Maric woke to the sunlight beaming down on the narrow bed. He reached over to discover that it was empty and turned to find Rose bustling around inside the wagon. She had lit a fire in the small hearth and he welcomed the heat.

“What time is it?”

“Less an hour after dawn,” Rose replied as she handed him a mug of hot tea. It smelled of flowers. He thanked her and took a sip. She slipped out of the wagon giving Maric time to wash up and dress. He caught his reflection in a small mirror and winced at the sight. Though he had a restful night of sleep, he still looked as if a wagon had driven over him. He ran his hand along his beard, which had grown wild in the last few days. He wondered if anyone in the village had a straight razor he could borrow.

Rose returned soon after with a large bowl of boiled oats drizzled generously with honey. She also carried with her two bright apples. She set all of the food on the table and sat across from him, her eyes watching him expectantly.

“Thank you. For yourself?”

“I already ate.”

Maric nodded and tucked in. He didn’t realize how hungry he was until he had finished the bowl of oats. He pulled out a small knife and began to peel the apple in one long strand. Rose watched him with interest until he finished. He sliced off a bit of apple and handed it to her. She bit into the piece. Maric leaned in, rubbing his thumb along the edges of her lips. He drew her face close and kissed her.

“Sweet,” he murmured. When he pulled away, he saw that her face was filled with anticipation. Her lips darted out of her mouth and licked her lips. Maric growled, dropping the apple and pulled her from her seat and onto his lap. Her lips crashed into his as her arms and legs wrapped around until she was straddling his lap. His arms held her tightly, crushing her body into his chest. She tasted so sweet, like the slice of apple she just ate and a touch of honey. And, she smelled of roses, a deep heady scent that drove him right of his senses.

She kissed him ferociously and it took all of Maric’s energy just to hold onto her writhing in his lap and all his willpower not to embarrass himself. He was about to lift her and dump her into the bed when the wagon’s door opened and Athena’s head poked through the opening.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” she said, her face lit with amusement as Rose scrambled off of Maric’s lap. Maric glared at the woman. He did not know how many more interruptions he could take. “I have your horses ready, Rose, as you asked.”

“Thank you,” Rose replied, her face bright red. “We’ll be right out.”

“Take your time,” Athena replied, closing the door soundly behind her. Rose began to walk away, but Maric caught her hand and brought the inside of her wrist up to his lips.

“When this is all over-” he began. Rose flushed brightly again and snatched her hand away and rushed out of the wagon. Maric sat there in the quiet wagon willing his blood to cool before he followed her out.

***

Athena pressed a packet of food into Rose’s arms as she and Maric prepared to leave. “Thank you,” Rose said, before turning and putting it away in her pack. “What will you do now?”

Athena looked towards the village. “We will stay long enough to see everyone away from here. It is no longer safe. We do not know if the goblins will be back at nightfall to burn down the rest of the village.” Athena’s lips pressed into a thin line, her gray eyes hardening. “We will not survive another attack. Tis a miracle we survived the last one.”

Rose nodded. The villagers were made up of farmers and merchants. No one had to tackle anything more dangerous than a wily goat or a grumpy rooster. It wasn’t an attack, it was a slaughter.

“We will continue on to Beaumont,” Athena continued, “and seek refuge there.”

“We sent others ahead to inform the king of the attack,” Rose said, thinking about Alistair and Odette. She hoped they would have reached Beaumont by now and that Pierre, Margot, and the children were safely tucked away on her kin’s farm. She prayed that Pierre had survived the trip. His fever was running high when they parted. And, Rose had seen her fair share of infections that worsened in less time. If he is to recover, it will be a long one. He will most likely be chained to his bed for weeks, if not months to come.

“And you?” Athena asked with concern in her eyes.

“Maric and I will follow the river downstream.” Maric had spent the past half hour interrogating Matthias about the tracks he had followed. Matthias informed them that the goblins came from the forest. They had followed the river up before veering off and attacking Berxley and the farms located in its outskirts. Matthias only followed the tracks for a mile or two, but did not dare go any farther. He was only a boy and unarmed. Athena only asked him to make sure that the goblins were out of the area, which he did. Maric had thanked the boy for the information, causing Matthias to blush brightly.

“Then safe travels to you both.”

