Chapter 2

Dorian Havilliard, King of Adarlan, woke to find the windows of his room opened, curtains flying amok. It was then that the events of yesterday passed through his mind, the finishing of the glass castle, the celebrations in the tavern that Chaol, his best friend and his Hand, had recommended, and ultimately, the lady he had brought back with him. He looked around and found a note amidst the mess of his room, rare sight indeed for it not to be neater...

"King, a certain someone told me to leave. I am sure that you had had a great time yesterday night, I certainly did. I hope to see you in the future. Love, Annabel."

Someone had taken her away, perhaps in the dead of night, but it didn't bother him, she want anything special to him after all, not when his heart was captured by her. She who he longed to talk to again, but had no way of contacting.

Enough, he thought, wallowing won't get you anywhere. He got out of bed and went to the washroom where he used the urinal and showered. Should he send word for her? Will it seem too needy? Would she respond? These were all but a few of the questions he had. As he dried off and dressed, his resolve was made. He would write to her as soon as he could.

Opening the door to his room, he turned down the hall to the staircase that led to the dining room where he was surprised by Manon sitting at the table, looking as him as she gorged herself on plump grapes.

"Why, hello princeling", she crooned, plucking another from the pile.

~~~

Manon had been fighting the urge to see him for over 3 months now, ever since they separated really. It was only when Glennis, leader of the Chrochans before Manon came to claim her birthright, looked to her while they surveyed their new nation in the Wastes and said, "Go Manon. Go to him. Live your life full of love and happiness, as you have made it possible for all of us." Startled, she had responded with a curt "but I can't, we haven't finished rebuilding and there's are still so much to do."

"Rest assured, I will have Brannon and Petrah oversee this while you are gone. I do not wish for you to miss out on this opportunity for love. It is this that is more important above all, Manon", with her hand over his own heart.

So she left, riding Abraxos, who had healed from his wounds but would remain slightly deaf in his left ear, for two days, only stopping once on the second day to rest and sleep. It was early dawn when she saw the castle looming before her that she decided to slow down before landing on the top of one of the towers. What were the chances that the very tower she landed on was Dorians? After debating with herself for a minute, she opened the windows for better sound and spied on him as he woke up to get ready for breakfast. A waft of someone's scent hit her full force, a woman's scent, on the bed, no doubt for Dorian's own amusement. She felt sick, had she been so easily forgotten? Castaway? But no, the scent was new, meaning it had probably been only last night that the woman was here. It confused her why he was sighing so often, and so loud too! Was he in love with this other person? After watching him pause for half a dozen times, exasperation got to the better of her and she went to the gates, barely acknowledging the guards who waved at her, recognized no doubt from when she saved the prince's life from that Yellowlegs brute. She landed in the gardens before the front entrance and dismounted Abraxos, leaving him to the pleasure of flowers and butterflies as she swaggered inside the glass castle, still shimmering from the morning sun.

There was a flurry of activity in the reception room, putting decorations and furniture back in place. Ignored by all, and not wanting attention herself, she let her nose guide her to the dining area where an assortment of fruits were laid out among the breakfast, still steaming, waiting to be devoured. She hadn't eaten in two days in her hurry to get to the castle, and so she sat down in the nearest plush velvet chair. Immediately, servants came to ask her if she needed anything, and, after waving them off, she began to sate her hunger with the waffles and berries. God, she thought, it had been so long since she had fresh fruits as all of the crops were still growing back in the Wastes, and such a large plate all to herself, with more to come! After finishing a good portion of berries, she moved on to the dark purple grapes, its sickly sweet perfume hitting her nose, making her mouth water in anticipation. Or, it might've been the fact that she heard Dorian coming down the stairs that made her mouth water.

"Why, hello princeling" she crooned, with an air of nonchalance, even as her heart pounded at the mere sight of him, his perfection.

"Hello, witchling," he responded, "I was just about to write to you. What brings you here of all places?"

He was going to write to her! Did that mean that he missed her? As much as she missed him? Unlikely.

"I was travelling to the outskirts of the Frozen Wastes, no longer frozen thank the Three-Faced-Goddess for that, and was passing by Adarlan when I thought I'd pay a visit. After all, you haven't properly thanked my saving your life yet, now haven't you?" She answered, as coolly as she possibly could.

"Ah, yes, I must thank you, Manon, for saving me from that dreadful ironteeth-"

"Yellowlegs" she corrected him, instantly hating herself for it. What did she care if he got the species wrong?

"-Yellowlegs witch." Dorian smirked, "and how shall I possibly repay you? Queen of the Chrochans?" He ran a phantom nail down her throat, causing her to gulp as the other hand went to her cheek. "Was this what you were looking for? Some fun and love?" He moved closer, too close, and she was entirely in his power, his phantom hands caressing her sensitive spots. Unable to stop herself, she shuddered as she felt his breath on her neck, "You should've said so earlier."

She got control of herself and quickly stepped away before doing something stupid. "It's not like you want me here anyway, you already have a girl, don't you? An Annabel?" The name had been on the note beside the king's bed, but why had she said that! Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought to herself, and to seem so jealous!

"Annabel?" Dorian said, clearly confused. "Who's that?"

Well great, he didn't even remember who she was. This was going to be awkward.

"The lady you slept with last night?" Manon said, aware of his every move and cautious not to seem too needy.

"Oh! Her! You can't possibly think that I'm in love with her?"

"Well, I wouldn't know, now wouldn't I? It's not like you've ever told me who you like"

"And who do you, Manon, think I like? Love? Haven't I made myself clear enough?" Reaching a hand out to her, which she took.

"I didn't know what to think..." She confessed in a small voice, suddenly feeling very small. "I thought you didn't want me anymore, not hearing from you in so long and thought, maybe, just maybe, I never was anything to you but a plaything..." She looked to the floor, unable to bring her eyes up to his. "When I look to Aelin and Rowan, or Aedion and Lysandra, or Elide and Lorchan, or even Asterin and her love to that human hunter, I only see love and happiness that I don't know how to have, that I never had had."

"Manon," the name on his lips was a blessing and a curse, "Manon, look at me," He said, stepping closer to her with his hands on her arms. When she still didn't tilt her head up, he put a finger underneath her chin and lifted her head so that they were eye-to-eye. "Manon, I have missed you so, so much, and the only reason why I haven't written is because I thought that you wouldn't want anything to do with me, a human. Love, I have thought to know it, has its ups and downs as everything else does, but I have come to the realization that I have never had a true love, not until now. Do you know who I am speaking of?" He looked at her with a fierce and determined gaze as he finished, "I am talking of you." And in his eyes there shone a light bright with love and honesty, and he was looking at her, speaking of her, saying that he loved her.

"I'm afraid" She admitted, as she wouldn't admit to anybody else.

"As am I, but when have we ever succumbed to that fear? Haven't we risen above it, together?" He moved closer to her, his mouth at her ear, "I trust you Manon, and I trust that you, like me, are stronger than our fears. Will you join me on this journey, Manon? To overcome them?"

The sincerity and love in his eyes were so genuine that she couldn't help but respond.

"Yes", she breathed as he closed that final gap between them and kissed her on the mouth. She tangled her hands in his silky hair, what she had wanted to do in forever, and moaned as he nipped at her bottom lip, effectively making her lose control in the following clash of tongues. She didn't regret coming all this way to him. No, she didn't regret it one bit.