The next morning, Azalia woke up alone and disoriented. She slowly sat up, the Lavan princess sleepily taking in her surroundings, when her sapphire eyes slightly widened as she realised where she was:The Adom King's bed, that is.Her pale cheeks turned a soft pink as she remembered what had happened in said bed yesterday, her face warming up in embarrassment as memories played inside her mind. She looked around to search for Melech but didn't see him anywhere, meaning the Adom King hadn't waited for her to wake up.Azalia's heart unexpectedly dropped at the realisation.What they had shared yesterday was a big deal for her. She had let Melech touch her intimately for the first time, and it wasn't a right Azalia gave to just anyone. It meant something to her, and she had thought it was the same for Melech, but she must have been mistaken because the King hadn't even made the effort to be there when she woke up.It shouldn't affect her but it did. Azalia felt abandoned and disappointe
Melech brutally pushed open the massive doors of the council room. A loud thump resonated in the room as it collided with the wall, the abrupt sound causing all eyes to turn toward the King.The High Council had been about to start an assembly but all thoughts of politics were now long forgotten, fear instantly surging inside them at the look of utter rage on Melech's face. They stiffened under Melech's murderous gaze, all of them anxiously waiting for the Adom King to speak out."Nahash." Melech loudly growled. His crimson eyes glared at the counsellor and Nahash flinched in response, his whole body tensing up. He saw Azalia right behind the King and so quickly understood what was happening. Still, he refused to submit, the scarred man instead defiantly holding Melech's gaze."Yes?"Melech saw red. Nahash had always been one of his less obedient counsellors. He was a proud man who didn't like being ordered around, and who instead took pleasure in making people submit to him. He was c
"This way, princess." Amos said as he began to lead Azalia to the infirmary.It looked like the Lavan princess would finally be able to see Emet, and she hoped with all of her heart that he was alright. Temira had told her she had managed to heal him, but who knew what could have happened afterwards? The wound could have gotten infected, or Emet could have started bleeding again with no one there to stop it...That's why Azalia wanted to see him as soon as possible to check on him. She would be able to fix things if it wasn't too late.However, as Amos led her away from the Council room, someone stopped them before they could even walk a few meters."You." Yael walked right towards Azalia. It looked like she had waited for her to leave the room to talk to her, but Azalia remembered her as the woman who had tried to insult her during her first High Council. It was obvious Yael hated her, and the way she seemed furious right now, surely blaming Azalia for the way Melech had treated Naha
Azalia barely saw Melech the few days that followed. It seemed like the Adom King was incredibly busy at the moment. There had been two more cases of people being found dead in the Adom Kingdom, another Yarok woman and a Kesef man this time, which was really worrying. There also was the fact that Azalia and Melech's marriage ceremony was getting closer, and Melech had to appease any tension born from his decision to marry the Lavan princess. Azalia didn't mind the temporary peace. She spent most of her days by Emet's side, watching over her friend, with Amos and sometimes Onan accompanying her. The Adom general had also been charged by Melech with protecting her, something Azalia didn't feel upset about since she quite enjoyed Onan's company. She also spent a fair amount of time in the library, educating herself about all kinds of things that could be helpful to know once she became queen of the Adom Kingdom. And, when she wasn't in the infirmary or in the library, Azalia usually st
Azalia was woken up by some noises next to her.Her sapphire eyes slowly fluttered open, her mind still feeling groggy from sleep as she took in her surroundings. The room was engulfed by darkness with the exception of some moonlight brightening the bed. It had to be the middle of the night and so Azalia wondered why she was already awake at that hour.But the noises that had woken her up resumed and Azalia suddenly remembered that she was in the Adom King's bed, before realising the noises she was hearing were coming from no one else but Melech himself...The Adom King was trashing around on the bed, low groans escaping his mouth every few seconds. Sweat was forming on his forehead and his brows were furrowed, his handsome features replaced by a pained expression.Azalia was left startled by the sight. There was no doubt Melech was having a nightmare right now and so she hesitated, the Lavan princess wondering what she should do.It was her first time seeing Melech in such a vulnerab
The only thing that could be heard in the library was silence, as well as the quiet sound of pages being turned. Azalia and Amos were the only ones here. The immense library of the Adom Kingdom, which was filled with endless shelves full of books, was close to empty at this time of the day. Azalia had wanted to go there in order to change her mind, thus forcing Amos to accompany her. But, as her blue eyes travelled on the pages of the book in her hands, it wasn't on reading that her mind was focused... When Azalia had woken up this morning, Melech hadn't been by her side anymore. The Lavan princess had felt a sting of deception ache inside her chest at the realisation, but had tried to pay it no mind. Just because Melech had acted differently yesterday didn't mean everything would suddenly change between them. Still, Azalia had thought they had gotten closer after last night. They had both been here for the other in a rare moment of vulnerability, which had to mean something. Azali
