The temple gardens were bathed in sunlight. Birds chirped in the trees and the air was filled with the scent of wet earth, cut greenery, and summer flowers. The lush grass was still damp from the morning dew, pearly droplets dripping into the grooves and pits scaring the lawn and the gravel pathways. Broken branches and turned flower beds still stood witness to the bloody fight that shook the temple grounds just three days ago. Thankfully, life was slowly returning to normal, safe for the increased number of Night Brothers and Ildemar knights patrolling the hallways.

Lorelei sat in the roots of an old tree, eyes closed, and enjoyed the warm sunlight. The buzzing of the temple, the stern voices of the priests and knights inspecting and purifying the premises, the cries of sorrow or happiness coming from infirmary as families reunited with their loved ones - all this she let pass her ears. All that existed for her was the warm light, the fresh grass, and the fleeting sense of freedom that wasn’t meant to last much longer.

Two days ago, William had arrived with troops from Ildemar and even some Shadows led by Tikotse. Lorelei vividly remembered his heated arguments with the guardian priests, especially the members of the Night Brothers. In the end, he had managed to convince them to allow Tikotse and two more Binshi to enter the temple's premises. Naturally, their first concern had been Noah and Rasha, and the purification of Bishop Petronius. Rish had left her sister’s body after the fight with Noah, and from what Lorelei could gather after her brief talk with Tikotse, it seemed that both twins had suffered quite significant damage to their souls, and, in Rasha’s case, to her body as well.

Busy with unraveling the mysteries behind the vapir’s attack, for a whole day, everyone had left her to rest in peace, blissfully forgotten, safe for the two Night Brothers guarding her door. ‘Making sure the Lady got her quiet and keeping out unnecessary guests,’ they had said. All ‘social calls’ had been reduced to a short visit from the Father Infirmarian, who, after the death of Father Ignatus and the incapacitation of Bishop Petronius, was the acting head of the temple, as well as a brief exchange with Tikotse and the very absent-minded William.

Lorelei stiffened, remembering the gazes the priests were throwing at her during those conversations - a mix of suspicion, reverence, and warning. Disclosing her involvement in the vapir case was a sensitive matter that she wasn’t supposed to talk about lightly. Although any further discussion about her fate was most likely to be postponed until Bishop Petronius and Noah were well enough, it was a fact that she was a prisoner under the Night Brothers’ watch. Or something close thereof, considering that her guards checked on her routinely and flew into her room at the slightest noise, be it a sneeze or a nightmare scream.

And it was this situation that had led to her current predicament.

Today, she had insisted on washing herself in the common bath of the dormitorium. Escorted by her polite but bothersome guards, she had enjoyed a brief soak in the nice, warm water and a fresh pair of clothes. Then, she had looked around in the suspiciously empty bath, before her eyes lingered on the faceted rays of sunshine coming through the narrow windows. Narrow enough for a person like her to squeeze through and only at about a man’s height from the garden path outside.

The urge had been irresistible, and now, she was hiding in a small nest of bushes, brooding over her next course of action. Judging by the steadily increasing clamor throughout the temple complex, her disappearance had been found out. It was only a matter of time before…

“Good morning, my lady!” Duncan’s deep voice sounded next to her.

She jumped with a yelp, her eyes ripping wide open. The old knight was leaning against the tree trunk, panting slightly. His left arm rested in a sling over his neck, and his face bore an assortment of cuts and bruises that were just starting to show the full horrid spectrum of their colors.

“I’m sorry,” he chuckled stiffly. “Didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you heard me heaving a mile away.”

“Sir Duncan! What are you doing here?! You should be resting in bed!” Lorelei helped the man down to the grass, where he sat with sprawled legs and back resting against the tree.

“Those damn cracked ribs hurt whether I lie down or sit. Besides, I was informed that our duchess has gone missing and decided to look around.”

“I… sorry for the trouble.” Lorelei plopped back down next to him and hugged her knees. “It was a mistake. I did something stupid. Again.”

“Don’t be too harsh on yourself, lass. If I were found out to be a Saint, I’d be burning my boots so fast that all the nice priests would get from me would be smoke and dust.”

Lorelei gaped at him, which made Duncan laugh.

