The princess often thought about what it would be like if the rebellion never happened. What she would be doing, what Xaden would be doing. Surely they'd still live at Alithia, but what occupation would they have. Would they still even be alive? What if the venin took them out before the war?

She stared out the window from her spot on the bed. Picking at her nails, with the pads of her socked feet on her mattress. Her body was slouched uncomfortably, as her chin almost touched her neck.

Izo would still be alive. Mother would still be alive. Father would still be alive. She'd more than likely be married, maybe even with a child on the way. Xaden's child. And married to him. She wondered what she would wear to the wedding. The alithian house colors? Or Xaden's?

What would their child's name be? Would she have a boy or a girl? Would her parents step down so Xaden and her could move up?

A book slipped from the shelf- no, Xaden was in her bedroom and had dropped the book to get her attention. "How do you always get in here?" She asked, sitting up while crossing her legs. "Wards."

"Where's Morghan?" Vyshena asked as he walked toward her. "With the group. She's fine." Vyshena nodded and mumbled an okay when Xaden leaned down, held Vyshena's chin with his fingers and kissed her lips. It was so natural, so welcoming. It was as if they never stopped kissing.

Xaden leaned down further, tugging her hips so she could lay on her back. She wondered what he was doing, felt like arguing and pushing him away. But when his lips touched her neck and her toes tingled when his cold fingers traced along the side of her nightgown, she wanted to remain under him forever.

He kissed sloppy at her neck, drawing them out, dragging his tongue from her collarbone to her ear. She took a deep breath and her chest touched his. "Lets finish the ritual?" He asked between kisses, and Vyshena's eyes shot open. "No." Her voice was quiet, and she shifted her hips under him.

"Why not?" He asked, laying his body weight on hers and holding his head up with his hand. "Because, I don't want to." He groaned and dropped his head to her chest. "I have just let you in, Xaden." He lifted his head again and pecked her lips, "I know, and I'm grateful. Just wondering what happens when word gets out and people realize Alithia still stands and there is in fact still a queen." He mentioned something he never has before, the truth.

She wrapped her legs around his hips while he laid on the pillows, her straddling him. She sat up on her knees, and Xaden felt the fabric move past his fingers until it was around her hips, and she sat back down. "That's absurd. I'm not a queen." He sat up, using his elbow to hold his body. "Yes, you are. And if we complete the ritual, than that means you are half owner of Aretia. We'd be fulfilling our parents wishes." Another peck to her lips, than her jaw, and her chest.

"I understand, but it's already mine." Vyshena roped her fingers through the hair on the back of his head and he looked at her. Pressing his forehead to hers. His left hand squeezed her thigh while her frown smiled. "Avy jorrāelan." He whispered, pulling away with a sheepish smile on his lips.

Vyshena hummed, "yeah, you do." And kissed him. Xaden laid on his back, his left hand on her thigh and right on her jaw. The kiss was sloppy, lazy and lustful. Vyshena always appreciated how well Xaden knew her, understood her, even.

"Can I try something?" She asked, and he rose his brows, humming under his breath. Immediately he became overwhelmed, his mouth fell open in a gasp and his fingers gripped Vyshena's hips tight, pressing her hips into his without thinking about it.

"What is that?" His voice shook and eyes erratic, "Morghan's gift." Vyshena answered, pecking his lips that tingled each exchange. His abs that flexed under his shirt when she kissed his neck. The way all his blood rushed to his dick when she used his hip to push herself back.

"Oh," Vyshena felt the gift coursing through her, but from the extent she was projecting onto him, hers wasn't as intense. Xaden was quick with his belt, unzipping his pants while pushing them down his legs. Vyshena ducked her head when be threw them across the room and noticed how he rocked his hips when situation himself.

Vyshena smiled as she sat between his thighs, her own were crossed and pressed to her chest. Her arm wrapped around her knees. She used her other one to draw circles on the inside of his thigh. His tongue licked his lips before he pulled them into his mouth.

"You're gonna kill me." He groaned, "shh, be quiet." She joked while the left side of his lip tugged into a smile. He cursed in alithian when she walked her fingers up and down the middle of his torso. He looked at them, then at Vyshena whose pupils were shot and her blinks turned slow.

"I came in here to do this to you. Not for it to be the other way around." Xaden said, lifting his knees that came a few inches taller than the princess position. "You're no fun." She pouted while Xaden took in a quick breath after he was brought back to reality. His hand fisted her sheets while she tilted her head to the side.

Raising her arms she wrapped her hair around her fist to tie it back. Xaden sat up quickly, "leave your hair down." He told her, grabbing her hands while he pecked her lips and brushed his fingers through her long hair.

She missed this. She truly missed this and she couldn't remember why she ever stopped in the first place. Looking up at him through her lashes, past the scar that matched his. She saw through the shield that is constantly up, even when he is asleep and it taught her everything she needed to learn about him the years they were separated.

