Chapter 37

  Audrey

  The light blinded us as we stepped out of the pocket dimension, and a gasp escaped both of us as we looked around in awe. Thick snow blanketed the ground and crunched beneath our feet as we spun in a circle and admired the large spruce and pine trees surrounding us. I even spotted a few little animals dashing away at our sudden appearance.

  Then a shiver ran down my spine, and I hugged myself. “W-Where are we? I-It’s so cold!” I said, watching as my breath came out in visible clouds. The Kingdom of Venyth was on the southwestern part of the continent, so the temperature rarely dropped enough for snow.

  “If I had to venture a guess, I’d say we’re up north… Far up north,” Lydia said. As she spoke, I felt a wave of heat engulf me, and could sense a bubble of her magic surrounding us to stave off the cold. I moved closer to her, linking our arms together.

  “That feels much better, thank you,” I said with a smile.

  “I wouldn’t be a good partner if I left you shivering.” She replied, her eyes looking through the trees warily. “Now, as much as I love being stuck to you, we must keep our guard up. If we’re in the wilderness, mana beasts could be around.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve been using the shadows to keep an eye out, there’s nothing close by,” I said breezily, keeping our arms linked. Normal animals didn’t have any mana, so it was near impossible for me to sense them through my magic, but I was confident not even a bear would stand a chance against us.

  “How far can you sense?” The exasperated smile on her face was quite cute.

  “A bit over a mile around us.” I could sense a few weaker mana signatures, but they seemed to be actively running away, so it wasn’t worth mentioning.

  “That should be fine… You win, I guess.” She said, her hand coming up to rest on mine. “Can you sense a town or anything?”

  “No. But we’re definitely on a mountain. The land slopes down that direction.” I said, pointing behind us, and she pursed her lips in thought. After talking about our options for a few minutes, we started through the forest. The plan was to find a good vantage point to see if we could find any settlements nearby, so we aimed up the mountain instead of down. A task that the slick snow beneath us made pretty difficult.

  Luckily, neither of us actually fell down. The only incident was a rogue bush that had snagged Lydia’s torn uniform. While I had healed her wounds, her clothing was an entirely different matter. I heard her mutter under her breath, and when pulling the fabric did nothing to untangle her, she simply burned away what remained of the torn section, leaving her entire midriff exposed.

  Considering the situation, it was an inappropriate thought, but I just couldn’t help the way my eyes lingered on her. Maybe it was a combination of gratitude that she was right in front of me and alive, and her disheveled state against the pure white background. The allure that Lydia usually had felt intensified and my stomach fluttered as she swiftly climbed up a rock cropping before turning around and offering me her hand.

  “Audrey? Why are you grinning like that?” Her question snapped me out of my thoughts as she pulled me up.

  “I was just thinking that style suits you.” I did my best to fix my expression, but she really did look incredible.

  She covered her stomach with a hand, and her face flushed slightly, which was only more destructive to my heart. “You’ve seen much more of me… I don’t see what’s so special.”

  “The fact that it’s you makes it special,” I said before pausing and tilting my head. “Plus we haven’t seen each other in a month.”

  “Fair enough.” The small smile that graced her lips soothed my heart. I could tell she’d been trying to mask the grief she was no doubt feeling. My own chest was still tight with pain, but if I could make Lydia feel even a little better then I didn’t care what I had to say. And it’s not like I’m lying, anyway.

  As we talked, the slope steadily got steeper, and the trees became sparse until we found ourselves at the base of a massive cliff. It had to be dozens of feet to the top, and jagged rocks protruded from the front towards us. My girlfriend stepped up to the cliff, her hands pulling on the rocks to test their stability.

  “Seems like we might have to climb. I don’t think I could launch myself high enough with my magic, and there doesn’t seem to be a way around.” She said. I wasn’t even sure if I could make the jump with my own magic, especially carrying Lydia. Not that she’s heavy or anything. Even if she were, I’d never say it out loud. My goddess laughed at the thought, which was the first time I’d heard her since leaving the pocket dimension.