Azalia ran fast, as fast as she could, but she knew she could never run faster than an Adom man. She could still hear the sound of metal colliding behind her as well as the sound of Leor running after her. His steps were getting closer but Azalia tried not to think about it, the Lavan princess instead focusing on running away. Amos was fighting against Nahash to save her life. Azalia couldn't let his sacrifice be for nothing. She had to get out of this situation alive. And so she kept running, desperately trying to reach the throne room before Leor could catch her. However, the library was one of the farthest places away from the throne room and the corridors all seemed to be endless. Azalia knew she would never reach safety in time. Her fear became true when Leor managed to catch her by the hair then yanked her back toward him. Azalia screamed as she was harshly pushed against a wall, her face pressed against the hard surface with her hands held behind her back. Leor was right behi
Tzilla didn't have enough time to get out of the way of Nahash's sword. She let out a loud scream as the blade met her skin, the attack opening a long gash across her back. "Tzilla!" Azalia watched with horror as the Adom woman collapsed on the floor. She immediately ran to her side, the Lavan princess dropping to her knees so that she could cradle Tzilla's face with trembling hands. She was still alive, but her face was sickly pale and her eyes tightly shut. She was moaning in unbearable pain, and Azalia knew it was only a matter of time before she would fall unconscious then die from her injury. "Why would you kill her?!" She felt intense anger take over her as she looked at Nahash. "She's one of your own!" She was letting her emotions get the best of her, rage and fear and despair quickly overwhelming her. "She got in my way." Nahash told her with a viscous sneer. "That's what happens to people who get in my way." He looked terrifying with blood covering his face and some slither
Azalia woke up in the comfort of her bed with silky sheets surrounding her. She could feel the warmth of a body behind her, what had to be Melech's arms wrapped around her waist. They had gone to bed late last night. The banquet after her coronation had lasted a long time, but Azalia had had a lot of fun talking with different guests and gossiping with Esther. She had enjoyed watching Esther playing hard to get with the Yarok prince, unlike Yael, who had tried seducing Nehorai the whole evening... without any success. Azalia didn't know how things had ended but she was pretty sure that she had seen Esther and Nehorai disappear together at some point. Esther would have to tell her all the details of what had happened between them the next time they saw each other. Knowing Esther, she already had the Yarok prince wrapped around her finger. Her thoughts were interrupted by sultry kisses being pressed onto her nape and shoulders. She hummed in contentment, the Adom Queen baring her neck
"Azalia!" Someone calling out her name made Azalia turn around, her face instantly breaking into a smile as her eyes landed on her friend. "Esther." She hugged the Kesef princess. "I'm so glad you came." She was the person she had been looking forward to seeing again the most among all the guests, after her mother, of course. "Me, too." Esther held her tight before letting her go so that they could look at each other. "I missed you." She smiled at Azalia. She looked gorgeous in a silver dress that hugged her body just right. It made her eyes stand out even more. "Writing letters is not the same as seeing each other." "I agree." Azalia sighed. Writing to each other was better than nothing, but it didn't allow them to talk about private things and paled compared to a real conversation face to face. That's why Azalia was overjoyed that Esther had come for her coronation. They were at the banquet hall right now. All the people who held a high status in the Adom Kingdom were mingling wi
Amos led Azalia throughout the Adom castle until they arrived in a spacious room, linked to the largest balcony Azalia had ever seen. There stood Melech, the members of the High Council next to him.They were all dressed in gorgeous outfits that looked extremely expensive. They were representing the Adom Kingdom and so had to make a good impression. Yael's dress, especially, was impressive. It was black with golden accents, and almost rivalled Azalia's red dress...But Azalia was more beautiful and everyone knew it, that's why she didn't blame Yael for trying to look her best. It also helped that Yael had gifted her a dragony egg for her marriage with Melech. The egg hadn't hatched yet, but Azalia couldn't wait to meet the baby dragony growing inside it. She already knew that she would care for it dearly.Her mother, Queen Astera, was there as well. One of her counsellors was accompanying her. As the Lavan Queen and, more importantly, as Azalia's mother, she was allowed to stand with t
