Chapter 114 Lead the way, my King
Maureen Laskovic
I had to make peace with myself if I wanted to stay sane.
I carefully handed my babies over to the waiting court ladies. One of them stepped forward with a gentle smile.
“You’ve done well, Luna. The babies are in safe hands.”
I offered a small nod, though my chest felt tight. “Of course. It’s not as if you would harm the heir to the kingdom… right?”
A tense silence fell as the women exchanged uneasy glances. I forced a soft laugh. “It was a joke. Relax.” I clasped my hands in front of me to hide their slight tremble. “Their feeding schedule will be sent to you shortly. If anything changes or if you need me, do not hesitate to send word. Have a pleasant day, ladies.”
“Thank you, Luna,” they replied in unison, dipping into respectful curtsies.
I returned a brief, graceful nod and turned to leave, my heart aching with every step away from my children.
The court ladies assigned to the royal infants remained in the nursery chambers while I made my way toward the Royal Wing. The moment I stepped into the quieter corridor, I exhaled deeply and pressed a hand to my chest.
“Fuck these laws,” I muttered under my breath.
“You okay?”
Nyxara’s voice drifted from behind a marble pillar. She stepped out, leaning casually against the stone with that familiar half-smile.
“No,” I admitted, “but I’ll keep going.”
“That’s the spirit.” She fell into step beside me. “How about we take a walk? Clear your head a little.”
I nodded and followed her lead through the sunlit corridors.
“How are your husbands?” I asked.
“Busy, as always,” she chuckled, taking my hand. Her thumb brushed gently over my knuckles. “You’re glowing, Maureen.”
I let out a soft laugh. “Must be the crown.”
As we stepped out into the gardens, the frustration finally spilled out.
“Fuck that stupid law,” I grumbled. “Forcing the heir to be raised by court ladies for a whole month? Who even came up with that nonsense?”
Nyxara snorted. “If it was up to me, I’d burn that law to ashes. One month? The poor baby would probably come back speaking like a stuffy old scholar instead of knowing his own mother’s voice.”
I laughed despite myself. “Right? They’d have him reciting royal protocols before he even learns to say ‘mama.’”
We kept walking, trading more ridiculous jokes about the ridiculous law until the tension in my shoulders finally eased. Eventually we found a quiet bench under a blooming tree and sat down, still laughing softly.
A maid soon appeared with a tray of warm honey cookies and fresh tea. We devoured them happily, licking crumbs off our fingers like children, the simple sweetness a small comfort.
After a while, Nyxara squeezed my hand and stood. “I should head back. The husbands will start wondering where I disappeared to.” She gave me one last warm smile before leaving.
I stayed behind on the bench, staring into the distance, the weight of the day slowly pressing back in.
A soft, familiar voice broke the silence behind me.
“Little moon…”
I turned. Vuk stood there, tall and steady, a single white flower twirling gently between his fingers. His eyes softened the moment they met mine — that look he always gave me, like I was the only light in his entire world.
He stepped closer and carefully tucked the flower behind my ear, his fingertips lingering against my skin, warm and reverent.
“My husband…” I whispered, my voice catching.
“My wife,” he murmured, voice low and full of quiet devotion.
“My life.”
We both chuckled softly, the sound fragile and intimate. Without another word, he drew me into his arms and kissed me — slow, deep, and aching with everything we had been through. It was the kind of kiss that made the rest of the world fade away, the kind that reminded me why I kept breathing through days like this.
When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine, eyes closed as if savoring the moment.
“Come with me,” he said, his voice husky. “I have something for you.”
He took my hand, fingers intertwining with mine like they belonged there, and led me upstairs to the grand central hall.
The moment we stepped inside, I stopped breathing.
In the center of the hall stood the most breathtaking gown I had ever seen. It was impossibly long — the ethereal white silk cascaded endlessly across the marble floor like a river of moonlight, pooling dramatically around the mannequin in soft, luminous waves. Delicate threads of gold wove through the fabric, shimmering in perfect harmony with my white hair. At the hem, living golden flames danced with a haunting, hellfire beauty — flickering and alive, elegant yet fierce, as if the fire itself had fallen in love and learned to move with grace.
I gasped, one hand flying to my lips. “Vuk… it’s…”
He watched me with that quiet intensity that always made my heart stutter.
“Is there a special occasion?” I asked, still staring at the gown in awe.
Vuk stepped behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling my back gently against his chest. His lips brushed the shell of my ear as he spoke.
“You don’t remember?”
“Remember what?”
“We met today.”
I blinked, turning slightly in his arms. “What?”
He smiled — that rare, devastating smile reserved only for me — and turned me fully to face him. His hands cupped my face with infinite tenderness.
“Today is the day you walked into my life… and breathed light into every dark corner of it. The day our paths crossed, and suddenly the world had color again. You, my little moon, changed everything.”
“Ohhh…” Realization washed over me, warm and sweet. “It’s that day… the haunt day…”
The perfect day,” he whispered, voice thick with emotion. He leaned in and kissed me again, slower this time, deeper, like he was sealing every promise he had ever made. His lips lingered, tasting of love and longing and the kind of devotion that could outlast kingdoms.
When he finally pulled away, his eyes were dark with desire and something far more tender.
“Go and prepare yourself, my love,” he murmured against my lips, stealing one last soft kiss. “I have a surprise waiting for you tonight. Something worthy of the queen who owns my heart.”
I nodded, heart fluttering wildly, and rushed off to my chambers, a secret smile playing on my lips.