  “You’ve been unusually quiet. Is something wrong?” I asked, worried, but I just felt her shake her head.

  “Nothing at all. I just figured the two of you would like some time alone.” Aurora said. “As for climbing… Don’t you remember what I told you before about your shadows?” As I thought back, I clapped my hands together. I totally forgot!

  “Audrey? Is your goddess objecting?” Lydia asked, with a raised brow.

  “No, but climbing sounds like a lot of work,” I replied, sidling up beside her and wrapping my arm around her waist.

  “And what exactly are you doing?” she asked as I bent down and quickly lifted her into a princess carry. Her arms naturally wrapped around my neck despite the slight embarrassment on her face. She is actually a princess, after all.

  “You mean beside sweeping you off your feet?” I asked teasingly, and she laughed. “Since you’re a divine guardian now, we can do this!” As I finished, we sank into the shadows at our feet, and I heard Lydia gasp as she looked around at the endless black and purple void around us.

  “So this is what it looks like in the shadows… I can understand why you like it here. It feels comforting to me as well.” There were countless openings in the air around us, all correlating to the various shadows on the surface. They showed glimpses of the surroundings on the outside, and I floated slowly through the void until I found the exit we wanted.

  We appeared at the base of a single tree atop the cliff, and I gently lowered Lydia’s feet to the ground. My arm stayed wrapped around her waist and she leaned against me as we admired the view.

  “Incredible…” She breathed out. It was still afternoon, so the sun was high in the sky as we looked over the terrain. Sunlight sparkled off the snow-covered mountain as it slowly dipped down until the ground flattened into sprawling hills. The spruce and pine trees continued into the horizon like an endless forest, and the snow adorning their branches thinned the further it went until only a deep green covered the land. We moved to sit on the cliff's edge, and Lydia rested her head on my shoulder as we sat silently. We were still looking for any sign of people, but the beautiful moment that settled over us was a nice bonus. After seeing the worst of people, it was a stark reminder that there was still peace to be found.

  “Three years…” my girlfriend murmured from my shoulder. “It doesn’t feel real. Has it truly been that long?” She paused and bit her lip, her body trembling slightly despite the warm aura from her magic. “Mother and Father are gone, and I don’t even know if my brothers are alive… Not to mention Leah, Lucia, or Simon…” She trailed off, and I felt her hand grip my shirt. Knowing she needed to voice these feelings to work through them, I stayed quiet.

  “Audrey. Do they think we’re dead? What if they think we abandoned them? Even if we do find them… Will they be happy to see us?” Fear laced her voice. It was a fear I was all too familiar with. She fell silent, and I pulled her tighter against me in comfort.

  “I wish I could say with certainty what you want to hear, Lydia. But I can’t.” I started. Her hand rested on my lap, and I took it in mine. “Even if the world looks the same from up here, three years is a long time, and many things could have happened.” Terror filled me as I continued. “I’m scared as well… I’ve left Sasha alone again. I broke all my promises, and I don’t know if she’ll forgive me this time.” I said quietly. “And while I could never regret saving you, I may have cost thousands of others their lives when I left the frontline. Abel… Lucia… Hailey… Anthony and his squad… They could all be dead, and it would be my fault.”

  I remembered my conversation with Hailey in that guardhouse, and I laughed bitterly when I realized that I had indeed made the same choice she had. “I couldn’t save Auntie and Uncle on top of everything else… Some hero I turned out to be.”

  ***

  Lydia

  I stared up at Audrey as she spoke, the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes dried as I listened to my girlfriend rip herself apart. My own worries were blown away in the face of hers.

  “I couldn’t save Auntie and Uncle on top of everything else… Some hero I turned out to be.” The bitter remorse was palpable in the air, and I reached up to caress her cheek. Audrey closed her eyes for a moment, and when they opened again I saw an emotion I’d never seen in her blue eyes.

