I woke up. It was night, as moonlight was radiating on my skin.
At least I know I wasn't in Aten's lands anymore. As my vision got clearer, so did my thoughts. Shezmu's threats. Taeyong…
Taeyong.
Was he really…
I looked around, to find myself back in my room in Amun's village. To my astonishment, I was wearing my royal clothes, excluding the cape, and mother's pendant around my neck. Its jewels were shining now, because I was its new owner, and I was alive. My body was bandaged, and though I was still in pain, I could move and walk. I was surprised by my short hair at first falling on my face, but I'll learn how to get over it. Just like with Taeyong.
I walked to the kitchen, where I found Taweret drinking a mixture of boiled herbs.
“- Iahe! You're awake!
- Taweret…
- You scared us! You were so dehydrated and badly injured that we thought we lost you!
- I'm fine. Thank you for healing me. I feel a lot better now.
- Come and eat!
- But…”
She didn't let me continue. As she was serving me a plate of soup, I looked at her. My vision was still blurry. Was her face sad? Tired? Did she know about her son?
But as she left the plate in front of me, those thoughts left my mind. I was so hungry!
“Slowly Iahe! I know you're hungry, but eating too fast will make you sick. Sleeping for two days is not an excuse!”
Two days?! Already?!
…
As I slowed down, I looked outside. The stars were shining bright, comforting me a little.
“You have no idea how much we were worried about you. When Taeyong came back to the village, you were—”
She couldn't continue beacause I choked as she said his name. After I finished coughing, I frantically looked at her.
“- T…Taeyong… he's alive?
- Yes my dear, why wouldn't he be? He carried you all the way from Aten's tribe, and stayed next to you all the time!
- Where is he?!
- At the village's temple—”
She didn't finish her phrase, because I ‘ran’ out of her house barefoot straight to the temple. Villagers were mostly in their houses now, preparing for bed, so it was natural that I didn't find anyone on my way.
The temple now was a few steps away, but I couldn't walk anymore. As I fell on my knees, catching my breath, someone got out of it.
It was him.
He's alive.
My heart was racing, as I tried to call him, but I couldn't. My voice came out as a whisper. As he was walking away, I tried again and again, but I failed.
“Taeyong! Her Highness is calling you!”
As I looked behind to see who was behind that small voice, I saw little Sia smiling at me. Then she winked  and left without saying anything. As I looked back, Taeyong was already standing in front of me. With the full moon lighting up his face, he looked like a mirage. I was so afraid to touch him, to speak to him. But then he started yelling at me.
“Are you an idiot?! You came back from the desert, after running away, with injuries and a serious dehydration, not to mention starvation, but you come here running?! Do you really wish to die?! Because if you do, I'll take my dagger and FINISH YOU OFF!”
As he was staring at me with his usual cold eyes, my eyes were tearing up.
“I'm sorry” was all I could manage to whisper as I was trying to get back up. He then took my hand and led me straight to the temple. As he closed the door, he held me by my shoulders and looked straight into my eyes.
“You idiot,” he whispered, before hugging me, burying his head in my neck.
“- You're the idiot!
- So you said, so mote it be, Iahe.”
I stepped back and looked at him.
He is an idiot. My idiot.
“- That night, when you ran… I didn't mean to… I was…
- I understand, it's spirit that made you do this.
- No, Iahe, it was my lust that caused spirit to control me.
- What do you mean?”
He sighed, stood there without talking for a moment, and started talking about what happened.
“- When you weren't changing your mind about the dance, I decided that I should help you avoid the mating ritual. So I asked the elders to let me participate and compete for the maiden. They were surprised at first, but they approved. I just wanted to “win you” and hide you in the temple, but…
- What happened?