The maids were already waiting. They helped me with my bath, the warm scented water soothing my tired body. Afterwards, they worked with gentle care — applying soft, glowing makeup that made my eyes look luminous, styling my long white hair into an elegant, flowing ponytail that cascaded down my back like silk. They helped me into delicate inner wear, then carried in the magnificent gown.
It was heavier than I expected, the rich silk and living flames weighing on my shoulders like a beautiful burden, but I loved it. Every inch of it felt like Vuk’s love made tangible.
“Beautiful… my queen,” one of the maids whispered in awe.
“This is most enchanting,” another breathed, eyes wide. “You look like a goddess descended from the stars.”
“I love this…” I murmured, running my fingers over the golden flames that danced harmlessly at the hem. “It feels like him.”
They showered me with more sincere compliments, their voices warm and genuine, until my cheeks flushed. With their help, I walked out, the maids carefully lifting and guiding the long, dramatic train of the gown so I could descend the grand staircase without tripping.
At the bottom of the stairs, near the grand doors, Vuk waited.
He was no longer in his usual attire. He wore flowing ceremonial white robes edged with gold, elegant and regal, the fabric draping over his broad shoulders like moonlight on snow. His hair had been styled — neat yet still wild enough to remind me of the man I fell in love with. In his right hand he held a breathtaking bouquet of white and golden flowers, and atop his head rested a beautiful, matching crown that shimmered with the same living flames as my gown.
My breath caught at the sight of him.
I reached him, heart pounding. Vuk bowed deeply, reverently, then straightened and offered me the bouquet with both hands, as if presenting his very soul.
“My Queen,” he said, voice low and full of worship.
He gently placed the matching crown upon my head, his fingers brushing my temples with such tenderness it made my eyes sting. Then he took my hand, lifted it to his lips, and kissed my knuckles — slow, lingering, his mouth warm against my skin.
“Are you ready for the evening, my Queen?” he asked, eyes locked on mine with that all-consuming love that made the rest of the world disappear.
I smiled, tears of overwhelming emotion shining in my eyes, and whispered back,
“With you… I’m ready for forever.”
He leaned in, pressing one last soft, promising kiss to my forehead before offering his arm.
I couldn’t speak for a moment.
All I could do was look at him.
Vuk stood there like something carved out of myth and devotion.
But it was his eyes…
Always his eyes.
They held me like a vow.
Like a promise already spoken long before this moment.
I placed my hand in his, letting him steady me as I reached the final step. The maids carefully released the gown behind me, the long train settling like moonlight spilling across the marble floor.
“You look at me like you’ve never seen me before,” I whispered.
He exhaled softly, almost like the sight of me had undone something inside him.
“That’s because,” he murmured, lifting my hand slowly to his lips, “I haven’t.”
His lips brushed over my knuckles — once… twice… lingering the third time, warmer, softer… like he didn’t want to let go.
“And I don’t think I ever will,” he added quietly. “Every time I see you… it feels like the first moment all over again.”
My heart ached.
The good kind of ache.
The kind that made breathing feel too small for what I felt.
“You’re staring again,” I teased gently, though my voice trembled just a little.
“Let me,” he said, almost pleading now. His thumb traced the inside of my wrist, slow and absentminded, like he was grounding himself. “Tonight… let me look at you as much as I want.”
I swallowed, stepping closer until there was barely any space left between us.
“Then don’t stop.”
That was all it took.
His hand moved to my waist, firm yet careful — like I was something precious, something fragile he refused to break. He drew me closer, and this time when he kissed me, it wasn’t hurried.
It was… deliberate.
A slow, deep kiss that unraveled me piece by piece.
His lips moved against mine like he was memorizing me — like this moment, this exact feeling, was something he intended to carry with him for the rest of eternity. My fingers curled into the front of his robe, holding on as if the world might tilt without him.
When he pulled back, it wasn’t far.
His forehead rested against mine, our breaths mingling.
“I missed you,” he whispered.
I let out a soft, breathless laugh. “I was gone for a few hours, Vuk.”
“It was enough,” he said simply. “It’s always enough to feel like too long.”
My chest tightened.
“I hate it,” I admitted quietly. “Being away from them… from you. It feels wrong.”
His expression softened instantly. One hand rose to cradle my cheek, his thumb brushing just beneath my eye like he was afraid tears might fall.
“Then listen to me,” he said, voice steady now — firm with promise. “One day, these laws won’t touch you. I swear it. I will tear them down myself if I have to.”
“You’d burn a kingdom for me?” I whispered.
His lips curved faintly, but there was nothing playful in his gaze.
“I would end the world,” he said, “if it meant you never had to feel that pain again.”
Silence settled between us.
Heavy.
Sacred.
I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes for just a second.
“Then promise me something,” I said softly.
“Anything.”
“No matter what happens… no matter what this world throws at us…” My fingers slipped into his, tightening. “You don’t let go of me.”
His grip tightened instantly.
“Never,” he said.
Not hesitation. Not doubt.
Just truth.
“Not in this life,” he continued, brushing his lips against my temple, then my cheek… then the corner of my mouth, each kiss softer than the last. “Not in any life. You are mine… and I am yours. That doesn’t end.”
A shiver ran through me — not from fear.
From belonging.
From something deeper than words.
I tilted my head slightly, meeting his lips again, softer this time… slower… like sealing the pro
mise between us.
When we finally parted, he rested his hand over mine where it lay against his chest.
“Come,” he said gently. “Let me show you the rest of your evening.”
I smiled, my heart finally… finally steady.
“Lead the way, my King.”