  “I hate them, Lydia.” She whispered, her free hand balling into a fist and trembling. “My Father… The Emperor… Everyone who allowed the war to get this far and destroy our lives.” In the time I’ve known this girl, not once have I ever heard her murmur a single word against someone else, not even for those who abused and tormented her.

  “Audrey…” I didn’t know what to say, and I saw the sadness on her face as our eyes met.

  “Do you… Think less of me because of these feelings?” She asked, clearly scared of my answer, but a giggle escaped me despite the topic. What an absurd thing to worry about.

  “Of course not. Audrey Rose, my very soul yearns for you.” I sat up, and pressed my forehead to hers. “If anything, I’m relieved to know you’re just as human as the rest of us… And you are not alone in that feeling, I hate them—No, I loathe them just as much as I love you. They took my parents and my kingdom… Maybe even what remains of my family.” I paused before finishing my thoughts, but decided Audrey knew the kind of person I was.

  “I won’t move on until I see them on their knees.” The desire for revenge burned hot inside me, and I wasn’t sure if even Audrey could douse the flames. Silence filled the air as she fell into thought, and a full minute ticked by before she spoke.

  “Alright.”

  Her answer was short, and I looked up at her with surprise. My girlfriend smiled down at me, but her eyes reflected my emotions.

  “Why are you so surprised?” She asked with a quiet laugh.

  “I just thought you wouldn’t condone revenge. Especially because…” I trailed off as Audrey just looked back out over the vista.

  “If you’re worried about my father—No, Duke Rose. Don’t be.” She extended a hand towards the sky, blocking the sunlight from her eyes. “That man was never a part of my family, and has long over-indulged the honor of me calling him such. For the longest time, I felt my connection to him was one of the last ties I had to my mother. That our shared blood was what bound Sasha and me as sisters… But I understand now that’s not the case.” Her hand came back down, and wrapped around the silver pendant I knew hid beneath her uniform.

  Slowly, she stood up, and extended her hand to me. “Sasha and I will always be sisters, and the royal family will always be my family.” She pulled me up and into a warm hug. “And you will always be my home, Lydia. I know we can do anything as long as we’re together.”

  As we pulled apart, my breath was stolen by the figure Audrey struck. The wind blew through her red hair, and her face was determined. Even the dirty armor she wore only added to the image as I lost all thought. The girl before me wasn’t the sickly girl I found on the road, or the kindhearted and naive student I’d fallen in love with at the academy. The person I saw now was the true Audrey Rose, who was entirely at peace with every aspect of herself.

  “Even if it’s for revenge, I will always support you and carry half the burden so that it won’t consume you.” She said, her smile outshining the sun overhead.

  In that moment, standing alone on that mountain, I knew that I’d never be able to love anybody else. Audrey held every part of my mind, body, and soul.

  And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

  ***

  Audrey

  “Ah! There’s some smoke over there!” Lydia said excitedly, pointing into the distance. After talking through everything, the two of us settled on the cliff again, scanning the area for anything to indicate human presence while slowly eating some of the rations I had left in my pocket dimension. It took a while, but my beautiful girlfriend spotted something.

  Narrowing my eyes, I looked in the direction she pointed, and… Couldn’t find it. Even when Lydia stepped behind and lined her arm up for me, I still missed it until I pushed stella into my eyes to improve my vision, flinching slightly as everything got really bright before my eyes adjusted. A few thin trails of smoke were rising in the distance, and I just turned to Lydia.

  “Are you using stella to see that far?” I asked, but she shook her head, confused.

  “No? What are you talking about?”

  I opened my mouth to explain, but then I decided to save it for later. The sun was sinking toward the horizon, so it was probably best for us to find a bed first. Stepping away from the cliff’s edge, I held my arms out with a playful smile.

  “Well, shall we go, my lady?” I asked, but Lydia only narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

  “Do you have to carry me like that every time?” I hesitated for a moment and directed the question to Aurora.

  “You just need to take her in, she should be able to move on her own after that. "My goddess said, but I didn’t like that answer, so I ignored it.

