Colby

"Who are you?" Gene pushes to her feet, taking a step back from the sorcerer.

"My name is Colby Torp, my lady." He bows. "I am an imperial sorcerer from Bluevale."

"How do you know my name? How did you know I needed help?" she asks. "And how were you in my dream?" 

Colby smiles. "Which question would you like me to answer first?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as you answer all of them."

"Each queen is assigned a personal sorcerer for protection and guidance," he says. "I am your designated sorcerer, Lady Siv."

'Wait, what?'

"But I am not the queen yet."

"And that's why we haven't been introduced officially. Usually, the future queen and her sorcerer meet after she marries the crown prince. But that doesn't mean that the connection only forms after the introductions," he explains.

"Connection?"

"Yes, my lady. I can sense when you are in danger because my mere existence is to protect you."

"So you sensed that I was going to die?"

"Correct, I heard your voice too."

'This is crazy.'

"What about the rest of the royal family?"

"The sorcerers of Bluevale serve the royal family, but no individual sorcerers are specially assigned to the other members."

"So, Queen Ylva has a personal sorcerer right now? But I've never seen one with her…" Gene remembers the person she saw leave the queen's room on that day.

"We are not required to be seen with our queen, in fact we like it that way," he says. "It makes it easier to move around when nobody knows about our existence." He shrugs.

"I guess that's why Ylva never told me about them," Gene mumbles, more to herself than to Colby. "What about my dream?"

"It was an order from the Grand Mage." He crosses his arms in front of his chest. "He had gotten word that there was a spell involved and that you hadn't woken up in a few days, so he used his own magic to let me into your dream," he explains. "I can't do that by myself. Plus, it's against the rules to invade another person's mind."

"I see."

Gene is about to ask him about how it all started, how the sorcerers came to protect and guide the queens, when another question pops in her head.

"Do you...know who I really am?" 

His honey eyes stare at hers for a moment. "I do, but I suggest you forget about that part of you and fully become Lady Siv Holmen."

'So he knows that I am not from this world.'

"I can't just—"

"Lady Holmen," a female calls. Her voice is muffled by the trees around them but she is not that far.

"It seems that it is time to say goodbye for now, Lady Siv." Colby bows. "It is advisable to keep this encounter and the one with the other sorcerer from others. And I mean it my lady, not a soul. Don't trust anyone." His body starts disappearing into thin air.

"Will I see you again?" Gene still has so many more questions.

"Sooner than you think, my lady," he answers with a smile.

"My lady." Erling emerges from between the trees. "I have been looking for you for hours." She seems breathless from the activity.

"I apologize, Captain, I just wanted to go for a walk alone." Gene looked down, embarrassed. "It will not happen again, I promise."

She makes it a point to never complain about Erling sticking to her all the time ever again. If she were with her earlier, that man would have never attacked. Or at least, she would have been able to protect her.

"Shall we walk back, my lady?"

"Yes, I think it's about time I start getting ready for dinner."

"His Highness wants to speak with you before dinner."

"Oh, then let's go see him first."

When they arrive at the study, Gene knocks and waits for Brandt's voice.

"Come in," he calls from the other side.

The warm hues of the sunset paint every corner of the study. Her eyes find Brandt sitting at his desk, scribbling on some paper. When he lifts his eyes to look at her, her chest tightens and tears start pouring down.

"What's wrong?" He rushes to her side.

Gene has no idea what's wrong. She throws her arms around his neck and buries her face in his chest. She needed to be in his arms after thinking that she almost died. A few moments pass before he pulls away from her and caresses her red face.

"Did something happen, dear?"

She wants to tell him about what happened, but Colby said she shouldn't. Also, if she tells Brandt about what happened today, she would have to tell him about other things she is not ready to share. 

'Not that he would believe it anyway.'

"Nothing happened, I just felt like being in your arms." She wipes off the wetness on her face.

"Fine, I won't push you if you don't want to talk about it. But I hope you know that I am here for you. Always."

"I know." She squeezes her arms around his waist. "So what did you want to speak about?" She changes the subject.

"Well, why don't you have a seat? I want to give you something." 

Gene complies and sits on one of the chairs facing the prince's desk. He rummages through the drawer, piquing her curiosity about what he is giving her.

"There it is." Brandt seems to have found what he was looking for. She tries to peek but whatever it is, it is small enough to fit in his hand. 

The prince sits on the chair facing her and flashes a beautiful toothy smile.

"I know my father is announcing our engagement in a few weeks, but I don't want to wait until then to give you this." He opens a small box and reveals a gorgeous emerald ring. "Mother gave it to me a few days ago, it belonged to my grandmother."

"It's beautiful."

"May I?" He asks before slipping it into Gene's finger. "I love you," he whispers.

'Oh God, this fragile heart can't handle all these emotions at once.' 

"I love you too." Gene takes Brandt's face between her palms and leans closer. She plants a kiss on his lips, letting her emotions take full rein of her body.

'I want to love this man for the rest of my life.'

*********

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