“I saw you all glowy and powerful before I fainted. And Neli has also told me some details after she woke up.”

“I see.” Lorelei smiled blankly although all she wanted to do was to cry. “Just for the record, I’m not a saint. Not yet.”

“Good to hear.” Duncan tilted his head and studied her for some time. “So, what are you going to do now?”

“Don’t have much of a choice, do I?” She sighed and hugged her knees even tighter. “Running away for real isn’t an option. I don’t want the Quaestors from the capital to harm anyone here in search of me. It’s my duty-”

“Forget that crap!” Duncan rumbled and his good hand landed on her shoulder. “Forget what others want. If you want to run away from those holy stiffs, go on. If you want to join the clergy as a saintess, go on. Whatever you decide, you can do it. Believe me, Noah won’t allow those priests to take you against your will. Whatever your decision, he’ll stand by you, and so will all of us.”

“No.” Lorelei sniffled. “This time he won’t.”

“Did he say something?” The old knight frowned. “When did you talk-”

“I didn’t. But it would be pointless anyway. Whatever was there between us.… It’s…. We owe each other nothing. In fact, he’d be relieved if I were gone.”

“Do you have a brain fever, lass?” Duncan pressed his palm against her forehead.

“I don’t. After all that happened…. After all I’ve said… and he has done… I can’t face him. And neither would he like to see me.”

“If you are talking about what he did under Nerodris’ influence-”

“No! I’m not talking about Nerodris! After all, he was doing a pretty good job fighting that influence. No, you know very well what I mean.” Lorelei’s fingers dug in her hair and she sniffled again. “I don’t know what to do anymore, what to feel. No, I do know what I feel. Anger. At me. At him. Every time I think about him I see them… in the chapel. Embracing. Kissing. I can hear them! I’ll never be able to forget…. It’s just too much, Sir Duncan! I can’t face him. I don’t want to face him! Not with request, not with demand. I… hate him!”

“Then why did you save him from Nerodris’ possession?” said the old knight softly.

“I couldn’t let that thing devour him!” The appallment in her voice widened the smile on Duncan’s face.

“Well, if you’d really hate him…”

“Oh, for goodness sake! What do you expect me to say!? Yes, I was a bloody fool, saving the man who ripped out my heart! Yes, without thinking, I used holy powers in front of a bunch of people who weren’t supposed to know what I am! Your duke never asked me to save him anyway. And probably he would have managed everything just fine. I brought this predicament upon myself! Now, I must suffer the just consequences.”

“I didn't mean that.”

“Then what?”

“You love him. And the boy loves you too,” he said quietly. “He loves you more than you can imagine. Knowing of your plight, he’d never let you-”

“He loves me!?” Lorelei raised her voice. “He slept with my damn sister! I can accept him divorcing me. That was the plan all along. I can accept being a concubine when he marries Ilmaz. That much of my pride I could swallow. But of all women, he had to take my sister!”

“Sometimes, there are mitigating circumstances. Wait! Before you claw my face, hear me out.”

Duncan rummaged in the inside of his doublet and pulled out a small paper sachet.

“After what happened to your sister, Noah was not himself. I’ve never seen him like this. Amongst his screams and crazy babbling, he mentioned treason and a hex. Lucas and Neli searched the chapel and found this. I wanted to give it to you to have a look, but… well, you know what happened.”

Lorelei took the sachet with trembling fingers and opened it.

“Ashes? So what?”

“Neli took them from the incense burner. Keen nose she has, my Neli, and a great aversion to churches. Did you know that the best incense comes from the province of Farhardel which used to be her homeland?”

“No.”

“Well, she said something didn’t smell quite right in the chapel. We wanted to ask the infirmarian, but yeah…. He finally had a look at this yesterday. And Tikotse too. They both said that something had been added to the mixture. According to Tikotse, it’s some herb, forgot its name, that makes one susceptible to magic and mind manipulation.”

“So what?”

“So what?! The boy was drugged! And I’d bet it was your harpy-of-a-sister who did it. His mind-”

“His mind was weakened?” Lorelei snorted. “Some herb and a pair of dangling breasts did what not even a psychotic murderous ghost-armor could achieve? Subduing the Beast of Norden! Making him act against his will! Oh, please, I personally witnessed him overcoming Nerodris, so you want me to believe that Pricilla messed him up worse?!”