Rose hugged Athena tightly. “And, to you as well. We will meet again in Beaumont in a day.”

Athena nodded. “And mind you remember what I told you about him.” She nodded her head towards Maric, who was seated upon Clover and looking about him with impatience. Rose knew that it took all his willpower not to hurry her along and she thanked him silently for it. Truth be told, Rose did not know when she would see Athena next. Tomorrow in Beaumont? Or never, if things go badly.

Rose hugged Athena tighter. Every parting could be the last. She and Maric were riding into danger and both women knew that things could turn from good to bad to worse in a matter of seconds.

The two women separated and Rose leaped into the saddle. Daffodil snorted and pranced eager to leave. Maric nodded to Athena in farewell and Rose followed him into the woods.

***

Maric easily picked up the goblin’s trail. They did nothing to hide their tracks, the dirt underneath them covered with hundreds of boot prints and the bushes and trees surrounding the path were torn apart in a haphazard fashion. It spoke of confidence or recklessness. The goblins knew that they needn’t cower in their attacks and, to Maric, this spoke volumes. Goblins were cowardly creatures. Even in numbers as large as the ones that attacked Berxley and the Boucher farm, they tended to skirt any action and wait until the fighting was over to pick over the remains. They were never the instigator of an attack. They would have never acted alone.

Maric thought back to his dream from the night before. He had yet to share it with Rose, who rode Daffodil alongside him. Whenever the path got too narrow, Maric fell back to follow Rose, having her take the lead. The path the goblins took was easy to follow, even for someone like Rose who didn’t know specifically how to look for the signs.

He was certain now that his dreams and nightmares were neither, they were memories that his mind had locked away. He could understand the reason too, it was as if his own mind was shielding him from the terrible pain of it all. But, within the memories were clues. He was confident that the sorceress, the she-demon, was behind the goblin attacks. Maric just didn’t understand why she had captured and tortured him so relentlessly. From what he knew, which, to his credit, wasn’t much, he did not know the sorceress and he did not know of the girl who she was seeking.

From his conversation with Matthias, Maric confirmed what he had already suspected. The goblins came from the south, which is where something deep inside him was telling him to go. Something pulled at him there and the closer they traveled the more his head throbbed in pain.

At the moment, the pain had receded to a dull ache at the back of his head. He woke that morning with his head aching, but after kissing Rose, it seemed to fade away. It was as if her kisses were a tonic to his headaches. As he watched her ride before him, her slender form perched upright on the saddle, he resisted the urge to reach out and pull her onto his own saddle. To hold her close to his chest. To turn back now, forget whatever evil laid in front of him, and ride away as far from here as possible.

Maric knew that Rose was amiable to run away with him, to start a new life with him. For them both to disappear, forgetting who they were, or in Maric’s case, never discovering it, and to be with one another forever. But, it was not to be, not now anyways, Maric thought. People were murdered last night and more to come if the goblin attack was a sign of something greater. He could not turn away. And, he knew, that Rose would not either. Whatever they were riding into, they would ride there together. If they survived the day, then, Maric thought, he would ask her to run with him.

***

The river was slow and steady as they approached it. Winter was upon them soon and the snow sat heavily on top of the mountains. It wouldn’t be until spring when the snow melted and the river became a beast, roaring and crashing along the riverbank. From where they stood, Rose could see that the goblins had crossed the river at some point before turning south.

“We are nearly there,” Maric said, his hand gingerly touching the base of his skull. He winced in pain.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, let us hurry.” Maric clicked his heels against Clover’s side and the horse plunged into the water. It only came up to its knees. Daffodil followed her mate. Rose shivered and wrapped her cloak tighter around her body. Even though she was well out of the water, she could feel the cold permeate through her clothes. If she was dunked, she would be chilled through within seconds.

They rode for a few minutes before Maric broke the silence. “It was near here that Pierre found me.” Rose remembered what Margot told her. “It was about this time of year.”

“The water must have been freezing,” Rose replied.

“I wouldn’t know. I was unconscious.” Maric smiled wryly at her. He hesitated before continuing. “I had another… nightmare last night.” Rose tensed in her saddle. Each nightmare was a clue to his past. And, Rose couldn’t help but think about what Athena had told her. That her and Maric’s paths had crossed at some point, back when he remembered who he was.