- You entered the circle and danced. The whole crowd was bewitched, as for me… Iahe… you were the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I let myself desire you… I lost control… Iahe. I'm sorry. I don't deserve you. You're a beautiful wise woman with a golden heart. You shine brighter than the sun, but you're still that mysterious daughter of the night, soft and silent. Iahe…”
He looked into my eyes for a moment. There was some kind of unseen wildness between us. I was hypnotized by his blue eyes. They looked like the sky during the day, and owned some force that attracted me to him. We were so close, I could feel his warm breath on my lips, making my heart burn with impatience.
“- Your Highness…” he said with a husky voice that made all my body tingle.
“- Hm?
- We're in a temple.
- … Oh.”
I stepped back, the pain in my body striking back, almost making me faint again. But Taeyong was faster, as he caught me and carried me. I was still too weak to protest, so I gripped his cape (looks like he found it) and buried my head in it.
As we stepped outside, I opened my eyes just a bit. Villagers were already outside their house since they heard Taeyong's crazy yelling. Some of them were shocked, while others were already on the floor, bowing for me. I didn't really want them to bow or anything, but I didn't want to move from Taeyong's warm arms.
As he kept walking, he raised my back a bit, so my head was on his shoulder. I could feel his warm breath on my cheek, which made my heart beat faster.
“Iahe…”
I closed my eyes, enjoying the beautiful melody in his voice. I didn't know if he said anything else, because I drifted into a dreamless sleep, still clutching his cape.
This time, when I woke up, I was still outside. Facing the east, I saw that the sky was changing colors, and less stars were shining. It was almost dawn.
“Slept well?”
His whispering lips were next to my ear, cutting my breath short. It was then that I realised my position. I was lying on him, my back on his now bare chest (his cape was covering me), and his warm hand on my cold waist. I shivered a bit from his touch, but, thinking I was cold, he just pressed me closer to him. And my cheeks? They were burning.
“Don't worry, we're not far from the village. I just wanted you to see dawn just for once.”
Still whispering, I couldn't speak without probably making a fool of myself, so I just nodded. Then it hit me.
“- Why am I not bandaged anymore?
- I was checking to see if your cuts were clean, but they healed fast, thanks to mother's healing gifts. But…”
I knew what he was going to say. I earned more scars. As I looked under the cape, I saw the two ugly scars on my stomach. They were healed, but leaving an ugly trace for the rest of my life. I was used to it, but not this time. My scars are ugly, and they can be no longer hidden. Before I could stop it, a sob came out from my mouth.
But that sob turned into a gasp when I felt warm lips on my back.
“- Taeyong…
- Your Highness,” he said as he clutched me harder, his lips on an old scar, “you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Like I said, your scars are the marks you hold for being a warrior of justice. They deserve to be shown and worshipped by all villages in the country.”
He kept kissing every single scar I had, as my tears were running down my cheeks. As his lips went back up, his kisses got fiercer as he reached my neck.
“T-Taeyong—”
He didn't answer. His hand raised me onto his lap, pressing me hard–too hard– against him, struggling to undo (or rip) my skirt, while his other hand started lingering, reaching my chest.
Here I was lost. Did I want it? Part of me screamt to stop it. Another part, deep inside, desperatly wanted it.
But it wasn't the right time.
So, regretting it, I elbowed Taeyong as hard as I could, releasing me from his hands.
As I looked at him, I got shocked. His eyes were deep purple.
“- Taeyong!
- Huh?”
Just like that, he blinked once, and all trace of purple disappeared, leaving behind confused blue eyes.
“Iahe, are you ok? Why did you y–”
It's like I could see what happened replaying in his eyes. He then looked at me, like he saw an ancestor's ghost, his face getting paler than the moon.
“- Iahe, I'm so sorry, I... I…
- Taeyong, it's okay! Don't worry, I just…
- No.”
He stood up and took a step back. As I stood and got closer, he took another step back.
“I'll be going now. Rest well Your Highness.”
And, without letting me speak, he bowed and quickly left, leaving me behind with only the rising sun unsuccessfully trying to warm my back.

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I feel like this chapter is short ㅠㅠ But anyway, enjoy! ^^

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