Chapter 6
Chapter six
Ava
Kaiser isn’t what I expected him to be. I thought he’d be like the other nobles, cold-blooded and heartless towards anyone beneath him. But the more time I spend with him, I realize that I’m the one who’s been presumptuous.
I never thought I’d see the day a noble would grieve for a commoner, much less one who was planning to murder him.
Yet, I can tell that’s exactly what is going on.
He may not be weeping, but his eyes are downcast, and his shoulders are slumped.
He’s showing all the same signs of grief my father used to whenever he was thinking about my mother.
My father also never used to tell me what he was thinking about in those moments.
Yet, just like now, I could always tell.
Kaiser suddenly pulls ahead of me as we reach our destination.
He’d wanted to see my hideout before he’d agree to search for the final piece of the puzzle with me.
Apparently, he didn’t trust me at my word when I told him everything was already taken care of.
I’m a bit vexed, but what can I do? It’s not like I’ll be able to find it without his help.
He lets out a low whistle as he steps beneath the falls. I join him a second later, ducking down to protect the firewood in my arms as best I can. We set the wood down by the fire to dry off while Kaiser surveys the results of my handiwork.
“Impressive,” he comments, his eyebrows raised. “How did you find the time to do all this and also collect the other pieces?”
I freeze at the question. Suddenly, I wonder if it was a huge mistake to bring him here.
He’s right to be skeptical. It would have be nigh on impossible to accomplish both things in the time since I entered the forest. I can’t tell him I used the birds to help me.
Talking to animals is a Fae gift, not a dragon one.
As I look over Kaiser’s face, his expression skeptical but not suspicious, I consider just telling him about what I am.
Since the Fae and the dragon shifters have been at war since I was born, I’d always hidden my secret like my life depended on it.
But seeing Kaiser’s pity for his attempted assassins has me reconsidering.
After all, if he can forgive them, why wouldn’t he be able to forgive me?
Unlike them, I’ve never done anything to him.
I shake my head at myself. No. I don’t know Kaiser well enough to trust him just yet. Maybe if I really had a shot of being his wife, then things would be different. But they weren’t.
“I have a lot of experience hunting,” I lie. I’ve only been hunting a dozen or so times. “I can skin and chop up an animal in very little time.”
He nods at my answer, seemingly accepting it.
In all honesty, I’m not sure if experienced hunters really can take apart an animal in so little time.
But as a royal, Kaiser should have even less experience with that sort of thing than me.
I doubt he’s ever had to butcher an animal himself in his entire life.
“Well, I suppose you were right, then. We do have time to go and get the final piece before sundown,” Kaiser says briskly, clapping his hands to shake off the excess dirt from the sticks. “It’ll be close, though. We have no choice but to take the longer way if we don’t want to risk being spotted.”
I nod and follow him as he heads back outside the waterfall. I shiver when the water once again pounds over my head. Now that the sun is no longer blazing as much, the water has become much cooler. I can’t wait to finish up so I can curl up beside the fire and eat my meal.
Once again, I find myself sneaking through the forest with Kaiser.
Luckily, this time we don’t encounter anyone along our path.
It’s getting darker now, and I have to keep an eye out for barely visible rocks and tree roots.
There are a couple times when I nearly trip but manage to save myself at the last minute.
Eventually, we reach our destination. I can tell by the way Kaiser slows right before we reach a large clearing.
The field we’re standing in is at least the size of the stadium we were in earlier.
It is barren of anything besides grass and a large firepit.
Flattened patches of grass indicate where tents were placed not too long ago, and animal bones lay scattered around the firepit.
The hunting party was a rather large affair, judging by the state of things.
Kaiser walks confidently towards the firepit, like he already knows what’s waiting for him there. Sure enough, when he bends down, he comes back up with a puzzle piece in his hand. He tosses it in the air and catches it with a grin.
“Got it,” he says, like I’m not able to tell.
“You seem awfully familiar with this place,” I comment as soon as he’s close enough. “I take it you must have participated this past year.”