“You were right,” he continued. “The nightmares are not that at all. They must be memories about what happened to me.” He didn’t need to clarify for Rose to know he was speaking about the scars on his back.

“And in your most recent nightmare?”

“I am in a tower. There is a witch or sorceress, and she wants the same thing as before. She is looking for someone, a girl.” Rose shuddered. “And, I do not know why, she believes I know where this girl is hidden. But, I do not, and she tries to force the answer from me.” Rose didn’t dare ask how she tried to coerce Maric to tell her information that he did not possess.

“There is an unnatural light in the room. A sick green that is emitting from the corner. I cannot see what it is. It is blinding.” Maric shook his head.

Rose nodded. “What happened after?”

Maric smiled again. “When the goblins dragged me from the room, there was a window.” He paused. “I threw myself out of it.”

Rose gasped. “You could have been killed.”

“That was my intention.”

***

Maric grimaced at the memory. It was the first time that he admitted it out loud that he was willing to take his life to escape the pain of being trapped inside the ruined keep. It felt cowardly to him to seek the oblivion of death than to endure another day of torture. He watched Rose out of the corner of his eye to catch her reaction to his admission.

“I can understand.”

“Can you?”

“I’ve seen those scars. And, from what Margot told me, you were nothing but skin and bones when they found you. I cannot imagine the suffering you endured, but I can understand your need to escape, whatever the means. You felt that there was no other choice.”

“I could have endured.”

“It would not matter,” Rose almost spat out. “Whoever this witch was, she meant to kill you. Even if you knew the information that she so desperately wanted, she would have killed you after you told her. It was better to have risked taking your own life in your own hand.” Rose huffed. “Anyways, you did not die.”

Maric watched her curiously. “No I did not.”

Rose thrust her chin out. “And, we will put an end to her. Together.”

And as simple as that, Maric’s soul was absolved.

***

Within the hour, Rose could hear the clamoring of metal on metal. Maric slowed Clover and slid down the saddle until he was walking side-by-side with the horse. He motioned for Rose to do the same.

“We’ll leave the horses here,” he said in a low voice, though Rose was certain that whoever was causing all that racket would not be able to hear them over it. Rose nodded and followed Maric as they tied the horses to a nearby tree. The knot was loose in case they needed to hop on and ride out of danger.

Rose was surprised when Maric reached down and took her hand as they crept along the trees until they found themselves on top of a small cliffside. Below them, Rose could see masses upon masses of goblins running to and fro. They looked much like the ones that attacked the farm. Most of them wore mismatched armor. The cacophony of noise was from the goblins’ swords as they sparred against one another.

Rose shuddered, feeling the terror pass through her. There were thousands of them.

“Look,” Maric whispered. Rose followed his eyes to the castle deep in the valley. It stood in the middle of the sea of goblins and other monsters like a jagged black tooth sticking out of the earth. The stone walls were collapsing on themselves if not for the thick black vines that held them up. There was a dried out moat that circled the castle and rotted drawbridge. Remnants of four towers sat at each corner of the keep, but only one was still standing. The others looked as if they were shorn off by a giant.

A green glow emitted from the remaining tower. Rose was about to ask Maric about it when she caught him staring into the green light, his mouth agape. His eyes were blank, as if transfixed.

“Maric?” Rose reached out and nudged him on the shoulder, shaking him. “Maric!” His pupils grew large and dark until it seemed to fill his entire eye. She grasped his head between her hands and stood in front of him, blocking his view of the tower. Slowly, she felt the muscles in his face slacken until he blinked. He appeared lost for a moment.

“Rose?”

“We need to get out of here,” she said, helping Maric to his feet. She could hear the churning of the goblins below. The noise was louder as if they also sensed something dangerous was in the air. “Come on.” Rose pulled Maric behind her. He still looked dazed, as if unsure of where he was. They hurried back to the horses, who were pawing at the ground eager to be off. They must know, Rose thought. The feeling of terror was rising in the air, choking Rose as she helped Maric up into his saddle. Clover pranced around impatiently while Rose swung up onto Daffodil’s back. Daffodil broke out into a gallop as soon as the forest cleared and Rose didn’t stop her. She felt like running herself, the hairs on her neck standing up on all ends.

