The Kingdom of Light

Chapter 10

He offered me his arm, a cocky smile on his lips and a shine in his eye, as he looked down at me. With a soft blush on my face, I accepted his offer. We walked out into the foyer, where he started talking about the thoughts behind the design. He told me the foyer was the first thing you saw once you entered, so it had to be grand, it had to be spacious, so that people hopefully felt welcome, but also saw the wealth and power that lay in the work.

“The Kingdom of Summer is one of the wealthiest Kingdoms,” he told me. “Mostly because, through the centuries, people have been worshipping the summer and sacrificed a lot for it to be kind and gentle to them. My forefathers have built an empire on that belief.”

Honestly, it made sense. But at the same time, it just made more questions pop into my head, more questions than he actually answered.

Instead of walking towards the left, he moved me towards the right in the opposite direction of the dining hall. Another two iant oak doors opened as we neared.

“This is where we entertain,” he explained, guiding me into a giant hall that could look like a ballroom.

In the middle of the room was a gigantic chandelier, which looked to be made of gold. From it hang different stones, which shone in vibrant colors, setting the mood for the entire room. The walls looked to be made of gold as well, like someone had melted the material and tried to form the walls directly from it. Along the walls were tables, which made the middle of the room empty for dancing.

At the end of the room was a large window as well, leading out to a terrace made out of wood. The grass and the flowers around it gave color and vibrancy to the room, making it look like a rainbow had circled the party.

“It is here we will celebrate Summer Solstice in a few weeks,” he explained, still smiling softly at me. “It is then we thank the Mother for her care and love in the previous year.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be a party or a banquet. But with thought to where I was, I couldn’t imagine it being a small celebration that would wrap up hurriedly.

“Exciting,” was all I could say.

We went back into the foyer, where he led me up the stairs and to the right down the hallway with all the bedrooms. He pointed out my room, and across from that a smaller room, which he told me was where Lily was staying. He reasoned it with her always being close and able to help me with anything I could need. He also pointed out Siccala’s room, which was a little further down the hall. But at the very end of it was another set of large oak doors, with intricate designs carved into the wood.

Why do they need these big doors?

“This is my room,” he explained, opening the doors for me.

I took a few steps inside the overly large room. He came up behind me, the warmth of his body covering my back. His hands gently landed on my upper arms, giving them a small squeeze.

“Hopefully, it’ll turn into our room at some point,” he whispered, almost like it wasn’t meant for me to hear him, but more like he said it for his own benefit, like a wish you would tell a shooting star, just in case.

The walls had the same color as mine, but they had gold brushstrokes everywhere, like they had tried to paint branches all over the walls, connecting them, holding it all together. I thought my bed was big, but his was enormous. Big enough to have a lot of fun. The thought made heat rise even more in my cheeks.

He also had a rug underneath his bed, and maybe he also enjoyed putting his feet down on it in the mornings. There was also a closet in here, even wider and deeper than my own, and another desk, which looked to be more a vanity than anything else. And of course, he had the giant windows, but a different view from mine. Spread out in front of me was a giant field of lavender, creating the most amazing shade of purple I had ever seen.

I moved through the room and saw that he, of course, also had a bathroom connected to his room. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that his tub seemed larger than mine, which was totally unfair and uncalled for. My hand slid across the duvet cover, which helped make the bed look even nicer, like he hadn’t lived multiple lives in that bed, like he hadn’t had other women in that bed.

Even though I didn’t want to know the answer, I simply couldn’t help but imagine how many he had slept with. Even in my short life, I had been through a handful of men, but during seven hundred years, he must have almost started to get bored at the end.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, his eyes trailing my face curiously.

Stupidity tumbled out of me, and I could feel regret trailing right behind the words that left my lips. “A lot of stuff must have happened in here over the last seven hundred years,” I said, my voice low, while I could feel humiliation warming my cheeks.

He held out his hand towards me, his eyes calling me closer to him. Without thinking too hard, I accepted his hand and ended up in his arms. It was crazy how comfortable I felt, how at ease I felt with him already.

Perhaps it’s because he’s been waiting five hundred years for you?

“I’m not gonna lie to you,” he rumbled, his voice muffled as he buried his face in my hair. “I’m definitely not a virgin,” he continued, leaning back and grabbing my chin, lifting my head so I had to look at him. “But I know that his,” his thumb brushed against my lower lip, “will be like my first time.”

His eyes hypnotised me, holding me captive. His rumbling voice, the words he spoke, made my core tighten. His tender yet firm touch, his controlled passion, everything made it that much hotter.

A smile spread on his lips before he pulled away from me. “Shall we continue?” he asked, holding his hand out towards the hallway again.

Without a word, I walked toward the hallway, while my thoughts kept creating pictures; pictures of him, naked, sweaty, moaning, while he touched all of the places that would make me go absolutely feral.

Pull yourself together!

We continued back down the hallway again, without any of us saying a word to each other.

But a question kept pushing its way to the foreground of my mind. “How long have you been king?” I asked, knowing he was over seven hundred years old, but having helped the villagers five hundred years ago. How long did you rule over a kingdom in this world?

