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The cave was quiet. The crackling of the fire and the sound of his heartbeat and their mingled breaths were the only things Penelope could hear. Callisto’s arms were wrapped loosely around her, his warmth spreading through her body. His chest was firm and well-muscled under her hands, she absently traced the scars with her finger and felt him shift slightly, almost as though he shuddered.

She paused, hand still flushed on his chest, the other was pressed between her stomach and his abdomen. She refused to look up or down. Penelope knew quite well what a man aroused was supposed to be like. She stayed quite still, refusing to let her mind go there or to acknowledge the reaction she’d caused in him with her absentminded caresses.

They’d already spoken of their struggles with one another, of their painful pasts, the traumas that lay below the surface, shaping them into the so-called vicious and cruelly mad people they were said to be. They’d spoken of what had caused her attraction. What more could they talk about to break this strangely charged and sensual air that had fallen on them?

It was deeply personal bordering on romantic as the firelight illuminated their skins with its soft glow, providing warmth where there might not be anywhere else in this cold and damp cave.

She wanted to be petty, cruel, and selfish as she’d been made out to be, but her guilt had gotten to her. The crown Prince had saved her twice, well the second time they protected and saved one another. And the cave was still cold, his cape large enough to hold the two of them should they continue with their position, she decided she would be nice and offer it to him as well.

“Does His Highness want to share the cape with me?” She looked up into that irritatingly handsome face as he turned his gaze down to her.

A golden brow raised elegantly. “How kind of the Princess of Eckhart to offer me the use of my own cape.”

“I was trying to be kind and courteous.” She said puffing her cheek before she blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m already breaking propriety and decency by offering this to you. But if you truly wish to mock my kindness and freeze to death, be my guest.”

He laughed, a low and sincere one, as though he were truly amused by her. “Oh, by all means, I’m sorry princess. I don’t wish any such offence upon you.” And then he smoothly lifted her with one arm and used the other to pull the cape out from under her. Settling it around them instead.

Penelope realized her face wasn’t merely pressed to his chest, with the cloak gone, she could now feel his skin. She blushed deeply. Their position meant that Penelope’s breath blew directly into his chest, her face turned slightly, pressed up against him, his scent easily discernible from their position, unclothed and fresh from the river, there were no soaps or perfumes. It was all his, the musky scent that had hints of blood and steel hidden in its depths, slightly leathery like how she’d imagined a dragon’s scent to be, with just the barest hints of fire and spice.

Penelope took a deeper breath unconsciously, breathing in that exhilaratingly arousing scent. Her cheeks flushed red, and she felt heated. She leaned her forehead against his chest. Dazed.

“You know, you truly are the most ungrateful woman in the world?” His voice rang out.

“What?”

“Shouldn’t you be giving me a kiss by now for saving you from the bear and that assassin? I even got stabbed by one.”

“I saved you from more assassins though.” She pointed out.

He grinned. “Fair point.” And then he bent down and kissed her. “Kisses for the warrior maiden who saved me.” And then he reclaimed her lips into a deeper kiss while she was stunned speechless.

His next kiss was on her jaw, the next on her neck, down to her collarbone. Penelope clung to him as he shifted their body. A soft red cape fell before her back could even touch the cave’s floor. His hands placed her gently in the middle.

One hand went to brace himself, the other made its way under her camisole leaving goosebumps, five kisses on and his wandering hand lifted the fabric higher and higher, exposing more of her skin, she didn’t even feel cold even though her stomach was exposed to the cool air. Warm breaths and soft lips, calloused fingers, and sure touches trailed it. Tickling her were the golden strands she’d adored on screen.

Penelope knew it was wrong, as his lips trailed lower, she should stop this, but she didn’t want to. This man touched her as though she were precious and held her like she was cared for and important.

She wanted one moment of reprieve from the world and the reality she’d found herself in. One moment to pretend that she was loved and cherished, that this man who caressed her body, whose motions were so gentle and warm held true affection for her. One moment before the mask went back up and she played for the highest stakes of all, her life and freedom.

This golden prince she’d admired from afar in her game, who belonged to Ivonne. This man, who, would leave her and quite possibly kill her. But not now, for now, she could live a lie with this golden man as his lover and live this delusion till morning came.

Penelope didn’t protest anything, even willingly divesting herself of the camisole that was barely covering anything at that point. She noticed that he didn’t seem to count the brush of his lips as it trailed on her skin as kisses. Otherwise, he’d be out of it by now. He used two kisses, counting them up to seven, then the eighth, as he reached her chest.

She gasped. Hands going to his hair.

Penelope whimpered when he pulled away slightly, her hands following along as he made his way back down, lower and lower, going past where he’d been before. One hand pushed her legs apart. Her breathing became shallower as she waited with bated breath to see what would happen. What he’d do.

And then he stared at her, looking to see her reaction as he kissed her thigh, hands slowly trailing up to that point. It was like an arc of electricity shot through her at first touch, disappearing into the silk shorts that were the norm of this world’s women’s underwear. Pulling it down slowly as he rendered her insensate with pleasure by hands alone.

And then he used up the rest of his kisses.

“That… that’s more than sixteen.” She said, trying to find some reason.

He paused. “Two assassins, drowning, falling off a cliff, the bear, and two stab wounds.” He counted off. “Besides, are you seriously complaining?”

He rendered her speechless again, within seconds of his words as he returned.

She lost her fight to stay quiet. The lips she’d bitten shut opened and her whimpers turned to moans and gasps, his name falling from her lips. Hands pulled on those golden strands as she lost herself. Her back arched, legs shaking from where they were on his shoulders.

One leg fell off and then he pushed her past the edge again. On the third ascent and plunge, he pulled away, eyes dark, tongue licking the edge of his mouth and fingers. Hair mussed from her actions.

He kissed her to give her a taste of herself. This time, she let her own hands wander and helped him strip himself of his remaining clothing.

His lips stayed on hers, and he was gentle, so very, very, gentle at first. Letting her acclimatize to him. Penelope liked it, the feeling of completion he brought to her when they were joined together as one. Gradually, as the pleasure returned and she’d gotten used to him, as she began to move as well, as her own frustration at the agonizingly slow pace that she’d only just noticed had grown, it devolved, slowly and gradually at first, until it was sloppy and frantic, rushed and desperate. A true frenzy that had left her going through that cycle of peaks and falls every few minutes or seconds.

She noted idly that he’d gone through those again. Her body felt static build up on their skin without knowing if that was normal or not. The sweat that dripped down wasn’t only hers, nor was it the only thing that marred the cape. Was it a safe day? She didn’t know nor did she care at the moment.  

He peppered her face and neck with kisses, returning to her lips often. Her world narrowed to him and only him. Time became meaningless at that moment, existing only in the here and now of the scintillating haze of pleasure.

“C…Callisto!” She stuttered through her broken moan. It was his insistence that she call him by name rather than by his title tonight.

“Shh, shh. It’s alright princess.” He said through the effort of his clenched teeth. Nails digging deep, legs tightening around him. She felt so overwhelmed that she sometimes felt she couldn’t breathe through each wave, little tears made their way out of her eyes from time to time, but he kissed them away.

Eventually, her voice was hoarse and her throat parched, her body shaking and exhaustion threatening to take her at any moment. The prince must’ve noticed as well because he stopped not too long afterward. Catching himself in time to fall beside her rather than on her, rolling on his back and pulling her over him before cape wrapped around them both. She fell asleep to his warmth and firm body, to the scent of him and of their joining in the air, body sticky and sore, and to the sound of his breathing and heartbeat in her ear.

Weeks later, Penelope would remember that night and the morning after in bits and pieces. She remembered the feelings that he inspired in her, the gentle way he looked at her and touched her. Penelope did her best not to think about it, to avoid the Prince who had only spoken of it once or twice and only then in passing and vaguely. Well… except for that incident in his bedroom while he was in recovery. The kiss he’d pulled her into had been dangerous enough that she had only managed to stop it from going further by reminding herself that he was injured.

Penelope touched her lip as she remembered the kiss he’d given her recently, the way he smiled as he disappeared in a flash of golden light. Her heart stuttered and his image was engraved in her mind. But even then… even then… Penelope felt that illusion shatter with this mockery of a proposal he gave her. The wonderful night, the dance, it had all been like a dream until that point.

“My lady, that concept is too naïve for people in our situation, don’t you think?” Her head began to buzz, she wanted him to stop talking, but he didn’t. Her mind blocked out some of it but she did tune back into those crucial words. “Why not just come to me now? I think we’d be well suited for one another. After all, who is more fitting for the Princess of the Duchy than the Crown Prince?”

Penelope was never able to give her rejection, he had stopped her before she could. And then he was gone in a blink of an eye. She stared dumbly for a moment or two.

She stayed where she was. Nausea rose within her, but she held the bile in. The stress was getting to her. It was all too much. She tried to push away the terrifying thought that would enter her mind. This was stress, nothing more nothing less. Ivonne was arriving soon. Her deadline was a few days away. Death loomed over her. That was why she felt so sick.

She stumbled and almost lost her balance. She braced herself. Her head spun but she took a steadying breath. She peeked out to the ballroom for a moment or two, saw Callisto in the middle of the crowd, and ducked back out before his eyes could find her again. Penelope wept for a bit before she straightened herself. She hitched her skirt up and went over the railing.

The ride back in the borrowed carriage gave her some time to process what had just happened, and the walk gave her clarity as to her feelings. And God was she a fool! To have fallen for a man only to be inadvertently rejected, she let out a soft yet bitter laugh as she dried her tears again. She had no patience nor any desire to speak of what Eckles wanted. She thought of her plans of running away.

But ultimately, she had rejected it too.

Ivonne arrived and Penelope’s skin began to crawl at the mere image of her. She shivered at the thought of what he saw in Soleil. The man disintegrated into nothing but dust after a single kiss from her, she thought that it had been a trick of the light but her more rational mind told her no, it wasn’t. And that whole thought, that whole scenario was the stuff of her nightmares, haunting her in her dreams because what did that mean about the end of the game?

So what? Penelope would die and Ivonne got her happy ending and then… then she kills Winter? Eckles? And god forbid, Callisto with a kiss on the first night? She clenched her hand and reminded herself of his words, of his desire for nothing but a politically comfortable marriage. Ha! What a funny notion. Had she not known what the future held, had she been the old Penelope, desperate for some warmth and kindness, perhaps she would’ve taken it. But she wasn’t. She was the Penelope who knew the future, who wanted out of this game! She was the Penelope who didn’t give a shit beyond her own comforts and survival.

Her stomach growled and she frowned, remained seated in her chair as she stared at the book in front of her. She ignored the knocks of Pennel and Emily, refused to be in the same room as the ‘real’ daughter and refused to eat a meal with her, with the family. She felt slightly dizzy, nausea rose again and she reached for the tea beside her.

Penelope had scarcely eaten in three days, the guards outside of her room were intimidating and annoying. But they were also useful when it comes to the fact that Penelope had already had one bad encounter with Ivonne where she bumped into her and began the waterworks until Reynold scolded Penelope. She didn’t care anymore.

Ignored the apology and walked away from them.

The idea of what that nausea could mean, much as she feared to confirm it, loathed to think on it even because it brought back the reality that death would be upon her soon, and whose hands it would most likely come from. She decided she would have something to eat, only when the family was done with their meal.

Penelope returned to her room after a light meal of sandwich and melon juice. Or, that was the plan at least. She had the guards leave her alone, at the very least, she swore to stay away from where Ivonne was supposed to be staying. But that went to hell pretty fast.

Ivonne accosted her in the hallway when there was no one around. Her eyes burned with gleeful cruelty and smile wicked as she grabbed Penelope’s wrists in a tight grip. Penelope struggled to get out of the hold but Ivonne’s grip just tightened to the point that she knew she’d have bruises or worse. She bit her lip to hide the scream of pain she wanted to let out. If Ivonne continued on, minuscule amounts of pressure increasing as the seconds ticked by, Penelope knew her wrist would break. This wasn’t a human’s strength.

“It’s alright to scream, Penelope.” She cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice, mocking her. “No one would hear you. I’ve made sure of that.”

“What do you want, Ivonne? Why are you doing this?” Penelope cried out. The pain was becoming unbearable to her.

“Why? You stole something from me, for one. And another reason is because you’ve been a thorn in my side for too long. Though I admit that I do enjoy the look of abject misery you have every time I take away the people you love, they were delicious, you know? Your father and brothers. Tell me, who cares enough about a wretch like you that they would reverse time every time you died? Which mage did you use? Every time I’m so close to my revenge I would find myself back to the very beginning.” Ivonne ranted. “And I don’t quite know if you’ve returned this time or if you are someone completely different. After all, you are so very different from the Penelope I know, yet you also seem to know about me.”

Even through the haze of pain and fear, she could understand certain things such as the fact that this was a time loop. Was the game even a game then? And which mage would care about Penelope? Winter? But it was absurd to think of since he was the one who brought Ivonne in the first place.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I saw what you were on Soleil!” She protested.

“Of course, you saw me at Soleil.” Ivonne said, blinking. “But that doesn’t matter right now, it’s time to go to sleep.”

She could hear Ivonne’s voice still whispering her threats in her ear. “Listen closely Penelope, this is what’s going to happen to you if you keep resisting me once I reclaim the fragment you stole.  Once the mirror is complete, you’ll be powerless to stop me as those most important to you fall under my control.” The mirror in her hand shone brightly.

“I don’t know where it is!” She exclaimed. She managed to break free from the mirror’s effects. She couldn’t even feel any relief. “Looks like your brainwashing doesn’t affect me.”

“Oh? Is that so? Then perhaps something else would work. What is it you fear the most?” She asked. Prompting her.

Penelope kept quiet.

She was so lost and her eyes scanned her surroundings for anything that could help her. Her eyes inadvertently caught Ivonne’s and suddenly the world was shifting, the mirror in her hand shone again, and its glow was pulling her in. She was so afraid and in a single moment, she was back in her room, a terrible smell assaulting her nose. The gasps of horror as the door was knocked down.

‘I died?’ She thought in horror as the people began to speak about the poor girl who died too soon, the news reporting the death of the illegitimate child of one of the chaebols. She heard her brothers insult her even at her funeral and she began to scream at them. “I never asked you to take me into your family!” she screamed. Her own tirade was born from the years of repressed emotions seeping out at that moment.

But then like a screen glitching, she was in a sterile hospital room. There was her body, Siyeon’s body on a ventilator, the steady beeping of the heart rate monitor could be heard along with the frustrated and derisive noises the two jackasses and her negligent father had given at the sight of her. She didn’t know which was reality anymore. Was she dead or just on the brink of it?

But then the world turned muddy. And it kept switching between Korea and Eorka. “I don’t want to die.” She said desperately.

And suddenly Ivonne’s face became clear again. A puzzled yet victorious smile on her face. “It seems I had you wrong, Penelope. I thought what you feared the most was being left alone and losing the love of the people around you, the love that you never had to begin with.”

Those words struck her hard, ringing true in both lives. “And yet it seems you have changed something. The love you failed to receive has turned into such an obsession that they refuse to let you go and give in to my powers.” She paused again. “Or perhaps you’re afraid of dying because of the little baby inside you.” Ivonne said quietly, a whisper to her ear that had her shivering in disgust.

“Wh…what?” She asked in a breathless whisper. Like a confirmation of her worst fears had arrived.

Ivonne laughed. “Oh, poor foolish girl. You didn’t even know? How utterly stupid of you. Tell me, who did you spread your legs for? It doesn’t matter, you and that baby will be gone soon.”

But then the world returned to Korea. To the disparaging words her family gave her on her deathbed.

A notification screen popped up.

<SYSTEM>

Danger! Danger!

You’re being [brainwashed] by the [Forces of Evil!]

<SYSTEM>

Special Quest

It was a short message that began to glitch, a golden light engulfed it as another bar appeared. It was a progress bar that showed how brainwashed she was.

It returned to the hospital, but her siblings were there crying and begging her to wake up rather than the disparaging words they’d been giving before. Their clothes were dishevelled, and they were trying to explain themselves. Then it showed her father begging and kneeling before a doctor, begging the doctor to save her.