***

The sun was setting before she brought Daffodil to a stop. They were both covered in a sleek sheen of sweat. Maric stopped Clover near her, having recovered from the thrall of the castle.

“We must warn the king,” Maric said, his face shuttered.

“What happened back there?”

Maric shook his head as if still trying to shake the thrall out of his mind. “I do not know, but I am certain that was where I was imprisoned.” He did not say tortured, Rose thought. “It is familiar. And, the fact that I had a reaction to it at all must mean something.”

“We won’t make it to Beaumont tonight,” Rose said. “I know a place not far from here where we can spend the night.”

Maric looked at her with surprise. “We can make it if we ride all night.”

Rose shook her head and indicated down to Daffodil. The horse was shaking, exhausted, and frightened out of its own wits. The white of her eyes shone brightly in the fading sunlight, her pupils large. Clover looked much the same. Maric frowned. He would not push the horses any harder either.

“They need their rest. And, so do we. It will give us time to talk about what we will say to the king.”

Maric snorted. “All we need to tell him that his kingdom is in danger.”

“Perhaps, but he may not believe us. The king’s son is to be baptized soon. There will be a celebration in the city. He may not want to listen.”

“Then he should not be king if he cannot look after the safety of his own people.”

Rose was certain Philip would listen to them, to her when he realized who she was. The truth of it was that Rose wasn’t sure if she was ready to see him. She thought of Philip every single day in the past five years. Not a day passed when she wondered if he was happy, if she had made a mistake by running. If she could have truly been happy with him.

Rose watched Maric out of the side of her eye. He seemed recovered, his eyes clear and thoughtful. Rose was surprised about how she felt about him. And, since she met Maric, she thought less and less of Philip with each passing day.

“What is it?” Maric asked, catching her eye.

“I was just thinking that when this is all over, well… I will definitely have enough material for my ballad.” She laughed when Maric scowled back at her. She would miss him.

***

Maric followed Rose in a slow trot. She looked about her closely as if trying to find a forgotten path. When her eyes caught on a small stream, she smiled widely. “We’re nearly there,” she said.

“Where are we heading?”

“Home.”

The stream led to a small break in the woods where Maric saw a lone cottage surrounded by flowers. When he got a closer look, he noticed they were roses.

“This is your home?” Maric asked, following Rose as they hopped down from their horses. They left Clover and Daffodil untethered so they could drink from the spring and graze on the fresh grass underneath. Clover shook as if relieved that the journey had ended.

“Yes, I grew up here.”

Maric remembered that Rose told him that she grew up alone in the forest with only three aunts to keep her company. She lived there because people were after her, people who had wanted to harm her. He stepped back to take in the cottage and he could see how this place could be both a home and prison to her. It was quaint and comfortable, but also isolated. The trees around it cast the cottage in a deep shadow that seemed to cool the air to a chill. Maric suppressed a shiver as he followed Rose into the cottage.

Rose threw open the door and Maric was surprised to see that the cottage wasn’t full of spider webs and dust. It looked as if it was just cleaned. The hardwood floors shone brightly and the furniture all looked new. Even the air smelled clean like a spring day.

“Are you certain no one lives here now?” he asked.

“Yes, it was always like this when I was a child. I didn’t tell you this before, but my aunts were fey. The cottage is enchanted. If you weren’t with me, you wouldn’t even be able to see it. Only those seeking it will find it.”

Maric’s eyebrows shot up. “Who are you really, Rose?”

She blushed and turned away quickly. “I’m just Rose,” she said quickly. “Why don’t you see to the horses and I will gather some firewood. Even though the cottage is enchanted, it can still get quite cold in here during the night.”

Maric nodded, his head swimming with questions. But, he could tell from the resolute look on Rose’s face that he wouldn’t get any tonight.

***

Rose watched with satisfaction as the fire in the hearth burned brightly. The cottage was already feeling warmer and in a few minutes it would be comfortable enough to take off her cloak. Maric went to rub down the horses, who were both covered in sweat and could catch their own cold if he hadn’t. Rose retrieved their packs and was glad to see that packet Athena had prepared was full of food. She pulled out a loaf of bread with two small jars, when she opened one she saw that it was butter, and the other was elderberry jam. Rose grinned in anticipation. Athena remembered how fond Rose was of her jam. Further in the bag was a thick hunk of cheese, a slab of salted pork, and nestled on the bottom among cushioned fabric was about a dozen eggs. It would be enough for tonight. Maric said he would hunt if necessary, but Rose cautioned him against it. He may not be able to find the cottage again on his own. He looked as if he would argue, but decided against it. Anyways, there was enough food for the night and Rose was half-starved since they hadn’t stopped for luncheon.