  “Of course I need to carry you,” I reassured my girlfriend, who didn’t seem to believe me for some reason. After a tense stare off, she let out a sigh and moved closer, letting me pick her up. A moment later, we were flying through the shadows in the direction we saw the smoke.

  “Seriously… I think you just like holding me.” She muttered, and I beamed down at her.

  “Is that a problem?”

  “So you don’t need to hold me?!” she asked, pulling at my cheeks. We stopped moving for a moment while I begged for forgiveness.

  “I’m Sworry! Pwease sphare the phace!” When she finally let me go, I rubbed at my cheeks, trying to soothe the pain from her attack. Lydia crossed her arms angrily, before realizing she was floating in place even without me holding her. She looked at me, and I smiled sheepishly as she slowly righted herself. I mean, there’s no sense of direction or gravity here…

  “... You’ve lost touching privileges.” She said.

  “Ah! But—!” I reached out for her, but she cut me off as she floated away.

  “It’s punishment for lying, I won’t hear any objections.” Grumbling, I followed behind her as we approached the smoke again.

  “You brought this on yourself, my guardian,” Aurora said with humor in her voice.

  “Yeah, Yeah. Forgive me for wanting to pamper my girlfriend.”

  Lydia and I bickered the rest of the way, with me pretending not to hear any snide comments coming from my goddess. When we arrived, we decided to appear a little ways away from what looked to be a small village so we didn’t startle anyone.

  “It’s best that we keep our divinity secret for now. We don’t know the state of the continent, so it could be dangerous to reveal ourselves as divine guardians.” Lydia said, and I nodded in agreement. If the kingdom really had fallen, there wouldn’t have been much resistance to the imperial conquest. The last thing we wanted was to be discovered by the emperor while we were still getting our bearings.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Lydia’s hand landed on my shoulder, and I looked at her excitedly. But before I could ask if the punishment was over, she gave me a devilish grin.

  “I said you couldn’t touch me, not the other way around. Besides, this is so that we can leave the shadows.” I deflated at her words.

  “That’s so mean!” Despite my complaints, I still pushed us from the shadows, making us appear in the forest out of sight from the edge of the village. The settlement was surrounded by a sturdy wall made from thick logs.

  “What’s the plan?” I asked.

  “It should be simple enough to claim we’re adventurers… We’ll see if they believe us.” She said. The sun was only just beginning to set, so there was still plenty of light as we walked around the village, looking for the main road in. Along the way, we noticed a large section of the wall had been destroyed, and Lydia and I exchanged a worried glance.

  Once we found the path, we followed it up to the main gate, where a single guard raised his spear at us. The young man couldn’t have been much older than we were, and his arms trembled as he glared at us.

  “Who are you?!” He demanded. It was apparent he had no real combat experience, but Lydia and I raised our hands placatingly. Both our swords were sheathed at our hips, and the guard eyed the weapons warily. “If you’re bandits, please just leave. We have nothing left to take!”

  “We’re adventurers, sir,” Lydia said with a charming smile. “Do we look like bandits to you?” The young man hesitated for a moment before his eyes narrowed at us.

  “That’s exactly what bandits would say! Let me guess, you two beautiful young women ‘just need some help’?” The tip of his spear inched closer.

  “Well, yes, actually,” Lydia said, her smile unaffected by the sarcasm in his voice. “We got a bit lost while on a quest for the guild, and had hoped to find a warm place to sleep tonight.” My girlfriend was putting her social skills to excellent use, but her opponent was unaffected. They went back and forth for a few minutes before the guard seemed to buy our story.

  “Even if that is the truth, we barely have enough to go around as is. I’m afraid we don’t have anything—”

  “Enough of that, Rick. Let the poor girls in.” Suddenly, an elderly lady hobbled through the gate. Her long gray hair was thickly braided down her back, and her skin was tan and wrinkled from countless days in the sun. She used a weathered stick as a cane as she stepped between us and the guard.

  “But, Elder—!” The guard, Rick, objected, but the old lady just raised a hand to silence him.

  “We know what real bandits look like, and these girls are not it.”