Just above them, the progress bar was decreasing. When it hit zero, the golden haze around the bar flashed brightly and the world shattered. A roar could be heard in her head. Unfamiliar voices screamed out in alarm as both the imperial crest or what looked quite like it, not the same but similar enough, appeared beside a sigil of a crossed sword and arrow with a lit torch in the middle. The screams turned into cheers that died down.

When she came too, Ivonne was lying unconscious across the hall, slumped down.

Penelope saw the mirror she’d been holding just lying dormant on the floor. She pulled out her handkerchief and used that to pick it up and wrap it before she fled to her room, hissing as she noticed that she was bleeding from where Ivonne’s nails had dug into her skin. She immediately pulled out the things she had stored away if she needed to run.

Some practical clothing first and foremost, she had also hesitated for a moment or two before she took out the two most expensive and beautiful dresses in her closet, boots, jewelry, and money, she opened the drawer, took out the fragment she’d managed to get before, and threw it in the handkerchief with the large piece she’d just retrieved. She took the papers with her notes, and everything else within that drawer and locked it before she took the scroll and used the activation spell, her mind unknowing of where to go. At the last second, her thoughts went to the seaside, the map of Eorka flashed through her mind, and then she was bathed in a golden light.

Penelope could hear the waves crashing down on the rocks. She had escaped! Even if she knew not where she was, at least she was far away from Ivonne and everyone who knew her. She was close to the water but couldn’t quite see it yet, having found herself in the middle of a forest. She walked around for a while until she broke through to the beach. It was unfamiliar. So definitely not tratan.

The sky was beginning to darken when she came upon a small village. She laughed and decided to sit by the water to think of what she would do next. She began to cry. Penelope didn’t know if Ivonne was lying or not, but if she wasn’t, then she would have to figure out how to protect this child. If she was going to die in the other world anyway, then shouldn’t she stay here for the sake of this baby?

She also thought of Callisto but shook the thought of him off. Did Ivonne even really need the mirror to brainwash someone? Or was that more for theatrics? Regardless, she didn’t want to risk her death by his hand, and she didn’t want to be with someone who couldn’t love her. Who was to say he would even be happy about this baby? Or that he’d love the child?

She tensed when a shadow fell on her. A warm hand landed on her shoulder.

“It’s getting late, do you have anywhere to stay, Miss?” It was an old woman. She sounded kind and there was none of the soul-curling disgust that she felt around Ivonne so she relaxed slightly, the guard still up. As they walked through the quiet beach, having taken up the woman’s offer of temporary shelter, Penelope pulled out a compact mirror from her pocket and subtly turned to see whether or not the woman had a reflection.

She did. And there was no notification screen to tell her that something was wrong. She took that to mean she could rest easy for one night.

The woman’s house was small but homey. There were tinctures lined up over the shelving of the back wall and a counter as well. She stared at it.

“I’m an apothecary, dear.” She said warmly. “My name is Glenna.”

Penelope bowed her head. “Thank you, my name is Penelope.”

Glenna led her to a chair and had her show her arm. She walked to the counter, took out a small box filled with bandages, and took out some of her own balms. “Let me just get this treated, dear.”

“Why are you being so kind to me?”

“Because I believe that everyone deserves an act of kindness when they’re brought low.” Glenna replied. “Had someone shown my daughter that kindness then perhaps she would be alive right now.”

“I’m sorry, would you like to talk about it?” She asked, trying to offer this kind woman some comfort.

“If you wouldn’t mind.” Glenna said, proving that she was truly just a lonely old woman. “It’s been so long since I’ve spoken about my Winnie.”

Penelope listened as the woman wove tales of what was once a happy family of three torn apart by a scoundrel who had led her daughter astray and killed her husband, Freddie, who had gone after them. At the end of it all, Glenna had been left alone in this old house to grieve and live in solitude. Her heart went out to the woman.

Towards the end of dinner, Penelope had a thought, one she wanted to ask. “Can you make something to tell if someone’s pregnant?”

“I can. Do you suspect yourself to be so?” She asked.

“Yes.”

“I suppose that answers the question as to why you were out here all alone.” She said shrewdly. “The way you’re dressed, no one here can afford that. The way you speak is also a big tell.”

“Oh, I guess it is that noticeable.”

“Very much so.”

Penelope laughed, it wasn’t funny but she was laughing anyway. She laughed so much that she began to cry. She didn’t know what was going to happen next, what her life was going to be like. If she wasn’t pregnant… should she return to Korea? To that world with her compromised life trapped by a wasting disease. On the off chance that her father’s gamble would work… would she be able to even enjoy her life then? But if she stayed here, then what? If she wasn’t pregnant… she would die a horribly painful death.

If she was pregnant, she and the baby would both die horribly. Unless she went far away. Out of the continent. Far away from Callisto and the Duchy, from everyone who knew her. Farther than where she was now.

Old weathered hands patted her shoulder as she leaned closer. Those hands began to wrap around her. Rocking her back and forth as she cried. Penelope took a steadying breath and tried to gather herself but found it impossible to.

Eventually, she was led into a room in the back when she’d quietened a little and she fell asleep in tears.

That night, she dreamt. She dreamt of all of the loops, of her soul tearing apart. Of being reborn as Siyeon and finding the power to do what she should have done in her life as Penelope. She walked away.

Penelope didn’t know that while she slept fitfully, hundreds of miles away, no one in the Duchy was able to rest. The first oddity had come up when Emily had gone to try and coax Penelope to join the family for dinner. The guards had gone to stay out at opposite ends of the hall, just by the stairs as they usually were now.

But there were droplets of blood. She found it odd and had been slightly alarmed, had the lady’s courses begun? Was it so severe that she’d bled through the layers of cloth on her? What if she was in severe cramps? Or had she had a nosebleed? Accidentally cut herself on something? And then she knocked on the door and received no reply.

She tried again and again, calling the lady who would usually reply to her, even if it was to tell her to leave. Even at her worst, Lady Penelope had always responded. Was she asleep? Oh dear. She entered quietly, the room dark. She stumbled on something and accidentally flung the door wide open. When she looked up, she screamed in horror. The entire room had been torn apart. Some of the blood trailed around the room smearing itself on the fabric of the chair and her bed.

The guards burst in a few moments after she had screamed. The Duke and his sons followed along not too long afterward. They gathered around the room, staring at it with the same look of fear that she did.

“Search the entire manor, now!” The Duke ordered. “Find my daughter. And someone see if Ivonne is alright!”

The Duke then fell on the guards. “Why didn’t you do anything?” He asked, face dark.

“We… we didn’t hear anything!” They said, stuttering at the way the Duke seemed to grow in stature.

The window behind was open. “Nobody heard her scream?” Emily said faintly as a chill went down her spine.

“What?” Lord Derrick asked.

“The lady.” She said, voice a bit stronger. “Nobody heard her scream. The window is open and you all heard me scream. They probably heard me stumble as well. But what about the lady? The room was trashed and there was blood. If she screamed or spoke then why didn’t anyone hear her?”

Reynold stiffened. “She’s right. I was in my room the whole afternoon but there was no sound from her room. Not her footsteps, nothing crashed on the floor, nothing. Why was there no sound?”

“Summon the mages!” The Duke ordered.

One of the maids, Tammie, rushed back in. “Lady Ivonne is alright. She’s shaken and she didn’t want to come out of her room in fear.”

“I see.” The Duke said, still tense and agitated.

The minutes ticked by until half an hour had passed when a group of mages arrived. They stiffened, looking around the hallway and into the room. They approached the Duke cautiously.

“I need you to examine this entire wing, my daughter is missing.”

The eldest of the mages nodded. “There’s a fading layer of dark magic here.” He said immediately. “It’s strong, at this moment, we can’t tell exactly what it’s meant to do but at least one component is a silencing spell, and another alters perception.”

“Father, do you think this is retaliation from the Laila after the hunting festival?” Lord Derrick asked.

“It’s highly likely.” He said. “Pennel, get my documents on the Laila, I want you to find out any information you can on where those rats may now be hiding.”

And so began the long night.

Callisto remained unknowing of the events as he was pulled into a fitful sleep. It was in the early hours of the morning that Porter began knocking frantically on his door. It was just as well, it pulled him out of a truly horrid nightmare, Penelope’s empty eyes and her blood-stained lips still haunted him even in the waking world.

“What is it?” He called out.

Porter entered, clearly alarmed and dishevelled. “One of our informants has just reported that something bad has happened within the duchy.”

He immediately stiffened. “The Princess?”

“They believe so. There’s no real news on it but…”

Callisto had stopped listening. He immediately stripped and changed his clothes. A quick wash of his face and he was off. Porter was long gone by then, probably off to summon either his horse or a carriage.

One of the servants was standing at the entrance with his horse at the ready.

He got on and rode off at once. Heart pounding loudly in his ears, a fear he hadn’t felt in so long, not even within the battlefield, no, well he had felt it recently, a few times in fact when it came to Penelope Eckhart. The last few weeks worth of nightmares flashed through his mind, his imagination took over as he imagined those truly horrid scenarios being what met him in the Duchy.

When he got there, there was a frantic air, men were being mobilized, grim-faced, and determined. The household staff moved about swiftly but silently. It was like an explosion was imminent if someone made too much noise. He pushed his way through the front door and had them lead him to Penelope’s room.

He noticed the blood splatters immediately. It was small little droplets. His eyes picked up certain details that seemed to have been missed. Scuff marks on the floor from someone actively struggling. There were also different coloured scuff marks, fainter than the one where the struggle had occurred. The second set of scuff marks was from a body hitting a wall and sliding down on it.

He then entered her bedroom and wished he hadn’t. His imagination had only highlighted the nightmares in his head. Penelope must have been so scared. The devastation within the room was telling, it wasn’t just that they attacked her, they tore apart the room needlessly.

“My apologies that I wasn’t able to greet you, your highness.” The Duke said. He turned to the man silently and nodded. The man looked tired and weary, face worried and frantic.

“I don’t mind, your grace. Tell me all that you know.”

The duke looked at him and nodded. “She disappeared sometime between two in the afternoon and half past six when her maid had come to summon her for dinner. She found some blood in the hallway and rushed in to see if Penelope was alright. She found the room torn apart and without any sign of Penelope. She screamed and alerted us that something was wrong. Upon questioning, we realized that no one had heard any commotions and so we summoned mages. They all said the same thing, dark magic covered this wing. It prevented anyone from hearing her.”

“Do you have any clues?” He asked, the words dark magic gave rise to suspicions.

“We believe the Laila had taken her as retaliation against their defeat during the hunting festival.” The duke confessed.

He nodded and turned around. “I see. I’ll set up some men to search for her too, and I’ll have Porter send information on the Laila.” And then he was off. He knew that if they wanted to avenge something against Penelope, it would be her actions in Soleil. Not to mention… Callisto felt that the Laila were also looking for something in that room.

He didn’t have time to ponder that though. Penelope had been taken hours ago, the Laila could kill a person with a simple kiss, devouring them whole. Was Penelope still alive then? He ran into a pink-haired girl that he shoved to the side when she clutched onto him for balance. He got back on his horse and rode off, back to his palace.

There was something there that he could use to find her.

Penelope woke up to the sounds of waves crashing upon the shore and to someone bustling about, sounds that were the farthest things you’d hear in the duchy. The quiet of just one person walking around rather than the clamour of the servants going about with their work or the knights’ training. She opened her eyes and found herself in a small room. The ceiling plain and completely foreign.

Her head turned to the window where the sea could be seen and she remembered everything that had happened over the last few days. Memories bleeding through between those of the time loops and everything that came after. Penelope gave herself a few moments to collect herself, her hand going to her stomach.

“If you’re real… if you’re real, did you save me yesterday?” She asked softly towards this little being that could possibly be growing within her. “I promise, I’ll make sure to do everything that I can so that we can survive and that you can grow up happy, sheltered, and loved if you are real.” Her thoughts turned to golden hair and red eyes, would this little possible child bear any resemblance to their father? She thought of Callisto, of his painful childhood and life, and while she felt as though she’d had it worse because she knew how violently brutal her deaths had the potential to be, she also knew it was a hard life for him as well.

If there was no Laila, no Ivonne, to consider… could she have dared to accept his proposal? Even without love? Penelope thought about it, maybe with this baby coming then she would. How would he have reacted to it? To their baby? Would he have been happy? Mad? Well, she brushed the thought away. She had no intention of ever showing her face to him again so there was no point in wondering.

Her heart hurt a bit at the thought of Callisto under the Laila’s thrall until she eventually killed him too. But what could she do? She was just one person? A pregnant person, but also just one person who apparently had died so many times trying to stop it anyway.

She stood up and got ready for the day, she pulled out one of the plainer dresses that she had brought and quickly dressed. The wonders of magic never ceased to amaze her given how much she was able to pack so many things within such a little bag. She pulled out some coins to pay Glenna for the test and something extra for the kindness she had shown.

Glenna, of course, had tried to refuse the money but she persisted. And eventually, after the simple breakfast of bread and cheese, Glenna took the money with her as she made her way to finish the test.

“It’ll only be a few more minutes, not even an hour until we know for sure.” She assured Penelope.

And now Penelope had nothing left to do but to tidy up around the small house and to clean up the small store out front.

As she had finished wiping down the counter, she heard a knock on the door. She thought nothing of it, and she went to the door. Opened it with the idea that it was one of the villagers in need of Glenna’s specialties. The greetings died before they could even be uttered as she stared wide-eyed.

“Y…your highness!” She exclaimed in shock at the man standing on the other side of the door. One hand held a scroll, the other held his sword.

Callisto entered his palace and made his way to his office immediately. Cedric had run to him but he didn’t even slow his steps. “Porter, send everything we have about the Laila to the duchy, and organize men to search for every trace of the Laila and of Lady Penelope.”

“And where will you be?”

His face was dark as he reached for a scroll he’d been checking obsessively for awhile now.

“The map?” Porter said in confusion before he gasped. “Of course, the map! But your highness, you won’t have any backup! And what about putting down the rebels in the north?”

“Fuck the rebels. They aren’t as important as her!” He said as he spun around and made his way to the mages. He opened the map as he walked, body relaxing only the slightest when the dot appeared. That meant she was still alive.

“Your highness, but the emperor…”

He glared at Porter viciously. “Am I the only general in the whole damn empire? Send my brother, its about time he earned his metal!”

And then he flung the door open and threatened the mages until they sent him to Penelope.

Callisto had expected another cave or network of systems, what he didn’t expect was a sunny and seemingly peaceful yet impoverished village. Had the Laila set up here? Or had the princess escaped but was unable to return?

That thought had him abstaining from just storming in. If it was the latter then he didn’t want to scare his princess, but if it was the former, he would tear everyone apart and raze this whole damn village to the ground.

He closed the scroll, knocked on the door and waited. When he heard the footsteps, his hand went to the sword. He felt relief when the door opened.

“Y…your highness!” The princess said, looking shocked yet healthy.

Callisto stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. “Do you know the frenzy your disappearance caused? Everyone, myself included, believed that something nefarious had befallen you, like a kidnapping or so. But has it truly? I find you here and now seemingly alive and well.” He said, rather sardonically despite his earlier attempts and thoughts at expressing his relief. The words flowed from his mouth without his will.

“How did you find me?” She asked quietly as she closed the door softly behind her.

“So it was a case of a runaway Princess then.” He surmised. “If you were going to run away, why not run to me, your fiancé?”

Something about his words seemed to shock her out of whatever stupor she’d fallen into after seeing him because a fire ignited in her eyes. “I didn’t agree to marry you.”

“Hmm, but you didn’t say no either.”

“Because you didn’t let me.”

“And why would you turn me down? Come now, aren’t I the best offer you can get? The crown prince of the Empire. What better match is there for a Ducal Princess?”

Her fists clenched. “How about a love match?”

“Such foolish notions again.”

It felt like a continuation of the conversation they’d had on his birthday.

