Evening had fallen on the capital city of Ellesmere. Evine and Uzier were defeated, the Wizard Hunters were chased out of the kingdom, and the Gods had ascended to their heaven.
For the first time in months, people could sleep knowing they were safe.
She could feel Gabriel’s kisses work their way down her neck. His warm lips wrapped around her nipples, one after the other, sending waves of shock tingling through her body.
She wrapped her fingers in his curly hair and pushed his head further down her body. Gabriel’s tongue licked her pussy and tickled her clit before slipping inside.
Lydia gasped with pleasure.
“I want you inside me all night,” she whispered.
“Your wish is my command,” he replied.
She felt Gabriel’s finger penetrate her pussy, gently working back and forth. Coupled with the agile laps of his tongue, Lydia could feel the pressure inside growing.
She was about to cum!
Her first mortal climax rocked her body as she felt herself gush into his mouth.
Lydia grasped Gabriel’s hair tighter and pulled as the orgasm shook her body.
“Ow!” Gabriel cried.
Lydia looked down and realized she’d nearly pulled his hair from his head.
“I’m sorry,” she replied as she let go.
Gabriel rubbed his scalp and began to laugh. Lydia tried to stop herself from giggling but couldn’t hold it back.
The room quickly filled with their laughter.
It felt nice after all that had happened.
“I can’t believe it,” Lydia said. “We’ve waited all day for this, and I go and mess it all up.”
“Nonsense,” Gabriel said. “A few seconds and I’ll be good as new. If that’s how the foreplay goes, I’m excited to see the main event.”
Gabriel lay next to Lydia and kissed her neck. She could smell her love on his breath, and it turned her on.
He laid his leg over her body, and she could feel his hard cock protruding into her side.
Lydia grabbed the stiff shaft and noted that his tip was already wet.
She slid down the bed and placed it in her mouth, licking wildly with her tongue while pumping up and down.
Gabriel gripped the sheets tightly as the muscles in his body went rigid. Lydia felt invigorated by her lover’s reaction and worked her tongue faster.
“By the Gods,” Gabriel moaned. “I think…I’m going to…!”
The king let out a deep sigh as his sticky seed erupted into Lydia’s mouth. She continued to gently roll her tongue around the tip of his cock as his juices sputtered forth.
When he was emptied, Gabriel collapsed onto the bed.
“I thought you said you were going to last all night,” Lydia teased.
“So did I,” Gabriel said. “Until your tongue entered the equation.”
Lydia lay beside him as he let out a giant yawn.
“Excuse me,” he said. “That was just a passing…”
Gabriel was interrupted with yet another yawn.
“I give you ten minutes before you’re out,” Lydia said.
Gabriel laughed.
“Ten minutes, and I’ll be ready for another round.”
He wrapped his well-muscled arms around Lydia and pulled her closer.
Ten minutes later, they were both sound asleep.
Lydia and Gabriel had woken up with the morning light and teleported back home, expecting to be welcomed with open arms and a celebration.
Instead, they were greeted with a destroyed castle and a kingdom in ruins. Reality sank in.
In the early morning light, Lydia could see the city, and her heart grew cold at the sight.
Gabriel turned to Lydia, and his face looked older than ever before.
“What have I done?” he asked.
Lydia could sense the sadness in his voice and hugged Gabriel.
“You already know the answer to that,” she replied. “It wasn’t your fault. The people will understand.”
Gabriel stared deep into her eyes.
“I hope you’re right,” he said with a tired voice. “Because to be completely honest, I don’t even understand.”
Lydia tried to think of something to comfort Gabriel, but it was too late. He was already walking the short road up to the castle that lay in disrepair.
She followed Gabriel and was surprised to see Lis and Aero waiting at the castle gate.
Lydia noticed how closely they stood together, their hands nearly touching. After all the trials they’d been through, they’d clearly grown closer.
“Welcome home, your highness,” Aero said.
Gabriel hugged his second in command before turning his attention to Lis.
“It’s good to see you,” he said.
Lis smiled as if she’d just seen her brother for the first time in years.
“I’m glad you’ve made it back in one piece,” Lis replied. “But I’ve no doubt got someone else to thank for that.”