  Begrudgingly, Rick lifted his spear, pointing the tip away from us. The old lady then turned to us with a smile. “I apologize for the welcome. Our village has been facing hardship the last few weeks, so everyone is a little on edge.” She explained. “My name is Salma, and I am the head of this village.” As she introduced herself, her head bowed slightly, and both Lydia and I waved our hands in a panic.

  “Please, there’s no need to be so formal, Elder,” Lydia said, using the same term of respect the guard had. “My name is Lydia, and this is my partner Audrey.”

  I smiled and nodded at the two villagers. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.”

  “You girls are quite well-mannered. Did I hear you say you are adventurers from the guild?” Elder Salma asked, hope in her voice. “Did you perhaps come here in response to our request?”

  Lydia and I looked at each other before slowly shaking our heads. “I apologize, but we were actually in the area for a different reason.”

  “Ah, I see.” The disappointment was evident in her voice, but she still gestured for us to follow her inside the walls. “Well, I’d be happy to put you up for the night… But it would probably be best if you left first thing in the morning.” As we walked through the village, I couldn’t help but notice how empty it felt—the few people we did see all glared at us with distrust.

  “If I may, can I ask what the trouble is?” Lydia asked. “We may not look it, but both of us are capable mages, we’d be happy to help, even without a request from the guild.” I was happy she asked, since I was going to.

  Elder Salma hesitated for a moment before shaking her head slowly. “Please don’t worry about it. You girls don't need to get involved in our village's problems.” After that, she shut down any more conversation about it until she led us to a log cabin that was a little bigger than the surrounding houses. “This is my home, though I’m afraid I only have the one spare room.”

  The interior was simply furnished. Four wooden chairs sat around a square table, and a bench with cute cushions sat in front of the smoldering hearth. A pelt rug laid across the floor, and a large rack of antlers hung on the wall above the fireplace.

  “It’s a cozy home; thank you for your hospitality. One room is more than enough for us,” Lydia said with a smile, and Elder Salma nodded her head before showing us to the bedroom. The room had a bed with a straw mattress and a thick quilt blanket, along with a small dresser with a half-burnt candle on top.

  “It isn’t much, but it will keep you warm for the night.” She paused before looking at both of us up and down. We were still covered in grime from head to toe, and while my uniform was still mostly intact, it was still torn in various places. Not to mention Lydia’s lack of clothing around her mid-section. “There’s a bathing area down the hall, and a well out back for the water. Please feel free to clean up, and I’ll find you some clean clothes to wear in the meantime.” We both thanked her, then watched as she hobbled back down the hall.

  “I’m so looking forward to being clean,” I said as we walked the opposite direction. We found a small room right next to the back door, and we stepped inside to find a medium-sized tub that looked like a large barrel.

  “That’s surprising,” Lydia said. “I was just expecting a wet area with some wash cloths.”

  I was already reaching for the buttons on my uniform, excited by the prospect of soaking in a warm bath for the first time in weeks. “Who cares? Let’s get it filled!” my girlfriend nodded in agreement at first, but I was so excited that I didn’t notice how her face flushed as I stripped to my underwear.

  “I bet the water from the well is freezing…” I mumbled, bringing a hand to my chin, before clapping with an idea. Holding my hand out, I used my magic to fill the tub quickly with water. However, I wasn’t able to control the temperature much, so I turned to Lydia… Only to find my girlfriend still dressed, her face turned away from me.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, confused.

  “A-Are we getting in together?” She asked back.

  “Why wouldn’t we?”

  Silence fell over the small room, and I heard my goddess sigh in exasperation. “My guardian… Look at yourself.” I did as I was told, but I didn’t understand the problem. Sure, my black underwear wasn’t very cute, but it would come off for the bath anyway. But the longer I thought about it, the more I realized the situation.

  Wait… Lydia and I? In the bath… Naked? Together?

  “There it is…” Aurora mumbled before I felt her close our bond as much as she could. My body warmed up, but I tried to play off my sudden nervousness.