He blew out a breath, clearly calculating in his mind. “This has to be my five hundredth and seventy-third year,” he answered.

“Insane,” was what came out of my mouth, which he responded to with a little chuckle. We passed the window by the landing, which now illuminated the entire foyer with the sun instead of the moon—but it was still beautiful. “Does it ever rain?”

“Of course, it rains,” he answered with a soft smile. “But it’s a soft and warm rain, one that doesn’t annoy you in the same way as much other rain does.”

I nodded, thinking over his answer. I imagined that when it did rain here, it would be like movie rain, where you would stand in front of each other, yelling, while his tunic got more and more soaked, sticking to his delicious, muscular upper body. He would definitely be trying to convince me that we should keep fighting, that we should stick together, and then he would grab me, pulling me close, and kissing me with everything he had. His hands would start caressing my body, his lips moving down my throat, my hands intertwining-

“This is my office,” he said, effectively shutting down the inappropriate turn my thoughts had taken. “I spend a lot of my time in here when I need to focus on something.” He pointed to another door. “This is Siccala’s office, and I would advise you not to go in there if he’s there,” he said, before leaning in close to me, “he hates being disturbed,” he whispered, like it was a secret we had between us.

I could imagine that the cold exterior of Nicolais’s advisor wouldn’t get any better if I disturbed him during work; he would probably start lecturing me on that as well. Generally, it would probably be for the best if I simply stayed away from the snobby advisor.

“Next to my office,” he continued, taking a couple of steps backwards while he smiled at me, proud of the palace he called home, “we have a conference room. Siccala and I meet in here, but I also meet with my allies. It holds maps and knick-knacks, and whatnot.”

He opened a door across from the room, where a different kind of calm seeped out. He disappeared into the room with me hot on his heels. All around the room were big bookcases filled with leatherbound books. Books in different colors, definitely obtaining a wide collection of knowledge about the land I had ended up in.

“This is the small library,” he said, widening his arms. “The big library is a separate building, where you can find a different collection of books.”

“A different collection?” I echoed, my eyes trailing over the spines.

“This is mostly factual books about my kingdom, about religion, about wars. The big library is mostly fictional books, all in different versions. Anything you could want to read, you would find in there.”

Then I noticed it, noticed the fire in his eyes burning a little hotter, the crookedness of his smile turning a little more prudent.

“Perhaps you can recommend something?” I asked, even though it wasn’t so much a question and more a request instead.

“I’m sure I can be of assistance,” he mused, the heady tone creating something tingling between us. Something that flowed so naturally, like we were already drawn to each other.

We continued out of the library and towards the door where I had earlier read its name: The Fencing Room. It was a room decorated with mats on the floor and walls. Different weapons were hanging on the bare wall in the room. He explained that the room was used for the practice of battle strategies, both to make him and Siccala better warriors.

He showed me the music room again, telling me that I could use it as much as I wanted to. But he also told me that I could move the instruments, taking them with me wherever I wanted in the palace. And that if I needed anything, to just let him know.

As we walked back down the hallway, I felt my mind growing at ease. Like all of the information I had been given, it had helped me calm down.

“The party you spoke of,” I started, gaining his attention immediately, “how big is it?”

“It’s the biggest celebration of the year,” he answered, his voice soft. “We invite the other Kingdoms as well, and every single one of our subjects is given the possibility of being there.”

“Is it free to participate?”

A reassuring smile popped onto his face. “Yes, they’re given the possibility of attending freely, or they can lend a hand to work, making good money since they’re working on a holy day.”

“So you extend holiday premium pay?” I asked teasingly, smiling up at him.

He chuckled at me, shaking his head slightly. “Oh, I give great holiday premium pay.” He winked at me, making my heart skip a beat. “Let’s go outside and take a look at the grounds.”

The gardens surrounding the palace were indescribably beautiful. He showed me the Rose Garden—the one I could see from my window. The scent of all those perfumed roses flirted shamelessly with my senses, making it impossible not to smile. Their petals were impossibly soft, delicate, and not a single rose was wilted. He’d picked one in a pale pink shade… and given it to me.

Stop it. Don’t fall for this. Don’t be stupid.

And even though my heart tried to open up to him, my mind kept shutting down, repeating the same warning: It’s too good to be true. You don’t even know him.

We walked through the maze, where he suddenly decided to start a game of tag. He made me run, and every time he caught me, he tickled me until I squealed—laughing and fighting to break free, only to run again. We laughed. We smiled. And I fell a little harder.

He told me about the fields surrounding the palace, how he’d given the land to the farmers of the realm so they could make the most of it, and how he bought the crops from them afterward. Everything about him screamed that he was a kind king; someone who wanted the best for his people. And that… well, that only made the warm feeling in my chest stronger.

We sat down on a bench overlooking the beautiful garden just outside the dining hall, a place where flowers bloomed in every color imaginable, so bright and perfect it almost looked fake.

“What do you do in your free time?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. “Do you even have any hobbies?”