“Look what I found,” Maric said, walking back into the cottage with a handful of potatoes and carrots and one large cabbage. Rose had forgotten about Fauna’s vegetable garden out back. She shouldn’t be surprised to see that the garden was still growing so late in the season. Everything here was touched with magic.

Maric went to retrieve a basin of cold water from the stream while she chopped up the vegetables. Maric poured some of the water into a pot he found in one of the bottom cabinets in the kitchen and dumped in the vegetables with a generous pinch of salt. Rose set a skillet on top of the fire and quickly sizzled up thick slices of salted pork belly. While the pork cooked, Rose sliced up the bread and stuck a slice of cheese between the two pieces and placed them on metal tongs to toast over the fire. She watched the bread carefully turn golden brown and only pulled the bread out once the cheese began to bubble. Maric looked down at it like a man half starved. “Go on,” Rose said, as she handed the piece of bread to him. He tore off a large chunk and sank his teeth in, letting out a small groan in pleasure as he did so.

Rose plated the slices of pork belly, now nice and crisp and cracked a few eggs into the pan. They cooked quickly and she gingerly moved them onto the slices of bread. Last, she filled two large mugs with soup and set them down on the table.

“What are our plans tomorrow?” Rose asked as she passed Maric another slice of bread with egg. He gratefully took another slice and bit into it while also taking a bite of the pork.

“We will leave early for Beaumont. From here, it should be another four hour ride. We should arrive by noon.”

“And, then to the king?” Rose swallowed hard. She wasn’t prepared to come face-to-face with Philip again. She didn’t know if she ever would be. She idly wondered if he would recognize her now.

“Yes. First we find Alistair. As he said, he is the king’s cousin. We will need him if we are to be granted an audience. I expect it to be busy with the baptism for the young prince.” Even in Berxley, where the village was burned down to tinders, Rose had seen evidence of the upcoming celebration. Banners and flags were burned down to just the smallest traces. The entire country was filled with anticipation for the event. It would be difficult to reach the king and Maric was right, they needed Alistair’s connection. Rose hoped that Alistair had already reached the king by now and warned him of what was to come.

“And what about afterwards?”

“After we inform the king?”

“Yes, what will we do then?” Rose watched as Maric stilled. It seemed as if he wanted to say more and Rose silently begged him to do so, but he looked away.

“We will see.”

***

Maric didn’t want to make any promises that he could not keep. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask Rose to run away with him. And, her violet eyes were bright as if expecting to hear those very words. But, after seeing the castle and the strange green glow, Maric knew that he needed to be there with the king’s army when the time came. He needed to see this through to the end. He needed to know that the sorceress was truly dead and gone before he could return to Rose. Otherwise, he will remain broken, incomplete. If he could not give Rose his whole being, he would give her nothing.

To her credit, Rose did not look disappointed nor relieved much to Maric’s joy. She nodded her head as if she understood. There was still too much to come for them to be planning out their future together. He may not even survive the battle.

“I will be there right alongside you,” she said, shaking Maric out of his thoughts.

“What do you mean?”

“When you go face her,” Rose did not need to clarify who her was, “I will be there with you.”

Maric’s body froze with fear. “Absolutely not.”

“Of course I will be,” Rose shot back. “You will need my help. I have saved your life more than once now if you remember.”

“And, I have saved yours too,” Maric said. “This is not a game, Rose. She is not a game.”

“Well, you have forgotten that you promised me a story for my ballad. What else is better than your final confrontation with the witch that stole your memory? That stole your life?”

Maric groaned. “Forget the ridiculous ballad!”

Rose huffed up in offense. “It is not ridiculous! It will be beautiful because it will be about you, you stupid man!”