“Yes.” Duncan let his gaze wander over the greenery. “In war, a known enemy is only half as dangerous as an unknown one.”

“And that’s why I should just… forget about it?!”

“No. You’ll never forget. But maybe you’ll see that he is suffering just as much as you do. And you’ll find mercy in your heart and forgive.”

A slew of memories, new and old, flooded her mind. In every one of them, there was an ash-gray gaze directed at her - sometimes sad, occasionally perplexed, often apologetic, rarely desperate, but mostly warm and yearning. There was also his familiar voice - deep and sharp, a voice used to command but somehow managing to be soothing and gentle. Her skin remembered the warmth of his embrace, strong yet tender, comforting, and never suffocating. Every fiber of her body yearned for him. She wanted to cry her fears into his shoulder. She wanted to be saved by her prince on a black steed. She wanted to be weak under his wing without the need to put on a false mask of strength.

But there was an insurmountable crevice between them.

Lorelei just sat there rigid, her hand tightly clenched around the small sachet. Inside was the proof she yearned for. The proof of Noah’s… innocence? Was it even possible to separate deeds from intentions? She wanted to wake up and realize that everything had just been a nightmare. She futilely summoned her reason, presenting evidence and arguments in his defense, but her heart dug out the images of him embracing Pricilla.

‘He would have forgiven you if Master Argente had defiled you,’ whispered a voice in her mind, and she knew it was the truth. But this was different. What he did…. Why was it different? If Pricilla really had done something to him, if drugs and magic had been involved, did she have the right to say that his situation was different from hers?

A cold shower ran down her spine as she stared into the sachet. She could still taste the vile words she had shouted at him on the tip of her tongue. Like flashes of lightning, the other memories pierced her heart. The ones about all the times she had hurt Noah with baseless suspicions and accusations, pushed him away due to misunderstandings, pride, and the hauntings of her own past. She saw the times she had condemned him by word or thought of crimes he hadn’t committed. All her preconceptions had fitted the cruel, cold, and domineering Beast of Norden - a man… a ruler of ice and steel. But, oh, how wrong she had been!

The sachet lay in her hand - proof of guilt and innocence.

“I… I c-can’t face him… Sir Duncan!” Her words were almost incomprehensible through the hiccups and sniffling. “I did him wrong! H-he’ll never forgive me. I…. He…. It’s all over! And it’s all my fault!”

“Hush, girl,” whispered Duncan gently and patted Lorelei’s head. “Don’t blame yourself.”

“B-but… I s-said horrible things. Always the wrong things! And if… if I had d-dissuaded him from… that stupid plan…. If I’d made s-sure P-Pricilla was properly under watch…. No, if I had just… just kicked her o-out of Ildemar, t-this wouldn’t h-happen! It’s my fault. He’ll never forgive me! I’ll never forgive myself!”

“You’ll be fine, both of you.” Duncan gently lifted her chin and made her look him in the eye. “Trust this old man, as long as you two talk it out, everything will be as it should.”

“Y-you make it sound so easy.”

“Because it is.” The old knight chuckled and opened the collar of his shirt. A jagged old scar sliced across his throat. He pointed at it. “This is from the first and only time Neli and I didn’t clear a misunderstanding. You could say that this is how our relationship started.”

“T-that wound…” Lorelei’s eyes rounded. “It’s fatal!”

“Neli was too angry and missed my jugular by a hair. Had she been her usual self, I’d be a dead man.” Duncan laughed brightly. “But this isn’t the point. Both of us will never forget what happened before and after this attack. We both carry the scars on our bodies and in our hearts. It’s our greatest regret, our greatest divide. But we have grown past it. The same can be true for you and Noah. Alas, knowing him, you’ll have to be the one to take the first step.”

Saying that, Duncan pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to her.

“Now, lass, wipe your beautiful face before you start looking like a puffer fish.”

“With such a sense for compliments, I wonder how you managed to charm Lady Nelini,” chuckled Lorelei and rubbed her cheeks.

