The Realm Between: A LitRPG Saga (Books 7 - 10), page 111
“After showing you what?” He took a step closer, wanting to comfort her but not sure how.
She continued to shake her head. “After showing me the future.”
Azure felt his chest tighten. Was the God of Death really capable of seeing the future, much less showing it to someone else? More than likely, it was a trick.
“If he showed us dying, it was probably a lie,” he said calmly.
“That’s not what he showed me.” Princess Zadori sucked back her grief, her head stilling. “He showed me what happens after we get the Stones of Blessing.”
“What happens after…” Azure parroted, having never really thought too much about what that would mean for the princess.
He had always assumed he would return to his life on Earth, leaving all this behind. Uden would become a Grand Master Mage and likely wreak havoc across The Realm. Jin would bring back the elves and reclaim his place as their king. More than likely, he’d continue to war with the half-imp when he wasn’t busy creating diplomatic alliances for his people. Rerdam would return to Noseon with Princess Zadori and continue being captain of the royal guard. And Azure supposed that the princess would be married off to some prince. Maybe it wasn’t a happily ever after for everyone, but it was the most likely outcome.
“I’m guessing you would return to Noseon,” he said gently.
“That’s not the part he showed me.” Her voice was soft.
Azure was running out of guesses. “Then what did you see?”
“I saw what my heart yearns for but can never be.” She dropped her head slowly. “I saw Jin in the arms of another.” The princess’ voice began to crack again.
He didn’t know what to say. Surely, she had to expect that’s what would happen once the elves returned. But actually seeing it must have been difficult.
“Life goes on for everyone else once this is all over.” Despite the sadness in her words, Princess Zadori had somehow managed to steel herself. She spun on her heels, looking at Azure, her eyes glimmering in the candlelight. “I have never told you explicitly before, but I will not survive this.”
“Of course, you will.” He narrowed his gaze.
“Being the Keeper, my body not only holds the stones but an immense amount of power. As we collect each stone, I carry the will of that God inside me. Eventually, if we complete what we set out to do, I will have them all. It’s a power far too immense for a human body to sustain long-term.
“Shortly after we take the stones to the Temple of Blessing, I will expire. But that is not what tears at my heart.” The princess shook her head. “What tears at my heart is that I will have wasted my life loving a man who could never love me. I will have wasted my life having never been loved.”
Azure’s mind was racing. No doubt, hundreds, if not thousands, of men in The Realm would feel lucky to have Princess Zadori’s affection, and he admittedly was one of them. But Azure knew better than to attempt to cross any boundaries. Not only were they traveling companions, but they were friends. He would not make the rest of their journey awkward by expressing his feelings.
“Lots of people love you,” Azure decided to say. “Everyone in our group loves you. The people of Noseon love you. The people of Patheana love you.” He held out a hand to encompass all of Patheana, though he wasn’t sure which direction it was in.
“But do you love me?” The princess stared into his eyes intensely, and Azure quickly became aware that she was looking at him in a way she never had before.
Heat flushed into his face, making him warm all over. He felt like a prey animal backed into a corner, the predator’s gaze locked onto him. One wrong move could be fatal.
As Azure continued to look at her, he couldn’t help but feel. There was a deep affection there. Azure had always found Princess Zadori to be smart and strong and kind. From the first time he had seen her helping feed the poor in Noseon, he had known she was a good person. Yes, the princess could be a little arrogant from time to time, but it was incredibly rare.
Because of her affection for Jin, Azure had put any potential feelings for her on the backburner. He wasn’t stupid enough to allow himself to fall for someone who didn’t want him.
But now, she was making it sound like she was abandoning her yearning for the elf to make room for another. And the way that Princess Zadori was looking at Azure sparked hope that he knew he shouldn’t have.
She was vulnerable right now. The princess had just endured something traumatic. If Azure tried to make a move, he’d just be taking advantage of her. He knew too well that a woman could change her mind about whether or not she really wanted you at the drop of a hat. More than likely, once they were out of The Deathlands, Princess Zadori would be back to pining after Jin, regardless of whatever possible future Luuq had shown her.
But the fact that she was vulnerable also meant Azure couldn’t say the wrong thing, or it could potentially destroy her. And he didn’t want to make the princess feel worse than she already was.
While Azure was far from in love with her, telling her that he loved her would not be a lie. As a friend, Azure most certainly loved Princess Zadori. As something more, well, that was for the future to tell, but he wasn’t about to get his hopes up.
“Yes,” Azure simply replied, not wanting to put any more passion into it than that.
What happened next utterly shocked him.
The princess’ eyes grew hooded, and she took a step closer, standing up on her tiptoes and encasing him in her arms before pressing her lips against his.
Azure’s entire body grew rigid as his brain worked overtime to process how to respond.
It will just be a peck. Just a quick peck, he told himself.
But it was more than that.
Princess Zadori was waiting for him to react, her lips still pressed against his.
