Chapter 287 Chapter 287
She laughed, unable to help the happiness bubbling up her chest at seeing him again, his arms wrapping around her with unguarded strength, crushing her against his chest. Rayena gasped as the air left her lungs, but she didn’t protest. She clung to him just as tightly, fingers curling into the fabric of his tunic, her face pressed into the warmth of him.
He smelled like steel and smoke and something undeniably him—the familiar scent sinking into her bones and loosening something that had been wound tight for weeks.
“Xenon!” she cried into his neck, breathing him in, her chest filling with happiness. “I missed you!” she cried out, giggling as he twirled her around.
“I can see that you did. But I daresay that I missed you more,” he groaned in that rich, velvety voice of his, sending shivers down her spine.
“I thought of you every day,” he murmured against her temple. “Every night.”
Rayena swallowed hard, her voice muffled against his chest. “So did I. It felt… empty without you.”
He pulled back just enough to look at her, his gaze searching, reverent. His thumb brushed beneath her eye, tracing the faint shadow there. “You’re tired.”
She smiled gently. “Not anymore.”
That did something to him. His expression shifted—relief giving way to something brighter, lighter. Joy. Real, unguarded joy.
Rayena pulled back to smile at him, then leaned in, crashing her lips against his.
Xenon stiffened, startled, but fluttered his eyes closed and kissed her like a man starved of affection, the rest of the world falling away around them.
It wasn’t desperate or frantic. It was slow, warm, full of all the words they didn’t need to say—the fear, the longing, the relief braided together. Xenon’s hands slid to her waist, holding her steady as if the ground itself might tilt beneath them.
Pulling back a bit too soon, he settled her on her feet and glanced around. Beside Rayena, Soraya stood, delivering a deep bow.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Hello there, Soraya,” he said, holding Rayena’s hand. “Do come in; the maids have prepared where you will stay,” he said, leading them into the palace, the guards and servants trailing behind them with the things they had brought in the carriage.
Rayena gasped as she stepped into the building, her gaze surveying the place. “So much has changed…” she murmured, glancing at him.
“Indeed it has. I couldn’t believe what that scoundrel did to my palace when I arrived. I almost didn’t recognize it,” he growled, his voice tinged with rage.
Rayena giggled in spite of herself. “I was surprised too when I first came in, but I’m glad you’ve redecorated the entire space. This is much nicer.”
“I’m happy you like it,” he murmured, pecking her forehead.
Rayena blushed.
“But there’s still so much to do,” he groaned. “If I knew this would be the state of the kingdom when I came to claim it back, I would have just opted to run away.”
“Now, we can’t do that,” Rayena muttered, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial level. “The people need us. You should see how happy they were to learn you had taken over the kingdom,” she added, squeezing his hands reassuringly.
Xenon let out a sigh, glancing at her. “You’re right. They do need us. It wouldn’t be right to abandon them.”
“That’s more like it. Either way, I’m proud of you.”
Soraya was directed to her new chambers, and when Rayena asked about hers, Xenon responded, “You’re staying in mine, have you forgotten?”
“Sorry, it slipped my mind,” she said, giving an impish smile.
Xenon rolled his eyes, but his lips were still stretched in a smile. That warmed Rayena’s heart.
Then his expression sobered.
“There are a lot of things to figure out and attend to, like feeding the people and getting rain, but before I spare you those details, I first need to sort out something.” He paused, glancing at her to see if she was listening. Satisfied, he continued speaking. “I already told my court that I’ll be mating with you as soon as possible, whether they like it or not.”
Rayena gasped, taking several steps back. “You did?”
“Yes. I also added that if they reject my union with you, they are free to lord themselves.”
“And… did they agree to it?” Rayena asked, her heart already in her throat.
“Well, seeing as they had no choice, they did.”
“That’s splendid news, but…” Rayena hesitated, still finding the words. She narrowed her eyes at him. “When is the mating ritual?”
“Right now. Tomorrow, to be exact. The full moon is a few days away, and we need to be bonded then.”
Rayena’s jaw slackened in shock. “Isn’t— isn’t that too soon?” she stuttered. “We’re kind of in the middle of a crisis.”
“I’m sure the people can handle a few more days of it. In fact, I think they’ll be happy for me now. It is what they have waited over a century for,” he explained.
“Okay…” Rayena muttered, lost for words. For some reason unknown to her, she was anxious about the suddenness.
Xenon studied her for a moment. “You don’t like it.”
It wasn’t a question.
“It’s not that!” she cried out, waving her hands. “It’s just that I think it’s a bit too sudden,” she hastily explained.
Xenon reached for her chin, tilting her face so she was looking at him. “It’s not sudden…” he began slowly, steadily. “We’ve already waited seven years for this.”
At those words, the knot in Rayena’s chest loosened, and she gave a soft smile, closing the distance between them. “You’re right. It’s not sudden at all.”
Letting out a deep breath, she added with a smile, “Let’s do it.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear…” Xenon muttered, pulling her into a hug. Rayena buried her face into his chest, feeling his warmth seep into her body.
For the first time since reclaiming his throne, he allowed himself to feel it fully.
Victory.
Home.
Her.
Xenon continued speaking, pulling back. “Preparations for the ceremony are already underway, but I still need you to do something for me.”
“What is it?” Rayena asked, pulling away from the hug.
Xenon led the way. “Come with me.”
Rayena watched him go for a bit, puzzled, but soon fell into step, watching as he led her out of the palace to a much unfamiliar part of the grounds.
It was situated underground, but it was nothing like the hallways she was used to perusing when she used to meet him in the past.
It took a while for her to realize he was leading her to the dungeons.
Rayena grew confused. Why the hell was he bringing her here?