“If you think it a foolish notion then doesn’t that just show that we’re incompatible? Consider it an enduring sign of my commoner blood.” She told him calmly. “Besides, if you wish for a ducal princess, go and marry the real daughter rather than the fake one.”

He frowned. “Penelope Eckhart is not a fake.”

“So you say now. Wait until you meet the real one then, you’ll be singing a different tune quite soon.”

He felt his own temper spike. “Do you truly believe me so heartless that I’d go back on my word to marry you?”

“Yes.” Her confirmation was given swiftly. It was a devastating blow to him and he didn’t know why. But she continued on. “When I lose my place, you would go to the best ‘option’ as well to gain the throne.”

“Love doesn’t guarantee happiness in a marriage.” He said, trying to go with a different angle to convince her.

Penelope Eckhart shrugged. “Perhaps not, but it’s a pretty lie to live by, isn’t it? To live in that delusion and make yourself blind to the realities of your own marriage and partner.”

“You…” He was at a loss for words. And he looked at her closely to see if she was lying underneath it all but found her to be completely honest in her words. But beyond that, he also noticed something alarming. She was thin, so very thin. Much thinner than when he’d last seen her on his birthday. “Just a moment, Princess.”

She gave an aggrieved sigh. “Again with that moniker.”

He ignored it. “Did you run away because they were mistreating you? Has the Duke’s monetary power been brought low by the arrival of this supposed real daughter that you’ve gone without? Have they been starving you?”

She fell quiet. “No, it’s just that I had no more passion for food at the moment.”

He frowned and reached for her arms, she hissed immediately when his hands enclosed upon her wrists, flinching in pain. He immediately pulled the sleeves up off of one of her wrists and found a thin layer of bandages and bruises peeking out from under it, bruises that were in the shape of hand prints, not a man’s though. The width of the fingers was too thin and small to be that of a man’s. It was a woman’s hand, a strong one.

He switched to the other wrist and found the bruises more clearly displayed without the layers of bandages on it. “So they’ve been hurting you physically. Was it the real daughter? If you were being hurt by that woman, you should have come to me.”

“You? You!” She scoffed. “Yes, I’ll run to the man likely to kill me.”

“Why would you say that? I’ve promised you that I would never kill you!” He argued back.

She looked at him as though she didn’t believe him. “As I’ve said, you may say that now but you’ll…”

“Change my mind? I won’t.” He said in frustration. “I don’t want the Eckhart name or the so-called real daughter, I want you, Penelope Eckhart! With or without the duchy behind you.”

She stood there mouth gaping. And then the door to one of the rooms opened.

An elderly woman walked in. “Congratulations, Miss Penelope. It seems you truly are pregnant!” She declared before she froze and took in the scene. She immediately began to backtrack, turning around. “I’ll go buy us some fish for lunch.” And then she walked back through the door she’d come through.

Callisto stared at Penelope stupefied. She was staring at the floor, face pale, with a hand on her stomach.

“You… it’s my child, isn’t it?”

She was still silent but she flinched minutely at his words which he took as an admission.

“My child, that you’ve just now come to realize you’re carrying. After all the things that had happened, including Soleil!” He said. “How could you not even notice it? Do you know what could have gone wrong?”

She glared at him. “Don’t you dare lecture me!” She yelled. “Not every woman knows that they’re pregnant immediately. Was I supposed to be some fortune teller? Was I just supposed to guess? Besides, don’t you think I haven’t thought about what could have happened? Don’t you think it didn’t worry me too when I realized?”

“I wouldn’t be lecturing you if you would just stop acting impulsively and doing rash things.”

“Oh, coming from someone like you, with your temper and your stab-happy ways, I’m rash?” She asked.

“Yes, given the fact that you ended up in Soleil.”

She let out a frustrated growl. “I didn’t even intend to go there! If they hadn’t stolen the children, if they hadn’t taken my friend, I would’ve stayed far away from those damned demons. I never wanted to go there! If it wasn’t for this damned g…” She immediately stopped.

“Damned what?” He asked.

“Nothing.” She said brusquely. “Look, you’ve checked on me, you know I’m alive. So please, will you leave me alone and focus on your own impending nuptials with the real daughter?”

He looked at her incredulously. “You’re joking, aren’t you? You’re still pushing me to marry some other woman, to walk away from you when I know that you’re carrying my child?”

“Yes, yes. Go!” She said waving her hand as if to shoo him away. This whole conversation was going nowhere. “Go and marry her. Leave us be to our lives. Leave us be so that we’ll live and not die by your hand when you’ve grown tired of us.”

“Die by my hand? Grown tired of you…” He repeated dumbly.

“Yes. What’s the point in marriage if there’s no love? What’s the point of bringing a child into a home without love? Where they’ll never know their father’s love.”

He felt like she’d struck him harder than a pummel to the face. “What makes you think that I’d just… that I wouldn’t even…”

“YOU DON’T LOVE ME!” She screamed out as a heavy silence fell. Callisto felt personally slighted and particularly angry with her at her words. As though something in him had been personally attacked, her words stung him. “Do you even know what love is? Are you even capable of that?” She asked after a few moments where she’d taken the time to collect herself.

“Are you?” He threw back. Wanting to hurt her the way she was now hurting him.

“Yes.” She said immediately. “Why do you think I decided to stay in this goddamned world?”

“What are you talking about?”

But she wasn’t listening to him as she continued speaking. “All I want is someone who loves me enough to get me away from this hellish life.”

“And I’m not it?”

She laughed hollowly. “No. Neither you nor I love one another. But I do love this child. And I’ve decided to stay here and consign myself to possible death for them.”

“You keep saying that, that you’re going to die. But neither you nor I know that.”

“Don’t I?” She asked. “When you all keep killing me. Over and over. You keep killing me and you choose her all the time and all I wanted was to save you.” And now she was beginning to become hysteric. “All I wanted was to protect you all, but you know what? I don’t care! I don’t care anymore! You can all hate me! I don’t need any of you, I don’t need your false affections for me or your lies. I hate you all! I hate you! And I’m going to live for this baby.”

“You’re not making sense.” He said as he approached her, but she flinched and stepped out of his reach.

“You killed me the most you know? Over and over, poison, beheading, fire.” His nightmares flashed in his mind and he trembled. How did she know about those dreams? “Why would I go back to my killers now that I know the truth, now that I remember.”

Her hands went to her hair. “Live, suffer, try to save them, die horribly. Rinse, repeat. No end in sight.” Her words were disjointed. She had started tugging on her hair. “It just wouldn’t stop and my soul began to crack until it shattered and faded and remade itself in another world. And I was alone but I was happy and safe and following my dreams. Then why did I wake up back here as Penelope? Why couldn’t I stay as Siyeon in that world? Why? Why did I have to go back here? WHY?”

She was screaming as she collapsed. “I hate it here! I worked so hard to be happy in that world! Why? Why here where I hate everyone and they hate me too. Why did they trick me into believing this was all a game? That I could return? But they never intended to let me go did they? I can’t return to being Siyeon because now that the baby is here, they know I won’t leave!”

She was sobbing, arms wrapping around herself. Callisto was paralyzed in fear and helplessness. What could he do to comfort her? But she wasn’t done. “Why me? Why does it have to be me? Why does the fate of the world have to be tied to me? Why can’t it be someone else? I don’t care if this world burns. I just want to live peacefully with this baby. Why did it have to be you? Why you? You always made me feel before you left me and killed me! You always told her that you loved her in front of me! I hate you so much.”

What could he say? How could he… how could he calm her down and assure her that it wasn’t ever going to happen when it so clearly had? When those dreams were now becoming clear to him as other timelines. Were they regressions? But then… He wanted to throw up but he pushed down that feeling because Penelope needed him.

He tried to make sense of the world but he couldn’t. His mouth opened and closed a few times, unable to say anything. “I’m sorry.” He whispered before he dropped to his knees. “I’m sorry for what I did in those other timelines. But I can promise you, that’s not going to happen this time around. Penelope, you and our baby will live. You’ll live long and happy lives where you’re going to be pampered. And I’m going to be there every step of the way, if you’ll let me.”

He hugged her and she tried to push him away but he held firm.

“You can’t promise me that!”

“I can.”

“You can’t! Don’t make me hope. Don’t give me all of these thoughts.” She said through her sobs as she punched at his chest.

“I will. I’ll fill your head with beautiful images and sweet promises and I’ll keep them all.”

She shook her head. “You won’t. You won’t. There’s no resisting her. The Laila won’t ever let you all go.”

Okay, that made some more sense now. And damn, he truly was a weak fool if he fell for that demon’s thrall. He made her look at him. “I can promise you because I know what I’m up against now and I know that I have twice the reason to fight it off. You and the baby. You’re right when you said the world could burn. I don’t particularly care about that, but I care about you and our baby.”

“You don’t love me, you don’t love me, you don’t love me.” She said over and over again as she shook her head. “I don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t love me.” She tried to turn her head so that she wouldn’t be looking at him but he caught her chin again.

“And what is love? Isn’t caring about someone part of love? I don’t know what love is truly. But if you’re going to make me say it, I can give you the closest thing I’m capable of. I care for you immensely, there is no one, save for this baby now, that I care about more. You’ve consumed my every thought, waking or asleep. And I can’t stomach the thought of you choosing another or disappearing from my life. Please give me a chance, just one, to prove that I can be that person for you.” He told her sincerely. “I can’t make up for the things I did in those other timelines, but I can try to atone for them now. Just don’t shut me out. Let me take care of you and give you both the lives you deserve.”

“I don’t know…”

“Just one chance.”

“Okay.”

And then he held her for another moment or two until she stopped crying in full and her body stopped shaking from the sobs that had wracked her body.

When she was strong enough to stand, he led her to the chair and knelt in front of her.

“There are a lot of things to do. The baby, the wedding, the demon.”

Penelope looked out the window, towards the sea. “I need to get to Arkina.”

“Arkina? Why?” Callisto was surprised by her sudden proclamation.

“It’s… it’s hard to explain. Like this instinct telling me that I need to go there before it’s too late. I think I’m the only one that can stop the Laila, and whatever I need is in there.”

He frowned, not liking that. “But it’s too dangerous, think of the baby.”

“I am.”

“But…”

She shook her head. Eyes red from her tears. “It’s this or death.”

“Fine, I’ll make arrangements.”

She nodded before she began to yawn. Her hand going to cover her mouth. He frowned. “Where did you sleep last night?”

“Upstairs, why?”

He picked her up and carried her to the stairs, ignoring the way she shrieked. Eventually, he found the room that she had used and had her tucked into the small bed. He stayed there, studying the map, and made a realization of who he could potentially turn to for a ship. The village was on the edge of that territory but still a part of it.

It seemed it was time for Callisto to pay a visit to his maternal relations.

Callisto ended his call with Cedric as he quietly opened the door to peek in and make sure Penelope was still asleep. He could hear someone going around the first floor and the clattering of the pans. It seemed the owner of the home had returned. He went down, determined to acquire a horse and to see if there was anything else Penelope might need for the half-day journey to the Lykaios County Estate.

The woman was cooking quietly. As promised, a large fish was on the table, some vegetables, not the best quality, but probably the best the woman could source, had been chopped beside it. She froze and turned to him wearily. “My lord, I can call you for lunch if you wish?”

He shook his head. “I need to speak to you.”

“Yes?” She said, losing some of the fear she once held. Somehow, this woman seemed to be gaining some confidence.

“I need a horse for the two of us, preferably one that is swift and strong.”

“I would caution speed. Given that the lady is in the early stages of pregnancy, going too fast and too rough may cause her to miscarry.” She said.

Callisto’s blood froze at those words. He nodded. A full day then. He decided.

“And too much stress and emotional upheaval can also be detrimental to her health and pregnancy.” She said, tone particularly chiding. He quirked a lip. It was rare someone would dare censure him, no matter how mildly it was done. His Princess was the only one who truly ever did that.

“I understand.” He said. Then he stared at the woman hard. “Why do you care so much for a stranger?”

She looked away, a hand going to a necklace of shells and string. “Because she was a lost and scared young woman, just as my daughter had been. And I was helping her the way I wished my daughter had been all those years ago, the way I had always regretted not being able to. If I had… maybe then my little girl would have lived. And that young woman up there, who looks to be around the same age as my Winnie had been then… well, even if her adoptive family doesn’t want her… she was still, once upon a time, someone’s beloved little girl. Just as the child she is carrying is her precious little one.”

“It’s mine as well.”

“Of course.” The woman said immediately, but there was something about it that told him that he didn’t think he would stick around.

He was particularly irked by that. “Why do you both assume that I’m just going to walk away from her and our child?”

“I mean no offense by it.” She said, pacifyingly. “Only that, in my experience, noblemen tend to forget about their commoner lovers quickly and are particularly uncaring for their children by their mistress.”

“She isn’t my mistress.” He emphasized. “And that child in her is my precious child as well.”

She bowed. “I apologize. But I hope for their sake that you will always remember that and keep that love in your heart. And should that child be a girl, to forgive her the indiscretions she is likely to cause in the future, the lady is proof that the heart could sway you quite easily, after all.”

He grimaced at the thought of his daughter being in Penelope’s state at such a young age, or at all.

She returned to her cooking and he went back to watch over Penelope.

“Please stay the night.” The apothecary, Glenna, said as she brought some food in. “The journey might be tiring and the Lady needs all the rest she can get before you travel.”

Penelope looked between the two questioningly.

“I suppose that would be for the best.” Callisto decided. He handed the woman money for the purchase of the horse and supplies, as well as another coin purse for all the help and care she’d given to Penelope, and himself by extension.

Glenna smiled and left them alone. Callisto returned to trying to coax her into eating more than the soup. Penelope grimaced at his attempts and he leaned away for a moment to let her eat.

“What was all that about?” She asked him.

“We’ll be borrowing a boat from some of my acquaintances and it’ll be a full day’s ride. It’s best if we leave early in the morning so that you can sleep in a warm bed that night and recover your strength.” He told her.

“An acquaintance.” She said in confusion before she shook her head. “I see. Well, if that’s what you decided, then I’ll defer to you in that matter.”

That night, Callisto slept on the floor. His hand reached up to grasp some of the long magenta strands that tickled his face. Grip loose, he held it to his face and breathed in the scent, focusing on it until he fell asleep.

He woke early in the morning and readied himself for the day, checking on all the supplies before gently rousing Penelope for the long travel ahead. He wished he could bring her by carriage but such a thing wasn’t available to them at the moment, nor was it practical when they were pressed for time. He shook her shoulder gently, called her name, and waited until those turquoise eyes were revealed to him before he stepped away.

“Good morning, Princess. We need to leave soon so please get ready. I have some bread and water for you at the side and Glenna brought in a washbasin for you to wash your face.” He told her.

She yawned, greeting him slightly as she stood up groggily.

Half an hour later, they were on their way.

Callisto arrived at the manor as the darkness crept in. There were some alarmed shouts at the sight of him and the door was flung open as his relatives all rushed out in disbelief. He stopped by the front steps, got off, and turned to Penelope to help her down.

The entire county had arrived outside a that point, all of them bowed low and greeted him.

“Rise.” He said.

It was his grandmother, Lady Lykaios who stepped up first, breaking protocol as she threw her arms around him, practically sobbing.

Penelope stiffened beside him, confused.

“Look at you! Look how much you’ve grown!” His grandmother said. “Oh, if that harpy was here, I’d wring her neck!”

“Harpy?” Penelope whispered in confusion.

Callisto was confused as well.

An old man, perhaps his grandfather, pried her off of him.

His mother’s brother who was his grandfather’s near image stepped up. “Why, you aren’t the babe my sister birthed! You’re a man grown!”

His uncle stepped closer and examined him in the dim light. “And you look too much like Linus for comfort! Bah! That old dragon, he’s been toothless ever since you’re mother died.”

Penelope coughed which brought the attention to her.

“And now, who’s this?” Grandfather asked.

Callisto sighed. “Penelope, may I introduce you to my mother’s family?”

She stared at him wide-eyed but nodded.