“I’ve participated every year since I was five,” he nods, still tossing the piece in the air. We start heading back. There’s not that much time until it’s completely dark.
“Wow,” I say, my eyebrows raising. “Did you actually manage to catch anything?”
“Not my first year,” he admits, “but every year afterwards I succeeded. After I failed the first time, I practiced every chance I could so I’d be ready for the next year.”
“That impressive. But isn’t that a lot of practice for a little kid? Are you that much of a perfectionist?”
Kaiser laughs. “I am a perfectionist, but that’s not the reason I was practicing that hard. See, the annual hunt was one of the only chances I had to spend some quality time with my father. Being king is a lot of work. Whenever we did spend some time together, I wanted him to be impressed by me.”
“I see…,” I trail off, feeling awkward.
The mention of Kaiser’s father makes me fall quiet. Everyone knows that the late king was killed by the Fae. For obvious reasons, it’s a subject I want to steer clear of.
As we make our way back to camp, my thoughts are filled with the stress of keeping my secret.
I can’t believe I was actually considering telling Kaiser about my heritage.
I clearly forgot all about his father. I can’t tell him.
He’ll definitely hate me. There’s a difference between someone who’s out to hurt you and someone who’s already hurt someone you love.
Along our way, we pick up some leeks and mushrooms to eat alongside the meat. The sky has gone completely dark by the time we reach camp. We get started making dinner almost immediately.
I hold the leeks and mushrooms we gathered beneath the waterfall.
The pouring water rinses off all the excess dirt, leaving the forgeable items clean enough to eat.
Behind me, Kaiser slices up the meat into long strips and skewers them on top of two of the leaner sticks.
I copy his maneuver with the vegetables, slicing them up and placing them on the skewers as well.
We each take a stick and roast them over the fire.
By the time they’re fully cooked, my mouth is watering. They smell absolutely delicious.
“Yum,” I comment as I chew off a piece. “This is really good.”
“It’s alright,” he shrugs, “the food at the palace is much better, though. Unfortunately, this is the best we can hope for with no herbs or spices.”
“It’s a lot better than my usual meals.”
My words cause Kaiser to frown. “That won’t be the case for much longer.”
I shake my head at him and roll my eyes.
I don’t understand why he’s bothering to delude himself.
We both know I’m not likely to make it past the final round.
After this, Kaiser will be monitored. He won’t be able to help me get past his advisors’ tricks the next time.
My stomach and heart both drop as this truth sinks in.
“What does your usual meal look like, just out of curiosity?” Kaiser asks. He and I finish eating at about the same time. We immediately repeat the steps and cook a second round of skewers.
“I usually boil a pot of water before I leave for work. I use a bowl of it as a porridge for breakfast, the rest I leave for soup. The vegetables and meat cook in the pot while I’m at work.”
“Is that all? You only eat two meals a day?” Kaiser’s voice is laced with concern.
“We tend to snack on the crops as we work,” I respond, a smile forming at the corners of my mouth. “Don’t tell anyone, though. Technically, we’re not supposed to be doing it.”
Kaiser laughs. My heart races as I see him smile. The flames glittering in his eyes as he grins makes him look handsome and devilish at the same time. “I see. So, I suppose I should really be asking you what you’d be snacking on this time of year?”
“Oh that’s easy, then,” I tell him, my mouth turned up in a cheeky grin of its own. “It’s bristleberry season right now. If I were at home, my belly would probably be so full on sweet berries that I’d have to force myself to eat dinner.”
Kaiser’s grin softens. “That sounds nice. I’ve never plucked my own berries, but I’ve seen families doing so when I’ve visited the outskirts. They always seemed to be enjoying themselves. I remember being so envious that they got to spend so much time with their parents.”
“Yeah, I have so many good memories of picking berries with my father when I was younger. They’re still my favorite fruit to this day.”
The two of us spend the rest of dinner telling each other stories about the things we got up to when we were younger.
It’s an interesting conversation. We had such different childhoods that it’s fascinating to learn how the other half live.