Lis moved to Lydia and embraced her warmly. The two hugged for a long moment, enjoying the reunion.
“How is the kingdom doing?” Lydia asked.
Lis’s eyes dropped, as she no doubt thought back on the carnage.
“Everyone is still recovering,” Aero chimed in.
“Which is why I’m going to take a trip into the Imarnian city center this afternoon,” Gabriel said. “I’d best get an idea of the damage I’ve caused.”
Lydia laid a gentle hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, but she could feel his muscles tense beneath her grip.
“I guess I’ll go check and see if our room is still there,” Lydia said.
It had only been days since she was last here, fighting her lover in a duel that nearly took her life.
She was back in what was supposed to be her home, but it felt like something out of a nightmare.
The castle had been repaired as much as possible, but several of the holes had yet to be patched, and she didn’t expect they would be anytime soon.
Lydia entered her and Gabriel’s bedroom and was not surprised to see several gaping holes that had been hastily patched up.
A few smaller holes punctured the walls, but the rest of the castle had taken far worse damage.
She sat down on the bed and felt the soft fabric against her skin. The last time she’d been in this bed, her powers had still been growing to their full potential.
Now, her powers were gone entirely.
It would no doubt take some time getting used to her new mortality. There were plenty of things she could no longer do—conjure fire or teleport, for starters.
But she was human! And Lydia thought that after everything she’d been through, being mortal might not be so bad…
After all, she no longer had to worry about Evine and Uzier. And they were the only reason she’d needed her powers in the first place.
Lydia walked around the room and took a deep breath. Being human was a journey on its own—one that she was excited to explore.
She hugged the shawl close around her shoulders. There was a draft in the room from one of the many holes yet to be restored. With winter quickly approaching, that draft would only get worse.
She shivered, and goose pimples sprang up across her arms. Lydia rubbed her skin to try and create some type of heat.
The whole sensation felt as if she were living in someone else’s body.
Even as a child, she’d never felt like this in the middle of a snow-capped forest.
Her eyes grew wide as she began to realize what was happening.
The royal carriage bumped down the uneven road.
Gabriel loved taking trips into the city, especially when he was joined by his sister Lis and best friend Aero. But this outing was not of the joyous kind…
Gabriel stared out at the countryside, unable to peel his eyes away from the sad sight.
They hadn’t yet reached the heart of the city, and already houses lay in piles of ashen rubble. Even sturdy, stone structures seemed to have been smashed by the foot of a giant.
But Gabriel felt as small as he ever had in his entire life.
He felt Lis’ hand grab his own and squeeze hard.
“It’s not your fault,” Lis said.
Gabriel couldn’t help but note the uncertainty in his sister’s voice as she tried to convince him.
Aero sat patiently across from Gabriel, also taking stock of the destruction. He hadn’t spoken the entire ride, and Gabriel started to wonder what was on his mind.
The carriage came to a halt, and the door opened up. A cool breeze blew down the empty streets and sent Lis clutching at her coat.
“This is the city?” Gabriel asked.
The driver nodded before climbing atop the carriage.
Gabriel looked at Lis and Aero in disbelief.
“This land used to be filled with houses and shops,” Gabriel gasped.
“Evine had a strong grip on your mind,” Aero reminded him.
Gabriel shook his head in disbelief. Evine and Uzier had controlled every action that Gabriel had committed, but they couldn’t shoulder the entire blame.
Gabriel had let his guard down, which allowed him and the other royals to be captured. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he’d returned to destroy the only home he’d known for over three hundred years.
Civilians of Imarnia were perched at the foot of the rubble, staring back at their king. Gabriel could see their distraught faces. It was almost as if the people had woken from a terrible nightmare to find themselves living in another.
As he continued to walk along the road, they glared at Gabriel as if he were a blight on the land.
“There he is!” called out an old man. “The monster that created all this destruction!”
Two small children ran behind their mother’s dress to hide.
Gabriel couldn’t believe his ears. Everything that he’d done to these poor people had been against his own will. He would never have done anything to hurt his own kingdom intentionally.
Gabriel walked down the narrow street while Aero and Lis followed behind. Everywhere he looked, the land was filled with destruction.
