Epilogue

The cold of the dungeon seemed to sink into Cadmus' very bones. The cell he was locked into was all hard rock and darkness with only a disgusting waste bucket in the corner and a pile of rags to rest his head on against the opposite wall to break the monotony.

He refused to lay upon them. He sat against the far wall, his back to the cold stone. Letting it seep into his soul so that he could carry this chill with him always. He never wanted to forget this moment. When the day came for him to repay it, he would visit this coldness seeping into his heart upon all of those who dared shove him into a cage.

The sound of footsteps alerted him of someone's arrival before the brightness of the torch they carried ahead of them did. His eyes opened and he resisted the urge to squint. He let the full pain of the unfamiliar brightness seer his irises. That, too, he would remember.

Two men came around to stand in front of his cell. The dungeon keeper; he was carrying the torch and giving Cadmus a sickening, partially toothless grin.

And, standing beside him-

"Ah, Auri. Royalty looks good on you," Cadmus smirked.

Aurelius crossed his arms. Doing so highlighted the deep, royal blue of his coat. The gold accents shined brightly even in the dull light. The fine brown leather of his trousers and boots were nearly lost in the darkness, but the shine of the sapphire buttons and jewelry he wore more than made up for it. His mane of hair had been tied back into a small tail and his brown eyes glittered in the firelight.

"You have a lot of nerve calling upon me today, of all days."

Cadmus pretended to gasp. "Oh, was something happening today?"

"What did you want, Cadmus?" Aurelius asked coldly.

The prince didn't respond immediately. He pretended to dust at his formerly-white, now filthy jacket. "My father has agreed to the terms of my surrender?"

"You should be out of our lives by the end of the week," Aurelius confirmed.

"Out of your kingdom, anyway."

"Is that all you wanted? If it is, I'm leaving."

"Why so quick to run out? I get it. It's a big day. It wouldn't do for the groom to be late to his own wedding. What sort of image would that make of our future ruler? Long live the king!"

Aurelius smirked. "That jealousy looks good on you. Is it new?"

"Jealousy? Ha. You'll be married to that beast of a woman for the rest of your life. Think of it more like pity. How long until she devours you whole, I wonder?"

"I'm hoping that will happen tonight, actually."

Cadmus chuckled. "You joke, but you're still concerned about me. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. You know that I won't give up. You know that I'm still a threat. Once I get back to Scabrosa, we'll begin plotting once more."

"Hopefully your next plan is as badly conceived as your first one."

"And yet, you still came when I called for you. On your wedding day, no less."

Aurelius shrugged. "I'm much more softhearted than Rae. Which is why you called for me and not her. You knew she wouldn't come."

"I've already called for her. She won't see me."

"As I said."

"Mores the pity. I was trying to do her a favor."

"Really? I thought you were being annoying for the sake of it."

"It can be both."

Aurelius grinned. "Well, if that's all you wanted to say to me-"

"You know, I didn't really get the chance to speak during my trial."

Aurelius turned back to him calmly. "That's because it wasn't a trial. It was a sentencing. Your opinion wasn't required to attend."

"There were a lot of charges put against me. Kidnapping a member of the royal family. Harming a member of the royal family. Conspiracy to commit treason."

"Should I have a chair fetched?"

"Point being, I will admit to most of them. However, there is one crime that I am not guilty of that I would like rectified for the record."

"Really? Just the one?" Aurelius asked dully. "Any of those is enough to earn a death sentence on its own. If you weren't a prince, your head would already be off."

"Hiring an assassin with the intention of killing a member of the royal family."

Aurelius' eyebrow rose. "That one?"

Cadmus nodded. "While it's true that my men would have killed Andromeda on my orders, having my men kill her is not the same as hiring someone to kill her. In one, I am directly guilty; in the other, I am indirectly guilty."

"I'm fairly certain that you're directly guilty in both instances."

"Yet, I'm only guilty of the one."

"Are you going to be getting to the point anytime soon? I was hoping to have a toast with my fathers before I have to get to the north gardens."

"I have been accused of hiring Vasili Xenos to kill Princess Andromeda."

"Yes. We'll catch him eventually as well."