Azalia couldn't believe that today was the day she would be crowned Queen of the Adom Kingdom. She had always known she would become Queen one day, but she had thought she would be the Queen of the Lavan Kingdom, not of the Adom Kingdom. Not that she minded, on the contrary. The Adom Kingdom was the most powerful in the land, and she knew she would always hold an important status in the Lavan Kingdom no matter what happened. With Melech by her side as the Adom King, she had everything she could ever ask for. "How do you feel, princess?" Temira asked her while brushing her hair. "Are you excited?" She was making sure Azalia would look her best for her coronation. It was important since people coming from all over the land would be there to see her. "I'm a little nervous but mostly excited, yes," She answered her friend and attendant. It was only natural she would feel some stress before such a big event. She couldn't afford to mess anything up. "I'm sure everything will go well," T
Azalia felt her heart race inside her chest as she looked at the Lavan escort approaching the Adom castle. It was constituted of several soldiers and a few servants, the Lavan Queen herself as well as two of her advisors leading the way. Azalia could also recognize the Lavan general Barak following them, but she didn't pay him any mind as all of her attention was fully focused on Queen Astera. "Mother!" She ran to her as soon as the Lavan Queen got off her horse. "Azalia." They exchanged a hug in front of everyone, neither of them caring about proper manners at the moment. They hadn't seen each other in so long. "My treasure." Queen Astera's voice slightly wavered as she held her daughter close to her. "I missed you. It's so good to see you." "Me, too." Azalia was close to tears. Only years of training prevented her from crying in front of so many people, but being back in her mother's arms was making her feel too emotional for words. She wasn't a little girl anymore, but her mother
"Congratulations on your marriage, princess," Yaakov told Azalia as they walked into the council room together. It had been hard to convince Azalia to leave her bed with Melech, but she had relented in the end. She couldn't in good conscience miss one of the meetings of the High Council, especially not when the main subject would be her coronation. Still, she wished she and Melech had had a little more time alone... "Thank you, Yaakov." She smiled at the Adom counsellor. "Your gift was amazing." She didn't forget to thank him for the unicorn's tears he had gifted her and Melech for their union during their sacred ceremony. "I can't believe you didn't keep them for yourself." It was a priceless gift, one that Azalia would have never let go of. "Nonsense." Yaakov shook his head. "Those tears were meant for someone as important as you and the King." He was smirking as he said that, and so Azalia fondly rolled her eyes in response. "Such pretty lies." He was obviously trying to flatter
Melech helped Azalia wash after their sexy time in the bathtub. He started with washing her face and then her hair, making sure to use the right products to not damage her natural waves. He then washed the rest of her body, from her arms to her legs, and even went as far as to rub her feet with some special lotions. Azalia loved it. Temira and Shai were usually the ones to take care of her when she took a bath, but having her husband do it instead felt amazing. The amount of care Melech was using when touching her body was heart-warming. It made her feel special and loved, affection for Melech swelling inside her chest. "My turn." She said once Melech had finished washing her. She wanted to take care of him, too. And she also didn't want to miss an occasion of putting her hands all over Melech's body. It was too sexy for words. "Turn around. I'll start with your back." She said and Melech obeyed without any complaints. Azalia spent several minutes applying soap to his nape, shoulde
"Come here, little princess." Melech cautiously pulled Azalia into the bath with him, placing her against his strong chest. Azalia settled between Melech's legs and let out a content sigh at the sensation of the warm water surrounding her body. She felt a little sore after their first time having sex last night, and felt grateful for the warm bath. It relaxed her aching muscles and helped with her soreness, even if just a little. It was late morning. Melech had woken her up with loving kisses all over her face and body, before carrying her to their bathroom. Azalia loved how gentle he was with her. Their first time had been amazing, both passionate and intimate at the same time, although quite intense, too. Not that Azalia was complaining about it, on the contrary. "How are you feeling?" Melech asked her. He was gently rubbing her hips with his hands, trying to soothe any aches she could feel. The soft gesture made Azalia relax even further, her blue eyes closing in pure bliss. She
Melech claimed Azalia's lips with his own as soon as they were back in their private quarters. "Melech." The Lavan princess moaned as Melech kissed her passionately. They had hurried back to their quarters as soon as the sacred ceremony had finished. They had barely heard the members of the High Council congratulate them on their union, the two lovers way too impatient to pay them any mind. Finally, after months of torturous wait, they could go all the way together. "Are you already wet?" Melech smirked as he touched Azalia's intimate parts through her clothes. The question made her blush a little, a small gasp leaving her lips when Melech rubbed her vulva from on top of the fabric. "Yes." She had no other choice but to admit. She was already wet just from a simple kiss. Her whole body was burning up with desire for her husband. Melech felt a smirk tug at his lips as pride swelled inside him. He leaned in, letting his hot breath brush against Azalia's skin as he murmured right into