Maric reached out and grasped Rose’s hands into his as she made to stand up. He knew the signs now, the look of anger flashing through her violet eyes, the way that her brows scrunched up in the middle causing a small crease along her forehead. If she wasn’t careful, she would have lines on her face as she got older, but Maric secretly thought that they would make her even more beautiful than she was now.

“Don’t,” Maric whispered, reaching out and drawing Rose around the table and onto his lap. He held her firmly there, her face nestled into the crook of his neck. He waited until the tension left her body before letting go of her hands. They were white where he held her and he hoped they wouldn’t leave bruises. He didn’t realize how tightly he had been holding onto her. Maric swallowed and wondered if it was because of his need for her. Not just her body, but her soul as well. The thought should have frightened him.

Rose sighed as Maric kissed her. It didn’t dawn on Maric until this moment that they were alone, for the first time in days. They may not have another moment like this again. And, he thanked the heavens as he stood and carried Rose up the stairs.

***

Maric kicked open the door into Rose’s old bedroom. She had only a second to take in the surroundings, it looked the same as it had the last time she was here over five years ago. Even the rich, purple bedspread was the same. The last time she was in the room, she was crying because her aunts had told her that she was Princess Aurora and that they were leaving for Liyonne as she was the daughter of the king and queen. She cried because she would never see that boy from the forest again. And, she remembered how she cried with joy when she realized that the boy and Prince Philip, her betrothed, were one in the same.

Rose mentally shook her head as Maric brought his lips back down onto hers. This was not the time to think of Philip. He was her past. Maric, Rose thought as his tongue probed gently at her lips until she parted them and he deepened the kiss, was her future.

Rose groaned in anticipation and she felt a low growl rumble up Maric’s chest as he dropped her gently onto the bed. He followed her, pulling Rose onto his chest so that her whole body rested on the front of his. He continued the kiss, his teeth gently nibbling on her lower lip until she parted them again. He pulled her legs apart until she was straddling his waist.

“What do you want, Rose?” Maric asked between breaths.

“I want you.”

Maric’s eyes filled with heat. “As you wish.”

***

Rose watched as Maric reached up and slowly untied the length of lacing that fastened the front of her bodice. His eyes held hers and he moved slowly, pulling the lacing out of each eyelet as if he was in no hurry. She could feel his warm fingers graze the cotton dress she wore under the bodice and she shivered at the touch.

Soon she was free and he threw the bodice aside. The dress hung loose and Maric sat up and kissed her as he reached to the end of her dress and began to pull it over her head. She shifted slightly on his hips so that he could pull it free and he groaned against her neck. The dress disappeared over the side of the bed, joining her bodice.

Rose sat straddled across his hips and she could feel the heat of him through her undergarments.

“So beautiful,” Maric whispered, his eyes heavy as he trailed kisses along the edge of her chemise at her chest. She felt her skin flush with heat and a throbbing ache begin between her legs. The sensation was raw and almost painful and if she was not sitting, she knew her legs would not be able to hold her. Even now, she leaned heavily against Maric as he reached under her chemise and cupped her breasts with his hands.

“I have dreamed of this moment,” Maric said, his thumbs rubbing gently across her nipples. Rose felt a bolt of pleasure rock through her body causing her to gasp out loud. He pulled the chemise free leaving her naked from the waist up.

He leaned forward, his lips falling onto one of her breasts as he lightly kissed around her nipple, slowly, closing in until his tongue flicked across it. Rose cried out and clutched his head to her chest. “I have dreamed of this in my every waking minute. Of how you would feel in my arms, of how you would taste like…”

“No more dreams,” Rose whispered as he turned his head up to look at her. She grasped his head in her hands and kissed him hard. He gasped out in surprise. “Show me. Show me what you want to do to me.”

***

Maric moved quickly pulling off his leather vest and the tunic underneath. Rose, who was still straddling his hips, watched with brazen need. Every slight movement she made caused him to swallow a groan. If he did not hurry, he would embarrass himself.

He reached down and lifted her hips so he could undo the laces of his trousers and pull them down. He threw them aside before rolling over until Rose was beneath him. He reached down between them and pulled off her undergarments until she laid completely naked. He sat back on his heels to drink her in. The sun had set hours ago and he cursed himself for not lighting a candle.

Only the soft moonlight shone through the window and it cast Rose in an ethereal glow. She was truly beautiful, the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen. And it wasn’t what his eyes saw, but what he felt in his heart.