"I do hope so. Then maybe you'll believe that I wasn't the one who hired him."

Aurelius resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Why are you focused on this?"

"Consider it a point of pride. I don't want anyone thinking that I'm so stupid as to do such a thing."

"You tried to kill her with your own hand, but hiring someone else to do it is the stupid part?"

"Think about it, little king." Cadmus tapped against his own forehead. "I already had Reanna where I needed her. Before she decided not to marry me in favor of you, she was ready to go through with it without a fight. What need did I have of an assassin? Why would I hire him all the way up from the southern tribes simply to have him watch just in case I needed him?"

Aurelius frowned.

Cadmus nodded. "It makes no sense, does it? Andromeda never saw him. You never saw him. I didn't even know about him until I heard the rumors in the castle. You can believe that or not, but you have to know that hiring him would have just been foolish on my part. I was exactly where I wanted to be, having him around just added the risk that he would be captured. I doubt a man like that would keep his mouth shut to protect his employer's skin."

"So, you had nothing to do with Vasili Xenos, is that what you're saying?"

"That's it," Cadmus nodded. "I didn't hire him. I had nothing to do with him. And if I wasn't the one who hired him, little king, you have to ask yourself: Who did?"

"Why tell me this now? What are you trying to gain from this?"

"I told you already. I don't want you to think that I'm so stupid. Also, I might want to enjoy watching you squirm just a bit. I could just keep this information to myself and wait for Vasili Xenos to kill one of the princesses, but I'd rather not. Especially not if it's Reanna. I would much rather have that particular honor for myself."

"You come near my wife, and I'll have you skinned. And I assure you, the experience is so much worse than anything you can imagine."

"Ooh, scary," Cadmus trembled with a grin. "Well, I do believe that's all I had to tell you. I look forward to returning home. Don't suppose you could send me some of the wedding feast? Day old bread and water does get boring after a few weeks."

Aurelius gave him a long look as he turned to walk away. The dungeon keeper kept pace with him but didn't speak until they had exited the cells and were back in the palace proper.

"Want me to manacle him to the wall?" He asked, maybe a bit too excited by the idea.

Wasn't a bad thing to like your job, Aurelius figured. "No, leave him be. He's not going to be our problem for much longer. Are you coming to the wedding?"

"Wouldn't miss it, your highness. Hope it's not too early to call you that."

Aurelius grinned, patting his shoulder. "You're a good man. I'm sorry you have to look after him. See you later, friend."

Aurelius was whistling cheerily as he started leaving. He had to be getting back to his wedding party. They were dressing and preparing at his house. He had left his father alone with Linus and the two of them were busy destroying a bottle of brandy. He didn't think they were going to be able to keep their promise to Melania about being sober for the ceremony.

Not that Aurelius really cared too much. He was more concerned with the fact that he was finally getting married.

---

The sound of laughter and chatter filled the air. The scents of perfume and sweet wine tickled the nose and palate. There was a plate of fresh fruits and cheeses that could be nibbled on. All the while, the feminine rituals of beautification and preparation went on unabated.

"Nat, button me."

"Rissa, how much longer?"

"If I hear that question one more time, I'm throwing something at you. I'll be done when I'm done."

"Take your time. I'm in no hurry." Nat grinned over at her impatient eldest sister as her fingers quickly secured Andromeda's dress. Locking the pearl buttons that followed the curve of her spine together. The effect it created with the sheer material surrounding it and her hair that had been pulled up to reveal the nape of her neck was quite beautiful. A bit risqué , but Larissa had been taking to her mother's suggestion of adding more sexual appeal to her designs a little better lately.

Andromeda's buttons now fixed in place, her hair curled and packed up tight on her head, she smiled at Nat before moving to her bed to begin applying her jewelry.

For the bridesmaids, Larissa had chosen for all of them to wear different colored dresses. Andromeda's was the lightest, both in color and weight, a very pale sort of pink. Like all of her gowns, the skirt was airy and fit close to her legs so it didn't weigh her down. The sheer fabric covering her back extended forward to her sides, up and around her shoulders, then down over her arms, ending at the elegant cuffs at her wrists. The shimmering ropes of white pearls she began draping over her neck and shoulders seemed to make her glimmer in the light coming through their window.