Still, there’s an undercurrent of mischief in both of our stories.
It’s enough of a similarity that the stories still feel relatable, even though they’re about what feels like a whole other world.
When we’re finished eating, we throw our sticks in the fire.
I can’t stop myself from letting out a loud yawn.
“Tired?” Kaiser asks. He reaches out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
I feel myself blush as I nod. He notices my glow, but says nothing about it.
It’s been a long day. I need to replenish my magical reserves.
My heart begins to hammer as I look towards the fur on the other side of the cave.
For the first time, I realize what spending the night camped out with Kaiser really means.
We’ll need to share the same bed. Today our interactions have been innocent thus far, but I still remember what happened between us the last time we were alone in the dark.
Kaiser smiles at my reaction. He turns back towards the fire. “Get some sleep. I’ll keep the fire going for now.”
I nod and scramble beneath the fur. Closing my eyes, I can hear Kaiser poking at, and putting wood on the fire.
I try to get some sleep, but I can’t seem to calm my racing heart.
It isn’t long before Kaiser joins me. Now, I’m really not going to be able to sleep.
I don’t know whether to feel disappointed or relieved when Kaiser simply settles in beside me. He’s not touching me at all.
I continue to lay there for an indeterminate amount of time.
I can’t help but wonder, can Kaiser see I’m as stiff as a board?
Can he hear my pounding heart over the rush of water and the crackling flames?
A splash of water from the waterfall hits my face and I shiver.
Suddenly, an arm hooks around me. I let out a squeak as I’m pulled back and tucked against the solid wall of Kaiser’s chest.
“Better?” he breathes into me ear. I shiver again for an entirely different reason this time. My nipples tighten beneath the fabric of my dress as heat begins to build between my thighs.
“Kaiser…,” I trail off, my voice thick with lust. I turn towards him and wrap my arms around his neck. My body presses itself against him as I pull him into a kiss.
He growls and seizes control of the kiss almost instantly.
He’s as impatient as I am, and I realize he’s been waiting just as long as I have to do this again.
Our teeth clack against each other as we deepen the kiss, tongues tangling in a tempestuous dance.
His movements are fervent and consuming. It’s all I can do to keep up the pace.
I can feel his hands traversing the length of my body, leaving a trail of fire wherever he goes.
My dress is yanked down past my shoulders until my breasts spring free.
He immediately begins pawing at them, grabbing them with a force that is both firm and tender at the same time.
A thumb grazes one of my nipples and I moan.
I can feel him smile against my mouth and he repeats the action.
Blood is pooling so rapidly towards my center that it’s making my head spin.
My fingers graze against his hair and back as he continues toying with my body.
He’s swallowing down each of my moans and whimpers as I reach a level of ecstasy I’ve never felt before.
Just when it feels like I can’t get any warmer, I feel Kaiser’s other hand dip beneath my dress.
His fingers glide up the inside of my thigh and I begin to pant.
When they finally reach my center, my eyes spring open as I cry out.
For the first time, I notice how bright it’s gotten inside the cave. Every nook and cranny is visible. It’s like it’s midday in here, rather than the dead of night. My glow is entirely out of control.
I remember that there are probably still men outside looking for us, and a sick feeling twists in my guts.
As much as it pains me, I reach down to grab Kaiser’s wrist before he can continue.
He gives me a questioning look as he pauses his movements.
I break away from the kiss and take a deep breath.
“Kaiser, we have to stop. Look at my glow, it’s going to get us caught.”
He sits up and looks around with wide eyes. Apparently, I’m not the only one who failed to notice how bright it had gotten. He sighs and lets out a wry sort of snort. “I can see that. Damn.”
He looks about as disappointed as I feel. I let out a sigh of my own as I lean over and give him a short peck on the lips. “Sorry, but we can’t do this here. It will have to wait until we get back to the castle.”
“Tomorrow night, then?”
“Tomorrow night,” I confirm, nodding my head.
It takes a little bit to calm myself down. But eventually I’m tired enough that I don’t even notice myself falling asleep.