She sat up on her knees, holding her hands to the sides of his face while kissing him. He laid back, holding her close while pulling the nightgown up past her hips, squeezing her ass before he rose his hips. "I can't wait until we're back home." He sighed, fisting her nightgown before flipping them and digging his hips into hers. "Why's that?" She asked, her eyes rolling when he kissed between her chest.

"Because, we'll be back home. Alone. No restrictions. Morghan won't have to have constant supervision." He said, his fingers on the inside of her thigh before he found her in a kiss when he pushed his middle finger inside of her. She gasped gently, chest heaving while he licked her lips. Leaning forward, her head was tucked between his head and shoulder, while his finger worked slowly.

"That still the spot?" He asked gently, and she hummed. Her bottom lip tucked between her teeth. "Your room is warded, princess. No one can hear you." Xaden pushed another finger in, and Vyshena moaned gently. He turned his head, meeting her in a kiss where her moans vibrated against his lips and he smiled.

Xaden had this little trick, something he figured out one night and every time he has the opportunity to do it, he does. "No, Xaden-" Vyshena pushed at his arms as he laid between her thighs. "Chill," he chuckled while she stared at him.

He kissed her inner thighs, rolling his fingers inside of her while she held her breath. Her abs clenched under her nightgown when she felt his warm mouth on her, and she completely melted.

"Fuck," crying out. "I need you to fuck me," it came out quickly in Alithian, and Xaden was pushing down his underwear, lining himself up, and pulling her into another kiss as he sunk himself inside. "Fuck," he sighed while his head dropped to her shoulder.

Vyshena's toes were numb as Xaden twitched inside of her, begging for movement. She lazily kissed the side of his mouth, and he grabbed her hip before slowly pulling out and inching himself back in. "you're never going to take this away from me again." He breathed, holding her chin while she whined. Xaden knew what she wanted, so he leaned down and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

They were on their sides, lips molded together and Vyshena a whining mess from Xaden's steady pace. It was excruciating, how he was there every time his hips thrusted inwards yet immediately gone when he pulled out. Vyshena pulled him tighter to her, and he dug his foot in the mattress for balance before pressing his forehead to hers.

He pulled out slowly, but pushed himself so deep, with such a quick pace he rolled onto his back and held behind her thighs, keeping her completely still as he used her to the breaking point.

10 days until graduation. Until, hopefully, she can go home and see her children. She could see her home, Liam can visit Eon and Fyda will have time with their mother before she's due back at the school.

She stared at herself in the tailored dress pants and jacket that doubled as a corset. It hugged her body in all the right places, yet she couldn't help but want to crawl out of her skin.

She stayed with Liam or Garrick during the night. Most of her friends disappeared quickly. "Vyshena." Her eyes shot to Liam whose were wide. "King Tauri." Vyshena answered as she turned on her heels. "You never were one for gowns."

Vyshena hummed. "Well, gowns make it more challenging to kill. And I'm constantly hunted." She felt Liam's fingers dance at her wrist and she went quiet. The king only hummed. "And where might your betrothed be?" He asked, knowing it was called off a couple months after the rebellion.

"I'm not sure. It's a hard day for all of us, you could imagine." The King slowly nodded, glancing to his feet. "Any sign of that dragon of yours?" He asked, and Liam's eyes went wide again. "Rio? In the Vale?" She knew who he was referring to.

"Fyda, is it? Nasty little thing." A chuckle fell past his lips while Vyshena stared at him. "No, I'm not sure where she ended up. I wasn't going to sacrifice her life for a cause we didn't believe in." Liam stood up taller and looked at Vyshena as General Melgren and Violet's mother joined.

"Cadet Lenayon." General Sorrengail gave her a half smile, while the princess remained stone-faced. "Good evening." She responded politely, looking at Melgren. "You are an interesting little thing." The General spoke, "I'm sorry?" Vyshena wanted to chuckle. "You. You're a ghost." He replied.

"I do not follow." Vyshena explained, "no history, no proof of life, no childhood bedroom." Melgren went on, his shoulders raising as he glanced at Violet's mother. "Well, my home did burn." Vyshena reminded them. "I thought dragons cannot be burnt?" He teased, "dragons can't, but buildings can. I'm sure I could get your precious college in ruins by a day or so." Vyshena looked Melgren up and down. Weakness detection, interesting.

"Don't forget, your majesty, you were bowing to me as a child." Violet's mother felt like laughing as she kept her composure. "And you'll be bowing again to me, I promise you that." Vyshena's tone turned sultry as she looked at Melgren, then Sorrengail.

"If you excuse me, I've overstayed my welcome."