The bruises and breaks from her experience with Cadmus had all healed over by now. Though the scars left over on her heart and soul had not.

However, today was Reanna's wedding day. Even if it killed her and broke the muscles in her face, she was going to smile through it. She was happy for her elder sister, she was. It was just harder now to show it with her own thoughts and memories weighing on her mind.

"How much time do I have?" Larissa asked Nat as she meticulously set Reanna's hair.

Nat looked down at her abundance of notes spread across her desk. "I would say about an hour or two. Maybe a bit less. Auri and his party should be making their way over to the north gardens soon. Mother and Lady Justina aren't due to leave the throne room for another half an hour or so. No need to rush as yet."

"Good. Because I wasn't planning on doing so."

"Rissa..."

"Oh, stop your moaning. I'm not going to make you late for the ceremony."

"Which is technically impossible since it doesn't start until she arrives," Nat grinned.

"She's just impatient," Andromeda laughed. "I probably would be too, in her position. I can't imagine having to plan your wedding twice before you actually get married."

"For the record, I did most of the work both times."

Andromeda laughed, smiling at Nat as the latter moved around to her bed to put on her shoes. She had finished dressing this morning and had been running around most of the day to get everything ready for the ceremony and the feast. Upon arriving in their room to help dress Reanna for the event, she had taken her shoes off to rest her tired feet. Since it was getting near that time, she probably needed to put them back on again.

For Nat's dress, Larissa had designed it around a deep, dark magenta. It had sheer sleeves just as Andromeda's did, but they were long and flowing instead of cropped close and they created a flat neckline under her shoulders, revealing the closer fitting sweetheart neckline of the elaborately embroidered bodice. Her pearls were black, and her long skirt was trimmed in black thread. Since her hair was so short, it hadn't needed to be pulled up, but Larissa had gotten creative with the braiding and made her a crown of her own hair, decorated with more black pearls and ribbon.

Nat put on her shoes before moving to her desk and taking a seat. She lifted her quill and began writing out the instructions for the marriage suite she had made for Reanna and Aurelius. While Larissa and the decorators had finished a few days ago, Nat was adding a few extra things to be prepared for them by the time they were ready to retire.

Larissa had dressed herself just before Reanna had returned to their room. She needed to be ready to go when the bride was, so she had to be dressed before her. While she had dressed Andromeda and Reanna at about the same time, she couldn't do the same for herself.

Her gown was a pale sort of purple, simple and elegant. She was able to restrain her own looks like she normally did, and the result was still beautiful. The simple skirt and bodice were cinched together by a sash that tied just off center of her waist and was kept in place by a pin decorated with taupe pearls. Hers was a simple neckline with a minimal amount of embroidery stitched in a heavier purple than the rest of her gown.

Her hair, longer than anyone else's, was the only one that wasn't able to be pulled completely up onto her head. So, instead, she had split her hair into low twin tails, wrapped them in dark purple ribbon, and swung them around so her bare back was visible anyway.

The three different colors that they wore were all incorporated into Reanna's dress, accenting the blue that Larissa had chosen. Because this time the wedding was going to be everything that Reanna wanted, and she didn't want another plain white gown.

Andromeda began humming as Larissa worked. When Nat finished her instructions, she called for a servant to come retrieve them and carry out her will. Then she and Andromeda got into a discussion about their future nieces and/or nephews.

Which did absolutely nothing to quiet Reanna's nerves.

Why was she so nervous? And impatient? Sitting still was a chore at this moment. She would think after doing this once, she would be more prepared for it the second time.

However, when she really thought about it, did the first time even count? It had really not been much different from any other ball or event Larissa dressed them up for. It had been closer to one of her name day celebrations than preparation for marriage.

This time though...

A message came for Nat from Giles. She rolled it out and smiled. "Wonderful. The men are ready in the north gardens. Mother and Lady Justina are in place. The temple keepers are prepared. Everyone is only waiting for Rae."

"Rissa?"

