The weather at Saphirhold was perfect this morning. Seraxa triumphed over her cold twin but Zafrir's breeze belonged to Qoryxa or perhaps Qoryxa's frost belonged to Zafrir. Norali's dawning sun illuminated the beauty Leverith bestowed upon the world. Balbaraq and Dalis were set against each other; their rainstorms had no place in Sapphirica this day. Celegana's land flourished as her sisters and brothers set all to balance.

Alexia meditated, balancing her mind, body, and spirit. She pulled on divine energy, feeling the Divine flow through her as only one other person ever had. She stoked her passion, her altruistic desire to do the right thing, and pulled for Seraxa. Seraxa burned a fire in her heart, demanding the freedom of the Mahagans. Alexia set her mind to protecting those who couldn't protect themselves and harnessed Qoryxa. The Divine of Ice yearned to bring judgment to Daichin ezen Celegan, her power coursing through Alexia. Alexia thought of making the world a better place, even if she faced strong resistance, and touched the wholesome heart of Celegana. The ground beneath her trembled and demanded to break the tyranny of oppression.

Alexia soothed herself with thoughts of a calm ocean, riding the wave of Dalis. She would need that stillness to face Halius, even if her father spoke for her. She swung the pendulum to vengeance with thoughts of the Celegans and their incursion into the Mahogany Isles. Balbaraq surged within her, crying for her to split the sky and sunder those who harmed people she loved. Alexia shifted to the love she felt for the people she wanted to save from slavery or certain death, finding, as always, Leverith embracing her. She felt her spirit, knowing that any wound could be healed. Even broken hearts.

Alexia looked forward to a future where the Mahagan returned to their shores, reclaiming their ancestral lands. Norali answered her hopes with the power of light. Alexia guided this panoply of feelings to swirl within her creating a whirlwind of emotion, summoning Zafrir to her side. She would certainly need tempestuous Zafrir to be on her side in the days ahead as she filled the sails of their fleet.

Alexia held onto each of the eight divine energies she could harness. She sat, eyes closed, beneath the acacia, her legs crossed and her hands locked as if in prayer. Zafrir's wind lifted her off the ground, levitating her several feet above the grass. Norali's light burst, creating an aura around her body that shed the light of hope. Leverith's spirit swirled around her, basking the courtyard in an ethereal blue. Sparks crackled, joining the aura of light. A stream of water swirled around her in midair. The ground shook and rumbled, just beneath her. Beautiful ice flurries fell from the air above her head, and created a crown of snow atop her head. Her hands were enveloped in flame that didn't burn the flesh, but cast off a warmth. Alexia held this pose for several degrees, ignoring the sounds of any gawking, maintaining her focus on each of the eight divine energies, holding them all at once as only Linus Peacemaker before her could.

This was as close to whole as she could reach without Zander at her side and the powerful locket resting on her sternum. Holding all eight divine energies gave her a mental clarity that was unrivaled by normal human experience. Emotion and logic, so often in combat with each other, melded into a union of wisdom. Her resolve to go to the Mahogany Isles with the evacuation expedition deepened. She needed to be there for the Mahagans. Her plan to approach Halius solidified and her contingency to deal with any resistance from Garrond held firm to her heart.

One-by-one, she released the divine energies until she was just an ordinary woman sitting on the ground beneath a wide-topped tree with red blooms and green leaves. Alexia stabilized, slowly flickering her eyes open. There was no shortage of people who had been observing her meditation. A crowd of stewards, servants, and soldiers gathered on the paths that surrounded the acacia. None had approached too close, thanks to the menacing presence of Sir Garrond the Dust.

Filled with the aftereffects of harnessing the Divine, Alexia maintained her courage and composure despite the crowd and the coldness of her sworn shield. Sir Garrond followed her, dutifully wearing his silvered meladonite plate, his blue cloak, and his eponymous ice blade. In the few days that had passed since the knight admitted he hated her, they had yet to return to the topic. Or any topic for that matter. Garrond offered no courtesies, he made no overtures of peace, showed her no interest beyond her safety. Any attempts by Alexia to start a conversation, which were admittedly infrequent, were met with shrugs, grunts, or responses of three words or less that would leave little opening for reply even for someone who was not as shy as she was.

Her father was among the crowd. She nodded at him, then inclined her head toward the Royal Tower. Eron fell in with her, Garrond even further away than usual as he trailed behind them.

"Your Redeemed Men are pardoned. I've sent word to them to board The Blue Lance and await your arrival."