“This is my grandfather, Count Nicholas Lykaios, his wife, my grandmother, Countess Iris Lykaios. My mother’s younger brother, and the heir to the county, Lord George Lykaios.”

Penelope curtsied to them politely, giving them a small smile.

“Lord Lykaios, Lady Lykaios, Young Lord, I present my fiancée, Penelope Eckhart.”

“Oh! A fiancée!” His grandmother said in happy shock. “Come now, come out of the cold. Have the two of you come here to elope? Of course, I can help with that! How soon would you like the wedding? You’re to come of age soon, aren’t you, my lady?”

“Uhmm…” Penelope looked completely helpless at his grandmother’s excitement.

An elopement wasn’t a bad idea.

As they walked through, he stopped them. “We would like to borrow a boat that can take us to and from Arkina.”

“Why would you wish to go to an island of death?” Grandfather asked.

Penelope glanced around, recognizing some of the symbols from the dreams that had shown her the past. She took a gamble. “I… I’m the last of the ancient mages.” She confessed. “I received some dreams that told me to go to Arkina to find something or else the Laila would kill me.”

Their eyes narrowed. “An ancient mage… please don’t be offended if we test you first.” Grandmother said as she stood and disappeared.

Grandfather led them to his study. He misliked the distrust they showed her but when she didn’t seem offended or worried, he decided to give in and forgive them.

Grandmother returned with small boxes that held glowing bronze jewelry, ethereal in all lights. She set it on the low table in front of them and motioned for Penelope to touch one. The moment she touched one, it jumped onto her skin and it appeared on her wrist like a dainty bracelet, a thin chain with small pendants on it. The necklace disappeared and reappeared on her neck. He immediately checked on her but she merely smiled.

“Does that prove it now?”

“Yes.” They said reverently and altogether. “An ancient mage once more in our midst. Yes, we would have provided it even if it were merely our grandson asking, but knowing that it was the will of the ancient mages… well, it’s more urgent, isn’t it?”

They had an early dinner that night where Callisto learned more about his family, and about how they had cared for him, forced to watch from afar as he lived his life, bloody and brutal, but never truly alone so long as his cousin, the lying aide of his, Cedric was there to watch over him as his family. He also learned that his parents did have a loving marriage and that the one his father shared with the Queen was nothing more than politics.

Penelope felt completely at ease in the sea. Her body acclimatized immediately. For once, her nausea was nowhere to be seen, and she walked steadily even with the rocking of the ship. Callisto came up behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist and he leaned over, tucking his chin on her head.

“How do you feel?” He asked her.

“Hmm, I feel fine. Better on the water, actually.” She confessed.

Callisto hummed. “Is our baby going to be a water dragon then?”

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t mind. I’ll have a lake built for the baby to swim in when they get older. And I’ll teach them to swim. Teach you too.” He said with a crooked smile.

She shook her head. “I know how to swim. I learned in the other world.”

Callisto frowned at the reminder of her shattered soul and reincarnation. He opened his mouth but then she tensed, feeling something vile and dark coming close. “Something’s coming. We’re about to be attacked.” She whispered to him.

He tensed, braced her, and then the screaming started as the water broke and tentacles came out. “KRAKEN!” The crew screamed out as the sailors began to arm the cannons and drew their swords. He pulled her out from the edge and closer to the center of the ship. Between his sword and her magic, they were able to kill the kraken, the system helped her aim and know how much more was needed before they killed it.

Callisto checked on her frantically before he kissed her. She surreptitiously checked his percentage points and realized that he was at 92%. When had that happened?

Finally, they managed to anchor down on Arkina.

Penelope fell into the mirror, a woman clad in green appeared, dark-haired, and green-eyed. She swallowed thickly as she stared at the face that was so similar to her own. This woman, this goddess that her ancestors worshipped was taller than she was.

She was smiling softly. “Hello, Penelope.”

“Uhmm… who are you?”

“My name is Althea, your people once worshiped me.” She said before she smiled. “But I’m more than that to you. You can feel that can’t you?”

Penelope bit her lip, but she did feel that she knew this woman on a deeper level. “Are you… me?”

“Bingo!” She said with a laugh. “Never did have much luck with that game, bingo. Why call it that too?” She said, rambling before she shook her head. “Anyway, you’ve made it this far. I’ll admit, Penelope is my least favorite life.”

“Honestly, I feel the same way.” Penelope said. “This life is horrible, I mean… how many times did we die? I don’t even know! Why couldn’t we have kept both memories and our powers? That might have saved us!”

“Exactly!” Althea said. “But…” She froze and placed her hand on her womb, her eyes closing with a serene and happy smile. “But she makes it worth it, doesn’t she?”

“She?”

“She.” Althea confirmed. “This is the first time we’re becoming a mother naturally. We usually adopt or foster children, but we’ve never had one of our body and blood.”

“Oh.”

“Even if love doesn’t come to us from the people around us, we’ve always been good at forging our own path and carving a family made of love rather than one filled with resentment, even if it were a family we made through choice rather than through blood. And you can do that, you can have both now. You can have that family with your prince and with the baby girl you’ll have.” She told her. “I give you all my powers, with the limits to make sure you won’t overextend yourself unless it’s necessary.”

And then their hands entwined. Something was in her hand before she knew what happened.

And then a bright light blinded her. She felt herself being yanked, Callisto’s voice calling her name before he grunted and his arms wrapped around her.

Callisto had been forced to stay behind and fight off a monster that had been starved from the abandonment of the island. When he killed the monster and turned to follow Penelope through the halls of the tomb, he caught sight of her approach a dirty mirror. The moment her hand touched it, she disappeared in a flash of light and he ran to the mirror in panic.

Had… had it taken her away to the other world? Where were they? This couldn’t be happening! She couldn’t leave, he couldn’t lose them! His heart was shattering. No. He couldn’t. Suddenly, the world was so much darker. He banged on the glass, the blinding light was negligible in comparison to how he was feeling. Thoughts of losing her forever made him realize something he’d been denying, and how those denials had truly hurt her.

He loved Penelope. He loved her and wanted to spend his life with her regardless of rank. He wanted to raise their child in peace and happiness, in a home filled with nothing but love and kindness. Somewhere they’ll be safe and grow to be fearless.

And then Penelope was back but the mirror was crashing. He wrenched her away from it, arms wrapped around her frame as they rolled away and he shielded her when the glass finally shattered. Penelope was alive, she was here, healthy and whole, and all he wanted was to kiss her and begin their lives together. He kissed her deeply and carried her out.

They sat cuddled together against one of the pillars.

“I love you, Penelope Eckhart.” He told her and then wiped the tears from her eyes when it inevitably came. He held her tightly. “Please let me build a family with you, marry me, please. I’m asking you not as the crown prince but as Callisto, the man you bewitched in that maze and continued to captivate every moment since. I love you, and I was wrong when I said that love didn’t matter, because it does, immensely so. Marry me, tomorrow, or the day after that, or whenever.”

“Okay.” She said. “I love you.” She confessed. “Let’s get married when we get back to your relatives.”

“Alright, let’s get married on your coming of age.”

“That’s in two days!”

“My grandmother can pull it off.”

In the silence that followed, Penelope seemed to remember something. “How did you find me anyways?” She asked.

He winced and told her of the map, eyes averted at her incredulous laughter.

Compared to the journey to Arkina, their return was quite peaceful. And they made good time, so good in fact that they arrived in half the time that it should have taken. The preparations for Penelope’s coming of age had already been well underway.

It had been Callisto’s idea to ask his grandmother to prepare something for her birthday just before they left. And it didn’t take much for them to make the necessary adjustments to transition to a wedding halfway through. Penelope assured him that she had something to wear and he watched her get whisked away by his grandmother.

“Porter.” He said as he addressed his aide. Without giving the man a chance to reply, he gave a few quick orders. “Come to the county and bring me my best outfit.”

“Wh…”

“And bring the Baroness and her family, also… order the nursery to be subtly opened, aired out, and cleaned.”

He cut the call off immediately.

Penelope wore the purple dress she had commissioned long ago for her coming of age, the one she wore in those ill-fated loops. She thought about giving it better memories. She watched as Lady Iris ran about getting her ready. She helped Penelope with her hair and helped choose which jewelry she would wear.

When she entered what would be both her celebration to welcome her into adulthood and her wedding, she spotted Callisto who was waiting to escort her down. She froze and realized that he was wearing the same clothes from his birthday. He looked so… he looked so handsome that she suddenly regretted choosing this dress and not the blue one.

As they toasted to her and the speeches and formalities came, Penelope had asked if she would be allowed some time before the wedding to change.

“Yes, of course you can, dear.” Lady Iris said. “We can go after this.”

While Penelope changed, Callisto had been briefed on the situation with the Delman uprising. It seemed that the rat bastard that Penelope had favored, the slave, was the last surviving prince of Delman. He growled but pushed his jealousy away reminding himself that Penelope had chosen him, that she was carrying his child and was going to marry him in less than an hour.

“Why don’t I go then?” Uncle George suggested. “Tell everyone that you’d gone to fight, reluctantly, leaving your search for Penelope. You two can enjoy your honeymoon for a few days and then announce the whole marriage when it can’t be easily undone. Take an extended honeymoon once things die down.”

“Are you certain?” He asked his uncle. His uncle shrugged it off citing boredom.

It was put to a vote and the Collective had all been for sending his uncle to the battlefield. He turned to Leon Markham who nodded. “I can make the men cooperate with the ruse so long as you promise to introduce the Princess to them when you have the time. They’ve all been afraid this day would never come.”

He snorted. “Fine.”

And then he turned to Cedric. “Porter, stall the Eckharts, make them none the wiser, and prepare a force to attack the Eckharts.”

“What?” There were cries of alarm at his proclamation.

He sighed. “Penelope, as you all know, is the last of the ancient mages. She has a natural aversion to the Laila. And the Laila’s current host body is the recently found, long-lost real daughter, Ivonne Eckhart. It was why she ran away. The Laila attacked her. We need to destroy the Laila before she can cause too much damage.”

They all nodded seriously. “We’ll come to the palace one by one with a small amount of guards, and demand to speak to you, refusing to leave your palace until you appear before us.”

“How impudent.” He said with a grin.

“It will make the Harpy… I mean, the second empress and her son believe that you’ve fallen out of favor with us.”

“Oh, oh my lady, this dress is so beautiful.” One of the maids gushed as they happily helped her change.

Lady Iris watched and took out a jewelry box. “I think… I think that these will suit you better. Nicholas gave these to me on our wedding day. And I’d be honored if you wear these earrings at your wedding.”

She opened it to a pair of sapphire and diamond-encrusted earrings. Penelope gasped and felt touched. It was… it was something new to be surrounded by so much love and genuine kindness.

And then… and then she was walking back to the ceremony hall where Callisto should be keeping the guests, the members of the Collective were gathered there to witness their union and the coming of age of the last of the ancient mages to the crown prince.

She felt oddly calm as the music began and the doors opened, she walked without any doubts. And there he was, standing at the end of aisle. His eyes fixed upon her with a foolish little grin on his face, eyes wide with shock. She grinned back at him.

Penelope was wearing that dress, the dress he’d dreamed of for so long. She was wearing it as she walked towards him, to marry him. He felt so happy, so… euphoric and love-struck that he could die. His hand outstretched. She took it and gave it a squeeze.

“You look beautiful.” He whispered.

“I love you.” She said back quietly.

The officiant spoke but he didn’t particularly listen much. His attention stayed on Penelope.

Given the fact that she was an ancient mage, and the short time to prepare for the wedding. They chose handfasting instead. The officiant tied a golden silk cloth around their joined hand.

Penelope’s face was radiant and she stared into his eyes with a serene sort of joy. The whole world seemed to fade away and the room fell into a reverent hush as he began, his vows coming easily to him. He raised their joined hands to his lips and lowered it.

“Penelope, you came into my life years after I thought any meaning had been lost to it. Long after any positive emotion, any love, lust, and care had been killed; or at least, I thought it had been. But then you appeared like a vision in that maze. You appeared like an apparition, as though you were a mirage that a man long parched found salvation in. But you weren’t an apparition. You were real and tangible. And suddenly I was a drowning man. You quenched the thirst and hunger for love that I didn’t know I had. Every word, every look, every touch, I’ve lived for it ever since. You were an image forever ingrained in my soul even if our first meeting wasn’t the best. You became my salvation, coming to me at a time when I burned with nothing but hatred and disgust at the world. Where I wanted nothing but destruction. Like a guardian deity sent to protect the Empire and led me to the path that I now follow, prosperity and peace. And you have no idea the feat that is, for a man so bloodied and hardened by war as I am.”

He brought his other hand to gently caress her cheek before it fell and she intertwined it with hers. “I promise you, that I would never, ever, hurt you, that you would never need to fear me in any way. I swear that I will never love another like I love you. To love you more with each day that passes and with every breath I take and every beat of my heart. I vow to lay with no other but you, to remain faithful to you forever, in this life or the next, and whatever may come to be. I give you my oath that I will never sire a child with another. I pledge my life to you, and dedicate all my days to your wellbeing. I will take care of you and our children, I will love them, and I will give my life to protect our family. Your comfort and safety and those of our children will always come first. I promise you a peaceful life.” Then he brought his forehead closer to hers so that they were leaning against each other momentarily before he pulled away.

“To you, my love and my life, my everything. I will love you until the end of time and I will forever be grateful that you chose me.” He finished before he kissed her forehead.

Penelope became teary-eyed and then she began her own vows. “It’s funny that you bring up our first meeting.” She said. “Because I remember thinking that I was both suicidal and crazy to approach you but you were just too pretty not to. I know I tuned out everything you said and the threat you issued because I didn’t even see the assassin in your hand until just before it happened. But I still followed you. And when you terrified and threatened me, I screamed out the first words I could think of to throw you off, words that eventually became something I can now say confidently and with sincerity. I love you, Callisto Regulus. You handsome and crazy man.” She said with a laugh.

Her face became serious. “But I’m not lying today when I say it when I say that I love you so much even though you frustrate and infuriate me quite frequently. I know that we’ll have our difficult days and our differences, but I promise you, we will get through it. I will be your most stalwart defender, your partner, I will share your burdens, be your comfort, your home, and your family. I promise that even if we fight, we will get through it, and that our children will know nothing but love and happiness. I will make our home one filled with beautiful memories of light and unburdened laughter. Whatever the world throws at us, whatever challenges comes our way, I will be by your side.”

He could hear the sniffles and the sounds of people crying throughout their vows.

“I love you Callisto Regulus, and I will say that however many times you need and as much as I can in the coming years. I love you and only you, and I will continue to do so for all my days and beyond that. I give you my ever after, my eternity. I am so glad that I get to become your family and your home, just as you’ve become mine, because you are mine, you are my home. My home is wherever you are, whether that’s in a palace or a random shack somewhere, it’s you that I want. And I feel so infinitely blessed that I get to call you my husband and my lover, my best friend, and the best man that I’ve ever known. I love you, smug and irritating grin and all. I even love your supposedly stalkerish ways. Forever and ever, you’re not getting rid of me now, Callisto. I love you.” She said one final time.

His Uncle George was now completely bawling with his grandfather and the Baroness.

Callisto didn’t mind though, they were nothing but background noises. He wanted, so very much so, to sweep her in his arms, kiss her, and walk out of that hall now. But he didn’t. Self-control and his iron will and faultless restraint had been exercised for this.

They said their ‘I do’s’ and slipped on the rings that had been cast at the last minute for them. His grandmother had produced them that day and had explained that they were made from his mother’s childhood jewelry. And then came time for the most important part of the ceremony, the part that would tie them forever.

“In the light of the goddess.” They recited. “We come before you all, and before the great goddess herself, and declare that we come willingly and with no false artifices. We come here with hearts filled with love and sincerity, with only the best intentions to be together and to love one another from now until the end of days. We come here to be joined as one.”

“I am his and he is mine.” Penelope said at the same time he said, “I am hers and she is mine.”