"Stop rushing me!" She snapped. "These things don't just happen. Give me a few more minutes."

They were long, tortuous minutes. A lot of it was spent with Larissa making very minute adjustments to show Reanna in the best light with the best accents.

Reanna thought her nerves were going to snap like an over-taut bow string by the time that Larissa finally declared her to be finished.

"Thank Oceane!" She cried, getting to her feet so fast that it upset Larissa.

She glared at Reanna after catching herself before falling. "You all can't expect me to create perfection in mere minutes. It takes time. You impatient wenches."

"I don't care if I look perfect," Reanna said, turning from the vanity. "I just want to be married already!"

---

The north gardens had already blossomed this year. The hanging trees on the massive columns were now dark green with life and vitality. The bushes down below, however, were abloom with flowers that filled the air with a thick and sweet fragrance.

Aurelius, standing at the base of the tallest column, was staring up at the tall tree that pierced the sky, greater than all the others. His father, Linus, and Giles were all waiting to his right. They were all standing before the lords and ladies that had taken their seats in chairs brought out onto the grass for them. More common folk stood far apart from the area, still close enough to see, but not so close as to overwhelm the party. The queen and his mother were on the left. The path leading to the tallest column, made of brightly colored amber and blue stones, worn smooth by rushing water, was left empty. Waiting for the bride to come to him, astride her beautiful palomino horse.

The temple keeper was waiting before Aurelius at the base of the column. There was no water and sand today since the ceremony wasn't in the temple. Instead, he had a bowl filled with flower petals all collected from this garden when the trees had been bursting with life, then dried with care so that they lost neither their color nor their smoothness.

For a moment, Aurelius just breathed, enjoying the light on his face. It had been weeks since he became a full man once again, but there was still some part of him that wasn't yet used to feeling the sunlight on his human skin.

It was the people's gentle murmuring that caught his attention. His eyes opened slowly on the large tree. But he didn't turn until he heard the hooves walking over the bright amber and blue stones. He knew what he would see, and still she took his breath away.

The gown was deep blue this time, with a high, flat neckline showing her shoulders and arms without shame or concern. The multiple, deep ruffles on her skirt were trimmed in sheer fabric of a very pale sort of purple. Decorating the skirt and placed within her hair were bright chrysanthemum flowers of a pale and a deep, dark pink.

She was riding sidesaddle upon Freeheart's back. Her hair had grown out since she had first cut it and was now a lovely, medium length that he did so adore. Larissa had pulled it back and curled it into tight ringlets into which she had placed another chrysanthemum flower.

Reanna also had a new veil cast over her head, in the same pale purple as the ruffles on her gown and trimmed in magenta and pale pink. It trailed far behind her to where her three sisters were carrying it together so that it didn't fall upon the ground.

Aurelius smiled. Even if it wasn't his job to do so, he would have walked towards her anyway. He was just automatically attracted to her, regardless of the circumstances. It would have been harder to remain in one spot and wait for her to come to him.

Reanna pulled Freeheart to a halt and smiled as Aurelius stepped before her. He reached up and took hold of her waist. With seemingly little effort, he lifted her from the horse and gently lowered her to the ground. When he drew his hands back, he stroked them along her bare arms, interlacing his fingers with hers for a moment. Just to enjoy the warmth of her skin.

Then he took the edge of the veil. Grinning, he tossed it back away from her face. The wind picked it up and the garment fluttered backwards and away. He offered her his arm.

She took it with and a smile and the two of them walked together towards the head temple keeper whom had picked up the bowl of dried flower petals.

He raised them over his head, calling out to the gathered people.

"These gardens are the birthplace of our people and our kingdom. This spot is where Oceane made her sacred vow to watch over us. The proof of her love and devotion blossoms every year in the form of the delicate blooms that grace these trees. Who comes here to be joined on this day? Name yourselves for all to hear."

"I am Reanna Raemonia Reatha Renee Rosalinda, first in line for the throne of Poseidonium."

"I am Aurelius Demos Gregorius, first and only son of Lord Nereus Nicodemus."