She gave her father's hand a squeeze, thanking him for following through with his promise. No more words needed to pass between them until they climbed to the sixth and second highest floor of the Royal Tower. She knocked at Halius's antechamber door and announced herself. Halius's chambermaid opened the antechamber door. Hardly a moment later, Halius rushed out to meet her. His smile wasn't forced.

Hers was.

"My rose!" He was shirtless. Alexia wouldn't have been surprised if he had removed his shirt on his way to the door to showcase his toned physique.

Though she didn't like it, she couldn't blame him. She wore sapphire robes with a plunging neckline that revealed more cleavage than she preferred. The sleeves and bottoms were shortened to show slender forearm and toned calves. A belt over her waist cinched the robes tight, ensuring the contours of her body didn't need to be imagined too hard. The Ring of Peace glistened green on her left ring finger and she wore the diamond earrings Halius gifted her yesterday.

"Pastries and honeyed tea," Halius said to his chamber maid, sending her to the kitchens. "Join me at my sitting area, Alexia."

Alexia suppressed the urge to cling to her father's hand, to hide behind him, to run away squeaking. One more time she'd have to do this dance. Then she'd be able to stop forcing her smiles and pretending that it didn't break her heart to act like she was interested in a man other than Zander.

She followed him into the antechamber, which was larger than the bedrooms of most servants. A doorway off to the side led to his live-in chambermaid's quarters and another door led to his bedchamber proper. The lavish room could've been dismantled and sold to provide enough gold and silver to support a family of ten for years. Halius settled into a blue velvet chair, waving for Alexia to sit the matching chair across from him.

"Fair morning, my prince," she said, hoping he neither saw her knees shaking nor heard the extra squeak in her voice.

"Fair morning, beautiful," he said, his eyes drifting away from her face to the modifications to her robe. "I love the new look. Perfect for summer."

Alexia's stomach churned, hating what she did. Her gaze went to his bare chest. "You must tell me more about your training routine, Halius. The results are impressive."

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

Halius grinned like the world owed him applause. "I'd be happy to do the routine together, though your own regimen has produced incredible results." He tilted his head toward Garrond, the Azureknight's arms crossed, standing erect in the doorway. Alexia's father took a chair on the far side of the sitting area, giving them space but there to interject if she needed help. He gave her an encouraging nod.

"My blademaster is a ruthless sparring partner and an even more brutal drillmaster," Halius said, shifting his eyes from Garrond back to Alexia. Halius didn't even seem to notice Dust's apathy. "My diet also consists almost entirely of meat, but I will forgive myself a pastry if it means I get to enjoy your company."

"I appreciate you," she said, truly meaning it. "You've been nothing but a gentleman these past few days."

He beamed, and for a moment she saw what the whole kingdom did: the handsome, chivalrous prince that any other woman would gladly name their paramour. Then, the moment passed, and she saw him as the beast that tormented her childhood, that even to this day belittled her best friend. Halius wasn't her Moon. He wasn't Zander. He wasn't the king of her heart.

She tried to maintain the façade, but her heart wouldn't allow it. Though she'd forced herself through these last few days, she wasn't an actress. She could only fake being happy for so long before the mask slipped.

Halius noticed, his bright smile fading into something forlorn.

In a panic, she gestured for her father to save her by putting a hand on her cheek.

"Prince Halius," Eron Bluerose said, his voice smoother than silk. "While we are on the topic of training, Alexia worries about developing a block."

"A block?" Halius was oblivious. He tried not to show it. His lack of humility didn't inspire Alexia's confidence in him, but it did—as her father predicted—inspire hope in their plan. "That is concerning."

"Yes, it is," Alexia filled in. "My magic grows restless in Saphirhold. I need to seek further training with Theos Stormkin or I may not be able to access all of the divine energies. Once a block develops, it usually lasts for years. Often, it never goes away at all."

Halius stretched, let out a contented sigh, and grinned at her. "I love when you're so passionate. Your eyes glow, my rose, your determination more beautiful than a billion sunsets."

Alexia lowered her eyes. Her face flushed with color. The act was so hard to keep up. She put her hand on her cheek, trying to lean into her shyness while her father rescued her from it again.

"Nearly all cognitive-affectomancers have one or more blocks," her father explained. "It is even more incredible to avoid them when one can harness eight divinities instead of three or five. Until now, Alexia has managed to prevent them with diligent training under the archwizard's supervision."