I love her. The thought stunned him as much as her beauty did. I love her.

“Maric?” He looked down at her face, her eyes filled with concern. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes. No.” Then he laughed. It felt as if a burden was lifted from his shoulders. He no longer cared about who he truly was, all he knew, all he ever needed to know was he loved Rose. He would tell her, soon, but not now, not in the heat of the moment when she could not know if he truly meant the words or if lust had blinded him. After, yes, after, he thought. After all this was over and he was free to love her for the rest of his life.

***

Rose laughed with Maric, though she did not know why. But, she felt a sudden shift in the air, as if whatever pained him before was suddenly gone. He looked happy, smiling down at her. His eyes were clear and there was a softness in them that she had never seen before.

Rose reached up and pulled him down on top of her and he kissed her. The heat returned. She felt Maric reach down between her legs, his fingers parting the folds of the most secret parts of herself. She grasped onto his neck as she felt a finger push into her followed by another.

“So soft,” he murmured into the top of her head.

Rose felt something building inside her. A thrumming of pleasure. “More, Maric, I need more.”

He kissed her urgently as he positioned himself between her legs. She raised her knees almost instinctively and could feel the heat of him pressed up against her. She widened her legs until she felt him slowly push himself into her. “So tight,” he said, his voice strained. “Do you need me to stop?”

“Don’t you dare,” she said even as she winced as he pushed forward again.

“Thank God. This may hurt,” he said as he surged forward. Rose let out a small cry of surprise. “Are you okay?” Maric said, panting. His face was tense as if he was in pain.

Rose moved her hips, adjusting to the size of him. After the initial shock, she realized that he felt good. But the pleasure that was mounting before had dissipated.

Maric groaned. “If you keep that up, I may embarrass myself.”

“Is there more?”

Maric laughed into the pillow by her head. “Yes, there is more.” He shifted again, pulling away and Rose cried out at the sudden loss, but he pushed forward again, filling her fully. The thrumming sensation had returned. She could feel it building inside of her, as if every nerve in her body was alive all at once. She heard her own cries matched Maric’s as he moved quickly and deliberately. Her body began to tense and when Maric reached between them and rubbed his thumb across the nub between her legs, Rose shattered into a million pieces.

Maric cried out and fell into her with one final thrust and Rose felt a warmness fill her.

***

Rose woke to Maric lightly brushing his thumb across her cheek. His face was hovering above her own and for a brief moment Rose was overcome by the sense of familiarity. He smiled gently when he noticed that she was awake. “I am sorry, I did not mean to disturb you.”

Rose stretched against Maric’s body before realizing that she was still naked and scrambled to put some distance between them on the narrow bed. “It is a little too late for that,” he said, his voice laced with amusement. Rose could see Maric clearly in the moonlight that shone through the window.

“There is something I need to tell you,” he began, as he reached across the bed and pulled her close against him. Rose’s breath caught for a moment as their bare skins pressed against one another, but she did not resist. He felt deliciously warm. “After seeing the keep and the tower, I knew that I had been there before.”

“What happened to you then? You froze when you saw it.”

Maric shook his head. “I do not know. It was as if I felt a heaviness overcome me. I could not look away until you forced me to.”

“Magic.”

“Most likely, whatever magic that compelled me to obey. I will not be free of the sorcessess, of her magic, until she is defeated.” He paused. “I had a dream recently, though a memory now, about my escape from the keep. Before I escaped, I was in the tower with her.”

“Do you remember what she looked like?”

Maric shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. That part is a bit unclear. But, what I do remember is what was causing that strange, green glow. It came from the inner room. I believe it is the seat of her power.”

“What is it?”

“I did not see it with my own eyes, but I felt it. If I destroy it, I destroy her.”

Rose bit her lip. It seemed too easy, as if the sorceress would expose herself in that way.

Maric reached an arm around Rose and pulled her onto the top of his chest until they laid face to face. “Do not worry, love. I will defeat her.” His hand slipped between them and Rose shuddered in pleasure. Rose closed her mind off to the battle ahead and looked down to Maric, whose eyes were hot with passion.

They only had one night and she didn’t want to think about anything but this very moment with Maric. She wanted to commit it all to memory in case they never had a chance to be together again.