The temple keeper nodded once before reaching into the bowl. He lifted a handful of flower petals and let the wind cascade them gently over their bodies. "Children of Poseidonium, you are welcome in this sacred place. Be washed in Oceane's love, and kneel before me now."

The two of them didn't release each other as they got down upon their knees.

The temple keeper launched into his speech. Speaking of love and duty, to each other and to the kingdom. Reanna really thought that, this time, she would be more aware of what he was saying. It was much more apropos today.

However, just as before, the words just washed over her. All she could really focus on was the feeling of Aurelius's arm wound through hers. The steady rhythm of his breath. When she turned her eyes over, it was to see he was already looking at her.

He grinned and winked. Her smiled widened just slightly.

She wanted to admonish him for not paying attention. She could hardly fault him for it though since she didn't hear a single word the temple keeper said either.

The ceremony continued around them, and they seemed to obey his orders more on reflex then because they acknowledged his presence.

When he finished speaking of their duties to one another, he asked them to bow their heads. They did so without breaking eye contact. He blessed them with more dried petals. Then he began binding them with sacred words of the temple.

He made them stand and face each other. He made them take each other's hands, which was not really a task at all. Reanna was beaming and Aurelius scrunched up his nose at her. She knew it was taking everything in him not to just stick out his tongue at her.

Fully a man, still somehow nothing but a silly, handsome lion.

"Oceane's blessings be upon you! Forevermore are you two joined into one body, one heart, and one soul. Aurelius Demos Gregorius, will you remain faithful to your bride? Honor and respect her? Take all of her worldly goods and family as your own?"

"I will."

"Will you live for her? Will you die for her?"

"I will."

"Reanna Raemonia Reatha Renee Rosalinda, will you remain faithful to your groom? Honor and respect him? Take all of his worldly goods and family as your own?"

"I will."

"Will you live for him? Will you die for him?"

"I will."

The temple keeper reached forward and placed a handful of flower petals over their combined hands. Some of them floated away, the majority of them did not.

"Allow your vows to have the strength of Oceane's when she promised us her love and protection. Be with each other for the rest of your days and beyond, into the goddess of death's kingdom. Let these two be joined, and let none but the gods split them asunder!"

They rushed to kiss each other as the gathered crowd clapped merrily. Melania was crying, as was Larissa. Nat and Justina beamed while Andromeda clapped. Across from them, Linus and Nereus were both blubbering messes while Giles smiled and clapped more calmly.

Aurelius broke the kiss, but his forehead remained resting against Reanna's.

"My lioness," he whispered gently.

"My pet," she purred in return.

---

The celebration feast in the great hall was a massive event wherein everyone Reanna thought she had ever met in her life ate and danced and laughed. She and Aurelius sat together at the head of the table and received multiple congratulations throughout the evening.

None of which were so humbling as the one delivered by Oceane herself.

Just as Melania said, the godmother was late, but no one seemed to expect otherwise. The elder woman, the tips of her hair beautifully blue today, walked into the ballroom leaving a trail of saltwater behind her. She had a bright smile on her face as everyone from the lowest servant to the king and queen themselves bowed as she approached.

"Ah, Rae," she beamed, stopping before the couple. She tapped her corral staff against the ground twice while waiting for them to rise from their bow. "That is a lovely dress."

Larissa barely covered up her squeal of delight.

Oceane laughed. "And Auri. You make a much more handsome man than a lion, I do say."

"It is an honor to meet you, Godmother Oceane," he said as seriously and regally as he could, bowing his head again.

She waved away the formality. "What a beautiful scene this is. I do love the royal weddings. They always make me so giddy inside. I still remember yours Linny. Oh, Melly, do you recall how your father nearly face-planted into the caviar? It was so silly."

Melania laughed uncomfortably. "Daddy was a bit drunk that evening."

"As he should have been. His daughter was getting married. It's a time for celebration. Drinks. And, of course, gifts." She grinned as she walked closer to Reanna and Aurelius. "Can you think of anything you want? Any specific requests?"

Aurelius and Reanna shared a glance before smiling.

She turned back to her godmother and said, "Your wisdom is far greater than ours, Oceane. If you are to give us a gift, let it come from your own choice."