Golden flames shot up, engulfed the cloth, and burned it away. But they didn’t stop. “We swear to be ever faithful to one another, to be united in heart and body, and to know no others from this moment until the end.”

The glow moved around their body until it engulfed them. And even though it was blindingly bright, he never lost sight of her.

There was a stunned silence when the light died down.

The officiant coughed. “The goddess has spoken, for the first time in millennia, and has blessed this marriage. Let none come between these two.” He declared. “I now present to you, Crown Prince Callisto Regulus and his bride, Crown Princess Penelope Regulus.”

And then he turned to them. “You may now kiss the bride.”

Callisto didn’t waste another moment and swooped in to kiss her deeply, dipping her first before he lifted her off the ground to the cheers of joy and congratulations, as well as the thunderous applause of their guests.

At the end of the night, Callisto took Penelope to the bedroom that had been prepared for them. He waved away the maids that were to help prepare Penelope. “I’ll see to my wife’s care. You’re all dismissed.”

She stared at him with wide eyes and red cheeks. She was still a vision, even after such a long event and having to sit for a quick portrait sketch for their wedding portrait.

“We don’t have to…” Callisto began but she pulled him into a quick kiss.

“I want to.” She said. Hands went to his hair as she pulled him with her with every step she took, backward closer and closer to the bed as she kissed him. Her hands had been moving steadily as well, threw away his jacket, and began to unbutton his shirt. She fell back on the bed but she still pulled him along after her forcing himself to brace his arms on the bed and catch himself before he could crush her.

“You’re rather aggressive today. I thought you’d be shy or tired… or something.” He said.

Penelope smirked. “Well, I want to see some return on my investment.” She said with a wink. “I did choose this after all, let’s make sure the body is worth it, after all, monetary-wise, I can’t get my down payment yet since you have yet to become the emperor…” She grinned and then shook her head as she laughed at his stunned look.

“I’ve always thought this, but you, my love, are a snob.”

“Of course I am.” She kissed his cheek. “But honestly, I don’t think you know much about pregnant women, but it’s quite well known back home that a pregnant woman’s libido or sexual drive may go way up because of all of the things going on in her body. For some reason, I felt like I really needed it when you dismissed the maids, still do. So I don’t understand why you’re not doing anything to help your poor pregnant wife relieve herself at this very moment.”

She gave him a frustrated huff that had him chuckling.

“Well then, darling, I have no intention of letting you rest at all tonight.”

He divested himself of his shirt but rather than going to her lips, he moved down, slowly and raised her skirts. He stared at her with dark eyes as he knelt down and licked.

Soon her moans filled the air, her voice calling out to him brokenly.

Callisto looked up with a smile as he finally felt his thirst sated and helped her sit up, one hand went to unlace her dress and corset, the blue dress fell to her waist. His lips went down to kiss her neck and trailed down. Her fingers tugged at his hair and then she let it go when he switched their positions so that she was sitting on top of him.

She kissed him, their bare chests flush against each other. And they divested themselves of the remainder of their clothing. Penelope quickly became insensate her body tensing and arching every so often, voice broken and falling silent. Eventually, when he’d spent himself in her more times than could be counted with his hands, Callisto picked up his bride and took her to the bath kept warm by magic stones and gently stepped in with her still in his arms. His hands gently washing her.

Penelope was asleep by the time they got out of the bath. Her beautiful face was peaceful and unburdened. Before he blew out the candles, he bent down and lay his head on her womb. “Hello baby, this is your papa. I hope you’re doing well in there, I can’t wait to meet you. I promise, I’ll have this all wrapped up before you’re born, so don’t worry about anything, alright? I love you very much, good night and rest well.”

Penelope woke up to arms wrapped around her waist and a suspiciously familiar soreness in her back and between her legs. She had experienced all these once before. And when she woke up, she had her suspicions confirmed. Callisto’s face was in front of her, his face looked so enthralling in the early morning light. The memories came back to her and she blushed at her audacity but she smiled when she remembered how he played along with it.

After a few minutes of examining him, her eyes began to feel heavy again so she buried her face in his chest and fell asleep.

They spent a week at the County before reality had caught up to them and they were now going to return to the capital. Penelope decided to use her newfound magic to create imitation shards and sent the real ones off with different members of the collective. It would all be destroyed when Penelope defeated the Laila.

As they rode through the streets of the capital, Penelope had a sense of wrongness the closer they got to the duchy’s gates. The streets were quiet as the procession of soldiers streamed along the streets dressed in imperial armor, not too unfamiliar as the rebellion meant that troops were coming and going on the regular.

“Your Highness! The gates are open and there are no guards!” One of the soldiers said.

Callisto’s face turned dark. “Head for the palace.” He ordered.

Penelope protested as they began to ride away. “Callisto, please!” She begged. “We need to do this now.”

“I know, but let me take care of it. I can’t risk you both.”

“You can’t face her and win either. If the thrall won’t work, then she’s going to ravage your mind and destroy it.” She sighed when he seemed unwilling to even consider it. “I know this is hard for you, I know what I’m asking. But I also know that I need to do this because what we stand to lose can be so much more. And I know that I only feel brave and confident about going back there to fight against her because you’ll be beside me, watching out for me.”

“I’m scared.” He admitted. “I’m scared that if I look away, if I lose sight of you, you’ll die or disappear from my life forever.” He kissed the top of her head. “But I also know that I can’t make decisions for you or lock you away from the world forever.”

He then called out an order to turn back. Penelope squeezed his hand and fell into his embrace. “I love you.” She told him.

“I love you too, Princess.”

Penelope had been missing for over a week now, closer to two weeks at this point, any trace of the Holy Kingdom that could be found had been sought but it seemed they had gone to ground. Unlike Ivonne’s disappearance, this one had too many leads and mysticism surrounding it that it muddied the trail. Though the frenzy was the same.

Penelope’s birthday had come and gone, the things he had planned for that one special day, the day the two of them had been looking forward to for so long, had gone away with nothing but despondent and frantic anxiousness. Was Penelope still alive? Or had the cult of Laila killed her in retaliation.

His eyes scanned all the information that had been sent by the crown prince who was still either in the midst of searching for Penelope or now conscripted to once again fight the Empire’s battles. The piles of documentations were overwhelming, the clues too plentiful to make heads or tails of it. One thing did catch his eye, Penelope’s own words coming to his mind on that day, just before she had disappeared, look at her reflection. But why? He looked at his own in the gleaming polish of the silverware, and then at the descriptions of warnings around the Laila’s vessels, specifically, the lack of a reflection in those cases.

There was a knock on the door and Ivonne came in, she had a sweet smile on her face but something about it made him shiver. As they spoke, and as she turned to leave, he caught sight of the empty room reflected in it’s entirety with him as the only occupant when it was clear that Ivonne was there as well.

His fists clenched as he realized the implications. What if Penelope hadn’t run away? What if she hadn’t had the time because the monster was already within the walls waiting to kill her? What if he had let the very demon that had already killed one daughter, enter his home, and kill his remaining one?

He rang the bell. It was time to arrange a confrontation.

Unfortunately, arranging an armed confrontation against her still meant that they were at a disadvantage. Even with their manpower, it was nothing when compared to the demon’s magic. Still, he shouldered on, determined to get as many of his people out of this mess when things began to happen one after another.

Soldiers from the Imperial forces arrived and attacked, led by the Crown Prince.

Penelope’s voice suddenly rang loud and clear above the din as another source of magic burst forth, like a ball bouncing around, it struck the monsters, tearing through them and giving them the chance to escape and seek refuge.

“Penelope!” He called out in relief.

She was peering out from the imperial carriage, the Crown Prince was on a horse, not his usual one, and he was scolding her. Penelope was alive and the crown prince had found her and brought her back!

Things began to move quite rapidly after that. Derrick had been terribly injured, Penelope had revealed that she truly did have magic, and then he was swallowed whole by a monster. It was some minutes before the amulet that Penelope had given him had activated and he found himself wandering the strand of trees back to the Duchy’s main entrance.

“Penelope!” He called out. “Penelope! Reynold!” He felt relief to see the two unharmed.

Before he could even get close to Penelope, she was pulled away from him and he was facing the tip of a blade. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the cold and dark eyes of the crown prince who stared at him and then at the sword for a moment or two, ignoring the protests of Gilbert’s children, and then he pulled the sword away.

“I was merely making sure it was truly him and he hadn’t been taken over by the Laila.” He said flatly towards the infuriate accusations that Reynold threw his way. “We can’t be sure since she disappeared with him. We can’t account for that gap.”

“I was never with her, she never had me. The moment the monster swallowed me, the amulet flashed and I appeared in the woods and had to make my way back here.” He declared proudly. “It seems Penelope, your foresight saved me!”

“You’re still wearing it?” She asked, a face of complicated disbelief on her face.

“Of course! It’s a present from my beloved daughter.” He declared.

“What kind of magic is in that?” The crown prince asked as he stared at the amulet, hard. “Why is his magic better than the one on mine?” He complained.

Penelope turned to him. “You do realize, don’t you, that if you had gotten the teleportation one, then I would have been left alone in the forest that day.”

“Hmm, fair enough. I’ll take the one that broke over this.” The crown prince said immediately.

He felt his blood boil when Penelope leaned into him and the crown prince wrapped his arms around her.

“Your highness! That is highly inappropriate!” He declared.

The prince smirked. “Come now, father-in-law.”

He bristled at the nickname.

“This is nothing inappropriate between husband and wife.” The prince finished.

He scowled. “That isn’t funny.”

“He’s not lying, father… his highness and I eloped when he found me a few days ago. I… I didn’t want to go home after I escaped because I knew the Laila would try to kill me again, and I couldn’t trust the duchy because she has the ability to brainwash people. I didn’t know the situation here.” Penelope confessed.

“So he coerced you into it! He used your fears to wed you!” He said angrily.

Penelope shook her head. “No, I married him because I love him.”

He might not know much about his daughter, he might have failed her for so long, but he could tell Penelope was sincere, so very, very, sincere. “When did this even happen?”

“I don’t even know. I do know that I’m also nearly two months on with his highness’ child.”

That part did make him erupt into a vitriol that was only stopped when Penelope sagged, her legs giving out. She was kept up by the prince’s arms around her, he adjusted their position until he was carrying her.

“Father, I know it must disappoint you, but I love him, and I love this child. Besides, don’t you want to meet your grandchild?” She asked him. Suddenly images of bouncing little babies that looked like his daughter appeared in his mind and he felt his heart thaw.

“Your highness!” One of the soldiers came rushing, his face white as he approached. “The second prince has launched a coup! The sun palace has fallen! It seems the prince, empress, and marquis had all sided with the Laila!”

“The Emperor?”

“Managed to escape to your palace which has now barricaded itself.”

“Who sent the report?” The crown prince asked.

“Lady Lykaios.”

Lady Iris? What? He looked at Penelope who looked horrified and panicked. But she also seemed familiar with the crown prince’s maternal grandmother which gave him an inkling on who helped them elope.

“Your highness! The Eckhart will stand with you on this fight.”

He turned to him with a sharp look.

“We owe the Marquis for the insult and perjury he had directed towards the Eckhart during the hunting festival, and for siding with the Laila who had hurt two of my children and killed one. We don’t forgive or forget such insults and injury.” He said cooly, though he felt anger burn away at him. “Besides, that is my grandchild’s seat.”

The crown prince snorted.

He saw Penelope whisper to the crown prince who whispered something back before he held on to her tightly as Penelope began to nod off.

The ruins of his home made him wince but he went to his office immediately while he had Pennel muster the men. Reynold followed him, acting as his right hand and temporary heir while Derrick was being treated and in recovery. The crown prince was momentarily away from them, he had left to settle the sleeping Penelope in a spare room and to arrange a guard for her.

He disliked the crown prince even more now that he was his son-in-law through trickery. The cad had seduced his young and innocent, sweet, little girl and gotten her with child. Oh, he was truly infuriating.

A servant knocked on the door announcing the surprise arrival of Winter Verdandi.

“I came as soon as I heard. Is there anyway I can offer up assistance?” He asked.

Gilbert’s eyes narrowed. “How did you find out so soon?”

“The commoners and the children of the streets keep me abreast about these things.” Marquis Verdandi’s face showed some of the exhaustion that Gilbert himself felt. He had heard that the man himself had been looking for Penelope as well.

He glanced at the cup of tea brought in, subtly looking for a reflection and relaxed slightly when he saw that he did. Reynold was still tense beside him. “Is it true that Lady Penelope has been found?” The Marquis asked.

“Yes, the crown prince found her but she was terrified of returning because she discovered that the Laila was in the Duchy.” He said.

“It must have been terrifying.” Winter said compassionately.

“Oh, I’m sure it was.” Reynold said but he muttered slightly softer afterwards, “and that’s why the prince was able to take advantage.”

“Pardon?”

Gilbert sighed. “The prince convinced my daughter to marry him.”

The young marquis froze before he cleared his throat. “Oh, so they’re now engaged?”

“Worse.” He growled. “They eloped on her birthday. Legally now fully wed.”

“I… I see.”

Gilbert saw the way Winter deflated and he now knew exactly why the man was so determined to find Penelope, why he had been so invested and worried. Between the two, he knew who he would have preferred become his son in law, neither. He wanted Penelope to stay single and his little girl forever, but that wasn’t happening, so Winter Verdandi was preferable. He knew him, watched him grow from a precocious tot to a responsible and respectable gentleman.

The door opened. “If it isn’t Winston the Wizard.” The crown prince said as he entered.

“She told you?” He asked in surprise.

“I guessed.” The prince said as he took a seat, impudently, on the other chair. “A wizard, awfully close to my wife, giving her these expensive gifts of rare artifacts, and with snow white hair.”

Winter was silent, and Gilbert was visibly confused. Winter Verdandi was a wizard?

“Not to mention, you were seen having quite a friendly conversation alone, and came to her defense during the trial.” The prince gave a sardonic laugh. “It wasn’t too hard to put together, nor was it hard to realize that you are in love with my wife. It seems to me that every time I turn around, another man is there waiting to court her. You, the slave, even my own brother-in-law.” He said the last with disgust.

Gilbert’s eyes immediately turned to Reynold.

“WHAT? GROSS! I’M NOT IN LOVE WITH PENELOPE! SHE’S MY SISTER! WHAT KIND OF SICK BASTARD DO YOU THINK I AM?” Reynold screamed out loud.

“Not you, the other one, you’re just an overgrown child.”

“Why you!” Reynold said immediately but was silenced by a glare from him. He took a breath and grimaced. “Derrick’s not in love with Penelope! He hates her.” Reynold protested.

“Believe what you want.”

George had fun fighting and putting down those Delman rats. It was funny seeing them look for Callisto only to be met by him. He could see the rouse for what it was, a distraction. He immediately informed his mother who was at the Palace, and proceeded to try to track down the head of this. The mysterious surviving prince of Delman that they managed to magic out of nowhere.

He met the boy, and it was a boy, looked to be around his new niece-in-law’s age and scrawny when compared to Callisto and himself. The boy had grey-brown hair and grey eyes.

“You’re not the prince.” He said blandly.

“No I’m not, but you are one though.”

The boy stared at him through their locked swords. “My father struck me from the lists and let me get captured.”

“You survived though, when everyone else in your family died, you survived.”

“Where’s the Crown Prince?” The boy asked, ignoring what he said. There was a storm of madness brewing behind his eyes.

“My nephew? Well, Callisto is probably enjoying some time with his new wife.” He said offhandedly. “I volunteered so that he can have a short honeymoon with her.”

The boy froze. “Wife?”

George grinned. “Pretty little thing, her name’s Penelope.”

The boy immediately broke the dead lock and attacked fast. “You’re lying! Master wouldn’t marry him! He tricked her somehow!”

“Master was it? Ahh, I did hear Penelope had a slave for an escort knight before.”

The boy screamed. He attacked some more until the screeches of monsters could be heard and he was taken away.

Geroge sighed as he thought back to that. It had been two days since his confrontation against the Prince of Delman and he’d not seen hide or hair of the boy since.