“I have gifts and abilities aplenty,” grinned the old knight, “but they are not meant for such fair ears, my lady.”

Lorelei pursed her lips and felt some warmth spreading in her torn heart. She dried her eyes and jumped to her feet, startling the old man.

“Let’s go, Sir Duncan.” She offered him her hand, enjoying his perplexed expression.

“Whereto?”

“I’ve taken your words to heart. It’s about time to have a talk with my Duke.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Now?” Duncan huffed and stood up with difficulty. “I’m happy to hear that, lass, but don’t you think it’s a bit too sudden?”

“No. If I wait, I’ll lose the little courage you’ve given me.” She took a deep breath, managing to somewhat suppress the shaking of her limbs. “Besides, should my heart be ripped out once and for all, I’d prefer it to be quick.”

With these words, she turned around and marched through the thicket. Duncan looked after her for a moment. “Younglings!” he mumbled under his breath before following suit.

***

“We will be announcing to the public that all that happened has been the Red Hands’ doing.” William De Mar limped back and forth in the sparsely-furnished cell. “They used the chaos around the steeple’s destruction and planted a curse on the unsuspecting maid of the duchess’ sister. They targeted the Church and the ducal couple as a form of retaliation. Despite the casualties, their plans were thwarted by the valiant cooperation between a Binshi shaman and the Duke of Norden himself. So, what do you think?”

Noah sat slumped in a chair, facing away from his Lord Steward. His empty gaze was wandering outside the open window. Not even a twitch on his face showed that he was listening. His lack of reaction earned him a sharp gaze and a sigh from his friend.

“I’m still not sure whether or not we are lucky that you destroyed the vapir’s body completely.” William pinched his nose. “The good part is that no one can dispute our claim that the Red Hands have used a new type of curse on the maid. Both the kush-turgans and the barons can always use some additional motivation to do a cleanup. But it leaves a bad aftertaste not to know who really sent that shaman girl to the Ortens. Do you think it was Lionel?”

Noah continued to stare into nothingness.

“I’ll be sure to conduct a thorough investigation.” William paused his walk. “How much should I implicate Pricilla Orten?”

A sharp intake of breath indicated that, despite everything, Noah was still following the report. His lips parted and closed a couple of times before a very hoarse voice left them:

“Dont. Let her be. I owe her.”

“You owe her nothing!” William raised his tone, his eyes glaring murder. “Not after what she-”

“Enough!”

Noah didn’t shout. It was the utter defeat and pain embodied in this single word that made the Lord Steward quiet down. With a dragging step, William came to his friend and kneeled down so that their gazes were leveled.

“I know you’ve been through a lot.” He held Noah’s hand tightly. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. Rest and gather your strength. We’ll go back to Ildemar tomorrow and the Ortens will be transferred under watch to Widow Island. You won’t even see a hair of them. As for the Duchess-”

With a sudden move, Noah grabbed William’s wrist and squeezed it with the strength of a blacksmith’s pliers.

“Do not touch Lorelei!”

William paled, but otherwise, his expression remained unphased.

“I wasn’t going to do anything to her. Only talk. I need to know more about her circumstances to be able to think of a way to stop the Church from taking her. You know their official envoy will be coming in due time, no matter how hard I try to suppress the information about her holy powers.”

Noah loosened his grip and a bit of life returned to his eyes. Alas, the expression that William saw in them was anything but assuring. From a small table next to his chair, Noah picked up a sheet of tightly written paper and fidgeted with it for a bit.

“You know, Master Levi’s whereabouts have been found out?” he said hoarsely.

“Yes, one of our spies in Limris reported a month ago.” William nodded, but then his face stiffened. “You… are you really going to do this!?”

“Send the fastest bird.” Noah’s voice sounded like an echo from beyond the grave. He handed the sheet of paper to his friend. “Give this to Lorelei before tomorrow.”

“As you wish...” Skimming through the note, William's eyebrows flew up. “I believe you haven’t thought it through. We should discuss this when you are in better shape.”

“It wasn’t a request.”

William’s blood chilled in his veins. Such sharpness was usually reserved for the unlucky ones who weren’t going to survive the next dawn under the Beast of the North’s wrath. But he was not the Steward of Norden by chance.