And no hot-blooded male would be dumb enough to deny her, even if it was a mistake. For as guilty as Azure felt, there were too many fantasy checkboxes to tick with this. She was royalty. A scantily clad hot blonde princess. But more than that, he just wanted her.
And so, Azure kissed Princess Zadori back.
Her response was equally surprising. His acceptance of the princess seemed to have triggered something deep and primal inside of her, because her fingers went to the buckles of his armor, and she began undressing him.
Red warning lights went off inside Azure’s head. This could be a trap—a trick played on him by the God of Death. Or it could be a mistake, her actions fueled by trauma and need. And if he played into either one, there would undoubtedly be regrets. But Azure just couldn’t stop himself.
Damn the consequences; he wanted the same things Princess Zadori did. Not just the sex. Azure had been in the arms of many women since coming to The Realm, but none he had really cared about. Not like her.
Even if this was just a fantasy—even if it didn’t last past tonight, he wanted to let himself get lost in it, as self-destructive as it may be in the future. And so he loved her the best he knew how, taking more time and care than he had with anyone else in The Realm. Because she mattered to him. Because he wanted to matter to her. Because he wanted to make her forget about the elf and think only of him for the rest of their lives together in The Realm.
HOUSE OF HORRORS
CHAPTER NINE
THE REALM – DAY 1020
A pile of clothes and armor lay in a disheveled pile on the floor, and Princess Zadori lay nestled against Azure under the sheets, her fingertip drawing a circle on his chest as she nuzzled against him. Staring up at the black-painted ceiling, he was still in disbelief of what they’d done. The sweat on his brow was drying, and the scent of sex permeated the room.
He wanted to say something but didn’t know what. Perhaps silence was best in this scenario, though the silence left more room for racing thoughts than Azure liked.
Just enjoy the moment. Soon, you’ll be reunited with the others. That will tell you what this really is.
A strange creaking sound drew their attention to the right, causing the princess to twist in Azure’s embrace. There was a new black door there with Princess Zadori’s name etched above it in the frame. She groaned a low displeased sound before turning back to him.
“I guess that’s for me.”
He had expected her to give resistance, to want to stay in his arms for as long as she could, but instead, she immediately sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Azure watched as the princess stood to gather her clothes and redress. Seeing her pale skin covered by the gaudy black garment made him ache to touch her again.
He couldn’t resist climbing out of bed behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders. Dipping his head, he kissed her neck from behind. “Do you have to go yet?”
Already, his body was aching for a second round beneath the sheets. Would they ever get a chance to be alone like this again? Probably not.
Whether this was something greater than just sex or not, he wanted to savor every moment—drag the minutes out as long as possible.
“Azure.” Princess Zadori placed her hand on his as she turned to face him. “If this is the fastest way out of this dungeon, then we have to take it. Who knows what the others are going through right now?”
He sighed inwardly. This was the caring part of her. The part of her that was more than a woman, but a princess. The part that put the needs of others before her own desires. This was the part of her he could fall in love with, so he knew he needed to let her go. Besides, she was right. For as selfish as Azure wanted to be, his friends were still out there somewhere, possibly suffering. If they could end this faster, then they needed to do it.
“You’re right,” he relented. “You have to go. But I don’t want you to.”
“I don’t want to go either.” Princess Zadori offered him a small smile before going on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek.
It was such a chaste gesture for what they had just done, and it immediately made him doubt her long-term intentions.
Whatever the case, what was done was done, and he didn’t regret it for a moment. They would live with whatever consequences this brought about, because they would have to. But that was a worry for another time.
“Go. I’m sure I won’t be far behind.” Azure finally let the sigh he had been withholding escape as he looked at the door, wondering what was waiting on the other side for the princess.
“Good luck to you,” she said shyly as she headed toward it.
When Princess Zadori opened the door, there was a portal waiting. Of course, it betrayed no hint of what was on the other side.
She took a deep breath before stepping through, disappearing and leaving Azure alone again.
Once the princess was gone, his entire body relaxed. Azure hadn’t even noticed the stress he’d been holding in her presence. Maybe it was because he was still in disbelief of what they had done, or he had been so worried about messing up that he couldn’t relax. Regardless, Azure was now very much aware of the mix of comfort and discomfort that being alone brought with it.
“Now what?” he whispered.
Looking down, Azure remembered that he was still naked. Though he had enjoyed his brief bodily freedom, it was time to suit up again. Trusting the God of Death not to throw any more curveballs at him was like trusting a tiger in the zoo that had been let out of its cage into the public. There was a high probability that it wouldn’t attack anyone, but a tiger was still a tiger.
After dressing, Azure went to sit on the bed to wait for his door. Thinking back now, he hadn’t even given the potential for the bed to be a mimic a second thought once Princess Zadori had begun clawing at him. All caution had been thrown to the wind for the sake of passion. The memory brought a sly smile to his face.
Me and the princess. Who would have ever thought? A peasant and a princess. That’s pretty hot.
But his smile faded when he realized it was a forbidden love. More forbidden than even the princess and the elf.