  “W-Why are you being so weird about it, Lydia? We’ve already done… it.” Mentioning the night we spent together just seemed to fluster her more.

  “Maybe so! But you left for the front immediately after! Being casually naked together is…” She paused and bit her lip, her eyes finally meeting mine before they wandered down my body, which only warmed me further. “No, nevermind. It’s just something we need to get used to!” With that, she quickly undressed, pulling off her tattered uniform. My eyes refused to leave her as more of her pale skin was exposed, until she also stood in a set of white underwear.

  “Audrey… You’re staring…” She said quietly, her arms covering her chest, which only accentuated her cleavage more.

  “I am.” I was too mesmerized to say anything else. My blunt response caused her cheeks to flame more, and she turned around hurriedly. Her beautiful golden hair fell to her lower back in waves, and my eyes drifted even lower. On the frontline, I’d just roll my eyes and laugh with the rest of the women whenever the men started arguing over their preferences. I hadn’t understood then, and I still didn’t now. Back or front… It doesn’t matter as long as it’s Lydia.

  A moment later, I watched as Lydia reached around and unhooked the back of her bra. The fabric hung loosely from the shoulder straps until she slowly shrugged it off and let it fall to the floor. She glanced over her shoulder, a shy smile playing on her lips as our eyes met again. After a few moments, she broke eye contact and looked at the floor instead. Her slender fingers hooked through the waistband of her panties before she bent over slightly to pull them down and stepped out of them.

  She gathered her discarded clothes, putting them on a nearby shelf before she slowly turned to face me. I swallowed unconsciously as her body came into full view, the fading light streaming in from the frosted window only adding to her beauty as it washed over her. Golden hair flowed down the front of her body, just barely hiding her breasts. I saw her arms twitch like she resisted covering herself, but the smile on those red lips and glimmer in those emerald eyes invited me to look more.

  “It’s not fair for only you to admire,” Lydia said, her teasing voice trembled slightly with embarrassment as she gestured for me to take the last of my own clothes off. Heat coiled in my core, but I did my best to ignore it as I abided her request.

  ***

  Lydia

  I watched as Audrey slowly removed her underwear. It was only fair since her gaze had set my whole body aflame just a few seconds ago. While we had spent that incredible night together before her departure to the frontlines, both of us had been so desperate and wanting of each other to really stop and see one another. Plus I had dimmed the lights from embarrassment, which didn’t help… I wish to return to that moment and burn myself for missing out on this sooner.

  Audrey had finished removing the black underwear, and stood before me completely bare. Unlike me, who had intentionally pushed some hair to the front to at least cover a little, Audrey let my eyes wander her form unobstructed. We stood just an arm’s length away from each other, completely vulnerable for the first time.

  I knew now wasn’t the time since we were guests in a stranger's house, but the desire to touch her overwhelmed me. Ah… Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I resisted the urge with everything I had, because I knew neither one of us would be able to stop, and I could tell by the look growing in Audrey’s blue eyes that she was fighting the same thoughts. Not seeing her for a month, and the hole in my heart from losing all I knew made me want to cling onto my girlfriend desperately. I wanted to claim every inch of her so that she would never leave my side ever again.

  I felt my resolve slipping as I stepped closer to Audrey, a dark possessiveness washing over me at the expectation in her gaze. Yet, as I reached for her, she side-stepped me with a sheepish grin, and I only felt her red hair slip through my fingers.

  “We should really hold back…” She said, breaking the unbearable tension and moving behind me. She pushed me toward a wooden stool to sit down and I felt her softness press against my back as she leaned forward to grab a nearby bucket. Water appeared in it, and she held it in front of me with a smile. “Warm this up, and I’ll wash your back. Then you can do mine, alright?” I knew she was right, but even as I warmed the water with my magic, and Audrey started to scrub away the dirt on my body, I could still feel the tension boiling just under the surface.