Penelope yawned as she blinked at the bright light that filled her borrowed room.  Her eyes adjusting gradually to everything. Her stomach growled and she thought worriedly of the baby and that had her calling for a servant.

Emily entered with trays of food. “His highness asked that these be sent up to you.”

She raised the lid and there was fish and all the things she loved and knew wasn’t going to cause her to throw up. She immediately went to the food and ate with gusto.

“Where is his highness?” She asked, looking for her new husband.

“Still trapped in a meeting with the Duke and the Marquis. I believe they’re planning to storm the Imperial palace.”

“Oh. Can we go for a walk around what remains of the gardens after this. I want to move around.” She said.

“I’ll prepare a dress.” Emily said promptly.

The walk turned out to be a bad idea. Penelope kept her wand in hand as they walked through the torn up grounds. It was peaceful and slightly relaxing at first, until the guards started dying and Penelope was in the middle of a bloodbath, far away from the entrance, and with Eckles coming at her.

Before she knew it, she’d been taken. Her wand out of her grasp and the duchy disappearing behind them.

Penelope’s maid rushed into the meeting as they were talking. Blood dripped from the side of her head. “Lady Penelope has been kidnapped!” She said, out of breath. “She went for a walk and had taken an ten for good measure when the sla… I mean, Eckles came and killed them, I tried to fight him but he hit me over the head and the last thing I saw was that he’d taken her as well.”

Callisto’s heart stopped. No. No. Please no.

He rushed out immediately to see if it was true, but the room was empty and there was a commotion as the soldiers were moving to see the men.

He brought out the map, sought that bright red dot that was his love, and laughed hollowly when he realized where that little cretin had taken his wife. The empress’ palace, his mother’s palace. That bastard was going to die.

He returned to the panicking men and relayed what he’d discovered.

“We’ll move into the palace as soon as the sun goes down, but I’ll be heading in to take Penelope out of the palace before that happens.” He declared.

“Alone?” Reynold asked dubiously.

“I’m privy to the different secret paths around the entire palace. Every building, every little corner. I can do it.” Callisto said. “Besides, what makes you think that I’m asking permission?”

Penelope shuddered with disgust at the feel of Eckles hands on her. His fingers traced her face, lips coming close to hers. She flinched back.

“I looked for you like mad. And here I find you married to the crown prince.”

“You brought Ivonne back, you betrayed me, you brought that demon into my home and she nearly killed me.” She reminded him.

He huffed before his eyes became angry again. “You gave yourself to the man that tore down my land.” His hand gripped her face punishingly. “I’m no longer a slave, you’re no longer my master.” He said lowly, madness in his eyes. “If I can’t have your heart, I’ll have your body. I don’t need your permission to have you.”

Penelope slapped him.

“Maybe once I kill that bastard, you’ll learn your place.”

And then he left her alone, mirror wand gone, shards also taken. Well… false shards. The real ones were distributed between the members of the collective.

Callisto hurried through the passages killing every little mice and worm he came across on the way as well, he knew Penelope might possibly become squeamish if he didn’t. He worried about his wife’s state the whole way. Was she alright? Had that madman touched her? Was she scared out of her mind and crying? He hated the images that those thoughts conjured up.

Finally, he got out of the chimney, coughing the whole time.

“Hands up!” His wife said forcefully, as the dust and ashes cleared, he saw Penelope with a chair overhead, ready to swing.

“Callisto?” She said in surprise as she began to relax.

His eyes scanned her over. “Penelope! Are you alright?”

“Yes, I think? He took my wand and the shards.” She said, emphasizing the last part.

Callisto’s eyes gleamed and he nodded in understanding. “Come on, we need to get out of here soon. We’ll be launching an attack in half an hour.”

He gave her a quick once over to determine that she wasn’t injured or anything, and then ushered her into the secret door and into the dark and dusty passageway. He saw her grimace but followed obediently. This time, her hand sought his and he felt some form of contentment in knowing that, for the time being at least, she was safe with him.

“Where are we anyway? And how do you know this place?”

Callisto glanced at her with a small smile that was also a bit put off. “There are secret passageways throughout the entire palace grounds. Every member of the imperial family knows it.”

“Then wouldn’t the second prince know it as well?”

“This is the Empress’ palace. Children of the concubine are forbidden here.” He said.

“The… the empress’ palace?” She questioned lowly. “That fucking psycho!”

Yes, Callisto was rather furious about the presumptuousness and ego of Delman’s maddest prince. He had hoped that Penelope wouldn’t have had any trauma with the palace that would one day be hers.

“Wait, what about the people in your palace? Your grandmother?” She questioned, as though she had remembered what he had said about an attack.

“They’ll take part as well. This is a fight against the Laila, the members of the collective have been waiting centuries for this.” He explained. “And I’ll be joining them as soon as I get you out of here.”

Penelope stopped walking at those words. “I can’t go.”

“Penelope, there’s going to be a battle. I can’t guarantee your safety when it breaks out.” He said, desperate to make her see reason.

Penelope smiled at him. “I know that. And I’m terrified but I need to do this. I need to end this here and now or else something horrible will happen, I can feel it.”

When he still held firm, his wife cupped his cheek and stood on her toes, and kissed him. “This child’s very existence depends on my killing the Laila here and now.” She told him as she grabbed one of his hands and placed it on her womb where their baby was growing.

“You don’t even have a weapon! What can you do without your wand?” He asked, giving the last of his protests to her.

His wife stepped back, raised her hand, and a ball of fire lit up in it. “I don’t need it. But it does make them underestimate me.”

“Could you have escaped earlier?”

“I thought about it, but I figured I didn’t want to run the risk of my magic clashing with the Palace’s protective barriers and then having to face up against the Laila while my magic was spent.” And then she held on to his hand once more, the flame lowering until it consolidated into a small ball of white light that illuminated the path clearly. “Besides, I knew you were going to come and save me soon, so all I had to do was wait and fight off Eckles’ advances.”

“You’re so lucky that I love you.” He said with an aggrieved sigh before he took out a dagger and pressed it to her hand and then he turned around and led her on.

“I love you too.”

Laila growled furiously as her plans fell apart. Why was it that in this go around, everything began to sway towards Penelope when it had always been the contrary? Right now, Eckles stood in Callisto’s place while the Second prince and the members of his faction stood lined up, eager for the ‘laila’ ceremony she’d promised them.

Oh, they would get their wishes of the Laila walking the earth once more. But they wouldn’t be around to see it. She eyed them all, the perfect meals for her brothers and sisters. But Laila lacked one thing to make this new plan of hers work.

The orb that contained the fang.

Since the Emperor escaped with it, to the Crown Prince’s palace that was now under quite a lot of complex barrier spells, and sealed up tight, it was slow going.

Suddenly, screams could be heard outside.

“Your highness!” One of the Delman soldiers said as he raced into the throne room. “My prince! The Eckharts, the Imperial army, and the members of the collective have launched an attack!”

Everyone shifted nervously but Eckles’ gaze landed on him, the deliciously dark madness within it was growing. “What about Lady Penelope? Has she been secured?”

“The lady…” The soldier trailed off. “I… I haven’t checked on her yet.”

“You fool!” And with that, Eckles was off.

Not too long later, Callisto entered with Penelope. The crown prince tore the soldiers and nobles apart, cutting down the Marquis, his stepmother, and half-brother where they stood, pleading for their lives and making excuses.

Laila looked between the shards of the mirror and Callisto and grinned. Let some of her magic flow into the relic, ready to brainwash him when suddenly, the mirror glowed red and her powers, she noted with horror, were being sapped. It happened so fast that she felt herself instantly weaken. Weaker than when she hadn’t had full control of the body yet.

She attacked Penelope with what magic she had left while she tried to siphon it back but it wouldn’t budge. Callisto was busy fighting off Delman’s soldiers and Eckles, for good measure, Laila released a monster as well. Penelope fought back with both magic and dagger, Ivonne’s body took hits that Laila couldn’t heal. Slowly but surely, it was breaking down.

“Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY?!?” She screamed! “Why did they love you now? Why is this happening? This was my second chance!”

“Your second chance?” Penelope asked her coldly. “You had all of the chances, you had their love but couldn’t be content with it. You had to ruin it by wanting more. You had so many, hundreds, thousands of them. Thousands of times where I died and you lived and could have kept living the life of the victor but you chose to ruin it all. But you know what? I didn’t even want their love anymore.”

“I’m going to change this! I’m going to go back and change all of this!” She screamed out.

Penelope raised a brow, dagger poised to attack and she struck, deep into Laila’s heart. “No, you’re not. You’re powerless now. And…” As she pulled the dagger out, the mirror shattered, the souls of her kin forever gone. “Neither will your people.”

Penelope watched the Laila fall before she turned to Callisto who was silent. When she turned, her heart stopped. Callisto was staring at her, face pale as he clutched at his chest. Eckles was beheaded on the floor behind him, the soldiers dead, but the monster had fallen over top of him, more than half of his body was under it.

“You did it!” He said before he grimaced. “Close your eyes until help arrives, I’ll keep watch. You hate violence and blood.”

“Shut up and save your strength.” She snapped at him as she ran to him immediately and helped push it off of him.

“Be careful.” He cautioned. “The fangs and claws are deeply poisonous.” He said.

Penelope saw the dark veins on his arm. “No.” She whispered brokenly as she began to cry.

“It’s alright.” He said as he wiped the tears from my cheek. “Don’t cry, Darling. It’s all going to be alright.”

“No, it’s not! You promised me! You… you aren’t allowed to leave me.”

“I don’t intend to.” He told her. “No matter where you run, I’ll follow you.”

She held his hand with tears in her eyes. “You better.”

“Mhmm, and you’re going to be strong, right?” He said. “Princess, you’re going to be strong and you’re going to raise our little baby with love.”

“Of course, I will.” She said. “And so will you. You’re going to be there for all of her major and minor life events.”

“A girl huh?” He said with a grin, eyes bright and soft despite the pale tone of his complexion. “I’m imagining how beautiful a little girl like you would look.” Tears began to run down his eyes. “Be happy princess, focus on yourself and our daughter, be selfish, study archaeology, do what you want. Know that I’ll always support you and watch over you. I love you both.”

“I love you too, Callisto Regulus.” She was sobbing now as he leaned on her shoulder, eyes closed and breathing growing shallower. Her hands fumbled for the cufflinks he used as earrings and brought them to his wound, but there was so much blood she didn’t know if it was effective.

She heard the thundering of footsteps, an army approached though she knew not which side. She began to scream. “HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!”

“PENELOPE!” She heard Father and Reynold call out as they burst through the doors.

They scanned the surroundings, taking in the carnage before they spotted her. “Help him!” She begged.

“By the Dragon, Callisto!” She heard Lady Iris exclaim as she followed behind Father and Reynold.

The Emperor was rushing behind them as well, dressed in armour, sword bloody, and with the orb still attached to his person. As he drew closer, Penelope came up with a rather desperate idea. Her hand reached out and yanked the orb from the Emperor to everyone’s shock as she forced it open to reveal the fangs.

Penelope hurriedly removed his armour and stabbed him with the fang, infusing her magic into it. For the first time in thousands of years, the magic of the dragon was working in tandem with the goddess’ magic. A bright light glowed and Callisto’s breathing eased and grew stronger, his wound closed but he was still pale and unconscious.

It wasn’t perfect, but Penelope took it. Especially since she dared not use more magic at the moment and endanger their child.

She watched as they lifted him up and away from her. Followed after them, ignoring Father and Reynold. She needed to be with him, needed to know that he would live.

Penelope waited by his bedside. The doctors had all sworn that Callisto would wake up on his own time, much as he had with the poison earlier in the year. She ate well and rested when she was tired, just as the doctor had told her to after examining her for any signs of fetal distress.

Thankfully, their baby still seemed to be doing fine. And Penelope tried not to be too stressed by Callisto’s condition. So, she tried to keep herself busy at his bedside. She read and studied the books required for her new position as the Crown Prince’s wife. Began knitting a blanket for their baby. And even told him stories about her boring day-to-day activities, her studies, and the mundane activities happening around the palace as they fixed the damages caused by the coup.

Whenever they were alone, Penelope would let her magic free, allowing it to flow to her husband as she healed him. She would ask him to wake up soon, tell him how much she and the baby both loved him, and how they were waiting for him to open his eyes before she kissed him on the lips, cheeks, nose, or forehead. Once a day at least, and mostly in the afternoon, Lady Iris would come and whisk her away, dragging her into the gardens for some light exercise for both her and the baby’s health. Penelope had never been pregnant before this, nor had she ever had a child, Lady Iris had given birth and raised two children to adulthood, so she deferred to her in matters of health when it came to pregnant women.

A knock on the bedroom door signalled the Duke’s arrival and Penelope was snapped out of her musings. Penelope stood up and motioned for him to wait outside while she walked towards him. Penelope had managed to collect the real mirror shards and infused it with one last bout of magic that would see it destroyed once it was used up.

She was giving her family the closure they’d sought with regard to Ivonne.

Penelope had spoken to her already, had seen this girl who was both sweet and temperamental, who was truly Reynold in female form, not malicious, just a lonely and sad child, a bit spoiled, but sweet nonetheless. And she decided to help her move on by giving her one last chance to speak to her family.

So Penelope recalled those mirror pieces and put them all back together, now all she had to do was give her father the box and tell him to open it immediately when he got home and gathered both of his sons to him.

Father took the box with a quizzical expression though he nodded at the instructions. “How are you, Penelope?” He asked awkwardly. Her father who looked tired and aged by the events of the last few weeks stared at her, eyes going up and down her frame. “And how is the baby?”

“We’re both fine, father.” She said. Her hands clenched and feeling supremely awkward and weak without Callisto by her side right now. She felt as though she wanted, no needed, his support and his strength and the knowledge that he’d pull her away the moment this conversation turned.

“And have there been any improvements in the Prince’s condition?” The whole conversation was filled with awkward pauses and heavy silences.

Penelope bit her tongue and held back the tears, cursing the pregnancy hormones that wreaked havoc upon her and made her want to cry. “The doctors say he’ll wake up on his own time. I’ll be staying close until then.”

“And then?”

“I’m not leaving him, father, not only am I married to the prince and carrying his child but I love him dearly and wholeheartedly.”

“When did the two of you even become…”

“I told you before, father, I don’t know.” She said. “All I knew was, the prince was the only one who saw the real me at the time, who saw me and didn’t look through me or pretend I was scum beneath his feet. He understood me and for that night at the hunting festival… that was the first time in a long time I felt loved and cherished, that I could even pretend that I truly mattered to someone.”

“You do matter, and you are loved, Penelope.” The duke said softly. “I’m sorry for everything. For all that you’ve suffered and all that I’ve allowed to happen to you…”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever truly be able to forgive you and move on, but for the time being, giving me some space would work. And… and I don’t intend to return to the duchy if I can help it. Not now, maybe one day, but everything hurts too much when I’m there.”

“I understand.”

Penelope finally spoke up and blurted out what she wanted to say. “Aren’t you angry?”

“About what?” Father asked surprised. “I mean, I’m disappointed that you got married young, got pregnant before marriage and underaged, and in your choice of husband when there’s a perfectly good Marquis who’s completely besotted with you. But I’m not angry.”

Penelope stared at her father for a moment at the mention of Winter and at the direction his mind had gone. “No, I mean… I killed Ivonne. I’m the reason you can’t even have her body back.”

He swallowed thickly. “I… Ivonne is, well, my child is finally in her long-awaited and much-deserved peaceful rest with her mother. You gave her that, thank you, Penelope.”

Penelope woke to red eyes staring at her with warmth as his fingers wrapped around her hair. He was blinking slowly as though still half asleep.

“How are you feeling?” She asked with a yawn as she sat up on the chair.

“No, I believe that’s a question for you. How are you feeling? And how is the baby?”

She sighed at his overprotective nature. “We’re both fine.”

“I feel like I’m dreaming. Like I’ll wake up and this would all have been a dream and you’ll be gone.” He admitted.

