli to do their jobs. Our kingdoms can’t afford to pull more resources away from the evacuations right now.
News of our engagement and the prophecy can’t get out. Of course, there’s plenty of speculation, but we need to maintain a united front that we are friends and doing the Ceremony early because of the war. Our people need stability, not change. Not right now.
After a few more photos, Ryker and I grab our Prisms and do a joint Live Chat for our followers. It’s part of the plan to win our people over.
Maya steps away as we find a rock, sitting side by side and propping up our devices. Before we go live, Ryker cups my face and brings my mouth to his in a searing, heated kiss that leaves me breathless.
I adjust myself, running my hand over my gown and through my hair before nodding that I’m ready. His smirk pulls at his lips before he starts our chat. Within a minute, we have over twenty thousand people streaming.
With a deep breath, I plaster on my practiced facade and begin.
“Good afternoon from Malaya!” I say with as much enthusiasm as I can muster.
I’d rather pull his lips back to mine and let the whole system watch as I profess my love to him. Instead, I stick to the plan.
“I'm here with Prince Anders, and today we thought we would do a quick Q&A for you all,” I say, using my princess voice. Steady, calm, confident.
“So send us your questions in the chat box, and we will get to as many as we can before we have to head in for a meeting.”
Our meeting happens to be legit. Today, Ryker is being fitted for wedding attire and some other pieces he will need along with his coronation outfit. I’ll be attending an afternoon tea with Queen Priana to meet with several ladies from their court.
The first question comes in, followed by hundreds of others. Ryker and I share a brief smile. I try not to let it show, but I want nothing more than to take his hand. Every time our legs brush, a jolt of electricity nearly makes me lose my 'Princess voice'.
It’s a struggle to keep my breathing even while twenty thousand people watch. My body is screaming at me to close the six inches of space between us, to ignore the chat box and the war and the optics, and just disappear back into him.
I’m not sure when I became so needy, but here I am.
“First question is from Gabriella. Have you and Princess Raea ever kissed?” I read it out loud, and Ryker amazingly keeps his face stoic while I laugh softly, trying to hide my blush.
“Princess Raea and I have been friends since our childhood and wouldn’t risk each other’s Bonds.”
It’s a perfect answer made of half-truths and omissions.
He reads the next question. “There are photos of you two holding hands. How long have you felt the Bond between you?”
I smile and look over at him, which gains us a bunch of hearts filling the screen. This is exactly what we need. We need to be seen as the sweetheart couple the system wants.
“Prince Anders and I have both felt the Bond between us since the start of the school year, and it has only grown in strength.”
He grins and snakes an arm around my shoulder, pulling me in for a side hug.
Putting our friendship, a glimpse of our love, on display for the entire system pulls me out of my comfort zone, but I only hope that it works in our favor. That our people fall in love with us as a couple. We will need their support and their trust for the coming war.
It doesn’t hurt if they like us, too.
“Do you already have a wedding gown? If so, what does it look like?” I wiggle my brows and shake my head.
“It’s being made, my designer at the palace is fabulous, but I’d never tell.
” I lift a hand, blocking my mouth as if Ryker can’t see me.
“I can’t tell you what it looks like with him—” I gesture to Ryker. “Sitting beside me.”
For the next forty minutes, we answer questions about Ryker’s upcoming coronation, how many men are invited to my Ceremony, how we both chose which division we wanted to be in, and so on.
Ryker gets questions about AerBall, and if he’s upset he never got to play in the championship game, then there are questions about what it will mean for our two kingdoms if we do Bond.
Maya nods in approval with each question we answer, and when we head back to the palace, she leaves us to have a moment alone.
Ryker drags me into a little alcove in the cliff face and pushes me up against the rock. “The entire time, I just wanted to scream that I was in love with you. I wanted to scream it, show it, and claim you as mine,” he says, bringing our bodies flush. His hands brush softly against my sides.
“And I will,” he starts, brushing his lips down the column of my neck. My hair is braided with intricate details, a crown of fresh flowers, and a few jewels. “I’ll tell the entire system how much I love you.”
My heart does a little pitter-patter before I throw both arms around his neck, sealing his mouth with mine. Our kiss is a mixture of heat and love, accepting what’s to come. For now, I’ll take what I can get from him.
An alarm sounds on his Prism, alerting us that he needs to head to the palace.
He sighs, dropping his forehead to mine.
I’m surrounded by his warmth and masculine scent.
Knowing I won’t see him until dinner, I kiss him one more time before playfully shoving him away so we can both get to where we need to be.
“Princess Raea,” one of the Duchesses starts, “tell me about your mother’s gardens. I’ve always wanted to visit.”
I set my cup of tea down and flatten my palms against my knees, the motion instinctive. My ring still dangles from its chain beneath my gown. I wish I could wear it.
“You are most welcome at the palace. I’d love to show them to you myself. Her gardens offer a variety of plant life, water features, and a few artistic statues done by the artist Calandra Dahl.”
The women around me all share excitement over the idea and I plaster on my best smile.
Why does everyone have to be so fake? Can’t we have a real conversation about the threat to our system and how we plan to help?
How they plan to use their powers? I don’t want to sit here and pretend we all just sit around being vacuous and shallow.
I give Queen Priana a side glance and she offers a simple knowing smile.
“May I ask, how are you all planning to help with the evacuations? In Treon, many of our ladies have been sent to several of our planets to assist with setting up evacuation centers.”
Several ladies stir uncomfortably before one of them speaks up. She’s about my mother’s age and if I remember correctly, her husband is a Lord of a colony on Nyx.
“How inspiring,” she says with pride lacing her voice. “A princess who speaks of important tasks. Do tell, what is their progress?”
For the last hour of our luncheon I tell them of our plans and how we are assisting colonies to prepare for the influx of refugees. Many listen with rapt attention, a few sit uncomfortably but nod in agreement.
By the time the luncheon ends, I’ve convinced at least half the room to take a more hands-on approach and use their gifts. Some still believe only men should have a voice in matters of war.
But that kind of thinking has never built a stronger world.