  Her every touch sent shivers through me, and every second was agony as I fought the urge to pin her down and make her scream my name forcefully. Eventually, she finished scrubbing my back and handed me the cloth before taking a seat on the stool beside me. As I cleaned the rest of my body on my own, she followed suit, using a different cloth to clean most of herself. I cast furtive glances her way, admiring every part of her while we fell into a tense silence that was only broken when we occasionally refilled the buckets of water.

  A while later, Audrey spoke after both of us had rid ourselves of most of the dirt. “Now, if my lovely girlfriend wouldn’t mind doing my back for me? Then we can finally get in the tub!” She said excitedly, and a laugh escaped me at her enthusiasm.

  “As you wish, my lady.” I kneeled behind her, pausing only a moment to appreciate how her wet, scarlet hair stuck to her curves, and the water droplets running down her bare skin. As I started to wash the remaining grime from her body, my thoughts began to wander again. I shook my head violently to clear my clouding judgment, but after Audrey was clean, we realized there was only one way for both of us to fit in the tub.

  The water Audrey had put in earlier was a bit colder than room temperature, but that was easily solved with a wave of my hand. Then, I climbed into the tub, and Audrey carefully followed, sitting between my legs as I leaned against the wood. My hands naturally landed on her hips, and I couldn’t stop myself from pulling her body against mine in the warm water. She let out a cute squeak, but voiced no complaints as I wrapped my arms around her stomach. Audrey was usually taller than me, but I could rest my head comfortably on her shoulder right now.

  For a few minutes, we just relaxed comfortably together for the first time in weeks, but then I could no longer hold myself back. A soft gasp escaped Audrey as my hands began to roam her body slowly. First I traced the curve of her hips before my fingers slid up to outline the underside of her breasts. I leaned forward and bit her earlobe gently as her hands landed on my thighs, gripping me tightly as she pushed herself backward against me.

  “Lydia… Wait…” She said weakly, and it only served to stoke the flames of my desire hotter. The feel of her body was intoxicating, and I wanted to forget everything except my love for her. My hands grew more bold in their exploration, and as Audrey turned to face me I captured her lips with my own, pushing her objections back down with my tongue.

  Her resistance crumbled for a moment as we kissed passionately, but then she suddenly stiffened and pushed me away, panting heavily. “I said wait!”

  Disappointment washed over me as I stared up at her, but that was quickly replaced with panic as I watched her climb out of the tub and turn away from me while grabbing a towel from a nearby shelf.

  “Audrey, I—” I began but the words died as I realized I had disregarded her feelings and forced myself on her. “I-I’m so sorry…” I watched as she tied the towel around herself, then took a few deep breaths before turning back to face me with a concerned look.

  “I’m not mad, Lydia. I’m worried.” She came back to the tub, kneeling on the ground with her arms on the rim. Audrey’s hand cupped my cheek as she looked pleadingly into my eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, Lydia. I’m right here.”

  A sharp pain ran through my chest as my girlfriend’s words stabbed directly at my dark thoughts, and a bitter smile formed on my lips. “You just see right through me, huh?”

  But Audrey shook her head with a frown. “Of course not, but I know you well enough by now that I could feel something was off.” She took my hand in hers, squeezing tightly. “I still need you to be honest and tell me what’s wrong, otherwise I can’t help.”

  Her sincerity left me speechless, and I was once again reminded of just how beautiful a person Audrey was. “Can I have some time to organize my thoughts?” The request slipped out before I could stop it, because deep down I knew that I needed to face these feelings.

  “Of course. I’ll always wait for you.” Audrey leaned down, her red hair framing her face as she kissed me. It was different than the rough embrace we had shared just moments ago, and I could feel her overflowing emotion for me in the way she softly moved her mouth against mine before pulling away with a cute smirk. “And just so you don’t misunderstand, I only stopped you because I could tell something was bothering you. Not because I didn’t like it.”

  She winked at me as she left the room, calling over her shoulder. “I’ll go see if we have clean clothes to wear. Just relax and take your time, my Lydia.”

  The sweetness in her voice made my heart flutter in a way that warred with the guilt I felt for my actions, but I still returned her smile.