“I advise against it.” He handed back the paper. “This regret you won’t survive.”

Noah didn’t answer and neither did he take the document. His eyes became glassy and he just stared through the window. Oppressive silence engulfed the room, but it was short-lived as a polite knock came from the door. A knight peeked in and said with a bit of hesitation.

“Pardon, my lords. Her Highness is here to see the Duke.”

***

Entering the room, Lorelei hesitated briefly at the threshold. Her heart was drumming in her chest and it felt like it would soon make its way up her throat and out of her mouth. The whole world blurred, safe for Noah’s motionless figure before the window. She could see every wrinkle on his face, every strand of hair curtaining his eyes, and for some reason, it terrified her. Slumped in the chair like a withered, broken tree, he was scarier than under Nerodris’ influence.

She swallowed dryly and with some foreboding addressed the room:

“G-good day, my lords.” She flattened some invisible creases in her black-and-white habit. “I’ve come to talk with the Duke. Lord Steward, if you’d be so kind as to wait outside?”

“Certainly.” William squared his shoulders and was about to take a step when Noah grabbed his wrist.

“The paper.” His hoarse voice was soulless as if he was under some sort of spell.

“It’s ill advi-”

“Now!”

The last word was shouted with such might that everyone present shuddered. Reluctantly, William handed her the paper. Lorelei read it carefully, her lips uttering in a broken half-voice its poisonous content.

“On the basis of broken marital vows…. And henceforth will consider the marriage void. As compensation… two chests of gold and one of gems…. should leave the lands of Norden…. May the Saints be my witness… signed willingly and in a clear state of mind….”

Lorelei’s fingers convulsed, crumpling the paper. For a moment her mind was blank before a single thought formed.

“You are banishing me!?”

Noah didn’t answer. As the silence stretched out, it was William who spoke instead.

“It’s for your own good my lady….”

“You made a promise!” She squeezed the detestable paper. “You promised that after our divorce, I’ll be free to choose my home! Why are you doing this?”

“If you remain here, the Church will try to take you at any cost.” William’s eyes darted between her and Noah as he hurriedly explained. “Your mentor, Master Levi, we’ve found him and will be contacting him shortly. If you go with him and seek asylum with the royal family of Shareeba, not even the Grand Pontifex will be able to force you to enter the clergy….”

“William De Mar! Shut your mouth!” Lorelei’s tone was freezing. She turned to Noah who avoided her gaze. “It is you I’m asking, Duke Norden. Why are you punishing me like this?”

“This isn’t a punishment,” whispered Noah.

“You said that you’d protect your own people!” Lorelei rushed forward and stood between Noah and the window. “I thought I was one of your people! What did I do wrong?”

“You’ve heard the explanation.” He turned his head away.

“It’s not enough! You owe me-”

“I don’t owe you anything anymore!” Noah burst out and jumped to his feet, sending the chair toppling down. His chest rose and fell with barely contained fury. He pointed at the paper in her hand. “I owed you protection and I’m giving it to you. I owed you your freedom and I’m granting it to you! You no longer need to stay in this god-forsaken place. You won’t need to live in fear of monsters, traitors, curses, or cultists! You won’t need to be near a disgusting creature like me! You’ll be safe and live a life of your choosing!”

“A life of my choosing!?” hissed Lorelei and lifted up the divorce papers. “Freedom? Is this what you call freedom? You choose for me, without even saying a word. You throw money at me. You drive me away. Have you ever, in your pursuit of ensuring this ‘life of my choosing’, have you ever even thought of asking me what I want!?”

“Then what more do you want?” shouted Noah mockingly.

“I want you!”

Her yell reverberated in the room. Noah gaped and so did everyone present. Lorelei felt her cheeks blazing hot and her chest was close to bursting open. The weight of all the gazes trapped her in a suffocating net, so she did the only thing she could think of.

Gathering her skirts, she ran away.

A split second later, Noah flew after her.

Brushing past Duncan and the knight, who stood at the door, Lorelei rushed down the corridor. To her left, the cloister walkway opened to one of the temple's courtyards, letting in the warm sunlight, the song of birds, and the bustle of the complex. But even with all the noise, she could hear the uneven sound of Noah’s steps.