Vyshena stood at the entrance to the parapet, crossing her arms as she watched Xaden sit in his shadows. "He always pouts on this day." Vyshena spoke quietly to the boys who both nodded. "Morghan?" She asked under her breath. "Imogen." Both the boys answered.

"Alright, well. Wish me luck." Vyshena sighed as she climbed up on the rock and begun her trek out. "You forget you can't hide from me." Xaden snapped his head and watched Vyshena walk out to him. He dipped his head when she sat beside him, and rested his weight on her side. "You know, he's always with you." Vyshena told Xaden who chuckled.

"That's reassuring." He said in a sarcastic tone while he pushed his weight to sit up and Vyshena shifted so her back was facing the entrance and she was facing him. "Our parents were brilliant." Vyshena sighed and saw Xaden's confusion.

"I just told the king he bowed to me when I was a child and he'll bow to me again." Xaden slowly shut his eyes. "No, Vyshena." He sighed and palmed his closed eyes. "Gods above." He cursed in alithian while hearing her giggle.

Rhiannon paced around the bedroom, "something, has to be done!" She was clearly drunk, with Violet, Sawyer, Ridoc, and Liam. "We can't keep being expected to do things, that we don't know how to do!" The liquid sloshed around the metal cup before she took another drink.

Vyshena opened up her bedroom door and stopped abruptly, Xaden bumping into her back while Rhiannon gasped. "The princess is back!" She jumped up and down. "I'm not doing this." Xaden whispered. "Hello? Why are," she gasped. "All of you in my dorm?"

"Well, we knew you were at the party but we couldn't find you. So Ridoc stole a bottle, and Sawyer stole a bottle. Liam already had one? And Violet and I broke into your dorm. We hoped you left early and came here, but you weren't so we decided to wait." Vyshena hummed, and Xaden followed her inside.

"Xaden, buddy!" Ridoc cheered while the man slowly turned his head. Seeing Ridoc on Vyshena's bed. He hummed under his breath, and found Vyshena unlacing her boots. Rhiannon went back to her rant, where Liam laughed and disagreed. And Violet watched Xaden, who grabbed the laces tightening her dress jacket and slipped his finger through the loop making it tighter before he loosened it.

Violet saw the smile on his lips as Vyshena slapped her hand behind her, and she felt immediate relief once he untied it. She groaned, stretching her arms and bending over. Her hands touching her toes while she pulled in deep breaths. He had it undone in a second.

Xaden grabbed the bottle from Rhiannon while she continued. "She's going on about how we're being expected of too much." Sawyer told Vyshena as she sat next to him and drank out of his cup. "Right, are we protesting? Rioting? Arson?" Vyshena asked while Rhiannon gasped and snapped her fingers in her friends direction.

"Yes." Was all she said, causing the group to fall into laughter from a plan that will never be acted on. Xaden leaned against the wall, only drinking so he'd feel the effect of it on his walk back. "Xaden, what is your opinion? You've been here for three years." Rhiannon said while he rose his brows. "I mind my business and do what is expected of me."

Vyshena laughed, Garrick laughed and Xaden stared at the both of them. "Since when have you ever done either of those things?"

"You were constantly getting into shit at Alithia. Remember when he broke into the archives and was found three days later like fifteen miles back." Garrick asked Vyshena who slowly held a hand over her mouth. Violet leaned forward, "your archives were fifteen miles long?" She asked while Vyshena furrowed her brows then pointed at Xaden.

"He knows them best." Vyshena joked while he rolled his eyes. "I think they're thirty something. I'm not sure." Vyshena answered. "And it was all burned?" Violet asked and Vyshena nodded slowly. "Yep. That's why one day, I'll burn Basgaith." Garrick rose his cup, and everyone followed.

"Just, make sure the archives are cleared out first."

Xaden was in his room for the night, with Morghan curled beside him on the opposite pillow. Vyshena was asleep with Rhiannon and Violet with her. Sawyer, Liam and Garrick all piled into Liam's room once his roommate never came back from the party.

Vyshena woke up in a gasp, fidgeting as she woke up both the girls and mage lights illuminated the dorm. "What are you doing?" Rhiannon groaned as she stepped over them and looked out her window. "Get up. Something's happening."

"We're under attack."

"We're under attack?" Vyshena questioned out loud. "What?" Both girls jumped to their feet. "Uh, sorry." Vyshena told them while she got dressed as quickly as she could. As she tied her laces, Rhiannon braided her hair back. While Violet buttoned her shirt, Vyshena tightened the strings of her dragon scale corset.

The three girls piled out of the bedroom, running down the halls, the stairs, through the courtyard until reaching their squad. Dain was pacing back and forth with a piece of paper in his hands. Liam turned when the got there, "you know what's happening?"

"War games." Vyshena gasped, "war games?" Dain slowly shut his eyes once hearing her. How does she always know?

"All of this for war games? Someone better die."









an ... dont hate me