"They always say that," she smirked, pleased. "Very well. I was going to give you what I very well wanted anyway. Rae, come here."

Reanna smiled at Aurelius before releasing his arm to step closer to Oceane. Her godmother smiled and reached out to grab her shoulders. They beamed at one another, almost like they were old friends.

"I told you before that I can see some things before they happen."

"But not everything. You're not omniscient."

"Exactly so," Oceane nodded in approval. "Usually, it only happens at very important times. Specifically, when my royal family expands. When you get married, or when you have children. I get a brief glimpse of the future and have to decide what gift to bestow from what I see. I've gotten rather good at it after these last few centuries."

"Have you received a vision of me and Auri?" Reanna asked, her smile widening.

"I did. My gift to you is this..." She reached down and placed her hand over Reanna's stomach. Reanna felt a strange tingling along her midsection that was rather enjoyable. "One perfect child that shall be my heir to the throne. A continuation of the good health of your family line. And an easy birth, dear. You'll thank me again later."

Reanna blinked in surprise. Then quickly beamed at her. "Th-Thank you, Oceane."

The godmother nodded, taking hold of her corral staff once again. "Now then, where is the music? I haven't had a good dance in a while. Auri, get down here and dance with me."

Aurelius laughed. He reached out for her, but she grabbed his hand and yanked him along before he could offer her a polite arm. Reanna laughed as the older looking woman began pulling him along like a rag doll. Leaving a trail of salt water behind her as she did so.

---

The wedding suite was far from the tower room that Reanna had grown up in. It felt odd, walking arm in arm with Aurelius as they made their way towards their suite. This was the path she would be walking for the rest of her life.

The four sisters had always lived in the tower. Their parents lived in the south wing of the palace, where the royal apartments were kept. It was where she and Aurelius were going to be staying from now until their deaths.

It felt odd not needing to climb all those stairs to get to her room. The large double doors, engraved with chrysanthemums in the doorframe, opened at Aurelius' touch. Above it, marking it as their place, was the crimson and gold lion banner that they shared. Designed by Larissa, and made official by Linus.

Within was their suite. Decorated in more crimson and gold with a large fireplace against one wall and a beautiful mural of the north gardens on the opposite one. A second door through the sitting room led to their bedroom.

Nat had prepared a bottle of wine and a platter of fruits for them. The bed had been turned down and chrysanthemum petals had been spread across the sheets. There were a couple of candles spread around giving the room a delicate sort of glow.

Aurelius stepped up behind Reanna and wrapped his arms around her neck, holding her close. He kissed the top of her head before nuzzling her hair.

"Finally," he whispered gently.

"Finally?"

"Mm..." He kissed her temple. "My lioness is all mine."

She grinned as she turned in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her chin against his chest. She beamed up at him.

"Why did Cadmus call you down into the dungeon today?"

He laughed a bit self-consciously. "You heard about that, huh?"

She nodded, smile still in place. "What did he say to you?"

Aurelius hesitated. Not because he didn't want to tell her, just because he didn't really feel like discussing this on his wedding night. He hadn't been able to enjoy her body since returning as a man because it was considered untoward for an unmarried couple. He had returned to his parents' manor and had been forced to court the princess properly with a chaperon and everything.

But it was their wedding night now. He had her in his arms. He could ravish her as he desired and attempt to conceive that child Oceane had promised.

However, he couldn't exactly say no to her either. She deserved to know. He held onto her as he told her what Cadmus had said. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I don't really know. Do you want to believe him?"

"Want to? No. Should we? Maybe. If nothing else, we should take precautions in case he was telling the truth. He has a point, we never caught Vasili Xenos. No one has seen or heard from him since he broke into the palace."

"If he's smart, he's laying low."

"Or his employer is having him do so until he can safely start the attack again. Security has been high since Andy came back. It's likely to keep being high for a long time."

"Yes, but is this really what you want to talk about right now?" Aurelius asked with a sly grin.

She giggled, running her hands through his hair, smiling innocently. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"And you accuse me of being a tease," he growled reaching down to take hold of her hips.

"Know my pain."

"You are a cruel mistress."

"You like it."