“Wait… Lorelei! Agh…”

His pained cry stopped her in her tracks. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she saw him not far behind, leaning against one of the cloister’s columns. His hands gripped his thigh, his complexion looking ashen.

She took a step toward him and opened her mouth. In the next moment, he pranced at her, wrapping her body with his arms.

“Caught you!” he panted.

“You lying… cheating… beast! Unhand me!” She wriggled and hit his chest, but his grip didn’t loosen.

“Forgive me. Just this once, I can’t. Not before you tell me what you meant.”

“Let me go!”

“Lorelei! What did you mean!?”

“What do you think I meant?” She hit his chest again, crying.

“Do… do you… love me?”

“I know, I was a fool. I came to talk. To apologize. To set things straight. I… thought that there was still a chance for us. That you had similar feelings for me….”

“Of course I do!” Noah pushed her slightly back, enough to look into her eyes. “Why do you think I’m sending you away, damn it!? The sheer thought of you getting hurt… of me hurting you…. By the Gods, Lorelei! You’ve been my lucid dream, my lovely nightmare, my precious light. But after what I did… those dirty hands shouldn’t even touch you! I’m a weak, broken, dirty bastard.”

“No!” Lorelei grabbed his shirt. Noah’s palms gently clasped around her fists.

“Yes! You’ve seen me with your own eyes. When Nerodris took over… what it said… was true. It dug up my darkest thoughts, my most repulsive desires. And for a moment… I was tempted to yield. I need you to go far away from me because otherwise I might-”

“You might what?” Lorelei lifted up her wet face and peered into his eyes. “Take me?”

“Yes,” he answered quietly, averting his gaze.

“You are deciding for me again!” She held his face and forced him to look back at her. “Why don’t you ask me what I want?!”

“But with what I did to Pricilla-”

“This isn’t about her! It’s about us! I love you, you boorish, grumpy, impossible man! I’m yours, body and soul! And I want you to be mine! You said you love me too, so where do you see a problem?”

“If it was just so easy.”

“It is!” Lorelei bit her lips. “Or is this about Ilmaz?”

“No!”

“If it is about her,” Lorelei took a deep breath, “I won’t stand in your way. I can be your mistress. Your servant. Your-”

“Lorelei!”

“Please, don’t send me away!” She let go of him and dug a small vial from her waist pouch. “I’ve been carrying this all the time. Couldn’t find the courage. But I'll drink it. I’ll drink the Bitter Water. I won’t be a threat to your wife. I…”

Lorelei choked and motioned to uncorck the vial, but Noah was faster. Prying it out of her hands, he tossed it far into the bushes outside. He then dragged her into a hug, his body trembling just as much as hers.

“You idiot!” he whispered, stroking her hair. “Never again… never try taking that vile thing! I don’t care about Ilmaz, about everyone’s damn expectations and political schemes. I have a wife, Lorelei. And that’s you. Only you. Remember that!”

Huddling in his embrace, all Lorelei could do was cry. Pouring out all the pent-up fear, anger, and relief, she sobbed uncontrollably. Until his warmth and the rhythm of his heartbeat slowly calmed her down.

“You realize,” he whispered in her ear and she could feel his body tense up, “that if you stay here, you’ll never be at peace. Your life will be in danger. The Red Hands, the kush-turgans, the barons, the Church, even my own damn family, I have enough enemies to last me for a lifetime.”

“You mean us.” She sniffled. “Don’t worry, Your Highness, I’ll make sure to protect you.”

“Protect me? You?” Noah laughed and wrapped his arms even tighter around her as if he was afraid that she’d run away again. “Such a cheeky wife I have.”

“I’m not cheeky, Your Highness. I saved your life on the boat. I saved your honor at the gallows. And I saved your soul from a murderous snake artifact. Twice.”

He nudged her back, holding her shoulders firmly in his grip. An incredulous smile bloomed on his face.

“You mean…. So what happened in Nerodris’ inner world… it wasn’t a dream?!”

“If it were, then we’ve had the same dream, Your Highness.” She lifted her hand and caressed his face. “And who knows, maybe we are still dreaming.”

“I’d prefer it if all this was a dream, indeed.” His words made her freeze, but this reaction only widened his smile. “In that first dream, you called me by my name, my lady.”