“Well, I’m honoured you think of me as a dream.” She said cheekily before she grabbed the hand entwined in her hair and kissed the tips of his fingers. “But really, I’m certain for everyone else, I’m more like a nightmare to them.”

“You? A nightmare? No! You’re a vision, a heavenly vision! Divine! A siren!” Callisto said with a cocky smile.

“Flattery will get you everywhere.” She said dryly, though she was still smiling.

“Even into your skirts?” He asked.

“Had you been healthy, yes. But you’re freshly awakened and still injured, so you’ll have to wait.”

Callisto’s face turned serious. “Are you truly alright? And why are you sleeping there? You’re with child, if anything, you should be on the bed!”

When Penelope realized that her husband wasn’t going to calm down, she immediately sat beside him. His arm wrapped around her waist and he buried his face into her stomach. She ran her fingers through those short golden strands and frowned when she realized he needed to have his hair washed, she could fix that easily enough.

He pulled his face away and let his head rest on her thigh. “It hurt, but I was prepared for the fact that I would never meet our daughter or see you again.”

“You…” She itched to pull his hair but reminded herself that he was injured.

“I had everything ready. Just in case.” He said. “You signed the betrothal and marriage contracts, but you didn’t see the provisions I set for you so that you and our baby would always be well taken care of. I left a will with strict details on everything that would be given to you, everything that was mine.”

Penelope listened to him silently, remembering the envelope that Cedric had produced for her, written in Callisto’s hand the day after the battle when he still truly hovered between life and death. She refused to read it, and it sat unopened even now.

“I was confident you’d be taken care of. I had enough income to sustain you, my allowances barely touched, my mother’s dowry was still there, the spoils of war that I’d accumulated throughout the years, and all of my properties, it’s not an insignificant amount. Not to mention, you are the lawful and legal wife of the Crown Prince, carrying the only available heir to the throne, and the only remaining daughter of the only duke in the empire. You and our baby would never have to toil away in your life, even if you spent in excess.” He looked up at her. “And I was confident that the Emperor would at least keep you close for the sake of the heir, girl or not, she would be the only one left after the old man died. I also knew that Grandmother wouldn’t leave you floundering, nor would the Duke allow you to be stomped on and silenced after all that he had learned these last few months.”

“You know… rather than plan out your death and what would come after, couldn’t you have planned out what would come after the fight and how we’d live our lives together?” She asked him.

He turned to her and gave her a sad yet determined smile. “Oh, I intend to. I just wanted to make sure you both would be alright should some stroke of bad luck happen or if my sacrifice was needed. Because I intend to, you know? You both are the most important beings in the world to me, the most important existences, and I would die a hundred times if it meant that you both would live, I would kill an infinite amount of times over for the two of you.”

“As though you need me as an excuse.” She said with a roll of her eyes.

“And,” He immediately cut in. “I had no intention of outliving you, not for too long. I hope that I’d be the one to go first so that I wouldn’t have to see even a moment of a world without you.”

Penelope stared at him. “Do you think I want to see that too?” She was angry as she asked that and struck him gently on the chest, hearing him grunt. “You said you would chase after me!”

He sighed and motioned for her to lie down in his arms. “I’m worried you’ll regret staying here. What if one day you come crying and say that you don’t want this anymore?”

“Well then don’t make me cry and regret this.” She said plainly. “Besides, I didn’t just stay for you, I stayed for the baby and the money.” She said the last part a bit cheekily.

“The money?” He said stunned.

“Yes, I’ve gotten so used to my lavish spending and thanks to the mines and allowances gifted to me, I’m incredibly filthy rich.” She bragged.

“I’ve said this before, but you’re quite a materialistic snob.” He pointed out.

“And is there a problem with that?” She asked with a raised brow.

“Well, it’s nice to have a wealthy wife then. Why don’t you become the emperor and I’ll be your kept husband? I’ll stay home and play with our daughter all day.” He suggested, immediately backtracking.

“Hah! Not a chance! I’ll stay home and play with her, you get all the paperwork and the bureaucracy, the simpering nobles, and the bumbling idiots.”

“Well now, that’s not fair. I suppose I’ll just give you the keys to the treasury as a reward and we can take it all and run away with all of our money.” He said cheekily.

“Hmm tempting, but no, we won’t be able to give our baby the world if that was the case.”

She decided to switch topics after that. “You’ve been asleep for about two weeks now.”

“That long? What’s been happening in the meantime? And what have you been doing?”

“His Majesty has taken over everyone’s duties with the help of my father and with your maternal relations backing them up. Winter has been in charge of helping stem the prejudice against the mages, and they’ve launched an expedition to Arkina to catalogue the artifacts there and destroy the monsters.” She summarized.

“And you?”

“I’ve been here most of the time. Your grandmother would drag me out for a walk to make sure the baby remains healthy, I have a doctor examining me at least once a day, and I’ve been making a blanket for our baby, and reading up on my new duties as your wife. Though, apart from the walk, it’s all been done at your bedside. I’ve done nothing much beyond that, just sitting at your bedside.”

“Quietly again?”

She shook her head with a laugh. “No, I’ve been asking you to wake up, and talking to you about everything.”

Callisto frowned. “Did you perhaps talk about waddling ducks?” He asked unsure.

She blinked in surprise. “I did! I was talking about how, if you didn’t wake up soon, you’d miss out on a lot of the pregnancy and perhaps even miss seeing me waddling like a duck when my belly pops out.”

“Well, when you start waddling, I’ll start carrying you around.”

“You’re too much!” She exclaimed before she coughed. “Another thing that was brought up was that we need a state wedding and an official coronation for you as the Crown Prince and heir to the throne. Your father had tried to bring up stepping down but I pointed out that we were to have a child soon and that he should ask you first before just announcing his abdication.”

“Good call.” He said. “Were this before I met you, before I knew about this baby, I would have been delighted to ascend to the throne. But now that we’re about to have our first child, I want to be able to enjoy her infancy and early years without the burden of the throne fully on my shoulders. I’ve worked like a dog for years in an attempt to prove myself, it’s time for somebody else to take a turn.” And then he paused as he thought about something. “Though, I wouldn’t say no to having another wedding and getting coronated together as the future emperor and empress.”

“I’m impressed that you seem to have the words for everything.”

Callisto seemed to have given up on all notions of being the perfect emperor, at least with her and a handful of others. He would whine for her attention, clinging to her tightly, asking her to take care of him, complaining that he was hurt or sick. Penelope knew that he wasn’t truly in that much of a medical need, but she still went along with it to let Callisto have some peace of mind and happiness.

Everything meant even ‘helping’ him in his bath. Though how much of it was her doing and how much was his was debatable when she would become a writhing mass over him, her hands on his shoulders and his mouth on her breasts. It was much the same in bed at night as well, with Penelope doing most of the work at a slower and calmer pace than was what they had enjoyed in their week-long honeymoon. Back then, Callisto spent more time buried in her than not.

Regardless, they had a happy few weeks where everything was calm and they were left alone except when it came time for the preparations for the state wedding and coronation.

Penelope had spoken to the Duke and his sons a few times here and there, once was the day after they’d been given the mirror. They had come to her, red-eyed and thankful for that last meeting with Ivonne. There was a sense of peace and acceptance there, the knowledge that Ivonne’s soul had moved on in peace.

Today was different, today Penelope was dressed in a beautiful gown of subtly iridescent white and green, the design wasn’t as tightly cinched around the waist as the blue gown she’d worn during their first wedding due to the swell of her womb becoming a little more prominent as their baby made her presence known along her waist.

While Penelope hadn’t been fully reconciled with her father yet, she was, at least, willing to give him this one thing of letting him walk her down the aisle. Partially because of traditions. Penelope had already gotten the wedding of her dreams, one that was sincere and a true pledging of their lives and of their feelings with a sincere vow rather than this one that had been put on for formalities sake and done up as a beautiful show. But Penelope did have one request, that Glenna be invited to the wedding as thanks and so that she could be properly compensated for her help.

“You look beautiful, Penelope.” Father said when he saw her.

“Thank you, Father.” She whispered back, feeling suddenly solemn as the doors opened and she walked, once more, up the aisle to Callisto.

Just as with their first wedding, Callisto’s breath was stolen by the vision of Penelope, his wife, walking to him, ready to pledge their lives to one another in front of all of these people. He watched her walk, their eyes locked on to each other. And when she was close enough, he held his hand out to her and she left her father’s arm with barely a quick kiss given to his cheek and she was in his arms again.

Their vows were more formal this time around. “I, Callisto Regulus, do solemnly vow to take you as my wife, my princess, my future empress, and the mother of my future children. I vow to have no other but you for all of my days, to treat you as my equal, and to give your voice the weight and power that it deserves.” He said, changing the words to the gasps of everyone. “I pledge my life to you and our children, that nothing will ever come before you and our family, our happiness, and our well-being. I vow that when the time comes, I will rule this empire with you and you alone at my side. I promise to love you for all of my days, to care for you, and to remain ever loyal in sickness and in health. My love, my Penelope.”

Penelope smiled at him, far more composed than during their elopement. “I, Penelope Eckhart, do solemnly vow to take you as my husband, my prince, my future emperor, and the father of my children. I vow to remain loyal to you, to shoulder your burdens with you, and to be by your side even when the darkest of days shall fall upon us. I swear to be your partner in everything. I swear to fill our home with light and happiness, to raise our children with love, with the same amount and depth that I feel for you. I swear to always have your back and to know no others all the days of my life. You are my first and my last romantic love, my person, and the one my soul is forever bound to.”

They were made to kneel and recite vows toward the throne before matching crowns were put on their head, marking them as the Crown Prince and Princess of the empire. When they stood, they were finally allowed to kiss. And as they did so, there was a cheer that rang out. “I present to you, His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Callisto Regulus with his wife, Her Imperial Highness, Crown Princess Penelope Regulus!”

That night, as they lay tangled together, their sheets stained with the proof of their coupling, Callisto caressed her womb with awe on his face. “It’s gotten so big.”

“Yes, it has. Why do you sound so surprised when you see it every day?”

“It’s just… well, it’s amazing isn’t it?” He said. “And when will you start kicking and letting me know you’re in there, little one? I can’t wait to feel that.”

“Not for another few weeks, at least.”

“Hmm, it feels like forever though.”

“She’ll be here soon.” Penelope said confidently.

They spent a few blissful weeks before things shifted. One night, when Callisto had finally recovered all his strength, they had returned to their passionate ways. But then the next day, things had changed, Callisto had a look on his face, an odd one, when he saw her. He smiled at her warmly, kissed her gently, and then ushered her on, even as he seemed pained and worried about something.

Penelope had caught a glimpse of her body then, it wasn’t anything out of the norm, love bites and a few little red marks that had mostly faded from when he’d gotten a bit too excited and forgotten his strength. It hadn’t hurt and still didn’t so she paid it no mind. She had no idea what had bothered him.

But that night, he had asked her to sleep in her own room. It had stung and she had trouble sleeping alone, so used to the comfort and safety that his arms wrapped around her brought.

She had brushed it off at first, worried that he felt some pain that he didn’t want her to know about, she had protested but he had asked it off of her, so she conceded. They still took each meal together, he would kiss her at all hours of the day, and walk around the garden with her so that she could keep healthy and active for the baby’s sake, but he kept asking her to spend the night apart and he wouldn’t tell her why, became reticent whenever she brought it up.

It had gone on for a week and a half, the sting evolving into a true stab of pain and loneliness and were it not for their vows, unbreakable and binding, she would have worried that he was already cheating on her with another.

One day, he’d been called away to an emergency and had missed breakfast and lunch, and by the time Father had come around to see her in the afternoon, she’d become a sobbing mess.

“What’s wrong, Penelope?” Father asked when she wouldn’t stop crying.

And when Penelope told him, his face became darker and darker. “Come back to the duchy with me, Penelope.” Father said.

Penelope felt torn. She was so hurt by Callisto’s recent behaviour, and the distance he kept, but she didn’t want to return to the duchy where she was hurt so much, however, she also didn’t want to stay here and see if she would get stood up for another meal and get sent to bed to sleep alone.

Father seemed to see her hesitation and reassured her that everything was going to be alright. “Things will be different Penelope, I promise. No one will hurt you there.”

“Alright.” She said as she stood.

As they walked out of the door, Lady Iris was standing there, wide-eyed but understanding. “Don’t worry, dear, take your time. Let that idiot of a grandson of mine learn his lesson and focus on yourself.”

“Thank you.” She said as she hugged the woman.

She got on to the carriage and out of the imperial palace grounds, the ducal carriage wasn’t stopped or checked and she was able to leave without any problems. And they rode on to the duchy where she was welcomed enthusiastically by Reynold, Derrick stared at her from a distance but he nodded and turned around. Good, she remembered the realization she had the night of the battle, the reason for Derrick’s actions and obsessions.

Penelope went straight to her room. Within the hour, the duchy was mostly locked down, by the end of the day, they were stocked enough to last a siege lasting three or four years.

Callisto hadn’t seen Penelope the whole day and had missed even dinner. By the time things had settled, it was late into the night and he was tempted, so very much, to crawl into bed with her but he resisted. He went to her room and peered inside only to see it empty. He immediately went to his room and found it empty.

He became worried and went to look for her around but it had come to his attention that no one had seen her since the Duke left in the afternoon. The last person she was seen with was his grandmother.

He calmed down a little, she was probably just planning the nursery with his grandmother and got carried away again. But his grandmother was alone.

“Have you seen Penelope?” He asked her when he entered the library.

“Not since this afternoon.” She replied calmly.

Now Callisto truly began to panic, what if someone had taken her? “Well, do you know where she is?”

“I do.” Grandmother said but she gave no further answers.

“Where is she?”

“She returned to the Duchy in tears this afternoon. The Duke was furious to find her in tears and asked her to come home.”

She… she left him? He stumbled to his seat. “I… this is her home! Why did she leave? Why was she crying?”

Grandmother gave him a hard stare, this was probably the sternest look she’d given him since they had met. “I’m going to say this as your grandmother and not as the Countess of Lykaios.” She gestured him to sit and he did so immediately, just to make sense of everything. “Asking her to sleep in a separate room after such a short time, not telling her anything or explaining why, and on top of it all, it happened to coincide with when she had begun to show… what was she to think? Today was just the tipping point and it happened to be that the Duke was here to check up on her. By then, she was a crying mess.”

From an outside perspective, Callisto could see now how badly he’d misstepped. “I need to go to her.” He said as he stood.

“Sit down.” Grandmother said sternly.

“But…”

“No!” She pointed her finger at him. “Do you know, the last few days, your wife has been subjected to whispers that she’d lost your affection already, that the child may not even be yours and that’s why you’d begun to pull away.”

“Who would dare…” Callisto saw red at those words.

She gave him a withering look. “Does it matter? What were they to think? If you talked to her, and explained everything, asked her to come to you, reassured her of your love, and been more demonstrative. Also, communication, write her a note if you can’t be there for a meal, don’t leave her waiting. Tell her what’s bothering you, if you’re in pain. This is a marriage, a relationship, and that requires openness and honesty.”

She sighed. “Do you know how your grandfather and I have kept our marriage this happy for so long? We fight, we talk it out, and we never leave or go to bed angry. We would calm down in a separate part of the estate but we don’t take a step farther than that because we don’t know what can happen. The two of us share everything with each other. All our secrets, our random thoughts, our day, and what’s been bothering us. We do not keep secrets. As the Crown Prince, there may come a time when you’ll need to do so to protect her or to do what’s right for the people, but with a woman like Penelope, I doubt that day would come. But once things are finished, you should stop and sit her down and ask her if she wants to know, give her the option to decide.”

She took a sip of the tea in front of her. “Do not, absolutely, do not, keep secrets about your marriage or well-being from your wife. Don’t make her doubt yourself.”

“I… I understand.” Callisto said as he took in her words.

“I say this because I love you, dear. You are the only thing I have left of my Daphne. You are the light of my life, the apple of my eyes.”

“Shouldn’t that be Uncle George?”