  “Thank you, my Audrey.”

  When the door closed behind her, I let out a long breath before submerging myself completely in the warm bath.

  ***

  Audrey

  “That was close…” I said to Aurora as I shut the bathing room door behind me. I held the towel tight around my pounding chest, taking a moment to center myself before moving down the hall to the spare bedroom.

  “You’re telling me.” She muttered, and I realized she had probably caught some of what happened despite stifling our connection. “You two would’ve made quite the first impression… Judging from last time, I’m sure the whole village would’ve heard.”

  Embarrassment raged through me as I stepped inside the simple bedroom, letting the door close behind me. “You promised you wouldn’t talk about that!” I held my burning face in my hands. “But now I could put up barriers to soundproof so that wouldn’t be a problem!”

  “Are you confident you could maintain them when she has her fingers—”

  “Alright! I get it! I’ll be more mindful! Can we please drop the subject?!” Despite laughter in my head and the mental damage my goddess was currently inflicting on me, I walked over to the bed and found two simple apron dresses laid on the quilt. It didn’t compare to the dresses I had worn at the castle, but the fabric was surprisingly comfortable. And I’m grateful to just have something clean to wear.

  After changing, I sat on the edge of the bed, finally settling the heat Lydia had stirred up in me during the bath. As I waited for my girlfriend to join me, I thought back to that moment. When Lydia had kissed me so forcefully, I had suddenly been filled with overwhelming fear and a desperate desire to claim her. The sensation had been so intense that I hadn’t been able to think straight for a minute, but when I finally cleared my thoughts, I realized those emotions hadn’t been mine.

  “How did that happen?” I asked Aurora. I was grateful that it made me aware of just how much Lydia might be feeling, but I didn’t know how or why I had suddenly tapped into them.

  “Remember when I told you that the Divine Guardians of night and day are intertwined?” I nodded at her question. “Well, it manifests itself differently for every pair… Our last Guardians were siblings, so while there was no romantic love, they had a deep respect for one another, allowing them to fight in perfect sync while in combat.”

  “I see… So it’s possible that I could feel her emotions due to our divinity.” It made sense to me, but even if we were lovers and deeply connected, having access to the other’s deepest emotions isn’t always good.

  “I suspect that Lydia was crying for help deep in her heart, which was why they came through so strong this time. The two of you should be able to prevent it from happening at will once you understand how.” That was relief to hear. The thought of Lydia sensing all my thoughts about her was absolutely mortifying.

  All that remained was waiting for Lydia to open up, and I had no doubt she would soon. A while later, my girlfriend returned to the room and dressed quickly before joining me on the bed. We sat quietly as she shifted anxiously.

  “So, I’ve been struggling—” As soon as she started, a loud bell began to chime through the village, and a moment later, Elder Salma knocked loudly on our door.

  We quickly opened it and found the village head with a panicked expression. “I need you girls to promise me you won’t leave this room, understand?” She ordered more than she asked. It seemed like whatever was going on was serious, and Lydia and I exchanged a glance before we agreed to her request. Elder Salma nodded gratefully before moving as quickly as she could down the hall and out of the house.

  “Audrey?” Lydia asked.

  “Already on it,” I responded. I followed the Elder with my senses through the shadows until she arrived at the destroyed section of the wall. A small group of villagers, all young men, including Rick the guard, trembled with weapons in hand as a large group of rough-looking men rode towards them on horseback from the forest.

  The group leader laughed loudly and gave the young men a dismissive glance before addressing Elder Salma. “It’s time for your weekly offering. You know the drill by now, though I’m sure you don’t have many left.” The man narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Bring us the remaining women of this village, or the rest of you die slowly.”

  Keeping an eye on the situation, I returned my focus to Lydia who was waiting for me to explain. “Seems like bandits have been extorting the village for their women…” I said with disgust. “We need to help them.”

  Lydia nodded and pondered for a moment before a mischievous grin spread across her face. “Then we can talk later. For now… Let’s go get ourselves captured by some bandits.”