“You know,” she wrinkled her nose and gave his chest a soft tap, ”you are a bad man, Duke Norden. Scaring me like that.”

“I am.” He cupped her face. “But I’m still waiting and hoping.”

There was warmth in his eyes. A plea, mixed with desperation. All of a sudden, uttering a single word felt so impossible, so embarrassing. What if she said it wrong? What if her voice broke?

“Lorelei,… please.”

“N… Noah.”

It was as if the sun ascended to his face. At the same time, tears rolled down his cheeks, but his smile was the most radiant one she had ever seen. He leaned in closer, pressing his forehead against hers.

“Lorelei, would you… would you like me to kiss you?”

“Very much.”

When his lips touched hers, the world disappeared. They were the only ones left in the whole universe. A warm wave spread through her body, making it act by pure instinct. She wrapped her hands around his neck, her fingers getting entangled in his hair. Breathing wasn’t important, only the softness of his lips, pressing against hers. They should have tasted bitter from all the tears, but instead, it was the sweetest sensation she’d ever felt.

Noah’s hands released her face and slid down, wrapping her waist. He pulled her closer as if wanting to merge their bodies into one. His kiss also became deeper, hungrier, desperate. But it was alright. Lorelei accepted every bit of it and gave it back two-fold. Her body was burning together with his. Melting under his slightest touch.

They separated briefly for a sip of air. This parting felt cold and endless, forcing a whimper out of her throat. The very next second, his lips were back, but this time they brushed hers only briefly before he began showering her with kisses - her neck, cheeks, forehead, nose.

“My heart,” he whispered hoarsely. “My soul! My light! I love you, Lorelei. I love you, I love you, I love you!”

“I hope you won’t get tired of saying it,” she teased him.

“Never!” He picked her up and twirled her around, laughing and shouting. “I love you! Everything else be damned! I love you, Lorelei!”

She joined his laughter, her heart feeling lighter than a feather. Suddenly, there was a wobble in his motion and the two collided with one of the cloister’s columns. There was a soft thud when his back hit the stone and she landed hard on Noah’s chest.

“Gods!” She gasped and saw his previously cheerful face twisting in pain. "What happened? Are you alright?! ”

“My ego was mortally wounded.” He winked at her.

“Noah!”

“I’m fine. It’s just my leg that’s backstabbing me, trying to ruin my plans.”

Looking down, she spotted a dark, wet stain on his thigh. All the blood drained from her face.

“Your injury! So you didn’t pretend just to catch me!”

“It was a tactical advantage.” Noah gave her a boyish grin.

“This isn’t funny! We need to put some medicine on it.” She tried to step away, but his hands held her hostage.

“No. It’ll have to wait.” He pecked her forehead. “I still haven’t finished kissing you.”

“Noah.”

“Yes, Lorelei.”

“Be reasonable.”

“I am.” The mischievous fire in his eyes burned brighter. “People say that love can heal, so kisses are a proven folk medicine. And I’m in dire need of it!”

“Didn’t you say you were fine?” Lorelei couldn’t restrain a smirk.

“Oh, faintness is suddenly overcoming me!” he said dramatically. “How could my fair physician withhold crucial medicine from a dying man?!”

“You are impossible!”

Lorelei’s cheeks burned. From the corner of her eyes, she saw people gathering around. Her ears too, sobered by the sudden rush of panic, picked up laughter, cheers, and lively whistles.

The redness covering her face deepened.

“E-everyone is watching!” she whispered.

“So what?” Noah raised an eyebrow. “Let them watch.”

Lorelei stared at him. His beaming face looked younger, healthier even. Despite the pain, his back was straight, as if a whole mountain had been lifted. His beautiful, gray eyes were laughing, and all she could see, reflected in their depths, was herself.

“Alright,” she sighed. “One more kiss. But then we go and bandage you. Deal?”

“Deal!”

“Capitulating so easily?” she whispered, drowning in his gaze. “Are you willing to let them see the Beast of Norden being tamed?”

“Only if it’s by you, my fair physician.”

He drew her closer and leaned in, but she was faster this time. Her lips found his and everything else lost its meaning.