Grandmother laughed. “Well, it would be him if he were married and could give me another grandchild to dote on. But at least it seems that the springtime of love has finally arrived for him, finally reached his adulthood and begun to notice women, leave behind the days of youthful bachelorhood. Let’s see if he can settle down with Baroness Demetriou and give me a grandbaby before I die of old age or before he becomes unable to sire one.”

He snorted and then he stood. “Thank you, I guess I’ll be off now.”

“Where to?”

“To pick up my wife.” He said flatly. “I’ll need to apologize and talk to her, and I’m certain I’m about to get yelled at and maybe even have a few swords pointed at me for this but I don’t want to let this go on any longer.”

Grandmother shook her head. “You aren’t going anywhere except to bed. It’s late at night, she’s a distraught and exhausted pregnant woman, don’t bother her tonight.”

“But…”

“Off to bed, you need to think about how to make it up to her now.”

Callisto didn’t sleep that night. He spent hours staring at Penelope’s side of the bed, his hand touched the cold sheets, imagined Penelope sleeping there but that was also wrong. If Penelope were here, she’d be wrapped in his arms. Callisto had spent the last week and a half missing her terribly at night and it seemed so did she.

When the first rays of the sun appeared, Callisto gave up on sleep and readied himself for the day. Hurriedly walked out of the room and ordered a carriage. He wanted to bring Penelope home today and he couldn’t do that on a horse.

As he rode through the streets of the capital, Callisto, watched as the streets passed by, trying to imagine what he could say to Penelope, how could he explain exactly why he had asked her to stay away from him at night? Penelope was fragile and pregnant, her health was slowly recovering from the abuse she had suffered. Her magic also came at a cost and he knew she had spent a lot in the fight against the Laila and in healing Callisto himself, and that a lot of it was being taken by their baby. Seeing those red bruises had caused him to feel alarmed and guilty. He was shaken by the fact that he had hurt her even though she hadn’t complained or commented on it.

Never did he think that he was hurting her emotionally too. He had tried to make up for his absence at night by being there as much as he could in the morning. He knew it was a coward’s way out and that he’d have to get over it eventually but he didn’t imagine that he’d push her away.

The carriage stopped outside the gates, something he had expected, prepared to argue for the right to see his wife. But as he came down the carriage, the soldier with him was serious and grim. “They’ve locked down the duchy.” The knight said.

“What?” He asked in surprise.

“They’re not only refusing entry, but Your Highness, the duchy has locked itself down and the knights of Eckhart are all fully armed and prepared for a battle.” He surmised.

What on earth was going on? He turned to the Gate guard who looked at him with a face like stone. “What do you mean by this? Have the Eckharts lost their minds? Do they intend to rebel?” He demanded.

“His Grace has ordered the full closure of the duchy, we’re prepared for a long siege, Your Highness.” The Guard said calmly. “His Grace sent a message to be delivered to you should you show up.”

“And?”

The Guard cleared his throat and handed him a letter through the gates.

Callisto took it and opened it.

To His Highness Callisto Regulus,

Even though I was against you and your marriage to my daughter, she persisted and convinced me that she wished to remain married to you, despite the fact that you took my underage daughter, gotten her with child, and then eloped with her the day she came of age. I watched as she wept worriedly by your side while you remained unconscious for days.

She told me repeatedly how much you loved one another, how much you cared for her, took care of her. I had my doubts but I eventually fell silent. I watched as you made her laugh, made her smile, made her happy and I felt at ease. I watched as the two of you pledged your lives to one another for a second time as you took her to wife. I felt some measure of confidence that my daughter would live her days well cared for, well-loved, and happy. That my grandchild would be born into a happy and harmonious home to a father who would dote on them as much as their mother and grandfather would.

And yet… and yet, you SCOUNDREL, I walked in to see my little girl crying her eyes out, in deep emotional pain, tormented with doubts and negative thoughts about herself. I trusted you to take care of her. I trusted you to make her happy always. I know marriage means that there will be days when you would argue but for you to just make her break down like that?

I may be a bad father, but I’m trying to learn from my mistakes. And part of that is protecting my daughter even from her husband, from my prince. If protecting her means rebellion, seceding from the Empire, and making sure you two never cross paths again, then so be it. Because first and foremost, I’m a father, a father before the duke. Should a time come when Penelope wishes to see you, then it shall be her choice, but I will ensure to keep you two away until she’s ready.

- Gilbert Eckhart, Duke of Eckhart.

Damn this all. The sheer impudence and gall to keep him away from his wife! Yes, he acknowledged that he truly hurt her but he needed to see her and explain himself. And he was not leaving here without having at least seen her.

“Hand me my sword.” He told his man. When he had the sword at hand, he began to make his way.

Penelope heard the frantic pace that the soldiers had set as they moved about outside. Penelope stared from her bedroom window as she pushed the remainders of her breakfast away. Emily was staring at her worriedly.

“Your highness?” Emily called out imploringly. “Shall I get you sandwiches? Melon sherbet? A bath?”

Penelope sighed. “A bath would be best.”

“I’ll have it ready shortly.”

Reynold came to check on her while Emily was away, he stood there awkwardly, not knowing whether or not he should sit down. “Umm, how are you and the baby today?” He asked.

 “We’re alright. I usually have a walk around the palace grounds in the afternoon for some exercise.” She said.

“Oh, well, I can escort you around later…”

“I know my way around the duchy.”

“Oh, right.” He said sheepishly and then he coughed. “Do you like the flowers?” He asked.

Penelope glanced at them, pretty and pink. “They’re pretty.”

“Oh, are they your favorite?” He asked.

“No, I like tulips well enough.” She said. “But they aren’t my favourites.”

“Then what is your favorite flower?”

“The camellias, they have a lot of meanings.”

“Oh. But the ellenwork rose?”

“I also love it, I have a lot of flowers that I like.” She said.

They fell into an awkward silence, Reynold left when Emily arrived.

As Penelope bathed and eventually dried off, she could hear the commotion growing louder but her window had been shut given the fact that the fall chill was in full bloom. She thought she heard someone screaming out her name but then again, there was a lot of noise outside so she figured that she had heard it wrong.

“What’s going on outside?” She asked.

Emily paused. “Someone was trying to break in.”

“What mad man would…” Penelope paused because she did know a madman who would do that. “Hurry up and finish lacing up my dress.” She said.

Penelope hurried out just as the noise made its way to the front door. True enough, her husband was standing there, not in the slightest bit winded but with his hair slightly disheveled, clothing lightly creased. She stared at him wordlessly.

“Penelope, darling.” He said, voice filled with relief as he stepped closer, father stepped in between them, blocking his path.

“Why are you here, Your Highness?” She asked.

“I’ve come to take you home.”

“No.” She said. “I’m not leaving with you.”

Callisto froze but he shook his head. “Please, come home Penelope. We’ll talk about everything when we get home.”

“I don’t want to. You had nearly two weeks to talk to me about what was bothering you.” She said stubbornly because he can’t just… just come in here and demand she return home after distancing himself.

“Then shall I tell you now? We can go inside and talk in private.” He offered.

“No, you’ll talk your way around and get me to come home without apologizing.” She said, because that was how she’d been during this pregnancy. Her emotions getting the better of her and she didn’t know if she’d get talked into things when she missed him so much.

“Penelope…” He said, a bit desperately.

“You hurt me. You promised me you wouldn’t hurt me, that you wouldn’t leave me alone, that you wouldn’t… wouldn’t…” She couldn’t say anything more because the hormones took over and she began to cry.

“Oh, oh no… don’t cry, Penelope.” He said as he reached out for her. “I hate it when you cry.”

“Then why did you make me cry?”

Father wrapped her up in his arms and pulled her away from him farther.

“I’m sorry.” He said sincerely and loudly. “I’m so sorry sweetheart.” He knelt down on the ground. “I’m sorry, Penelope. I swear I’ll make it better, I’ll spend the rest of our lives making up for it, I promise.”

“Why? What reason could you have to push me away?” She asked. “Was it because I’d gotten fat? Am I not attractive anymore? Was my beauty truly the only thing you wanted and now that pregnancy has gotten in the way, do you not want me anymore?”

“Of course not!” He denied. “That would never happen! It’s the opposite in fact.”

“Wh… what?” She asked.

“I asked you to stay away from me not because I didn’t want you anymore or because I found you unattractive, that’s just a load of bull that you should put out of your mind now!” He declared. “I asked you away because I want you so badly, every moment I lay eyes on you, especially now, seeing you pregnant with our baby, I want to take you in my arms and whisk you away! You saw that every night before this!”

Penelope’s cheeks began to heat up as silence, heavy, awkward, and disbelieving.

“Did he really just say that he wants to bed my sister that badly?” Reynold asked loudly, obnoxiously angry and incredulous, voice breaking through the silence. “That he bedded her every night previously?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Penelope and she buried her face into her hands, unable to bear the stares.

“I love you, Penelope, I love you with every breath that I take, I love you more with each passing moment. And I want you by my side always. I want to be with you, but I also know that your body is fragile, that your health isn’t at its best. And I worry, I worry because I know that if I lose control for even a moment, I can hurt you physically. It wasn’t a problem when I was still in recovery and weak, but now that I’m better, and now that your showing, my anxiety has gone up so much, I don’t ever want to see a day where I lose control and have your blood on my hands, no matter how little the injury would be.” He told her.

Penelope bit her lip and stared at him, at odds with herself.

“So please come home, my love.” He finished, face both repentant and hopeful, and so very handsome in his sincere regret.

“I won’t go back to the palace.” She said, his face falling, devastation on his face. “Not today at least. You need to be punished and I need some time to think on it.”

“Then…” He trailed off.

“Come back tomorrow and we’ll see how I feel after I’ve had some time to think about things and we’ve talked it over.”

He deflated further. “Can I at least spend the day here?”

“No, no.” She said, shaking her finger at him. “You’re going to go home and you’re going to think things through.”

Callisto was back again the next day, even before Penelope had risen. He was standing before the gates that had been barred just the day before. The guards looked at him wearily and at the things behind him, wagon loads of gifts for his wife. Callisto himself held a large bouquet of his wife’s favorite flowers. Camellias, Dahlias, Ranunculus, Peonies, Carnations, Lisianthus, and Gardenias all beautifully arranged with bejeweled strings wrapped around the flowers.

There were whispers as he entered, not bothering to return to the carriage, and he walked in, ready to grovel again if he needed to. The Duke met him tiredly at the front door. “She’s still asleep, Your Highness.”

“I can wait, I don’t want to disturb her sleep.”

He sat patiently, staring at his father-in-law and his brothers-in-law. It was at least an hour before Penelope arrived, fully dressed, and having taken her breakfast. She greeted him with a smile and asked for some time alone with him to much protest. Penelope eventually won the argument and they were left alone in the sitting room.

“I brought these for you.” He said giving her the flowers. “And there are more things outside.”

“I saw. That’s a lot of presents for someone who assumed I would be returning with him.”

“That’s why I didn’t remove it from the carriage.” He said.

She sat down across from him, back straight and body angled slightly away from him. “I won’t be bought by gifts. I’m not a whore.”

“You’re not.” Callisto insisted. “You’re my wife and the love of my life. I truly do love to shower you with gifts, I want to show you how much I adore you.”

“You know you can’t do that again, right?” She asked. Callisto nodded. “Because if you hurt me again, I’m going to leave you and take our baby and whatever kids we have. I’m going to file for divorce and I won’t give you another chance, regardless of our vows. After all, so long as I don’t fall in love with another and don’t bed another, our vows shouldn’t kill us.”

Callisto clenched his fists, scared and unwilling to accept a life without her or their children. “I understand.”

“Callisto, I’m not saying we aren’t going to argue. But that was the point wasn’t it… we didn’t fight. You just wouldn’t tell me what was going on. We’ll fight and that’s alright, what’s not alright is keeping things to yourself when it comes to you or me or our family. If you can be honest with me, if you always tell me what’s going on, no matter how hard it is, even if it’s just to say you need more time before you tell me. I can be patient.”

“I know what I did was wrong. I know that I’ve hurt you and nothing I said can justify that. All I’m asking is that you give me a chance…”

Penelope nodded. “Alright…”

They stayed in that room for another hour as they wrote down what was to be their yearly terms of marriage. The two of them had agreed to have some general guidelines that they would review once a year or every half a year to see if things still worked for them. And that day, she returned to the palace with her husband, and thus ended what the historians would come to call ‘The rebellion that never was’.

After lunch, Callisto had taken Penelope to his room, their bedroom, he mentally corrected, and showed his wife with all the ardor he felt for her. He kissed her deeply, hands going to the laces on her dress. He watched as it slid down her shoulders and he carried her, her legs wrapped around his waist. He kissed her neck again and felt her hands wander up past his neck and into his hair, tugging it gently.

“You kept me waiting for too long.” She said as she moaned. “I told you before, didn’t I? That pregnant women needed intimacy whenever the desire hit them. You kept me waiting all alone and crying at night for days.” She said.

“I’m sorry.”

“And are you going to be a good boy and promise me you won’t be doing that again?”

“I promise.” He swore, wanting to ease the knot of guilt in his gut.

“Good boy.” She said as she dug her heels in and let her self sink down further. He moaned at the feeling of finally being inside her again. “I know you, you won’t hurt me willingly.” She said. “So trust me to tell you and stop you if I ever felt any pain or if I ever felt as though either our children or I were in danger from you.”

He nodded face still buried in her neck. His arms perched her up but in a way that he wasn’t going to leave a mark. Penelope moved slowly and Callisto nearly fell over but he caught himself.

“Wait, darling, love, please wait.” He begged. “Let me get us to the bed at least.”

She gave an impatient sigh but she stopped and waited until he’d bumped into the bed. She pulled back, tilting her body and dragging him along until they collapsed on the bed. Penelope then impatiently tugged on his clothes. “We’re both overdressed.” She said.

“I can take care of that easily.” Callisto replied as he pulled her hands away and began to rid himself of his clothing.

She raised a brow when Callisto descended upon her. “And me?”

He grinned, lips closing upon her breast as his hands raised her skirt gently. Callisto then came down again, she groaned when he made it clear that he wasn’t going to return to their previous position. But she was soon moaning as he tasted her again.

After an indefinite amount of time when his wife’s voice was hoarse and cracked, her hands long since stopped pulling on his hair and the force her heels had on his shoulders were gone, her body twitching and spasming, her shaking legs fell apart and he kissed her lips before he finally entered her again and began it at a slow pace before it became more frantic.

Penelope’s voice became renewed as it soared to different heights and she begged for more. Callisto grinned and hurried to fulfill her wishes. “I love you, Penelope.” He said.

“I…I love you, too.” She said through many panted pauses.

As Penelope slept not too long after, he ordered that food be prepared for them. When she woke a few hours later, Callisto hand-fed her and took her for a bath before he took her for another round or two.

A few short months after the Eckharts had nearly rebelled and the couple reconciled, Penelope gave birth to a beautiful little girl. Her daughter, the future Crown Princess Judith Regulus, who was like a miniature female of her husband was loved and doted upon by her parents, both grandfathers, great uncle, her maternal uncles, and her great grandparents.

Princess Judith who was beautiful and sweet-natured, and magically powerful. The whispers surrounding her was great and varied but viewed upon with much positivity by the general population as a sign of a prosperous future, her birth a sign of a golden age.  Their daughter, their little baby, was born with magic so powerful it defied all known measures, and there, upon her back were dragon wings that looked as though they were solid gold.

She was born just a few short days after her Great Uncle George Lykaios married Baroness Demetriou. She would be joined shortly after by an uncle from the Lykaios side and a few distant cousins from her Uncle Cedric, and of course, by her own little siblings. And her parents would ascend to the throne when she turned three and her grandfather stepped down to dedicate his life to doting upon his grandchildren much in the same way that her maternal grandfather had left his own post as the Duke.

As for Penelope and Callisto, they remained blissfully and passionately in love until the end of their days. They had both grown together and closer from that experience and there was never a repeat of the rebellion that never was. They had seven children altogether, all of whom were loved equally and treated fairly, their childhoods idyllic and happy.