If they got out of this and she managed to survive past the Temple of Blessing, King Algrenon would never allow them to be together. There would be no happy ending. And why should there be? Princess Zadori deserved to be married to a prince that could give her everything she desired. And Azure needed to return home.
“It will be fun while it lasts,” he thought aloud, but even as he said it, he knew it was a lie.
If Azure allowed himself to feel more than he was feeling right now—if they both allowed themselves to fall in love—there would only be heartbreak in the future. Perhaps they had made a bigger mistake than they both realized.
Suddenly, Azure’s attention was wrenched away from his thoughts by the entire wall across from the bed illuminating. The brightness was so intense at first that he had to shield his eyes.
Blinking between his open fingers, Azure was confused for a moment by what he was seeing. The wall was moving, but not in the way that portals move. He was seeing an image. Was it a vision?
Princess Zadori was now in another room, identical to the one Azure was in. She was sitting on the bed, her lips set in a frown, her expression serious as she fidgeted with her ebony-painted fingernails. The black door she had entered through hadn’t disappeared.
Azure wondered if Luuq had allowed them to be together for a short period of time only to separate them again so they could marinate on what had just happened. It seemed like a trick he would play.
“Princess Zadori,” he said, hoping to catch her attention.
But it appeared that the mirror he was looking through was one-way.
The black door opened, and Jin stumbled through, his cloak and armor covered in blood. He looked exhausted, like he’d just come from battle.
Oh no, was Azure’s first thought, green-eyed jealousy rearing its ugly head. Of course, the princess was on her feet in an instant, rushing to the elf’s aid.
You would have done it, too, Azure tried to remind himself. This meant absolutely nothing. She would not turn so quickly after what she’d seen.
“Jin! Are you all right?” Princess Zadori asked, her eyes searching the elf’s face.
Jin seemed lost, taking a moment before focusing on her. “Zadori.” Her name fell from his lips with a breath of relief.
“I’m here.” The princess’ voice was all too sympathetic. “What happened to you?”
“I was made to relive all the mistakes from my past,” he explained quickly, though he was no longer looking at her, his eyes volleying around the room. “Where are we?”
“Safe. You’re safe now.” She did her best to calm him down.
The elf seemed to still then, his breaths no longer coming out ragged as he began to relax.
“Why are you covered in blood?” Princess Zadori stepped away from Jin finally.
The space between them gave Azure a small sense of respite. She was not being as clingy as she would have been before. It was a good sign.
“Because I did things differently this time.” Jin walked past her to sit on the bed, though he crumpled over slightly, resting his head in his hands.
“What do you mean?” The princess raised an eyebrow.
“I…” he hesitated before looking back up at her, “killed everyone. I didn’t let you get captured by The Sapphire Eye Warriors. I didn’t let those horrible things happen to Azure and Rerdam. And I didn’t let Vrallark The Goblin King take you.” Jin glanced away, a twinge of sorrow marring his expression. “I did not allow Small Owl to be taken from me. I allowed myself to succumb to darkness, and I answered all my problems with the blade. I…” he shook his head, “became who I once was—who I said I never would be again.”
For a moment, the room was utterly still as if the picture was frozen, but then Azure heard Princess Zadori ask the elf a question in a voice so low he almost couldn’t hear it. “Are you… Eldyn Waeglune?”
Jin met her gaze. “Would you be frightened of me if I was?”
Silence enveloped the room once more, and as the princess pondered her answer, Azure began putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.
Jin was not like how Lonnell had ever described elves to be. There was a hardness to him—a darkness that even Azure could see. It was in the way he could kill indiscriminately, the way he didn’t seem to really care about the lives of those around him. And Luuq had called him a monster on more than one occasion.
But if Jin really was Eldyn Waeglune, then what was the story behind him coming back? Was this supposed to be his chance at redemption?
“No.” Princess Zadori decided finally, shaking her head slowly. “Eldyn Waeglune was a good man before being corrupted by Luuq.”
“And would you love me less?” The elf stood, towering over the princess.
Azure instantly felt his muscles tense. Something about Jin had changed the second the princess had given her response. There was a sense of power exuding from him, but also an air of superiority. He couldn’t tell if the elf was trying to intimidate or seduce Princess Zadori, but regardless of which one it was, Azure didn’t like it. Not one bit.
It took her less time to respond, matching his intensity. “No.”
Jin stepped forward, then brought a hand up to caress the princess’ cheek with the back of his knuckles. “Luuq was not lying. I have been harboring a dark secret all this time—a secret I could not and cannot tell the others. A secret that would turn the world against me.
“It is why I have always been afraid to love you. If you found out the secret, I feared…” his voice trailed off for a moment before he returned his attention to her. “But perhaps this is the best way for you to find out who I really am. There isn’t another woman. My secret is far greater than that.”
Princess Zadori’s lips parted, but no words came out. She looked so incredibly weak. Seduced by the darkness within him.
Azure knew this did not bode well for him in any way, shape, or form. So many different thoughts were going through his head that he worried his brain might explode. But, mostly, he felt angry and betrayed.