"Very well." Halius clapped his hands together. "Say no more, either of you. I will send for the archwizard. He will attend to you until you are confident that this danger has been averted."

Alexia shook her head, kept her eyes down, failing to keep the fear out of her voice. "Saphirhold will not do. There are too many eyes on me and not enough access to the divine energy I need to channel. Just this morning, I tried to merge the divine energies and I couldn't sustain them."

Sir Garrond exhaled so audibly that it was nearly a scoff. He saw through her ruse in the courtyard, where she only pretended to lose focus where anyone in the castle could witness it. He was going to tell Halius. She would fail. Mahagans would die. Who knew what Halius would do to her. She dared not look at either Garrond or Halius.

Halius reached for her, his hand spanning the distance between them. Her skin crawling, she intertwined her fingers with his, feeling like maggots were crawling on her. Shivering, on the verge of screaming or crying and not knowing which would be worse, she kept her eyes down.

"I can see how much this bothers you," the prince said, giving her palm a gentle squeeze. He really seemed to be trying his best to be kind to her. That didn't make her feel less awful for lying to him. "You truly need this, don't you?"

Alexia nodded, a sob escaping without her permission. She hated playing with another person's heart, even if it was Halius. "I do."

"Then we will figure this out. Together," he said. His eyes leaving her, he asked for her father and Garrond to give them some space. Alexia kept her eyes down, listening to them leaving her alone in here with him.

She felt the currents of her anxiety slow when Halius let go of her, but she still felt like she was underwater and drowning fast.

"Come with me," he said, inviting her into his bedchamber.

Not looking at anything inside, most certainly avoiding thinking about his bed and what price she might pay for his permission, she followed him out to his balcony. The vista wrapped around the tower, a gap separating him from the adjacent balcony through Azi's bedchamber. The overlook was beautiful; a skyline view of Sapphirica dominated by the Divincor's thirteen steeples and the grand obelisk at its core. Sunrise painted the sea with an orange glow, shining upon the harbor. The Blue Lance, Sea Lion, and many more gathered, ready to leave for the Mahogany Isles this afternoon. She needed to be with them. No matter the price.

Halius's chambermaid returned with a tray of tea and cream-filled pastries covered in powdered sugar. Alexia sat, lifted a pastry, grinned, and tapped it against his, before biting into the deliciousness. She closed her eyes, savoring the sweetness.

"You are beautiful." Halius said the words with as much sugar as was on the pastry.

She raised an eyebrow at him, trying to force playfulness through the rapid beating of her terrified heart. "I am?"

"Ha!" Halius bellowed. "Don't play tricks on me, Alexia Bluerose. Your womanly wiles will not deceive me. You know what you are."

Halius spoke with such joy, but his word choice chilled her. She trembled, shaking the table with her knees before forcing herself to still.

"Do I?"

She looked down at her tea, swallowing several gulps to hide from him. The honey in it was thick, as Halius preferred.

"You're the smartest person I've ever met," he said, words thick with honey. "You have to recognize what stares back at you when you look into the mirror."

Alexia set down her tea. Halius's ruffled yellow hair blew in the breeze, and in truth, he looked good. He wasn't who she hungered for, but the sight of him, bare chested and at ease, caused a stir in her. Alexia hesitated a few moments, a dangerous idea coming to her. It was a risk but she knew that it could buy her what she needed.

At all costs.

Alexia glided around the table, landing in Halius's lap. He looked like he'd just won a Pageant tournament, been crowned king, and bonded his sweetheart all at once. Alexia tried not to feel guilty.

At all costs, she reminded herself.

One hand on his heart, the other coursing through his hair, she leaned toward him, eyes closing to hide her fear. She forced every iota of sensuality she could muster into the kiss.

Running his hands along her back, pulling her tighter to him, forcing some of the air out of her in her already too-tight robe, he kissed her.

Halius's kiss was nothing like Zander's. It wasn't smooth and sensual, but rough like a conqueror battling for supremacy of her mouth. She let him seize power, his hands taking liberty with her body, claiming waist, hips, thighs, arms, belly, chest, bottom, and face with squeezes that weren't all soft. He grew hard beneath her.

Her heart aching, she forced herself to let him do what he wanted. She kept her mouth open, tongue intruding into his maw, her arms draped around his back when she wanted to cry. She knew what he wanted, knew what he'd need for her to get what she wanted. His hands went up the bottom of her robes, seeking his destination.

At all costs.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.