Although in the heart of the city, there were still several homes and buildings that seemed to be untouched. They were definitely the exception…
As he continued to walk toward the center of the city, more and more people gathered on either side of the road.
Gabriel didn’t know where to begin. He couldn’t give a speech and hope to erase the horrific memories he’d ingrained in his people’s minds.
But he had to start somewhere.
Gabriel stopped in the middle of the road and noticed that the number of civilians was growing. There were enough people gathered on the sides of the roads to make a small crowd.
“People of Imarnia,” he said. “I stand amongst you, a humbled king.”
“Traitor!”
Gabriel spun around, trying to identify the female voice who’d shouted. It was impossible to decipher—every face that stared at him had anger burning in their eyes.
“Please,” Gabriel pleaded. “I know that I’ve done something terrible to this kingdom…”
“What are you going to do?” an old man shouted. “Are you going to bring back the dead?”
“I didn’t destroy your homes,” he said. “My mind was under the control of Evine!”
The crowd began to get unruly.
Gabriel was practically spinning in place, trying to register the voices while he considered his response.
“We want Queen Lis!” a child called out. “She didn’t hurt us!”
Gabriel was practically spinning in place, trying to register the voices while he considered how to respond.
Aero stopped him with a firm hand to the chest.
“Nothing you say will appease them,” Aero said. “You have to show them you’re back to your old self.”
Gabriel looked at his sister. Lis’ face was red with embarrassment, and she refused to meet Gabriel’s eyes.
“What should I do, Lis?” he asked.
“You’re doing all you can,” she replied.
Gabriel took off for what remained of a nearby home. The family was working hard trying to clear boulders off of what was once a small barn.
The animals were nowhere to be seen, and the family struggled with the heavy load.
“Here, let me help you,” Gabriel said, rolling up his sleeves.
The children backed up as terror filled their eyes.
Gabriel reached out a hand, but it was quickly rebuffed with a solid smack from the father.
“We don’t need your help,” the father said. “Unless you think you can put us out of our misery.”
The children peeked out one last time from the rubble before Gabriel turned and walked away.
He arrived back at the carriage, broken and defeated. Gabriel tried to pull himself up into the carriage but unexpectedly stumbled.
The weight of all he’d seen was too much for him to bear.
Lis held out her hand, and Gabriel reluctantly accepted it.
“You’re not alone, brother. I’m here for you.”
With her help, he stepped up into the carriage.
Their time touring the city had come to an end.
And it was more than clear that the people were happy to see them leave…
Gabriel sat on his bed and stared out at his kingdom. Trees were bathed in red, yellow, and orange leaves, giving some color to the otherwise somber view.
Winter was approaching, and soon these beautiful trees would be bare and void of color.
Gabriel thought it suited his disposition quite well.
“There’s my man,” Lydia said.
She was standing in the doorway wearing a sheer nightgown and a fur coat. It looked incredibly silly to see the small, beautiful woman covered in such an overwhelming garment.
“Don’t laugh,” Lydia said as Gabriel chuckled. “It’s absolutely freezing!”
Gabriel stood and moved to his lover, wrapping her in his massive arms. He inhaled her scent and could smell hints of lilac and honey.
“If you think this is bad…” he replied. “You’re going to be solid ice come next month.”
He kissed Lydia and could feel the immediate warmth it sent through his body.
“How was your day?” she asked.
Gabriel turned away from his lover and stalked back toward the bed.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“That bad, huh?” Lydia asked.
Gabriel fell face-first into the sheets and wished that he could stay in their gentle embrace forever.
His dreamlike thoughts were quickly interrupted by Lydia’s full weight pressing against his back.
“Don’t be so down,” she pleaded. “The wounds are still fresh. But give it time, and I know they’ll start to heal.”
Gabriel turned over and sent Lydia tumbling to the sheets beside him.
“What if I can’t forgive myself?” he asked.
Lydia kissed his cheek and traced his abs with her finger.
“I know it’s hard to forget their trouble,” she said. “You’re their king. It’s your duty to worry.”
“And what am I supposed to do?”
“You need to listen to your people,” she said. “But in the meantime, I know something to help soothe your worries.”
Lydia climbed on top of Gabriel and straddled his hips. His body heat filled her own body with warmth and invigorated her with energy.