He turned toward me, resting his arm along the back of the bench so his whole body faced mine. “Good question,” he said thoughtfully. “It’s a little hard to answer.” His lips moved slowly, like he was tasting every word. “Everything I do is… essentially my job. I love reading, but I read to learn—to better understand my people, to understand the other Kingdoms.” His gaze drifted past me, as if he were searching through old memories. “I enjoy dancing, but it’s a skill you’re expected to have.” His eyebrows did a playful little lift, and I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped, which made him smile in that satisfied, charming way of his. “I like riding too, but again, it’s more of a practical skill.”

My eyes widened. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to ride,” I said with a smile. “But it’s an expensive sport, so it never happened.”

“I can absolutely teach you,” he said, smiling back at me. He looked so unfairly beautiful it was honestly hard to look away.

“I’d love that,” I said, turning my gaze back to the blooming garden. “What else?”

I could feel his eyes on me—curious, searching, almost like he was trying to read me.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Is there anything else I should know?” I turned my eyes back to him, taking in the impossibly handsome man in front of me. “About the man I’m going to be living with for the rest of my life?”

“I’m an open book. If you want to know something, just ask.” Half an answer, but a fair one. How could he know what details I wanted unless I told him?

Lily came out to us, carrying a tray with two glasses. She smiled politely at Nicolais, and when she saw how we were sitting, her smile grew even wider. She held the tray out to him first, then to me. The glass was cold against my fingers.

“I figured you might be thirsty,” she said. “It’s a little champagne.”

“Thank you so much, Lily,” I said with a smile. “That’s very thoughtful.”

She disappeared again as quickly as she’d arrived.

Suddenly, I felt my hair shift, and turned my head to see Nicolais’ fingers gently playing with it.

“It catches the sunlight beautifully,” he murmured. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to respond, but when our eyes met, they seemed to glow with something soft; something dangerously close to devotion.

I shifted so I faced him more fully. “This all feels way too good to be true,” I whispered, staring into those blazing eyes. “Like I could wake up any moment and realize all of this was just some weird dream.”

His hand moved to my cheek, long fingers tracing the outline of my face with a careful, reverent touch.

“Trust me,” he said, voice low and serious, “this is no dream.”

After we toasted, and after he pressed a soft, intimate kiss to my cheek, we walked down toward the stables. We held hands as he told me how the palace was built, how his grandfather had won the throne over two thousand years ago, and built the Kingdom of Summer from the ground up, establishing the wealth that defined it today.

“I’m proud to lead these people forward,” he said, sounding genuinely sincere. “Which is why…” His gaze shifted—deeper, heavier, something I hadn’t seen before. “It’s important for me to pass it on.”

He wanted children. Children to inherit the kingdom. Children who are to be molded into future rulers.

“Have you thought about having children?” he asked softly, hopeful eyes locked onto mine.

“I have,” I answered, surprised where this conversation was heading, but grateful he’d brought it up himself. “It came up in a past relationship.” Honesty was always the way. “But he didn’t want kids.” My gaze met his again. “And when the possibility disappeared… I realized just how much I wanted a family of my own.”

“Truly?” He needed to be sure; absolutely sure. I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips.

“Then the Mother must have blessed me,” he murmured as a smile lit up his face like sunrise. He cupped my face in both hands and leaned his forehead against mine. “This had better not be a dream,” he whispered, beaming at me.

The stable was massive, built from huge beams of old wood. The horses had plenty of room to graze outside, but each had their own large stall inside as well. Nicolais whistled sharply, then gave me a knowing smile. Moments later, a gigantic horse appeared—dark brown with a white stripe down his nose. Muscles rippled beneath his coat as he moved.

“This is Maximus, my private horse,” he explained, resting a hand on the animal’s nose. “He’s the biggest and fastest we have.”

“He’s… very big,” I said; way too big. There was no universe where I would willingly sit on something that size.

My eyes drifted down the stable until something caught my attention. A white horse—not fully white, but dusted with soft grey patches.

My feet moved on their own, pulling me toward her. She watched me approach, following every step with those large brown eyes.

“Hi,” I whispered, reaching out. She lifted her nose toward my hand, her warm breath brushing against my skin. The smile that hit me was instant. She had claimed my whole heart in a single breath.

I scratched under her chin, and she closed her eyes, leaning into the touch.

“Incredible,” Nicolais murmured behind me. I glanced back to see him standing tense—ready to intervene—but slowly relaxing. “No one’s ever been able to get close to her. Certainly not touch her.”

I turned back to her, letting my other hand glide up along her face into her thick mane.

“You’re beautiful,” I whispered. “A beautiful, stubborn woman, aren’t you?”

Lost completely in those big brown eyes, I forgot Nicolais was even there.

“What’s your name?” I asked softly, glancing around for a nameplate, but there was none.

Clynthia.

“Clynthia,” I repeated, tasting the name. It came to me as if she’d spoken it herself—as if she’d told me who she was. “Beautiful.”

My hand kept moving along her head, like I physically couldn’t pull away. She was mine. And I was hers. She had been waiting for me.

“I think we’ve found your horse,” Nicolais said with a smile, placing his hands gently on my upper arms.

“I’m as much hers as she is mine,” I whispered. It was the only answer that felt true.