"Hurt me more," he begged, kissing along her chin. "Tease and torment and torture me to your heart's content. I live for the agony."

Reanna chuckled. "Silly lion-man."

"You keep forgetting handsome. Silly, handsome lion-man."

"It goes without saying. Join me in bed, husband?"

He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it gently. "Is it strange that I miss our tent out in the courtyard? Under the stars, with the scent of the garden around us?"

"No. I miss it, too."

"Do you suppose Rissa would be cross if I asked her to make a few adjustments to our room?"

Reanna grinned. With a wink, she stepped out from his arms and over to their bed. Aurelius remained in place as she grabbed the cords tying the canopy against the four posters. She pulled them, one at a time, closing the slightly opaque canopy and enshrouding the bed behind them.

She smiled at him over her shoulder before climbing through them onto the mattress. Aurelius grinned as he walked around. He knew she could see his shadow as he moved. From within, she bit her lip, anticipation rising for the moment when he would come in after her.

Then his shadow stopped. She didn't need to see his grin to know it was there. As she watched, he dropped down low and out of sight.

She snickered. "Hiding? What are you up to, my pet?"

She didn't get a response. She didn't really expect one. It would ruin the surprise if she could track where he was by the sound of his voice.

"Oh, my. What shall I do?" She sighed dramatically, resting back against the petals and pillows. "All alone on my wedding night. What a cruel husband I have."

She felt something rattle the bed and she giggled again. She couldn't tell which direction the movement had come from, but he was still silent as he moved around.

Humming to herself, she reached up and removed the chrysanthemum flower from her hair. She tossed it down onto the bed before slowly pulling out the pins. She freed the ringlets, letting the medium length hair fall about her shoulders. She deliberately started pulling her fingers through the strands, just like she knew he enjoyed doing.

Teasing, as he said.

She couldn't see him, but she felt his eyes on her, so she continued. She moved her hands down and pulled at her skirt, revealing her ankles and legs. She took off her shoes and tossed them gently over the foot of the bed. She heard them hit the ground unimpeded, proving that Aurelius had indeed moved away from that spot.

She dropped her skirt back in place before stretching her arms over her head. Though it required stretching just a bit, she moved her hands behind her back and reached for the row of black pearl buttons resting along her spine.

Each one loosened the bodice just a bit more. When she reached her hips, and ran out of buttons, she laid down on the pillows once again. She stretched her arms up over her head, arching her back up and pushing her breasts into the sky.

Teasing. Tempting. She knew that, even though she didn't see him, he was watching her. His hunting instincts hadn't at all dulled from the loss of his pelt. A pelt that was hanging like a tapestry on their wall.

"What shall I do now?" She asked the quiet air. "All alone...Craving my husband...And he's nowhere in sight..."

From across the room, she heard the door open, then shut again.

Frowning, she sat up quickly. "Auri? Did you leave?"

The room was silent.

She leaned forward, straining her ears, but she heard nothing.

He hadn't left. Of course, he didn't leave. He was still playing a game with her. What was he-

"Rawr!"

She cried out in surprise, falling forwards when he tackled her from the side of the bed. She ended up on her stomach, him pressing down against her back, laughing uproariously as he pretended to nibble viciously at her neck.

"Oh, silly lion-man!" She laughed, digging her elbow into his side.

Aurelius just stared at her for a long moment as he pulled back. Then smiled. "Hey. You're laughing. You're really laughing."

Her laughs continued as she smiled over her shoulder at him. "It would appear that I am"

He beamed, nuzzling her neck and back gently. "Oh, my sweet lioness. Let me hear your laugh again. There's no more beautiful sound in all the world than that."

She laughed some more as she reached her arm up and around to cup his neck. "Auri, my love, did you just plan to play with me all night?"

"Mm... That was the general idea," he murmured, kissing along her spine.

She laughed, turning over so she could hold him properly. "Don't play games with me for too long, or I'm just going to have to take what I want."

"Ah. See, that's all part of my plan. I enjoy it when you do so."

She grabbed his face and brought it down to kiss him eagerly.

Her lion-man. Her king. Her pet.

His Lion Princess.